Readings – Isaiah 50. 4-9a; Psalm 116. 1-9; James 3. 1-12; Mark 8. 27-38.

(Proper 20, Year B) 

There is a lot of talk in our readings this morning about talk. From the writer of Isaiah proclaiming that God has given him the tongue of a teacher, to the Psalmist declaring that God has heard his supplications, to James warning us about the dangers of the tongue, to Jesus himself rebuking Peter for something he said. It’s all about words, and we know, don’t we, that words can be incredibly powerful? Words can encourage, affirm and build up; they can also hurt, and cause pain and damage. That old adage “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me” is, to my mind at least, profoundly untrue. There can be nothing better than the right word at the right time, nothing worse than the wrong word at the wrong time. We probably all know this already – it is almost like a kind of homespun wisdom - so what is it that our scriptures are getting at here on a spiritual level?

The key lies in that first question which Jesus poses to his disciples on the way to Caesarea Philippi, as recorded in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus said “Who do people say that I am?” They come up with various answers such as John the Baptist, Elijah etc., and then Jesus asks them: “Who do you say that I am?” It is not a direct “Who am I?” or even a “Who do you think I am?” It almost seems as though Jesus were more interested in what people said about him than in who or what he actually is. Jesus is drawing a distinction here between words being used to describe or depict someone, and the actual truth. Words and reality, if you like. Notice that Peter replies not by saying “I say you are” or “I think you are” but “You are.”

I trained as a lawyer and lawyers, as they say, have a way with words. We use words to put forward our cases on behalf of our clients – sometimes rather too many but we won’t go there. It comes as something of a surprise to many to hear that lawyers are not so much concerned with the truth as the truth according to the law. A judge or jury would probably never know exactly what happened in a given situation, probably no one could, and in a sense that is not the point. What is important is the legal framework within which an event occurred and the legal consequences of it. In a courtroom setting, or indeed in everyday life, we might never know the absolute or unvarnished truth. We have to have processes and systems to help us get a close as we can, and words are used to get us along our way.

Jesus does not seem to be concerned with truth according to the law. He wants his disciples to be sure of who and what he actually is. Peter gets it spot on – “You are the Messiah,” he says, and Jesus knows how dangerous and terrifying that truth is – both to him and to his followers - so he tells them to keep it quiet.  It was not the time for the whole truth to come out – that would come and of course we know it now – but there was still much that Jesus had to do and say before then.

Where does that leave us – we ordinary Christians scabbling around in our ordinary world – and where does it leave Anna as she embarks upon her particular ministry of proclaiming the Gospel in this place? To begin with I think that we need always to remember that there is fundamental truth and that there are things about which we can be sure. And in the beginning is God. Immediately of course we are in the realm of words and having to depict or describe something which is utterly beyond our comprehension, and so we resort to metaphor and poetic language. However, that should not stop us believing that there is God, and a God who has given us plenty of evidence about what he is like.  The most powerful being Jesus Christ himself, who did not use fancy words or clever submissions but who simply presented himself. “Here I am” he says to all of us. The image of the invisible God, as Paul puts it. What you see is what you get.

There is more, though. We live in a world where many do not accept these absolutes, who cannot see the essential truth of God,  and who do not regard Jesus as anything special. Christians do have that certainty - that is our faith and we have an obligation to try to convey it to those who do not believe. That is where those pesky words come in. Of course, living a Christian life and witnessing to Jesus Christ is not just about speaking or writing, it is about being. It is about being close to God in prayer, it is about discovering more of God through the bible and in worship, and it is about being a loving, serving human being in the community in which we find ourselves. I can’t remember who said: “Preach the Gospel – use words if you must.” Often the most articulate witness to the truth of God is the way we live our lives and what we do.  Nevertheless, words do come into it and we have to be careful – that is what that passage from the letter of James is all about. The tongue is a relatively small organ but it can cause a lot of trouble.

I hope, Anna, that I will not get a report tomorrow of your going up to someone and saying: “Are you saved, brother?” I am sure that won’t happen, but that frivolous example does illustrate the need to allow God to guide and to lead us. Isaiah makes it clear that he was called to his ministry and that it was God who helped him throughout. He also makes it clear that he was a listener – hearing what people said and responding to those who were in need. That is an essential part of our Christian ministry – to listen, to hear the words of others, to try to understand and to meet them where they are. Only then can we begin to express the love of God.

None of this means that we have to be mealy-mouthed. Sometimes the truth of God can be hard, challenging and difficult. When Jesus began to talk about his destiny, particularly his crucifixion, it was too much for Peter, and he who had    had such insight into who Jesus actually was found himself being severely rebuked. Isaiah had a hard time of it (insult and spitting), as did the Psalmist (distress and anguish). James was one of the early Christian martyrs. There will be consequences from what we say, and they may not be easy for us to bear. However, Jesus is quite plain about what we have to do – if we are to be followers of him then we must take up our cross and follow, wherever that may lead. The important thing to remember is that God is always with us – there to help, to guide, to strengthen and to give reassurance. “It is the Lord God who helps me” declares Isaiah, “When I was brought low, he saved me” says the Psalmist. God giving of himself in his only Son, Jesus Christ, shows us that he is right beside us all the way, whatever may befall. And we know too that he has given us his Holy Spirit – God with us in the here and now in all that we do and say. The Spirit who intercedes for us in sighs too deep for words.

It will always be a bit of a challenge to convey the things of God, those absolute truths, to the world around us, but we really need to. So much of what we see is full of pain and torment, from serious conflict and warfare, to the depredation of the natural environment, to poverty and need in our own country and community. Only yesterday we remembered the terrible events of 9/11 twenty years ago. There is much that is good in the world of course, and we must celebrate that too, but we cannot escape the fact that we live in a world that needs to know about God and his Son, Jesus Christ. That is what we are about, each and every one of us. Some of us have a particular calling to a particular ministry, like Anna whom we welcome today, but we are all in the business of proclaiming that good news, in the way we live and in our words.

Amen.

The Rev. Tony Bushell