Lord, open our hearts and minds to your presence, and to your call on our lives, and help us to come to you in trust and joy, so that we may live as your children in the world. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Those who are asking Jesus the question we have just heard ‘Is it lawful to pay taxes to the Emperor, or not?’ must have thought they had found the perfect way to trap him – whichever way he answers he is bound to upset a very large number of people – which is precisely what they are hoping for.

The question is a weapon – they probably aren’t too much interested in the answer – after all, it’s not really answers they want from Jesus.

They have already decided he’s too dangerous – not what they were wanting, certainly not what they had expected.

Therefore, best to get rid of him, or at least cut him down to size so that he becomes less popular, with less of the power and influence that is threatening theirs.

What is Jesus to do?

If he replies that taxes should be paid to the emperor – seen as the illegal Roman usurper – then any of his followers who are hoping he is the Messiah come to take back Kingly power on behalf of God’s people, will be really hacked off.

But if he answers that no taxes should be paid, then the civil authorities may very well arrest him, and many people who came to Jesus for teaching about God and for healing, will be too fearful to have anything more to do with him.

Surely, they’ve backed him into a nice tight corner this time!

But Jesus, once again, completely turns the tables on them. While they were attempting to trap him with questions about what is due to Caesar, they haven’t it seems, taken into consideration what is due to God!

We shouldn’t be surprised – before this passage in Matthew’s Gospel there are several parables about people who fail to recognise what is due to God  – a couple of weeks back we heard about the tenants of the vineyard who refused to give their rent or any of the produce to the owner. 

Now here stands God’s own Son before them, and still they cannot or will not recognise him and rejoice that God has come to be with them.

And maybe here is the problem – we say we want God to come close to us, and yet are we really prepared for what that might ask of us?

It might mean for instance, that we can’t take sides against others – we can’t say that one side or the other is at fault in what is going on in the Middle East at the moment, nor in our own arguments with friends or family.

We have to get involved in the mess and the muddle and take the risk that this will make our lives a bit less comfortable – there will be many more unanswerable questions – because, at the end of the day – if we really are to give to God what is due to God – well, where might that take us?

Last Advent, myself, Becka, Bill and Helen shared stories about our call into ministry and how that had led us into taking risks for God.

Today, I’m going to invite Honour Smith, who has recently joined us as our Youth Worker, to share something of her story.

Some of you may well be asking – what is a Youth Worker – why do we have one and what is she going to be doing? What will we do with children, young people and families when we’ve got them!

So, Honour we’d love to ask you some questions about all this.

What was your experience of coming to faith as a young person and what kept you coming to church?

Honour:

For me, I never really had a distinct moment of coming to faith, it’s something that has been constant throughout my life for as long as I remember. My parents were very open in sharing their faith with me, and growing up I was told about the difficulties surrounding my mum’s pregnancy and my birth as a very premature baby, and how my mum saw angels fighting for us both as she was undergoing an emergency c-section. So hearing this story my whole life, has meant that God’s presence in my life is something I have never really questioned or doubted. 

Growing up I was very lucky to grow up attending a church which had really invested in youth ministry, so that played a huge role in my involvement in church, and gave me opportunities to serve. Which meant I was an active part of the church community from a young age.

How were you called into ministry as a Youth Worker?

Youth ministry is something I’ve been involved in leading for 10 years. At 18 when I felt God tell me not to apply for university, I was thinking about my options for after school. Being involved in the youth ministry was the one thing I really enjoyed so I felt called to explore this. I then did two years of full time youth ministry. First at Werrington church through an apprenticeship program with the Peterborough diocese and YMCA, and then through a gap year with CROPS a local schools and youth work charity. After this I wasn’t sure what to do so I ended up working in hospitality for the past 5 years which gave me a stability throughout the lockdowns, (whilst still continuing to serve in youth ministry). This past year I felt God calling me to use the experiences I’ve gain in management and hospitality, and my passion for youth work, hence I’ve now starting my degree level youth ministry studies.

What sort of things could happen here for children and young people at St John’s and St Luke’s?  Why is this important?

I would love to see children and young people to be included and to grow and serve throughout the church community. If I hadn’t been given opportunities to serve I definitely wouldn’t have the confidence to follow my calling today. This is so important as children and young people are not ‘the church of the future’ but are the church of today and we as a church need to welcome them as such.

Thank you, so much Honour – no doubt this conversation will continue over coming weeks and months too while you are training at Ridley Hall, Cambridge and studying for your degree in Youth Ministry as well as working alongside us in the parish throughout the next three years.

As Honour says, children and young people are the church of today – they are the heart of the church – and as adults we need to see through their eyes – because it stops us getting stuck in the ways of the supposedly ‘grown-up’ world. A world, which as we saw in today’s Gospel reading – all too easily forgets that God is at the heart of it – and cannot recognise Jesus even when he is standing right in front of us.

So let us pray for Honour, for our children, young people and families, and for all of us, beloved children of God, that we may know God at the heart of us, our church and our world. Amen.

Service: Reverend Michelle Dalliston. 22nd October 2023. (St John The Baptist Church Peterborough UK)

Readings: Matthew 22: 15-22