Matthew Ch 11 v 16-19, 25 -30

I’m not coming to your party if you won’t play my game!

Jesus says ‘come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest’ Learn from me; I am gentle, humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls.

In the reading we are being challenged to come to a full understanding of power and to completely surrender to God. To question where our loyalties really lie, and just as importantly, to understand what true happiness is.

Jesus reminds the crowd that some of them thought John was possessed with a demon, and yet he lived a life of denial and simplicity. We know that Jesus lived his earthly life overturning injustices and revealing the ways in which the attitude of society wasn’t love – love of God and each other; but love of oneself, selfishness and self-interest. He was showing how twisting the facts to suit a person’s own aims could lead to suffering of others, lead to people sinning.

In this parable Jesus is comparing the crowd, those who were alive at that time, to a bunch of children. How some children will only play the game if they have the main part, but when other children try to take the lead, they become bored and lose interest. They don’t want to play the game any more. We have all known children like that, I suspect many of us have had to deal with a small child coming home from school in tears because someone wouldn’t play with them that day, wouldn’t let them join in.

So what do I say now? What do I say about those children (now of course grown-up) who want their own game, their own gathering, refuse to listen to the views of the majority, refuse even to meet and talk. We won’t come to your party Rowan, because you won’t let us choose all the games, or in this case the agenda. What do they think they are doing, what are they hoping to achieve. What are they doing for Christianity? Jesus must surely be weeping over his Church.

I don’t believe Jesus chose male disciples for any doctrinal reason. Two thousand years ago it certainly wouldn’t have been acceptable to have a group of men and women travelling the countryside, probably all sleeping in one room; in fact I doubt if it would be acceptable today to have a group of male and female clergy sharing sleeping accommodation, at the clergy conference in Lille we had different floors.

If we look at Mary Magdalene she spent much time with Jesus and the disciples, and I might remind GAFCON that it was Mary Magdalene with two other women who followed when Christ’s body was carried to the tomb, it was the two Mary’s who discovered that the tomb was empty; for when Christ was arrested the men fled, Peter came back but he denied knowing Christ. It wasn’t just the men who served our Lord, it was the women also, and they didn’t run away.

Why are these people so obsessed with all things sexual, why do they challenge God’s creation, for each and every one of us is made in the image of God according to his will? No one is supporting immoral behaviour but accepting difference, and pleading that all people in loving compassionate relationships be they heterosexual or homosexual be treated with love. We all know how difficult it can be to maintain long relationships in today’s society, we need to support each other, or we risk driving people into promiscuous relationships because long term relationships are not allowed.

If they are looking for a truly pure priesthood, well there won’t be one because we are all sinners. Many of these views come from Leviticus where nearly anything you can do seems to be detestable; I am certainly detestable because I love eating prawns. I suspect that was more to do with the danger of getting severe food poisoning because of a warm climate, obviously they had no fridges.

Going back to the children’s game some of them continue trying to get their message across to the one’s who only want to do it their way. Jesus seems to have them saying ‘we’re trying to tell you something, but you ignore us. We’re giving you every chance, but still you ignore us.’

God sent his Son but they ignored him also, so perhaps Jesus himself might be feeling like the children in his image. John the Baptist had been preaching and baptizing, but he’s now in prison, Jesus has taken up his ministry of teaching, but still they ignored, they still wanted only to play their game to have the say.

The Pharisees didn’t like John The Baptist, but they disliked Christ even more. They couldn’t cope with Jesus because his message was loving and the joyful announcement of the coming of the kingdom. He ate and drank with all sorts of people without reservation. He was accused of being a glutton and drunkard, a friend of sinners and tax collectors. John couldn’t win and neither could Jesus.

What was wrong with these people? Couldn’t they see that Jesus and John were inviting them to return once again to a faithful living of their covenant, to a living out of the law that says to love as you would be loved, to behave towards others as you would want them to behave towards you? Jesus tells his listeners that if they would just come to him, he would give them rest bring peace into their lives.

Everyone knows the Lambeth Conference may be difficult, but we are warned it is no good just loving people we agree with we have to love those with whom we disagree. And that can be hard. But that is what God calls us to do; Jesus never promised the way ahead would be easy.

There is so much un-necessary suffering in our country, in the world.

After meeting a young child about whom I felt great concern I spoke to a friend who works as a social worker in London and she said ‘there are so many children being brought into this country to live with so called parents. Why are they being brought in – are they being sold into the sex industry? Pornography seems to be a growth industry in our country; the roads of France are filled with teenage girls standing on road junctions, working as prostitutes. We said slavery ended two hundred years ago, women and children are still being sold into slavery.

I don’t think the church is vocally doing enough for these present day slaves, it may be quietly working to stop it, but does the world know. And there are so many other ills. Why aren’t those bishops shouting about them, about injustice, violence, including knife crimes, poverty and corruption, the list is endless, instead of encouraging prejudice make it appear acceptable. I understand Archbishop Sentanu has given the Church a wake-up call, calling it far too inward looking.

Women and homosexuals have been here since time began, there have always been homosexual priests and bishops, and there were women priests in the early church.

These readings both challenge and assure us. They point to the profound simplicity of a life in Christ, and they serve as a mirror for us to examine our understanding of who we are as well as how we are living our lives. Our desire should be to love God and to love our neighbour. When we do not love God and our neighbour, we are in sin. Jesus called everyone to join him, he reached out to everyone, we are called to do the same.

Let us come to God through Jesus. Let us take on the yoke of discipleship. Let us learn from Jesus to be gentle, humble in heart, and as he promised us we will be at peace with all that God made. Amen.