Sermon preached at 11am Parish Eucharist at St Mary the Virgin, Lapworth on Sunday 31st October 2010. A shortened version of this sermon was also preached at the 8.30am Said Eucharist and at 9.45am Holy Communion (BCP) at St Michael’s, Baddesley Clinton.
All Saints’ Sunday – Year C
Readings: Ephesians 1: 11-23 Luke 6: 20-31
So today we are celebrating All Saints Day, transferred from Monday 1st November and on Tuesday 2nd November we shall be remembering All Souls Day. So today we remember people who have died and who are holy, close to God and who dwell joyfully in the fullness of God’s presence. Then on Tuesday we remember all other people who have died with good will towards God but who we hesitate to think of as Saints.
Let’s think about this more carefully using the metaphor of a journey. We think of the Christian life as a journey towards God. The journey ends (or better: reaches fulfilment) when we come to share in the life of the Trinity in heaven. Walking the journey towards heaven is therefore about drawing ever closer to God. Christ is both the “the way” we must follow, the road, and the shepherd who leads us along it. As we draw closer to God we understand him better. We learn his ways and we learn to move in harmony with them. It is about being freed from sin, so that we can stand in the presence of God. It is about becoming pure in heart, so that we can see God.
Or we can use the metaphor of healing. As humans we were created in the image of God, and made good. Yet, somehow, we have been diseased by sin and our humanity has been compromised. We are now in a process of recovery. Healing is about overcoming sin and developing truly and fully into the human being that God created us to be. Christ is the both the healer and the example of perfect humanity to which we aspire. We can think of the church as the hospital in which we are treated and in which we convalesce. As we listen to the doctor in hospital, so we listen to God in the bible. As we receive medicines in a hospital, so we receive sacraments in the church. As we might receive surgery in hospital, so God sometimes cuts open and reorders our earthly lives. As physiotherapy or occupational therapy might prepare us for life outside the hospital, so the situations we face in our earthly lives prepares us for the life of heaven.
Or we might use the metaphor of an apprenticeship or professional training. Earthly life is a training ground in which we learn the skills that we need to live the life of heaven. Qualification in the trade is like attaining to the norms of heaven. Christ is the teacher, our trainer, and we seek to become like him. As trainees read their manuals, so Christians study the bible. As trainees get day-release in college, so Christians come to church once a week. As trainees listen to and copy the expert, so Christians listen to Christ and copy him.
Whichever of these metaphors we use, it is important to see our earthly lives as process of becoming more Christ-like, more God-like. This process is God’s work in us. When we remember “All Saints” we are thinking of people who have died and in whom this work of God shows a certain completeness or fulfilment; people who are ready and fit to be good citizens of heaven. When we think of “All Souls” we think or people who have died for whom this process of becoming holy is still work in progress. And if we think of the people who we have known who have died, probably most of them are more holiness-in-progress rather than holiness-realised, and so we especially remember them on All Souls day.
Now I said that this process of becoming holy is “God’s work in us”. It is important that we remember that, because we can only progress by God’s grace. We can’t achieve holiness in our own strength! But we certainly do have a part to play. It is crucially important that we respond positively to God’s love for us. We need to co-operate with God’s grace in our lives. We need to want the things that God wants for us. The desire for holiness must grow within us. We need to pray for this. We need to order our daily lives, our days and our minutes, according to God’s will and purpose for us.
And this process of becoming holy, of becoming saints, is very important and often we don’t take it seriously enough. Do we think of ourselves as saints in the making? Do we think of ourselves as drawing ever closer to God? Do we think of ourselves as recovering from sin and becoming perfect, as our heavenly father is perfect? Do we think of ourselves saints in training? Well we can and should think of ourselves in this way. Ultimately we must go to heaven or hell; we are either with God or against him. It seems to me sensible to walk firmly and boldly towards God and towards the life of heaven!
And it has to be said that we Christians can often seem woefully negligent in this respect. We tend to drift along wanting to think of ourselves as “good people” but not as “holy people” or saints. I was interested to read something [“Finding Happiness” by Christopher Jamison, London: Weidenfield & Nicolson 2008] about the seven deadly sins. Apparently at one stage there were eight deadly sins. The one that somehow got lost is “acedia” which means spiritual carelessness or apathy. Certainly acedia seems a terrible problem for many Christians in these present times.
