Sermon preached at 11am Choral Mattins at St Mary’s Lapworth on Sunday 27th February 2011. A shorter version was also preached at 8.30am Said Eucharist and at St Michael’s Baddesley Clinton, 3pm Evensong.
Second Sunday before Lent, Epiphany 8 (CofE provision) – Year A
Readings: Ps 136: 1-9 Genesis 1: 1-23 Matthew 6: 25-34
Notes only
Creation story from Genesis might have shortcomings as a scientific account of creation, but it makes some important theological points.
First of all – creation comes about through the will of God
“You pour out your spirit and they are created” as the psalmist says.
Secondly - creation is good, in harmony with the will of God. At every step God stands back and says “it is good”.
But if God’s creation is good, where does evil comes from? This is a great mystery, which theologians struggle with. God did create evil. But God gives angels and humans freewill. They really do have freedom to choose, and they can choose to go against God and against his will. This is what evil is – rebellion against God.
Somehow, we don’t quite know how, evil as been sown in amongst the good of creation. The story of Adam and Eve and the fall is one account of this. But Jesus also tells the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt 13: 24-30, 36-43) where the master sows good seed, but an enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat. The separation of good from evil does not come until the end of time (see also parable of the dragnet (Matt 13: 47-50)) when God’s kingdom is realised in a more tangible way.
Thirdly humanity has a special place in creation; it’s pinnacle, created in the image of God; both male and female. God is above male and female – “he” includes both; both are in his image. We have to be very mindful of the special dignity of each human being, created in the image of God.
Then in NT lesson from Matthew Jesus teaches us not to have anxieties about the everyday necessities of life. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and its righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you as well.” So we need to seek first God’s kingdom, that goodness of creation which is separated out from evil at the end of time. We need to move in harmony with God’s will, in harmony with creation, with all that God wills, seeking always what is pleasing to God. And then all these other things are added to us as well.
The collect makes good suggestions:
- See God’s hand in all things
- recognise God’s likeness in all his children
These help us to seek first the kingdom of God.
I would like to illustrate this with a story that a man called Opus told me. It was a long time ago that I was told the story, and I might have the details wrong, but the gist of it is certainly correct.
Opus was tall and well built. He had classical good looks and was stylish in the way he dressed and wore his hair. He was probably a youth in the aftermath of the Second World War, which must have been a time of great austerity. I know he came from a large family, so there can’t have been much money around.
With the aspirations of a young man, his good looks and his strong sense of style, Opus came to realise that he wanted an electric razor. These were not readily available after the war, and were very expensive. However they often featured at the cinema, and for Opus they epitomised the glamour and sophistication of a modern lifestyle. He really, really wanted an electric razor.
Now as a young man Opus started living in a Christian community with perhaps six other young men, seeking to live a gospel lifestyle. There were many such groups about and they were related to one another. In these groups it was important not to be attached to any earthly riches, but always to be ready to give and to receive. The priority was to seek first the kingdom of God by overcoming selfishness and growing in love for the other people.
I don’t recall the details, but on one occasion Opus’s household received some gifts to share. The arrival of gifts was quite common, but what really caught Opus’s attention on this occasion was that one of the gifts was an electric razor! Of course, Opus really wanted the electric razor. However, talking with the other men in the house he realised that the razor was to be set aside someone else who was due to visit the house later that week. Opus really struggled with this. He understood that he had to seek first the kingdom of God, and he had to be ready to lose the razor, to let it go…but it was very, very hard.
In due course the visitor came, was delighted by the gift and took it away with him. The razor was gone, but it took Opus a couple of weeks to get over the resentments and frustrations that he felt about losing the razor. Finally he managed to do it; he became free of his desire, his need, for an electric razor.
Then a couple of weeks after that the household received more gifts, including two electric razors. The passionate need that Opus had felt for an electric razor had gone, but he was delighted to be given one none the less.
Then a little later he was given another electric razor, then later still another, and yet another! He started to constantly receive electric razors from the most varied and unpredictable of places. It became overwhelming. Opus felt that God was rewarding him for seeking first the kingdom of God, but the shear abundance of electric razors was also like God mocking him for the petty nature of his earlier desires. Of course electric razors did eventually became commonplace. Argos stock dozens of different models, starting at £13, and many of them are for women! Still Opus had taken the step of seeking first the kingdom of God, and God had added to him all the other things as well.
Showing posts with label evil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label evil. Show all posts
27 February 2011
29 November 2009
Preparing for the coming of Jesus
Sermon preach at 9.15am and 11am Eucharists at St Alphege Church on Sunday 29th November 2009 – Advent Sunday, Year C.
