Sermons

First Reading – 2 Corinthians 9.6-15

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. As it is written,

    ‘He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor;
    his righteousnessa endures for ever.’

He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us; for the rendering of this ministry not only supplies the needs of the saints but also overflows with many thanksgivings to God. Through the testing of this ministry you glorify God by your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ and by the generosity of your sharing with them and with all others, while they long for you and pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God that he has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Second Reading – Luke 12.16-30

Then he told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’

He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Sermon on Harvest

“And Jesus told them a parable.” As Graham said last week, Jesus is telling a story that can change people’s lives. I would like to say that parables shock people from their usual way of thinking. I think we can agree this parable certainly does make us think about possessions anew.

Don’t we understand the attitude of the rich man? Don’t we all want to hold on to more and more of our possessions? So much so, that we have to find new places to store everything we have. Our cupboards are overfilled, like Mrs McGillicutty’s closet. (You have heard of her, haven’t you? She kept telling her husband, “don’t open that door!” but he always did and you would hear the tumbling of pots pans and everything else from those depths.)

We want to store up everything for ourselves, like the rich man in his counting house as the child’s rhyme goes. But everything goes wrong, doesn’t it? Blackbirds fly out of their pie and the order of things is disturbed and the maid has her nose pecked off (though it is restored thankfully).

The rich man in his counting house is much like everyone we know, isn’t he? He is the miser counting all his money time and again. We all enjoy looking at our possessions, don’t we? Some people go into their treasury to prize their trophies. The avaricious do so to a very dangerous degree. I hope we are not all so obsessed with the things we own and I am sure we don’t want to be like the biblical rich man who wanted to collect even more by building greater vaults. The parable tells us that all of this comes to nought, doesn’t it? The truism, “You can’t take it with you,” is a fact we too often forget in our lust for things. And so the accusatory voice from God resounds, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

Who will own the things you used to hold so dear? That is the question we need to consider now and do so urgently. Time is short. The end of the world is coming – maybe in our own lives – and we must prepare for it, or change our ways to prevent it. This is the message of the “extinction rebellion”, the “cost of living crisis”, or that man on the street-corner declaiming, “The end of the world is nigh!” These prophets are bringing to mind what we have forgotten, just like the OT prophets before them – we have forgotten to act well towards the environment, to other people and to God. Repentance for our misdeeds is demanded  of us by Jesus and every other prophet who has ever lived. They tell us we must remember what is right and good.

The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

How can we do good things sparingly? Goodness and mercy are abundant gifts to be shared with all. – No, that is wrong, they are to be given away freely. – We should make no distinction between people with whom we share what is right and good. Everyone should benefit from the largess of love, the consequence of the one commandment we should all follow.

Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

Paul is asking us to consider our giving. It must be commensurate with who we are, with what we consider to be good and right. Paul is encouraging us to be cheerful, and who cannot but be cheerful when the good is being enacted in our lives for the sake of others. Who cannot but be cheerful when one is free from all compulsion? Who cannot be anything but cheerful when one is giving away everything in the generosity of the spirit of God?

In that happy release – in that real freedom from greed – we realise the truth of what Jesus says in the parable explanation. ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.’ We need not worry about our lives at all, because when you are truly alive there are no considerations to be made to any one thing which you touch in your everyday.

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work.

Paul realises that there is enough in life normally, when we live in the light of God. Only when greed and evil intentions get in the way do we have want and suffering. The mercy and generosity of love provides.

We all have the ability to do good to all whom we meet. This is a generous deed – a deed that does not rely on being tight-fisted, counting all the pennies in a completely selfish accounting way. We are not to be “bean counters”. If we are to be innocent as doves yet as wily as serpents, we ought to sow those beans for a greater harvest. Let us go back to the language of the parable. Sowing and reaping are metaphors speaking to how we need to lead our lives. We need to engender the good life actively by encouraging truth and justice with mercy. Mercy is without bounds, isn’t it? Mercy is generosity incarnate and I would suggest that generosity is how we sow in our lives. Generosity is that metaphorical sowing. Like the sower in that other parable the seeds are scattered indiscriminately, landing everywhere, rocky ground, on paths, but most will fall on good ground.

I work as a gardener and my wife and I have always had a vegetable patch. This time of year is when we begin to prepare for next year. As we harvest we are turning over the ground and enriching it. There is a saying that always comes to mind: “Money is like muck – it has to be spread around to do any good.” This is the generosity of the gardener. Lots of muck, that wonderful compost that has been maturing in the heap during the summer. I am often too generous, because we are always in danger of not being able to cover everywhere for spring, when everything begins again.

However, we are celebrating Harvest today. What do we harvest in our lives? We know what the garden offers us, but what do we offer others as their harvest from the garden we are for them? Have we been generous with our time and talents? What about the treasures in our store-houses? Seeds need to die in order to come to fruition as that other parable says. Has this happened for our harvest? Have we let go? Have we sown those seeds by letting them fall from our hands freely? These are all the questions we have to ask when we celebrate Harvest Festival. I am afraid I have raised more questions than given answers. Such is my generosity as I reflect on the parables of the kingdom and our celebration of Harvest.

Amen

Collect

Almighty God, whose only Son has opened for us a new and living way into your presence: give us pure hearts and steadfast wills to worship you in spirit and in truth; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

or

Merciful God, your Son came to save us and bore our sins on the cross: may we trust in your mercy and know your love, rejoicing in the righteousness that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Post Communion

Lord God, the source of truth and love, keep us faithful to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, united in prayer and the breaking of bread, and one in joy and simplicity of heart, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Old Testament

So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked ones, you shall surely die’, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.

Now you, mortal, say to the house of Israel, Thus you have said: ‘Our transgressions and our sins weigh upon us, and we waste away because of them; how then can we live?’ Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from their ways and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?

Ezekiel 33.7–11

Psalm

33    Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes ♦
and I shall keep it to the end.

34    Give me understanding and I shall keep your law; ♦
I shall keep it with my whole heart.

35    Lead me in the path of your commandments, ♦
for therein is my delight.

36    Incline my heart to your testimonies ♦
and not to unjust gain.

37    Turn away my eyes lest they gaze on vanities; ♦
O give me life in your ways.

38    Confirm to your servant your promise, ♦
which stands for all who fear you.

39    Turn away the reproach which I dread, ♦
because your judgements are good.

40    Behold, I long for your commandments; ♦
in your righteousness give me life.

Psalm 119.33–40

Epistle

Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this saying, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers; the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy. Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 13.8–14

Gospel

‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector. Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.’

Matthew 18.15–20

Sermon on Sunday, Trinity Fourteen

Last week we thought about pride and its deleterious effect on our lives, and how it interferes with our fulfilling the one commandment Jesus laid upon each one of us. Paul carries on with his analysis of the law of love in this way –

The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Paul wants to overthrow the old understanding of the Law, doesn’t he? No more prohibitions, he proposes only positive action. He anticipates the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven and God’s rule in our lives. He counsels us in these words, “Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” Paul has described an entirely new way of being in the world here, hasn’t he? He goes on –

Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy.

