Brother and Sisters of our Lord Jesus the Christ, here in the Chapel and on-line, today is January 19^th, the Third Sunday of 2025. Tomorrow, January 20^th, a momentous event will take place in that great country to the North of us. Some may expect at least a recommendation on how to convince the New US Administration to add Jamaica to the List of acquisition which includes Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal so that travel to the US from Jamaica will be an internal flight. I won’t go there except to say that President Elect Donald Trump won the November 2024 Presidential Election in free and fair elections just as President Joe Bidon had won in November 2020 and that professing and practicing Christians. Both won the Presidency when their party was not the government. Governments rigg elections not Oppositions. 

Very important to note that professing and practicing Christians Vice President Mike Pence in 2020, Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden in 2024, have all carried out their constitutional duties in circumstances which were not to their advantage. To God be the Glory.

Probably there is some expectation of saying something because General Elections are due by September this year and that the silly season has already begun. My only exhortation is that all citizens 18 years and older and all eligible residents, should ensure that you are registered to vote, have all proofs required of voters, go and vote on Election Day when that is. Your vote is your voice. Voting is your obligation as a citizen. Voting gives legitimacy to elections and governance. The secret ballot is power. Ignore those claiming to know how electors vote. Voting is victory for democratic governance, the most stable and self-correcting form of governance devised by humankind.

Preaching immediately following Spiritual Enrichment Week induces great anxiety, especially taking account of subjects covered.  On Sunday our Pastor Rev Dr. Glenroy Lalor led us to consider the story told by Jesus of the Samarian and the question, ‘who is my neighbor?’ Rev Dr Anthony Oliver continued with expositions from the Gospel of Matthew and concluded in Acts of the Apostles recounting the spread of church because of escalating persecution, the faith of early Christians and the faithfulness of God.

 My great anxiety is partially relieved by being asked to preach on this Third Sunday of January which is the 69^th anniversary of first coming to Bethel. This is unlikely to be just a coincidence. Sixty-nine years ago, I found a small group of people on fire for the Lord in an old wooden building. Being on fire for the Lord is what I desired. I accepted that Bethel was the congregation to which I should belong. So, I joined the New Members Class, was baptized on a Wednesday Night at East Queens Street Baptist Church and accepted as a member in July 1956. Among brothers and sister still around are Rev William Edward and his young daughter Janet; brother and sister Dr Ken and Dr Donna Christian, Dr Tony Allen, their cousin, Dr Blossom O’Meally-Nelson, later Mrs. Stokes. Coming shortly were Rev Dr Gerry Gallimore, Ina Shaw, later Dr. Barrett, Dr  Karl James and Rupert Gallimore.

Today I give Thanks to God for this congregation that is Bethel.

• Rev Dr and Mrs. Charles McCollough, Rev William Edwards and Family, Rev Dr Burchell and Ann Taylor and family, and Rev Dr. Glenroy and Dr Sharon Bramwell-Lalor and Family who God has chosen to exercise pastoral care, 
• The late Ann ‘Cherry’ Johnson whose invitation to Training Union prompted my curiosity to come here 
• Elder brothers and sisters in the Lord, from Bethel and other Congregations, mostly departed, whose prayers, care, and counsel at crucial times that will never be forgotten, 
• Friendships formed in bonding to live the Christian life at and through the stages of the human life cycle – youth, young adult, adults, middle age and now old age

Then again, the 70^th Anniversary Song and the Theme of Spiritual Enrichment Week speak of “The Church Down in the Square: Meeting, Mingling, and Ministering” These prompted reflections of how the Half-Way-Tree area has changed since we, who grew up in the area, were children. Families in the area were neighbors and friends. Friendship included parents as well as children. Families in the area invited each other to free house parties, mingled, and cared for each other in practical ways.

 Most families worshipped at St Andrew Parish Church or Holy Cross Catholic Church or Bethany Gospel Hall or Tarrant Baptist Church. Most children attended Half-Way-Tree Government School at 4 Hope Road 4 which is now the NCB Parking Lot next door in which many of us park each Sunday. The playground of Half-Way-Tree Government School, where we, including me, played cricket and football at lunchtime and after school, is a now road, taxi stand, and Mandela Park.

