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Trinity X (19th of Year A): Fear, Trusting Jesus & Walking on Water

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.’”

“Ond ar unwaith siaradodd Iesu â hwy. ‘Codwch eich calon,’ meddai, ‘myfi yw; peidiwch ag ofni.’” (Mt 14:27)

ONE DAY WHEN I was about seven years old, I was spending the day in Cardiff with my parents. As we walked past Cardiff Castle it was clear that there was some sort of military display going on. A Parachute training tower had been erected next to the battlements. People were being strapped into a harness, attached to a rope, and jumping from the battlements into the arms of a burly Sergeant Major of the Parachute Regiment. Being a young boy I was extremely keen to do this. It looked like great fun! My parents were considerably more afraid than I was, but thankfully let me go ahead. I trusted the military hardware, sauntered up to the battlements, jumped off into the air, and was caught by the NCO. I suspect that now I would probably share my parents’ fears, but at the time my yearning for adventure overcame my fear. 

Fear is a natural emotion. We are hard-wired to feel it. Fear keeps us safe, warning us about potential dangers. However, while a small amount is healthy, too much can easily paralyse us. Today’s Old Testament Reading depicts an encounter between the prophet Elijah and God. Elijah is instructed to come out of his cave and stand before the Lord. However, God is not in the wind, the earthquake or the fire, instead:

‘after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.’ (1Kings 19:13)

God visits Elijah in the still, small voice. God does not shout, He whispers. God is gentle. To quote the prophet Isaiah:

‘He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench’ (Isa 42:2-3)

The gentleness of God looks forward to Jesus Christ, our gentle Saviour. Archbishop Michael Ramsay put it well when he said, ‘God is Christlike, and in him is no un-Christlikeness at all’.1 When we see Jesus, we see God; when we hear Him speak, we hear the voice of God. We can know who God is — the Creator and Redeemer of the universe — through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Today’s Gospel begins with the aftermath of a miraculous feeding of more than five thousand people. Our Lord tells His disciples to cross over the Sea of Galilee while he dismisses the crowds. Having done this, Jesus takes the opportunity to spend time alone in prayer. Christ understands the need for a balance between work and rest. Our Lord’s ministry is possible because of His intimate relationship with God the Father, maintained through prayer. Jesus is the example we all need to follow where our spiritual life is concerned. 

Then, around 3 o’clock in the morning, Jesus makes his way across to the disciples: 

And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” (Mt 14:25-27)

We would all share the disciples’ surprise and fear at the sight of someone walking on water towards us, especially in the middle of the night! Jesus encourages the disciples, who have been having an extremely difficult crossing. The wind is against them, so they are having to row the boat across the Sea of Galilee:

‘the boat by this time was a long way from the land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them’ (Mt 14:24)

Even for professional fisherman who lived and worked on the water, this is hard work. The disciples have been struggling to cross the lake, and then they are faced with terrifying sight. It is dark and they are tired, and scared! So Our Lord encourages His followers. This provokes a response from Peter:

And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. (Mt 14:28-29)

Jesus speaks a single word to Peter, ‘Come’. He also speaks this same word to each and every one of us as Christians. Christ wants us to come, to follow Him, to be close to Him, to live out our faith in our lives strengthened by prayer. Will we trust Jesus enough to follow Him? Peter has faith, he trusts Our Lord, and so he steps out of the boat and comes to Him. However, Peter becomes distracted, and things start to go wrong:

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:30-31)

When Peter’s fear displaces his faith he begins to sink. On the other hand, when he trusts Jesus to save him, all is well. This is, however, not the end of the night’s events.

And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Mt 14:32-33)

Jesus brings peace, and calms the storm, so that the disciples can cross the lake safely. Afterwards, they worship Him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ The climax of these events is worship. This is what we, as humans and as Christians, are made for. We are called to worship God, by our love and by our prayer, so that all of our lives become an act of worship, which draws us ever closer to the source of life and love.

Jesus brings peace to our troubled lives by His offering of Himself on the Cross. We worship Him as the one who can bring hope and healing to our lives. Christ saves each and every one of us, taking the sin of the world upon Himself so that we might be freed from fear and death. That same sacrifice will be made present here today when we, the people of God, are fed by God, with His Body and Blood. We are strengthened and brought close to Our Lord. His is the still small voice which speaks of peace, for our hearts and our world.

So, my brothers and sisters in Christ, let us learn to trust Our Lord above all else, and be living witnesses to His Kingdom. Let us love our Lord, and encourage others to do the same, so that they too may worship Him, and sing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

  1. A.M.Ramsay, God, Christ & the World: A Study in Contemporary Theology, London 1969, p. 98 ↩︎

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Trinity III: Do not be afraid!

