Thursday, 5 September 2019

12th Sunday after Pentecost 1 Sep 2019 Sermon


12th Sunday after Pentecost 1.9.19 Loving our Neighbour

We must love our neighbour, whoever that may be, and whatever love requires in each situation.

Our neighbour could be someone we see all the time, like family; or a stranger we see only once.

What love requires may not necessarily be what the person wants from us.

Sometimes love requires that we refuse a request, or that we correct the other person’s behaviour.

One situation that often arises is that people come to churches to ask for money. We should generally refuse such requests because a lot of the claims for help will be untruthful; and we run the risk of being overrun with other people doing the same thing.

We will be accused of being un-Christian if we do not give, but we must seek the best path to take.

The Church has structures for helping the poor, and we should encourage the proper use of those structures. This will keep due order and reduce fraud.

We work for the overall good of each person and of the whole Church.

This  is how God expresses love for us - He works to an overall plan.

We believe He hears our prayers; yet He does not always give us what we ask, nor does He always give it immediately.

We might lament this apparent inaction on God's part, but we can be assured He is working for our overall good.

He will give us what is best for us, and in the way that is best.

We can apply the same logic to our love for others. We will give what we think is best and in the way that is best for each person. We do not have God's infinite wisdom, but we can seek His guidance for the best response in each case.

The whole Church is charitable, materially and spiritually.

The spiritual help is always more important, but we must attend to material help also.

It is no use preaching to a man if he has an empty stomach. We feed him first; because simple charity requires it, and it will put him in a more likely mood to receive the Gospel.

Many would resist the spiritual help, but they need it, even if they do not know or do not want.

The Church is seen as helpful in the material domain, but not for its spiritual value.

But we must pursue the spiritual side of the matter. We must instruct the ignorant and admonish the sinner, two of the spiritual works of mercy. Ignorant and sinful people will not usually admit they are in those states.

This is where we have to overrule sometimes. We hope that those whose requests we refuse will not be embittered, but come to a proper spiritual understanding of their position before God, and see their way to a higher destiny.

In our prayer we ask this of God, acknowledging that He knows best; and while we cannot understand all His ways, we do see the general pattern to which He is working.

That everyone, including ourselves, will see our ultimate happiness as union with God, and all other needs along the way as subservient to that.

We do not find this easy as urgent needs press upon us. We do not find it easy to convince other people that this is their situation.

But it is true for everyone, and God Himself will not allow us to forget it.

He could rain down every conceivable material blessing on us, but He knows that would distract us from the main task, which is to have our sins forgiven, and right relationship with Him restored.

May we find the right balance; that all our giving and receiving be according to God's holy will.

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