Sunday Sermon 22nd March 2020
Hebrew 12: 1-12
The readings we have heard this evening are from the NRSV Bible. Some of you may be familiar with the Message version of the Bible translated by Eugene Peterson. In the Message version, verses 1 and 2 should be read thus:
Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever.
And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in
your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!
I hope that you all feel energized by those words. If we are honest, a life of faith and belief in God
can sometimes be a struggle. Faith is always much easier when things are going well, but there can be few of us who have not faced difficult times and who have not wondered if perhaps God might have forgotten us. Or worse still, be deliberately punishing us. But the reality is that whether times or good or otherwise, nothing changes the love which God has for us. Our faith in God might sometimes feel very fragile, but God’s love for us and God’s faith in us never ever changes.
I believe a wise person said that a life of faith is not a sprint, rather it is a marathon. And there are
times when we just have to keep hold on, because if we let go, what do we have to hold on to? Where else can we go for meaning and consolation.? Some time ago I walked around a labyrinth with a
friend. I am sure you have all seen a labyrinth – it looks like a very confusing mass of circles, but it is in fact a circular path that you can use as a prayer walk; by keeping to the path it takes you to the very centre, and out again. There are straight lines and tight curves on the path, and my friend came up with the brilliant observation that the labyrinth path was a bit like life – sometimes you can take long strides and forge ahead and sometimes you just have to take small steps to
navigate your way around.
That is a summary of the walk of faith. Whether we have to take long strides or tiny steps, we keep
heading towards God. We keep running our race of faith AMEN.
John 9 1-41 LENT 4
Today we reach the fourth Sunday in lent. We have read about the temptation of Jesus, about Jesus
and Nicodemus the Pharisee who came looking for Jesus at night, and Jesus and the Samaritan woman; the woman who was an outsider in every way possible.
Today’s Gospel is quite long and action-packed. The easiest way to understand today’s Gospel is
regard it as if we are watching a television programme in a number of acts. Each act adds to
the story.
In scene one, we meet another man who has lived in darkness, but his darkness is physical.
And we are taken right back to the ancient Jewish mindset of sickness, of disability and of misfortune. In ancient times, there was a belief that if you were sick or you suffered tragedies, it was because you had sinned and that God was angry with you. You got what you deserved: you received your punishment.
And not only that, punishment could be transferred. If you sinned, your children or grandchildren might suffer. Or you might be suffering because of something your grandfather did before you were even born.
Even the disciples think this way and ask Jesus if it was the man who sinned or his parents. They
don’t see a blind man; they see the consequence of God’s judgement.
Jesus challenges this assumption: the man’s blindness has nothing to do with sin, but is a
physical sickness and an opportunity for a healing miracle. And with an action which sounds very odd to us, Jesus spat on some mud and rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes and sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash.
In scene two, the man can now see and is back amongst his neighbours and his friends, and instead
of being overjoyed by his regaining his sight, they refuse to accept it. They can’t accept the reality that he has changed, and some even argue that it’s not the man they knew, but only someone who looks like him. He has changed and they are disturbed.
In scene 3, the man is brought to the Pharisees to answer their questions about how he regained his
sight. Instead of rejoicing with him, their main concern is that he has been healed on the Sabbath,
and had therefore been party to a crime of working on the Sabbath.
We know that this is not the first occasion on which Jesus has healed on the Sabbath, much to the
outrage of the authorities. This time, there is debate amongst the Pharisees, because some can see that a miracle has occurred, whilst others are more concerned about the religious laws being broken.
Jesus has divided the religious authorities over his power and his desire to help the needy.
When he is asked to testify, all the man can say is that he was blind but now can see. And that he
believes Jesus is a prophet because of what has been done for him. In scene 4, the man’s parents are called in to testify. We might think that they would be shouting from the rooftops, but no. Intimated and afraid because of the power of the Temple priests, they answer that this is their son but they don’t know what happened.
The Temple priests have the authority to cast them out of the Temple and have them shunned by
society, so the parents are very careful in what they say. Their family is now a house divided because of Jesus.
The man is then questioned again, and again he testifies that he was blind but now can see. He is
insulted by the Pharisees and excommunicated, barred from worshipping in the Temple.
He must wonder what is happening to him: he didn’t ask Jesus to heal him: now he has his sight
but has been shunned by those in his community. They don’t want to see the change in him, he’s not
the man they all knew.
The final scene begins when Jesus hears about what has happened to the man and seeks him out.
When the man affirms his belief, Jesus reveals that he is the son of God.
He might be banned by the Pharisees from the Temple, but he can now see both literally and
spiritually.
Jesus teachings about blindness always have a spiritual and metaphorical element: the reality is
that some people who believe that they have perfect sight, are actually blind to the important things in
life. They cannot see that their priorities or their sense of right and wrong is flawed.
In the current state of uncertainty, of fear, of disease, of panic and dare I say, selfishness, we may
think that we are all going blind. Indeed, we are blind to the possibilities of the future. None of know
how long this pandemic and the consequences of it will last.
But as Fr Ian reminded us last Sunday, the history of humanity has been fraught with crisis,
with disease and with war. And these crises have passed. And this too will pass.
But we people of faith are not without hope. We are a community of hope. We know that the future
is in God’s hands, not our own, as much as we like to think that it is.
I think that a lot of people who have always trusted in themselves, are suddenly coming to grips
with that reality. Perhaps that is why people are buying anything they can get their hands on, it gives
them a sense of control.
Some things we can do nothing about. Sometimes we are powerless.
But we can listen to the health warnings and act wisely. And we do what we are able to help
ourselves and others in practical ways.