‘Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows’

‘Peidiwch ag ofni felly; yr ydych chwi’n werth mwy na llawer o adar y to’ (Mt 10:31)

AT the moment, whenever we turn on our television, or radio, look at the Internet, or open our newspaper there seems to be a new thing to be afraid of. As well as war, disease, extreme weather, economic turmoil, and environmental destruction, we now have Artificial Intelligence (AI) to worry about. People living two thousand years ago must also have had many worries because Our Lord’s most repeated command is, ‘Paid ag ofni’ ‘Do not be afraid’. At its heart, Christianity is a religion which seeks to release people from fear. Anxiety and Fear can easily control us, profoundly affecting how we think and act. Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom seeks to free people from fear, enabling faith in God. More than anything else in the Bible, God tells His people not to be afraid. This is because fear is such a common and powerful human emotion. If left unchecked it can quickly turn into paralysing anxiety. Fear can, and does, stop us doing things. The fact that God calls us not to be afraid is rooted in the fact that we can trust Him. As Christians, we know that whatever happens, our hope and our identity is found in God.

In our first reading today we learn that despite the threat of imminent persecution, the prophet Jeremiah remains unwavering in his faith in God:

‘For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hand of evildoers.’ (Jer 20:13)

Jeremiah puts his trust in a God who will both vindicate him against his many enemies, and also keep him safe. This will be demonstrated most fully on the Cross on Good Friday and the empty tomb on Easter Sunday. It is this realisation which also underlies St Paul’s confidence in this morning’s epistle. 

Today’s Gospel is a speech of encouragement given by Jesus to the Twelve before they are sent out on mission to spread the Good News. Somewhat surprisingly, rather than offering encouragement for the present, Christ looks towards the future, to a time when the Church will face persecution.

Our Lord speaks of the future because God knows everything. Nothing is hidden from Him, and He, not humanity, is the ultimate judge. Christians are called to be open, to tell the truth with boldness, and without fear of consequence. We have a duty to say to the world, ‘You’re going the wrong way’, ‘Repent, turn around, and follow God’. Rather than being afraid of the consequences of following Christ, what matters is our ultimate destination. Do we want to be for and with Jesus, or against Him? It is a simple, stark choice. 

Our Lord then stresses humanity’s value in the eyes of God:

‘Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ (Mt 10: 29-31)

We are valued because each and every one of us is made in the image and likeness of God. Also, God loves us and wants to see us flourish in this life, and enjoy being close to Him in the next. We can trust Our Heavenly Father in the knowledge that the promises of this world are fleeting and of no real value. What Christ promises us is of God and will last forever. This is a glory which can never fade.

Jesus can make such promises because He is God, and because in His Passion He will face torture and death for love of us. Christ refers to God as ‘Our Father’ ‘Ein Tad’, which reminds us both of the Lord’s Prayer and the fact that Prayer is our greatest weapon against fear. Prayer deepens our relationship with God, and gives us the strength we need to live out our faith in our lives.

At the end of today’s Gospel passage, Jesus makes a promise:

‘So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.’ (Mt 10:32-33)

We acknowledge Christ in our baptism, and should continue to do so throughout our lives. To follow Jesus we need to die to sin, we need to turn away from all the selfishness which separates us from God, and from each other. Instead we are called to live out the radical love of the Kingdom: a love which forgives; a love which thinks of others before ourselves. This love is not something we should understand simply in individual terms; it affects us as a society. Each and every one of us needs to live lives that are not enslaved to sin. Instead we should live as slaves for Christ. His service is perfect freedom. It is freedom from the ways of the world, and freedom to live the new life of the Kingdom of God, here and now. 

We are called, as a Christian community, to live out our faith together. We are charged to pray for each other, and to support one another. We can rely on the help of God’s grace, that free gift, which we do not deserve, but which has the power to transform us, and conform us to the image of His Son.

For two thousand years the Church has been changing the world, one soul at a time, so that God’s will may be done, and His Kingdom may be formed here on earth, as it is in Heaven. Christians are radicals, and revolutionaries who believe that the Love of God can transform our Human nature. We believe that water, bread, and wine are the most powerful things we have. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they wash us clean, and feed us by becoming the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We must, therefore, not allow fear to take over our lives. Instead, we put our trust in the God who loves us, the God who saves us. Freed from fear, and rejoicing in the new life of the Kingdom, we proclaim His truth. We invite others to know Him, so that we all may believe and sing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

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Trinity VIII: Trust

These are certainly interesting times in which to live. But as Our Lord says in this morning’s Gospel, ‘Paid ag ofni’ ‘Do not be afraid’ (Lk 12:32) We can put our trust in one who will not abandon us, the God who loves us.

