Sermon - Trinity 16

We heard a wonderful part of the letter of James this morning, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom”

The author of the book identifies himself as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”, from the third century some authors suggested he was “James the Just” first Bishop of Jerusalem.^[8] 

Paul describes him as "the brother of the Lord" in Galatians 1:19 and as one of the three "pillars of the Church".

He is traditionally considered the first of the Seventy Disciples.  If written by James the Just, the place and time of the writing of the epistle would be Jerusalem, where James was living before he was executed in 62AD.  

I mentioned a few weeks ago that the letter has been the subject of great controversy, the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther said it was “not the work of an apostle” because it contradicted his translation of St. Paul, who says that we can be justified by faith alone.

I don’t know why Martin Luther was all upset about the Letter of James though, I am sure if he had just chilled out a little and read it with a more open mind, then he would have seen some wisdom that was well worth leaving it in the Bible.

James writes;

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it”.

Then, on power he writes;

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”

And even though Luther wasn’t fussy on James, I for one am glad he wrote it – most importantly because all his talk about power in the church helps my sermon this morning.

In the Gospel this morning we catch up with the lads, they are walking though Galilee and Jesus was teaching them about how the Son of Man was going to be betrayed, and be killed, and then on the third day rise; but that the disciples did not

understand what he meant, after Peter being told off in last week’s Gospel I think they were a bit scared to ask.

Instead, they were arguing, and we hear that when they arrived at Capernaum

Jesus asked them about it, saying:

"What were you arguing about on the road"?

But the disciples were silent because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest among them.

A daft argument really

-  How on earth do you get into an argument about whose the greatest?

I mean imagine it - trying to decide who is more important...

What measuring stick would we use?

Those who farm - are they the greatest

     - because they produce the milk and food we need to eat?

Are the teachers among us the most important

     - because they train people in the various jobs they must do and provide them with the tools they need to learn new things with?

Or is it doctors

     - because without them we could live shorter and uncomfortable lives?

Or how about rugby players

     - for without them we have only have football to watch?

Or even inventors – because without them we would never have the toaster or the automatic pencil sharpener

It is an endless argument once you get into it, and one the disciples did well to remain silent about when confronted by Jesus.

Why the quest to determine who is the most important? 

Why this quest to be number one?

As soon as they started the argument, it was all going to end in tears.  They are walking and following the Son of God who loves all the ‘lifting up the lowly and bringing down the mighty’, it’s part of his manifesto.

Jesus speaks of a different way of living and of thinking when after asking his disciples about what they were arguing about, calls all twelve of them together and says to them:

          "If anyone  wants to be first, he must be the very

          last, and the servant of all."

And then taking a little child and having him stand among them,

he takes the child in his arms and says to  them:

          Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my

          name, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, does not

          welcome me, but the one who sent me.

I have always liked that image.

Jesus calls the twelve - and he calls us - away from our arguments about who is greatest, and who deserves more, and who should call the shots and turns our mind instead to the question of our attitude and how willing we are to humble ourselves and to serve one another.

Children then and now weren’t seen as the ‘greatest members of society’; in Jesus’ time they were expected to be obedient, work and earn a living for their family.

Jesus is saying that life in the Kingdom of God is not about being the greatest, or the first... but rather about seeing other people in a way that ignores all distinctions.

It’s so hard to have that attitude.

There is poem about the attitude that Jesus expects his followers to have.  It goes like this:

When I say..."I am a Christian"

 I'm not shouting "I am saved"

 I'm whispering "I was lost"

 That is why I chose this way.

     

When I say ..."I am a Christian"

I don't speak of this with pride.

 I'm confessing that I stumble

 and need someone to be my guide.

              

 When I say..."I am a Christian"

 I'm not trying to be strong

 I'm professing that I'm weak

 and pray for strength to carry on.

It continues like this for several more verses…

A friend recently said to me that he was surprised how much he had learned in his lifetime, however he said “it’s the important things I keep forgetting” he then went on to tell me that;

He would like to feel more at peace,

He would like to have more happiness,

He would like to think more clearly about the world's problems

He blames the world, and the way in which success is measured, for his forgetfulness, but that isn’t the problem.  We can be as kind as we like, but we won’t succeed until we give up the world's standards of success - measured by power, status, and money - and turn as humble children to our God and learn from him;

·    As long as we discriminate

·    As long as we judge some more important than others,

·    As long as we desire to be more important ourselves. 

·    As long as we, to use the words of James in today’s reading, envy others and have selfish ambitions, we block out what God has in store for us, and our world.

Jesus, after all, came among us not as a Lord, not as a boss, not as an important person but as servant.

He came to touch, to embrace, to heal, to forgive, to help, to love, and this even when he knew it would take him to the cross.

Our prayer should not be "make me someone important",

nor should it be "give me wealth and success".

Our prayer should be like that of St. Francis. That we sometimes set to music…..

Make me a channel of your peace.  Where there is hatred, let me bring your love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.  In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.