What would or should I do

Have you ever felt incredibly important ? Have you ever felt as if you were the most important person in the room ? Well, it is a little like the old jokes of ‘don’t you know who I am ?’

There was a man called Christian Herter who was governor of Massachusetts.  One day, after a busy morning campaigning (and no lunch) he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As Herter moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned to the next person in line.

"Excuse me," Governor Herter said, "do you mind if I have another piece of chicken?" 
"Sorry," the woman told him. "I'm supposed to give one piece of chicken to each person." 
"But I'm starved," the governor said. 
"Sorry," the woman said again. "Only one to a customer." 
Governor Herter was a modest and unassuming man, but he decided that this time he would throw a little weight around. 
"Do you know who I am?" he said. "I am the governor of this state." 
"Do you know who I am?" the woman said. "I'm the lady in charge of the chicken. Move along, mister."

In todays gospel reading we were reminded of the problem of getting too big for our boots. The disciples were arguing over who was the greatest and Jesus reminded them that serving was better and gently put them down as He told them that He was one who serves. Basically their leader the one who theyfollowed who was clearly greater than them humbled Himself to work for them.

During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help them. Asked why by the rider, he replied with great dignity, "Sir, I am a corporal!" The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers himself. The job done, he turned to the corporal and said, "Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your commander-in-chief, and I will come and help you again." The helper was none other than George Washington himself.

Today we celebrate the life of St.Bartholomew. One of the 12 disciples there is not much known about him but the main thing that is known is that he said yes to Jesus. Maybe that is what makes a person truly great, following the greatest person ever who is God.

The disciples learnt that they were lesser than their master but that this was not the most important thing, they were the  followers of the one who served and who served even to death on a cross. The disciples saw first hand Jesus reach out in love to all those who needed to be loved, they saw Him heal people, they saw Him do miracles with the sea, with food, with people, most of all they saw Him reach out with compassion and they were given an example to follow.

Bartholomew had seen all this happen and became like us part of the family of God with our lives focussed on Jesus. Bartholomew was chosen by Jesus to be a servant of others, and we are called to do that as well as we seek to be more like Jesus day by day.

So what does it mean to be like Jesus ?

It means to seek to follow Him by learning more about Jesus through scripture, to pray to think about what Jesus might do and do the same. I have recently read a book called,’In His steps’, this book is a fictional story of a minister who was challenged to think of what following Jesus really meant. In order to do this he continually asked, ‘What would Jesus do? He then asked his congregation if any would like to pledge to do the same for a year, many did and there was a hugesuccess and a complete change in the lives of the people who lived in the town. The movement spread to other towns and cities.

If we all sought to do exactly as Jesus would do can you imagine the change we would see? The world would be turned upside down as the ways of Jesus to love the unlovable, to tough the untouchables, to befriend the friendless, to seek justice and righteousness rather than riches and our own ways became a daily reality for all around. It would be amazing, but we are called to begin this work right now as we follow Jesus always asking what would Jesus do?

The remarkable thing about Bartholomew is not a list of achievements, it’s not any wise sayings or actions, but the fact that he was called to follow Jesus, and called to display Jesus to others… And that is the remarkable thing about all ofus as followers of Jesus we have a command to show His love and light to all those around us. We are the people who are to be as Jesus to others.

It may not be because of any great event or deed it may be just from offering a cuppa to someone who needs a shoulder to cry on, it may be in chatting to a big issue seller, it may be in being there for those whom society has rejected, to always seek to show love and compassion.

Bartholomew is an example to us because he followed Jesus and we are to be examples to others by showing what the love and light of Jesus is. May we seek to be more like Jesus every day to follow Him closely, to seek to shine His light wherever we are, just by being us, children of God.

I would like to finish with a prayer,

Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which you have given me, for all the pains and insults you have borne for me, 0 most merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother. May I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly .AMEN