Readings: Jeremiah 33: 14-16 I Thessalonians 3: 9-13 Luke 21: 25-36
In the summer we had a family holiday in the south of France. During the long drive back in the car we listened to an audio book. It was William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, read by William Golding himself. Our children have been studying the book in their English lessons at school. Perhaps you are familiar with the story. A group of English school boys get stranded on a tropical island. Away from civilisation they start to form their own society. Like all societies, it has its strengths and its weaknesses, its good points and its bad points. But as the story develops, the forces of evil seem to grow in strength and everything that we might think of as civilisation starts to fall apart. Democracy gives way to dictatorship, hope gives way to superstition and fear, murders are committed and respectable boys from English public schools start to behave like the worst kind of primitive savages.
The storyline suggests that it is only the pressures and benefits of civilisation itself that causes people to behave in a civilised way. It suggests that without civilisation human beings should be expected to degenerate into an animal like depravity. The story therefore presents a somewhat pessimistic assessment of the human condition.
But one has to ask the question, “Well how did civilisation come about in the first place?” At some point in history there must have been a group of people who had the opposite experience from the boys on the island, an experience in which goodness triumphed and civilisation flourished. Without such an experience there could never have been any civilisation in the first place. I asked this question recently, the last time the book was discussed around our dinner table. The answer that came back was that somehow it is precisely the triumph of evil which allows goodness to be born and to grow. This answer suggests that, had Golding’s book continued with the boys still stranded on the island, then, after the most dreadful murders had been committed, evil would have done its worst and good would have had to prevail. Civilisation would have been reborn.
I thought this was a very interesting suggestion, and there are many parallels with Christian theology. In particular it is the great triumph of evil in the crucifixion of Christ, which reveals the resurrection life and which leads to the descent of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church, and the beginnings of the Christian society.
Or again, we might think of the many terrible martyrdoms that the church suffered at the hands of the Roman Empire in the Coliseum and the Roman Circus. Especially we might think of the thousands who died in the persecution under the emperor Diocletian starting in 303 AD. Did this mass martyrdom not somehow lead to the conversion of the emperor Constantine and the official Christianisation of the Roman Empire, starting from 313 AD?
It is indeed an intriguing thought. Evil must sometimes do its worst, and must appear to triumph, before goodness can be revealed and can flourish. In Advent we reflect on the coming of Jesus. We remember his first coming, as a baby in Bethlehem. But especially in the first half of Advent we focus on the long prophesied second coming of Jesus. And the scriptures suggest to us that the second coming of Christ will contain something of this theme of good being revealed by the apparent triumph and of everything bad. For example, the Gospel reading from Luke which we heard this morning talks of the second coming of Christ. It describes a time of great distress on earth with great confusion among the nations. It talks of people fainting from fear and of a terrible foreboding about what is coming upon the earth. But in the midst of this most terrible moment Luke tells us that people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory and with redemption for all who have put their trust in Christ.
And there are many other scripture readings like this one (e.g. Matt 24: 9-14, 2 Peter: 3, Rev 13 and 20: 7-10) which suggest that the second coming of Christ will follow a most terrible and evil time, during which many people will be led astray.
So, what are we to make of all this?
Well first of all it is important not to be discouraged when we hear bad news. Watching the TV and reading the newspapers can be very disheartening. But our Christian hope remains solid, even in the face of bad news, or fearful events or terrible evil. In fact these things can be the very means whereby Christian hope is revealed.
And then I think we must take very seriously the advice that we read from St Paul in 1 Thessalonians this morning. Paul is expecting the second coming of Jesus imminently, and he is very concerned that people should prepare for this well. He says, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all” (1 Thess 3: 12). He goes on to talk about holiness, and being blameless before God, but it seems that these things come from love. When we set out to do things for love of God, and love of the people around us then we are ordering our lives in accordance with the commands of Jesus, we are living the life of his kingdom and we are preparing ourselves to be good citizens of his kingdom. It is love that continues to have value when we die or when the world comes to an end (1 Cor 13: 13).
So let’s live the season of Advent well, by asking God to help us to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all. This means seeking the good of the other; trying to focus on how we serve others. Ultimately this leads to holiness, and being blameless before Christ. There is no better way of preparing for the coming of Jesus. Amen.
Readings: Jeremiah 33: 14-16 I Thessalonians 3: 9-13 Luke 21: 25-36
In the summer we had a family holiday in the south of France. During the long drive back in the car we listened to an audio book. It was William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, read by William Golding himself. Our children have been studying the book in their English lessons at school. Perhaps you are familiar with the story. A group of English school boys get stranded on a tropical island. Away from civilisation they start to form their own society. Like all societies, it has its strengths and its weaknesses, its good points and its bad points. But as the story develops, the forces of evil seem to grow in strength and everything that we might think of as civilisation starts to fall apart. Democracy gives way to dictatorship, hope gives way to superstition and fear, murders are committed and respectable boys from English public schools start to behave like the worst kind of primitive savages.
The storyline suggests that it is only the pressures and benefits of civilisation itself that causes people to behave in a civilised way. It suggests that without civilisation human beings should be expected to degenerate into an animal like depravity. The story therefore presents a somewhat pessimistic assessment of the human condition.
