May the words that I speak be both spoken and received in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In today’s gospel reading of Mark where we hear that Jesus calms the storm; Jesus had taught the crowds all day from the boat. He was certainly tired. So his disciples took him, just as he was, still in the boat, across the Sea of Galilee to the other side. A great gale arose, and the boat was being swamped. The boat began to sink and though some of the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were afraid.
Jesus was asleep in the stern and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” Jesus then rebukes the wind and calms the storm. He says to the disciples, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”
In the early years of Christianity, during the First Century and into the Second Century A.D., Christians often had to endure suffering and even martyrdom for their faith. When Rome burned during the reign of Nero in the First Century, he decided to blame the Christians. They provided a spectacle for the Roman citizens in the arena and also distracted them from economic problems such as the shortage of bread.
Caligula was also renowned as an emperor for cruelty and again Christians were thrown to the lions and made to suffer in many other ways, for the amusement and entertainment of the baying mob.
Tertullian, a Roman convert to Christianity in those early years said that the: “Blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
Yesterday was the Feast Day of St Alban, who was the first martyr of Britain, who lived around the time of the late Third Century and into the year of A.D. 305. He was a soldier and a leading citizen in the large Roman town of modern day St Albans in Hertfordshire, during a period of persecution. He gave hiding and shelter to a priest who was fleeing persecution and was so impressed by his faith that Alban was converted and baptised. When the emperor’s men came searchign for the priest, Alban exchanged clothes with him. The priest escaped, but Alban was arrested in his place and was commanded to sacrifice to pagan gods. Alban refused and was tortured and condemned to death.
Yesterday was also the Feast Day of John Fisher (Bishop and martyr) and of Thomas More. Fisher was appointed Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1504 and then Confessor to Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII in 1527. Fisher opposed King Henry’s Act of Supremacy in the church at the time of the Reformation. He insisted on including the phrase: “So far as the Law of Christ allows.” This additional phrase was unacceptable to Henry. For this, Fisher was convicted of high treason and sentenced to death.
Thomas More became Lord Chancellor, but resigned the post when King Henry took on more ecclesiastical – that is more Church relating powers. He had similar objections as Fisher of Henry’s actions of proclaiming himself to be Protector and Supreme Head of the Church of England.
Both Fisher and More insisted on adding to Henry’s Act of Supremacy the phrase: “So far as the Law of Christ allows.” Thomas More was also executed and later beatified along with John Fisher in 1886 and canonised in 1935.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a German martyr who was tortured and executed for his Christian beliefs by the Nazis. He spoke of costly grace and for the sake of it one will sell all that one has – it is the call of Christ. He says such grace is costly, because it calls us to follow Christ. It is costly because it costs your life, and it is grace because it gives you the only true life.
St Paul says, “As servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships and calamities, beating, imprisonment, riots, labours, sleepless nights and hunger. Paul shows himself to be a true servant of God. He does this by his endurance of many trials – for Christ’s sake. Paul replaces fear with faith. Which what Jesus instructed his disciples to do when they were in the boat crossing the Sea of Galilee.
For Christians such trials which St Paul spoke of, these develop perseverance. But for some people they may lead to bitterness and despair. People handle things differently. Trials like these should lead to perseverance, character building and hope. Trials test the strength of faith.
Paul speaks of the Holy Spirit. He says that he has always worked and believed in the power of the Holy Spirit. He says in the left hand would be the shield of faith and in the right hand would be the sword of the Spirit.
In the eyes of the world Paul appeared to be poor. He appeared to possess nothing. Yet Paul was immensely rich. In Christ Paul possessed everything. He preached to others the unsearchable riches of Christ.
We as Christians may not be wealthy, but we can give to others in abundance the unsearchable riches of Christ. Perhaps none of us will become martyrs, but around the world Christians are persecuted. Christ calms the storms in our lives. He says do not fear, but have faith, for I am with you always and the love of God passes all our understanding. If we live in teh Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. The fruits of which are: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
St Peter's Church 