Sixth Sunday after Trinity – morning
Sunday 8th July 2018
Proper 9 – 6th Sunday after Trinity – morning
Ezekiel 2. 1-5 – Speak the word,
Mark 6. 1-13 – Jesus rejected
Revd Preb Maureen Hobbs
“A prophet is not without honour, except in their home town and among their own kin.”
I may not be the greatest football fan here this morning – in fact I know I am not (!) But even I seem to recall that before this World Cup competition began, not many people gave much for the chances of the England Team or for Gareth Southgate as a manager. They were too young and hadn’t played enough international games; he was too inexperienced….
Now of course, Southgate is being acclaimed as the new national hero and his coaching methods praised to the rafters! And everyone is sure that his own disappointments of missed penalties in the past have been just what was needed to prepare the England team. He has even, it seems, revitalised the place of the waistcoat as a piece of male attire!
Of course, part of why we – as a nation – are inclined to talk down the fortunes of our sports teams or our industries or anything else you care to mention, may be a sort of defence mechanism. We are so concerned that we will be disappointed, that we try to lower our expectations of success, that way, the disappointment when it comes, might be easier to bear… We may be seeing something of the kind happening in our negotiations with the European Community. Expect the worst, but hope for the best, might be our national motto!
I wonder how many of the newly ordained clergy will be reading this gospel and pondering about their own chances of success in defending and promoting the Gospel? If Jesus and his own Disciples were to face rejection and scorn, what chance have the rest of us got?
Expect the worst, but hope for the best.
It is not a bad sentiment by which to try and live your life – providing you do not neglect the second part of the sentence of course. Hope for the best. Hope to be the very best you can be at whatever it is God has called you to be! And that holds true whether you are a Vicar, or a farmer, or a teacher, or an engineer, or a doctor, or nurse.
I have always found it fascinating that Jesus did not always recommend “turning the other cheek” indefinitely. He tells his disciples in today’s Gospel that if some places remain stubbornly unresponsive to their message, not to waste further energy on them. Move on. Shake the dust from their feet. Don’t waste time worrying about your apparent failures – recognise that it says more about them than about you. But go on to the next place. Or to the next opportunity when your gifts will be appreciated and eyes, ears and hearts will be opened to you. Keep on trying. Hope for the best and sooner or later, it will happen for you.
And we are told that it worked! The disciples went out preaching a message of repentance; telling people that they needed to take a long hard look at themselves and turn their lives around. Start living according to God’s laws and not their own. Put other people’s welfare above their own selfish needs.
I am quite sure not all were receptive to such a message. But some were. Enough were. And those people discovered that through God’s power acting in the disciples and in Jesus, many of their fears and ills and disappointments could be made better.
Expect the worst, but hope for the best. Don’t be too surprised if things don’t go exactly as you want them to – God never promises us that life will be without struggle and problems. But do not lose hope and you may be astonished by what you can achieve… Maybe even a world cup?
Here – by way of light relief – I leave you with a little prayer shared yesterday on Social Media – which obviously worked, so never underestimate the power of prayer! ….
Our Gareth, who art in Samara
Hallowed be thy waistcoat.
Thy moment’s come,
Thy match be won
In normal, not in extra time.
Give us this day our 2-0 win
And forgive us for doubting your tactics
As we forgive those who dive against us.
Lead us not into penalty shootouts
But deliver us from Sweden /Russia/Croatia
For thine is the semis, the final and the glory, forever and ever…..
Time for This time tomorrow???