Sermon
delivered at All Saints’ Parish Church, Winterslow, Wiltshire on Sunday 9
September 2018
James 2:1-10; 14-17; Mark 7:24-end
May
I speak in the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen
I love the Book of James in the New Testament. It appeals to me as a pragmatic learner –
someone who likes to be taught in a way which has clear practical value;
something which I can understand in the context of the world in which I live
and something which I can use, teach or share with others. We cannot be certain of whom the author is
but general consensus amongst theologians is that it was written by James, the
brother of Jesus.
James’s Epistle is full of clear practical advice written
in a no-nonsense way. Although regarded
as one of the seven “general” letters – so called because they are addressed to
several groups of Christians in the Greco-Roman world – it is more in the form
of an address than a letter and I think should be read as such. It is a short book and one I strongly
recommend you read in full.
In the passage read out to us this morning, James is at
great pains to point out the need to respect the poor and less well off. James
recognises that there is a natural human tendency to defer to social superiors
and despise those who are below us on the social scale. Whether we like it or not, this really does
exist and you will recall the story I told in my last sermon of the new rector
who arrived a week early at his new church dressed as a tramp and the natural
tendency to shun him. There is nothing
Christian about this – the right thing is to treat everyone with equal respect
– to love our neighbour as ourselves as God’s Commandment teaches us.
In this country, the divide between the “haves” and the
“have nots” seems to be widening and through Alabare I am seeing more and more
people on the streets. James’s words are as relevant today as they ever were
when he wrote them. James talks of the law that gives freedom in Verse 12
(which was not read out) reminding us that God’s law or judgment is
merciful. Mercy will always triumph over
judgment. To be judgmental without mercy is not to be like Christ.
Our reading moves on to the second of James’ pragmatic
messages – and a particularly favourite of mine – faith and deeds. Over the centuries this piece of scripture
has been used by the Church as a means of justifying faith by deeds or works
alone which is not what James’ is saying.
In the middle ages the church taught that by giving to the church, by
observing certain rules and regulations, by building magnificent holy shines
and buildings we could be saved. The scripture of James was often used upon
which to base this doctrine.
Paul clearly tells us that we are saved through Faith
alone – not deeds alone – and that is theologically correct. What James is actually saying though is that
if we are saved, if we have true faith then we should demonstrate that faith by
acting in accordance with the laws of God and teachings of Christ. That is a practical and demonstrable way of
showing our faith. Faith which simply
stops at words is not faith at all. It is not sufficient just to say “I believe
in God” as we do in reciting the Creed – although that is important; it is more
than a belief in God – even the Devil and demons believe in God. Therefore, in
simple terms, what James is saying is that if what you believe does not affect
the way you live, in what you do, in how you treat others it is a dead faith.
Jesus, in our Gospel reading meets a woman from another
culture. Jesus is in Gentile territory –
away from the culture in which he has been brought up. It seems from our
reading that Jesus has gone out of his way to come into this area and entering
the house of this Greek woman, born in Syro-Phoenica, that is in the area of
Syria and Lebanon today which to the north of present day Israel, he wants to
keep this a secret. The woman’s daughter is possessed of demons we read yet she
had heard of Jesus’s power of healing and driving out demons and comes to him
professing faith. Jesus tests her faith
– he says that first the children should be fed before any spare bread is
tossed to the dogs. He is alluding here to that human tendency of a hierarchy –
determining who should be fed first. The
woman sees this as a response to the need to feed those who profess belief –
the Jews, above herself and her kind for she says “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs”. In
other words everyone should receive something of the bread available.
At this Jesus sees in this woman a person who has shown
her faith by a true belief that Jesus has come for everybody – to share the
living bread – himself – with everybody irrespective of race, creed, colour
provided they show faith in Him.
This is a very important piece of the gospel for it
clearly shows that Jesus came for all.
That all who believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Likewise, in the same passage, Jesus returns to his home
territory of Galilee where he heals a deaf and mute man. There is a distinct
contrast between the way in which he heals this man’s afflictions and those of
the Greek woman’s daughter. In the latter we read that Jesus didn’t even see
the daughter. It wasn’t until her mother
returned home that she discovered that the demons had left her little girl. In
the case of the deaf and mute man, Jesus actually touches the man on those
parts of his body requiring healing – fingers in the ears and, disgusting as it
sounds, spitting on the man’s tongue. Jesus needed to demonstrate an actual act
in order to perform healing – but not so with the Greek woman’s daughter.
I think this tells us that if our faith is strong enough
and we pray enough, nothing is impossible and that the word of God can reach
all through the power of the Spirit.
The Greek woman said that even the crumbs of bread under
the table are available for the dogs – meaning the lowest in our society. In a world where there are “haves” and
“have-nots” we seated here in church this morning cannot deny that in a global
context we are the “haves”. We pray
every day for God to give us our daily bread – and we do indeed receive
it. I invite us today, to think about
with whom we will share not the crumbs but a slice of our daily loaf. As you came in this morning you were given a
small picture of a sliced loaf.
Between the end of this talk and the end of the
Intercessions I would like you to think about how and with whom you will share
your loaf this week. It can take many
forms – perhaps buy a coffee for a friend at work or perhaps a random stranger
in the coffee shop, visit a friend you’ve been meaning to see for some time,
ring or email a relative you’ve been meaning to do, invite somebody to church
next week, perhaps to pray for somebody who hasn’t been very nice to you.
Anything at all to remind yourself that being a Christian is more than just
saying the right things, it is doing and acting in the Spirit of God.
At the end of the Intercessions please come up if you wish
and place your bread in the bread basket. At the end of the service you can
retrieve them and take them home to remind you of your pledge.
Let us pray
PAUSE FOR SILENCE
Lord God,
You sent your only Son into the world not to condemn it
but that we may have everlasting life
Help us to always do the right thing so that by our
actions we may show the world that we are your children and may bring others to
salvation by showing our faith through our good works.
Amen
MFB/06092018
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