Eighth Sunday after Trinity Mark 6:30-34; 53-end Jeremiah 23:1-6Jesus really doesn’t get a lot of rest. No sooner has he healed people and cast out demons in one place, or he has to move around and do the same thing in another village. But even then, those who saw Jesus and the disciples go, would follow them. When Jesus took the disciples away by boat, suggesting they find some rest, the people hurried to find him again on foot, ‘from all the towns, and arrived ahead of them,’ it says. As he went ashore, then, ‘Jesus saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.’ The image of a shepherd and sheep is one that we find in the Bible several times, as a metaphor for the people and those who look after them. Of course, from Israel’s history, there is also the connection with king David, who had been a shepherd, watching his father’s flock, before his destiny as another kind of leader found him. And in Jeremiah 23, God is saying that he will gather the remnant of the flock that had been driven away by Judah’s rulers, and bring them back to their fold. He goes even further, by promising to ‘raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.’ The name of this new Branch, this new shepherd, will be: ‘The Lord is our righteousness’ or, in different translations: ’God-Who-Puts-Everything-Right’ or ‘The Lord our righteous Saviour’. In any case, he will be very different from the ones who had led the people earlier and either neglected them or led them astray. The shepherd whom God himself was to appoint would be caring and just, and lead the people – like sheep – to safe watering places. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see Jesus in this role. We certainly see him do what is necessary: healing the sick and feeding and teaching them, even if it did exhaust him too. What, then, does it all mean?The final passage of Mark 6, and the end of today’s reading, summarises it nicely: that Jesus’ ministry and the response it received is widening. There were even those who got healed by touching Jesus’ cloak, as he went through towns and villages where the sick were laid in the marketplaces. This added to the number of Jesus’ followers, but also brought the resentment of the religious leaders to a new level. But Jesus does not hold back; his compassion and his love went together, in order to bring in God’s kingdom. The world was in a bad place – it needed saving. Jesus did not just perform miracles in order to show how powerful he was; although we should not underestimate the power of God in Jesus. He was not a show-off entertainer either. It was all about his love and compassion, and the inauguration of a new era, of the Kingdom of God breaking in and giving the people the hope that they so desperately needed. Nobody else could give them that hope; the hope of forgiveness, of a restored relationship with God and with their neighbour; the hope of peace. Yes, in history, and even today, there are many who try to make the world a better place and they are commended for it. Some do it as a result of their faith; others have a different motivation. And we also have a duty to do our best for those in need. But ultimate inner peace and restoration can only be found through God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, and his righteousness. He was to fight in the struggle against the forces of evil and win the victory through his obedience. He is the Righteous Branch, the Shepherd who will lead his flock through the wilderness into the Promised Land of God’s peace. That is where our hope comes from; and that is the way we are called to follow. Amen.
Seventh Sunday after Trinity Mark 6:14-29 Ephesians 1:3-14What has it been said about an inheritance? It only comes to a person through the death of a testator. The words ‘Last Will and Testament’ refer to the document that is drawn up to declare how a person’s earthly goods are to be disposed of after their death. The words ‘will’ and ‘testament’ have other meanings too: ‘will’ referring to ‘desire’ and ‘testament’ to ‘covenant’. In biblical terms, then, we find God’s desire and his covenant with his people as primary definitions of these words.What’s in a word? Well, we have to use words in order to communicate. We speak and make our intentions and our thoughts and wishes known in conversation and through written sentences. It is not true that, in the common proverb, ‘sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words can never hurt me.’ Words can hurt, and tear a person down, as well as – thankfully – heal and build them up. The power of words is quite evident in the passage from Mark’s Gospel for today: John the Baptist was executed because of words, rashly spoken by king Herod, and other words, coming from his wife Herodias, through her daughter. John had got himself into trouble, because he had said to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.’ It all was a bit of a mess. Although Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, his rash promise turned the tables rather dramatically and John was executed. Paired with this story, we have the letter to the Ephesians, chapter 1. It begins with a greeting in the traditional style and then a prayer of thanksgiving by way of introduction. What follows resembles a homily about our adoption as children of God through Jesus Christ, ‘according to the good pleasure of God’s will’. It is through the obedience of Christ – even to death on a cross – that this has come about. For we have redemption ‘through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight, he has made known to us the mystery of his will.’ Jesus’ death happened as part of God’s plan of salvation for humankind, so that they can indeed obtain an inheritance; to the praise of his glory. The beheading of John the Baptist seems to be at odds with God’s meticulous planning of our redemption. It looks more like a casual, almost accidental event, as the result of some unfortunate mistake. But it also brings home to us the risk of speaking out against such things as immorality and selfishness. Let us not forget, though, that God speaks judgement over these things; he does vindicate his people, even if we don’t see it happen straight away. Within a decade, Herod had been banished and left to die disgraced. John the Baptist, however, had his story written up by Mark (and Matthew and Luke) and he is honoured as a strong and fearless witness to the Kingdom of God. Our inheritance, then, as followers of Christ and therefore children of God, is secure. As Ephesians 1:13-14 says, ‘In him – Christ – you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.’ Words have great power, especially when God speaks them, according to his will and testament. May we truly hear and rejoice. Amen.
