This week’s Readings and Sermon for the 3rd Sunday after Trinity
The Collect for This Week
God our saviour, look on this wounded world in pity and in power; hold us fast to your promises of peace won for us by your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen
The Post Communion Prayer for this week
O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we may look upon you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen
Psalm 30
I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. 3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit. 4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. 5 For his anger is but for a moment; his favour is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning. 6 As for me, I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall never be moved.’ 7 By your favour, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face; I was dismayed. 8 To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication: 9 ‘What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? 10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!’ 11 You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and shall be forever. Amen
The Old Testament Reading for this Sunday is from the Second Book of Kings, Chapter 5, verses 1 to 14
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, ‘Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.’
He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, ‘When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.’ 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’
8 But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, ‘Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.’ 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, ‘I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?’ He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, ‘Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, “Wash, and be clean”?’ 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The New Testament reading for this Sunday is taken from the Letter of St Paul to the Galatians, Chapter 6: verses 1-16
My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4 All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbour’s work, will become a cause for pride. 5 For all must carry their own loads. 6 Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher. 7 Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
This is the Word of the Lord Thanks be to God
The Gospel reading for this Sunday is taken from the Gospel according to St Luke, Chapter 10, verses 1 to 11 and 16 to 25
Hear the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ, according to Luke Glory to You, O Lord
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.’
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ 18 He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’
21 At that same hour Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 22 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’ 23 Then turning to the disciples, Jesus said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ
The sermon this week is delivered by rev Laura Brinicombe
Words of Power
What are the most powerful words you’ve ever heard? Perhaps you listened to a really compelling speech or somebody gave you a great piece of advice? Maybe there’s a verse in scripture that stands out to you or a quote or a song lyric that you’ve never forgotten?
I imagine that a lot of those words we’re remembering are quite short, clear and were spoken with authority - they stand out in our world full of noise.
When I worked in communications it would take weeks to land on the right combination of powerful words. The process was difficult because it involved trying to whittle something down to its core elements, to cut through all the noise until only the most important part of the message was left. Some brands do this really well – let’s do a little test and see how many of these sentences we can complete:
Beanz Meanz…Heinz
Gillette…the best a man can get!
L’Oreal…because you’re worth it.
Ronseal…it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Powerful words! Those slogans have a lot of impact because the brands were sure of their product and how it fitted within the lives of those they were trying to reach. This is the power behind those words.
Unfortunately, as we journey with Jesus, we can be tempted to focus on words, rather than remembering the power that they represent. It can become easy to rely on human approaches, on our own strength and it can be easy to get muddled and overcomplicate things.
In our readings for today, we see other people getting sidetracked and wanting to overcomplicate matters. In 2 Kings, Naaman is very put out that being healed of his leprosy won’t involve more pomp and circumstance. Surely the prophet should at least come out and call upon the name of his God and wave his hands about?! The instructions to simply, ‘wash and be clean’ don’t sound impressive enough. The words seem so ordinary.
Similarly, Paul addresses the church in Galatia – they think circumcision will help them to be recognised and counted amongst God’s people, because surely being marked in the flesh will be a great permanent way to express faith in God.
In our gospel reading, the 72 make a similar mistake.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends out the 72 and He invites them to speak powerful words. They are to speak peace to the places they enter and they experience the submission of spirits to the name of Jesus. I imagine this was pretty exciting! It must have made them feel very powerful- so much so that, when they return and report back to Jesus, they can’t help but celebrate how impressive and effective they’ve been!
However, Jesus is quick to get them back on track. He chides them, saying that they should not rejoice in the power that they can demonstrate but in what God has done for them – written their names in heaven.
I wonder if we ever get sidetracked like that on our faith journey’s? In our church life? Do we come with all our own agendas and plans and expectations and timings, but forget that it is the power of the Spirit, the power of Jesus, that leads and guides and provides?
I think Jesus’ warning is as important for us as it was for the 72. It can be so easy to overcomplicate things can’t it? To forget where our power comes from, to leave Jesus out of our plans.
Today’s reading asks us to think about the authority Jesus gives His followers and how it most effectively treads over the power of evil. It’s a great reminder to get back to basics!
