Sermon for August 10, 2025
Pentecost 9 C
Luke 12:32-40
Rev. Karl-John N. Stone
One of the many highlights of my pilgrimage to Ireland was the boat ride we took from the town of Dingle on the mainland out to the Blasket Islands, where Dingle Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Sailing to and fro, our captain kept a sharp eye out for wildlife. The boat had room for a dozen passengers, which meant we were low and close to the water, as close as we could be without falling in. So we were thrilled when, as we neared the islands, a pod of dolphins decided to swim alongside our boat, almost close enough to touch; their sleek bodies racing in and out of the ocean, and occasionally squirting water out of their blowholes as they caught their breath.
After visiting the island, it was a 45-minute trip back to the mainland. We sped through Dingle Bay admiring the bright blueness of water and sky, with the mountains of the Iveragh Peninsula on the horizon. Suddenly our boat slowed down as the captain called our attention to the starboard side. A flock of birds—hundreds of them—were gathering at what seemed like a random spot in the middle of the bay. There was nothing close by, no rocks, no reefs, no islands, just water for miles and miles. The captain told us that this was no random spot; the flocking of birds was a telltale sign that dolphins were nearby. These particular birds were gannets—they kind of looked like seagulls to us. And the gannets were flocking there because the dolphins were hunting, diving deep underwater to chase a school of fish up to the surface where the dolphins could catch the fish and eat them. These dolphins were not as playful as the ones on our outbound journey—this time they were hard at work. We stood on deck watching in awe as one dolphin after another would quickly rise above the surface then dive down again, hunting for the next bite.
Meanwhile, the gannets kept flocking together, flying near the surface. They were excited by the fish they could spy swimming just below. After a while the gannets stopped milling around, and starting “plunge-diving”. They would quickly fly up maybe 50 feet above the surface, then tuck in their wings, point their beak down, and speed up to 60 miles an hour down, as they dove underwater to catch a fish. One gannet after another dove in to feast on the fish the dolphins had provided near the surface. To borrow from the biblical language of today’s gospel, you might say “it was the dolphins’ good pleasure to give them their fill of fish”.
In today’s gospel, Jesus begins by saying to the disciples, “Do not be afraid little flock”. Now, all my life, whenever I’ve heard that phrase, I’ve always imagined that Jesus was comparing the disciples to a flock of sheep. After all, in the gospel of John, Jesus describes himself as the “Good Shepherd”; and the Good Shepherd cares for the sheep. But someone pointed out to me recently that just a few verses earlier from what we read today in Luke 12, Jesus compares his disciples to birds, saying: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life…Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!” So with poetic license, let me update Jesus words for my own experience: “Consider the gannets; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the gannets!” And yet each of us, birds and people, have an important place in God’s kingdom. Therefore “do not worry about your life…Do not be afraid!”
Now, in the Bible when someone hears that phrase “do not be afraid”, it’s a sign that God is going to make a great promise or accomplish a mighty act. So this time, what is the promise Jesus is making? Why is he telling us not to be afraid? Because, he says, “it’s your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom!” God sends his kingdom, his influence, among us not because we’ve done anything to earn it or deserve it, but simply because God loves us and wants to provide what we truly need; God wants us to feel the influence of the Spirit of the living Christ in our lives and in the world. So with this promise—“Do not be afraid, little flock; it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom”—Jesus is inviting us to put our faith in him.
The rest of what Jesus says in today’s gospel are a few examples, or metaphors, of what it looks like to live a Christian life through faith when we’re under the influence of God’s kingdom.
First is that Jesus helps us grow in the freedom to be generous. “Sell your possession and give alms…where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” I don’t think Jesus is commanding us to get rid of all we own—but giving a warning to guard against being so attached to our possessions and trying to “keep what’s mine”, that we miss out on the blessings God gives us when we are generous; when we share what we have with others. Trust that God provides.
Second is that Jesus helps us grow in the freedom from anxiety. He says, “be dressed for action and have your lamps lit.” He’s talking about how we can live with eager expectation that Christ’s presence keeps coming to us, right in the midst of our everyday lives. Jesus continues by saying “blessed are the servants whom the master finds alert when he returns…he will come and serve them!” This is a great reversal of expectation! We expect that the servants should serve the master, but here Jesus says he’s going to serve us! And that is what Jesus is all about—that the Son of God came into this world not to dominate but to serve, and (by his example) to teach us how to serve. Jesus promises that he will be with you, especially when you are at your lowest, or when life is most difficult. Therefore, you can hand your anxieties over to Jesus through prayer, and let him carry your worries for you. Trust his mercy.
And third is that Jesus helps us grow in the freedom to have confidence in God. “The Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” Jesus reminds the disciples. None of us knows what the future holds, but we know that God holds the future. And we are waiting with faith for the time when God fulfills all his promises for the salvation of the world. Trust his grace.
Because the future is secure in God, we don’t have to be afraid to follow Jesus; to follow his way. And we don’t have to be afraid to learn from him how to be an advocate for those who are hurting in the world. We can offer our service towards making the world a better place today, so that the world we live in reflects the ways of heaven just a little bit better.
Freedom to be generous. Freedom from anxiety. Freedom to have confidence in God. Sometimes though, like the fish swimming deep in Dingle Bay, these promises for our life in Christ can seem hidden and far away. Sometimes it’s hard to live generously. Sometimes our anxieties get the better of us. Sometimes we lose our sense of confidence in our faith. But like the gannets who wait with eager expectation for the dolphins to dive deep and push the fish up towards the surface, we can wait in faith for the presence of Christ to come down appear in our lives at the time we least expect. And when he does, Jesus renews his promise to us: “Do not be afraid, little flock; it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Amen.