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3rd
March 2013 - Evening - Revd. Preb Maureen Hobbs |
Sermon
for Lent 3 - evening 2013
Genesis 28. 10 - 19a
John 1. 35 - end
'Come and see' what a wealth of promise and excitement and anticipation
is bound up in those three little words.... "Come and see
- what I've done!; - what's happened now !; - what the dog/ baby
/ husband / wife has been up to! It implies that words alone
are not enough.... Seeing is believing - or so we are told and
that surely is the impetus that lies behind these little words
"Come and see...."
But sometimes words are not enough.
You can explain to someone the delights of a favourite hobby
or pastime, until you are blue in the face, but it is unlikely
that you will really fire up their imagination and make them
want to take part too by just using words. But if you take them
along with you - to a football or cricket match (have you ever
tried explaining the finer points of cricket - or the offside
rule - to someone who's never seen a match played?!!), if they
see for themselves. If they experience with their own senses
the enthusiasm of the crowd; if they witness the dedication of
the team ; or if they actually get the chance to have a go themselves
- well! Then you are much more likely to have converted them
into a fellow fan, or enthusiast or hobbyist - "Come and
see".
And isn't that just what David Attenborough has done for us all
these years? With those wonderful natural history programmes?
We cannot all be explorers through the rainforest or across Antarctica.
We cannot view the wonders of nature and Creation half a world
away - at least not in the ordinary run of things ... but through
the wonder of film and modern technology that is just what we
are enabled to do.... without even leaving the comfort of our
armchair. Still we can "Come and see.... " and marvel
and wonder - and be made to care about the future of the Polar
bears as their sea-ice melts or of the Tigers in India as their
territory shrinks to tiny reservations with little opportunity
to establish safe areas for breeding and bringing up their cubs.
So Jesus does not say, "Come and listen to what I have to
say." ; or "Come and study this portion of the scriptures
with me" ; or "Come and learn how to perform an exorcism
or a baptism or anything else...." he just says "Come
and see ... " for only by seeing for ourselves can we be
brought to believe that he is who we think he is.
And there is another interesting thought for us in this passage.
The two disciples of John think that they are taking the initiative
in going after Jesus to discover if he truly is the Messiah.
Their former teacher John has suggested as much, "Behold
the Lamb of God". But they have to go looking for themselves
to be sure.
They think they have found Jesus - when in reality, it is Jesus
who has found them. And just to emphasise the point, as Jesus'
first followers begin to come to him, begin to see what all the
fuss is about, Jesus starts giving them new names - nicknames
if you like, full of humour and hidden meaning.
This church - like many throughout the Midlands - is dedicated
to St Chad - and we celebrate his name-day this weekend.... It
was actually yesterday, but that is close enough!
And because of that - and our dedication, and the fact that I
began my ordained ministry in another church dedicated to St
Chad, I have always had a soft spot for this particular, home-grown
saint. And Chad was not only home-grown (in that he was British/Celtic)
but he was also somewhat homespun - in that he was renowned for
his modesty, humility and holiness. I get the feeling in reading
about him that he was a thoroughly nice chap - and the same cannot
be said for all the early figures in the Church! And now he has
a community founded in his name, the St Chad's community - ordinary
people in ordinary parishes throughout the Midlands and even
further afield, who look to Chad as an example of how to live
the Christian life. How to let the light of Christ shine through
to other people - enabling Christ to go about his work of reaching
out to people so that they may find him - and he may find them.
And this community emphasises that it is by God's grace - as
well as through our faith - that we can do anything in His name....
So, to return to our reading this evening, Simon becomes Cephas,
the Aramaic word for a rock or stone. In Greek this becomes Petros,
from which we get the name Peter of course. And these early followers
discover for themselves what human beings have been finding ever
since.... That when you go looking for Jesus, you often discover
that he is looking for you - and you will remember that day for
ever.
But whether the name is Peter or Chad, or the name of our partner,
or granny, or that neighbour down the road you have been meaning
to speak to for ages .... the important thing to remember is
that someone, somewhere has said to you "Come and see"
- so why not try saying it to someone else the next time you
are coming to church? Find your voice and ask them! Come and
see - what all the fuss is about. Come and see how God loves
you. Come and see how he can make a difference in your life -
through faith and by grace..... Come and see.... |
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