So let’s not suffer from this spiritual apathy of acedia. Let’s be attentive to God’s work in us. Let’s want it and pray for it. Let’s co-operate fully with it. Let’s thirst for the life of heaven. Let’s trust in its goodness and power. As Paul said in our reading today, “…may you know the hope to which [Christ] has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints”. In this way we can make progress on the journey, we can be healed and made whole, we can be trained up for the life heaven, and these are things of everlasting value. They are real riches. Let’s be keen to receive them!
31 October 2010
24 October 2010
Give to the most high, as he has given to you
Sermon preached at St Mary the Virgin, Lapworth at 11am Coral Mattins on Sunday 24th October 2010. A shorter version of this sermon was preached at the 8.30am Said Eucharist and at Evensong at 3pm St Michael’s, Baddesley Clinton.
Last Sunday after Trinity (Also Bible Sunday) – Year C
Readings: Ecclesiasticus 35: 12-17, Luke 18: 9-14
(outline notes only)
I now put Sunday scripture readings in the Parish Magazine.
- people can read them before or after worship
- this helps the scriptures to sink into our hearts
But maybe people had trouble finding Ecclesiasticus
– deuterocanonical / apocrypha book
- There are 7 such deutrocanonical books (plus bits of Daniel and Ester)
- they are in Greek Septuagint version of Old Testament (used by early church)
- they are not in Hebrew Bible (put together by 1st century Jews)
What books are included in the bible is called the “Canon”. Canon means ruler for measurement, a standard, an authority. The Canon is the list of books which the church regards as authoritative, which are treated as Holy Scripture.
Disputes about the Canon mainly settled at Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which took the Greek Septuagint to be the Old Testament. At Reformation, Luther and reformers took the Hebrew Bible to be the Old Testament. Seven books left in an ambiguous state. Protestant Bibles sometimes include them in “The Apocrypha”.
It is interesting to reflect on bible history on Bible Sunday. Note that we often think of the church gaining its authority from the bible, which sets its standards and norms. But it is also true that the bible gets its authority from the church, which wrote the NT and defined the Canon.
The key text today from Ecclesiasticus 35:
Give to the most high as he has given to you.
Be generous
For the Lord repays – sevenfold.
Giving, generosity – Paula Gooder (lay canon biblical scholar at Birmingham Cathedral described the ethic of giving/generosity as the central ethic of the NT.
Not thinking just of financial giving, or even gifts like those we exchange at Christmas
Rather thinking of living for the good of other – loving the other person as I love myself.
More routinely than money or gifts, the things that we are called to give might be:
a smile
encouragement
give the time necessary to deal properly with people
give real attention when listening
give forgiveness
give help making use of our knowledge, skills or experience
give by being patient with someone who is exasperating
Generosity with time and money and gifts, is also part of this. Note that everything that is given, is given always for the good of the other.
(Sometimes the good of the other demands us to give something that they may not like – give a child a good telling off, give food to a drunkard rather than money or drink. Our attitude is still one of giving – still working for the good of the other – not judging or criticising or dominating.)
Now if we are to give generously we have to have the ability to give.
You can’t give what you don’t have.
We must have first received from God, and from others before we have anything to give.
Ideal situation – we are always receiving and always giving – cycles of mutual giving.
How can we build up that those healthy cycles of receiving and giving. How can work towards a position where we freely give all the time.
- practice generosity, it’s a virtue, a skill that grows with practice
- develop our awareness and our trust in God’s giving to us
- use prayer and mediation to build our awareness of God’s love for us
- use thanksgiving to be more aware of God’s love for us
- meet with other Christians in worship, in groups and socially to receive
- hold our shortcomings and our needs before God in prayer
- don’t hide them away, or pretend not there.
- if possible discuss them with other Christians
- remember the promises of God, e.g.
- give and there will be gifts for you – a full measure shaken down and overflowing (Luke 6: 38)
- Peter said – what about us who have left everything to follow you. (Mark 10: 28ff) Jesus said – what you have given up for me and for the gospel, you will receive 100 times as much in the present age and in the future age – eternal life.
Example of the gifts of God – I remember cycling round Lapworth years ago thinking it would be a lovely place to live. I had forgotten that – but lo and behold – I now live here!
Last Sunday after Trinity (Also Bible Sunday) – Year C
Readings: Ecclesiasticus 35: 12-17, Luke 18: 9-14
(outline notes only)
I now put Sunday scripture readings in the Parish Magazine.
