I surrender
A favourite song if mine is by a group called Rainbow. Now there are 2 things I should point out before continuing – the first is that Helen can’t stand the song and that I’m only allowed to listen to it with headphones on, and the 2nd is that, before you go looking for the song under the Christian music section, Rainbow are not generally known for their theological insights.
However this one song, or at least parts of it, change that – it’s called ‘I surrender’ and it contains a wonderful line which can remind us of our relationship with God – ‘Though I tried to make it on my own, that’s not the way it’s supposed to be – I surrender !’
And as we think about the readings this evening (Genesis 7:1-5, Acts 7:54-8:1 & Luke 18:24-30) thereis very much a theme of surrender. In Genesis there is the surrender of Noah to God’s will. Told to build an ark which of us wouldn’t think that’s ridiculous ? Which of us wouldn’t worry about what family and friends and neighbours might say ? Which of us wouldn’t just think it was a mad dream and carry on with the rest of our lives ?
But Noah, even though he must have thought some or all of those things, trusted that this was God’s will and he built his ark, trusting that God wouldn’t let him down.
Then in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles we have the account of Stephen, widely recognised as the first Christian martyr, being questioned at the Synagogue. Stephen knew that he was on trial for his life. He had been preaching about Jesus and was now being accused of blasphemy, but still he had no intention of watering down his message.
Cleverly and bravely he outlined some of the Jewish scriptures to them. This was hardly going to endear him to them, but in doing so he suggested that some of the great scriptural figures, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and Jacob, were all pointing to Jesus, and his accusers were just too blind to see it.
His words of course pronounced his own death sentence – but his death was not in vain – he was confident that his place in the eternal presence of God was secure, but another thing was that, present at his stoning was a man named Saul – and we’re told that he approved of the killing.
Who knows what effect that had on him and others though – the example of the witness of Stephen would surely never have left him as he went on his post conversion missionary journeys as the Apostle Paul.
Paul himself left everything to answer the call of Jesus. We don’t know about his family, but he certainly left behind wealth, power and respect from many.
He tirelessly journeyed many miles facing hatred and persecution in many places to share the good news of Jesus and to set up Churches that would enable the message to be heard more widely. Ultimately his witness, his preaching, his lifestyle, would cost him his life in a Roman prison.
Noah and Stephen and Paul surrendered everything, confident that God wouldn’t leave them. To go back to the words of the Rainbow song, ‘Though I tried to make it on my own, that’s not the way it’s supposed to be.’
They understood that their lives were to be lived in complete relationship with the God of love and power and justice. And this is the lesson that Jesus is teaching in the Gospel reading. The passage we heard comes immediately after the account of the Rich young Ruler asking how he can inherit eternal life.
Of course the ruler was able to buy almost anything he wanted – a contribution to the expenses of Jesus was no problem, perhaps a little retirement home for him; keeping the commandments was probably ok as well, but Jesus asked for more than those things. He asked him to give all that he had – selling everything, giving the money to the poor, and then following Jesus.
This he wasn’t able to do….
And that was the whole point – I don’t think Jesus cared too much whether this man had money or not, but he did care what commitment the ruler would give him. He asked the ruler then, and he asks us today, for a complete surrender of our lives, not over to his will so that we have no control over our lives, but over to his will so that we may live our lives in communion with him, trusting him to support us, strengthen us, care for us guide us and continue to love us.
Of course having said that Jesus wasn’t interested in the wealth of the young ruler we also have to remember that perhaps it is too easy and too convenient for us to write this off as Jesus just using an extreme example to make a point…
As Christians Jesus calls on each one of us to commit ourselves to working to make life better for anyone and everyone in need. There is no easy way of following Jesus – we can’ make a financial commitment without a spiritual one, we can’t make a commitment to follow him in words alone, it must also be in our actions as well.
And then we will understand and receive the deliverance of the promise that Jesus makes to us all – that if we follow him, then we will receive much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.
An evangelist called Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ. He explained that for many years he had worked in New York City. When discussing people’s willingness to give their lives to Jesus, he would suggest they walk from his office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. 'Now that's one way to live,' he would point out, 'by trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.'
