Sept 13th 2015
Athens
Trinity 15
St. Paul's Anglican Church,
The question is put – how do you eat and elephant. The answer
is – in small pieces.
St. Mark's 8th chapter begins with the feeding of 4000 people –
does this ring any bells with you here in Athens? The rest of
the chapter is more or less to be seen in relation to this
miraculaous feeding.
Jesus feeds 4000 people with seven loaves of bread and a few
fish. Then the Pharisees come and ask for a sign – as if feeding
4000 was not enough of a sign. Jesus then warns his disciples
about the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod by way
of a contrast -it yields nothing compared to what Jesus has just
done. Then Jesus asks Peter, 'who do you say I am?' 'You are
the Messiah' says Peter, no doubt influenced by the sight of so
many being fed by Christ. Jesus then predicts his death. This
challenges Peter's perceptions about the Christ. 'Get behind me
Satan' is the response of Jesus.
So there is a pattern to this chapter – the feeding; the failure of
the Pharisees to feed; only the Christ can feed; the Christ must
die and rise again; no one who denies the death of Christ can
live the life of resurrection that follows.
In the overall story of our salvation in Christ this chapter
reminds us of the small detail; the importance of the huge
signs that small things are. A few loaves feed thousands; one
man proclaims the Christ; one death brings about resurrection
for all.
How do you eat an elephant? In small pieces. How do we
speak of the work of Christ in redeeming the world? In small
and significant events. We drill down to the small, the local,
the particular, the individual, and from that we interpret the
wider, the universal, the cosmic.
As you consider this Creation season, we might reflect on the
beautiful words of Mother Julian, a mystic from the English
city of Norwich; as she held a small hazelnut in the palm of
her hand, she said, 'All shall be well, and all manner of things
shall be well'. Such was her faith in Christ.
So we are to understand God and his kingdom through small
items, like a hazelnut, a pearl of great price; a fishing net; a
mustard seed; a lost coin; the return of a missing son; a light
on a hill top; a sprinkling of yeast in some dough.
Maybe it is true what they say – small is beautiful. Certainly
the vastness of God, his kingdom and his Christ, can seem to
be overwhelming – and yet the action of God is so local, and it
si for those who have eyes to see, and ears to hear. Yet also it is
for those who have the tongues to sing of the glory of this
local, immediate, and personal God. And you and I are called
as the church to be the mouthpiece to share with others the joy
of the gospel. We are the chorus line as we join with angels
and archangels and all the heavenly host, praising God and
singing, 'Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.'
The voice of the church is to sing of the beauty of holiness; the
tongue of the individual is to speak of the gospel. For this we
must consider what the Letter of James tells us this morning.
James knows the importance of the tongue – the good it can do
when we speak, and the evil we can do when we speak. The
tongue in our mouths has to be bridled if we are to speak
wisely – an unbridled tongue speaks the language of dischord.
The tongue that should sing of the beauty of holiness can also
be the sharp edge which cuts into people's hearts.
Again, James focusses on the significant power of small things
– the bridle in a horse's mouth controls the whole horse; a ship
is guided by a tiny rudder; a forest blaze is started by a small
spark. Humanity can tame most of the animals of creation, but
if we do not tame the tongue chaos follows. With tongue we
can bless and with the tongue we can curse.
'How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings
good news, announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness'
Our God reigns!
You and I are called out to proclaim the joy of the gospel, to
sing the praises of God, to name Jesus as the Christ. Gospel,
God, Christ – such things are too wonderful for us, to big for
us. How are we even to begin to talk of such vast truths. Well,
we do it through the small word of encouragement; a word of
peace, of welcome, of love. And often we will be voicing our
beliefs by saying nothing.
Let your tongue be a hand shake with a stranger; let your
tongue be in the feeding of the migrants and those in need; let
your tongue be handing over a sandwich; let your tongue be
the handing over of a bottle of water, or a teddy bear for a
refugee child. In so many small gestures we express the full
message of the gospel.
As one of our great saints of old said 'Preach the gospel – use
words only if you have to'.
So we have been reflecting on the best way to eat an elephant;
reflecting on how Jesus uses small and local things to show the
vastness of God's kingdom; reflecting on how we can both
speak and do the gospel with small and significant gestures.
Your small action will have huge consequences, your single
word can change a person's life. Use your life to make a
difference; speak a word of transformation. Isaiah knew this
when he said 'The Lord has given me the tongue of a teacher,
that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.'