PostScript: Let us give thanks

Comments, prayers, questions and discussion on the week's news.

A sinful woman anoints Jesus’ feet (Luke 7.36–8.3)

Introduction

A dinner party is scandalised when a woman, known to be a sinner, enters the company and, with a mixture of perfume and tears, washes Jesus’ feet and dries them with her hair. Jesus explains that her gratitude comes from having been forgiven, and with much having been forgiven, much gratitude follows.

Context

• Muhammad Ali’s funeral takes place on Friday 10th June, one week after his death. Britain’s greatest heavyweight boxer, Lennox Lewis, will be one of the pall-bearers. Ali’s famous catch phrase was ‘float like a butterfly, sting like a bee’ and so it is fitting that a swarm of bees has gathered at the Muhammad Ali Centre in Louisville, Kentucky. The man who called himself ‘the greatest’ has been eulogised not just by boxing experts, but also by others who have confirmed that his description of himself was not hyperbole.

•  At the French Open, Andy Murray, Britain’s most successful male tennis player since Fred Perry, won the first set against Novak Djokovic, but the Serbian went on to win his first French title and became just the third man to hold all four Grand Slam titles at once. Murray holds the distinction of being ‘number two’ in the world and so is ‘the best of the rest’. 

• The TV channels and radio stations are advertising ‘a great summer of sport’ at the moment and there is certainly a lot of it about. The Olympic Games in Rio are coming up, and this weekend sees the start of the European Football Championships where, of the home nations, only Scotland are absent. Northern Ireland have a great song, Wales have got a great player in Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, and England have got great expectations.

• Paul Gascoigne is a player forever associated with England’s two most successful football tournaments since 1966. His tears in 1990 and his goal against Scotland live long is fans’ memories, as does the infamous ‘dentist’s chair’ celebration. 

• This weekend is the occasion for celebrating the official 90th birthday of HM Queen Elizabeth II. Last year the Queen became the longest reigning British monarch, and she is by some distance the longest lived. The event is being marked in various ways including a street party for 10,000 invited guests which has been organised by her eldest grandson, Peter Phillips. Among the many ways in which the Queen’s birthday is being marked, Johanna Quaas, a German woman who, at 90, is thought to be the oldest gymnast in the world, has celebrated by taking a parachute jump.

Reflection

There are couple of lines from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night that might apply to this sporting season. Some may see this focus on sport as, ‘This is very midsummer madness.’ While fans may see examples of players and teams snatching victory ‘out of the jaws of death.’ However, a better quotation, that relates to some of the characters in this week’s news is, ‘some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them’ (Twelfth Night, act ii, scene 5).

Novak Djokovic, Paul Gascoigne and Muhammad Ali share something in common. All these men were/are aware of their greatness. It is probably unfair to suggest that these sportsmen were ‘born great’ as that would play down the amount of effort involved in honing their skills. Perhaps ‘Gazza’ did have greatness thrust upon him and found the adulation too hard to bear.

A hereditary monarch could be said to have been ‘born great’, but Queen Elizabeth II did not expect to be queen when she was born to the second son of King George V. Greatness was ‘thrust upon’ her when Edward VIII, her uncle, abdicated the throne, thus causing her father to become king – and she his heir. Queen Elizabeth makes little comment about her role, leaving it for others to give us insight. 

For most of his life, Jesus travelled ‘under the radar’. The New Testament tell us that there was a brief flurry of interest when he was born, and then again at the cusp of adulthood. But then nothing more until he came to the attention of John and was baptised by him in the river Jordan. This could be seen as greatness being thrust upon him. This is one way of describing the early Christian heresy of ‘adoptionism’, which says that Jesus only became God’s Son at some point during his life. Orthodox Christianity, in contrast, holds that Jesus was God’s Son from his conception by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus did not claim greatness for himself. He ‘emptied himself’ (Philippians 2.6-8). It was left to others to say who he was. Even then, they often misunderstood the various messianic titles they used.

In our Gospel passage, the woman who washed Jesus’ feet recognised who he was – someone who accepted her and could forgive her sins. This was all that mattered to her and she responded in the best way she could.

Prayer

Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Our God, only you are truly great.
We thank and praise you that you are the best there is,
the best there was and the best there ever will be.
You are, you were and always will be, One God in eternity.

We are like the grass that is here for a season and then withers and dies.
Forgive us for assuming greatness for ourselves
and for worshipping others who are your creatures.
May we enjoy the skill of athletes and artists,
but remember that they are a gift from you and so may we give you the glory.

We pray for our Queen,
and give thanks for her wisdom, her humility and her faith.
We pray for her family
and especially for those who carry out royal duties.
We pray for her ministers and for all who lead and make judgements.
May they rule with justice and mercy.
Amen.

Questions

• We live in a country in which there is an established Church. Is it appropriate in churches other than the Church of England to celebrate the Queen’s birthday, or does this blur unhelpfully the relationship between Church and State?

• You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching,
  Love like you'll never be hurt,
  Sing like there's nobody listening,
  And live like it's heaven on earth.
  (William W. Purkey)

• The woman in the Bible story did not seem to have been embarrassed by her actions. Rather it was others who were scandalised by what took place. Have you ever done anything when you have been so ‘lost in the moment’ that you didn’t care who saw or heard?

Action

Watch the Premier Media film about the Queen’s Christian faith.

Young people

• Who do you think is ‘the greatest’? 
• What makes them great?

 
Simon Carver is a Baptist Minister in St Albans and takes a particular interest in film and sport.

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