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Well Done My Good and Faithful Servant (Luke 10:25-37)

Queen Elizabeth II was Promoted to Glory this week. she had a strong Christian faith that has been evident throughout her life. As well as her formal role as 'Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England', her personal faith was evident even before she was crowned. 'Pray for me’, she urged us all prior to her coronation, ‘that God may give me wisdom and strength to carry out the solemn promises I shall be making, and that I may faithfully serve Him and you, all the days of my life.’

 

The theme of service to God and her neighbour even ran throughout her coronation ceremony and she mentioned time and time again, very publicly throughout the years that she was inspired by the sacrificial life of Jesus Christ, who said of himself: I ‘did not come to be served, but to serve’. She said, ‘For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life.’

 

In 2008 the Queen encouraged us all: ‘I hope that, like me, you will be comforted by the example of Jesus of Nazareth who, often in circumstances of great adversity, managed to live an outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life … He makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving than receiving; more in serving than in being served.’

 

The Bible passage the Queen referred to most often in her public addresses is the one we are looking at briefly today. Luke 10:25-2 emphasises this theme of service. Most of what I have to say here are words that God has previously shared through our ptg Queen. In four of her Christmas broadcasts alone she has talked about the parable Jesus told of a ‘Good Samaritan’.

 

In 1985 she encouraged us that this passage ‘reminds us of our duty to our neighbour. We should try to follow Christ's clear instruction at the end of that story: "Go and do thou likewise".

 

In her 1989 reference to this pericope she said, ‘Many of you will have heard the story of the Good Samaritan, and of how Christ answered the question (from a clever lawyer who was trying to catch him out) "who is my neighbour?" Jesus told of the traveller who was mugged and left injured on the roadside where several important people saw him, and passed by without stopping to help. His neighbour was the man who did stop, cared for him, and made sure he was being well looked after before he resumed his own journey.”

 

‘It's not very difficult to apply that story to our own times and to work out that our neighbours are those of our friends, or complete strangers, who need a helping hand. Do you think they might also be some of the living species threatened by spoiled rivers, or some of the children in places like Ethiopia and Sudan who don't have enough to eat? … it would be splendid to think that in the last years of the twentieth century [and even now into the 21st Century] Christ's message about loving our neighbours as ourselves might at last be heeded.’

 

In 2004 Her Majesty returned again to the same parable and, most recently, in her 2020 broadcast on Christmas Eve from Windsor Castle, where she had been isolating with her husband Prince Philip due to the Covid-19 pandemic, “In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year. And I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit. To our young people in particular I say thank you for the part you have played.

 

“This year, we celebrated International Nurses’ Day, on the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale. As with other nursing pioneers like Mary Seacole, Florence Nightingale shone a lamp of hope across the world.

 

“Today, our frontline services still shine that lamp for us – supported by the amazing achievements of modern science – and we owe them a debt of gratitude. We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that – even on the darkest nights – there is hope in the new dawn. Jesus touched on this with the parable of the Good Samaritan. The man who is robbed and left at the roadside is saved by someone who did not share his religion or culture. This wonderful story of kindness is still as relevant today.

 

Good Samaritans have emerged across society showing care and respect for all, regardless of gender, race or background, reminding us that each one of us is special and equal in the eyes of God. The teachings of Christ have served as my inner light, as has the sense of purpose we can find in coming together to worship.

 

“In November, we commemorated another hero – though nobody knows his name. The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior isn’t a large memorial, but everyone entering Westminster Abbey has to walk around his resting place, honouring this unnamed combatant of the First World War – a symbol of selfless duty and ultimate sacrifice.

 

“The Unknown Warrior was not exceptional. That’s the point. He represents millions like him who throughout our history have put the lives of others above their own, and will be doing so today. For me, this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times.

 

She continued on in her Christmas address, “Of course, for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness: some mourning the loss of those dear to them, and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they’d really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand. If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.

 

“The Bible tells how a star appeared in the sky, its light guiding the shepherds and wise men to the scene of Jesus’s birth. Let the light of Christmas – the spirit of selflessness, love and above all hope – guide us in the times ahead. It is in that spirit that I wish you a very happy Christmas.”

 

I am not going to add very much to the Queen’s words here. I am just going to offer each and everyone of you this encouragement. As you are a part of this team, you did not walk on the other side of the road, you did not hide from your responsibility and your sense of duty. You do not put your own welfare ahead of others. Everyday that you are out there serving your neighbour in the name of Jesus – be it handing out food and clothing, providing showers, shelter, interment services, visiting people in hospitals (if you are allowed!) and care homes, running kids programs and church services, serving at toy runs, providing school supplies and walking in parades to raise awareness; anytime you do any of this and the much more that each of you here does in Jesus’ Name, on a personal level you are doing as doing this for God as well. And as such you are the good Samaritan.

 

This is my encouragement to us today, let us keep on serving God by serving our neighbour in His Name. Like the Queen, let us put duty and service to God and our neighbour before all else in our lives. Let us love one another and let us work together so that on that day when each of us meets our Maker, He will indeed greet us with, ‘well done my good and faithful servant’

 

Let us pray







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