SERMON TO SYNOD

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XXI, Issue 6, 1 December 1930, Page 13

SERMON TO SYNOD

By the Rev. W. Lea, Vicar of Te Puke.

S. Mark IV., 30, 31, 32. The parable of the mustard-seed is recorded by the three synoptists- with shades of difference which make no alteration m the thought. It is briefly told, indeed it would be difficult to shorten it, for it occupies one verse only m S. Luke and two m S. Matthem and S. Mark. I. There can be no doubt that the grain of mustard-seed, which our Lord was pehaps at that moment rubbing between His sacred fingers, was proposed as an image of the future Kingdom cf God whose foundation was not long to be delayed and which was destined to occupy the whole earth until the consummation of the ages. "To what', 1 ' 1 He says, "shall we liken the Kingdom of Grod? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which when it is sown m the earth, is less than all the seeds that be m the earth ; but when it is sown it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs." Our 'Lord ment to proclaim, with infallible assurance that He Himself and His Apostles were the foundation of at Kingdom that would one day extend over the world. 11. It would seem as if there had been a special reason why our Lord told this parable ! The apostles were a small band of men amongst them not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. We can well understand how the hearts of the Apostles must sometimes have been disturbed by doubts and their souls saddened when they compared their small number to the mass of paganism by which they were surrounded, and considered how litle good was likely to result from the preaching of the gospel. What a gigantic task had been laid upon them when they, "forsook all." Wa.s it not to be feared that all would perish m the struggle against a rebellious people! Was not the prospect one of complete failure m the end! So the parable of the mustard-send was possibly told m answer to the Apostles cry of distress. Our Lord wished to give them confidence m a future of which the outlook was ominous, and to revive their counage and console their hearts that, as S. John

Chrysostum says, "they might not be frightened when comparing their small number to the mass by which it seemed they must be stifled. United to Him whence they derived all their virtue, they will arise and transform that mass m which they seem hidden and lost to sight." So it was that our Lord Beemed to take delight m magnifying the plant that should spring from the almost imperceptible seed. It would produce not merely a fragile shrub a few feet m height such as commonly grew m the gardens and fields of the dwellers by the Lake and on the banks of the river Jordan; it would produce not merely a tender shoot, that the sun'is rays might wither; far beyond any of these the tiny seed would grow into . a great tree with regular trunk, roots deep down, and branches spreading widely. In effect our Lord seemed to say to the Apostles— you shall see my Kingdom extend over the world as the branches of this seed shall lift themselves soon to the sky. You have no doubt as to the future growth of this seed, neither have any doubt of the future which I shall secure my Kingdom." The Apostles lived to see a fulfilment of the parable as predicted to them. They made their way, acclaimed and persecuted m turn, through all the vicissitudes of which we read m the Acts of the Apostles, until m their time the Kingdom of God had extended to India, Ethiopia, Rome and Gaul. From the Day of Pentecost until his martyrdom Peter alone had converted thousands and organised thte Church m Palestine, Asia Minor, and Rome. The Apostles must often have seen one of these unusually large mustard trees m the Jordan valley or on the shores of the Lake Genesareth where they have been found growing to a height of ten feet and more ; and as they considered its wonderful growth from such a small beginning they would remember the parable* m which their dear Lord had connected the weakness of the beginning of both the humble plant and His Kingdom, and how God choose the weak things of this world to confound the strong, and that the least m Him is greater than all the powers of earth and as they recalled His words they would feel reassured and consoled for the difficult task of spreading the Gospel with which their master had entrusted them. 111. The comparison naturally suggests itself to our minds between the grain of mustard-sede rvnd the Church, the Kingdom of God, founded on earth by

Jesus and His Apostles, propagated by countless messengers of the Gospel and governed by Bishops the successors of the Apostles, until to-day, although the Church has not attained to that development which' might have been expected after 19 centuries, yet she is a great tree and the world is the field over which the shade of her branches extends. . . Tentullian m the first centuries of the Church could boast to the pagan world, "We are but of yesterday and already we have filled your cities, towns, islands, your council halls and camps, the palace, senate, and forum. We have left you only the temples." We cannot make such a proud boast to-day m the 20th century, but we come very near to itl The Archbishop of Canterbury m a message to the Times Church and Empire Number (June 25th) could say, "So the Church of England has within a century spread swiftly and steadily across the seas. Where once there were only a few isolated and scattered mis-skttifu-y dioceses there is now a community of free and self-governing churches m all parts of the world . . The number of Bishops is itself a striking sign of the expansion of the Church. Only sixty three years ago when the first Lambeth Conference met, there were within the Anglican Communion at home and overseas 144 Bishops . . now within that Comm,union there are 400 Bishops," and of these more than 300 were present at Lambeth m July and August — the largest company of Bishops which has ever assembled on English soil. The Times leader writer m the same number says: "Whatever its failures and difficulties the Church to-day is very much alive. Men and women everywhere are regaining the conviction that the spiritual element is of supreme importance, and that the Christian Faith is the sure foundation of wellbeing for an individual, a nation or an Empire. Such words remind us of a striking record of progress within the last century. And there are not wanting sure indications of the extension and vitality of the Church m our own country, such as that, for instance, which caught our imagination not very long since, when the first Maori Bishop was consecrated m this Cathedral. And we thank God for the signs of renewed life and activity amongst the Maori race as a result. We must not lose sight of the wonderful fact that underneath the ruffledand sometimes tempestuous surface which is vexed by all manner of thieo