- people can read them before or after worship
- this helps the scriptures to sink into our hearts
But maybe people had trouble finding Ecclesiasticus
– deuterocanonical / apocrypha book
- There are 7 such deutrocanonical books (plus bits of Daniel and Ester)
- they are in Greek Septuagint version of Old Testament (used by early church)
- they are not in Hebrew Bible (put together by 1st century Jews)
What books are included in the bible is called the “Canon”. Canon means ruler for measurement, a standard, an authority. The Canon is the list of books which the church regards as authoritative, which are treated as Holy Scripture.
Disputes about the Canon mainly settled at Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, which took the Greek Septuagint to be the Old Testament. At Reformation, Luther and reformers took the Hebrew Bible to be the Old Testament. Seven books left in an ambiguous state. Protestant Bibles sometimes include them in “The Apocrypha”.
It is interesting to reflect on bible history on Bible Sunday. Note that we often think of the church gaining its authority from the bible, which sets its standards and norms. But it is also true that the bible gets its authority from the church, which wrote the NT and defined the Canon.
The key text today from Ecclesiasticus 35:
Give to the most high as he has given to you.
Be generous
For the Lord repays – sevenfold.
Giving, generosity – Paula Gooder (lay canon biblical scholar at Birmingham Cathedral described the ethic of giving/generosity as the central ethic of the NT.
Not thinking just of financial giving, or even gifts like those we exchange at Christmas
Rather thinking of living for the good of other – loving the other person as I love myself.
More routinely than money or gifts, the things that we are called to give might be:
a smile
encouragement
give the time necessary to deal properly with people
give real attention when listening
give forgiveness
give help making use of our knowledge, skills or experience
give by being patient with someone who is exasperating
Generosity with time and money and gifts, is also part of this. Note that everything that is given, is given always for the good of the other.
(Sometimes the good of the other demands us to give something that they may not like – give a child a good telling off, give food to a drunkard rather than money or drink. Our attitude is still one of giving – still working for the good of the other – not judging or criticising or dominating.)
Now if we are to give generously we have to have the ability to give.
You can’t give what you don’t have.
We must have first received from God, and from others before we have anything to give.
Ideal situation – we are always receiving and always giving – cycles of mutual giving.
How can we build up that those healthy cycles of receiving and giving. How can work towards a position where we freely give all the time.
- practice generosity, it’s a virtue, a skill that grows with practice
- develop our awareness and our trust in God’s giving to us
- use prayer and mediation to build our awareness of God’s love for us
- use thanksgiving to be more aware of God’s love for us
- meet with other Christians in worship, in groups and socially to receive
- hold our shortcomings and our needs before God in prayer
- don’t hide them away, or pretend not there.
- if possible discuss them with other Christians
- remember the promises of God, e.g.
- give and there will be gifts for you – a full measure shaken down and overflowing (Luke 6: 38)
- Peter said – what about us who have left everything to follow you. (Mark 10: 28ff) Jesus said – what you have given up for me and for the gospel, you will receive 100 times as much in the present age and in the future age – eternal life.
Example of the gifts of God – I remember cycling round Lapworth years ago thinking it would be a lovely place to live. I had forgotten that – but lo and behold – I now live here!
10 October 2010
Being made clean
Sermon preached at 11am Coral Mattins at St Mary the Virgin, Lapworth on Sunday 10th October 2010. A shortened version was also preached at the 8.30am Eucharist.
Trinity 19, Proper 23 – Year C
Readings: Ps 111 2 Kings 5: 1-3 & 7-15c Luke 17: 11-19
On Fridays, which is my day off, I always try to get in a round of golf. And usually I have a shower immediately afterwards. I like the feeling of clean skin and clean clothes and I feel refreshed and renewed. And if for some reason I don’t have a shower I usually regret it. I feel sweaty or dirty and I worry that I smell. I worry that my skin is a mess. And I think these feelings are very common. I think many of us like the feeling of clean, fresh skin after a bath or shower.
So let’s spare a thought for people with leprosy. It is a terrible disease whereby the skin dries and cracks and nerve endings lose their feeling, such that it becomes all too easy to damage limbs, without even noticing. Leprosy causes a deterioration in the skin, such that even young people start to look very old. Nowadays there are excellent treatments available for leprosy and it need not be a problem. Sadly there are still places in the world where because of war, or poverty or organisational failures leprosy is still a problem, but in the time of Jesus it was a significant problem, with lepers often expected to live in isolated colonies outside the towns, where they would not infect anyone else.