The Half-Way-Tree is at the end of Hope Road, the beginning of Hagley Park Road, the end of Constant Spring Road and the beginning of Half-Way-Tree Road with the intersection marked by the Clock Tower and nearby Water Fountain. Running almost parallel to Constant Spring and Half-Way-Tree Roads are Maxfield Ave and Eastwood Park Roads, with Molynes Road the main artery off Eastwood Park Road.  St Andrew Parish Church, the Resident Magistrate Court, Police Station, Fire Brigade Station, Parish Library, Bethany Gospel Hall, and the Animal Pound on Ambrook Lane were all a stone’s throw away. The Post Office was beside Holy Cross on Half-Way-Tree Road and on Constant Spring Road there was an ice cream parlor, a night club, and I think a barber shop. The Tax Office for St Andew was at 2 Hope Road. Like all Parish Capitals, Half-Way Tree was the center of local government services.

There were no fabric or shoe shops or markets, in Half-Way-Tree. Those were in Crossroads or Downtown. The Half Way Tree area was largely a set residential communities. The vast majority of children, youths, and adults walked from their homes to all the places described. The Half-Way-Tree of my childhood no longer exists. The 70^th Anniversary Song and the Theme of Spiritual Enrichment Week are very correct. Half-Way-Tree has been reduced to a Square and Bethel is now right down in the Square, which has shifted north. 70 years ago, St Andrew Parish Church and Bethany Gospel Hall that were right down in the Square. No one living in the Half-Way-Tree area would say that they are going to the Square.

The Square is a modern metaphor with ancient equivalents. Hence, the core features are not static but dynamic. For the moment, the question is: How has Half-Way-Tree become a Square? Residents of private homes have moved out, especially the well-to-do, as commerce large and small, banks, large shopping malls, entertainment, and a transportation hub have moved in. Left behind are mostly descendants of the poor and many new arrivals. However, the population of Half-Way-Tree is now overwhelmingly transient. Employees and vendors come to work each day in the morning and go back home at night. Church members live outside the area and attend weekly services. People pass through regularly or occasionally. Street people, some of whom are mentally ill, and hustlers also go back and forth. Homeless people find relatively safe niches to sleep.

Three facts stand out: 

1. The social, economic, and demographic processes that have reduced Half-Way-Tree to a Square started more than 70 years ago. 6 Hope Road was on the later side of the processes. That is why Pastor McCollough and the early members could rent the old board house, and then Pastor Edwards and the Church Council could have bought the land, tear down the old house and build the original Sanctuary. 
2.  The 40 Ministries of Bethel so neatly and effectively presented in Matrix Format and distributed as Homework last Wednesday night, and hopefully many new recruits signed up for service yesterday, came about as Pastor Taylor and the Church Council accepted and responded to the changes through which Half-Way-Tree has become a Square.
3. The congregation at Bethel while responding to the challenges of the emerging Half-Way-Tree Square did not become fixated on Square. As residential communities and institutions in St Andrew sprang up North, South, East and West of Half-Way-Tree, deacons and members of Bethel resident in those communities, or proximity to those institutions, guided by Pastor Taylor, they pioneered missions many of which are now churches. I can remember many Sundays when six to eight Teams from Bethel took services in missions and churches that needed support in Kingston, St Andrew, St Thomas and St Catherine. At the same time the congregation here at 6 Hope Road grew.

Just a word of caution about memorializing the Metaphor of the Square. What will Half-Way Tree be in 70 years, if the Lord tarries? Will it still be a Square? Population wise the Parish of St Andrew is in relative decline. The phenomena creating Squares includes commercialized dilapidated former residential communities and attendant human miseries are replicated across urban centers in Jamaica, the Caribbean, Central America, North America and indeed the Western World. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Program the ‘Global Public Square’ hints that the world may be becoming a square.

COVID has hit church attendance in person hard but has given a great boost to virtual attendance on-line. Rev Dr. Oliver on Thursday night highlighted the fact that as the early Church spread from Jerusalem because of persecution, cities like Antioch, at the crossroads of commerce and transportation, played a strategic role in the spread of the Gospel in Asia and Europe. Will Bethel’s witness and care for the marginalized in the Square expand to being God’s instrument in making disciples among residents and transients of all social, economic, and cultural segments of society inside and outside the Half-Way Tree Square?