In this morning’s second reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, we hear words addressed to a community of believers facing persecution. They are tempted not to believe in Jesus, and instead to revert to their former Jewish faith. The author has explained that Christ is our great High Priest, and that His Sacrifice has atoned for our sins. In the passage we hear an overview of salvation history from the creation of the universe to the time of the patriarchs. Just as the people of Israel sought to return from their exile in Egypt, we too seek our eternal homeland: Heaven. We ‘desire a better country, that is a heavenly one’, and we trust that our real homeland is in Heaven with God. This is the end of our journey of faith; a better place, where the worries of this world are cast aside.

In today’s Gospel Jesus comforts his followers.We are reminded that the Church began small with only a few people. Two thousand years later it is a huge community. We may feel that we are only a tiny part of the whole, that we are not big enough, and that is ok. When the Church began it was fragile and faithful, a flock uncertain of what the future would hold. But God loved the early Christians, just as He loves us, and longs to see us flourish. God gives us the Kingdom, a realm where He is in charge, and we can live lives of freedom, love, and fulfilment. God’s kingdom is a place of generosity, where gifts are shared. It looks radically different to the world around us, where wealth, status, power, and possessions matter, and are seen to give people value. But these are, in Luke’s words, ‘purses that wear out.’ In the kingdom of God, on the other hand, all of humanity has infinite value and dignity. This is because we are all made in the image and likeness of God. This is what gives us value, and not any other reason. God pours out His Grace upon the church freely, out of love, so that humanity might flourish, and have life in all its fulness.

Christians have the sure hope of Heaven, of sharing in the divine nature, together, with the saints. To be united with love itself. The love that created all that is. The love which redeemed us through the Suffering, Death, and Resurrection of Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. That is why the second part of our Gospel reading this morning tells us to be prepared and ready for Our Lord’s Return.

Jesus, having ascended to the right hand of God the Father in Heaven, will return, as our Saviour and as Judge of all. Should we be afraid? Jesus tells us constantly not to be afraid. There is a choice for the hereafter: Heaven or Hell. It is up to us: what we believe and how we live our lives. The central message in the proclamation of the Kingdom is ‘Repent and Believe’. We can choose to turn away from sin, to turn to God, believe in Him, and live our lives accordingly. Or we can choose not to. We have a greater choice to make, which lasts for ever. Do we trust in a God who loves us so much that His Only Son died for us. Do we gather at this altar and receive the Eucharist so that we may be transformed by Him?

If we do these things, we open ourselves to living the Christian Life. The faith of our hearts affects who we are and what we do. We can be filled with joy as we await a judge who comes in mercy and love. The one who heals our wounds, and restores in us the image of the God who not only created us but all that exists. Our Christian faith leads us to action, which can transform the world around us, so that God’s kingdom becomes a reality, here and now. For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. What greater treasure is there than eternal life in Heaven with God? This is offered to us freely. Nothing this world proffers comes close. It is all fleeting: wealth, power, privilege, do not last. But we can trust in the eternal promise of a God who loves us, and we can be ready to greet Him, when he comes again. Through the power of Christ’s sacrificial Death we have the hope of Heaven and the assurance of sins forgiven. This is GOOD NEWS. It helps us see the vanity of the world for what it is.

We all need to be ready for Jesus, when He comes. We do not know when this will be, but we are told that it will be at a time when we do not expect. Also Jesus will not come as we might expect. Instead of appearing as a judge, as someone powerful, Jesus reconfigures our understanding of power and authority. Rather than being someone who expects to be served, Jesus will come again to continue to serve. God, the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer of all creation, will come and put on an apron and care for us. This image defies our expectation and understanding. It gives us a foretaste of the glory that is to come, where we will be transfigured like Our Lord, and experience the fulness of God’s kingdom.

However, for this to take place we need to be careful, and we need to be vigilant. Just because we do not know when Jesus will return does not mean that we can take things easy. Nor can we afford to be lax or lazy, and negligent in the way we treat others. That would be to go against the message of the Gospel. We need to both think and act as though Jesus will return NO —, during this very Eucharist — to judge and serve us. As we will welcome His Eucharistic presence with open hands and open hearts, so all of our lives should be open and welcoming to Him. We need to prefer Jesus and His Kingdom to anything else. For where our treasure is, there will our heart be also. We can have no excuse for not choosing Jesus and His message of the Kingdom over the cares and concerns of this world.

What we believe and how we act together are a sign and symbol of our relationship with God and one another. So then, let us continue to live lives together which proclaim the Gospel in word and deed, so that when Our Lord comes He may find us ready and doing his will, and singing the praise of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, to whom be ascribed as is most right and just all might, majesty, glory, dominion, and power, now and forever.

