Colossians 3: 12-15
“As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful.”
Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
May I speak and may we hear the Word of God, Amen.
Did you ever play “Dressing Up” when you were little? I did, and I had a big box of items that included my grandma’s old fur scarf which would be frowned on now but was a favourite item! Maybe some of you have dressed up as superheroes for your kids’ parties or taken part in murder mystery events, or amateur dramatics. Whatever costume you put on, it gave you permission to be someone different for a short time, to pretend you had more power or grace than you actually possessed. You could be someone new.
A couple of years ago, I listened to an interview with one of the actors from Downton Abbey. She described how putting on those amazing period costumes affected her. Her posture changed, even the way she spoke suddenly became more refined. Wearing the costume automatically put her into the character she was portraying. Putting on the dress made her into someone new.
I am wondering if any of the Surrey Mayors feel different when they put on their regalia, does it make you feel more Mayoral even though you are still Steve or Robert underneath? By putting on robes or civic costumes we are becoming representatives of the roles they inhabit.
Maybe this is why St. Paul chooses to use clothing as a metaphor in his letter to the Colossians. Paul writes about taking off the old self and clothing ourselves in the new life in Christ. Verses 1-11 of this chapter tells us to strip away everything from our lives that is not of God, so that we can put on the new self, the self that is constantly being restored to bear the image of God. In that process, Paul tells us, there is no longer any identity that matters, except for Christ, who is all and in all. He goes on to describe in the section we heard today what we are to put on, Christ’s attributes of humility and gentleness, forgiveness and love. However, as we consciously begin to wear these attributes, we may find that they don’t fit very well at first. For Christ’s goodness to live in us and fit us well, we must strip off everything that connects us to the old life of sin. Then, and only then, will the characteristics of Christlikeness begin to fit. As they become more and more a part of our thinking, speaking and doing, we find that something else happens. Putting on these external behaviours does something to our internal spirit.
“Let Christ’s peace rule in your hearts,” Paul writes. What began as an outward change of behaviour now becomes and inward change of heart. The peace of Christ begins to take over the way we think and behave, ruling not only our hearts, but also our actions.
It is important to remember that all the Christ-like characteristics we are to put on are social ones. We are all connected to one another, and as Christ’s body, we are sent into the world to connect with others, as well. This is why this is such an appropriate reading for today, as Steve and Carol carry out civic duties on behalf of the borough, and as each of us contribute to our local communities and wider society, as representatives of the organisations we are part of, and most importantly for those who profess a Christian faith as representatives of Christ.
This is not a new idea, nor is it a purely faith concept. Throughout our world, the Church, and our homes a common question is being asked. People want to know if the waters of life are navigable and, if so, how? People are looking for a way to deal with the challenges, uncertainties, and difficulties of life. We want some assurance that the direction of our life will offer meaning and connect us to something larger than our individual stories. So how do we move forward? What are we to teach and tell our children and grandchildren? Those are the age-old questions, asked in every generation.
Most of us have been taught to navigate the waters of life through power, strength, accomplishment, and acquisition. We work to be rich so we can have what we want. We seek power so we can control what we want. We argue to be right so we can have our own way. We compete to win so we’ll be respected and admired. We want to be beautiful, so we’ll be liked and desired. Any of that sound familiar? Have you tried those ways of getting through life?
Those attitudes fill headline news, magazine articles, tabloid pictures, television, and even our own lives. They find their origin in the idea that we are to be self-made men and women, that we are to build up ourselves and make a life. After all we must look out for number one because if we don’t no one will. At least that’s what many of us have been told. For too long that has been the myth with which we have lived as a society. Jesus’ life and teaching fly in the face of that myth. Jesus offers a different way of navigating life.
The waters of life, he says, are navigable. But it’s not through power, strength, accomplishment, or acquisition. The way forward is not the way we’ve always done it. It is not enough for us, as believers and followers of Jesus, to simply make over a little piece of our world or life. It is not enough to just reform a political or economic system. Navigating life is not about overcoming circumstances or other people. It is about overcoming ourselves.
If you want to know what overcoming yourself looks like then look at the beatitudes or Be Attitudes that state it is the poor, those who mourn, the humble, the dissatisfied, the forgiving, the innocent, the gentle and kind and those whom the world often rejects or casts out are the ones that find favour with God. That is why Steve has chosen to support charities that work with the disadvantaged and the differently abled. He has known what it is like to need help and support from others and wants to give something back.
That is how we navigate life. That is how to meet the challenges, the uncertainties, and the difficulties of life. That is what we are to teach our children and grandchildren. The be - attitudes are not simply Jesus’ helpful hints for happy living. They are descriptive of God’s mind and Jesus’ heart. They are kingdom values and reveal what kingdom life is like. They shape and form our lives and longings to be like God’s life and longings. That’s a pretty different approach. That’s why the beatitudes are so radical and often seem so out of reach.
The temptation is to think that the beatitudes are rules or conditions for being blessed or receiving our heavenly reward. They are not that at all. They are not about building up, accomplishing, or acquiring. They are about letting go, surrendering, living with a vulnerable and open heart. That does not mean we run away, back down, or isolate ourselves from the realities of our life and world. It means we engage them in a different way, Jesus’ way. The beatitudes teach us to trust God more than the external circumstances of our lives. They invite dependence on God rather than self-reliance. That is why we are hosting this Civic service we cannot do these things in our own strength; we need the help and guidance of God.
The beatitudes are not so much about what we do, our actions, but how we do, our being. They are less about actions and more about relationships. To live the beatitudes is to live a life of reckless, exuberant, self-abandonment to God and our neighbour. That’s called love. The only reason we can do that is because we know and trust ourselves to have already been blessed by God. We live the beatitudes as a response to God blessing us. That is the way of Christ. That is not only the way forward through this life, but also the way to life. If we are to follow Christ it must become our way. As first citizens we are looking to Steve and Carol to lead by example.
Today, let us commit to living out the message of our readings in our daily lives. Let us intentionally seek opportunities to demonstrate tender hearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience to those around us. By doing so, we bear witness to the transformative power of God's truth and love in our lives, in our community of Epsom and Ewell, and in the world.
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