But one has to ask the question, “Well how did civilisation come about in the first place?” At some point in history there must have been a group of people who had the opposite experience from the boys on the island, an experience in which goodness triumphed and civilisation flourished. Without such an experience there could never have been any civilisation in the first place. I asked this question recently, the last time the book was discussed around our dinner table. The answer that came back was that somehow it is precisely the triumph of evil which allows goodness to be born and to grow. This answer suggests that, had Golding’s book continued with the boys still stranded on the island, then, after the most dreadful murders had been committed, evil would have done its worst and good would have had to prevail. Civilisation would have been reborn.
I thought this was a very interesting suggestion, and there are many parallels with Christian theology. In particular it is the great triumph of evil in the crucifixion of Christ, which reveals the resurrection life and which leads to the descent of the Holy Spirit, the birth of the church, and the beginnings of the Christian society.
Or again, we might think of the many terrible martyrdoms that the church suffered at the hands of the Roman Empire in the Coliseum and the Roman Circus. Especially we might think of the thousands who died in the persecution under the emperor Diocletian starting in 303 AD. Did this mass martyrdom not somehow lead to the conversion of the emperor Constantine and the official Christianisation of the Roman Empire, starting from 313 AD?
It is indeed an intriguing thought. Evil must sometimes do its worst, and must appear to triumph, before goodness can be revealed and can flourish. In Advent we reflect on the coming of Jesus. We remember his first coming, as a baby in Bethlehem. But especially in the first half of Advent we focus on the long prophesied second coming of Jesus. And the scriptures suggest to us that the second coming of Christ will contain something of this theme of good being revealed by the apparent triumph and of everything bad. For example, the Gospel reading from Luke which we heard this morning talks of the second coming of Christ. It describes a time of great distress on earth with great confusion among the nations. It talks of people fainting from fear and of a terrible foreboding about what is coming upon the earth. But in the midst of this most terrible moment Luke tells us that people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud, with power and great glory and with redemption for all who have put their trust in Christ.
And there are many other scripture readings like this one (e.g. Matt 24: 9-14, 2 Peter: 3, Rev 13 and 20: 7-10) which suggest that the second coming of Christ will follow a most terrible and evil time, during which many people will be led astray.
So, what are we to make of all this?
Well first of all it is important not to be discouraged when we hear bad news. Watching the TV and reading the newspapers can be very disheartening. But our Christian hope remains solid, even in the face of bad news, or fearful events or terrible evil. In fact these things can be the very means whereby Christian hope is revealed.
And then I think we must take very seriously the advice that we read from St Paul in 1 Thessalonians this morning. Paul is expecting the second coming of Jesus imminently, and he is very concerned that people should prepare for this well. He says, “May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all” (1 Thess 3: 12). He goes on to talk about holiness, and being blameless before God, but it seems that these things come from love. When we set out to do things for love of God, and love of the people around us then we are ordering our lives in accordance with the commands of Jesus, we are living the life of his kingdom and we are preparing ourselves to be good citizens of his kingdom. It is love that continues to have value when we die or when the world comes to an end (1 Cor 13: 13).
So let’s live the season of Advent well, by asking God to help us to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all. This means seeking the good of the other; trying to focus on how we serve others. Ultimately this leads to holiness, and being blameless before Christ. There is no better way of preparing for the coming of Jesus. Amen.
15 November 2009
End-of-the-world events
Sermon preached at St Alphege, Solihull, at the 8am Eucharist
Sunday 15th November 2009, 2nd Sunday before Advent, Year B
Readings: Daniel 12: 1-3 [Hebrews 10: 11-14 &19-25] Mark 13: 1-8
Last Wednesday I was standing on the Mount of Olives, looking across the Kidron Valley at the Temple Mount. I was in a garden called “Dominus Flevit” or “The Lord wept”. There is a church there in the shape of a teardrop. According to tradition, this is the site described in Luke 19 (v41-44) where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. It may well be that this is the same site, recalled in our gospel reading today, where Peter, Andrew James and John privately ask Jesus when the temple will be destroyed.
Jesus answers that the signs of the approaching destruction will be false Messiahs, wars, earthquakes and famines. He describes these as the beginnings of the birth pangs. The trouble is that false Messiahs, wars, earthquakes and famines seem to be characteristic of every age so they are not as the clear cut indicators that the disciples might have been hoping for. As it turned out, the temple was destroyed in 70AD by the Romans. There is no doubt that it was a terrible event for the Jewish nation, well worthy of Jesus’ tears. The temple has never been rebuilt. The temple mount is now dominated by Islamic buildings; the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
The destruction of the temple felt like an end-of-the-world event for God’s chosen people, the Jews. But in the scriptures it is hard to distinguish prophesies about this event from prophesies about the second coming of Christ, which is also seen as a time of great anguish, and an end-of-the-world style event. Our reading from Daniel 12 would appear to be about the second coming of Christ because it mentions the resurrection of the dead in a way comparable with Revelation chapter 20.
