Quinquagesima Sunday 11 Feb 2018 Sermon

Quinquagesima Sunday 11.2.18 Messiah

The Jews had been waiting a long time for the Messiah to come.

At first they expected a military leader, along the lines of King David, who would win the battles and free the nation from oppressors. Our Lord did not fit this model.

But, having Him in their midst, they noted that He was capable of providing some very useful blessings, such as health for the sick, food for the hungry; He could even control the weather (cf calming the storm). So they wanted to keep Him close and handy, for the benefits He could provide.

But for Our Lord Himself, these miracles were just interludes on the way. He had a very clear idea of what sort of Messiah He was, and where He was headed.

In today’s Gospel He tells what is going to happen. But what He says is so unexpected that His disciples cannot take it in.

We, who come later, now know what sort of Messiah He was, and why He died - but even for us, with the benefit of hindsight, it can still be a struggle.

He came to restore human nature in Himself, to unite it with the divine, to lift it to a higher plane; to enable a response from the human side which would otherwise not be possible.

He came to change us on the inside, to make our hearts and minds like His own.

We are meant to be like Him. Like Him, at least as far as our capacity can cope.

He will not force salvation upon us. He offers it to us; He gives us the way to achieve it, teaching us what is required, giving us grace to motivate us; and forgiving us when we go astray.

We would probably settle for salvation being handed to us on a plate. Just present this certificate at the door of Heaven, and be allowed in!

But that would not do, because we would not yet be transformed in our inner selves. Salvation comes from the inside out, we could say. Our hearts and minds are changed to be Christ-like, and that is what gives us entry to Heaven.

He purifies us, and lifts us to higher things – a higher standard of behaviour, and a higher destiny.

This kind of Messiah not everyone wants.

People do seek improvement and renewal, but not necessarily on Our Lord’s terms.

They prefer false gods, easier to manage. They prefer their own morality, much less demanding.

Above all, they do not like the idea of suffering, and will go to great lengths to avoid it.

People generally still want a Messiah who will do their bidding, whether to remove an oppressive invader, or just tidy up day-to-day troubles.

We do not generally want to reorganize our whole lives.

He leaves it to us to decide. Our response determines whether or not He can save us.

It is our glory that we have a choice, though sometimes we might wish we did not have such a privilege. That way we could never be lost.

But having the choice, and choosing the right way, gives us greater glory.

The Messiah came to bring each and all people to this glory. He is still working towards that conclusion. Let us help Him to help us, by turning towards Him on every possible occasion.