logical contradictions, the' Church.' .can boast a deep and wide religious life. In countless parishes m all parts of the world a quiet and persisten work is being done by the clergy both m town and country with an effect upon our national life far greater than commonly is realized, so that far from dying away the Church's influence and prestige is stronger and more farreaching to-day than they have ever been m the past. As we contemplate the extensive work of the Church to-day, and consider the small beginning, and the checks and obstacles which she has had to overcome, we may well feel assured for the future. The certainty of the past i s the surety of the future. And yet m spite of all this development and activity of the Church the fact remains that the true sons of the Kingdom are a little flock contrasted to the mass of unbelief and indifference by which they are surrounded. The earth is inhabited by some, 1,819 million people. Of these 684 million are nominally Christians as against 1,135 million non-Christian. When we contemplate this fact we begin to realize the mighty task of making disciples of all nations that still awaits its solution. . How great indeed is the army of noble men and women, who at the cost of admirable self-sacrifice, are enduring all manner of hardships and privations m their efforts to extend the Kingdom; and yet how small their numbers m comparison to the mass of unbelief and indifference m the dark fields where they labour., and how scanty are the means at their disposal with which they maintain their exisi>ence } build schools, churches, hospitals, and do all manner of good works! We have done well m this Diocese for the missionary work of the Church. But nothing is really accomplished while there remains something more to be done. Let us display a still greater interest m the missionary work of the Church". Strive by every means to enter into the views of our Lord and to contribute generously to the extension of the Kingdom which was clearly the uppermost thought m the parable of the mustard-seed. Again we are constantly being told of the decreasing hold of organized religion on our own people. It is said that m England the total number of those who are m. any sense real, active, consistent, members of any denomination does not amount to more than 9 million out of a population

of 37 million — less. 'than a quarter of the whole. We find ourselves m N.Z. m a similar position where thte men and women who hardly ever enter a Church or any place of worship from one year's end to another— but stream heedlessly past the doors — far outnumber the more or less regular worshippers and if we ask why this state of things exists it is largely because the world offers so many interests and attractions with which the Church cannot compete. AVhat with the many alluring attractions of the world what chance has the Vicar of a parish m these times to crowd his services with worshippers on a Sunday! What with the vexing problems of ever so many winds of doctrine within ; what with scepticism, materialism, antiGod Communism, and ever so many other wretched 'isms without, what chance has the poor Kingdom of God! What with advocates of easy divorce, artificial birth restriction, unclean literature and drama, how can the Christian moralists make themselves heard? It is thus that the Church militant on earth is continually delivered to the discussions and th'e struggles of those who oppose and enter into conflict with her, so that every age beholds the same spectacle— our Lord ever carrying on His work m the Kingdom, which the enemy ever opposes. The world considers that there could be no more appropriate image of the teaching of Jesus Christ than this parable of the grain of mustard-seed, .so small that it is said to be the smallest of all seeds, and so insignificant, for it only produces a commonplace, shrub —suggestive neither of majesty nor of durability. "Even," say unbelievers, "if the Kingdom of God, were to flourish, according to its nature, it would never extend further nor have greater stability than a mere tribe or clan, neither of which woul4 merit the smallest attention on the part of philosophers or of politicians.". Even to-day, after 19 centuries of the Church's preservation and extension m the midst of ever recurring struggles is it to be wondered at if Christians, even tEe best, are sometimes filled with profound sadness and are disturbed by doubts, and allow themselves to be troubled and disconcerted by the weakness of the Church, and many find it hard to believe m her stability. The lesson our Lord wished to impart to His Apostles through the parable of the mustard-seedj is the lesson He imparts to the sons of tlje Kingdom

through all ages. As we have already said, the hearts of the Apostles must often have been filled with sadness and doubt as they considered the chances of the spread of the Kingdom and Jesus wished to give them confidence m a future of which the outlook was ominous. There may be dark moments for the Church m future days— when clouds seem to close over her— yet the Kingdom of God is immovable and the ages belong to Christ who alone is unchangeable amid the splendours which change. God's power as it gently and quietly drifts over the face of the earth will live down scepticism and level opposition.. There have always been those who were convinced that the power of the Church would wane and its world-wide iufluence gradually disappear. But those who think thus' forget— or they do not believe m the Divine foundation and the Divine vitality of the Church! They forget the seed! The Church may be assailed by bitter persecutions, her enemies may labour wtih all their strength to diminish her if they cannot bring about her destruction, but never let us be discouraged and whatever happens let us maintain our fidelity to the Churchattacked and m danger s& it may seem, but assured of victory by Him who founded her and defends her. New courage, new energy, and sure confidence, may be found for the present, and unto the end of life, m the words of Him who said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed . . which when it is sown m the earth is less than all the seeds . . but when it is sown it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs."