Sermon for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
“Oh now don’t you worry about me!” says the little old lady struggling onto the bus, “I’ll manage!”
George looks at her as she struggles with bags that seem to contain the combined contents of Tescos, Wilkos, and a city’s worth of other “o”s. “Now should I help her, or not,” he thinks to himself. However, reaching out for a bag which seems to contain more cat food than a malamute could ever eat is met with a savage, “I said, I’ll manage!” George steps back confused at what has just happened. She said she didn’t want anyone to worry about her, and yet George does – it’s only natural, isn’t it? What is the old lady trying to prove?
[PAUSE]
St Paul seems to be the same: “I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you” – “don’t you worry about me.”
Why do people say that? Might this be a sort of “look how strong I really am and admire me?” situation? It could be that strange sort of self-pity that doesn’t want the pity of others to intrude upon it. Human beings are very complex creatures desiring what they cannot usually have and then grousing because they are given that very thing. Again, we find ourselves back to Our Lord’s words that our hearts are to be found where we value things most. Ironically, we tend to value that which doesn’t even exist or cannot possibly be. It is perfectly possible that we want to want other people’s pity but not actually want to receive their pity.
[PAUSE]
So does St Paul want our pity?
Not at all! Nor does he want to want our pity. Listen carefully!
I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
The tribulations that he is going through: the imprisonment, being beaten, having rocks thrown at him, being shipwrecked, and ultimately being beheaded by the Roman State, all of this is for our benefit!
Is he trying to be like Jesus?
Yes, he is! Not that St Paul will save us, and he knows that, but that he realises that what he is going through can actually work against the Devil’s plans and give us encouragement. The fact that he suffers so much serves as an example, not of someone to be pitied but of someone who knows that there is something worth suffering for and that he will go to extreme lengths to share it with us.
St Paul has yielded himself up to this world’s contempt of him because He knows that God is trustworthy and “able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” He wants us not to worry about him because he doesn’t want us to worry about the future, but rather embrace the truth which is “the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
[PAUSE]
This is what it means to be crucified with Christ that our sufferings can give encouragement to those who need it and bring them to the reality of Our Lord’s Passion and Death for us and through them to the glorious resurrection into His Eternal Life. This is the crucifixion that Our Lord offers us.
Do we accept that cross? Do we suffer so that others may find encouragement?
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2 comments:
An interesting example. Sometimes it is not unreasonable to want to keep as much independence as possible, especially when a helper is either incompetent or condescending. My experience in boats is that, unless you are really in trouble, it is best to avoid helpers who will get in the way, exert their own little power base by taking over completely rather than helping, and belittling the person who would appreciate help for something. So, we have to manage unless we are in real trouble or an emergency. Just a reflection...
An important point, Father! Sometimes the most damage is done by people who are actually incompetent to help. That calls for humility on both parts - the one to ask for help and the other to provide the help asked for if it is appropriate.
In school, we are never to promise confidentiality in matters of abuse even if that is what the child desperately wants. Indeed, the blundering of the Welfare Services may indeed cause more harm than good. There have been families torn apart by the heavy-handedness of social services. There have been suicides because social services did not recognise the level of the abuse. We have to balance these failures against those cases which were reported and lives saved.
The question always arises, "should I get involved?" To offer assistance is fraught with terrible possibilities. We have to trust God in our prayer to show us the best course of action because the best can only come from Him.
Of course there is the old joke about the man clinging to a fragment of driftwood in the ocean who refuses the help of helicopter, lifeboat, and yacht because he trusts God to save him from his predicament. As he drowns, the man asks God, "Lord! Why did you not save me?" and God says, "I tried! I sent you a helicopter, lifeboat and yacht."
Ultimately we have to find something that we can trust or we will shrivel up. That seems difficult in this day and age with so much that simply can no longer deserve our trust. Perhaps we need to learn how to trust again. Easier said than done!
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