St Margaret's Church Prestwich

Our ALM Carol O gave this sermon on Sunday 18 June. Here it is for you again:

May the words of my mouth be acceptable to you my strength and redeemer. Amen

In Genesis 18 Abraham, by the oaks of Mamre, sees three men approaching in the heat of the day. And he seems to know that they are no ordinary strangers. Because, while hospitality is vital in that semi-arid climate, Abraham goes above and beyond the call of duty in his hosting of these guests. He moves as fast as his 100-year-old legs will carry him. He runs to meet them, bows down to the ground, runs to the tent to tell Sarah to whip up a good dinner, and runs to the herd to rustle up some good veal. When he sets this hastily prepared feast before the strangers, they eat and when they have finished they ask after his wife, Sarah.

As it turns out, Sarah is eavesdropping on the conversation from inside the tent entrance. And when one of the visitors promises that she will bear a son long after her child-bearing years are over, Sarah laughs. Then the LORD (in the guise of the strangers, as it turns out) says to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh, and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’” But then comes the crux of the matter, the question on which the whole story hinges: “Is anything too wonderful for the LORD?”

Can God fulfill His promises, despite the facts on the ground? Sarah and Abraham don’t believe it. In fact, Sarah, forgetting that she’s not supposed to be listening to the conversation, says from behind the tent entrance, “I did not laugh.” And the LORD, says, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

There is humour here, if you imagine the scene, 3 strangers, a man and his wife in old age and promises so extraordinarily good, that it’s hard to believe, but something so out-of-the-ordinary can be true, that we laugh until the tears stream down. Glad tears, not sad tears, tears at the hilarious unexpectedness of things. Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? Can God bring life even out of the 90-year-old woman that is Sarah, not to mention 100-year-old Abraham? Do miracles happen?

Another miraculous annunciation to a young woman, answers that question: Mary said, “Nothing will be impossible with God”. Abraham falls on his face in a fit of laughter. Sarah laughs behind the tent door. And the LORD laughs with them (I imagine) at the divine, wonderful absurdity of it all. Given the humour of the scene under the oaks of Mamre, and the comedy of a God who acts in unexpected ways to fulfill His promises, it is entirely appropriate that the child of the promise should be named Isaac which means Laughter.

Nothing will be impossible with God! In our Gospel reading, Jesus calls for each of us to act as his apostles in the world, impossible? humorous? If Jesus was here today, would you laugh at this statement? We are told that Jesus went about all the cities and villages. We are also told that he taught, proclaimed the good news of the kingdom, and cured every disease and every sickness. Then we read of Jesus summoning his disciples, giving them authority and sending them out into the world with the instruction: Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. As in our first reading this too is laughable under the circumstances, as the disciples could not believe they could follow in Jesus’s footsteps.

As we hear these words, we might be forgiven for thinking that Jesus’ commission to his twelve disciples is not for us. They stand in his physical presence. They have seen Jesus work these wonders. They have been given power and authority to do the same in his name. Surely, we do not see ourselves as being in the same league as those twelve disciples! However, Jesus’ call to both discipleship and apostleship remains unchanged. Jesus’ call is for everyone who believes in him. We are, indeed, called to cure, raise, cleanse and cast out all that weakens life in those we meet day by day. We are indeed his eyes, his ears, his hands, his feet on this earth today.

In recent times we have experienced a new way of living. We have been locked down in the interest of public safety. We have seen restrictions imposed on our work and our leisure. Face coverings and hand sanitiser have been, and still are, a part of our daily routine. We have also experienced a growing awareness of the mental fragility that has affected the lives of many. This is not new, but it has become more obvious of late.

Many people are living on a knife-edge, whether it be financial, medical or social. Whilst the outward façade may be one of confidence and stability the reality for many, is that beneath the surface there is pain and suffering on a significant scale. It is in this world of pain, that faithful Christian love and service can work miracles. Nothing will be impossible with God!

Throughout his ministry, Jesus was to be found among those who were most in need.

In the second half of Matthew’s reading, we hear Jesus sending his twelve disciples out to do the same. We are also called to share Christ’s healing presence with others. We might not be able to heal physical ailments, but we can certainly play our part in helping others feel better, we can help them draw closer to the God who loves them. Maybe we have to step outside our own comfort zones and follow Jesus’ example. Remember, a kind smile, a chat and a cuppa perhaps, shared laughter can be the medicine, the healing, we all need at some time in our lives. Amen