At this time of year, when one church year is ending, and another beginning, our scripture readings encourage us to reflect on the second coming of Christ and on the end times. Next week, the last in the Churches year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King expressing our confidence that ultimately good must triumph over evil, and Christ must rule over all things.
This confidence that good must ultimately overcome evil – where does it come from? How can we be so sure about it? It comes from the death and resurrection of Christ. Evil can do its worst, it can crucify the one who created all of us, but the resurrection reveals Jesus as the resurrection and the life, the source of eternal life which he wants to share with all people.
We can be sure that just as God’s own temple was torn apart in AD 70, so our own lives, sooner or later, in small ways and big, are torn apart. It can happen through the loss of a job, or through problems in a marriage or through other sufferings small and large. In these moments it is important to remember Jesus on the cross. We need to grow in love for Jesus as he suffers on the cross. Through our own sufferings we can be united to Christ in his death. And this unity with Christ in death leads to a unity with him in resurrection, in new life. And the more we experience this, the more confidence we place in it. We can become sure that good, ultimately must overcome evil. Amen.
Sunday 15th November 2009, 2nd Sunday before Advent, Year B
Readings: Daniel 12: 1-3 [Hebrews 10: 11-14 &19-25] Mark 13: 1-8
Last Wednesday I was standing on the Mount of Olives, looking across the Kidron Valley at the Temple Mount. I was in a garden called “Dominus Flevit” or “The Lord wept”. There is a church there in the shape of a teardrop. According to tradition, this is the site described in Luke 19 (v41-44) where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. It may well be that this is the same site, recalled in our gospel reading today, where Peter, Andrew James and John privately ask Jesus when the temple will be destroyed.
Jesus answers that the signs of the approaching destruction will be false Messiahs, wars, earthquakes and famines. He describes these as the beginnings of the birth pangs. The trouble is that false Messiahs, wars, earthquakes and famines seem to be characteristic of every age so they are not as the clear cut indicators that the disciples might have been hoping for. As it turned out, the temple was destroyed in 70AD by the Romans. There is no doubt that it was a terrible event for the Jewish nation, well worthy of Jesus’ tears. The temple has never been rebuilt. The temple mount is now dominated by Islamic buildings; the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
The destruction of the temple felt like an end-of-the-world event for God’s chosen people, the Jews. But in the scriptures it is hard to distinguish prophesies about this event from prophesies about the second coming of Christ, which is also seen as a time of great anguish, and an end-of-the-world style event. Our reading from Daniel 12 would appear to be about the second coming of Christ because it mentions the resurrection of the dead in a way comparable with Revelation chapter 20.
At this time of year, when one church year is ending, and another beginning, our scripture readings encourage us to reflect on the second coming of Christ and on the end times. Next week, the last in the Churches year, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King expressing our confidence that ultimately good must triumph over evil, and Christ must rule over all things.
This confidence that good must ultimately overcome evil – where does it come from? How can we be so sure about it? It comes from the death and resurrection of Christ. Evil can do its worst, it can crucify the one who created all of us, but the resurrection reveals Jesus as the resurrection and the life, the source of eternal life which he wants to share with all people.
We can be sure that just as God’s own temple was torn apart in AD 70, so our own lives, sooner or later, in small ways and big, are torn apart. It can happen through the loss of a job, or through problems in a marriage or through other sufferings small and large. In these moments it is important to remember Jesus on the cross. We need to grow in love for Jesus as he suffers on the cross. Through our own sufferings we can be united to Christ in his death. And this unity with Christ in death leads to a unity with him in resurrection, in new life. And the more we experience this, the more confidence we place in it. We can become sure that good, ultimately must overcome evil. Amen.
20 July 2008
The kingdom of heaven
Preached at St Catherine’s, Catherine-de-Barnes, Solihull at 11am Eucharist
Sunday 20th July 2008, Trinity 9, Proper 11, Year A.
A shortened version of this sermon was preached at the 8am Eucharist at St Alphege Church, Solihull
Readings Wisdom 12: 13,16-19 Romans 8: 12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
(N.B. – The “Book of Wisdom” or “Wisdom of Solomon” does not appear in many standard bibles. To find it you need a bible that includes the Apocrypha, or a Catholic Edition)
One of the themes of Matthew’s gospel is the kingdom of heaven. In Chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel there are seven parables in which Jesus tries to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like. Today we heard the parable of the wheat and the weeds, which is quite a long parable, especially because Jesus explained it afterwards. The other six parables are very short, and we hear many of them in the gospel reading next week. But today, let’s spend a few moments thinking about the kingdom of heaven, as it is presented to us in Matthew’s gospel.
Jesus was concerned with preaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven (Matt 4:23, 9:35). The kingdom of heaven requires of us repentance (Matt 3:2, 4:17). Repentance means putting God in the first place in our lives, and making sure that everything else in our lives finds its right place under God. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray, “Thy kingdom come”. This tells us that the kingdom of heaven something that is coming. It is not something that is already here, or at least not already here in a full and complete way. Closely related to this we pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. So the kingdom of heaven is a place where God’s will is done, and heaven is already part of the kingdom. (See also Matt 5:19 and 7:21). In the beatitudes Jesus tells us that, “Blessed are the Poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3). He also says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:10).
