by Joan Fanshawe
(Based on Mat 10:24-39; Gen 21:8-21)
Are you feeling just a bit anxious after hearing today’s Gospel reading?
I have been rather fearful for the past week or so! Afraid that I won’t be able to stand here and say anything coherent about the litany of exhortations you’ve just heard me read from Matthew’s Gospel.
Let’s first consider the Genesis reading. (The Revised Common Lectionary that is used by the Anglican Church, among others, helps clergy and worship planners by providing a framework for preaching and teaching that was put together to ensure a diverse and balanced biblical message. There are choices within it, especially with the Old Testament/Hebrew scripture readings, and this week I want us to hear Abraham and Sarah’s story.) After hearing Sarah being admonished for quietly laughing at the thought of bearing a child in her old age, the promise was fulfilled when their son Isaac was born. Then more laughter – of joy this time.
Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian slave, had earlier borne a son, fathered by Abraham – at Sarah’s request, because she herself was barren. Now, however, Sarah saw Hagar and that son as a threat, so banished them into the desert.
It’s another whole story within this unfolding age-old saga, told in the book of Genesis: this son Ishmael – the name means ‘God hears’ – is to father the Arab generations, cousins, if you like, to the Jewish nation (noting that Islam, Judaism and Christianity all trace their ancestry to Abraham).
God is infinite, but the story of Hagar and Ismael hearing God’s reassurance in the desert, “Do not be afraid”, and then hearing Jesus use the same encouragement in Matthew’s passage, remind us that God is also intimate: God is with us.
Matthew, writing for his small community of Jesus followers years later, recalls words Jesus would have used when preparing his own disciples for going out to “proclaim good news about God’s kingdom of justice and love, to cure the sick, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons” – as we heard last week. He’s telling them that they’re going to run into opposition; they could get a bad reception in some places, and even persecution like Jesus himself received. There are some pretty strong alerts about the dangers ahead and indeed Jesus’s followers would be persecuted, beaten, imprisoned, killed, and even used as lion bait, for many years.
Plenty to be afraid about
But three times in this passage we hear, “Be not afraid!”
Why does Jesus say that?
Tom Wright1 says it’s not the explanation we expect, which is that Jesus would say, “God will look after you” – although he does say that eventually. The first reason Wright gives is that, don’t worry, “a time will come when everything will be revealed … what is presently secret will be uncovered”. There will be vindication in that they were faithfully following the true Messiah.
As for dividing families (also brought up in Matt 10), we know that people seem to have set themselves against their mothers-in-law since time immemorial – without much aid from religion!
But, more seriously, for some, choosing a commitment to Christ might mean real divisions in their families. Back then the family dynasty was majorly important in society, and these days there is still pain when choices cause division. We have a very close example in our own church family: choosing to become a Christian has completely alienated our dear friend from her family in India.
The church, we might infer, as a body of Christians, might also run into conflict with authorities and other groups when speaking out on what it sees as issues. Less so these days, perhaps, when the church seems to be a diminished presence in society. But for those who would follow Christ, maybe the question isn’t, “Why do things go wrong for those of us who say we follow Jesus?” Perhaps the question should be, “Why are things going so well?” “Why aren’t we having more problems?” or “Why am I not being persecuted?” Perhaps our faith has not changed our life sufficiently for anyone else to notice.
Verna Dozier, a celebrated lay leader in the US Episcopalian Church and great champion of the ministry of all baptised persons, wrote, “Don’t tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe.”
Despite the warnings that storms will besiege the faithful, and even in our own times there are many temptations and dangers along the way, Jesus promises that in the tempests of life, we are not to be fearful and to remember that we do not face these challenges alone. God is with us.
Therefore my friends, be not afraid. Hold fast to the faith that is in you, knowing that Jesus also says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father noticing. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
There’s a song about that I’d like us to listen to.
But first,
sometimes when we are afraid, or feeling we’re alone, in hard moments – how do we know that God is with us? Here’s a prompt you can use any time, whether you’re feeling anxious – or happy as well:
Close your eyes and breathe in and out quietly. God is in your every breath, as close to you as the flow of life – Pneuma – the Holy Spirit – the breath of God within us.
While we breathe quietly let’s listen to an old favourite Gospel song His Eye is on the Sparrow, sung for us by Gospel minstrel Oceanessa Adaeze.
[Song can be heard here]
Lyrics are:
Why should I feel discouraged?
And why should the shadows fall?
And why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
A constant friend is he;
His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.
I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I am free,
His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me.
[Words by Civilla D Martin, tune by Charles H Gabriel, 1905]
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