If you’re a driver – you know when you stop and let another car out of a junction, or allow someone coming in the opposite direction to turn right, in front of you? Isn’t it nice when that person indicates their thanks to you. But don’t you find it somewhat irritating when they don’t? Even a nod of the head or a small indication of the hand – something which shows acknowledgement of your courtesy. It’s being courteous in return. Showing gratitude – a really small gesture but one which can make a huge difference.In our gospel reading today, Jesus heals 10 people of leprosy, but only one of them shows any sign of gratitude. Because of their condition, these lepers will have been shunned by society, ostracized with absolutely no interaction with anyone except other lepers. But once they implore Jesus for mercy, He takes pity on them and facilitates their healing – all of them. Now I’d like to think that if I’d been one of those lepers that I would have shown gratitude to the man who has just freed me from my social prison, rather than just walk away as if I’d just been given something which I believed was owed to me. But with the exception of one man, that is exactly what happened. The nine were indeed healed of their leprosy and will, as Jesus instructed, have gone to be ceremonially cleansed by the priests. They were free of leprosy externally, but what about internally? Were they still effectively leprous in their hearts, having given no indication of thanks to Jesus? The one who came back did show gratitude and is told by Jesus that his faith has healed him. So, he didn’t need to go to see the priests; his faith, his show of thanks had assured him of his total cleansing – inside and out. This man was thankful, in the midst of thanklessness.We still live, today, in a thankless generation; a generation which expects, oftentimes expecting the undeserved. But Jesus is merciful to us all, even the underserving. And by being thankful, by showing gratitude – this is a way in which we worship Him, a way that we worship our God. It doesn’t take much, hardly expends any energy, but a small gesture of thanks can make a world of difference. In a thankless generation, we can be thankful. “A thankful heart is one of the primary identifying characteristics of a believer. It stands in stark contrast to pride, selfishness, and worry. And it helps fortify the believer's trust in the Lord and reliance of His provision, even in the toughest times. No matter how choppy the seas become, a believer's heart is buoyed by constant praise and gratefulness to the Lord” (John MacArthur in Grace to You Newsletter, March 2009.)We have so much to be grateful for. The many blessings that God bestows on us every single day. Far too many to number and yet so many we simply take for granted. When God blesses us, whatever He blesses us with, we should be sure to thank Him. And most especially when He blesses us with something for which we have prayed, the first thing we should do is to be sure to show gratitude. We cannot ‘be’ without God’s good graces, not least the perfect balance of the elements around us which ensure the sustenance of life. And gratitude does not have an expiry date. We should never cease to be grateful, for whatever good graces we receive day in day out, we should continue with our expression of thanks.Paul instructs the Colossians to be ‘overflowing with thankfulness’ and warns that one of the signs of the last days is unthankfulness (2 Timothy 3:2).And Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote ‘In ordinary life we hardly realise that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.’So let us think about when we last stopped, just stopped, and were thankful for our blessings. When we last just spent time with God, being thankful for what He has done, even without our asking. Let us live with an attitude of gratitude and make the world just that tiny bit better.
When I was asked to write Thought for the day for 5th October, I realised that the reading from Luke was particularly relevent to me because it concerns being anxious about faith; that our faith is not sound enough. We feel guilty that we sometimes have doubts.Luke tells us that even the apostles, who left everything to follow Jesus, got to a point of asking him to help them have more faith. But apparently they are told that even faith as tiny as a mustard seed is enough because if we have faith enough to ask for more, we already have enough.Jesus compared The Kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed that grows to form a huge tree that gives shelter to all the birds.Faith includes being conscious of your innermost anxieties and also noticing what is going on in the world around us, with all it's chaos and patiently waiting for the light to return. Placing your hopes in Jesus even when things are very dark around you. St Mark says, "Lord I believe. Help my unbelief."St Augustine, said "Crede ut intelligas'', Believe, so that you may understand. A few centuries later, St Anselm famously wrote, 'I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather I believe in order that I may understand'.During those times when I wrestle with my belief I concentrate on the most important message that Christ brought to the world. That we were to love God and our neighbours. That we share our love with everyone we meet. Not an easy task sometimes and one that requires patience, forgiveness and understanding. In fact, we trust that Jesus will forgive us when we pray to The Lamb of God for mercy in the beautiful Agnus Dei. St Paul writes to the Corinthians of the 3 important rules in following Christ; faith, hope and love and reminds us that love is the most essential.The message is clear and simple and dispels all doubts, for who can argue with this.
