‘Do not be shocked, do not worry. Mt 10 v24 - 39

There is the common phrase ‘it’s the cross I have to bear’ but that cross is often not much more that an irritating nuisance. Now if we go back to the time of Christ the cross was a word that brought fear to people, for it depicted a shameful and painful death.

So when Christ said ‘take up your cross’ he certainly wasn’t talking about the cross round my neck, or indeed the cross on the altar but the emotional cross which might mean suffering persecution, losing friends or even family, facing criticism, ridicule, having to give something up, whatever, but having to change our lives to follow in his footsteps. Perhaps in today’s society we might say going against the flow.

If we take a step back and look at the Gospels one of the outstanding things about Christ’s ministry was his refusal to be swayed by the opinions of the leaders of the time.

He refused to conform, to be bullied; he refused to be thrown by what people did. I suppose you might say he refused to be shocked by what people did.

Two weeks ago we had the reading about St Matthew being called by Jesus to follow him, Matthew one of those really disliked tax collectors, disliked because they ripped people off, but Jesus would mix with everyone. He did not write them off for what they did but was prepared to listen to them, he never condoned sin but he never rejected people outright.

His sympathy and love was there for everyone he would offer support to all. The Temple had very strict rules on who could enter – many kinds of illness resulted in people being banned, but Jesus loved and supported these losers. The drop outs, the marginalised, the lepers (many of whom who not physical lepers but just regarded that way), the handicapped they were all regarded as inferior by the religious leaders not worthy of their love and attention.

Christ may not have been shocked but many so called good people were shocked by his actions. His love for all was too threatening, too hard for them to be able, or more likely to want to be able to accept, which seems to ring very true for many today. All encompassing love can be very hard.

Jesus' instructions to his disciples as they began their ministry included all the dangers and hardships they might have to put up. But he ends by adding ‘what do you expect? A pupil is not greater than his teacher. If the world gives me a bad time, it will give you one too". And he went on to say ‘don’t let that put you off for even though it's not obvious now, the truth will come out finally. So, speak up; shout it out; stand and deliver’

His message is that people, earthly things can only hurt us temporarily because life and salvation comes from God, not earthly things.

We all know the saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’. But the fact is that when we are at the receiving end of verbal abuse, criticism, those words seem far from the truth. But as life moves on often we can see the truth – for if we hand over to God what we cannot cope with he is there to support and comfort. Just as Christ said to Matthew follow me, so he is saying that to us today. For nothing that happens to us can change that.

In the passage Jesus is reminding us that the voice of the masses is not the voice of God. We worry far too much about what other people say or think of us and far too little about what God thinks of us. We know this is true. We've heard it before. But, it's easier said than done.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the pressures of life for no better reason than it is happening around us. Society today is probably more than ever like that. The media tells us what we should have, what we should do, if a celebrity buys or does something half the country seems to think it needs to rush out and buy or do it. But why?

Christ suffered to buy freedom for us on the Cross and yet people allow themselves to be imprisoned by the fear of not having what every one else has, not being seen in the right places, etc. etc. And at the end of the day no one seems to suffer more than celebrities who people love to follow, for the media seems to push them so often to the brink.

What would Jesus do what would his answer be? Jesus

invites us not to be pushed by anyone. It may be that by refusing to join the crowd, we will scandalize other people. He tells us to buck the system, not to become players in the world's most popular game, where people become either victim or victimizer. Not to let ourselves become imprisoned by the fear of being different, of not being part of the ‘crowd’, whatever that crowd may be.

J.John tells a lovely story;

Its about a manager who is on holiday in Greece but waiting for a return call from his secretary, for he cannot let go – and I suspect there are many of us here who can relate to that.

As the manager was pacing up and down waiting for a return phone call, he came across a fisherman, dozing in the shade of his fishing boat that had been pulled up on the beach.

As the man passed, the fisherman woke up and so he decided to talk to him. ‘The weather is great and there’s lots of fish. So how come you are sitting about here - when you could be out there - catching more fish?’

Quietly, the fisherman replied: “Because I caught enough this morning” “But just imagine” the manager replied “if you went out twice a day, you could bring home twice as much fish. And do you know what could happen?

Puzzled, the fisherman shook his head. “Well” the manager continued “you could buy yourself a motorboat. And then, after say a couple of years you could buy a

second one. Then perhaps after three years you could have a cutter or two” and the manager carried on trying to encourage the fisherman to expand and expand his business.

“And then what” the fisherman replied.

“And then “the manager concluded triumphantly “ you wouldn’t have to worry. You could then sit down calmly on the beach, dozing in the sun and looking at the

beautiful ocean.”

“ Well, my friend" the fisherman replied "what do you think I am doing now!”

Somehow I think the poor fisherman, who was not interested in becoming powerful and rich, was far happier than the wealthy manager who couldn’t even leave the pressures of work behind while on holiday, that pressure which can be so strong for many. But life isn’t for worrying about being powerful, the fear of being left behind, it’s for serving God and our neighbour, and where possible enjoy the good things God has given us.

And never forgetting the promise Jesus gave us, we can stop being afraid because of that promise -- the promise that God who watches over even the commonest of birds will take care of us. The promise that, as his children, we are of infinite value, just as we are, just as God made us.

That suffering on that ugly wooden cross which brought fear into the hearts of all who saw it, that wooden unadorned cross bought that good news for us. Amen.