"The upside down kingdom"

Evensong on 25th February: Catherine Jupp

Luke 18 Pharisee and the Tax collector.

May I speak in the name of the living God, father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen

This week we start our Lent groups. I hope you are intending to go to one. The theme is ‘Spot the Difference’. What difference does being a Christian make to your life, and what difference should it make? Over the weeks we will be looking at five ways in which our commitment to Christ should show in our everyday lives: in a quality of love, a spontaneity of witness, a disposition of joy, a generosity of spirit and a vibrant inner faith. Do people you meet and work with notice all this about you? It is a really good course – challenging and interesting.

Today’s gospel reading offers a different way of looking at things. You could call it the ‘upside down’ way that Jesus says we should we should adopt.  In Jesus’ upside down kingdom, the first are last, those who humble themselves are exalted, those who mourn are blessed, those who want to be great should be a servant, God chooses the foolish things to shame the wise and so on. We get the idea that God looks at the world very differently from the way we do. And so I suppose that those we work with and know as friends should notice us doing the same.

In tonight’s gospel reading Jesus said that we should receive the kingdom of God like a child.  What characterises children is their helplessness. They cannot contribute to society – they are totally dependent. They do not understand – they have to trust adults. They are receivers. And Jesus says we are to be like that.

Now in our society to be dependent is to be a sponger, to lack initiative, and we are told that everyone should work and fend for themselves. Hence there is a sense of shame in being dependent. And how hard we find it to accept help, to admit weakness, to cry, to have things done for us. We all feel much more comfortable being the giver – it makes us feel stronger.

The story in the gospel reading is brilliant. The Pharisee was a self made man – he needed no one – in fact he was proud that so many people benefited from his generosity. There was only one problem for the Pharisee, and it was devastating — he couldn’t receive. He couldn’t receive because he felt no need to receive. What did he need? What could anyone offer to a man who is "not like other men?" And so he asked for nothing and he received nothing. And that nothing included the love of God, his forgiveness, and a peace that passes all understanding.

And the tax-gatherer?  He had nothing. "God, have mercy on me, a sinner" (v. 13). His head was bowed. His hands were empty. And they were open. Those open hands — they made him like a child. And children like that will enter the upside-down kingdom. And it is when we become as a child and acknowledge our helplessness that we can begin to receive God’s love.

There are a lot of ways you can be successful in the ordinary world. In Welwyn it would be having a good job, having lots of invites to dinner parties, being busy, having expensive clothes, making lots of money, living in an impressive house — on and on there are ways to stop being a nobody and become a somebody. But the somebodies in this life are often the nobodies in God’s upside down kingdom.

Being in God’s kingdom means that it is OK to be vulnerable. To be like a child and receive from God is good. We don’t have to depend on societies values for our worth. Just ask God for his love.

And how will people know we are Christians? We will do unusual things. We will value different things. We will not define ourselves by society’s values. We are members of the upside down kingdom. We are and can be like little children – we receive from God because we know we need him, and we can receive from other people because to be vulnerable is fine.

Our role model is Jesus, and he humbled himself on the cross.

‘For everyone who makes himself great will be humbled and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted.’

When my mother died I found a poem in her recipe book. It was in the pages that she obviously used a lot as they were food stained. And I remember her saying bits of it. It is a bit dated, but powerful nonetheless.

He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater.
He sendeth more strength when the labours increase
To added affliction he addeth his mercy
To multiplied trials his multiplied peace.

When we have exhausted our store of endurance
When our strength has failed ‘ere the day is half done
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources
Our Father’s full giving is only begun

His love has no limit, his grace has no measure
His power no boundary known unto men
For out of his infinite riches in Jesus
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.

Amen