There is a common, understandable, easy to do sin, when we think about the Jesus and try to emulate Him. When we reflect on Jesus, we recall that he was the exceptional, the outstanding, the faithful, the courageous, the loving, the compassionate and we think..“I could never even come close to being like that”. And that’s true. But what sometimes happens, is that we give way to despair, or worse we give up altogether.Thankfully there is a helpful line this morning where Jesus offers us the encouragement and advice that we need to get our stuff together, to keep going and to rejoice as we make our way to heaven itself. He says…“
A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master;
it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master.
So we don’t have to fix the world's troubles, or solve world poverty or find a cure for COVID, it is simply enough to be like the Master. To strive, maybe fail and keep on trying simply to try to be like him. Further, God's child came to be one of us, to show us who we are. And this is the good news. Brothers and sisters we are God's children. This is invigorating news because it means that the same love, the same unconditional, stupendous adoration that the father has for his son Jesus, is the same mind-blowing love that God has for us.John puts it this way.See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that …is… what …we are. Now it's one thing to know that academically and theologically. It is quite a different thing and far more challenging to claim it as your own. To claim the identity of the living Christ for ourselves, so that we can say that we are a living Christ in the 21st century. This is who we are; nothing more, nothing less. And then the next step is to integrate it into our daily lives so that his actions, his thoughts, his love, become our actions, thoughts and the love that we shower relentlessly upon the world. This is a lifelong vocation and the good news is that you don’t have to get it right all on day one. It is a continuous daily work that will change us ever so slowly and ever so surely, more and more into his likeness and so we become the child of God he has always wanted us to be. So there is a 3 step process. Know who you are academically. Claim it for yourself Living it in your daily life. When others see us both floundering and rejoicing in this vocation, then we stand our best possible chance of getting them started on this vocation as well. It's like the times when you see a number of people all buy the same wine at the supermarket. You can arrive at no other conclusion that this must be pretty jolly good stuff and of course you want some too. So too with us and our faith. Others will want to join in and become another Christ or christian for the world when they glimpse something of the Christ in us. But it all starts with knowing who we are and rejoicing in his love for us.
Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father.
And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
A story to finish.Mum and Dad are gazing adorably at their sleeping child. They are muttering in wondering adoration. The child of course has no idea that this conversation is going on, nor does the little one know the closeness and potency of the love that the parents have for them.In a moment of stark, unrehearsed honesty. Dad says to Mum“I would lay down my life for our child. I guess that is how God loves us. He sent his son who laid down his life for us” Brothers and sisters often we are asleep, unaware of how close our heavenly father really is and the intensity of his love. Like the parents in the story he is absolutely besotted with us and perhaps if you remember nothing else from this morning's homily you might remember this.Know that you are God's child. Claim it and live it. God is absolutely besotted with you.