Paul is counselling us to live a new life – he wants us to live “honourably”, a life in which we are fitted with a new type of protective clothing, an “armour of light”. This new accoutrement does not allow revelling and drunkenness, nor debauchery and licentiousness, nor quarrelling and jealousy. Different, indeed, is the life Paul expects in the light. These ordinarily acceptable states of affairs are a darkness, Paul tells us. We normally see parties and excess to be acceptable in our everyday life. However, Paul says there is no honour in them at all, and we would agree, wouldn’t we? We long for a life that is open, honest and bright – in the light, even though, apparently, we pursue a life hidden in the dark. In fact, I think Paul is describing what we would hope for in our moments of clarity.

He wants to overturn the usual – that all so natural, everyday mode of being – for something else. Normally, we only make provision for our immediate needs, what Paul is calling “the flesh”. We worry about food and clothing, and then that extends to fine food and rich clothing, and then that becomes mired in conspicuous consumption and its consequences for the planet but, more significantly, for our souls. Gratifying the flesh has never been more in question than in this generation, for everyone has been asking questions about the state of health for all existence on planet earth. The other day I was listening to the radio and there was a frightening exposition of how the environmental crisis has come about, and how long it has been building up. It would seem that the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism have coincided to reach this point in the history of the planet. They have conspired to deflect our attention away from spiritual health to the comfort of the flesh alone. Hymn writers have reminded us about this, from the time of Blake in the eighteenth century, let alone Paul so long ago.

Blake is asking us to put on that armour of light, just as Paul wrote to the Romans, but he is contrasting the new Jerusalem with the darkness of the satanic mills appearing in his time and still stand today. We must equip ourselves with new weapons. We must mount a chariot of fire and ride into the conflict on the side of the light against darkness. Blake wants us to realise that the holy lamb of God has walked the pleasant green land before the hills were clouded by the smog of concupiscence. The messenger is still amongst us, whose feet did roam in that ancient time of the garden of Eden, but, more significantly, even now moves among us – though he is too often unseen and unheard because of the darkness.

Blake, like Paul, wants us to wake up to the reality of our heart’s desire – its true intention for that heavenly Jerusalem to be built here and now for us, and for the generations coming after us. They both argue that it is possible to accomplish the coming of the kingdom. Paul wants to renew all of creation, while Blake’s desire is for a return of “England’s green and pleasant land.” Blake’s vision in the hymn is a national pride in a pure land where the master could truly walk from shore to shore, where we could see Jerusalem built here as it was, before the satanic mills clouded the horizons. We have obscured the vision which once was clear for all to see.

Paul also speaks of that time when God will be with us, a time of dread for those whose interest is only the flesh, and even more terrifying for those whose lives have taken a spiritual direction. Paul writes of our anxiety before this very real future, this extremely close advent of Christ’s final judgement.

The language is much the same as that of the climate protesters around us today. They have been interfering with a lot of everyday things, haven’t they? Interrupting all those sporting events, and causing traffic chaos. They and Paul want to rouse us from the sleepiness of the everyday, where we just keep going along with things as they are. But he asks, are we loving our neighbours? Those neighbours are more than the person next door just as Jesus taught, we must see the whole of creation as a neighbour – for everything has an impact on everything else, microcosms reflecting the macrocosm. The world is a cohesive whole and love is the only way to treat everything, if there is to be no harm.

That is the whole point of the revolution of the Law – the Law should be something we want to fulfill. The Law should not be something to “get around”. No one should obfuscate and turn words around from their intended meaning so that we can get our own way, to follow “the desires of the flesh”, as they used to say. – Love is never so selfish, is it? Love always tries to realise what is good.

Love always intends what is right, not what is convenient, not what is without peril. When we love our children or when we ask our partner for that life-time commitment, we are at risk. That is what we always say about true love, isn’t it? However, let’s start the revolution here – I want you to see yourself as invulnerable when you love, because you are clad in the armour of light. No harm can come to you because you are living and loving in the clear light of day, not in the night in which quarrelling and jealousy easily appear, that disquiet when the desires of the flesh disturb us. We would be very different people if we were to obey that one Law, don’t you think? Like I said last week, love could transform everything – even vengeance. Love would transform the everyday into the extraordinary. Jesus’ Law of Love would be something we would be happy to fulfill, and I would hope that spirit and flesh would no longer fight within us.

Amen

Collect

Almighty God, who called your Church to bear witness that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself: help us to proclaim the good news of your love, that all who hear it may be drawn to you; through him who was lifted up on the cross, and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

or

Almighty God, you search us and know us: may we rely on you in strength and rest on you in weakness, now and in all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Post Communion

God our creator, you feed your children with the true manna, the living bread from heaven: let this holy food sustain us through our earthly pilgrimage until we come to that place where hunger and thirst are no more; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Old Testament

O Lord, you know; remember me and visit me,

and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.

In your forbearance do not take me away;

know that on your account I suffer insult.

Your words were found, and I ate them,

and your words became to me a joy

and the delight of my heart;

for I am called by your name,

O Lord, God of hosts.

I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,

nor did I rejoice;

under the weight of your hand I sat alone,

for you had filled me with indignation.

Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable,

refusing to be healed?

Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,

like waters that fail.

Therefore, thus says the Lord:

If you turn back, I will take you back,

and you shall stand before me.

If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,

you shall serve as my mouth.

It is they who will turn to you,

not you who will turn to them.

And I will make you to this people

a fortified wall of bronze;

they will fight against you,

but they shall not prevail over you,

for I am with you

to save you and deliver you,

says the Lord.

I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked,

and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.

Jeremiah 15.15–21

Psalm

1    Give judgement for me, O Lord,for I have walked with integrity; ♦
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.

2    Test me, O Lord, and try me; ♦
examine my heart and my mind.

3    For your love is before my eyes; ♦
I have walked in your truth.

4    I have not joined the company of the false, ♦
nor consorted with the deceitful.

5    I hate the gathering of evildoers ♦
and I will not sit down with the wicked.

6    I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, ♦
that I may go about your altar,

7    To make heard the voice of thanksgiving ♦
and tell of all your wonderful deeds.

8    Lord, I love the house of your habitation ♦
and the place where your glory abides.

Psalm 26.1–8

Epistle

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12.9–21

Gospel

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.’ But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling-block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?

‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’

Matthew 16.21–28

Sermon on Sunday, Trinity Thirteen

I wonder if nowadays we listen to advice from anyone, whether they are our loved ones, our neighbours, or our teachers. I wonder whether we even listen to our priests and bishops speaking from the pulpit, let alone a mere Reader. Do we even listen to the advice given when it comes from the Bible, which we here in church confess to be the Word of God. Let’s take our reading from the epistle today as an example.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ No, ‘if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.’

What wonderful advice! Vengeance is better served from an agency which has no connection with personal revenge – vengeance has to be that dish best served cold, without the heat of personal emotion. But we ourselves are not to seek revenge, are we. It seems our writer is counselling kindness whatever the situation. Why? Surely it would feel a lot better to take action against those who had wronged you in the same way they had treated you – or even more harshly …

So would we take this advice? Would we ever take any advice which goes against the grain of everyday expectation? – The other day I heard on the radio a few moments of a discussion of pride – that most heinous of the deadly sins, for it gives rise to just about any evil act a person can commit. For pride has contempt for all others. It would seem pride moves people to do just about anything, because a proud person is beyond considering anyone but him- or her- self. Psychologists might call it something else, narcissism or psychopathy or some other four syllable word. How ever it manifests itself, pride does demean everything one does, as well as the person doing it, let alone the degradation pride accomplishes on everyone else. Pride does not lift up, rather it destroys everything else except one’s self delusion.

