Trinity 14 2007
A sermon preached by Revd Ivo Morshead
Jeremiah 18 v 1-11, Philemon v 1-21. Luke 14 v 25-33
So therefore none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
The last verse from this morning’s Gospel reading.
Today’s lessons are about commitment, its cost and the need to weigh up such cost before undertaking any task. Last Monday was the 3rd September, the 68th anniversary of the outbreak of the second world war when Britain and the Commonwealth declared war on Nazi Germany. I was 12 years old and have the clearest possible recollection of hearing the broadcast announcing the outbreak of hostilities. I happened to be living with my parents in Ladysmith Barracks where my mother was married to the adjutant of the Manchester Regiment. From our windows we could watch the reservist officers arriving and reporting for duty. It was six years before those who had survived were finally back in England. The regiment was captured and imprisoned by the Japanese on the collapse of Singapore. The country in 1939 was well aware of the cost that would be incurred in lives, wealth and physical suffering if victory was to be won.
So therefore none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. In war time everything has to be given up if victory is to be won and bold leaders are also essential. The Christian Faith reminds us that we are soldiers of Christ. We have just come back from a short holiday in Normandy. While there we discovered a wall plaque on the wall of a private house stating that in the basement was the remains of a medieval building occupied by Bishop Odo. Odo was a half-brother to William the Conqueror and appears several times on the Bayeux Tapestries either saying grace at meals or in battle which is to be expected as it was almost certainly he who commissioned the tapestries in 1077 while living in conquered Kent. Being a cleric he could not carry a sword but got round that by taking a wicked looking club. He is most famous for what he teaches us about the word ‘comfort’. We can too easily think of the word in terms of receiving or giving solace and help to a hurt child or adult but that would not be the only true meaning of the Greek word parakeleo. It was the giving of comfort in the true Greek sense that Odo used to inspire the French soldiers faced with defeat at the Battle of Hastings. Bishop Odo, like Churchill in the 2nd world war, brought comfort in its real meaning of strengthening and inspiring to action. Odo is said to have used his club but we can see it as a reminder that the paraclete or Holy Spirit, our empowerer is all powerful and serious.
Jesus was serious alright in this morning’s gospel reading. Last Sunday the readings were from the first part of the 14th chapter of Luke and told of Jesus first healing the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath and then at a Sabbath supper with a Pharisee. On both occasions he was watched to see what he would do in the hope of catching Him out. In both cases Jesus stood out for truth knowing full well what the cost might be for him. The 14th chapter of Luke as we heard this morning has moved on to where Jesus is out of the Pharisees house and had large crowds travelling with him. As we heard and can read for ourselves in the service sheet he warns them of what is expected of those who turn to him and follow him. Churchill used these words on May 13th 1940 when he made his first speech as prime minister to the House of Commons I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. Jesus said to the people whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and child , brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. The word hate is really a Semitic exaggeration and would have meant to the crowd ‘to love less than Jesus’. These verses are much better expressed in Matthew 10 v 37 where instead of the word hate we have rather the words no man is worthy of me who cares more for father or mother than for me and no man is worthy of me who cares more for son or daughter , no man is worthy of me who does not take up his cross. In our Gospel Jesus continues with his military metaphor of the King, before waging war, weighing up what is required before giving up the idea of suing for peace. Blood , toil, sweat tears and sweat are what any soldier can expect and we are soldiers of Christ as was St Paul.
Paul certainly followed the command of Jesus in his dedication and acceptance of the costs of discipleship. Here he is in the second lesson this morning describing himself as a fellow soldier of Archippus a coaddressee of the letter to Philemon and Apphia in the letter from prison. In fact Paul by now, as he describes himself, is an old man. He has been imprisoned before, suffered trial and beatings all for his faith and witness. It is easy to say to ourselves, O well, what can you expect, he was a saint and that is what happens to saints and what makes them what they are. We need to be reminded that not only are Christians described as soldiers, they are also called saints in the New Testament.
One such soldier and saint in those terms was Philemon, the owner of Onesimus the slave who was the subject of the letter. No-one really knows how Onesimus came to be in the prison with Paul. Scholars debate as to whether he had runaway from his master and either been imprisoned himself and met Paul there or heard of Paul and went to him to appeal for clemency from his master Philemon. I like to think in terms of a member of the Christian church supporting their leader. Paul needed help and Philemon gave it generously by lending him Onesimus. Whatever the morals of slavery, slaves were valuable commodities in those days. Philemon is an example of giving willingly and cheerfully of his possessions for the good of that church leader.
Every parish has an ordained person as a leader as well as lay leaders. Being a vicar in a parish is rather like being in prison in the sense that you are physically tied to your vicarage. You cannot escape the daily routine of church services and the preparation of the weekly sermon. On top of this you are on 24/7 hour stand by for emergencies as people phone at any hour of day or night, to say nothing nowadays of the flood of e-mails nor the ringing of the mobile phone. We need to take this opportunity to reflect in what way we can emulate Philemon who did all he could to ease Paul’s confinement in his prison by lending him such a valuable asset. Would that every leader, lay or ordained could echo the words of St Paul to Philemon in today’s second lesson. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you my brother.
Jesus bids us in the Gospel to look to our commitment and weigh its cost. Our church leaders through the centuries and today did this when they chose their way to witness. May we ponder today, on how better we can in this relatively narrow sense of giving every support to them, play our part in easing their burden.
Revd Ivo Morshead : 9th September 2007