The kingdom of heaven is something that we should be seeking (Matt 6:33) and we need to enter it with the simplicity and humility of a child (Matt 19:14). It is impossible for us to enter if we our attached to our personal riches (Matt 19: 23-24).
So let’s think again about the parable of the wheat and the weeds. What does this tells us about the kingdom of heaven? Well certainly the kingdom of heaven is something that grows. We are told that the good seed are the children of the kingdom and they have to grow. Hopefully this is something that we all experience. The life of God within us isn’t something static and stuck, rather it is something that grows and develops and matures and eventually it completely overtakes us. One of the six other parables is the parable of the mustard seed, which starts of very small and insignificant, but grows to be great tree. It is a bit like when a child comes into the world. To start with it is very small and hidden away, and only the mother knows it is there. Then the child is born and we all know about it, but it is very small and helpless. Slowly the child grows and develops. The child goes through many different stages and makes many different demands on the parents. Over time the child becomes as big and strong as the parents and starts to take over their roles. Eventually the parents grow old and frail and then die. At this point the child inherits all their processions and has taken them over completely. So it is that the kingdom of heaven grows within us, and eventually it takes us over completely. And this is a good thing, a wonderful thing, because our sharing in the kingdom of heaven is eternal.
And what about the weed in the parable? Jesus tells us that the weeds are the children of the evil one, sown by the devil. Notice that the weeds do not come from God, they come from the enemy; the one who rebels against God. And the weeds grow up alongside the good wheat, and what is surprising to the servants in the story is how tolerant of the weeds the Master appears to be. The Master says that pulling out the weeds would be more damaging to the crop than leaving the weeds in there. It is better to let the weeds grow up with the wheat and to separate them out at harvest time. And this goes someway to towards explaining our experience of evil in the world. As we grow up in the world we experience all kinds of sufferings and difficulties which we can attribute directly, or indirectly to the evil one. But we need to be patient. God has chosen to leave those weeds in there with us, for our own good, so let’s not grumble, but let’s get on with the uncomfortable business of living alongside them. And let’s not simply think of ourselves as good wheat and other people as weeds. There is plenty that is weedy about each one of us; we all need to repent and let our good wheat grow up good and strong, and hope that by God’s grace our weedy bits will wither and die. The more they wither and die now, the easier it will be for us at harvest time. We could paraphrase our reading from St Paul; “if you live according to the weeds you will die, but if by the wheat you put to death the weeds, then you will live.”
So let’s grow up like good wheat. But let’s also be patient with the weeds. God has chosen to leave them there for our good, and let’s be grateful that more time is given for ever greater and truer repentance (c.f. Wisdom 12: 10 & 20)
Sunday 20th July 2008, Trinity 9, Proper 11, Year A.
A shortened version of this sermon was preached at the 8am Eucharist at St Alphege Church, Solihull
Readings Wisdom 12: 13,16-19 Romans 8: 12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
(N.B. – The “Book of Wisdom” or “Wisdom of Solomon” does not appear in many standard bibles. To find it you need a bible that includes the Apocrypha, or a Catholic Edition)
One of the themes of Matthew’s gospel is the kingdom of heaven. In Chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel there are seven parables in which Jesus tries to explain what the kingdom of heaven is like. Today we heard the parable of the wheat and the weeds, which is quite a long parable, especially because Jesus explained it afterwards. The other six parables are very short, and we hear many of them in the gospel reading next week. But today, let’s spend a few moments thinking about the kingdom of heaven, as it is presented to us in Matthew’s gospel.
Jesus was concerned with preaching the good news of the kingdom of heaven (Matt 4:23, 9:35). The kingdom of heaven requires of us repentance (Matt 3:2, 4:17). Repentance means putting God in the first place in our lives, and making sure that everything else in our lives finds its right place under God. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus teaches us to pray, “Thy kingdom come”. This tells us that the kingdom of heaven something that is coming. It is not something that is already here, or at least not already here in a full and complete way. Closely related to this we pray, “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. So the kingdom of heaven is a place where God’s will is done, and heaven is already part of the kingdom. (See also Matt 5:19 and 7:21). In the beatitudes Jesus tells us that, “Blessed are the Poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matt 5:3). He also says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:10).
The kingdom of heaven is something that we should be seeking (Matt 6:33) and we need to enter it with the simplicity and humility of a child (Matt 19:14). It is impossible for us to enter if we our attached to our personal riches (Matt 19: 23-24).