Only the humble act can be exalted. We have heard about the meek inheriting the earth and the other blessings of the beatitudes, but do we really believe them? Kindness is the humblest of acts, and it does allow us to be exalted – if only in the eyes of the recipient of any small act of kindness.

What if that act of kindness were better known to a wider public? Would others also see you in another light? But more importantly, would you understand yourself anew?

At the moment, if we look around us, pride – not humility – is the mark of our society. We are to have pride in ourselves – black, white, yellow, male, female, trans, tall, short, extra-extra-extra-large or extremely petite. We should puff ourselves up in whatever the one thing we think defines us. This is what a profile on social media does – it is what we do to ourselves. We objectify ourselves and reduce ourselves to only one thing and that can change in the blink of an eye – from life to death.

This is what we have heard about before, isn’t it? Paul talks of this transformation in his letters time and again, as he speaks of the speedy, unexpected coming of Christ into our lives again, ‘at the last trump’ as they used to say. Paul and Jesus are agreed that we should live as though we were in the final moments before the gates of heaven are to open and that final judgement about each and every one of us is to be made. How humbling is that!

However, this message is not what social media proclaims, is it? It is not what the news conveys. Everything around us is about aggrandisement – and sadly this is a very selfish pursuit. We listen to that “chatter”, that prattle is what determines our actions all too often. What “they” think is more important to us than what is deep within our hearts. – I know you have heard me speak about this many times before, so I hope you can dredge up memories of those times when I spoke about the barbarous rule of the faceless crowd. – Today, I am again speaking of your own silent voice, the one that whispers to you in your disquiet when you are being led rather than stepping out on your own on the righteous path.

You remember that “still small voice of calm” from the hymn, don’t you – whose is it? How do we hear it? These are the questions the sage has always contemplated in deep thought. The religious have always confronted that silent voice in the prayer of the monastic cell. Just like each one of us, they have always wondered what the just path is as they followed their vocation, their calling to be their ultimate self, their ownmost being.

Is that true being the superman of the past, the conquering hero, the single-minded person whose only goal was that one prize? Or is one’s ultimate being to be the kindest person in the world? To follow that admonition we read from the bible today. To be good to your enemies – to heap those coals on their heads as they fester in the discomfort of their own self-judgement, let alone the judgement of God. – To be good to your enemies fulfills in ways we can never expect. We have no doubt. We have no self-reproach. We will love others as we love ourselves and so fulfill the great commandment Jesus laid on our shoulders, that heaviest of all labours anyone can take up. That is the cross Jesus wants us to carry – that command to love. Everything fades into insignificance if we fail in that one task. It is the humbleness of kindness. Pride can have no place in a kind heart.

In the kind heart there is nothing that takes our attention away from the task of love, and the true object of that love – God, that beyond which there nothing. Kindness strips away all our delusion. God is there before us when all become the objects of love. Kindness reveals that. The kind person really does reveal God in our midst – that love which is without expectation and yet is forever reaching out to an other.

This is getting rather mystical, isn’t it? But don’t we all wish for that vision of God? Don’t we all want to be kind and loving to each and every person we meet, just as we want each an every person to be kind to us? Don’t we want to love the other as he or she loves us? We should imagine love as the greatest revenge we can wreak in the world. In our everyday understanding, agape (true christian love) would turn everything upside down. Imagine if the worst we could do to others was to love them. Wouldn’t the world be such a different place? In other words, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Amen

There is a famous novel with the title, “The Heart of the Matter”. It has been made into films and deals with love and the deceit of self and others. – A story all too familiar, as it is an eternal theme.

Somewhere the line, “The heart of the matter is the heart,” appears – whether in the novel or about the novel, I don’t know, but that epigram speaks to the way we conduct our lives. Something is at the heart, at the very core, which guides us or induces us to certain ends. The heart of the matter is the very present in which we find ourselves with all of our hopes and fears. I think the heart infuses all our activity.

The psychologist, Viktor Frankl, lived through life in concentration camps in Europe during WWII, and found that there is a heart which can help us solve the problem of life, the universe and everything. He said that there was something profound which was guiding each person in the camps just for survival. That survival instinct drove people to some wicked acts on the one hand and some sublimely good acts on the other.

There at the heart of the matter was the principle of life, what Jesus calls life in all its fullness. That core value when grasped with purity, e.g. when it is not degraded by selfishness, leads to humanity plain and simple. Our being human is at our heart.

Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Did they hear him? Peter asks to wall to Jesus, and begins on his way. However, he was distracted from that call to take heart, he heard the wind howling. Peter became afraid, and he began to sink.

All of a sudden he took heart and called upon Jesus, ‘Lord, save me.’ He caught hold of his very self and was taken up by the hand of Jesus. At the same time Jesus castigated poor Peter. ‘Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?’ Peter had lost heart, hadn’t he? – Jesus was telling him that he doubted his own heart.

What a condemnation! This is a much more serious failing than what happened later, when Peter heard the cock crow the third time. However, it is of a piece with this story. Peter is not centred in himself, focussed on the necessary of his life, his human being.

I think we have all been in the same position – perhaps even every day. Don’t we recognise our failure to “Take heart!”? We are always falling into fear, and that fear can take many different guises in the course of our lives. As children, we are afraid of the dark. As teenagers, we are afraid of being left out of the crowd which has hogged all our attention. As young professionals, we are afraid of not accomplishing those goals that are placed ahead of us in our working lives. As middle-age approaches we are afraid that we will lose all that status we believe we have built up in the course of our lives.

But have we? As an old man, I am terrified that I have lost my heart. I have been so busy chasing the goals others have presented me that I am attenuated to one dimension as the philosopher described, and as Frankl feared for his fellow inmates in the concentration camp.

So many have grasped other things and let fear determine the heart of their lives. They have forgotten themselves in listening to all the voices screaming in the wind as they try to walk on the water of their very fragile lives. I think that is why Peter failed. He was distracted by something other than his heart, something other than his very real self which calls in a still, small voice at the heart of our lives.

Jesus called to Peter, “Take heart! It is I – do not be afraid.” I would like to believe the voice of Jesus is our very real self revealing itself to us. Instead of listening to the disparate, desperate voices of other people, we should be hearkening to ourselves, to that very core which is the heart of the matter – our own hearts. If we did listen to that heart, would we be deceitful in our dealings with others, or, more importantly, would we delude ourselves about what is really important and necessary in our lives? Would we be afraid at all?

We have all been in storms and been buffeted by winds we cannot track. It is too easy to roll with those punches, isn’t it? But is it right? Do we really want to give up our lives to things which are not at the heart of our lives?

This disjunction of self and others, this fundamental dichotomy, is what drives us. We know what we are fundamentally, but we are with others in such a profound way that we may not see that those others are setting the scenes of our lives. We are being manipulated as if they matter, and only they matter, those chattering voices on the howling wind. But the wind never sounds in the stillness of our hearts.

