"We are called to obedience, not to triumphalism"

Talked again today, this time at the earlier service. Technically this was a "last minute preaching slot" (though actually I knew about it more than a month in advance): I stood in for Catherine, since she was away in Barcelona for a weekend with son number one. I recommend this newly established tradition, by the way: as children reach the age of independence so they take their mother off on some exotic trip. Daughter number one took Catherine to Krakow last August. I await with interest the destinations to be chosen by son number two and by daughter number two in due course.
Meanwhile Olivia audited the talk. She was kind in her comments afterwards, so here it is ...

HTC 0930, 12 December 2010

Matthew 11:2-11 (and Isaiah 35:1-10)

Three main characters play their parts in our Gospel story today. There is Jesus, of course; there is also John the Baptist, in jail for speaking God's truth to power, for calling a spade a spade. And there is a more shadowy figure, not nearly as significant as he might think, but present nonetheless.

Let us take up the tale from the start of verse 2.

1: Consider John the Baptist, thrown into prison for his blunt descriptions of the dodgy legality of the sexual entanglements and complications of the Galilean royal family. John would know that he was no longer a good prospect for a life-insurance policy. The monster Herod the Great was now dead and buried, but had left a son who was a ruthless ruler, for whom the death of a prophet would be no great matter. John's popularity with the people would protect him for a short while, but people soon forget …

So here is John, in prison, afraid, lonely, perhaps cold, hungry, tired. John knows he has fulfilled his purpose by baptizing Jesus. John has commissioned Jesus as Messiah; probably he expected an Elijah figure, a super-prophet, one who would burn up corrupt rulers and cruel empires with unquenchable fire (Mt. 3:11-12). John will be ready to die now, his task complete. And yet … isolated in his prison-cell, he hears disturbing questions. When will Jesus make his move? Why is Jesus mixing with tax-collectors and sinners? Not what would be expected of a super-prophet. So John sends his messengers to Jesus, and their message is pathetic and reproachful in equal measure (verse 2). “Have we got it all wrong?” John asks, “Should we give up on you?”

Similar feelings are no strangers to us today. “O Lord,” we cry, “When will you confound these mocking sceptics? When will you pour out the fire of revival on Your people?” Being a Christian today can be like supporting your football team when times are hard; church leaders opening their mouths only neatly to insert both left feet (none of this in Coventry right now, I hasten to add!); bishops scoring own-goals; the Anglican church appearing to strain every sinew, to spare no effort, to leave no stone unturned, simply to re-enact absurd caricatures of Christian obsessions on a 24/7 basis. And always there looms an overwhelming avalanche of human need and crisis. It is absolutely right to want our Lord to return, to make all things new, to rescue his people and His creation. But what do we do while we wait?

2: Read Jesus' reply to His lonely, anxious, imprisoned colleague. It's a two-parter. In verses 4-6 Jesus says, in effect, stop looking for what you expect to see, and start looking for what is there plainly in full sight. Look at the evidence. No, Jesus is not going to make the super-prophet move. No unquenchable fire of righteous fury, not yet. Instead – He's actually quoting the Bible here to make it quite plain – He's going to do the thing about bringing good news and salvation, not Elijah but Isaiah 35. Moreover, this isn't just talk; He's doing it right out in full sight of everyone. John's messengers are urged to report back the actual evidence, the practical and physical signs that Jesus is fulfilling the Messianic mandate not by bringing judgement but by bringing mercy.

This is not a one-off. The strand of rescue winds all through Jesus' ministry. He says much the same to His disciples on Ascension Day (Acts 1:7-8). Judgement is deferred – for now – and today is the Day of Mercy. What's more, Jesus says to us, He's sharing the task with us. We are to go in His name. We are to proclaim the Day of the Lord's favour. We are to give practical help: to stand with the lonely, to explain to the confused, to treat people as hugely valuable to their Creator God. We won't see 100% success – some days we'll rejoice over just one in a hundred – but our Lord Himself didn't see 100% success so why should we? We are called to obedience, not to triumphalism.

3: So who's the third character? Well, Jesus and John know only too well that they are moving and speaking and acting in the real world, within which there can be real and irreversible consequences. Powerful and ruthless men can act suddenly and arbitrarily, and can bring everything to ruin. So Jesus chooses His words with some care in the second part of His message to John (verses 7-11). Just as John's messengers are about to start back, Jesus gives them something intensely political, something that will reassure John hugely, and yet is concealed in a kind of code. The “reed swayed by the wind” (verse 7) is the image on King Herod's coins. Herod thinks he rules everything from his fine palace in all his soft clothes (verse 8). But what really counts is John the prophet, who truly is the forerunner to Jesus the true Messiah, the real king, Jesus who brings justice and mercy and healing instead of fire and swords and brutality. Herod may think he is in charge, and Jesus and John may choose their words with care to avoid Herod's interference, but ultimately Herod is nothing, of no account, utterly of no significance whatsoever compared with the Kingdom of Heaven (verse 11).

That is what it means to fear the Lord. If Jesus is Lord of all then this gives us strength to stand up to bullies, because we know we serve One who is unimaginably greater. We won't do this imprudently, we won't do it carelessly, we'll plan, we'll be wise like serpents as well as innocent like doves, but we'll be ready to stand at the right time because we serve the Creator Lord of the Universe, prudently, carefully, wisely, bravely.

This speaks to us today as we face difficult times. We know that He who is with us is greater than any possible opposition, so we are full of hope for what our Lord will make of our lives. But we also know that our Creator God is Lord of the ballot box, Lord of the spreadsheet, Lord of the realistic and common sense business plan. So we won't be frightened of such practical topics. We won't be obsessed by them, but neither will we run away from the realities they present.

So I'll now suggest three options for how this passage might work itself out in practice. Our Lord is Lord of the ballot box, the spreadsheet, and practical planning, so here is one for each of these.

• Ballot box. On the 20^th March 2011 we need to elect around five representatives for our PCC, and 2 new church wardens. We – all of us – need good people in these posts, full of the Spirit and wisdom. As part of the PCC they will have real authority to make decisions for us all. What they think will matter. As anyone who's been on the PCC will tell you, individually they won't get their own way on everything but they'll be there to discuss, to advise, to persuade, and ultimately to vote. So why not aim, before Christmas, first to pray about who might be good for this, and second to have two definite conversations with friends about whom you all think might be strong choices for these posts. And take it from there; see where the Lord leads you as you pray and discuss and think.
• Spreadsheet. You'll have seen from the monthly update, we face a challenging financial year! That's as true for HTC as it is for many of us. I'm not sure that as a community we find it as easy as we should to talk about money – or maybe that's just me. But if you too find it hard to talk about money – not just church giving but also where to shop well, or how to keep to a household budget, then why not aim, before Christmas, first to bring it specifically to God in prayer, and then to have a relaxed conversation with a friend whom you trust, to see if you can share together some useful tips. Who knows where the Lord might lead you as you pray and discuss and think?
• Practical planning. Most of us have things we'd like to see happening – whether it's to do with children's work at church, or making opportunities to be with good friends, or simply having more time to be together as a family. Why not aim, before Christmas, first to bring this specifically to God in prayer, and then to have a relaxed conversation with friends or family who might want to be involved. Who knows where the Lord might lead you as you pray and discuss and think?

I've tried to be very specific and practical here, because I am very struck by how practical and specific Jesus was when He replied to John the Baptist. The example set to us by our Lord is of rejoicing in our loving Creator God, not letting practical issues get between us and our Maker, but being aware that our God is a very down-to-earth practical common-sense Creator, who loves to help us make the most of His Creation.

Amen