|
Saint James Day Lesson: Jeremiah 45:1-5
July 26, 2009 Psalm 7:1-10
The Rev. Karen Evans Epistle: Acts 11:27—12:3
St. James’ Church, Marietta Holy Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28
I speak to you in the Name of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
If any of you have chosen this as your first Sunday at St. James’, besides welcoming you I would like you to know that this is the Feast of our Patron Saint. Known as James the Greater, he was the brother of John and the son of Zebedee. He was one of the first four disciples and part of the inner circle Jesus took with him on several important occasions, including the Transfiguration and when Jesus went in prayer to the Garden of Gethsemane. He is called James the Greater because he was one of the first disciples, and possibly that he was taller than James the Lesser, who is identified as the brother of Jesus. So if you want to remember him, just think of him as James the Taller.
James and his brother John were fishermen. Their father Zebedee owned several boats and had hired hands to do the fishing. They were, therefore, middle class, or what passed for middle class in that time. They fished the Sea of Galilee, and they lived most likely at Capernaum.
Scripture talks about James in four places that, to my mind, are particularly significant. The first place is his call, when Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” In Matthew’s version, Jesus had not worked any miracles, he had not preached or taught, and James had never met him before. But when he heard Jesus’ command, he left all he had and followed him.
The second place is in the list of disciples, and in Mark’s Gospel, he includes their nicknames along with their regular names. James and John are called the Sons of Thunder. Traditionally, the interpretation of this nickname was that they were impetuous, or quick to anger – thunder signifying volatility. But I read something that I like a little better, and that is, other than the weather, the word “thunder” is used most often for the Voice of God. So for Jesus to call James and John “Sons of the Voice of God,” is for him to indicate what their ministry will be – that they will spread the Gospel, call people to return to God, and to be followers of Jesus. That makes a lot of sense to me.
The third place is in today’s Gospel. It is an example of the misunderstanding that is repeatedly the condition of the disciples. Only Matthew is very kind. Instead of making the disciples look foolish, he has their mother ask the question so she looks foolish. The misunderstanding is in two parts. The first part there is the expectation that Jesus will come into his Kingdom in a very political way. They still thought Jesus was going to lead a successful rebellion against the Romans. He would be set up as king over Israel. The places on his right and his left were the seats of honor and power, so they were asking for special status, above the other disciples, which, of course, is why the others were so mad at them.
The other misunderstanding was the way Jesus’ Kingdom would come into being. Again, they were thinking rebellion, but Jesus had already predicted the way he would die and rise again. They just did not want to hear it. So they let their desire for worldly glory get the better of them. They misunderstood what it was that they were asking, and how difficult it would be to get it.
The final place is in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles. How different things were after the Resurrection. The misunderstandings were gone, so were the ambitions for prestige and power. The disciples had become apostles. They were preaching the Gospel, calling people to be followers of Jesus. They were no longer afraid of the cost of that discipleship. James did, indeed, suffer martyrdom, proclaiming faith in God and in Jesus, he suffered a death like Christ’s, in order to gain a resurrection like his.
So that is the story of our Patron Saint.
I would like to talk about two other saints; they are Saints Sadie and Emma. They were baptized last night. In their baptism, they acknowledge their acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord. They joined into the community of faith, otherwise known as the Church. They were set apart, sanctified by Christ Jesus to be disciples. Paul says in the First Letter to the Corinthians, “To the Church of God that is in Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. So you see why I call them saints – Saint Sadie and Saint Emma. As they grow in faith, my prayer is that they will grow in grace and in the knowledge of the love that God has for them.
Now I would like to mention another couple of saints – Saint Raymond and Saint Lynda. The good news about saints who we know personally is that they do not have to be perfect and they do not have to be able to work miracles. I am sure that their children will tell you that neither Ray nor Lynda is perfect, and though they try, their miracles are few and far between. What makes them particularly saints for me is their faith in Christ, and their service to God, the world and the Church.
I really wanted to pull in the first Lesson at this time. It is such an uplifting and encouraging lesson that I just could not figure out how to do it. So instead, let me talk about the Gospel again.
In that lesson, Jesus told the disciples, “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” In the course of this weekend, we will say many things about Ray and Lynda, some of them even complimentary. They have been with us for seven years, and have given of themselves in so many ways during that time, that we would be here way too long if I would try to mention them all. But I can honestly say that in his care for the people of this parish, in her leadership in Reach Out and other programs, in their witness to the power of prayer, and their devotion to spreading the Gospel, they exemplify what Jesus is talking about in servant leadership.
Ray and Lynda, thank you for all you have done here at St. James’, and for the blessing of your just being yourselves among us. We will miss you, and we pray that you will find peace and contentment, challenge and growth, and full lives in your retirement in the years to come. Amen.
|
Sermons and Lectionary