So let’s think again about the parable of the wheat and the weeds. What does this tells us about the kingdom of heaven? Well certainly the kingdom of heaven is something that grows. We are told that the good seed are the children of the kingdom and they have to grow. Hopefully this is something that we all experience. The life of God within us isn’t something static and stuck, rather it is something that grows and develops and matures and eventually it completely overtakes us. One of the six other parables is the parable of the mustard seed, which starts of very small and insignificant, but grows to be great tree. It is a bit like when a child comes into the world. To start with it is very small and hidden away, and only the mother knows it is there. Then the child is born and we all know about it, but it is very small and helpless. Slowly the child grows and develops. The child goes through many different stages and makes many different demands on the parents. Over time the child becomes as big and strong as the parents and starts to take over their roles. Eventually the parents grow old and frail and then die. At this point the child inherits all their processions and has taken them over completely. So it is that the kingdom of heaven grows within us, and eventually it takes us over completely. And this is a good thing, a wonderful thing, because our sharing in the kingdom of heaven is eternal.
And what about the weed in the parable? Jesus tells us that the weeds are the children of the evil one, sown by the devil. Notice that the weeds do not come from God, they come from the enemy; the one who rebels against God. And the weeds grow up alongside the good wheat, and what is surprising to the servants in the story is how tolerant of the weeds the Master appears to be. The Master says that pulling out the weeds would be more damaging to the crop than leaving the weeds in there. It is better to let the weeds grow up with the wheat and to separate them out at harvest time. And this goes someway to towards explaining our experience of evil in the world. As we grow up in the world we experience all kinds of sufferings and difficulties which we can attribute directly, or indirectly to the evil one. But we need to be patient. God has chosen to leave those weeds in there with us, for our own good, so let’s not grumble, but let’s get on with the uncomfortable business of living alongside them. And let’s not simply think of ourselves as good wheat and other people as weeds. There is plenty that is weedy about each one of us; we all need to repent and let our good wheat grow up good and strong, and hope that by God’s grace our weedy bits will wither and die. The more they wither and die now, the easier it will be for us at harvest time. We could paraphrase our reading from St Paul; “if you live according to the weeds you will die, but if by the wheat you put to death the weeds, then you will live.”
So let’s grow up like good wheat. But let’s also be patient with the weeds. God has chosen to leave them there for our good, and let’s be grateful that more time is given for ever greater and truer repentance (c.f. Wisdom 12: 10 & 20)
Why does God tolerate evil?
Thought for the parish pewslip.
Readings: Wisdom 12: 13,16-19 Romans 8: 12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
(N.B. – The “Book of Wisdom” or “Wisdom of Solomon” does not appear in many standard bibles. To find it you need a bible that includes the Apocrypha, or a Catholic Edition)
If God is all powerful, and all good, why does he tolerate evil? Why does God allow bad things to happen? Our readings today give some insights into these deep mysteries.
The book of wisdom reminds us that God is all powerful, but cares for ALL people, and judges them with mildness and forbearance. Above all he allows time for repentance (verses 10&20).
In Romans, St. Paul tells us not to live in accordance with our flesh, because we know that one day we will die and our flesh will turn to dust and ashes. Rather he tells us to live by the Spirit because by the Spirit we share the destiny of Christ. He tells us that we suffer with Christ, so that we may be glorified with him. Certainly we suffer as earthly things pass away (our health, our bodies, our wealth) just as Christ suffered, but Paul tells us to have hope and confidence that a much more wonderful glory will be revealed, just as Christ’s resurrection was revealed. And this glory of renewal is not just for us, and our bodies, but for the whole of creation.
From Matthew’s gospel we hear the parable of the weeds among the wheat. We need to concentrate on doing good, and growing up like the wheat, which has a great future. We should do our best to ignore the weeds in us and in other people, because at the end of the age the weeds are destroyed.
Readings: Wisdom 12: 13,16-19 Romans 8: 12-25 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
(N.B. – The “Book of Wisdom” or “Wisdom of Solomon” does not appear in many standard bibles. To find it you need a bible that includes the Apocrypha, or a Catholic Edition)
If God is all powerful, and all good, why does he tolerate evil? Why does God allow bad things to happen? Our readings today give some insights into these deep mysteries.
The book of wisdom reminds us that God is all powerful, but cares for ALL people, and judges them with mildness and forbearance. Above all he allows time for repentance (verses 10&20).
In Romans, St. Paul tells us not to live in accordance with our flesh, because we know that one day we will die and our flesh will turn to dust and ashes. Rather he tells us to live by the Spirit because by the Spirit we share the destiny of Christ. He tells us that we suffer with Christ, so that we may be glorified with him. Certainly we suffer as earthly things pass away (our health, our bodies, our wealth) just as Christ suffered, but Paul tells us to have hope and confidence that a much more wonderful glory will be revealed, just as Christ’s resurrection was revealed. And this glory of renewal is not just for us, and our bodies, but for the whole of creation.
From Matthew’s gospel we hear the parable of the weeds among the wheat. We need to concentrate on doing good, and growing up like the wheat, which has a great future. We should do our best to ignore the weeds in us and in other people, because at the end of the age the weeds are destroyed.
