Sermon for the 13th Sunday after Trinity

Sunday 21st August

Preached by Rev Brian Parker

Discovery

We’re just back from France after a lovely holiday with the family, including Miriam, our five-year-old granddaughter. As far as she was concerned it was a time of discovery.

“Come and watch,” she said. “I can swim”.

And I discovered something else about her. She is a very slick card player. ‘Donkey’, ‘Snap’, ‘Happy Families’ – “Let’s play cards,” she said. I did and lost every time. Then I discovered she had marked the cards!

You can discover a lot about people on holiday, in business, in playing golf, in conversation, in books, in taking off in a space shuttle named ‘Discovery’.

It’s been said that it is better to discover things than to be told things.

“Fire burns”. Well hopefully that’s discovered not too painfully.

“Computers overload”. Once it happens will you ever forget the hassle?

“I can swim”. Yes, there’s also joy in discovery.

When Jesus brought his disciples to Caesarea Philippi he was bringing them on a journey of discovery. They had to discover the truth of who he was and the nature of his mission on earth.

Jesus knew people had all sorts of ideas of who he was. Some ideas were close to the truth, some wide of the mark.

And significantly Jesus encouraged them to collect their thoughts and to look at all the ideas about him that were circulating among the people.

He led the discussion around what other people were thinking. Then it happened.

What we call the “Aha” moment in discovery.

Jesus asks them directly. “What about you? Who do you say that I am?”

The penny drops. Simon the fisherman comes out with it. “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

At that moment of discovery his life changed forever. It was the point when everything fell into place.
Of course it would not be plain sailing. The doubts and the cowardice and the fear would make him stumble in his faith. Nevertheless the truth was etched in his heart. That “aha” moment would never leave him.

And at this point of discovery in the Gospel story, “Church” is mentioned for the first time.

Simon Peter and the other apostles become aware that their thinking about a kingdom with a king on a throne misses the point of the Gospel.

Jesus is talking about a community, a society that would stand against all kinds of evil attacks from outside and within.

It is to be a kingdom of love and justice and peace in the hearts and minds of all faithful people; a stronghold of faith that will be constantly renewed and revived; a spiritual truth that will touch both heaven and earth.

What a discovery. It is a revelation made all the more vivid and challenging when we realise where Jesus had brought them.

“Who do you say I am?” He poses the question in a place of many religious associations.

Caesarea – ‘Caesar’s town’. ‘Philippi’ – named by Philip, Herod’s son, in honour of Caesar.
It was an area scattered with temples linked to Baal worship and other Syrian gods.

It was near the great cavern reputedly the birthplace of Pan, the god of nature.

The source of the Jordan River was there too with all its associations with the faith of Judaism.

And there was the Great Temple of white marble built by Herod the Great and dedicated to Caesar. This focus of Caesar worship dominated the landscape.

It was a threatening place is so many ways. And in this atmosphere twelve ordinary men stand around Jesus as he helps them discover the truth of God.

It seems Jesus deliberately set himself against this background of world religions and superstitions as he put the question: “Who do you say that I am?”

“The Son of God”.

The Apostle’s confession is the foundation of the Church. It signals the start of a new mission and witness by the people of God.

People now charged with responsibilities and given direction; equals, with each member doing his or her duty and service.

This very personal discovery begins with the personal, direct question “You – what do you think of me?”

In these days of mass communications and media influences the landscape of secular values and ‘party’ divisions can be overwhelming.

There are plenty of idols to pick and choose from and there are many dogmas and factions fastened to certainties that claim to give our lives meaning and excitement.

Such is life. It has ever been so.

At Caesarea Philippi the symbols of such values and dogmatic cults were stark and plain.

The prophets had wrestled with them. In the process they had questioned things and at great personal cost denounced what was false. They had learned of God. They said: “Our help is in the name of the Lord”.

At times their experience had ‘made their lives bitter.” Many times they lost their way, made mistakes and found themselves in the darkness of despair and failure.

But God was ever faithful. The people discovered that their help was in God and in their traditions they found a steadying influence. They were told to ‘look to the rock from which you were cut” and the promise was sure, “ my righteousness will never fail”.

Today in Christian service and in the family of Christ’s Church we inherit that precious legacy of faith and hope.

We must continue to ask questions. We must work out our faith. We must grow to understand our identity as members of Christ’s Body. We must seek to find and discover God’s truth.

In that journey there will be regrets and sadnesses, divisions and breakdowns in trust. These things will frustrate the discovery of the Gospel.

Yet Jesus promises joy in the loving harmony of the Church, in the unity of the Spirit, in the life and witness of all faithful people.

We can swim - by the grace of God. We can be instruments for good and justice in the world. We can find healing and reconciliation. We can discover Christ.

When a young child started digging in the garden he struck a rock. He tried to roll it away but it wouldn’t budge. Finally he burst into tears of frustration.

All this time his father watched from the living room. As the tears flowed he went out to his son.

He said: “Why didn’t you use all your strength?”

“But I did Dad. I used all the strength I had.”

“No son”, corrected the father. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me to help”.

In our journey of spiritual discovery we need God’s help. In all our questioning we pray for God’s guidance. In all our searching we are encouraged by each other and by the good example of those who have gone before.

So we pray:

Help us O God to discover the way of your truth.

Lead us by the light of Christ, in our fellowship and in our manner of living.

Help us to minister with kindness and mercy, to serve with courage and vision and to be faithful members of your Church.


Amen