Sermon - The Forth Sunday after Trinity

Readings

2 Samuel 5.1-5, 9-10

Psalm 48

2 Corinthians 12. 2-10

Mark 6.1-13

(also Mr. I for mad ideas)

Yesterday, we went to visit my Mum and Dad. We went to the local park where I had played as a child, and I had one of those ‘retrospective’ moments. Sat there thinking about the people I went to school with, and what exactly happened to the class. Although I know well enough that most have emigrated, gone to prison or died.

I thought then about the mad things I used to do, the people I started work with, and dozens of friends that I have had and lost over the years, through growing up, falling out, moving, negligence or boredom. I wondered what they would say if they could see me now.

Would they be surprised? Would they be impressed? Would they be shocked? Well, a few years ago in my last parish I bumped into someone doing ‘Community Service’ at the church. I am not sure who was most surprised. I think it was him. The look on his face was of shock and confusion!

The strange thing is that in the Gospel reading this morning, I find myself a little shocked too. Jesus has returned to Nazareth after a tour, with His disciples. Perhaps on the journey he had told them “It’s going to be great”, “I have so many friends”, perhaps he had said nothing. They arrive in the town of probably no more than 500 people, and they reject Him.

In such a small town I am sure that in the years he was growing up Jesus must have known everybody there. We only have an account of the one incident of His youth, when he was twelve and stayed in the synagogue, losing His parents. Perhaps He had a particularly uneventful youth, just hanging around being ordinary, having friends and all that.

I said I am shocked, because it is clear that Jesus is shocked. It says in the Gospel that Jesus was “amazed at their unbelief”. I wouldn’t have been amazed, local boy made good this isn’t. Jesus has upset almost every person in authority, and he is being followed around by fans and enemies alike, trying to catch Him out.

It was a fair bet that they would have reacted like that wasn’t it? In this small town why should anything interesting happen? And even though the people might not have remembered much about Jesus they must have thought, “HE couldn’t be who he said He is. He MUST be just stirring up trouble and we don’t want that here.”

On the Sabbath, Jesus went to the centre of the community, the Synagogue and started to teach.

The people said (in this translation) “Where did he get all this?” What a question? “Is this not the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not His sisters here with us”…why aren’t they doing anything to stop Him. He was ok when he was growing up, all that travelling and walking in the midday sun must have done something to Him.

Perhaps that is what the people thought when He began to speak, they were defensive, perhaps he was challenging their beliefs, their faith, their relationship with God – and they didn’t want to hear.

I suppose with the benefit of hindsight many of them later might have said what a great opportunity they missed, and how they could have changed their lives, if only they hadn’t closed their hearts, if only they had listened to Him, if only…they hadn’t driven Him away.

Jesus delivers His message and goes for good. The disciples are called, and He sends them out into the world – ordering them to take the bare essentials and telling them to not stay where they are not welcome, and “as you leave, shake of the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them”.

Is this another example of the Human Christ, being hurt by the rejection of His own people, turning His face to the world and moving on? Is this what we do when we are determined not to be hurt again? I think it is…..

The strange thing in the readings this morning is that Jesus is being rejected, and that in the letter to the Corinthians, Paul is being sought for his advice and wisdom. The Son of God with all the miracles is sidelined when the former murderer and persecutor of Christians is being put on the top of the bill.

Paul had helped to plant a Church which looked to him for leadership – but that leadership was sometimes challenged, sometimes questioned – Paul had moved on and others had probably taken positions of leadership, but there was still some authority in his opinion, but as he wrote he avoided the temptation to remind people of how important his opinion was, instead he talked of boasting of his weaknesses, for it was in times of weakness that he most recognised the need for God.

As we look back now it’s quite easy to see that those people made the wrong decisions – as Paul himself suggested it was Jesus that should be the one people trusted, and not him,

I wonder if sometimes we don’t fall into the same trap. Like the people of Nazareth are we not sometimes slow to open up our hearts and minds to the fact that it is our faith that should drive our actions - and like the Corinthians, do we often not just seek ideas from other people, people who may be good and clever people, but people who are not like Jesus.