That is what we must recover. That is what Jesus is telling us when he asks us to “Take heart!” He is presenting us to ourselves when he says, “It is I!” Nothing else matters in that moment when we see Jesus there on the water and we have the heart to stride out toward him, because that is our true destiny. We want to stand on the water, on the edge of the abyss, on the cliff above a raging sea, to cling on to our heart and never be afraid – never to let go …

Unless, of course, we lose heart and any sense of self, or perhaps we might have grabbed hold of a false self presented by one of those voices in our ears, distracting us from that voice of calm which confirms itself in the turmoil of life in spite of everything. I think many have lost heart. Many listen to the fear which rises around them, as everyone has done throughout our lives. We may not have committed wickedness, but our hands are not a lily-white as they were when we were born, when there was silence and infinite possibility reigned, when the courses of our lives did not seem to be fixed.

Now we have done things of which we should heartily be ashamed. We need to confess – to God, but especially to ourselves – that we are sinners, and in that realm of conscience we should take heart. We should not be afraid of anything except it be the I which Jesus reveals.

“It is I!” Jesus declares as he calls to us in the midst of the raging sea. We are being called to ourselves, our hearts are being revived and revealed. We are to take up out heart, aren’t we? We are not to be afraid of anything or anyone except failing to be our very selves. I think the only fear we should have is that of losing the confidence of walking on the water of life toward Jesus in the midst of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. We are destined to walk on water, if only we “Take Heart!”

Amen

Barnabas is a name for which I have a great affection because this first name appears in my family many generations ago – Barnabas Davis left Tewksbury and crossed over the Atlantic to arrive in the Boston area in 1635. That must be the romantic in me.

So who is this fellow, Saint Barnabas?

He was one of the earliest evangelists sent out to the known world from Jerusalem. He accompanied Paul on some of his journeys. One part of the mission was to aid the widows and orphans of Jerusalem. We all have read the letters of Paul where he speaks of the saints, the believers, in Jerusalem. Money was a very important part of the earliest missionary endeavours – always their task was to send relief to poor congregations, to aid the needy wherever they appeared. That is why our reading from Acts is so poignant for us today, don’t you think? There are so many places in dire circumstances where we can give succour. So when we read of the christian congregations holding everything in common or selling possessions for the common good, we know what we ought to do, to give to charity freely. However, that is not why we remember these early saints – because of their generosity – no, Barnabas becomes St Barnabas because of his death. He is one of the earliest martyrs in the history of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. He makes the ultimate sacrifice.

What is a martyr? I am sure you know this – that the Greek word means “witness”.  Usually a martyr is someone whose life is taken away because of their opinion about a commonplace in ordinary society. It could be something like donating a pinch of incense to a local deity, or bowing to what the Jews call “a graven image” where the deity and the statue are confused to be the same, when people love money instead of what it can effect in the world.

A martyr witnesses to the true god. The martyr stands foursquare in defence of god. Christian martyrs witness to the one true God whose Son is Jesus Christ and whose Holy Spirit enlivens us here and now.

We all stand for something, don’t we? Our witness is that we often testify to the fact that one thing is the most important thing in our lives. Sometimes I think my wife is a witness for the canine world, Dalmatians in particular. We here now confess that Jesus Christ is most important in our lives, more important than money, position, power – even more important than a spouse or beloved Dalmatians.

That witness to the divine is a very different sort of speaking out than anything else we do in our ordinary lives, isn’t it? I know that I get into philosophical discussions over a drink with friends – and it is never a case of “in vino veritas” – as the ancients say, that the truth comes out when too much wine goes in. But the philosophers, even though they enjoy a “symposium”, their “drinks party”, do indulge in long discussions about truth and beauty as they share a drink together. And theologians, like Martin Luther, also like to gather around a table, leaving us a collection of writings called “Table Talk”. I like to think that when we gather together, we talk about the fundamentals – like the place of God in our lives. It is especially true here in the church building as we gather before this altar table where we often meet for the sacrament of communion.

Don’t we all speak with friends about profundities on occasion? When we are at a wedding, a baptism or a funeral? I would like to say that we are all philosophers at times, wouldn’t you? Our friends might just say we are merely being maudlin when we begin talking about “life, the universe and everything.” Hopefully, when we bear witness to those fundamental truths of our lives, we come up with something other than ‘42’. Of course, we have to admit that the answer is determined by the question we ask. It is the problem philosophy and theology has confronted since time immemorial. I wonder whether our culture asks questions which expect an answer that is more significant in the fabric of our lives than ‘42’?

What about Barnabas? What did his answer to his contemporaries suggest? He was a man who travelled with Paul. They must have been friends – after all, they went on a preaching tour together. They must have spent hours on their way talking about salvation for themselves and just what it might look like for other people, don’t you think?

Barnabas was sent to Antioch from the congregation in Jerusalem. In Antioch non-Jews were being brought into the church. This was perceived to be a problem, because in Jerusalem only Jews were welcomed into those groups who followed the way of Jesus. In Antioch, there were non-Jews enjoying the company of the people who wanted to be associated with Jesus, his preaching and the life he preached – that life of fullness which we have been promised.

The Golden Legend – that medieval tome about the saints of which I am so fond – has a lot to say about Barnabas. It talks about his name and character in a way that only medieval monks could do. His story reflects miracles and a true christian example to all who might read it, but it all reflects our reading from Acts,

The apostles gave [him] the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

This is the history of the saint I would want us all to remember, his selfless devotion which encourages all around him. The Golden Legend explains the verse in this way –

His desire was cleansed of the dust of earthly attachments. … He shows that one should put off what one avoids touching , and teaches that gold should be trampled, by laying it at the feet of the apostles.

Such is the saint we remember on this feast day. Today the liturgical colour is red, red for the shedding of the martyr’s blood and it should remind us of the giving of the Holy Spirit on the people of God at Pentecost which was celebrated only two weeks ago.

Also, I think that when we consider the martyred saints, we should “see red” in another way. We should be incensed at all unrighteousness, all the evil, which surrounds us. We should be so moved that we would be willing to give all of our own so that the mercy of God might benefit everyone else through our acts of willingness for others.

Amen

Collect

Almighty God, you have created the heavens and the earth and made us in your own image: teach us to discern your hand in all your works and your likeness in all your children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things, now and for ever.

or

Almighty God, give us reverence for all creation and respect for every person, that we may mirror your likeness in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Post Communion

God our creator, by your gift the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise, and the bread of life at the heart of your Church: may we who have been nourished at your table on earth be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross and enjoy the delights of eternity; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm

1    Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious,♦
for his mercy endures for ever.

2    Give thanks to the God of gods,♦
for his mercy endures for ever.

3    Give thanks to the Lord of lords,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

4    Who alone does great wonders,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

5    Who by wisdom made the heavens,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

6    Who laid out the earth upon the waters,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

7    Who made the great lights,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

8    The sun to rule the day,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

9    The moon and the stars to govern the night,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

23    Who remembered us when we were in trouble,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

24    And delivered us from our enemies,♦
for his mercy endures for ever;

25    Who gives food to all creatures,♦
for his mercy endures for ever.

26    Give thanks to the God of heaven,♦
for his mercy endures for ever.

Psalm 136

The OT lesson is Genesis 1.1 – 2.3

Epistle

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8.18–25

Gospel

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’

Matthew 6.25–34

Sermon on Second Sunday before Lent

‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.’