Permit a degression. A past student of the Mico and a family friend, who has been living in England for probably 50 years, came to Jamaica recently. He was staying outside of Kingston. The only day that we could catch up required him to take public transportation. He suggested that we meet at Bethel. He arrived probably 45 minutes before the time agreed. The refurbishment of the Chapel was almost complete. He told me that the door was opened because a few workmen were around, so he came in and sat down. He said that sitting there he had a deeply moving experience. Though there was a lot of noise and bustle outside, the Chapel was quiet. The calm and quiet inside allowed him to gather his thoughts and collect himself. He did not say cool, but that may have contributed. Will we find ways to bring the transients of the Square into the Chapel to have centering experiences?

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all record this story and Matthew Chapter 16:24, Mark Chapter 8:34 and Luke Chapter 9:23, only differ in one word, daily’.

“If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

Sovereign Lord, Loving Heavenly Father, I beech you by the enabling of the Holy Spirit to speak the Words of Jesus to your people despite inadequacies of this poor and pathetic vessel, Amen.

While the text is Luke Chapter 9:23, Let us do a quick run through Matthew Chapter 16. If you can follow me in your Bible or New Testament.

The Pharisees and Sadducees Jointly ask Jesus for a Sign from Heaven: Verses 1-4

In Verses 1 to 4, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the two main and rival parties among Jews, saw Jesus as a common foe. They plotted to trap him and sent a delegation with the request for Jesus to give them a sign from Heaven. Knowing what they were about, after a few strong choice words, Jesus replied that only sign he would give, is the Sign of Jonah, and then walked away.

The Frustration of Jesus the Teacher with His Hard to Learn Disciples: Verses 5-12

One great difficulty for teachers is to get students to grasp the big difference between theories that seem the same. This difficulty becomes even bigger when two main and great political and theological rivals privately agree on a matter and jointly present that agreement publicly. This is because the general view is that all problems will be solved if only fierce political and theological adversaries could only come together and agree. This is usually a big mistake, as it was between Jesus versus the unified parties of Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus was concerned that his disciples could see their joint request for a sign from Heaven as reasonable and might not understand his reply about the sign of Jonah.

So, after they had crossed the Sea of Gallilee Jesus gently remarked that they should be careful about false doctrine. He used the metaphor of yeast, which easily spread invisibly through dough in making bread. The disciples immediately thought that Jesus was talking about bread. They had forgotten to take bread on the boat ride across the sea. Jesus realized the disconnect between him and the disciples. He was concerned about false teaching and they about bread.

You can feel Jesus’s frustration. Jesus said, where is your faith? Having been with me all this time do you still not understand? Do you not remember when you had no bread, and the five thousand men plus women and children were fed? Have you forgotten the feeding of the four thousand? How is it that you do not understand I am not talking about bread?

Understand we have a bread problem just like the disciples. Jesus said, ‘Man does not live by bread alone’. He also I am the Bread of life. Do we believe this? We readily forget times when we had no bread and God in miraculous way provided food and money for us. In unbelief and forgetfulness, we become confused about falsehoods. The popular claim is that ‘everybody must eat ‘a food’. Anything done to eat ‘a food’ is acceptable, justified and right. Put bluntly, if people are selling you junk or robbing you blind in transactions or hustling you aggressively because you have been kind, you must comply otherwise you are a villain. Let us be clear all of these do not help those who advocate or practice this error of not giving value for money. 

Likewise, we become tethered daily to news of the exchange rate to the US dollar, rate of inflation, crime statistics, and are proud of companies that make huge annual profits but do not pay employees wages and salaries that allow them to provide adequately for their families. It was only after Jesus rebuked the disciples that they were jolted to understand that Jesus was warming them about the false teaching and insincere living of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

 Jesus, His Church, and Peter the Conflicted Leader of the Disciples: Verses 13-23

Having crossed to the other side, they entered Caesarea Phillippi, city of Canaanite Baals and venation of the Roman Emperor Ceasar Augustus. Jesus took another approach to get his disciples to grasp the fundaments. He asked them, who do men say that I am? The answer was basically an opinion survey which showed that Jesus was well regarded by people who were divided about his identity. Some said John the Baptist, some Elijah, some Jeremiah, and some a prophet. Judging by other scripture, the latter the most popular. Indeed, leaders of the Pharisees and Sadducees did not act unilaterally against Jesus but contrived some form of approval by King Herod and Governor Pilate.

