Sermon –
St Mary Magdalene Cowden Sept 14th 2014
2 Kings 6:
8-17 and Matthew 26: 47-56.
In 2007 my daughter had been spending time at Camp America
in Virginia .
She was twenty years old. After Camp she took the opportunity for some travel –
solo! While she was waiting at Philadelphia
airport to fly to New York
a terrific storm began to close in that meant flights were being cancelled.
However she was booked into a hostel in New
York and they would only the bed until 2am after which she would
have to find another place to stay and didn't have the money or really know how
she could go about finding another hostel if she just turned up in New York .
While she sat waiting and wondering what to do a man came up
and sat next to her and started chatting. He then said he knew how to get on a
flight to New Jersey (which is close to New York ). He said they
should go to the information desk. They managed to get the last two seats on
the last flight out before the airport totally closed down. On arrival he
waited until Tabitha had recovered her bags and then escorted out to the taxi
rank. He gave the driver $30 and told him where she needed to go.
Before he closed the taxi door he looked at Tabitha and
said, ‘you are a wonderful person’ then closed the door.
When Tabitha turned around to say thank you and wave goodbye
he had simply disappeared. There were no
crowds around so he hadn't melted into the crowds, but he had simply gone, much
like he suddenly appeared at the airport in Philadelphia .
An angel perhaps?
Angels appear in our very earliest
cultures in both myths and legends.
These also feature in both the opening
book of our Bible, Genesis and the closing book, Revelation.
In between they are frequently
mentioned in various forms and guises.
So, you may agree with Abba whom you
might recall sang ‘I believe in angels’ or with any number of other songs about
angels – particular Robbie Williams’ song – Angels.
Certainly Vassula Ryden a contemporary
prophet and mystic believes in angels. In her book ‘Heaven is real but so is
hell’ she talks of her Guardian Angel who introduces himself as Daniel.
Of course Vassula is a controversial
figure and the jury is still out on whether she is the real deal or not.
But they would have probably said much
the same thing about people like Teresa of Avila.
Having a guardian angel is also not an
easy concept to accept given the massive computations necessary for each and
every person to have their own personal guardian angel.
However we need to tread with caution
because our Lord himself said;
‘See
that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that
their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’
In the Christian tradition the realm of
angels developed into a hierarchy so we began to have Archangels and then
numerous other forms of angels, cherubs, cherubim and seraphim and all manner
of angelic beings.
Some of these had the role of worshiping God day and night and others are messengers which is probably why
we often view them with wings. They are the winged messengers from God or in
Greek mythology from the gods.
However they often turn up in the
Scriptures stories bearing the resemblance of men.
Think of Abraham’s three visitors, or
the angels who appeared in the doomed cities of Sodom
and Gomorrah
This of course is what lies behind
Eastern hospitality.
There was, and still is, a very strong tradition that you might indeed
be entertaining angels.
An idea that gets carried over into the
New Testament…
Hebrews 13.2
‘Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.’
That is of course a very important message for us
to consider. Especially as today we come to consider our life together here as
the people of God, asking about our role and purpose as God’s people in this
community.
Hospitality and welcoming the stranger ought to be
very high on our agenda.
When I worked in hotels, especially some of the
smaller ones, the staff would become almost like a family.Yet we all knew we were not there for ourselves but
to serve our guests. To make sure they had the best possible experience they
could have. To go out of our way, to walk the extra mile to ensure they were
looked after and would speak afterwards with warmth and satisfaction of their
visit. Best of all if they became regulars.
I hope you get my drift…
Some angels are also described as warrior angels fighting
against forces of darkness.
We pick this up in Ephesians 6.12
It was whilst working in the bar trade that I saw the worst of this
type of manifestation through the work of what are called poltergeist. Nothing on the grand global scale of some of
the horrors we are currently seeing being unleashed across the world, but
nonetheless very scary and unnerving. Furniture smashed, bathroom cabinet
ripped of the wall and thrown in the bath, banging and noise and disturbances,
night after night.
C.S. Lewis wrote “There are two equal and opposite errors
into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their
existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy
interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail
a materialist or magician with the same delight” (C.S. Lewis. The
Screwtape Letter. 1941, p. 3).
When the
servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army
with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. Oh, my lord, what shall we
do? the servant asked. Don't be afraid, the prophet answered. Those who are
with us are more than those who are with them.
And Elisha prayed, O LORD, open his eyes so that he
may see. Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the
hills full of horses and chariots of fire all round Elisha.
Again as with
Guardian Angels we need to tread carefully in denouncing the idea of warrior angels.
In our Gospel
passage from Matthew we heard of a follower who was seeking to defend Jesus with a sword as
the Temple Guard
If you take
into account the story of the might of just one angel in Isaiah 37.36 who in a
single night slew a hundred and eighty five thousand men – that is some awesome
power.
So where does
all of this leave us on the 14th September 2014 gathered in this
church?
Isn't all this
simply to fanciful, to far fetched, way beyond what sensible and rational
humans being should entertain?
I think it
calls us to weigh carefully the Scriptures.
I think it calls us to seek God in
prayer, to try and discern what part God would have us play in bringing about
the Kingdom of God
I think it
calls for us to be mindful of the stranger for we may be entertaining angels.
It calls for us to be encouraged, for ‘Those who are with us are more than those
who are with them.’
We know that the victory belongs to our God.
We know that not by looking at the great battles
described in the Book of Revelation, with its myriads of angels engaged in
deadly conflict against the enemies of God, important as that is.
We know it because of other angels -
From Luke’s Gospel…
While they
were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like
lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their
faces to the ground, but the men said to them, Why do you look for the living
among the dead?
He is not
here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee :
`The Son
of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the
third day be raised again.'
If that be
true, then how brothers and sisters should we now live…
From Romans 6.4 ‘We were therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.’
Live a new life
as an individual and as the people of God.
Live a new life
inviting others to put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Live a new life
of love and care for friends, family, neighbours, strangers and enemies alike.
Live a new life
that looks out with a heart cry at the horrors in the world, seek to do what
we are able with the resources we have and yet taking comfort and encouragement
in knowing that King Jesus will have the victory.
As read in the Hymn of the Kenosis in Philippians 2…
Therefore
God exalted him (Jesus) to the highest place and gave him a name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, in
heaven, and on earth
and under the earth, and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God
the Father.
Let us pray…
O Christ in the synagogue at Nazareth
O Christ in the pulpit of our Churches;
O risen and cosmic Christ;
O voice of the compassionate and righteous God -
Give us no peace until we become
co-workers for your Gospel. Amen
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