Sermon
– St Oswald’s Tuesday Morning Worship
Mark 8:27-38
On our recent visit to the Isle of Wight one of the historical places we visited had a Breeches Bible.
In the Breeches Bible, Genesis Chapter III Verse 7 reads: "Then the eies of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed figge tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches."
In the King James Version of 1611, "breeches" was
changed to "aprons".
This is part
of a story that is probably familiar to you. About how the first human couple
chose the path of self determination instead of loving obedience to God.
How they
knew shame first with each other, signifying the breakdown of human
relationships, then secondly the breakdown in relationship to God as we hear of
them hiding in the garden away from God.
Genesis 3.10 He (that is Adam) answered, “I
heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I
hid.”
Now contrast that hiding in
shame with what we read in 1 John 2: 28
And
now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may
be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
The work of the first Adam
that brought shame and broken relationships has now been put right through the
work of the Second Adam.
Now we may continue in him,
that is Jesus, and be confident and unashamed at the prospect of his second
coming - but are we not sometimes ashamed to profess the faith we confess in
our daily living.
Jesus’ challenges us on this as
we heard in our Scripture reading…
38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this
adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of
them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
In our reading we heard
Peter’s confession of faith, of which much could be said as it marks a pivotal
point in Mark’s Gospel.
Remembering that it has been
suggested by some scholars that Mark is Peter’s recollections told to Mark
acting as scribe and editor.
It is from this moment in the
Gospel that we move first to the Transfiguration then down the mountain, down
to Jerusalem, down to the cross and down to death. We see the dark clouds
gathering and storm of the world’s sin about to break over Jesus’ head.
‘But you, he asked, who do
you say that I am? Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’
But we know that Peter failed to profess what he confessed when challenged in the courtyard of the High Priest.
He bottled it – and can we
blame him?
Jesus had laid it out very
plainly what it would mean to follow him.
Then he called the crowd to
him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple
must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
Remember that this was at a
time and place when they knew what this looked like, felt like and smelled
like. It was a reality they would have known only too well.
I recently heard it put like this, ‘the entrance fee into the Christian Faith is nothing but the subscription is everything.’
I know there have been times
when I have bottled it – not professed the faith I confess.
I know that there are times
when I have said and done things that if Jesus was there at the time would have
made me ashamed.
Then, recognising that he was
there and is there all the time.
I know that in reality there
are areas in my life which are not fully surrendered, or of which I keep taking
back control.
Remembering the words of St
Augustine who said, ‘that if Jesus is not of Lord of all he is not Lord at all.’
Finally, a question for us to take into the rest of the week ahead…
Are we confident to profess
the faith we confess amongst our family and friends, amongst our neighbours and
to those we may meet in our daily lives?
Always be
prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect," 1
Peter 3:15,
Or are we sometimes ashamed and fail to profess what we confess!
Meditation - Pope Benedict XV1
And only where God is
seen does life truly begin.
Only when we meet the
living God in Christ do we know what life is.
Each of us is the result
of a thought of God.
Each of us is willed,
Each of us is loved,
Each of us is necessary.
By the encounter with
Christ.
There is nothing more
beautiful than to know him and to speak to others of our friendship with Him.
