“ANOINTED”
|
A sermon preached at Choir Anthem:
Handel, “Zadok the Priest” Readings: 1
Kings 1:32-40, Luke 4:16-21 |
2 Cor 1:21 “We are
anointed by God”
Paul
is speaking to the whole Church –
and
the implication is that every member of the Church is anointed by God.
When
you anoint someone you pour oil on them.
So
when Paul talks about Christians being anointed,
is
he speaking literally or figuratively?
We
don’t know –
It
is quite possible that the early Church used oil
as
part of the baptismal ceremonies,
but
it is equally possible that the anointing is figurative –
that he is using graphic language
to
describe the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians.
Either way, what Paul is saying is that
whilst in the OT there were many kinds of anointings,
some very much reserved for special people – Kings or Priests or Prophets –
that is no longer the case –
the Church as a whole is now
· the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27),
· a Royal priesthood (1 Peter),
· anointed by God (2 Cor 1:21) in the power of the Spirit.
So let me talk for a moment to those of you newly arrived in Exeter,
and those beginning University courses here for the first time.
(If
I address new arrivals on this special Sunday,
others will I am sure recognize that for everyone of us today
this is the first day of the rest of our life,
and there is never a better moment than Now to say
”Yes” to God and his promises and challenges…..)
So,
to new arrivals here (and with others listening in):
Let
me paint three pictures for you –
and
reflect briefly on each one as you begin your new life here.
1. The
Place is 1st century Palestine.
You are a traveller out on a dark night.
Your journey over the hills has taken longer than
you expected,
it is a moonless night, and
you are lost.
Finally you see a lamp burning in a window in the
valley below
and you make for it.
A couple open the door and –
in accord with the custom of
that time and place –
they invite you in.
They does not question who you are –
that does not matter right now.
Rather they quietly busy themselves with towel and
bowl,
washing your hot tired feet.
Then gently daub a little oil on your head.
One of them smiles,
you do not know that she is
remembering that day many many years ago
when she wiped the oil from the
feet of her master with her hair
and upset that Pharisee
so……
But she says nothing of that,
just tidying away the olive oil
and the water and turning to find food.
These are the traditions of the land, time honoured
and well known –
Symbols which need no words –
symbols which say
“I don’t know who you are, but you are welcome,
an honoured guest in this
place”.
I offer
you that simple story of everyday anointing.
And
to those of you newly arrived in this city or this University –
I wonder how you feel?
maybe (though perhaps you may not admit this yet)
some of you feel a little lost or at least uncertain of your direction
on
what seems a perilous new journey?
If
so, I am glad you have come to this house today –
for
you have come to the House of God.
And
I hope you will become a regular part of our community –
and
there will be times for us to talk and share and grow together –
But
right now that is in the future – just now know that you are welcome –
whatever your doubts or your certainties, your background, your race, your
sexuality, your lifestyle, -
you
have a place here in God’s house –
We
are all anointed by God, accepted in his family.
2.
A second story,
Now you are in Westminster Abbey.
The date is 10 Oct 1727.
You are George II, and this is your coronation
day.
GF Handel has written three new works specially for the occasion
and the choir (200 strong) are
singing one of the pieces for the very first time right now –
“Zadok the Priest and
Nathan the Prophet anointed Solomon king”
You are behind a curtain –
some of your regalia has been removed and you are dressed simply.
The archbishop pours the oil of anointing on your head,
symbolising God’s involvement in the beginning of your reign.
The anthem takes you back to that coronation of
Solomon 2700 years earlier –
then as now the oil was poured
as a symbol –
that Solomon was set apart for a
special role, a divine purpose
that he was to be responsible
for and accountable to his people
that he would be protected and empowered to do God.
Now the anointing is complete, the outer fine robes
are replaced,
the curtain removed, and you
step out again into the sight of the people –
You are given an orb surmounted by a cross-
symbol that the whole world owes
allegiance to God
And then you are given a staff –
symbolic of your
calling to administer justice always with mercy.
You wonder if George II will be
remembered as was
Solomon.
I
offer you that less everyday story of anointing –
But remember that though we may never get the coach and horses,
the crown and the palace,
and an archbishop may never
literally pour oil on your head,
yet as members of Christ’s Church,
we are all called to be part of an anointed, royal priesthood (1 Peter).
Christ
of course is himself the one true King, the one great High Priest,
the
one truly anointed one (Christos means anointed),
the
one who fulfils all ancient Israel’s broken dreams of Kingship and Priesthood.
But
because we are called to be the Body of Christ,
we
are called to be anointed in the Spirit and share in his royal priestly work.
And
as we come to this place today,
·
We are called (all of us) to share in Christ’s Kingly rule –
to use such power and authority as we have over others
in a godly just and merciful way.
·
We are called (all of us) in Christ to be priests –
to build a bridge between heaven and earth and open our lives and the lives of
others to God – that’s what being a priest is.
A
coronation is a new beginning
which calls for the special anointing of the Spirit
to
empower the monarch to do a new work.
You who have recently arrived here in Exeter –
this is your new beginning in Christ’s work –
you need the gift of the Spirit as much as any King in a Cathedral –
because you are called to be set aside as part of a royal priesthood –
and these things can only be done when the Spirit is poured over you
and seeps into your soul and makes you anew.
3. Finally a third scene.
The place somewhere in Europe, a small hovel of a house.
The date 13 something.
You are poor and very ill.
Your armpits are swollen and black –
you know you have the black death and are not much longer for this world.
Everyone is keeping away from you – they are afraid of the contagion.
You get weaker and weaker.
Finally you send for the priest –
he comes bringing with him a small jug of oil,
with which he performs the last rites.
He places oil on your eyes, your
lips, your limbs and then your heart.
Now you have made your peace with
God and you are ready for your last journey.
This last story – like the first two –is also our story –
for in one way or another all lives lead to death.
And
literally or figuratively we all need to be anointed –
to know the power of the Spirit to protect us
God’s
anointing Spirit does not spare us death or necessarily suffering -
there have been plenty of Kings and priests and ordinary Christians
who
have found that being blessed by God does not mean they are spared the walk to
Calvary.
Many anointed have suffered grievously and met death when least expected.
But
still even on that last journey of this life
1 The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want…..
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
3
simple pictures –
·
a lost traveller seeking a lodging
·
a mighty King crowned in a cathedral
·
a dying man in a hovel
So
different and yet each one could say –
“I
am anointed by God”
And
so I should perhaps add a final scene.
The
place is now the Mint Church the date Oct 3 2004.
You
are yourself again.
Your
journey will be different from everyone else’s –
I
cannot describe it –
But
think now on your path, your journey in this place –
and
pray that
at
this point of new beginning
your life may be touched by the Spirit,
that the Spirit may seep deep into your soul like a rich perfumed oil –
And
in God’s power may you know deep within you the anointing oil of the Spirit
·
which is mercy and healing, welcome and joy,
·
which sets us aside for God,
inspires and strengthens us,
·
and which finally sees us safe home.