A while ago I was shopping in Home Bargains, like everyone else, I’d been caught in a sudden shower, and as we queued, damp and bedraggled, I noticed a man a couple of places ahead. When he reached the till, he leaned over quietly and asked the cashier if he could pay for the lady behind him as well. She was a stranger, no fanfare, no fuss… just a genuine act of kindness. You could see the surprise on the lady's face; his kindness lifted the mood. That small moment of generosity came back to me as I read today’s Gospel. We are given a most striking of parables... a rich man, clothed in purple and fine linen, feasting every day whilst Lazarus, poor, covered with sores, is lying at his gate. When they both die, their fortunes are reversed. Lazarus is carried to Abraham’s side, the rich man finds himself in torment, still blind to the chasm between them.This parable is not just about the life to come it is about how we see and respond to those around us today. Scripture is full of God’s concern for the poor, the overlooked, the forgotten. Amos warned against those who lounge in luxury while others suffer. And today Jesus asks us... who is at our gate? As a hospital chaplain, I often meet people who are alone, no visitors, no family, sometimes even no one to be present at their funeral. Yet every person has a story, relationships, experiences, each one matters. Today’s Gospel tells us that no one is invisible to God. God sees Lazarus, God sees each of us.Loneliness and poverty aren’t only end-of-life issues. Here in Blackpool and across the Fylde there are people in our own streets, in bedsits and flats who live alone, who rarely see a visitor, who feel forgotten. The Beatles once asked in the song “Eleanor Rigby”: ‘All the lonely people, where do they all come from? All the lonely people, where do they all belong?’ Eleanor Rigby, ‘who died in the church and was buried along with her name,’ stands for countless people whose lives pass unnoticed. Yet the Gospel tells us that every name is known to God, every life held in his love. In the hospital I see how God raises up people who notice. Take for example our Chaplaincy Volunteer Team, many from local churches, including St Stephen’s, they walk the wards, offering conversation, prayer, or simply a listening ear. Their love in action reminds patients… you matter, you belong, you are seen.The same is true in parish life, our Friday afternoon gatherings in the church hall might seem small... cups of tea, chat, cake, music, laughter. Yet for some they are a lifeline. In those simple moments Christ is present, quietly transforming lives. This Gospel also points us beyond our town, think of when we witness natural disasters, wars, or injustice, so often we also see hearts moved to generosity. Appeals are launched, donations made, prayers offered. Organisations like Christian Aid remind us that compassion can take root and change lives, tackling not just emergencies but the deeper causes of poverty. The vision of our own diocese puts it well: “Healthy Churches Transforming Communities.” The Good News of Christ is not only about words but about action... bringing hope, dignity, and healing, especially to those whom society overlooks. The witness of history shows what can happen when faith awakens compassion. Think of Desmond Tutu confronting apartheid, William Wilberforce opposing the slave trade, or the slum priests of the Anglo Catholic Oxford Movement, walking the streets of Victorian London. Each began with noticing those whom others overlooked. So today, the parable of Lazarus comes as both a warning and a promise. A warning not to let our eyes be closed. A promise that God sees us and invites us to see with him.This week, we have met a rich man clothed in purple, blind and indifferent to the need at his gate, unable even to share the crumbs from his table. And yet, in Jesus we meet another who was also dressed in a robe... not of splendour, but of mockery. in John 19:2, 5 we read... “And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. Pilate went out again and said… ‘Behold the man!’” Jesus is the one who sees deeply into the mixed motives of our humanity, who knows the depth of our need. he does not give us scraps, he gives us himself, a total outpouring. On the cross he empties himself completely, and here at the altar he feeds us with his very self, the bread of heaven.
When I set out to write a sermon, I tend to go through the same few moves. First I check, for sure, what the readings of the day will be. And double check if the service, like today, is going to be slightly different, today also being our harvest festival. Then I read the readings to see what message leaps out at me. And then, because I don’t have the level of experience that someone like Fr Andrew has, I read a few commentaries or chapters/articles about the readings, usually the gospel. And I go from there. I pray, of course, frequently – asking God to guide which way I am to go. And a number of times I have gone off on one route only to get a sense that I need to do an about face.Now I have been constructively advised, occasionally, about trying to cram too much into a sermon and that I need to remember that less is more. So, not to try and get through the entire gospel reading with explanations or clarifications, but just to focus on one or two points and look at them deeper. But this one……..well, I guess the standout teaching from today’s gospel, at least at the end, is materialism. No-one can serve two masters; you cannot serve God and money. But the parable Jesus tells, the shrewd manager, has by some been labelled one of the most confusing of the parables. Jesus tells it, we are told, to His disciples, His followers, and therefore, also to us – we, too, being His followers.At first glance, I wondered why did the master commend the manager for apparently reducing the debts of the debtors? And I read commentaries which suggested that the manager was feathering his bed, so to speak, so that when he was jobless, at least the debtors will remember that he reduced their debts and would therefore look favourably upon him. And the apparent praise from the master? Jesus is saying that building relationships for future security is far better than building