Now our scripture readings today were about people who were healed of leprosy. Their skin and their flesh were made clean. The terrible disease was cleared away. And what an extraordinary joy that must have been. First of all, the joy of having a nice clean wholesome skin, the skin which I appreciate after a shower, but how much more so after recovering from leprosy! Secondly the end of isolation, the end to the fear of infecting anyone with whom the leper interacts, restoration to a normal life with family and friends in society. Thirdly the knowledge that the disease has gone, a sudden and new expectation of a healthy future; deliverance from a slow and isolated decline towards death. What a joy for the healed leper! What a joy!
Now let’s think about Naaman, and how he came to be cured of his leprosy. I always love the image of Naaman arriving with his horses and chariots and all his servants and attendants, and his letter from the king and all his gold and silver. And all this huge and glorious entourage draws up outside Elijah’s house, which was no doubt a very small and simple shack. The contrasts are stark. Naaman and Elijah live by very different values. Naaman no has to go through quite a process and has to learn many things before he can be healed.
First of all he has to learn something about not putting too much trust in earthly resources. All those horses and chariots and attendants and gold count for very little in front of Elijah, the simple man of God. God is not going to heal Naaman because he is “impressed”. God’s healing is a simple gift to the person who asks consistently and waits patiently.
Then there is a lesson in humility. Elijah does not even come out to greet this great man, this commander of armies. Naaman receives a simple message through a servant. Even the greatest of men are not great in front of God, their creator, redeemer and sustainer.
There is a lesson about simplicity. Naaman expected great theatricals. He expected the prophet to call upon the name of God, and wave his hands over the infected skin. But God’s healing is not about signs of outward show. Usually it is quiet, natural and unassuming. It does not make great TV. It is often overlooked by newspaper.
Then there is a lesson about not trusting in our strength. “If the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it?” How much more should you do something simple? In a way God’s healing would be easier to accept if we somehow earned it through hard work, or bravery or skill. We might feel we had some entitlement to it if we did this. But God’s healing is not like that. It is a simple gift. We cannot earn God’s favour through our own efforts, rather our own efforts must work in harmony with the grace that we have received from God.
And closely linked to this, there is a lesson about obedience. Washing in the Jordon might seem rather irrelevant to the problem in human eyes, but this is what God asked for, and this is what made Naaman clean. We need to trust in God and walk in the ways that he suggests if we are to be made clean.
Then there is a lesson about the greatness and oneness of the God of Israel. “Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” Well no, in this case we are talking about the God of Israel, and Naaman was asked to wash in the Jordon, the river of Israel.
So by the time that Naaman got down to the river Jordon and washed he had already been through quite a process. Much healing of his attitudes had already taken place. Pride was overcome by humility, outward show by simplicity. Trust in earthly resources or his own human strength was replaced by trust in God. Following human reasoning was replaced by obedience to God. Belief in a vague notion of God was replaced by trust in a specific and personal God; the God of Israel. With all this healing already completed it was probably a very small thing for God to add the healing of the leprosy.
Then if we think about the ten lepers and Jesus, what did they have to do. Well quite simply they placed themselves in front of Jesus, in front of God, and asked for him to mercy on them. They respected the limits of their condition by keeping their distance. leprosy was very infectious. They were obedient to what Jesus suggested. And one of them came to give thanks afterwards. Actually it is probably a bit hard to blame the other nine for not giving thanks. To show yourself to the priest was the standard procedure after recovering from leprosy. The priest would declare you clean, and you could re-enter society. But the one who came back was a Samaritan. Because he was not a Jew he would not have access to a Jewish priest. Therefore he came back to Jesus, who perhaps he recognised as the great high priest, and said thank you. I suspect that the other nine were still trying to find a priest who would see them!
So what about us? What should we do when we come to God for healing, when we come to be made clean. And I am not thinking only of physical illnesses, but also of our spiritual failures, our sins, the disorders in our lifestyles, the hurts and resentments that we carry, the baggage of our past which constrains us. All these things are things which we can and should bring to God for healing. Like the ten lepers we must present ourselves in front of God, humbly acknowledging our condition and asking for mercy. Let’s not put our trust in our own strength, or in earthly resources, but rather put our trust in God who made us and loves us and who has great future envisaged for us. Let’s hold our problems before him in trust. Let’s be obedient to his suggestions, and let’s be confident in the wholeness and healing he wants to share with us.
Trinity 19, Proper 23 – Year C
Readings: Ps 111 2 Kings 5: 1-3 & 7-15c Luke 17: 11-19
On Fridays, which is my day off, I always try to get in a round of golf. And usually I have a shower immediately afterwards. I like the feeling of clean skin and clean clothes and I feel refreshed and renewed. And if for some reason I don’t have a shower I usually regret it. I feel sweaty or dirty and I worry that I smell. I worry that my skin is a mess. And I think these feelings are very common. I think many of us like the feeling of clean, fresh skin after a bath or shower.
