Homily, Authority and Compassion
The Third Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 6A
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Plant City, FL
The Rev. Derek M Larson, TSSF
Today’s Lectionary Readings:
In the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
The Cathedral was empty. No joyful and triumphant choir. No prayerfully assembled congregation. No acolytes in a grand procession. It was empty, except for the five of us gathered for our diaconal ordination, our bishop, and his assistant. For me it was the culmination of almost 10 years of personal discernment and study, but nobody came to celebrate with us, because it was December 19, 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
It was surreal standing there in the quiet of such a large and beautiful place, but I’ll never forget Bishop Rob Wright’s words as he preached to a congregation of four from the top of the towering pulpit, “you may hear people say, ‘Poor you.’ ‘Poor you for not getting a grand celebratory liturgical service for your ordination.’ But I say ‘lucky you!’ Lucky you for being called at such a time as this when the world so desperately needs a message of hope and healing. “Today you are being ordained in the wilderness, for the wilderness, at the behest of a wilderness God.”
It was a poignant reminder that our ordinations were not meant for our own privilege and benefit, but for the service of hurting people. Being ordained in that empty cathedral was a reminder that the life of the Church goes beyond the beautifully ornamented walls of a building out into the world where everyday people carry everyday burdens and look for everyday hope.
And then the bishop laid his hands upon my head and prayed (you can read it in the prayer book on page 545), “Therefore Father, through Jesus Christ your Son, give your Holy Spirit to Derek; fill him with grace and power, and make him a deacon in your Church. Make him, O Lord, modest and humble, strong and constant, to observe the discipline of Christ…As your Son came not to be served but to serve, may this deacon share in Christ’s service…”
Thus I received the sacrament of ordination, that goes back all the way to the early Church. For I was ordained by my bishop who was ordained by his bishop who was ordained by his bishop going all the way back to the first apostles and to Christ himself. Indeed, that is what our gospel passage is about today.
“Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. These are the names of the twelve…”
He summoned them. He gave them authority. This is a passage in which the long apostolic succession of which I took part in that empty cathedral finds its root. The summons of Jesus and the giving of authority.
And yet, here, like in an empty cathedral, the summons and authority come not in majesty, but in wilderness. Why does Jesus establish these twelve to carry on his good message of God’s presence? Because, the passage says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
The summons and authority by which Jesus commissions and sends out his apostles is a direct response of compassion for the needs of the people. He does not give them authority in order that they may have power over the people, but that they might serve among the people. He does not give them authority because they are worthy to be lifted up on high, but because he is calling them to be brought down low.
For Jesus, compassion is the root and prerequisite for authority. Authority without compassion, is no authority at all, but simply abuse and harassment. And thus the exercise of authority, as Jesus commands, is to exercise compassion through the work of healing, hope, liberation, peace, and the proclamation of God’s immanent presence.
We the Church have not always lived up to that call. At times we have traded authority for dominance, and humility for supremacy. Which is why we daily repent. But this is the Church’s call. This is the Church’s vocation. This is the Church’s authority. Not to Lord it over others, but to offer a heart and a hand in the name of the Lord.
You, too, have been given authority. You, too, are partakers in this sacred apostolic succession. At your baptism you were summoned and commissioned to share in Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and eternal priesthood. You, like the twelve, are being sent out, for Christ has seen the people of Plant City and Lakeland and Valrico and Brandon and has compassion on them for they are like sheep without a shepherd, harassed and helpless. Like you, they are carrying heavy burdens. Like you, they are longing for rest and peace. Like you, they often feel isolated and lonely. And you have been given authority—responsibility—to exercise the work of Christ’s love and compassion, and to proclaim the Lord’s nearness.
Who are the people you encounter in your life? What neighbors do you have? What colleagues and coworkers? What peers? What friends and family? Have you seen them with Christ’s eyes? Have you noticed their pain and suffering? Have you listened to the summons of Jesus and received his authority of compassion?
For to them you are being sent in the wilderness, for the wilderness, at the behest of a wilderness God.
Make us, O Lord, modest and humble, strong and constant, to observe the discipline of Christ…As your Son came not to be served but to serve, may we share in Christ’s service of compassion and authority in the world. Amen.
Questions for Further Reflection
- In what areas of my life do I carry authority over others? What role does compassion have in that authority?
- How can I be more aware of the needs and struggles of those around me, especially in my community?
- How can I grow in humility and service?
- What kind of authority does the sacrament of baptism and apostolic succession bestow on a person?
Thoughts on Faith 