The Difficulties Of Letting Go
Sermon
I remember years ago watching an old film, which I think was "The Nun's Story." The young nun who was the heroine of the story had all sorts of difficulties in relationships with the other nuns. The problem was that she was super-intelligent, and the other nuns resented her. In the end the young nun went to the Mother Superior for advice, and was told that as a sign of humility she should fail her coming exams!
I can't remember the end of the story, but I have a vague recollection that try as she might, the young nun was quite unable to comply with that order and passed her exams with flying colours. As far as I remember, eventually everything ended happily ever after, for she fell in love with a handsome young man and left the order.
Relationships can be difficult, especially when one person in the relationship begins to supercede the other. The relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist is an intriguing one. Luke suggests that Jesus' mother Mary and John's mother Elizabeth were cousins, although no other New Testament writers suggest any sort of blood relationship between the two. So this may be a literary device used by Luke to emphasise the close relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist.
Many of the New Testament passages about the two suggest that the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus was perhaps at times an uneasy one. Today's passage from Matthew's gospel suggests that Jesus might have been a disciple of John's. For it's not until John is arrested and thrown into prison that Jesus begins his ministry, and he apparently begins his ministry using exactly the same slogan as John: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
According to the passage in John's gospel which we read last week, Jesus' first disciples were originally disciples of John. Last week we read this in John's gospel: "John was standing with two of his disciples and looked at Jesus.. and said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of (them).. was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He found his brother and brought him to Jesus." (John 1:35-42)
This contrasts with today's account in Matthew's gospel of the calling of the first disciples by Jesus. According to Matthew, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea. Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. The only hint Matthew gives that Simon and Andrew might have been John's disciples first, is that he sets the story in the context of John the Baptist's arrest, and has Jesus use John's familiar slogan.
It does seem perhaps a little unlikely that Simon and Andrew would have thrown over their entire livelihood to follow Jesus the first time they set eyes on him. It seems much more probable that they already knew Jesus. Perhaps they and Jesus were all disciples of John together, and already knew each other quite well. And perhaps it's only when John is arrested and thrown into prison that Jesus emerges as leader of the group in John's place.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls just after the Second World War, has produced exciting evidence of a community of Jews with whom John the Baptist might have been affiliated. The scrolls were nearly all written in the two centuries immediately before Christ, and are almost certainly the work of Essenes.
The Essenes were a community living around the shores of the Dead Sea at Qumran. This community was a sort of male, monastic community, totally dedicated to godliness and cleanliness, and preparing themselves for a new heaven on earth, a New Jerusalem.
Although they're not mentioned in the pages of the New Testament, along with the Pharisees and Sadducees they were one of the three major sects within the Judaism of the first century. Perhaps they're not mentioned because Jesus wasn't opposed to them in the way he was opposed to the Pharisees and Sadducees. Or perhaps the gospel writers assumed the Essene background would be common knowledge to their readers.
Some scholars believe John the Baptist was trained by the Essene community at Qumran. The Essenes were the only other Jewish sect known to baptise, although their baptism was more of a ritual washing than total immersion like John's.
And one of the scrolls says this: "Community members shall go into the wilderness to prepare the way of God, as it is written 'In the wilderness prepare the way of God, make level in the desert a highway for our God.'
In this Qumran passage, Isaiah 40:3 is applied to the founding of the Qumran community. In all four gospels the same verse from Isaiah is applied to John the Baptist. And there are many clear parallels in the Dead Sea Scrolls with the teaching of Jesus, such as the unusual phrase 'the poor in spirit' which is used in Matthew's version of the Sermon on the Mount. Some early Christian teaching didn't tally with normative Judaism, but it did tally with the sectarian Judaism of the Qumran community. (Taken from: Gospel Truth? by Graham Stanton - ISBN 0006280080, and "BC The Archaeology of the Bible Lands," by Magnus Magnusson - ISBN 0 563 17209 6)
So at the very least, both John the Baptist and Jesus were influenced by the Qumran community. It's very clear from all the Gospels that John was the forerunner. And it appears to be clear that he recognised Jesus as the Messiah, for as we read last week in John's gospel, when John the Baptist saw Jesus he said to his disciples: "Behold the Lamb of God".
But later on, a dispute is recorded in John's gospel between John the Baptist's disciples and Jesus' disciples. John's disciples said to John, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptising, and all are going to him!"
What a difficult position for John the Baptist. Should he give way and allow this other person to take away all his disciples, or should he fight to retain his position as leader?
John reminds his anxious disciples that he himself is not the Christ, but has been sent by God as a forerunner. He talks about Jesus to his disciples, then he says those words which are full of humility and which many people find difficult to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:22-36)
Yet in Matthew's gospel John appears very uncertain whether he should identify Jesus with the Messiah. When he was languishing in prison he sent some of those disciples who didn't follow Jesus but who remained with him, to ask Jesus whether or not he was the expected Messiah. Even John the Baptist needed reassurance that he'd made the right decision in stepping back and handing over the reins.
It's difficult to step back and hand over the reins, especially if you're not convinced the person coming to take your place is the right one. It's difficult to let go, especially for those who have been in a position of leadership. Like John the Baptist, anyone whose whole identity has been invested in their work or their position, can feel very vulnerable and inadequate and depressed and useless when the time comes to retire or hand over the job to someone else.
At those moments it's important to hear the affirming words of Jesus in Matthew 11, spoken to the crowds at the time of John's greatest doubt: "Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist."
Despite John's doubts and uncertainties and feelings of uselessness and depression, Jesus strongly affirms John the Baptist and his work. And he says much the same to each of us when our active working lives reach their end, or when we have to hand over to someone else: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
And in response, we must learn to say: "He must increase, but I must decrease."