22 June 2008
The struggle between good and evil
Preached at 11am Eucharist at St Alphege, Solihull, on Sunday 22/06/08
Year A – Trinity 5 (Proper 7)
Readings: Jeremiah 20: 7-13 Romans 6: 1b-11 Matt 10: 24-37
When I was little I used to enjoy the Narnia stories by C. S. Lewis. It was fascinating to see how the great struggle between Alsan the good and the wicked white witch was played out in the history of Narnia.
When I was a bit older I saw the first Star Wars film. Here the good Jedi Knights struggled against the evil empire, through the history of the universe. I have to say that I found the Star Wars film slightly less convincing because the notions of good an evil were rather more commercialised and slightly less Christian. “Good” meant good looking, wearing white and on our side. In Narnia the portrayal of “good” was rather more subtle, and in particular it included the forgiveness and reconciliation with those who had been bad.
Our scripture readings today cause us to reflect on the struggle between good and evil. This is the great struggle, that goes on all the time in individuals, and families, in communities, in nations, in the whole of humanity and indeed in the whole of creation.
In our Old Testament reading we hear about the struggle between God’s prophet Jeremiah and God’s people Judah, who have become complacent and corrupt. Jeremiah was a sent by God to the people of Judah, in the period shortly before they were conquered by the Babylonians and sent away into exile, in the sixth century BC. At this time Judah had strayed far from God and was in desperate need of repentance. Jeremiah was the prophet of doom who was for ever saying, “Repent, repent or disaster will come upon us!” He was working hard to sell a message that nobody wanted to hear. The people mocked Jeremiah, and isolated him and wanted some good reason to lock him up in jail. In the passage that we read today we hear Jeremiah wrestling with himself. He knows that all him problems come because he preaches such an unpopular truths, and yet he cannot help but preach it. The word of the Lord is like a burning fire within his bones and he cannot keep it in. It is a terrible struggle, but Jeremiah has to be forever proclaiming God’s word of judgement and the destruction which is about to befall Jerusalem.
In our reading from the book of Romans St Paul talks about the very personal struggle between good and evil that takes place within each one of us. This is the battle between our old self and our new self, our sinner and our saint. We notice this battle whenever we try to do good, we try to love God, we try to love our neighbour, but we find it difficult to love, or perhaps we fail completely. Paul insists that we must not be put off by difficulty or failure because we have been baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. When we try to love, our old self, our sinner, dies, just as Christ dies on the cross. This death of “self” is painful and comes with a sense of loss, but we can afford to let it happen. We can afford to let it happen because of the resurrection of Christ. As our old self dies, so Christ shares with us his resurrection life and our new self, our saint, grows and matures within us. What is more, death and sin have no dominion over Christ’s resurrection life, so our new life in Christ has an eternal freedom. This is why Paul urges us always to see ourselves as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
In the gospel reading that we heard today, Jesus is briefing his disciples as he sends them out to proclaim the good news that, “the kingdom of heaven is near!” Actually it is quite a long briefing, but in the part that we homed in on today Jesus is emphasising what a struggle it will be to proclaim the gospel to God’s chosen people, the people of Israel. He warns the disciples that he has already been accused of being Beelzebub, and if they accuse him, Jesus, of that, how much worse will they treat the disciples? He tells the disciples to trust in him and not to fear, because the truth will always come out in the end. He tells them not to fear even if they are put to death, because those who kill can only kill the body, not the soul. Jesus gives the disciples many other reassurances and then he comes to the real heart of the struggle:
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother…Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
This are hard words, which really emphasis the complete difference between the life that Jesus wants to share with us and the normal values of everyday life in the world. The life that Jesus wants to share with us is radically incompatible with evil and sin, and it will cause problems; it will upset the peace. Jesus absolutely demands the first place in our lives and we have to be ready to choose Jesus above everything else, even above our closest family relationships; mother and father, son and daughter. Obviously as Christians we are called to love our other family members, but we love them as an expression of our love for Jesus. We must never allow our love for Jesus to be compromised by our attachments to other people.
And just like St Paul, Jesus mentions the cross, and the need to be ready to lose our life in order to find it. Losing our life does not simply mean being a martyr. It means being ready to put aside things from our own life, our own desires and agendas, in order to love the people around us. It might mean putting down the newspaper to help in the kitchen. It might mean making time and space for someone who it would be easier to ignore. It might mean taking a risk; reaching out to greet someone who is very different from us, a child, a foreigner, someone in difficulty.
So, as we think about the struggle between good and evil, and as we think about the contribution that we personally are called to make, let’s focus our attention, in the first instance on that part of the world over which we have most influence; ourselves, our own personal lives. Let’s take to heart the teaching of St Paul who wants us dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let’s, as much as we can, live in our new selves, and let’s be ready to let our old selves wither and die. As Jesus suggests, let’s be ready to loose our lives for Jesus’ sake. And let’s trust Jesus, who rose from the dead, to help us find our new life in Christ, our eternal life, the life for which we were created. Amen.