wealth. Even if building those relationships is done by less than honest means. Seems strange, coming from Jesus, but OK, good solid relationships will help us in this life and will also endure into life eternal. Fine. I get that, I thought. As the saying goes, about money, wealth ‘you can’t take it with you….’Then I came across another source which reckoned that this parable was perhaps one of the most confusing of Jesus’ parables. We need to know that in Luke’s time of writing, the manager was effectively an extension of the master. Whatever the manager did reflected upon the master. So, was the manager doing his master a favour? Was the master charging hidden ‘interest’ on the loans and the manager was taking off this interest making the master seem as honest as the day is long? Or was the manager deducting hidden interest that he himself had added to the debts without his master’s knowledge? Maybe the manager was deducting some of the original debts as a way of getting back at the master for sacking him. We don’t know for sure what the back story here is. But what we do know is that the master commended the manager for acting shrewdly. Understandable if the manager acted to cover up the master’s dishonesty; not understandable if the manager was doing the master out of some of his rightful debt. We just don’t know for sure, but I guess that is the beauty of Biblical hermeneutics – each one of us will interpret the same piece of scripture differently according to our lives, history, personality etc.But then Jesus goes on to explain that if you can’t be trustworthy with temporary, earthly wealth, why would God entrust you with eternal riches? If you can’t be faithful with what belongs to another, why would God give you your own? God demands exclusive trust. You can’t worship God on Sunday and then live for money, power, or pride the rest of the week. And it money that so often trips us up. I read during my research for this sermon, that in older translations the word ‘mammon’ was used regularly to denote wealth, money etc. According to a New Testament scholar the words for ‘faithful,’ ‘entrust,’ and ‘true’ in Hebrew and Aramaic all derive from the same root as ‘mammon’ – a word that means ‘that in which one places trust’ and is derived from ‘amen.’ So, Jesus is playing with words in the native language of his hearers. We may think of mammon as evil money, but it’s really whatever you trust when you aren’t trusting God. And here is, I think, where the main message comes in. We should not put our trust in the wrong things. Wealth, status, stuff may make us feel good in this world, but they won’t do us any good when God’s Kingdom is fulfilled and Christ comes in glory.I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to amassing ‘stuff’. I live in a reasonably sized house up near Anchorsholme Park, have been there 40 years now. I live alone with a cat, separated from my husband more than 20 years ago and my son flew the nest years back. And to be honest, I do not know how two other human beings fit into that house with me. I have exploded into it and have barely enough room for my own ‘stuff’ now. And oh, so much of it hasn’t been used, worn, read for years but I simply cannot get rid, can’t declutter. But what good will it all do me come the day of God’s Kingdom? Am I trying to serve two masters? God and my stuff?I heard a Catholic Priest preach recently about detachment. He said it is very important to have a light hold on the things of this world, if we are to have a spiritual life. But in addition to that, detachment brings not only a peace of mind, but also a kind of freedom in letting go. We should ask ourselves if we are hanging on this or that ‘stuff’, because it fulfils some worldly pleasure which only lasts for a moment (in the grand scheme of things), or are we attracted to whatever it is because it is a thing of God, helping to grow our spiritual lives? We should let go of the things, and not just physical things, which risk becoming a god to us (small g), things that we tend to worship – because we are commanded in the first of the Ten Commandments -You shall have no other gods before me.Money can so easily replace God in our lives. It can become our master. If we get too hung up on money, our possessions, then that is a distraction away from God. Money is, indeed, a hard and deceptive master; wealth promises power and control but to paraphrase a Beatle song ‘money can’t buy me happiness’ We may think that when we can buy what we want, that lovely new coat, that bigger car, the most up to date phone, that we will be happy. But are we truly, truly happy? And if we are, it is fleeting, until the next new fashion coat hits the shops, or Apple/Samsung or whoever releases the next phone upgrade. We should focus on eternity, look towards God for our happiness, sustenance. Let Him be our Master, so we can look towards peace of mind and security both now and into the life to come. But it is hard. Believe me, I know. Case in point, what I said earlier – I have way too much stuff that I kind of covet and cannot give away.So let’s not be slaves to two masters. That simply won’t work. Let’s not let money rule our lives, as Jesus teaches. We cannot serve both God and money. God is our Father, He will provide. We must have faith that He will; we must have belief in His goodness. And that involves prayer – we cannot let go of our materialism on our own, we cannot declutter our lives, our hearts without His help. We pray for forgiveness, and with that forgiveness, our hearts will heal. The manager in our gospel today was shrewd. Jesus calls His followers to use the same shrewdness, but in a way that reveals heavenly wisdom. We are called to apply shrewdness but for God’s Kingdom, by investing our resources in eternal matters and using what God has given us to ‘make friends’ for eternity, and for supporting causes that align with God’s purposes. Prioritising eternal gains over temporary ones reflects our hearts’ true allegiance and is a response to God’s generosity. Jesus invites us to accept Him as our only Lord and Master, so that we may have eternal life with Him in the Kingdom of God. But He also invites us to live into that kingdom reality here and now with eternity in our sights.
