Sermon for the third Sunday before Advent

Sunday 6th November 2005

Preached by Mervyn Kingston

The true story is told by the Rev. A B, a retired minister now living in
Dublin, who worked in China in X Y in 1948. When the Communists came to the
village, the Chinese Christians fled, however one Chinese pastor came back
to make sure that the European missionaries were alright. On his way back
he was shot and injured by the Japanese. He was then arrested by the
Communists and imprisoned. He was later asked by them to denounce the
missionaries as "western imperialists". He refused to do this, and as a
result he was executed for his faith by the new authorities.

I find this a very moving and challenging story, in contrast to what passes
for being important in the life of many of our parishes.

The three dominant words in our Gospel reading today are choice, friendship
and love. What that Chinese pastor put first, before his personal safety,
and paid for with his life.

Listen to what Jesus says to his disciples.
First, Jesus said, "I chose you and appointed you." The doctrine of divine
election runs through the Bible and, even though it has been misunderstood
and misused, it reminds us of an important truth. It is God who takes the
initiative, not us - ours is the response. When the people of Israel were
chosen to be God's people it wasn't to give them special privileges or
social advantages over others. Rather it was being chosen for a task - to
be a light to the nations - to share the news of God with others. Here,
Jesus says "I chose and appointed you" - the two go together. Disciples are
chosen from the world to be his, and sent back into the world to announce
his kingdom. This stops this divine election being a way of excluding
others. They are chosen not for privilege but for responsibility.

Secondly Jesus said, "You are my friends not servants." The disciples are
referred to as servants two chapters earlier - now he promotes them They
are his friends. The change of title doesn't excuse them from obedience,
but it brings a difference to the kind of obedience. A slave or servant
obeys his master without knowing the reason for his master's command. Those
serving in the armed forces are taught to obey orders, not to question
them. But the obedience of a friend is different. It includes
understanding. Our Lord took his close followers into his confidence. Mark
distinguishes between the crowd and his close disciples. Of the crowd, he
says "he told them as much as they could understand. He would not speak to
them without using parables, but when he was alone with his disciples, he
would explain everything to them."

Thirdly Jesus said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved
you." It's surprising to discover how few commands were actually given by
Jesus. So much of his teaching is in the form of questions or stories, and
very little in the form of orders. The exception is the command to love.
Here he is quite specific - to love as he loves - to produce a quality like
his. This is to be the distinctive mark of his disciples.

We can notice how today's gospel passage is wrapped in love. Verse 12 and
verse 16 express it all: "My command is this: love each other. This is my
command love each other." just in this way is the whole of Christ's
ministry wrapped in a quality of love unique in the world.

We are chosen to serve as his friends and commanded to love one another, as
Christ loves us. "See how these Christians love one another" may often be
used in justifiable criticism. May our lives as Christ's chosen friends,
like that of the unknown Chinese pastor, prompt the same words in sincere
admiration, for such love bears fruit - fruit that will last.