Rev Helen preached this sermon on Wednesday 22 January 2025. Here it is for you again:
It’s good fun being a rebel, doing the unexpected being different not wanting to follow the crowd or do what others think you should. It’s always something I’ve found fascinating and gravitated towards in the people I admire and see as role models and probably also because I’ve always been a bit that way myself, bit of a rebel, I can see the shock in your faces. It manifested early like when I started to refuse to wear skirts and dresses from a young age and despite their huge fame and everyone’s obsession deciding I really didn’t like the Spice Girls and being very vocal about it at 8/9 years old. I didn’t get it, there I’ve said it, thought it was a load of rubbish. I was even less endeared to them when I got stuck with a tram full of their fans on my way home from work one night when they were playing in Manchester in 2019.The tram was full to bursting, it was bearable until they decided to have a sing along. I just put on my headphones, turned up my David Bowie to full blast and stood in a corner looking grumpy until they all got off.
There have always been people who have been willing to stand up to authority, go the extra mile and stand up for what they believe in not worrying about the risks to themselves, so many like Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, The Pankhursts, Martin Luther, the many Christian Martyrs over the years ok some of them are figures who some people many have different opinions on, some might even be controversial but they all stood up loudly and publically for what they believed in and changed things, that can’t be denied!
Even Jesus, the founder of our fath, wasn’t opposed to standing up to authority when he needed to. Jesus set the example to his followers of how to live our lives through his teachings, his ministry and how he lived himself. Jesus wasn’t overse to doing the unexpected, he wandered off from his parents sending them into a panic, he healed people who were disabled or had demons (who others wouldn’t go anywhere near), he spent time with outcasts and those seen as unacceptable like tax collectors and we have another story in todays gospel of Jesus going against those in authority. It’s the Sabbath and Jesus is presented with a man who has a withered hand but he is being watched by those in authority wondering what he will do, by Jewish Law you don’t do anything on the sabbath and Jesus was a Jew so if he heals this man he’s basically breaking the law and they are wanting a reason to go after him and I’m pretty sure he’s fully aware of this. So if you were Jesus what would you do? I’d say he has three options does he:
1. Say sorry I can’t today as it’s the day of rest but come back tomorrow and I’ll do it then
2. Say to them ‘ok take him out the back and I’ll come and do it quietly where none of us will get in trouble
3. Berate and call out the authorities for their hard hearts and breaks the law to help the man who is in need.
Of course, as we’ve just heard. Jesus takes option 3 and he knows the conquenses and we see it, the authorities plot to have him killed and eventually they succeed in this when Jesus is executed, but that’s a story for another day (and probably not one you’re unfamiliar with).
Jesus wasn’t afraid of this though. This wasn’t the first time he did something like this and it wouldn’t be the last there are many other examples. Jesus knew he would eventually be arrested by the authorities and put to death, something else he spoke about regularly (although many of his disciples didn’t always get it). Jesus knew the consequences of his actions yet he still followed them to the end. Jesus tells us to be his disciples and follow his example so surly we should be doing this as well. Jesus was executed for defying authority but of course Jesus story doesn’t end there because after he died he then rose from the dead and set out the way to eternal life for those who chose to be his disciples.
Standing up against authority can be difficult, but Jesus never said being his disciple would be easy and that the world could turn against you and hurt you for it. He also said when you are dragged in front of authority testify, testify, testify. That’s what we do for him, we be his disciples and we have him as our role model for our own lives because that’s what he charged his followers with. I think during this week of Christian Unity when we pray for and ask for unity between Christians because we do get tied up in petty squabbles between ourselves when there are much bigger things going on, even keeping our own houses in order at the moment. Jesus is the one who unites us all, Jesus tells us to be his disciples and do as he does Jesus, was one of the original rebel rebels so lets be disciples he would be proud of and not be afraid because if he is with us we really can do anything. Amen
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 