What do these words mean? On the surface, people consider them a licence to have no cares in the world, that we should be “as happy as Larry”. However, I don’t think this is the case at all because these people are considering only that first phrase, “so do not worry about tomorrow”.

But the whole of the verse of the bible says that we will always have troubles, even today. These are the things that should concern us, not those things that are beyond our control – tomorrow’s affairs. Today we can do something about the problems of today. Tomorrow is not in hand like today is.  When we say “mañana”, don’t we say it will never come? Tomorrow is like yesterday, when “all my troubles seem so far away.” Perhaps Lennon and McCartney have a lot to teach us about the cares of the world. Yesterday’s concerns can follow us and blight today, as the song sings. She had to go and she wouldn’t say. Perhaps I said something wrong? I am only half the man I used to be. Love was such an easy game to play, now I long for yesterday …

The song is so short, but it is powerful for it brings together two of the most powerful things in life, love and regret. We all know about our love for the one who has walked away, and how we regret what was in the past because it was perfect. Now we hide away in shadows today because time has taken over. Love and regret, they can hang together in life. We all know this, don’t we? – We need only look at past loves, or just at our families. True regret lingers there, doesn’t it? And in that regret may hide rancour, which spoils all memory and hope.

Lennon and McCartney are stuck in our usual state of mind, our normal regret of the past and our fear for the future. We think the cares of the past will be compounded in the future. We long for something that had never been. We fear the future as we try to grasp the past fleeing away to wherever time flies.

‘Why?’ is the question we always ask about the past and its failures, and we then ask it about the future, when we speculate on what could go wrong tomorrow.

Well, happy Larry might say “What could possibly go wrong?” Larry may be, just as deluded as we are, as we sing about how inadequate we feel. On the contrary, we are not unsatisfactory at all. We may have been dealt a blow and we are reeling under its burden. The weight of yesterday threatens to obliterate us – at least that is what we think with Lennon and McCartney.

But what of tomorrow? Jesus considers our consternation about the future, that worry which adds nothing to what the facts of life are. He says the present is all we can deal with. Jesus’ words should waken us to “Today”. Today is the only day we should be worried about because we can do something about it. This, I think, is the meaning of our verse. We repeat a verse from the OT every day in Matins, “Today, if you would only hear his voice …” Jesus speaks with the OT prophets with respect to being in the moment – he asks us to wake ourselves up to Today.

Jesus speaks about all the everyday worries we have, but he dismisses our anxiety about them, doesn’t he?

‘But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.’

Our everyday concerns will be taken care of, if we strive for something greater than just those worries. Our attention should be on those intangibles which give life sense, or meaning, or value. With that greater concern, our everyday worries are put into their place, and we strive for something greater than the clothes we hang on ourselves or the food we gorge.

However, who does not worry about those things which consume the Gentiles? I know we all do at some time. But there is a majority who do not. Who are they? – the childlike. Children do not worry about their clothing or the food they want to eat. Their needs are immediate. If they are cold, they will wear what they have. If they are hungry, they will eat what they are given (usually). Children deal with what is there in front of them. They don’t look for problems, they don’t manufacture excuses. They are immediate and problem solving in that moment. They do not project the past into a possible future. They forget what has happened and don’t anticipate what might come. They deal with the present in ways we “adults” find charming and amusing.

Children are like those flowers of the field, the grass all around us. They neither toil nor spin, but live their lives in the splendour of the greatest of kings. Jesus tells us that those beautiful blooms are of no great moment, for they fade and are thrown into the fire. But humanity is more significant than the lilies of the field. Jesus assures us that we will be cared for in the moment of our greatest need, if we are willing to seek the kingdom first.

We have faith that grace will come when we are at our lowest ebb and that we will be transported. All the cares of past, present and future will pass away and the very real rewards of life will be revealed – not what the gentiles grasp for, but that life in all its fullness which Jesus promises.

So, I think we must become childlike. We have to enjoy life in all its fullness as it unfolds in front of us, just as our children do. They accept what they have to wear, they eat what is in front of them, they enjoy the company of all the people around them. Our children up to a certain age are innocent and can teach us a great deal. When they “grow up” they become just like us adults, worrying about the future, regretting the past, and paralysed into inaction because of the troubles of the present.

I want to be that child whom Jesus uses as an example for his disciples. I want to be that innocent who has been plucked out of the crowd to enter the kingdom, a saint whose vision is clear and whose purpose is true. I want to be that child about whom Jesus speaks, don’t you?

With Lennon and McCartney, I would like to sing “all my troubles are so far away”, but I would rather believe that I am a whole person, one standing happily in the here and now, living immediately in the full light of the truth of past and and the grace of the future just like you.

Amen

Collect

Almighty God, who alone can bring order to the unruly wills and passions of sinful humanity: give your people grace so to love what you command and to desire what you promise, that, among the many changes of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

or

Eternal God, whose Son went among the crowds and brought healing with his touch: help us to show his love, in your Church as we gather together, and by our lives as they are transformed into the image of Christ our Lord.

Readings

Psalm

1    Alleluia.
    Blessed are those who fear the Lord ♦
and have great delight in his commandments.

2    Their descendants will be mighty in the land, ♦
a generation of the faithful that will be blest.

3    Wealth and riches will be in their house, ♦
and their righteousness endures for ever.

4    Light shines in the darkness for the upright; ♦
gracious and full of compassion are the righteous.

5    It goes well with those who are generous in lending ♦
and order their affairs with justice,

6    For they will never be shaken; ♦
the righteous will be held in everlasting remembrance.

7    They will not be afraid of any evil tidings; ♦
their heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

8    Their heart is sustained and will not fear, ♦
until they see the downfall of their foes.

9    They have given freely to the poor; their righteousness stands fast for ever; ♦
their head will be exalted with honour.

10    The wicked shall see it and be angry; they shall gnash their teeth in despair; ♦
the desire of the wicked shall perish.

Psalm 112

Old Testament

Shout out, do not hold back!

   Lift up your voice like a trumpet!

Announce to my people their rebellion,

   to the house of Jacob their sins.

Yet day after day they seek me

   and delight to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that practised righteousness

   and did not forsake the ordinance of their God;

they ask of me righteous judgements,

   they delight to draw near to God.

‘Why do we fast, but you do not see?

   Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’

Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day,

   and oppress all your workers.

Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight

   and to strike with a wicked fist.

Such fasting as you do today

   will not make your voice heard on high.

Is such the fast that I choose,

   a day to humble oneself?

Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush,

   and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?

Will you call this a fast,

   a day acceptable to the Lord?

Is not this the fast that I choose:

   to loose the bonds of injustice,

   to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

   and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

   and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

   and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,

   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

   and your gloom be like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually,

   and satisfy your needs in parched places,

   and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

   like a spring of water,

   whose waters never fail.

Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;

   you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;

you shall be called the repairer of the breach,

   the restorer of streets to live in.