"On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. The point was illustrated graphically. "We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, 'I give up, Lord; here's my life. I give you my world.'" AMEN
However this one song, or at least parts of it, change that – it’s called ‘I surrender’ and it contains a wonderful line which can remind us of our relationship with God – ‘Though I tried to make it on my own, that’s not the way it’s supposed to be – I surrender !’
And as we think about the readings this evening (Genesis 7:1-5, Acts 7:54-8:1 & Luke 18:24-30) thereis very much a theme of surrender. In Genesis there is the surrender of Noah to God’s will. Told to build an ark which of us wouldn’t think that’s ridiculous ? Which of us wouldn’t worry about what family and friends and neighbours might say ? Which of us wouldn’t just think it was a mad dream and carry on with the rest of our lives ?
But Noah, even though he must have thought some or all of those things, trusted that this was God’s will and he built his ark, trusting that God wouldn’t let him down.
Then in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles we have the account of Stephen, widely recognised as the first Christian martyr, being questioned at the Synagogue. Stephen knew that he was on trial for his life. He had been preaching about Jesus and was now being accused of blasphemy, but still he had no intention of watering down his message.
Cleverly and bravely he outlined some of the Jewish scriptures to them. This was hardly going to endear him to them, but in doing so he suggested that some of the great scriptural figures, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua and Jacob, were all pointing to Jesus, and his accusers were just too blind to see it.
His words of course pronounced his own death sentence – but his death was not in vain – he was confident that his place in the eternal presence of God was secure, but another thing was that, present at his stoning was a man named Saul – and we’re told that he approved of the killing.
Who knows what effect that had on him and others though – the example of the witness of Stephen would surely never have left him as he went on his post conversion missionary journeys as the Apostle Paul.
Paul himself left everything to answer the call of Jesus. We don’t know about his family, but he certainly left behind wealth, power and respect from many.
He tirelessly journeyed many miles facing hatred and persecution in many places to share the good news of Jesus and to set up Churches that would enable the message to be heard more widely. Ultimately his witness, his preaching, his lifestyle, would cost him his life in a Roman prison.
Noah and Stephen and Paul surrendered everything, confident that God wouldn’t leave them. To go back to the words of the Rainbow song, ‘Though I tried to make it on my own, that’s not the way it’s supposed to be.’
They understood that their lives were to be lived in complete relationship with the God of love and power and justice. And this is the lesson that Jesus is teaching in the Gospel reading. The passage we heard comes immediately after the account of the Rich young Ruler asking how he can inherit eternal life.
Of course the ruler was able to buy almost anything he wanted – a contribution to the expenses of Jesus was no problem, perhaps a little retirement home for him; keeping the commandments was probably ok as well, but Jesus asked for more than those things. He asked him to give all that he had – selling everything, giving the money to the poor, and then following Jesus.
This he wasn’t able to do….
And that was the whole point – I don’t think Jesus cared too much whether this man had money or not, but he did care what commitment the ruler would give him. He asked the ruler then, and he asks us today, for a complete surrender of our lives, not over to his will so that we have no control over our lives, but over to his will so that we may live our lives in communion with him, trusting him to support us, strengthen us, care for us guide us and continue to love us.
Of course having said that Jesus wasn’t interested in the wealth of the young ruler we also have to remember that perhaps it is too easy and too convenient for us to write this off as Jesus just using an extreme example to make a point…
As Christians Jesus calls on each one of us to commit ourselves to working to make life better for anyone and everyone in need. There is no easy way of following Jesus – we can’ make a financial commitment without a spiritual one, we can’t make a commitment to follow him in words alone, it must also be in our actions as well.
And then we will understand and receive the deliverance of the promise that Jesus makes to us all – that if we follow him, then we will receive much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.
An evangelist called Bruce Larson tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ. He explained that for many years he had worked in New York City. When discussing people’s willingness to give their lives to Jesus, he would suggest they walk from his office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. 'Now that's one way to live,' he would point out, 'by trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.'
"On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick's Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. The point was illustrated graphically. "We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, 'I give up, Lord; here's my life. I give you my world.'" AMEN
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