4th Sunday after Trinity

Christian Faith

‘When we only use the Gospel of Jesus Christ to comfort the bereaved and sick, we risk burying ourselves in too passive a religion. By contrast the mission upon which, the disciples were commissioned by Jesus and about to embark upon promised – ‘responsibility, discomfort and self sacrifice along the way.’ That is the view of one commentator on our Gospel reading today. (‘Word among us’ – Page 116)

Hazel Blears – the Communities secretary is reported to have said this past week that it is ‘common sense for Christianity to be sidelined at the expense of Islam.’ She is also reported to have said – ‘We live in a secular democracy’ but she also went on to say – ‘hundreds of thousands of people are motivated by faith.’ All this, in the light of the recent Church of England report, ‘Moral but no compass’, produced under the chairmanship of the Bishop of Hulme, which accuses ministers of ‘marginalising’ Christianity. All this in the light of the Daily Telegraphs current campaign to ‘Save our Churches’.

Today’s short Old Testament reading from Exodus, which is on the readings sheet, prefaces Moses encounter with God on Mount Sinai when he was given the Ten Commandments. Moses on the advice of his father-in-law, Jethro, has just appointed others to help him, as mirrored for us in the Gospel reading with the appointment of the first 12 disciples by Jesus.

We hear the people of Israel in the OT reading responding to God’s commands through Moses with the words – ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.’

While today we may be dismissive of attacks upon the Christian Church, or simply choose to ignore them, we do need to remind ourselves of what our calling as Christians is all about.

The Church of England, may be the ‘established’ church in this country, but so what? For we still have a Gospel to proclaim, in order to ‘establish’ the Christian faith in the hearts and minds of the people of this nation today, irrespective of where they come from, if we are to be true to our calling as Christians. We still have to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Nation, so that the people themselves can decide whether or not there is any truth in it. Earlier in the week Terry Pratchett the best-selling fantasy author, who disclosed recently that he was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, has hinted that he has found God, after years as an atheist. He said – ‘It is just possible that once you have got past all the gods that we have created with big beards and many human traits, on the other side of physics, there may be the ordered structure from which everything flows.’ I hope that others will be able to affirm Terry’s recent experience for him, and introduce him to Jesus, if that is necessary.

It has been said by the late Simon Wiesenthal – ‘for evil to flourish it only requires good men to do nothing!’ We could take that phrase and also say that ‘for evil to flourish it only requires Christians to do nothing.’

It is time for the church, you and me, to take responsibility for ensuring that no one can say – ‘no one told me about the Christian faith.’ Yes, we might experience discomfort by the reactions of others. Jesus warned the disciples of that when he commissioned them. Yes it might also involve some form of self-sacrifice. But Jesus makes it quite clear that it is our responsibility to proclaim the Gospel, and if there are those who do not want to hear it, we are to move on. ‘When they persecute you in one town flee to the next’ –Jesus says.

For Jesus himself tells us that the one who endures, to the end will be saved.

Matthew in this passage sets out what it is that Jesus is about, so that we can be aware of what is required of us. There are the three basic prongs to Jesus ministry.

Firstly - at the beginning of the Gospel reading, Matthew tells us that Jesus went about all the cities and towns teaching in their synagogues. Secondly - He proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom, and thirdly he cured every sickness and disease.

As we reflect upon the names of the disciples we can perhaps relate to them and the particular quality which marked them out.

Peter means rock – let us pray for the rock-like qualities of Peter in the service of Jesus.

Thomas has become a byword for doubting. Let us pray that we may face our doubts boldly until we come face to face with the living proof.

Matthew raised taxes for the occupying forces. Let us pray that we might have the courage to repent and follow Jesus call.

James and John – were known for their quick temper and personal ambition, and yet they were loved, accepted and forgiven by Jesus. Pray that we might have the grace to accept Jesus’ forgiveness for our lapses of temper and self interest.

Thaddeus – what do we know about him? Where are his deeds recorded? What singled him out from the other disciples? We don’t know, so pray that we may rejoice in anonymity as many do, in the service of the one to whom no one is anonymous.

And Judas – simply reflect upon how his card was marked.

Knowing today what we do about the disciples, would you build your team in the same way as Jesus did?

If you wanted to show that you were committed to the Kingdom of Heaven and that it was open to all and you wanted to start something that would last – you might well do so. But let us never forget that in Matthew’s Gospel we are also introduced to Jesus - a man of compassion.

When Jesus saw the crowd he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless. (Matthew 9:36)

When the crowds brought the sick and suffering Jesus had compassion for them. (Matthew 14:14)

When the crowd, which had been with Jesus for three days and had eaten nothing, Jesus had compassion on them. (Matthew 15:32)

And when two blind men called out to Jesus for healing he was moved with compassion. (Matthew 20:34)

As we consider today the difficulties in which the Christian Church seeks to make its voice heard let me close with some words of the late Pope John the 23rd – ‘But are there not errors in existence today, too, and do not these errors have to be fought? It is precisely the church, ruled as she is by the Lord’s abiding truth, who, has no need to get excited over the often swiftly changing opinions of men or to lose patience with them; she can meet the errors of the day and rise calmly above them.’

It is our responsibility to proclaim the truth of the Gospel, for Jesus says – ‘The one who endures to the end will be saved’

- Amen

Peter Vickers – 10th June 2008