Each one of these characterizations misconceived, underestimated, and did not recognize who Jesus was. Jesus was then direct and personal. Who do you say that I the son of man am? Without hesitation Peter blurted out: ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God’. Jesus immediately did five things. Declared that Peter was Blessed. Called Peter by his full name, Simon son of Jonah. Informed Peter that what he said was directly from the Father and was not of human origin. Decreed that he would build His Church and nothing including the power of Hades and Satan would overcome it. Confirmed Peter as the Leader of the disciples and the early church.

This done Jesus returned to the sign of Jonah that he promised the Pharisees and Sadducees in Verse 4. Jesus explained to his hard to learn disciples, and followers, the exact details of what was going to happen. He must go to Jerusalem. He will Suffer at the hands of the political and religious leaders, that is, elders, chief priests, and scholars of the law. He will be killed and raised to life on the third day. 

Peter the impulsive, warm hearted, newly confirmed leader of the disciples, who loved Jesus would have none of it. He took Jesus aside and chastised him. Lord, this shall never happen to you. Remember, Peter had just been blessed, called by his full name, told that he had been the channel of direct Divine revelation, and confirmed as leader of the church. Only the grace of God prevented Peter’s head from not bursting. Peter saw himself as the loyal protector of Jesus preventing anything bad from happening to Him. Peter was saw himself as bigger than God. He was the bodyguard of Jesus the Christ.

 Jesus rebuked Peter with the same word used when Satan offered Him the whole world if Jesus would worship him. ‘Get the behind me Satan.’ Jesus called Peter an offence. The purpose of God taking on human form was to pay the penalty for man’s rebellion against Him through death on the Cross. Satan sought to tempt Jesus by offering a way to avoid the Cross. Filled with pride Peter thought he could protect Jesus from death on the Cross. Seeking to prevent Jesus from fulfilling His purpose is the offence of seeking to become bigger than God. Peter had not yet learned the lesson. Jesus named the root problem. Peter’s concerns were not the concerns of God, but human concerns. In a nutshell, Peter was deeply conflicted. 

The time and distance between the Mountain Top as vehicle of profound spiritual revelation to valley of being an agent of Satan was not only very short but precipitously deep. Paul felt the depth of conflict also when he cried out, ‘The good that I would I do not, but the evil that I would not that I do, who shall deliver me from this body of death. ‘If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. But the old man is still there. All of us, without exception, are similarly conflicted.

Matthew 16:24

Brothers and Sisters young and old, male and female, uptown and downtown understand this Jesus our Savior and Lord knows that like Peter we are all conflicted. Going through 2025 preoccupied with human concerns will lead to us being offences to or Lord. Here is the reminder of Jesus to those who had left all and followed him: “If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23

To those of us who having been following Jesus and still desires to follow Him, Jesus reminds us of three practices. 

1. Let him deny himself. This asserts that there is a Person and a Self who are in willful dialogue with each other. Denying Self is not Self-Denial, for example, giving up parties and meat for Lent. That is, selective and temporary postponement of pleasure. Denying Self is not the Self in Denial. This is deceiving oneself. This is a person depriving oneself of the truth and reality. It is a very dangerous condition.  Denying Self is the Person consciously choosing ‘No’ to Self-Will.  Jesus gave the example, ‘Though being God, He emptied Himself and chose to take on human form. In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus humbled Self to the Will of the Father. “Not my will but thy will be done”. This is self-determination and self-actualization through choice of the Will of the Sovereign Creator. Deny Self is humility in walking with God.
2. Take up the Cross, daily. The Cross speaks of purpose. God’s purpose for giving us life and making us part of His Creation and Providence. This is redemptive which of necessity includes some suffering for being doing what is right, being just, and showing mercy. Redemption comes with a price that must be paid in resisting evil. This is lifelong and continuous, daily, not temporary and episodic. Because we are human this could include some crosses. Mix-up we have got into, those that others have gotten us. 
3. Following Jesus Speaks of God’s Presence. I will never leave you or forsake you. God’s God enabling Power. God’s Reward in this world and in His Kingdom.

Once we remember the reminder of Jesus ‘Follow Me’ in 2025 the future of the congregation that comprises Bethel is secure whatever Half-Way-Tree becomes in the future.