3rd Sunday Before Lent, Year A

Isaiah 58.1-9

1 Corinthians 2.1-12

Matthew 5.13-20

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our opening collect this morning about unruly wills and passions reminded me of the story of two children, playing noisily together, who started to have a big argument. Their mother let them carry on for a little while, but as things sounded as if they were getting worse, went to find out what it was all about, only to be told, that they were not really arguing, just playing Mummies and Daddies.

While doubtless it may have been true or be true at times for many of us, and slightly embarrassing, there is both a funny side, but of course also a sad side to the story; a side that we can all recognise. Children learn most by example and the first example they see and learn from is that of their parents. But it doesn’t stop there. They continue to learn by example including of course from others. And so do we all. We don’t stop learning as adults, we continue to see the example of others, and, consciously but also unconsciously, we can find ourselves emulating them. So setting a good example is really quite important as is the need to be discerning at least about those we follow consciously!

All our readings this morning have something to tell us about what examples we should believe in and follow. The first reading was from Isaiah chapter 58, from Trito or Third Isaiah, and although directed at the chosen people of God, contains an indictment of their current behaviour, a verdict of probation, and a summons to do better. This was a people who had previously been exiled in Babylon but now the focus turning back to Palestine.

They are told that their fasting was not acceptable because it wasn’t about deepening their spirituality or relationship with God but rather serving their own interests. It would be a bit like fasting in Lent to lose weight and thinking that that would be acceptable as a spiritual discipline. It isn’t. That was the verdict. Then comes the probation and summons. Fasting which is acceptable consists of a list:

·        Loosing the bonds of injustice

·        Undoing the thongs of the yoke of oppression

·        Breaking every yoke

·        Sharing bread with the hungry

·        Bringing the homeless into your own home

·        Covering the naked

·        Not hiding from your own kin

All this give us some clues as to the particular social issues they had to face in those ancient times.

And only then came the promise that their light would break forth like the dawn, and healing spring up quickly. Little doubt what example the prophet meant there as the people of God began to look towards Palestine and Jerusalem, their spiritual home, and their hopes for a return, but it was clearly characterised by and dependent upon sincerity of belief and practice.

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he rejected the idea that he initially came with clever arguments or wisdom to persuade people to faith in Jesus Christ. Instead, he came with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Words of wisdom did come later though. He exhorted them to follow the example of wisdom given through the Spirit that would enable them to understand the gifts bestowed on them by God.

And then we come to the gospel reading about salt, light, and fulfilment. This passage is fascinating because it seems to contrast with the exhortation not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. That is in fact a quote from chapter 6 of Matthew so still the Sermon on the Mount, but it is specifically only about giving: ‘when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’. Today’s reading is not about that which should continue to be a private matter, but rather is about being a light so that others may see your good works, - the things we do, the things in Isaiah’s list, for instance, which need to be seen by others for them to have any chance of having a good example to follow, but also it isn’t about us - humility is still important, but rather, as Matthew explains, it is so the glory is given to our Father in heaven. Faith is vital but so are good works, and, as with fasting in Isaiah, it isn’t for our benefit but a greater purpose.

In our Cathedral vision, we talk about the Cathedral being a beacon and a safe haven anchored in Jesus Christ. A beacon is a light, a light that sometimes guides, sometimes warns, sometimes lights the pathway, but always shines brightly and clearly and here one that points to the divine son of God. We need, though, to figure out how we can also do that as individuals as well as a Cathedral.

Let me offer one thought on this. There are many many charities which Christian people here and from churches all over Portsmouth are involved with. For many that involvement and commitment springs from their Christian faith but it is rare anyone makes that explicit. Perhaps it is due in part to a natural English reserve, not wanting to draw attention but the message of the gospel reading is that unless we admit our motivation springs in part at least from our faith, people will not see it, will not understand, and will not be able to recognise its significance.

In the 2021 census, as you may have seen recently, it is now clear that proportion of people expressing allegiance to the Christian faith has dropped below 50% in this country. There is a fascinating interactive map which shows it by postcode. In fact, most of Old Portsmouth itself, is between 50 and 56%, except the point down in Broad Street which is 47%, the pagan lot! Just 100 yards up the road, the other side of the roundabout it drops to just 27%. The variation is huge and in part it is explained of course by people no longer feeling they need to say CofE even though they have not darkened the door of a church for decades, as used to be the case in the past. A third of self-identified Christians are 65 years of age or older.

This is all a wake-up call to the Church. It is not that young people are not spiritual but that we are not successfully passing on the faith we hold to the next generations. They do have values, strong values, and we do have elements of those values in common but the fact many of our common values have a Christian foundation and are different to other values is not recognised so the baby gets thrown out with the bathwater. And worse, people think that the idea that people should be able to make their own minds up later, means they will somehow be able to imbibe good values throughout their childhood in a society that often doesn’t encourage those values to be on display. A moral vacuum is not a moral space. It is bankrupt, it is empty. Values are best learnt in the first 20 years of your life.

In the gospel of Matthew, we heard this morning about Christ coming to fulfil the law and the prophets. In Chapter 22, Jesus says that all the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments – You shall love God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. All those actions described in Isaiah are things which spring from genuine love both for God and for neighbour. And if we can bring ourselves also to be more open about how our faith motivates us, and perhaps be rather clearer about it than we have previously been, then perhaps, just perhaps, others will look and understand that it is possible to see that Christian faith is compatible with being a decent human being in the modern world. It doesn’t have to mean the extreme versions with which they may be confused, or the judgemental versions which are not demonstrations of love, or the versions which basically don’t respect others different paths.

One of those ways in which the Church needs to be more loving and is being challenged is over its approach to people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Next Saturday evening at 4pm, and again at this service next Sunday morning, we have the privilege of having with us as our speaker and guest preacher, Fr Azariah France-Williams. In 2020, he wrote a book: Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England, “an insider account” of the Church’s relationship with its “black and brown” clergy”. He himself has been ordained for 12 years, “serving the communities, doing all the rites of passage, living the life of a parish priest”. Writing the book, he says, was “a journey of discovery”, as he found out how many others had had the same experience as him of being “not seen, not heard”. Do come along and listen to what he has to say.

Finally then - Love that is genuine, is a reflection of the divine and in exercising love for all people, we show that faith matters, faith makes a difference and that we care enough to want others to share in it and we need to make that clear for all regardless of the colour of their skin, their sexuality, gender, upbringing, class, education or age. Your job, my job, is to figure out how.

Amen.