My little girl is just learning to talk, it’s fascinating to see which words she picks up and enjoys using. She’s starting to realise that different words and actions have an effect. So, as followers of Jesus, what are the first words that should be in our mouths and written on our hearts?
Words of Witness
First, we can embrace our role as witnesses.
In Acts, Luke tells the story of the church being birthed through the Spirit at Pentecost. The apostles are empowered to be Jesus’ witnesses and sent, ultimately, to the ends of the earth. They set about that task by ensuring the people know that the power by which they are doing things is not their own. They act in the name of Jesus.
Jesus sends out the 72 to all the towns He will eventually visit. They’re the opening act, not the main event. Jesus gives them precise instructions about what to do, so that the people will recognise His power when He arrives.
One of the most basic steps of faith we can take is to witness to the power of Jesus in our lives. I wonder how often we sincerely call upon the name of Jesus in our day-to-day? How often do we call upon His name in front of others? How often do we hear about a problem and say that we’re not going to try and solve it ourselves because the first thing we’re going to do is pray – we’re going to call upon the name of Jesus and expect and anticipate a response from God? When we’re asked why we welcome, or why we have peace, or why we forgive, do we tell people that this is the power of Jesus at work in us?
Words of Welcome
Next, we need to think about what Jesus’ authority is to be used for. How do our words and actions fit with God’s kingdom building plans? I think this can be tricky because a lot of it doesn’t make us look very impressive. Like Naaman, anyone expecting glamour or a polished performance is going to be very disappointed! Jesus’ authority is given to us for dirty work – dirty glory!
The notion of doing things in the name of Jesus was introduced in Luke’s Gospel just before today’s reading. In Luke 9, Jesus sends out the 12 and they spend most of the time arguing about which one of them is the greatest.
Jesus challenges them by explaining that the least of all is the greatest and that those who welcome a child in His name, welcome Him. Jesus tells us that His authority is not to be used to make us look good or acceptable. It’s not to be used to show-off, it’s not to be used to claim spiritual supremacy over others – it is to be used to receive and recognise those who are dismissed by the world. The overlooked, belittled, forgotten. I think this is a simple but important reminder – we are tasked with speaking words of welcome and those who hear them are going to make our lives more messy! (those who take part in Messy Church will testify!).
Words of Peace
Lastly, we are to speak but also know when to be quiet. The 72 are told that after Jesus sends them out they will experience welcome and hospitality and friendship. But they are also to experience doors being closed, rejection and disappointment, set-backs and waiting. When they come up against these things, Jesus does not advise his followers to take a combative stance and dig their heels in. They are to speak words of peace and then trust the outcome to God. Jesus instructs them to move on and focus on the areas that bear fruit, areas where the light is shining. It can be very tempting to want the final word, to just shout louder and insist that God acts exactly when and how we want but we are not capable of saving anyone – that job, that authority, belongs to Jesus.
Power in the Name
I want to encourage all of us to go back to basics this week.
I like to think of Jesus’ instructions a bit like the KISS principle in design and engineering, which stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid.”
We can all speak words of WITNESS, words of WELCOME and words of PEACE over our broken world during the next seven days. Then we can be quiet because the rest is just noise.
Trusting in the name of Jesus will not be easy and it will not be glamorous. Our words may not be well-received and (if it’s me saying them) they certainly won’t be very articulate! But Jesus has entrusted this gift to us, to use for His glory.
If we’re desperate to open our hearts and mouths but feeling weak please remember this:
There is power in the name of Jesus – real power. A power so much more real than those advertising slogans!
When we call upon the name of Jesus, we are to remember the power that lies behind our words. A power that is changing our hearts, a power that has rescued us, a power that is healing us and a power that has conquered our enemies of sin and death.
In Acts 2, Peter challenges the crowd to ‘repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus.’ In Acts 3, Peter invites the man at Gate Beautiful to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus. In fact, the disciples used the name of Jesus so often that the Sanhedrin got involved – the one thing that they wanted followers of Jesus to stop doing was speaking His name! Action in the name of Jesus was powerful enough to be seriously unsettling for those in positions of authority. Jesus changes us. And He changes our world. Simple. Amen.