Year A – Trinity 5 (Proper 7)
Readings: Jeremiah 20: 7-13 Romans 6: 1b-11 Matt 10: 24-37
When I was little I used to enjoy the Narnia stories by C. S. Lewis. It was fascinating to see how the great struggle between Alsan the good and the wicked white witch was played out in the history of Narnia.
When I was a bit older I saw the first Star Wars film. Here the good Jedi Knights struggled against the evil empire, through the history of the universe. I have to say that I found the Star Wars film slightly less convincing because the notions of good an evil were rather more commercialised and slightly less Christian. “Good” meant good looking, wearing white and on our side. In Narnia the portrayal of “good” was rather more subtle, and in particular it included the forgiveness and reconciliation with those who had been bad.
Our scripture readings today cause us to reflect on the struggle between good and evil. This is the great struggle, that goes on all the time in individuals, and families, in communities, in nations, in the whole of humanity and indeed in the whole of creation.
In our Old Testament reading we hear about the struggle between God’s prophet Jeremiah and God’s people Judah, who have become complacent and corrupt. Jeremiah was a sent by God to the people of Judah, in the period shortly before they were conquered by the Babylonians and sent away into exile, in the sixth century BC. At this time Judah had strayed far from God and was in desperate need of repentance. Jeremiah was the prophet of doom who was for ever saying, “Repent, repent or disaster will come upon us!” He was working hard to sell a message that nobody wanted to hear. The people mocked Jeremiah, and isolated him and wanted some good reason to lock him up in jail. In the passage that we read today we hear Jeremiah wrestling with himself. He knows that all him problems come because he preaches such an unpopular truths, and yet he cannot help but preach it. The word of the Lord is like a burning fire within his bones and he cannot keep it in. It is a terrible struggle, but Jeremiah has to be forever proclaiming God’s word of judgement and the destruction which is about to befall Jerusalem.
In our reading from the book of Romans St Paul talks about the very personal struggle between good and evil that takes place within each one of us. This is the battle between our old self and our new self, our sinner and our saint. We notice this battle whenever we try to do good, we try to love God, we try to love our neighbour, but we find it difficult to love, or perhaps we fail completely. Paul insists that we must not be put off by difficulty or failure because we have been baptised into the death and resurrection of Christ. When we try to love, our old self, our sinner, dies, just as Christ dies on the cross. This death of “self” is painful and comes with a sense of loss, but we can afford to let it happen. We can afford to let it happen because of the resurrection of Christ. As our old self dies, so Christ shares with us his resurrection life and our new self, our saint, grows and matures within us. What is more, death and sin have no dominion over Christ’s resurrection life, so our new life in Christ has an eternal freedom. This is why Paul urges us always to see ourselves as dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
In the gospel reading that we heard today, Jesus is briefing his disciples as he sends them out to proclaim the good news that, “the kingdom of heaven is near!” Actually it is quite a long briefing, but in the part that we homed in on today Jesus is emphasising what a struggle it will be to proclaim the gospel to God’s chosen people, the people of Israel. He warns the disciples that he has already been accused of being Beelzebub, and if they accuse him, Jesus, of that, how much worse will they treat the disciples? He tells the disciples to trust in him and not to fear, because the truth will always come out in the end. He tells them not to fear even if they are put to death, because those who kill can only kill the body, not the soul. Jesus gives the disciples many other reassurances and then he comes to the real heart of the struggle:
Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father and a daughter against her mother…Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me…Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
This are hard words, which really emphasis the complete difference between the life that Jesus wants to share with us and the normal values of everyday life in the world. The life that Jesus wants to share with us is radically incompatible with evil and sin, and it will cause problems; it will upset the peace. Jesus absolutely demands the first place in our lives and we have to be ready to choose Jesus above everything else, even above our closest family relationships; mother and father, son and daughter. Obviously as Christians we are called to love our other family members, but we love them as an expression of our love for Jesus. We must never allow our love for Jesus to be compromised by our attachments to other people.
And just like St Paul, Jesus mentions the cross, and the need to be ready to lose our life in order to find it. Losing our life does not simply mean being a martyr. It means being ready to put aside things from our own life, our own desires and agendas, in order to love the people around us. It might mean putting down the newspaper to help in the kitchen. It might mean making time and space for someone who it would be easier to ignore. It might mean taking a risk; reaching out to greet someone who is very different from us, a child, a foreigner, someone in difficulty.
So, as we think about the struggle between good and evil, and as we think about the contribution that we personally are called to make, let’s focus our attention, in the first instance on that part of the world over which we have most influence; ourselves, our own personal lives. Let’s take to heart the teaching of St Paul who wants us dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let’s, as much as we can, live in our new selves, and let’s be ready to let our old selves wither and die. As Jesus suggests, let’s be ready to loose our lives for Jesus’ sake. And let’s trust Jesus, who rose from the dead, to help us find our new life in Christ, our eternal life, the life for which we were created. Amen.
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