Sermon: Many waters cannot quench love
From Wellington Cathedral of St Paul
Many waters cannot quench love
28 February 2010 The Revd Jenny Wilkens
- Song of Solomon 8: 6,7
- Jeremiah 22:1-9, 13-17
- Luke 14:27-33
http://cathedral.wellington.net.nz/index.php/Sermons
'Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.' These beautiful words from the Song of Solomon perhaps take on new resonance for us today, in the light of the events of the last hours. A massive earthquake in Chile, followed by tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific, which must have brought poignant memories back to our neighbours in Samoa and Tonga.
For us here as we listened on the radio to warnings to those on our coasts and smaller islands, we think it's probably going to be all right, but perhaps lurking beneath the surface are the 'what if's. We know too well that others in our world have suddenly had to face tragedies and disasters, Haiti, the Boxing Day tsunami are there in the back of our minds. What if, what if it does happen to us, and the 'many waters', 'the floods' are our lot, what then?
As we've heard people interviewed after recent fires in Titahi Bay or near Dunedin or at St Andrew's Plimmerton, or after the bushfires in Victoria, having to evacuate your house at speed surely concentrates the mind. What are the things that we value the most? What are the things that are most precious to us? As people seek to save their families, pets, photos, it is the links with people we love, treasured family memories and events. We don't see many people trying to stuff their plasma TV into their car…what would you save if someone knocked at your door and told you you had ten minutes before you had to evacuate your house?
'In times of deep crisis, who or what do we turn to?' The Dean wrote this on today's newssheet long before the events of last night and today. 'In times of deep crisis, who or what do we turn to?'
When there are storms in nature, on the world political or economic scene, or in our own lives, who or what do we turn to? This is the question our readings and hymns grapple with this evening.
In our reading from the prophet Jeremiah, he speaks into the very last ten or twenty years prior to the destruction of Jerusalem when the kings are falling like ninepins, four of them one after another. And why? Because they are competing in cedar, building palaces on the backs of exploitation of the labourers, dealing in unrighteousness and injustice. Dishonest gain, shedding innocent blood, practising oppression and violence (Jer 22: 13, 15, 17) . It doesn't sound so far from some of the realities of our time.
Jeremiah compares these shonky leaders with the last good king Josiah who did justice and righteousness, who judged the cause of the poor and needy, then it was well with him. Is not this to know me says the Lord? (Jer 22:15,16). Jeremiah reminds us that King Josiah's good dealing with his subjects stemmed from his knowledge of God, his relationship with God.
Jeremiah makes a last appeal to Josiah's royal descendants: 'Act with justice and righteousness, deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place.' (Jer 22:3). If they do not, destruction will come even to the great city of Jerusalem. And why? "Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord our God and worshiped other gods and served them." (22:8,9). There will not just be judgement of bad behaviour. The root of the problem is much more deep-seated, it is abandonment of the covenant relationship God established with his people right back in the time of Abraham, that relationship of knowledge, faithfulness and love.
'Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.' In our passage from Luke's gospel, Jesus must have felt as he approached Jerusalem that he was slogging his way through ever deeper waters of opposition, beginning to swirl around him and threatening to drag him and those with him under.
We know large crowds were travelling with him (Lk 14:25) and Jesus is concerned for those who are blithely following him. They need to know that to be his disciples, his followers will be a costly business, they have to be prepared to give up everything they've got, even to life itself.
"Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." We spiritualise this phrase so quickly and forget that the people of Jesus' time were used to seeing crosses set up at the crossroads, the local instruments of torture and execution. Are we willing to carry our own instrument of execution, put our own life at risk, do whatever it takes for the sake of following the call of Christ and the kingdom?
If it comes to a time of emergency, of crisis, of making hard choices, whom will we follow? Will we follow Christ even if the road leads to Jerusalem?
This is why Jesus uses the images of the builder sitting down and counting the cost before they undertake the building project, or the king weighing up the cost of war before committing soldiers to battle. We need to do that weighing up in the cold light of day, when we have the time to consider things coolly and rationally, before the time of crisis when we just have to make snap decisions whether we are ready or not.
Perhaps that is what the season of Lent allows for us each year, an opportunity to weigh up our discipleship, to consider our call and the cost of that call, as we live out our faith within our families and workplaces and communities. We need to do that now before Gethsemane comes when there is no more time for sleeping or ruminating. Will we flee or will we stay with Jesus to the cross?
And perhaps even more bluntly for us Westerners, 'none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions' (Lk 14:33). We can trust Luke to bring that one up, it is one of his favourite themes, but one which tends to bring an 'ouch' response from us. Again Lent is perhaps a good time to consider, what would I put in my bag if I have ten minutes before I am evacuated from my house? Just what can I not do without? What and who is important to me?
'Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.' I want to conclude with some words of encouragement from the final hymn we shall sing this evening, 'Jesu lover of my soul', hymn 96. One of Charles Wesley's most popular hymns and yet it's been criticised for its huge assortment of mixed metaphors!
Perhaps it helps us to put it in context to understand that Wesley based this hymn on the story of Peter trying to walk to Jesus on the water of the wind-battered sea of Galilee (Matthew 14).
There is another verse not in our hymn book which tells this part of the story: Wilt thou not regard my call? Wilt thou not accept my prayer? Lo! I sink, I faint, I fall! Lo on thee I cast my care! Reach me out thy gracious hand! While I of thy strength receive, Hoping against hope I stand, Dying, and behold I live.
Wesley also titled this hymn "In temptation", a reminder I think that there are many sorts of storms that we may face in life, both literal storms and tempests, or the storms of our own life's journey and its relationships.
Wesley presents Christ then as the one who is to us a refuge, a haven, and yes, even the mother hen of this morning's gospel (Luke 13) - 'cover my defenceless head with the shadow of thy wing'.
Perhaps here too is the answer to Christ's challenge to us to be willing to give up all our possessions, and even the ownership of our own life to him: "Thou O Christ art all I want, more than all I find in thee."
Then finally there comes through God's plenteous grace, an amazing transformation: the raging waters of the tempest, the rolling waters of the flood are transformed into healing streams, the fountain of life, the spring of living water welling up within our hearts into eternal life (John 4).
'Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.'
From the passionate words of that song of love from ancient times may we trust again tonight God's passionate love for us, revealed in Christ. This is a love which will take us through the storms of life, in whatever form they come to us. This is a love which is stronger than death, and that love will take us in Christ into all eternity. Amen.
