Sermon by Br Josias for the Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany

Scripture Readings

In the name of God the Creator, the Redeemer and Sustainer. Amen!

What is a good life? Who is a good person? Can we access a good life by studying ethical principles or behaving in a certain way? Can we obtain the benefits of the Kingdom of Heaven in this life, or do we have to wait for another life? Why are we here? Or better: why did I come here? Is this still life-giving for me?

These are the questions that people ask when they try to figure out the life that lies ahead of them. They are questions one asks when one experiences something strange or life-giving. They are questions of yearning and longing for something extraordinary and of deeper meaning. We sometimes reflect on these questions when things are not going according to plan, or when we try to figure out what should be our next step.

So why did you come this morning?

Those of you who have been following the appointed gospel passages for the past few Sundays will have noticed that Jesus found himself amid the crowds. Or better put, in his ministry, Jesus was always surrounded by the crowds.

Just two weeks ago, we learned of him being in the synagogue, reading from the scroll of Isaiah, and people glared at him, waiting for him to explain what he had just read. Why were people interested in his message?

 Last week, we heard of the crowds pressing or pushing their way to Jesus to listen to the word of God. And, after his teaching, we were told four fishermen were mesmerized by the number of fish they caught at his advice and decided to leave whatever they were doing and follow him. Why did the crowds press their way to listen to him? Why did these fishermen suddenly follow him? What was lacking in them that only Jesus could fulfil? Brother Luc told us that Peter responded to Jesus’ advice, of casting the nets to the other side of the boat, with a beautiful statement of faith: “I will, because you said so”;[1] and Br Luc said we should respond in the same manner. In the same passage, Jesus tells these fishermen that they will become fishers of men; and Br Luc said the message there is that “Jesus calls on all of us to be catalysts of bringing people to God; not to church, but to Christ”. So, the reason the first disciples followed Jesus, leaving their trade and everything, is because they were interested in learning how they can bring people closer to him and thus closer to God.

In the gospel passage this morning, we are told that a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon came to see (Jesus). At least we are told this crowd had come with motives or intentions. They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.[2]

We are told that Jesus taught the beatitudes to those who were interested in his speech. So, one could say that, within those who had come to listen to him, he recognised their deepest needs. Perhaps, therefore, they came not just to listen to a poetic speech, but because they were hungry. Whether they were hungry for spiritual or physical food we do not know, but they felt they could only be fed by this man named Jesus. Some came because they were weeping and needed comfort. Others came because they were hated, excluded, and reviled, and wanted to belong. Yet others seem to have come to show off their wealth and how full they are. Others may have come to show how much they are well-respected and sociable. And Jesus is trying to teach them how to be compassionate and empathetic towards those in need and whose dignity is oppressed. Maybe these are the reasons we also came here this morning. Maybe we came because we just need a safe haven. An environment where we can rejoice, feel welcomed and belong.

So why did you come?

When I asked this question in Makhanda ages ago, the one side of the room answered that they came because they wanted some nourishment in their spirituality, and the other side responded that they came because they were getting a sandwich after service (and that could well have been the only meal for them for that day). Those two groups came with different motives or backgrounds, but the monastery tried to provide for their needs. People flocked to Jesus and he attended to their needs.

So why did you come?

If I could ask each and every one here present this morning why they came, it will take us the whole day. In the Volmoed prayer, Rev Barry Wood recognises that people come to places like Volmoed because they seek God and the Wisdom of God’s truth. Some come because they are sick, and they need to be strengthened in their recovery. Others come because their lives and relationships are broken, and they seek reconciliation; and yet others come because they are short of God’s love, joy and peace.[3]

The first question we get asked in our Profession as monks is: “My brother, what do you seek?”. Brother Mpumelelo was asked the same question two weeks ago. The answers we give to this question do not always reveal the deeper drives that brought us to monastic life. It is only after some time that we become aware of the hidden motivations that influenced the choices we made.

Allow me briefly to share with you the reasons why I think the brothers are here. Maybe we are trying to model for you the life of being in God. We have experienced a tremendous amount of grace from God that we would like to share with you. So, people of Hermanus, let’s get the record straight: we did not come here for your entertainment or to be liked by you. We came because we thought we could lead you to God or at least model for you the life of being in God. If we are not living up to that, then, brothers, we need to do some serious introspection that will require an urgent change.

If you were to ask each brother why they came to the monastic life, you would get different answers. But what I know is that we are all looking for a new sense of depth. Although our approaches to the quest may differ, we are seeking to be awake to the presence of the Divine in this earthly world. And we realise we cannot do this alone.

For us, the world looked different, it slowly became clear that a different lifestyle was demanded of us. There may have been elements of guilt and shame about our past, but the primary telling was one of joy and exhilaration. Only with the passing of time and, perhaps, the waning of enthusiasm did realistic possibilities begin to open up before us. (However), none of them was a perfect fit, but one stood out as offering a skeleton around which a new self could be formed.[4] And so, we came to the monastic life. We believed that this new self could be discovered in a religious community.

What about you: Why did you come? Amen!

[1] Luke 5:5

[2] Luke 6: 17-19

[3] The Volmoed Prayer by Rev Barry Wood

[4] Michael Casey, Strangers to the City: Reflections on the Beliefs and Values of the Rule of St. Benedict, Dulles, VA: Paraclete Press , 2005, 7-8.