Isaiah 58.1–9a[b–12]

Gospel

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5.13–20

Sermon on Third Sunday before Lent

All through the Christmass season we have been talking about the light. That light which shone in the darkness and was not overcome – the season of white and gold celebration ending at Candlemass. We are now in “Ordinary Time”, and our reading reflects ordinary life. Ordinary Time is the season when the vestments and hangings are green. The time when we return to the normal course of events.

I think Isaiah was writing about the ordinary when he wrote the chapter we read from this morning. He comments on what was considered “normal” by his contemporaries.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry

   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

   and your gloom be like the noonday.

Isaiah was condemning the excesses of his fellow countrymen. Don’t we still do these things he castigates? Don’t we ourselves point the finger at all those people who are doing things we don’t approve of? Don’t we talk about the awful things that are being done all around the world? Don’t we burden others with the hardest tasks? In our dealings with others don’t we put more and more onto their shoulders, so that we cannot see them, just buried under the jobs they have to do?

Isaiah spoke directly, didn’t he? “If only” he said to them. “If only” you would satisfy the needs of the afflicted … “If only” you would offer food to the hungry … Isn’t this what our consciences tell us? “If only” we would do these things, then light would shine in the darkness of the world in which we find ourselves, a world of our own making, a world where conscience has made cowards of us all, to quote the bard.

Conscience forces us in one of two directions, one path leads us into the anonymous crowd where we do nothing. Conscience seems to paralyse us. The other path isolates us into the singularity of righteousness, that region no one wishes to occupy with you, but you must say your conscience is clear! You have comforted the widow and orphan. You have done all the things justice demands. Isaiah and all the prophets would be proud of you. St Peter will greet you like a long-lost brother at the pearly gates. All who knew you will mourn you with great grief, because like the rich man they will beg you, as he did Lazarus, to give them succour, to dip your finger into cooling water and give them a drop to drink. Your life will be extolled, but that crowd will do none of those things to bring light to the world, that crowd will turn to unknowing and rejoice in their ignorance of what righteousness and justice are, those intangibles which give light to the world in which we all live. Isaiah says:

Shout out, do not hold back!

   Lift up your voice like a trumpet!

Conscience does drive us to sound off amongst our acquaintances. We are compelled to speak out for those things which change life completely, even though we cannot put names to what they are. Those things Isaiah named are not the next big thing, are they? Isaiah’s things are commonplace care for others. Feeding the hungry, relieving the burden of others, holding your tongue from intemperate judgement – these are all the simplest of actions, unrecognised but revolutionary.

Occasionally, someone’s life is changed by a silent act of kindness. They may not even know it at the time. Recognition is often not given for the good, but it does make that difference in life, not just for the recipient. The act is its own reward because one’s conscience is clear.

The philosophers and theologians have a lot to say about the good life, don’t they? From Socrates to Bonnhoffer they have opined about the value of the good in an individual’s life and how it impacts on the life of the others round about him or her. They may talk about how such a life can even influence the unthinking, unfeeling, ignorant “crowd”. As Jesus hung on the cross, so does a good act. It demands a response – that we shout out and not hold back about the good.

The good person is a cipher in the world. That good life stands out when we consider it, even though we may have not noticed it at the time we encountered that person who embodied it. When we hear it, it sounds clearly in our ears and transforms us completely. It is a hearty and wholehearted sound when the prophet of the good life lifts his or her voice.

I would ask that we let our lives be silent clarion calls to the world. We can sound off through the good acts of care. Don’t we say more in a good deed than in all of my words?

At this point I think I should sit down and let each of us complete that thought.

Collect

Almighty and ever–living God, clothed in majesty, whose beloved Son was this day presented in the Temple, in substance of our flesh: grant that we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts, by your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

or

Lord Jesus Christ, light of the nations and glory of Israel: make your home among us, and present us pure and holy to your heavenly Father, your God, and our God.

Readings

Psalm

[ 1    The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it, ♦
the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.

2    For he has founded it upon the seas ♦
and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3     ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, ♦
or who can rise up in his holy place?’

4    ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,♦
who have not lifted up their soul to an idol, nor sworn an oath to a lie;

5    ‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, ♦
a just reward from the God of their salvation.’

6     Such is the company of those who seek him, ♦
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob. ]

7    Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, you everlasting doors; ♦
and the King of glory shall come in.

8    ‘Who is the King of glory?’ ♦
‘The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord who is mighty in battle.’

9    Lift up your heads, O gates; be lifted up, you everlasting doors; ♦
and the King of glory shall come in.

10    ‘Who is this King of glory?’ ♦
‘The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.’

Psalm 24.[1–6]7–10

OT

See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.

Then I will draw near to you for judgement; I will be swift to bear witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired workers in their wages, the widow, and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the alien, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3.1–5

Epistle

Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Hebrews 2.14–18

Gospel

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.

Luke 2.22–40

Sermon at Candlemass

Today Christmass finally comes to an end for the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. We need to put all the decorations away and turn off all the lights. The candles at last have to be extinguished for we move into ordinary time before the fasting of Lent. Today we call to mind Jesus at the Temple, when he is “presented” to the Lord (and to the people of God) and Mary undergoes Purification.

What do you make of the statement, “they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord”? How often do we think about the Holy Family as a traditional Jewish family? They would have had a kosher home, in other words everything would be done in accordance with the Law. Food, clothing, rest and work would be governed by what the Torah deemed appropriate. Everything in life – from birth to death – would be governed by the customs determined by God. It seems nothing is left to chance when you submit to the Law of God.

The gospel reading tells of this lawful activity of Joseph, Mary and Jesus. It was time for the Purification, when the mother had passed forty days since the birth of the child. So the holy family with its first-born boy went to Jerusalem to present the child to the Lord. With the sacrifice of two doves the purification was accomplished. Mary could finally return to the kosher world. The parents in the joy of the birth of their son and her purity were happy to give over the first born boy to the Lord, to dedicate him to the service of God. The boy was “designated as holy to the Lord.”

This dedication of the first-born is a family’s ritual repetition of the Passover, when the children of Egypt were killed before the flight of the Hebrews from Egypt. You remember the story of when the Hebrew families marked their houses with blood over the door and so their children were saved. The Lord proclaimed that the first born male whether human or animal was to be dedicated to him, as the Egyptian children were taken on that terrible night from their families. The first-born, Jewish male-child was to be reserved for God’s purposes in the remembrance of that saving act of God.

What is our understanding of the presentation of Jesus at the Temple in Jerusalem? I think we must take into consideration how we dedicate ourselves to God today. How do we dedicate ourselves to anything? That must inform how we understand this episode. I don’t think there is any whole-hearted, complete giving of oneself over to anything nowadays. Do you?

When we bring our children to baptism, there is a repetition of this presentation of Jesus to some extent, for we are promising that the child will become part of the community and follow the ways of the Church in life. In essence we are dedicating our children to God, aren’t we? So, I think we really do understand this dedication of Jesus in the Temple. Or am I mistaken?

The strangers in the Temple are significant for us. They become important and well-known figures in the story – Anna who would speak of the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Israel and Simeon who foretells the sword in Mary’s heart but speaks of the joy he feels in seeing the child before him in the Temple.

Simeon’s words were incorporated into our worship as the climax of a choral evensong.

    Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory to your people Israel.’

