Sixth Sunday after Trinity2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13Quasimodo, a person popularised in a film and The Hunchback of Notre Dame also made popular, both share a deformity which sets them apart from society. In some ways they have been given a roguish character as we observe them going from one scenario to another. Yet all through the ages people have cropped up with disfigurement or deformity setting them to one side of society or placing them in a position with instant recognition.In the epistle reading from one of Paul’s letters to the Church in Corinth we are given a picture of Paul. He is ministering and having to manage a ‘weakness’ as he does so. The nature of his disability is not made clear by him although he does describe it as a ‘thorn in the flesh’. We can imagine what it must be like to have an actual thorn constantly digging in day after day. It would serve as a constant reminder of some accident or misfortune of birth. However, Paul looks upon his deformity in a positive way.Various possible states have been proposed as to the nature of his ‘thorn’, from epilepsy to any number of illnesses. In tackling whichever is his complaint he uses it in a positive way, to stop him from being too excited in his ministry. Instead, he claims to be content with his weakness, a weakness which he does not allow it to make him step back from his ministry, his proclaiming of his love of Christ.Paul, like many quite possibly, prayed to God to take his disability away. God always answers prayers but not always in the way that we would expect. In Paul’s case God did not remove his disability but instead gave him the power and the strength to bear it. This is often the way that God works. We are not spared that which is troubling us but he gives us the power to conquer them.It has been said before how one can gain strength from another. In the church congregation this is very true. It is possible to attend a church service feeling quite low and despondent. The last thing that you wish to do is to get involved, but here you are in church. Maybe it was habit that brought you here. Looking around you smiling faces can be seen. Ok, there may be the odd grumpy one, but they are always around. By being there you gain a spiritual strength so that by the end of the service you will be found in a lighter mood.In a similar way those around a disabled person can gain strength to handle their own problems by drawing upon the way that the disabled person handles theirs. Paul managed his own problems in the power of Christ. No matter what insults, persecutions, hardships, and so on, he continued and gained strength. So too can we, gaining strength through hardship and difficulties. Look again at Quasimodo and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, house names almost and uttered with not a little affection.Collect for the Sixth Sunday after TrinityMerciful God,you have prepared for those who love yousuch good things as pass our understanding:pour into our hearts such love toward youthat we, loving you in all things and above all things,may obtain your promises,which exceed all that we can desire;through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
2 Corinthians 8: 7-end Mark 5: 21-endYou are sat on a chair in the middle of a hall. Around you, in a ring, are other young people sitting there as quiet as mice. You are blindfolded and an object is placed under the seat of the chair. In the silence the leader points to one youngster and they begin their journey of stealth. The object – to remove the object from under your chair without you pointing to where you think that the nominated youngster happens to be. Your ears are finely tuned to the slightest noise. It can be made harder by either one of the ring of youngsters coughing, or by the nominated one creating a diversion.In Mark’s gospel we read of a similar technique, one of diversion. One of the synagogue leaders, Jairus, fought his way through the crowd and approached Jesus. He was on a mission. His daughter was seriously ill. Could Jesus come and lay his hands on her to make her well? All this happened whilst Jesus was surrounded by a crowd.On the edge of the crowd was a woman who had been ill for many years. Her aim was to just touch the cloak of Jesus for in doing so she would be healed. Here was the perfect opportunity. She had a diversion presented to her on a plate. The crowd were so engaged with the synagogue leaders’ call on Jesus that they would not notice her working through the crowd towards Jesus. She was also quite probably well known for her illness which had made her unclean, and one to be avoided, least you also became unclean. But she failed in her mission to remain undetected. For Jesus was aware that someone, this woman, had touched his cloak. The diversion had provided her with the ideal method to approach Jesus. It had enabled her to come to Jesus but the game was up when she touched him.There are times in life when we seek some form of diversion in order to shoot forward from one condition to a more favouring set of conditions. The diversion may be one of our own construing or it may be the result of series of conditions all meeting together to make a perfect chute for us to slip along.I am reminded of a diversion that had been applied to the roads in the part of Scotland that Gill and I were traveling along. A road accident had closed the road ahead of us. Together with other travellers we started the diversion with heavy hearts for it was 100 extra miles to add to our journey.Life is like that. Opportunities pop up as we travel our path. Due to the misfortunes of one we may find ourselves propelled forward much to our own advantage. It could also be the case that by us causing a diversion of our own making we move forward.Diversions have been contrived and used all through history. From in times of war when one side attempts to mislead the enemy into thinking a tactic to be employed is in fact coming from a different direction, to a serious game of chess where a playing piece is sacrificed in order thar an advantage can be gained in your own strategy enabling you to win the game.Jesus was not fooled by the diversion, accidentally happening as it was, enabling the sick woman to be healed. The sick child was also restored to good health even though Jesus had to fight through a crowd and ‘clear the decks’ before he could reach her. Here we learn that Jesus cannot be fooled. We may try to ‘sneak up’ behind him to try to gain an advantage but Jesus will know that we are there. We may be some distance from Jesus, too far away , we think, for him to act, but act he will. Jesus will not leave us at the side. He will call out to us, reach out to us, hold us.Collect for the Fifth Sunday after TrinityAlmighty and everlasting God,by whose Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and sanctified:hear our prayer which we offer for all your faithful people,that in their vocation and ministrythey may serve you in holiness and truthto the glory of your name;through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,who is alive and reigns with you,in the unity of the Holy Spirit,one God, now and for ever.
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