I can't remember the end of the story, but I have a vague recollection that try as she might, the young nun was quite unable to comply with that order and passed her exams with flying colours. As far as I remember, eventually everything ended happily ever after, for she fell in love with a handsome young man and left the order.
Relationships can be difficult, especially when one person in the relationship begins to supercede the other. The relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist is an intriguing one. Luke suggests that Jesus' mother Mary and John's mother Elizabeth were cousins, although no other New Testament writers suggest any sort of blood relationship between the two. So this may be a literary device used by Luke to emphasise the close relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist.
Many of the New Testament passages about the two suggest that the relationship between John the Baptist and Jesus was perhaps at times an uneasy one. Today's passage from Matthew's gospel suggests that Jesus might have been a disciple of John's. For it's not until John is arrested and thrown into prison that Jesus begins his ministry, and he apparently begins his ministry using exactly the same slogan as John: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."
According to the passage in John's gospel which we read last week, Jesus' first disciples were originally disciples of John. Last week we read this in John's gospel: "John was standing with two of his disciples and looked at Jesus.. and said, 'Behold the Lamb of God!' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. One of (them).. was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He found his brother and brought him to Jesus." (John 1:35-42)
This contrasts with today's account in Matthew's gospel of the calling of the first disciples by Jesus. According to Matthew, Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon and Andrew casting a net into the sea. Jesus said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him. The only hint Matthew gives that Simon and Andrew might have been John's disciples first, is that he sets the story in the context of John the Baptist's arrest, and has Jesus use John's familiar slogan.
It does seem perhaps a little unlikely that Simon and Andrew would have thrown over their entire livelihood to follow Jesus the first time they set eyes on him. It seems much more probable that they already knew Jesus. Perhaps they and Jesus were all disciples of John together, and already knew each other quite well. And perhaps it's only when John is arrested and thrown into prison that Jesus emerges as leader of the group in John's place.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls just after the Second World War, has produced exciting evidence of a community of Jews with whom John the Baptist might have been affiliated. The scrolls were nearly all written in the two centuries immediately before Christ, and are almost certainly the work of Essenes.
The Essenes were a community living around the shores of the Dead Sea at Qumran. This community was a sort of male, monastic community, totally dedicated to godliness and cleanliness, and preparing themselves for a new heaven on earth, a New Jerusalem.
Although they're not mentioned in the pages of the New Testament, along with the Pharisees and Sadducees they were one of the three major sects within the Judaism of the first century. Perhaps they're not mentioned because Jesus wasn't opposed to them in the way he was opposed to the Pharisees and Sadducees. Or perhaps the gospel writers assumed the Essene background would be common knowledge to their readers.
Some scholars believe John the Baptist was trained by the Essene community at Qumran. The Essenes were the only other Jewish sect known to baptise, although their baptism was more of a ritual washing than total immersion like John's.
And one of the scrolls says this: "Community members shall go into the wilderness to prepare the way of God, as it is written 'In the wilderness prepare the way of God, make level in the desert a highway for our God.'
In this Qumran passage, Isaiah 40:3 is applied to the founding of the Qumran community. In all four gospels the same verse from Isaiah is applied to John the Baptist. And there are many clear parallels in the Dead Sea Scrolls with the teaching of Jesus, such as the unusual phrase 'the poor in spirit' which is used in Matthew's version of the Sermon on the Mount. Some early Christian teaching didn't tally with normative Judaism, but it did tally with the sectarian Judaism of the Qumran community. (Taken from: Gospel Truth? by Graham Stanton - ISBN 0006280080, and "BC The Archaeology of the Bible Lands," by Magnus Magnusson - ISBN 0 563 17209 6)
So at the very least, both John the Baptist and Jesus were influenced by the Qumran community. It's very clear from all the Gospels that John was the forerunner. And it appears to be clear that he recognised Jesus as the Messiah, for as we read last week in John's gospel, when John the Baptist saw Jesus he said to his disciples: "Behold the Lamb of God".
But later on, a dispute is recorded in John's gospel between John the Baptist's disciples and Jesus' disciples. John's disciples said to John, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptising, and all are going to him!"
What a difficult position for John the Baptist. Should he give way and allow this other person to take away all his disciples, or should he fight to retain his position as leader?
John reminds his anxious disciples that he himself is not the Christ, but has been sent by God as a forerunner. He talks about Jesus to his disciples, then he says those words which are full of humility and which many people find difficult to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:22-36)
Yet in Matthew's gospel John appears very uncertain whether he should identify Jesus with the Messiah. When he was languishing in prison he sent some of those disciples who didn't follow Jesus but who remained with him, to ask Jesus whether or not he was the expected Messiah. Even John the Baptist needed reassurance that he'd made the right decision in stepping back and handing over the reins.
It's difficult to step back and hand over the reins, especially if you're not convinced the person coming to take your place is the right one. It's difficult to let go, especially for those who have been in a position of leadership. Like John the Baptist, anyone whose whole identity has been invested in their work or their position, can feel very vulnerable and inadequate and depressed and useless when the time comes to retire or hand over the job to someone else.
At those moments it's important to hear the affirming words of Jesus in Matthew 11, spoken to the crowds at the time of John's greatest doubt: "Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist."
Despite John's doubts and uncertainties and feelings of uselessness and depression, Jesus strongly affirms John the Baptist and his work. And he says much the same to each of us when our active working lives reach their end, or when we have to hand over to someone else: "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
And in response, we must learn to say: "He must increase, but I must decrease."
