Be ready always to give an answer
‘Always’ is always a difficult word.
Consistency.
How often our brilliant successes – if we experience them – are offset by dismal failures.
The topic of this Sunday’s News is not the inner rage in us, nor the terror induced by others, both of which can block our vision of the Almighty and allow his throne in us to be trampled underfoot. The breach in our sanctification of the Lord in our hearts which I will discuss this week is altogether more subtle, but just as potent.
‘But and if you suffer for righteousness sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.’ (1 Peter 3:14-16)
‘Be ready always’.
I have a habit of going for a walk first thing in the morning. It is in fact my prayer time. I find that on my knees, or seated in a chair or in any other stationary position, attempts I make at prayer soon dissolve into distraction with other thoughts, or nodding off to sleep. Church is an exception – the presence of others praying can keep me focused on God at least, if not necessarily on what is being prayed by others. I suspect I have some form of attention deficit disorder. Nonetheless, walking works for me and I can stay for some time at least in an attitude of prayer.
Returning from my walk recently I came across a neighbour also walking and pushing a ‘stroller’ in which sat one of her young children. She complimented me on my consistency (there is that word) of walking in the morning. (Our paths have crossed before and perhaps she sees me setting out or returning at other times also.) Then and there was my opportunity.
As natural as can be I could have said, ‘this is my prayer time’. Because truth be told, if it were not, I would not show much consistency in the habit. I have few spiritual disciplines and so I make a reasonable effort to maintain this one. And simply to say that, would have been all that was required to present a perfectly genuine, non-threatening witness of faith to my neighbour.
I did not mention prayer, nor God, nor anything of the sort. Why? I was somehow subconsciously caught in a kind of magnetic pull towards what I felt were agreeable statements, which would avoid any friction in our conversation. I was not ‘ready to give an answer’, as the scripture puts it. Instead I moulded my words to the path I felt would put me in a favourable light to my neighbour. This is a kind of fear – but I felt nothing. I ‘auto-censored’ without being aware of it at all.
This no doubt is a fault of mine, and others will be more assertive in sharing their faith, and in taking the opportunities that come along. But I do find interesting the mysterious way I am bent towards what I think will please others when in conversation with them. Often I look back and see I have said things which were not at all good. As the scripture says, I have made conversation of which to be ashamed. Or at least I have failed to say things appropriate and good, as in my chance meeting with my neighbour. I felt no conflict at the time – but I was somehow caught in the ‘tractor beam’ of social interaction and seeking approval.
I have found in the scriptures what seems to me a perfect example of how these situations should better be managed, with both absolute ‘readiness to give an answer’ and completely maintained sanctification of the Lord in our heart. This example by Jesus himself I marvel at. Others may marvel at Jesus’ miracles or his sufferings – and I do to. But this I find astonishing, perhaps because I know how hard it is, whereas the ‘greater’ works of Jesus are things are outside my experience.
The story is in John 4:1-43. It is a bit long to repeat here – I exhort the reader to read it.
The thing I love about this story is that Jesus is simply being himself. But how wonderful he is! Yet again, he is also denying himself.
Jesus is thirsty – a woman arrives at the well with means to draw from it, he asks her for water. There is no guile, no preparation even. He really does want the water. He needs it. But he never lets his priorities slip – he sees the hand of the Father at work, and as the situation unfolds, he sets his own needs and feelings aside.
The woman begins to both flirt and somewhat torment Jesus, procrastinating over whether she will meet his request, playing on his genuine need with some provocative objections. Jesus neither enters into her flirtations, nor does he rebuke or reject her, nor is he provoked by her torment of his thirst. His replies to her show he has fully engaged in a rapport with her – he is a great conversationalist, receptive and sensitive to the woman, yet setting the direction. And his inner compass, guided by his holiness and his calling from the Father, never waivers in the slightest.
The woman feels no animosity towards Jesus nor manipulation by him. This cannot be faked. People sense these things, but as Jesus said, ‘my sheep hear my voice, and they follow me’. The woman could have taken offense – but Jesus simply is not offensive, and she isn’t the type to take offense when it isn’t there. She is drawn to him. He is not the first man she has been drawn to, but he is better than the others. Jesus knows her feelings – he is not afraid of them, nor does he entice her, nor does he push her away.
Then comes the moment to strike – ‘Sir, give me this water’. (The living water which Jesus has told her she can receive.) She is asking to receive Jesus – this is what he is sent for, what he is born for, and he now knows, it is why he finds himself at this well with this woman – but his compass does not even flicker for an instant. ‘Go, call thy husband, and come hither.’
That is what it means to ‘sanctify the Lord in our hearts’ when in conversation with others. Jesus is fully engaged with this woman in conversation. There is chemistry, there is rapport, there is spiritual awakening, there is opportunity, and Jesus does not stifle nor wrestle with any of that – but the moment it takes an improper turn, in this case that his interaction with the woman could usurp the rightful role of her husband to oversee such interactions – he nudges things back on course immediately. He is not trying to make something happen here – it is happening. Jesus knows he must be true to the Father, there is no other way. Not even when a thousand justifications could be made to ‘get this woman over the line’ to faith in him.
And still Jesus doesn’t have his drink of water.
I note, Jesus is not requesting the woman call her husband because the situation looks bad to others. It already does look that way, as the disciples observed when they came and found him in conversation with her. What he is avoiding is it actually being bad.
So I see that Jesus was 100% ready to give an answer to those who would seek him, answers so wonderful that it can truly be said, ‘no man spoke like this man’. Yet also in him was an unwavering compass guided by his sanctification of the Father in his heart. Maintaining both those attitudes together is a feat I can only try to imagine.
Some would say, that is Jesus’ own nature as God – he would feel no conflict in submitting always to the Father; whereas to ‘sanctify the Lord’ can for us seem very much at odds with our own inclinations and the influences of others. But to that I would say, this is the same Jesus who said, ‘O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matthew 26:39) That also is Jesus’ sanctification of the Father in his heart. And though I do not doubt Jesus’ responses were infinitely better than ours, I would suggest his experience of conflict with the will of his Father would rival and exceed any such experiences of our own. Such is the sanctified life that Jesus lived for the Father, and for our sakes.
Therefore, let us be 100% ready to give an answer of faith at all times. Yet let our eyes be always on Jesus, and his throne sanctified within us.
Amen.
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