Such a canticle is appropriate to call to mind here today. For we are concentrating on the lights that have been burning during the last forty days. Now we have to acknowledge that that light burns in our lives in the person of Jesus Christ.

These words of Simeon tell of our own journeys in the faith. At one time the salvation offered to us was a far-off sight, one that drifted in and out of consciousness, something offered to other people, like those people who are not like us – as Simeon calls them, “the Gentiles”. That salvation was not really part of our lives, was it? It was far-off, like that star that guided the wise men to the stable. It draws us to itself, doesn’t it?

Still, it was so far away. Then one day, it became something more – a revelation! That star shone right there in our lives and changed us completely. That revelation became the moment of our conversion. From people who walked in darkness, we became people who have seen a great light, and we transformed into faithful people wishing ever to remain in that state of grace, the moment when we converted into people of God. That is the only true miracle, that we finally open our eyes to see life in all its fullness. The miracle is that we have moved from darkness into light, that light which is revelation. In fact, everyone can be seen to be a gentile at some time in their lives. Then, when the light shines, people become dedicated to God.

We were once lost in the darkness of unknowing until that moment of revelation. Now we are able to see clearly what life is, and we are able to enjoy it in all its fullness, for nothing is hidden in darkness any longer.

That is the beauty revealed in the hymn, Amazing Grace, once lost, now found – once blind, now with sight. It is the beauty we each can live out in our lives, if only we would not listen to anything but that still small voice, that voice which itself stills us in the heat of the moment, that voice which reminds us of our conversion to what is good, not the distraction and delusion of everyday incomprehension of life in all its fullness.

That is the moment of our presentation, the dedication to that beyond which there is nothing else – to God.

We are converted, changed fundamentally, when we live out our baptism. That child presented for baptism doesn’t know about the glory round about him or her, but when we look at the children to be baptised, we see the infinite possibilities they represent. They are us in the innocence of the light, just as we are them in the guilt of intentional darkness. Our hope is the conversion of the dark into the light, the fully realised life promised to us in faith, in the salvation which Simeon saw in the child, which we also see.

Amen

Collect

Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

or

Eternal Lord, our beginning and our end: bring us with the whole creation to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm

1    I waited patiently for the Lord; ♦
he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2    He brought me out of the roaring pit, out of the mire and clay;♦

    he set my feet upon a rock and made my footing sure.

3    He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;♦
many shall see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.

4    Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, ♦
who does not turn to the proud that follow a lie.

5    Great are the wonders you have done, O Lord my God. How great your designs for us! ♦
There is none that can be compared with you.

6    If I were to proclaim them and tell of them ♦
they would be more than I am able to express.

7    Sacrifice and offering you do not desire ??

   but my ears you have opened;

8    Burnt offering and sacrifice for sin you have not required; ♦
then said I: ‘Lo, I come.

9    ‘In the scroll of the book it is written of me that I should do your will, O my God; ♦
I delight to do it: your law is within my heart.’

10    I have declared your righteousness in the great congregation; ♦
behold, I did not restrain my lips, and that, O Lord, you know.

11    Your righteousness I have not hidden in my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; ♦
I have not concealed your loving-kindness and truth from the great congregation.

12  Do not withhold your compassion from me, O Lord; ♦
let your love and your faithfulness always preserve me,

Psalm 40

Old Testament

Listen to me, O coastlands,

   pay attention, you peoples from far away!

The Lord called me before I was born,

   while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

   in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow,

   in his quiver he hid me away.

And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,

   Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’

But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,

   I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my cause is with the Lord,

   and my reward with my God.’

 And now the Lord says,

who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

   and that Israel might be gathered to him,

for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,

   and my God has become my strength –

he says,

‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

   to raise up the tribes of Jacob

   and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations,

   that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Thus says the Lord,

   the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,

   the slave of rulers,

‘Kings shall see and stand up,

   princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

   the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

Isaiah 49.1–7

Gospel

The next day he saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, ‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, “After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John testified, ‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, “He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.” And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.’

The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’ They said to him, ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come and see.’ They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).

John 1.29–42

Sermon on Second Sunday of Epiphany

In this week’s reading, we hear about the dove descending and a voice proclaiming the Son of God at Jesus’ baptism. Last week it was the voice from heaven and this week it is the voice of John the Baptist.

This week we hear about testimony. We read “John testified,” and some of the extraordinary things he said are recorded in the fourth gospel. St John wrote that the baptist looked forward to the one coming after him, the one who was greater. Everything the baptist said anticipated the Christ. John told everyone that he himself had to fade into the background when that one came. And people came to the banks of the Jordan on which he cried out his message of repentance before the coming of the kingdom of God.

John the Baptist said nothing about himself, except to humble himself before the one who was to come. He humbled himself in the presence of the Kingdom of God. He waited in order to give witness to the one who was to come.

How many people are like John the Baptist? Who would say to those ’round about, “Here comes someone greater than I”? Who wants to accept a lower place in the everyday pecking-order? Like that fellow at the banquet who sat far away from the host, but was brought forward when the host saw him. Who would take that seat at the back of the banquet room? – I know you all race to the back for school assembly and church, but who goes to the back at a party they really want to be at? Who would demean themselves in the ordinary scheme of things? I don’t think there are many who would acknowledge any other person greater than they consider themselves to be. Do you? Don’t we see this all the time? There is a narcissism in contemporary culture. We can see it in this cult of “personalities”, in Facebook, Twitter, Chat – there are so many online manifestations we can take on for ourselves. Each of us massages our image, not just the electronic presence, to show forth that happy, enviable self, to the world. Why else do we hone our cv’s into the format expected with all those wonderful exploits? We turn ourselves into the crowd’s image of what they think of us.

Each of us turns into the crowd, a crowd composed of followers, the crowd leading that throng into a self-absorbed mass, each of whom fears to think for themselves. Perhaps that is why the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church has been ignored – I suggest it is because faith demands each of us must make that singular decision, looking to something other than self or the crowd. The vision demanded by faith sees through all vanity into the regions of meaning in our lives, not just the trappings of the happy, enviable electronic appearance and its cult of personality. The singular vision sets each of us apart from each other. Each of us can never be “the crowd” which bays for the blood of the innocent or abhors what is different and set apart. Each of us must see the singularity which stands in front of us – when we look in the mirror, but especially when we look into the eyes of the other.

What do we see when we look at someone walking toward us? John sees the “Lamb of God” in the person approaching him. How does this Lamb appear? – a person just like you and me, but John sees beyond this carpenter from Nazareth, a fellow who has chosen a peripatetic way of life very different from every one of us. Jesus is a wandering charismatic religious leader – so very strange to everyone in the Middle East and to us today.

John proclaims this man’s difference – a difference in the quality of his life, a quality no human being can attain. After all, doesn’t he testify that Jesus is the Son of God? Who else would claim that title? Who would let someone else proclaim such a title for themselves? Only the false gods, I think, and there are a great many of those cults which assault us daily. A cult, maybe, to which we have submitted. Haven’t we all wanted our “fifteen minutes of fame”? This is a cult of hubris, of pride, not a cult of humble kindness. We need only look at John to see the truth of this, John who proclaimed someone else greater than he, whom he names the “Lamb of God”.

