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| Andre-Rublev's Saviour |
Homily preached by Br Andrew for 27th July 2014
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Gospel Matthew 13:44-58
Last Saturday Jessica and I went with the Adventurer’s group from Spinal Cord Injury Australia to the YHA in the rocks which is a working archaeological site known as the “Big dig”. There we had the chance to examine some of the artefacts and to hear some of the history of our convict ancestors’.
One of the artefacts was a little doll known as a ‘Frozen Charlotte” doll the story being that Charlotte was off to a winter ball and all dressed up in her finery had refused to wear a cloak for her ride in the open carriage; her father had said ‘Charlotte, you will surely freeze to death’ and so she did. These little dolls were made of porcelain without clothes so that little girls might dress them to suit themselves.
After countless years this series of parables can become too familiar to us for us to appreciate the teachings hidden within them; especially after traipsing around in a muddy field for a day and a half looking for priceless treasure with a metal detector. Hence my little story at the beginning: archaeologists are treasure hunters in their own way and while not always being successful on a dig, when they do discover something it is of immense historical, even theological value not only to themselves but to others right down the ages.
When we first encounter the Gospel, giving up that we have to obtain it means that we change our lives in keeping with the words of Jesus, we become followers of the Way. We reach that point in our lives when we realize that to comply with the treasure of the Gospel we must abandon the things in our lives that separate us from God, that impede us from growing in our faith and be willing to place ourselves at Christ’s disposal……
Having exhausted myself of anything further to give I offer the following sermon by
Martin G Collins
The Parable of the Pearl
The first four parables of Matthew 13 are darkened by an ominous cloud. In contrast, the last four cast light on the assurance of a positive future for the saints. In this second of the chapter's third pair of parables, Jesus reveals more secrets to His disciples regarding the high value God places on the church. The Parable of the Pearl (verse 45) particularly reveals the high cost to God of acquiring potential members of His Kingdom.....read on
