Sermon Tone Analysis

22-25

Today’s passage opens with a mystery, at least for those whose stomachs had been filled and for the more observant ones.

They knew for sure that only one boat was on the lake when Jesus concluded His miracle of feeding the eight or so thousand and sent them all away including His disciples in the one boat on the sea shore.

But He stayed behind.

That much was ascertained.

But He was nowhere to be found.

Whilst this was being deliberated boats started to arrive and so they thought, well, if He is not here then let’s find His disciples for surely they know where He is.

And off they went.

And when they landed they saw Jesus.

Hang on a moment.

When did you get here?

Personally, I find this question a bit odd.

I would be more likely to ask: how did you get here?

But this does not seem to be a mystery they wanted to get to the bottom of.

They were more interested in the fact He is there and when that happened rather than how.

Don’t you find it strange?

I might think that somehow He got there by boat as that seems to be the logical way but there were no other boats.

In not asking the right question they missed out on being told of another miracle.

But they were not interested in this, not at all, they were really wondering why He was trying to avoid them and Jesus did not answer their question.

26-28

In fact, Jesus said, they couldn’t care less about miracles or about Him.

Amen, Amen.

He said.

Cutting right across their question.

Jesus often said these words to emphasise the truth of what He was about to say.

In the KJV it says: verily, verily.

And in the NIV it says: very truly.

You are here for none other reason than to have your stomachs filled again.

You only care about the here and now and your physical welfare.

In fact they wanted to be in a benefits system where they were given all they need for nothing in return.

That may sound harsh, and leaving present-day politics aside, Jesus is not the welfare state to provide for a more comfortable, soothing and indulgent future.

It is all too easy to be after Jesus for what He can give to us.

But our perception needs to change.

As our Creator the fact that we have life at all is down to Him.

He is worthy of our honour and praise for all things belong to Him and are due to Him.

And this is before He came to save us from our sin.

So, Jesus goes on to say do not labour for the bread that perishes.

The story I’m about to tell you is about a man who shortly thereafter died:

In 1965 Somerset Maugham was ninety-one years old and fabulously wealthy.

Royalties were continuing to pour in from all over the world despite the fact that he had not written a word in years.

His fame seemingly was on the upsurge.

He received an average of 300 letters a week from his fans.

He was experiencing incredible success.

But how did Maugham respond to his success?

What had it brought to his life?

We gain an insight from an article written by Maugham’s nephew, Robin Maugham, after he visited his uncle before his death at his uncle’s fabulous villa on the Mediterranean.

I looked round the drawing room at the immensely valuable furniture and pictures and objects that his success had enabled him to acquire.

I remembered that the villa itself and the wonderful garden I could see through the windows—a fabulous setting on the edge of the Mediterranean... Somerset, had 11 servants, including his cook, Annette, who was the envy of all the other millionaires on the Riviera.

He dined on silver plates, waited on by Marius, his butler, and Henri, his footman.

But it no longer meant anything to him.

The following afternoon, I found Somerset reclining on a sofa, peering through his spectacles at a Bible which had very large print.

He looked horribly wizened, and his face was grim.

“I’ve been reading the Bible you gave me … and I’ve come across the quotation: ‘What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?’

I must tell you, my dear Robin, that the text used to hang opposite my bed when I was a child.…

Of course, it’s all a lot of bunk.

But the thought is quite interesting all the same.”

That evening, in the drawing room after dinner, Somerset flung himself down onto the sofa.

“Oh, Robin, I’m so tired …” He... buried his head in his hands.

“I’ve been a failure the whole way through my life,” he said.

“I’ve made mistake after mistake.

I’ve made a hash of everything.”

I tried to comfort him.

“You’re the most famous writer alive.

Surely that means something?”

“I wish I’d never written a single word,” he answered.

“It’s brought me nothing but misery.…

Everyone who’s got to know me well has ended up by hating me.…

My whole life has been a failure.…

And now it’s too late to change.

It’s too late …”

Somerset looked up, and his grip tightened on my hands.

He was staring towards the floor.

His face was contorted with fear, and he was trembling violently.

His face was ashen as he stared in horror ahead of him.

Suddenly, he began to shriek.

“Go away!” he cried.

“I’m not ready.…

I’m not dead yet.…

I’m not dead yet, I tell you …” His high-pitched, terror-struck voice seemed to echo from wall to wall.

I looked round, but the room was empty as before.

“There’s no one there, Somerset” [Hughes 1999, pp.200-202]

Many people get to the end of their lives before they realise the futility of all that they have done.

Solomon proclaimed: vanity, vanity!

emptiness, emptiness!

Self-seeking is foolishness for everything here will pass away.

We are not guaranteed another day.

Today, these words have great import to us.

All that I have preached thus far and most of what is in the rest of this sermon was already in today’s sermon before the phone call I received on Friday evening from Tom.

Just last Sunday and we were celebrating with her and Tom their 60th; their diamond wedding anniversary.

This week Joyce is no longer with us but with the Lord.

The sheer suddenness brings home the fact we are not guaranteed tomorrow.

For Somerset Maugham it was not too late as long as he had breath but when he had died there was nothing that could be done.

Did he spur the words of Christ till the day he died?

But whilst alive there is the offer of eternal life.

And this is what we truly believe about Joyce that she took up the offer, a woman of God, who is with the Lord as I speak though we really feel the loss and our hearts go out to Tom and his family.

God has set His seal on Jesus for He is uniquely chosen to save us and give a life that will satisfy.

Hear the key word in there.

Give.

Not pay.

But it escapes the ears of His hearers.

What must WE do?

What work do we have to do?