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Harvest 2024

Many of you may have seen ‘Clarkson’s Farm’ on the television, where Jeremy Clarkson attempts to run a mixed farm in West Oxfordshire. This popular TV programme has been running for a few years now, and is a window into the lives of farmers. It highlights the pressures they are under, the long hours, the problems of the weather, and the ever-increasing paperwork and bureaucracy. The programme also explains the modern farming methods used to produce the food we eat. As we give thanks for the harvest, we also give thanks to those who work the land, those who care for livestock, and those who transport, distribute, and sell our food. 

This morning’s Gospel is taken from the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, an extended series of teaching by Jesus about how to live a Christian life. It begins with an encouragement not to be anxious or afraid, ‘Paid ag ofni’, those oft-repeated words which stress the importance of combatting fear and anxiety. Many people worry about food and clothing, as well as heating and maintaining where they live. These things constitute our basic needs as human beings: what we need in order to be healthy and happy. Yet Our Lord tells us not to become over-concerned about such things. 

Jesus uses an example to make His point:

‘Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?’

‘Edrychwch ar adar yr awyr: nid ydynt yn hau nac yn medi nac yn casglu i ysguboriau, ac eto y mae eich Tad nefol yn eu bwydo. Onid ydych chwi yn llawer mwy gwerthfawr na hwy?’ (Mt 6:26)

God feeds the birds. If we are worth more than birds, whom God looks after, will He not care for us even more? Our Lord reinforces this point by stressing how worry about such things is self-defeating:

‘And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?’

‘Prun ohonoch a all ychwanegu un funud at ei oes trwy bryderu?’ (Mt 6:27)

We know this to be true, and yet we still worry. It is human nature. Often we have everything we need, but the pressures of the world make us think we need more. Adverts, social influencers, and the fashion industry all tell us that we need the latest thing in order to be happy. However, as Jesus reminds us: 

‘But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?’

‘Os yw Duw yn dilladu felly laswellt y maes, sydd yno heddiw ac yfory yn cael ei daflu i’r ffwrn, onid llawer mwy y dillada chwi, chwi o ychydig ffydd?’ (Mt 6:30)

We often fall down by becoming too involved in the things of this world, rather than trusting in God. We want to be in charge of our lives, when instead we should listen to the words of Jesus:

‘But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.’

‘Ond ceisiwch yn gyntaf deyrnas Dduw a’i gyfiawnder ef, a rhoir y pethau hyn i gyd yn ychwaneg i chwi.’ (Mt 6:33)

Rather than worrying about the practicalities of daily life, our focus needs to be the Kingdom of God — in other words how we live our lives. Are we grateful, generous people, caring for those in need, showing love and forgiveness? If we live this way, then we create a society where the values of God’s Kingdom shape our every action: who are, what we do. We become people characterised by joy, and not fear. Joy is infectious, it simply has to be shared, which leads to thankfulness and gratitude.

The prophet Joel, in this morning’s first reading, presents us with a vision of plenty:

‘Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice, for the Lord has done great things!’

‘Paid ag ofni, ddaear; bydd lawen a gorfoledda, oherwydd fe wnaeth yr Arglwydd bethau mawrion.’ (Joel 2:21)

The benefits for God’s people are clear, as is what they must do:

‘You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you.’

‘Fe fwytewch yn helaeth, nes eich digoni, a moliannu enw’r Arglwydd eich Duw, a wnaeth ryfeddod â chwi.’ (Joel 2:26)

Thanksgiving for the harvest is important, because, first and foremost, by giving thanks we are recognising that we are not in control, God is. Christians are called to work, to enjoy the fruits of God’s creation, and to share the bounty of the earth so that none are hungry, and that all people may live in peace and plenty. 

It is good to gather together to give thanks to God. To celebrate the Eucharist together, the great prayer of thanksgiving which Jesus taught His disciples to offer. The more we come together to do this, the more we are formed into people who are thankful and generous. We are nourished not only by the fruits of the earth, but by God, and with God, so that we may be transformed into His likeness. This is the Kingdom of God, here and now, among us. This is the reality which Christ came to bring though His Life, His Death, and His Resurrection. 

By giving thanks for our daily bread, we are following God’s commands, and helping to make His Kingdom a reality. Filled with joy and gratitude for what God has done for us, we give thanks to God, and follow His instructions to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. By doing so, we embody the love, forgiveness, and generosity which are the hallmarks of a loving, forgiving, generous God.

And so, my brothers and sisters in Christ, as we give thanks to God for the Harvest and His abundant loving kindness towards us, may we continue the work of His Kingdom. Let us trust in our Heavenly Father and help others to come to know and love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen.