Well, the Prime Minister seems determined to leave his mark on history for in addition to the New Year’s honours list and the King’s birthday honours list we now have the ‘Richie Sunak Honours List’ too.

Will this become an annual fixture I wonder, or is it “either the arrogant act of an entitled man who's stopped caring what the public thinks, or the demob-happy self-indulgence of someone who doesn't expect to be prime minister much longer”? (Anneliese Dodds)

People deserve to be recognised for the good they do of course, but it’s easy see why some have detected a link between Mohamed Mansour’s substantial donation to the Tory party and his knighthood. One political opponent has even suggested it was "toxic" cronyism. It doesn’t seem to have been the most astute of political moves either which is why I am tempted to believe Mr Sunak might be thinking this is the last chance he’ll get, and he ought to make the most of it.

Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t think it is wrong to honour those who have enriched the life of our society. Jesus talked of rewards too, although there was never any hint of them being linked to financial donations to his ministry!

Take this piece of advice, “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you’.

Jesus also promised to reward those who ‘hang on in there’ when they were being persecuted too. Jesus knew that people would mock them as they mocked Him and that they would be accused of all sorts of terrible things. They were accused of cannibalism for example as well as being persecuted for being disloyal to the emperor. But when this happens, he said, ‘Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven” Given the latest statistics that more than 365 million Christians worldwide are suffering for their faith the thought of being rewarded is more than academic.

The New Testament also uses the image of ‘crowns’. I was reminded of this the other day when I was told of an elderly Christian who had died very unexpectedly. It seems that he was always sharing his faith, and scores of people are believers because of his determination to do so. As I reflected on that I found myself thinking of some words the apostle Paul penned when he wrote to his friends in Thessalonica and asked ‘what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?’.

This particular crown is given to those who have introduced people to Jesus, but the New Testament talks of other crowns. Don’t get me wrong. Eternal life always has been and always will be a gift; all we have to do is place our trust in Him and we can rest secure. But it’s worth noting that there are rewards to be won and crowns to be lost too.