This story is about how we name others, how we treat them, how we testify to them, as friend or saint, or, in Jesus’ case, the beloved son of God.

How that proclamation changes everything!

In John, we hear the declaration about Jesus and we are transformed – or you might want to say, we transform ourselves because we have accepted that witness’s statement as the truth in our lives.

What would John see if any one of us approached him? Would he see people struggling out of the chains of consumerism and “the next big thing”, people willing to stand naked against the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune? Would we show him that we have the strength for righteousness? I wonder whether John would see people whose faith drives them to love their neighbours as they love themselves?

What would John see as we approach him? I don’t know … What would I present to him today? Am I able to stand in my faith, alone and strong, clear-headed in my vision of the future in the deep amity of fellow christians, in the rapture of God’s glory? How would John announce me when I approach? – I truly don’t know.

That is why I keep my ears open, for what John might call me. I listen for the witness to my life.

Who do you say I am when I approach?

Do you smile and rush up like my dog does – with excessive enthusiasm because I have returned after a few days – or even just ten minutes? Or is your greeting more kindness than enthusiasm? Do you proclaim to the world, “Behold here comes my friend whom I love.” That is what I want to say about everyone who approaches me. They are my friends who are kind and happy to accept everyone into their hearts, and they have been ever so gracious to accept me.

Would anyone, let alone John the Baptist, ever be able to proclaim their testimony, “the Lamb of God,” at our approach?

Amen

Collect

Eternal Father, who at the baptism of Jesus revealed him to be your Son, anointing him with the Holy Spirit: grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit, that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

or

Heavenly Father, at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son: may we recognize him as our Lord and know ourselves to be your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Post Communion

Lord of all time and eternity, you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son: by the power of your Spirit complete the heavenly work of our rebirth through the waters of the new creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Old Testament

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

   he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry or lift up his voice,

   or make it heard in the street;

a bruised reed he will not break,

   and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

   he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed

   until he has established justice in the earth;

   and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,

   who created the heavens and stretched them out,

   who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

   and spirit to those who walk in it:

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

   I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

   a light to the nations,

     to open the eyes that are blind,

     to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

   from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the Lord, that is my name;

   my glory I give to no other,

   nor my praise to idols.

See, the former things have come to pass,

   and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth,

   I tell you of them.

Isaiah 42.1–9

Psalm

1    Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, ♦
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2    Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; ♦
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

3    The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
the God of glory thunders; ♦
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4    The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; ♦
the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

5    The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; ♦
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6    He makes Lebanon skip like a calf ♦
and Sirion like a young wild ox.

7    The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning; the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; ♦
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8    The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe and strips the forests bare; ♦
in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’

9    The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; ♦
the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.

10    The Lord shall give strength to his people; ♦
the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Psalm

Epistle

Then Peter began to speak to them: ‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ – he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

Acts 10.34–43

Gospel

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

Matthew 3.13–17

Sermon on The Baptism of Christ

And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’

Does this ever happen at any of our baptisms? A doting mother may say something of the sort, perhaps a proud father in his cups might break down to say these words in that moment of grand emotion, when the child is acknowledged before the family and close friends. “Our beloved Child” is proclaimed at that “private” baptism as part of their joy in their child named publicly within that cloud of witnesses (however small or large).

But do we hear – or have we ever tried to hear – God’s voice at a baptism? Have we switched off everything modern and contemporary in order to hear that ancient calling of God in the silence of worship?

My question is not just rhetorical – I am asking because it does interrogate each of us as we sit here celebrating Jesus’ Baptism. Have we really heard that voice which expressed such pleasure in one brought to baptism? Are we like John who asked for the baptism Jesus would give, if only he would. How many of us would understand Jesus’ words – “it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.”

What righteousness do we accomplish here and now? In reliving the Baptism of Jesus, do I find myself on the bank of the Jordan to listen to John and await that voice? After all, I am rather reluctant to say that I have ever been able to do what is right. If I were able, I would drop everything and go to the troubled spots of the world to give aid and succour to suffering humanity. Instead, I am a gardener keeping lawns tidy for other people in this green and pleasant land. Am I fulfilling any righteousness, apart from my duty for my wife and my customers? This is quite depressing for me, especially as the present war in the Ukraine carries on.

Do you feel the same? Don’t you wish to somehow do what is good not only for yourself, but for others? Do ordinary jobs really satisfy your thirst for justice and righteousness? How can we satisfy this drive for attaining the moral high ground wherever in the world we find ourselves?

These are the questions that come to mind when I think of Jesus saying to John, “Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.” If I fulfill the law, will it have any effect? Will others join me and also assault those plains of Abraham where the mindless masses gather to hide in anonymity? Many say, “Why bother? That won’t change anything.” Is it any wonder that no one tries to do the right thing? Only the expedient – what will cause no comment – is to be done. However, is that really what we want to do? Is one’s life only expedient? Does that really make us proud?

I think at the back of our minds we hear the prophet’s words, “I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” That impels us to the future. I want to be that servant of the Lord, to hear that voice and embody everything Isaiah says about that extraordinary person whom the Lord has singled out.

Normally, we say Isaiah is predicting Jesus, but I would like to read this passage as speaking about each one of us, for we all are possible servants of God – if only we hold fast to the true course we wish to ply.

He will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth;

Don’t we hope for this in our lives? Don’t we want that strength of resolve to establish justice in the earth? Don’t we want to keep up our strength in this work we do for others – the work we do in the name of God?

Thus says God, the Lord,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

If God gives us life, why don’t we do justly in our lives? Why do we act badly? We should be striding forth in God’s spirit, not mincing about in wickedness. The Lord has created us for the joy of the his service.

I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

Such a call should always be echoing in our ears, don’t you think? Such a call should be at the front of our minds, especially as we have been taken up in those caring hands. We should pass every thought through this prism of God’s spirit of justice, shouldn’t we? But it seems humanity fails in this fundamental moral imperative. We need only consider what assaults us daily on the news and in the fiction we read for pleasure.

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

   a light to the nations,

     to open the eyes that are blind,

     to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

   from the prison those who sit in darkness.

I am the Lord, that is my name;

   my glory I give to no other,

   nor my praise to idols.

The servant figure becomes the focus here – you and I become the focus for the world, because we are a sign of the covenant God has agreed. God jealously guards the honour and glory offered up to him. The covenant sealed in you and me enshrines the love we have for each other – between me and you, God and us, but especially between us all. If we don’t forget that we are a sign of the covenant for ourselves and others, then there would be few chances for anyone to do evil.

I think this passage from Isaiah speaks to us like that voice which declares us beloved children of God. How can we behave badly if we pass everything through that prism of God’s righteousness? Doesn’t everything change in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye especially when we see through that lens of rectitude.

However, there is always the risk of forgetfulness, isn’t there? Like those servants awaiting the return of their boss, don’t we have to be aware of what we are enjoined to do? However, we can also forget in a moment, in a twinkling, can’t we? How quickly we don’t remember!

In our wakefulness is an awareness that justice is just about to be meted out to all of creation. Let us stay awake, ready to witness to the right all the days of our lives. When we “fulfil all righteousness”, I imagine it is at that moment we might hear that ancient voice saying, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.”

Amen