We can pray for each other, for our friends and community, and for our leaders who are doing their
very best to cope in a difficult situation.
We can read our Bibles to give us encouragement and consolation. You will find many
passages which address our fears for the present and the future, because people have always looked
to God in uncertain times. In the Hebrew scriptures, the psalmist writes “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy”. And from the 1st letter of Peter, “Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
I hope that with the Pewsheet you will all have received this booklet. On the back are some very
wise words from a rabbi, which I would like to leave with you because they are worth remembering.
He writes” What will happen next? We don't know. Our experts don't know. Our leaders don't
know. Only God knows. And that is the point. Only God knows. Keep calm. Panic and fear are also
contagious. Take every precaution as advised by health authorities. Wash your hands well. And every
time you do, remember whose hands you are in.
AMEN
Today we reach the fourth Sunday in lent. We have read about the temptation of Jesus, about Jesus
and Nicodemus the Pharisee who came looking for Jesus at night, and Jesus and the Samaritan woman; the woman who was an outsider in every way possible.
Today’s Gospel is quite long and action-packed. The easiest way to understand today’s Gospel is
regard it as if we are watching a television programme in a number of acts. Each act adds to
the story.
In scene one, we meet another man who has lived in darkness, but his darkness is physical.
And we are taken right back to the ancient Jewish mindset of sickness, of disability and of misfortune. In ancient times, there was a belief that if you were sick or you suffered tragedies, it was because you had sinned and that God was angry with you. You got what you deserved: you received your punishment.
And not only that, punishment could be transferred. If you sinned, your children or grandchildren might suffer. Or you might be suffering because of something your grandfather did before you were even born.
Even the disciples think this way and ask Jesus if it was the man who sinned or his parents. They
don’t see a blind man; they see the consequence of God’s judgement.
Jesus challenges this assumption: the man’s blindness has nothing to do with sin, but is a
physical sickness and an opportunity for a healing miracle. And with an action which sounds very odd to us, Jesus spat on some mud and rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes and sent him to the pool of Siloam to wash.
In scene two, the man can now see and is back amongst his neighbours and his friends, and instead
of being overjoyed by his regaining his sight, they refuse to accept it. They can’t accept the reality that he has changed, and some even argue that it’s not the man they knew, but only someone who looks like him. He has changed and they are disturbed.
In scene 3, the man is brought to the Pharisees to answer their questions about how he regained his
sight. Instead of rejoicing with him, their main concern is that he has been healed on the Sabbath,
and had therefore been party to a crime of working on the Sabbath.
We know that this is not the first occasion on which Jesus has healed on the Sabbath, much to the
outrage of the authorities. This time, there is debate amongst the Pharisees, because some can see that a miracle has occurred, whilst others are more concerned about the religious laws being broken.
Jesus has divided the religious authorities over his power and his desire to help the needy.
When he is asked to testify, all the man can say is that he was blind but now can see. And that he
believes Jesus is a prophet because of what has been done for him. In scene 4, the man’s parents are called in to testify. We might think that they would be shouting from the rooftops, but no. Intimated and afraid because of the power of the Temple priests, they answer that this is their son but they don’t know what happened.
The Temple priests have the authority to cast them out of the Temple and have them shunned by
society, so the parents are very careful in what they say. Their family is now a house divided because of Jesus.
The man is then questioned again, and again he testifies that he was blind but now can see. He is
insulted by the Pharisees and excommunicated, barred from worshipping in the Temple.
He must wonder what is happening to him: he didn’t ask Jesus to heal him: now he has his sight
but has been shunned by those in his community. They don’t want to see the change in him, he’s not
the man they all knew.
The final scene begins when Jesus hears about what has happened to the man and seeks him out.
When the man affirms his belief, Jesus reveals that he is the son of God.
He might be banned by the Pharisees from the Temple, but he can now see both literally and
spiritually.
Jesus teachings about blindness always have a spiritual and metaphorical element: the reality is
that some people who believe that they have perfect sight, are actually blind to the important things in
life. They cannot see that their priorities or their sense of right and wrong is flawed.
In the current state of uncertainty, of fear, of disease, of panic and dare I say, selfishness, we may
think that we are all going blind. Indeed, we are blind to the possibilities of the future. None of know
how long this pandemic and the consequences of it will last.
But as Fr Ian reminded us last Sunday, the history of humanity has been fraught with crisis,
with disease and with war. And these crises have passed. And this too will pass.
But we people of faith are not without hope. We are a community of hope. We know that the future
is in God’s hands, not our own, as much as we like to think that it is.
I think that a lot of people who have always trusted in themselves, are suddenly coming to grips
with that reality. Perhaps that is why people are buying anything they can get their hands on, it gives
them a sense of control.
Some things we can do nothing about. Sometimes we are powerless.
But we can listen to the health warnings and act wisely. And we do what we are able to help
ourselves and others in practical ways.
We can pray for each other, for our friends and community, and for our leaders who are doing their
very best to cope in a difficult situation.
We can read our Bibles to give us encouragement and consolation. You will find many
passages which address our fears for the present and the future, because people have always looked
to God in uncertain times. In the Hebrew scriptures, the psalmist writes “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy”. And from the 1st letter of Peter, “Humble
yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your
anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
I hope that with the Pewsheet you will all have received this booklet. On the back are some very
wise words from a rabbi, which I would like to leave with you because they are worth remembering.
He writes” What will happen next? We don't know. Our experts don't know. Our leaders don't
know. Only God knows. And that is the point. Only God knows. Keep calm. Panic and fear are also
contagious. Take every precaution as advised by health authorities. Wash your hands well. And every
time you do, remember whose hands you are in.
AMEN
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