Sixth Sunday after Trinity Mark 6:1-13 2 Corinthians 12:2-10A child was on stage; all dressed up for the performance. He did well, too, but occasionally, when there was an opportunity to do so, he would look for his Mum in the crowd and give her a wave, which she returned. It reminded me of my own experience of being in public, with my parents among the viewers. It’s interesting, how different we may feel when we perform in front of those who know us best; it can be more daunting, and we may be looking for reassurance from them.‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their hometown,’ says Jesus in Mark 6, as people took offense at him after he had been teaching in the synagogue in his hometown. It says that all who heard him were amazed: ‘Where did this man get all this?’, they asked. At the same time, however, they rejected his teaching, with no reason given other than the fact that they knew where he came from. Those who had known Jesus when he grew up, dismissed him. ‘And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.’ Mark records.This comes as the introduction to what happened next: Jesus went among the villages teaching. He began to send out the twelve disciples two by two. He gave them authority over unclean spirits and ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; no other provisions. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ What was their mission? To proclaim that all should repent, to cast out demons and cure the sick. In fact, it reflected the things that Jesus himself did, but that they could only do through his authority. They were building the renewal movement of the Kingdom of God that Jesus was proclaiming, expanding his mission with exorcisms and healing. The twelve disciples were in a sense a symbolic representation of the people of Israel. They were heralds of a new era, of the fulfilment of the prophecies of redemption. In a curious way, though, just like Jesus being rejected in his hometown and not being able to do deeds of power there, it is all connected to faith, to the extent in which people believe. The signs of the new Kingdom breaking in, were calling for a response. The first response was to repent; to accept the need for forgiveness for all the things that had gone wrong. God was calling the people back to himself, but they did need to hear. Jesus anticipated hostility; he warns the twelve that this might happen and tells them how to deal with it: to shake the dust off their feet as they leave. It’s a common thing: some people are finding it hard to change their ways; they prefer to remain sick rather than accept something new and life-giving. A new message, that is so urgent that the disciples are to rely on local hospitality and focus totally on the task at hand, that is also challenging, is not embraced wholeheartedly at the first announcement. The sending out of the Twelve as a symbolic act, was reminding the people of the old prophecies when the sick were being healed and proclaiming that the time had come for the renewal of the people. It was in preparation for God’s mighty act of salvation: the death and resurrection of Jesus. In a while, Jesus was getting ready for the next phase, that would bring him to the fulfilment of his work on earth. We are here because of it. Because God did not give up on us but chose to do the most painful work himself. Yet, it is through faith that our souls are healed and our sins forgiven. May we, then, respond by putting our trust in God and accept the life that he gives through his Son, Jesus. So that we may know not just where we come from but where we are going. Amen.
Fifth Sunday after Trinity Mark 5:21-end Lamentations 3-22-33‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.’ This statement in Lamentations 3: how is it helpful to you?Anybody who has ever suffered loss of any kind – and that is certainly everybody at some time – be it health, wealth or loved ones, will know something of what it means to be desperate. I’m sure we all try not to take the good things in life for granted, but we are never more reminded of them then when they are taken away. Where do you go when things are looking bad for you or a loved one? When we are confronted with illness, we turn to the medical profession, with hope if not always full confidence. And the outcome is not always the one we hope for.In Jesus’ day, the medical profession was quite different from the one we have today; obviously, they lacked knowledge and certain skills and instruments. So when Jesus came and performed healing miracles – including raising people from the dead – people were amazed but also beginning to put their hope in him as a healer of illnesses that were not curable. Sometimes, they would flock to Jesus in their droves, to see what he could do. In today’s passage from Mark’s Gospel, we meet two people who came to Jesus as their last resort. One is a woman who has been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse, it says. She had heard about Jesus and thought, if only I can touch his clothes, I will be made well. And it happens just as she has hoped. Although she has tried to do this unobserved, in the crowd that is pressing in on Jesus, he does notice power going out from him, and he asks for her to come forward. The disciples think it’s hilarious: how can he feel her touch among many in this crowd? But Jesus knows. The woman comes forward trembling and tells him the truth, and Jesus sends her on her way, commending her for her faith.This happens while Jesus is on his way to the home of Jairus, a synagogue leader, whose daughter is at the point of death, and who has begged Jesus, ‘Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ The incident of the woman touching Jesus’ clothes on the way means a delay, and Jairus is met by some people from his house, to tell him that it is too late: his daughter has died. This does not deter Jesus, however, who says to Jairus, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ And so it happens: Jesus goes to Jairus’ house and raises his daughter, who, as it says, is twelve years old. Now Jairus was a leader of the local synagogue, and as such might not always have been happy with Jesus’ ministry, as it was so new, so different and so strange. Religious leaders were still debating where it came from. But desperate times need desperate measures, and he throws caution to the wind and runs to Jesus for help. If anybody can, it is Jesus. These stories can be seen as symbolic of the renewal of Israel that Jesus is proclaiming through his ministry, and through Israel of the whole world. The two women are images of a restored reproduction; the twelve year old girl approaching marriage, and the woman’s suffering making her unclean. They, with all in their respective households, may well have been able to repeat those words from Lamentations, ‘The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.’ May we all be able to say them, fearful, yet believing and putting our trust in God; ‘casting all our anxiety on him, because he cares for us’ (1 Peter 5:7). Amen.
