Pentecost 4 - Year C

Who then is This?

During the time that I was planning out this sermon, Narelle and I went to the airport to meet our son and daughter-in-law after their trip to Europe. On the way home from the airport they recounted several of their experiences. Our daughter-in-law mentioned that one of the highlights for her was seeing the Holman Hunt painting "Light of the World" in St Paul's Cathedral in London.

The Holman Hunt painting is the one replicated in the window in St Matthew's.

As I continued drafting this sermon the next day, the Holman Hunt painting seemed to naturally emerge.

So let's have a closer look at today's Gospel reading and see where the connection is.

Some might say that the reading today is diminished by possibly having an outdated conception of mental illness confused with demonic possession.

On this basis, there can be something of a temptation to let today's Gospel reading pass by without considering its full significance.

However, when we look closely, we can find some important and central messages.

Firstly, we find that this Gospel story occurs in all three of Matthew, Mark and Luke. This adds weight to its significance.

We can start to get an indication of the significance of the reading by looking more carefully at the context.

Today's reading, the is part of a set of what some have referred to as "Mighty Works" - Mighty Works of Jesus.

Immediately prior to today's reading, there is the story of Jesus stilling the storm.

As it turns out, the story of the stilling of the storm is also in each of Matthew, Mark and Luke in this position.

The really important point is that at the end of the stilling of the storm episode and just before today's reading there is the question:

Who then is this?

The full sentence is:

Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?

The question is Mark's Gospel is very similar:

Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

The key element of the question is of course:

Who then is this...?

Immediately after the healing of this possessed person in today's reading, there is the story of the raising or healing of Jairus' daughter and also the story of the healing of the woman who had been suffering from haemorrhaging for twelve years.

So in the versions of Luke and Mark, the question "Who then is this?" is put in the context of four mighty works:

  • Jesus controlling nature - the wind and the waves...the sea
  • Jesus combating evil and / or healing
  • Jesus the Lord of Life - raising Jairus' daughter
  • Jesus the healer - healing the haemorrhaging woman.

So Luke has a very clear message.

If we look a little more widely in Luke's Gospel, we can see this message built up systematically on an even larger scale.

Let's have a look at a couple of examples of this.

A little earlier than today's reading there is the case of John the Baptist wondering who this

Jesus is and he sends two of his disciples to ask Jesus directly: "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" (Luke 7:20).  The question: are you the one? ............ is much the same as who then is this?......

A chapter or so after today's reading we have the question from Jesus himself: ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?' ( Luke 9:18). And also directly to the disciples: ‘But who do you say that I am?' (Luke 9:20).

Shortly after this, these questions are given the ultimate answer on the Mount of the Transfiguration where Peter, John and James hear: ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!' (Luke 9:35).

So what are we to conclude?

Well it appears that the evidence is clear that the writer of Luke is presenting the story of the ministry of Jesus in such a way that the question: "Who then is this?" is being put:
to the crowds;
to the religious authorities of the day;
to the people directly ministered to by Jesus;
to the disciples;
and, of course, ultimately to us.

The Gospel of Luke invites each of us to answer the question for ourselves:

Who then is this Jesus?

Furthermore, having answered the question, having decided who Jesus is for us, we also need to decide what we will do about it. That is, the question also requires a response. In today's reading, we see several significant responses. We read:

35Then people came out to see what had happened,.......... (This was after the herd of pigs had drowned).

37Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes* asked Jesus* to leave them; for they were seized with great fear.

It is quite remarkable how Jesus responded - there was no fuss - no recorded reply from Jesus - just the simple action:

So he got into the boat and returned.
So he got into the boat and returned.

This really highlights the fact of human free will. It is human free will that is very well illustrated in the Holman Hunt painting. The painting is based on the verse from Revelations:

20Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. (Rev 3:20)

The connection with the I am the light of the world statement of Jesus in John's Gospel also seems clear. (John 8:12)

It is important to note that in the painting, there is no door handle on the outside. The door can only be opened by us individually. Our free will is such is that Jesus will not force the issue, Jesus will not open the door - we have to exercise our free will and open the door.
Given that the painting is depicted in the window of St Matthew's in our parish, it seems worth mentioning a few other details related to it.

Details of Holman Hunt Painting (from the booklet from St Pauls)

  • Holman Hunt 27 years old when he produced first version in 1854.
  • In the following 20 years photographs and engravings of the painting achieved vast circulation.
  • This original version was held initially in a private collection, then at Keble College in Oxford.
  • Reading from the small Booklet from St Paul's:
  • Apparently, Holman Hunt intended to show Jesus Christ standing outside the door of an individual's heart. The door may never have been opened. The doorway is overgrown with weeds, and there is no handle visible. As a consequence Jesus can knock, but it is up to the individual to open the door and to trust to "The Light of the World" with His symbolic lantern to guide him or her through the darkness of the world outside. Twenty five years after completing the first painting, Holman Hunt started another version of the painting four times the area of the first version.
  • This second version travelled thousands of miles around the world.
  • It is estimated that the painting was seen by 80% of the population of Australia and New Zealand.
  • At the end of its travels, the painting was hung in 1904 in St Paul's Cathedral in London where it still is today.
  • There is a third version of the painting completed by one of Holman Hunt's friends.
    It is interesting to note that Holman Hunt became a believer while painting this picture as have many who have pondered it over the years.

Anyway, back to our Gospel reading...

The response of the person who had been healed was not surprisingly quite different from those who had asked Jesus to leave. Before he was healed or exorcised, we heard in the reading that the man knew quite well who Jesus was - the Son of the Most High God - but he wanted nothing to do with him! After his healing, the person wanted to stay with Jesus and the disciples - a complete turn around from his earlier attitude. This person certainly opened the door of his heart.

Interestingly, Jesus had other plans for this man. Even though the man had begged to be with Jesus, Jesus instructed him to return to his home and declare how much God had done for him. The man is recorded as having "proclaimed throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him" (Lk 8:39).

So the man did the work for the Kingdom but not in the way he had initially wanted to do. His work was to be in his home territory.

It seems that this story illustrates the fact that yes we can respond positively to God to Jesus - we can exercise our free will - we can open the door - but we need to wait and listen for the work that we are called to do. Often the work is close to home in one form or another.

So in summary, the Gospel today highlights the fact that the life and work of Jesus invites all of us to firstly answer the question:

Who then is this?

And, secondly,

What will we do about it?

It is good for each of us from time to time to review our personal answer to the question:

Who then is this?

And then importantly to ask:

What am I doing about it?

That is, what contribution am I making to the Kingdom at present?