So let’s spare a thought for people with leprosy. It is a terrible disease whereby the skin dries and cracks and nerve endings lose their feeling, such that it becomes all too easy to damage limbs, without even noticing. Leprosy causes a deterioration in the skin, such that even young people start to look very old. Nowadays there are excellent treatments available for leprosy and it need not be a problem. Sadly there are still places in the world where because of war, or poverty or organisational failures leprosy is still a problem, but in the time of Jesus it was a significant problem, with lepers often expected to live in isolated colonies outside the towns, where they would not infect anyone else.
Now our scripture readings today were about people who were healed of leprosy. Their skin and their flesh were made clean. The terrible disease was cleared away. And what an extraordinary joy that must have been. First of all, the joy of having a nice clean wholesome skin, the skin which I appreciate after a shower, but how much more so after recovering from leprosy! Secondly the end of isolation, the end to the fear of infecting anyone with whom the leper interacts, restoration to a normal life with family and friends in society. Thirdly the knowledge that the disease has gone, a sudden and new expectation of a healthy future; deliverance from a slow and isolated decline towards death. What a joy for the healed leper! What a joy!
Now let’s think about Naaman, and how he came to be cured of his leprosy. I always love the image of Naaman arriving with his horses and chariots and all his servants and attendants, and his letter from the king and all his gold and silver. And all this huge and glorious entourage draws up outside Elijah’s house, which was no doubt a very small and simple shack. The contrasts are stark. Naaman and Elijah live by very different values. Naaman no has to go through quite a process and has to learn many things before he can be healed.
First of all he has to learn something about not putting too much trust in earthly resources. All those horses and chariots and attendants and gold count for very little in front of Elijah, the simple man of God. God is not going to heal Naaman because he is “impressed”. God’s healing is a simple gift to the person who asks consistently and waits patiently.
Then there is a lesson in humility. Elijah does not even come out to greet this great man, this commander of armies. Naaman receives a simple message through a servant. Even the greatest of men are not great in front of God, their creator, redeemer and sustainer.
There is a lesson about simplicity. Naaman expected great theatricals. He expected the prophet to call upon the name of God, and wave his hands over the infected skin. But God’s healing is not about signs of outward show. Usually it is quiet, natural and unassuming. It does not make great TV. It is often overlooked by newspaper.
Then there is a lesson about not trusting in our strength. “If the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it?” How much more should you do something simple? In a way God’s healing would be easier to accept if we somehow earned it through hard work, or bravery or skill. We might feel we had some entitlement to it if we did this. But God’s healing is not like that. It is a simple gift. We cannot earn God’s favour through our own efforts, rather our own efforts must work in harmony with the grace that we have received from God.
And closely linked to this, there is a lesson about obedience. Washing in the Jordon might seem rather irrelevant to the problem in human eyes, but this is what God asked for, and this is what made Naaman clean. We need to trust in God and walk in the ways that he suggests if we are to be made clean.
Then there is a lesson about the greatness and oneness of the God of Israel. “Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” Well no, in this case we are talking about the God of Israel, and Naaman was asked to wash in the Jordon, the river of Israel.
So by the time that Naaman got down to the river Jordon and washed he had already been through quite a process. Much healing of his attitudes had already taken place. Pride was overcome by humility, outward show by simplicity. Trust in earthly resources or his own human strength was replaced by trust in God. Following human reasoning was replaced by obedience to God. Belief in a vague notion of God was replaced by trust in a specific and personal God; the God of Israel. With all this healing already completed it was probably a very small thing for God to add the healing of the leprosy.
Then if we think about the ten lepers and Jesus, what did they have to do. Well quite simply they placed themselves in front of Jesus, in front of God, and asked for him to mercy on them. They respected the limits of their condition by keeping their distance. leprosy was very infectious. They were obedient to what Jesus suggested. And one of them came to give thanks afterwards. Actually it is probably a bit hard to blame the other nine for not giving thanks. To show yourself to the priest was the standard procedure after recovering from leprosy. The priest would declare you clean, and you could re-enter society. But the one who came back was a Samaritan. Because he was not a Jew he would not have access to a Jewish priest. Therefore he came back to Jesus, who perhaps he recognised as the great high priest, and said thank you. I suspect that the other nine were still trying to find a priest who would see them!
