Sermons

Sixth Sunday of Easter

Sunday 13th May at 8am and 6.30pm

Simon Cowling
Readings: Acts 16. 9-15; John 5. 1-9

I am old enough to have experienced a rather old-fashioned type of Confirmation preparation - a series of spiritually desiccated sessions on the Prayer Book Catechism. It was not quite the culture of thirteen year olds, even as far back as 1973. I have only two memories of these sessions. One is that I briefly enjoyed the favour of my parish priest when I proved to be the only person in the class who knew the date of the feast day of St. Barnabas, the patron saint of the church I grew up in. The other memory is of being struck quite forcibly by the definition of a sacrament that is given in the catechism: 'an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace given unto us, ordained by Christ himself'. As I was reflecting on this morning's Gospel, the description of Jesus' healing of the man at the Pool of Bethzatha, that definition of a sacrament came to mind.

St. John's account of Jesus' ministry is punctuated by seven significant events, often loosely described as miracles. The first is the turning of water into wine at Cana, the last the raising of Lazarus. In between, though not in this order, there are three stories of healing, including the one we heard today, the feeding of the five thousand and the walking on the waters of the Sea of Galilee. I said that these events are loosely described as miracles, because the word John uses most often in connection with them is the word 'sign' - semaion in Greek. John's extensive use of this word is highly significant. The word 'semaion' was used widely by classical Greek philosophers. Two groups of philosophers, the Stoics and the Epicureans, used the word to indicate something which could be observed, from which something unobserved or unobservable could be inferred. One of the most obvious examples would be the branches of a tree moving around, from which the presence of wind could be inferred, though the wind was not itself observable. So by describing these seven significant events as 'signs', John wishes to draw his readers into an understanding of the deeper significance of what he is describing; he wants us to move on from his physical description of momentous events to a discernment of the spiritual truths that underlie those events. Perhaps you see now where that definition of sacrament comes in: an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. We might want to think of the signs in St. John's Gospel as sacraments.

So what is the underlying spiritual truth of the healing of the man at the Pool of Bethzatha? Firstly, there is something important about water. In John chapter 2, Jesus changed water into wine at Cana. Water that had been intended for the Jewish purification rituals of the old covenant was now wine, signifying a new covenant between God and humanity which Jesus would seal by means of his blood shed on the cross. In John chapter 4, Jesus talks to the Samaritan woman at the well and speaks of how he can give spiritual water to those who believe in him, water that will become an everlasting spring and which will give eternal life. And now water is introduced once again, as a medium of healing. Yet Jesus shows, by his actions, that water's healing properties have been superseded by his word and his authority. So in each case - the miracle at Cana, the encounter with the woman at the well and the healing of the paralysed man - water is used, or perhaps we should say not used, as a means to an end, the end being to emphasise the role of Jesus as reconciler, life-giver and healer.

I want to mention one other thing as well, though it's true significance becomes apparent only after the passage we heard this morning has ended. The healing at the pool takes place on the Sabbath. After the healing, the authorities are alerted to what has happened because the man who has been healed is carrying his mat, as Jesus told him to. The trouble is, carrying a mat on the Sabbath was not allowed because it counted as work. The authorities then track Jesus down, but his response is straightforward: 'My Father is always working, and I too must work.' Here is the heart of the matter: Jesus has identified himself wholly with God, whose activity is unceasing, even on the Sabbath. It is this claim which so outrages the authorities. Yet it is also this claim which, as Christians, we are called to affirm and, in our turn, to proclaim to the world: that Jesus is Lord, that he has reconciled us to God on the cross and that he is the source of life and healing for all. Amen.

© St Edmund's Church, Roundhay