So what about us? What should we do when we come to God for healing, when we come to be made clean. And I am not thinking only of physical illnesses, but also of our spiritual failures, our sins, the disorders in our lifestyles, the hurts and resentments that we carry, the baggage of our past which constrains us. All these things are things which we can and should bring to God for healing. Like the ten lepers we must present ourselves in front of God, humbly acknowledging our condition and asking for mercy. Let’s not put our trust in our own strength, or in earthly resources, but rather put our trust in God who made us and loves us and who has great future envisaged for us. Let’s hold our problems before him in trust. Let’s be obedient to his suggestions, and let’s be confident in the wholeness and healing he wants to share with us.
03 October 2010
Faith the size of a mustard seed
Sermon preached at 9.45am Holy Communion (BCP), St Michael’s Baddesley Clinton on Sunday 3rd October 2010.
Trinity 18, Proper 22 Year C
Readings: 2 Timothy 1: 1-14 Luke 17: 5-10
Sermon in notes only.
Jesus comments are challenging
Focus on comment on faith - faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot the mulberry tree (or Mountain - Matt 17:20, 21:21, Mark 11:23)
Not literal, but figure of speech
- faith does not have physical size
- Jesus did not do it
- no saint has done it
Rather the point is - nothing is impossible for God
About God’s purposes (not our purposes)
Miracles are always
- building the kingdom of God
- promoting the gospel
- saving humanity
God seems very restrained in use of shock and awe powers
Sometimes used:
- deliverance from Egypt
- resurrection of Jesus
- feeding of five thousand
- healing miracles
But often resisted
- Jesus usually refused to “give signs” and gets frustrated when asked.
- it was temptation of devil “cast yourself off the pinnacle of the temple”
Why is God so standoffish in this sense? Why not use shock and awe?
- perhaps because he wants real human participation
- wants to promote, not undermine, human work, prayer and contribution
- like wise parents who don’t always intervene to tie a shoelace, but allow a child to struggle with it and so to learn.
So the human contribution to the fulfilling of God’s purposes is very important
– we all have a part to play
– we can find this overburdening, impossible, demoralising even
– need faith
– but for God nothing is impossible. THIS IS THE POINT
– we play our part, then trust God, let him act.
– must not trust too much in our own strength.
– must accept that God’s purposes are greater than our own
o we often don’t understand how God is working
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Is 55:9)
Example – a marriage brake down situation is recovered and healed through prayer, acceptance and open sharing of the situation.
The right attitude is beautiful summarised by what we heard Paul say to Timothy:
“join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.”
[drawing heavily on Word of Life “Faith the size of a mustard seed” by Chiara Lubich - March 2010]
Trinity 18, Proper 22 Year C
Readings: 2 Timothy 1: 1-14 Luke 17: 5-10
Sermon in notes only.
Jesus comments are challenging
Focus on comment on faith - faith the size of a mustard seed can uproot the mulberry tree (or Mountain - Matt 17:20, 21:21, Mark 11:23)
Not literal, but figure of speech
- faith does not have physical size
- Jesus did not do it
- no saint has done it
Rather the point is - nothing is impossible for God
About God’s purposes (not our purposes)
Miracles are always
- building the kingdom of God
- promoting the gospel
- saving humanity
God seems very restrained in use of shock and awe powers
Sometimes used:
- deliverance from Egypt
- resurrection of Jesus
- feeding of five thousand
- healing miracles
But often resisted
- Jesus usually refused to “give signs” and gets frustrated when asked.
- it was temptation of devil “cast yourself off the pinnacle of the temple”
Why is God so standoffish in this sense? Why not use shock and awe?
- perhaps because he wants real human participation
- wants to promote, not undermine, human work, prayer and contribution
- like wise parents who don’t always intervene to tie a shoelace, but allow a child to struggle with it and so to learn.
So the human contribution to the fulfilling of God’s purposes is very important
– we all have a part to play
– we can find this overburdening, impossible, demoralising even
– need faith
– but for God nothing is impossible. THIS IS THE POINT
– we play our part, then trust God, let him act.
– must not trust too much in our own strength.
– must accept that God’s purposes are greater than our own
o we often don’t understand how God is working
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Is 55:9)
Example – a marriage brake down situation is recovered and healed through prayer, acceptance and open sharing of the situation.
The right attitude is beautiful summarised by what we heard Paul say to Timothy:
“join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.”
[drawing heavily on Word of Life “Faith the size of a mustard seed” by Chiara Lubich - March 2010]
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