The Third Sunday after Trinity

20^th June 2010: St John's Ambulance Service (11:45 am)

Preacher: The Revd Peter Douglas Koon

Reading: Matthew 25: 31-40

(A Translation)

Good Morning, members of the Hong Kong St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. I would like to ask you a question. Have you ever thought of heaven and hell? Have you ever thought about where you would go when departing from this world? To heaven or to hell? Have you ever imagined what heaven is like? And also what hell is like? Would you be the lucky one to enter into heaven? The truth is no one on earth knows what heaven or hell is like, because, apart from Jesus Christ, no man or woman died and resurrected (some persons in the Bible had been resuscitated but died eventually.). However, in today’s Gospel reading, Jesus used parables to reveal that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are willing to take care of the least and the needy of our neighbour.

It seems that the teaching of Jesus Christ is not compatible with the values of our modern world. We have been taught, as early as when we are at the kindergarten, to be a winner, to be a successful, powerful, and rich person, and to exploit others. We are taught and trained to show off ourselves so as to win the most rapturous applause. We have been asked and demanded to become a filial son/daughter to glorify our ancestors. Finally, we are taught that the life-long mission of our lives is to win, to impress, and to fight for the things, the feelings, and even the persons that we want. Our social norm is that it is right and our filial duty to become a famous person so as to glorify our parents.

However, in today’s Gospel, Jesus Christ made it explicitly that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who take care of the least brothers and sisters with humility and selfless love. In fact, if people can be a person of love, humility and being faithful to the mission, they could not only stand tall and be known so to glorify their parents, they could also magnify our Father’s name.

This is like the monks of the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, whose patron saint is St John, during the time of the Crusades, who cared for the wounded and sick selflessly with faith as embodied in the Order’s motto: “For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.” In remembrance of the monks, the founders of the St John's Ambulance took St John as the organization’s name and set up St John’s Ambulance Brigade in every corner of the earth to carry on the selfless love in serving others from generation to generation. However, have you ever thought of why Jesus stressed that the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who take care of the least? It is very simple. First of all, what was asked by Jesus was not a huge sacrifice or selling all our properties to help others. What he asked from us is to do just simple things in our daily lives to help our least brothers/sisters. Secondly, Jesus asked us not to expect any reward or return in serving others because the least brothers/sisters are not able or capable to return the services.

We can see that Jesus asked us to break away from the values of our modern world. He did not ask us to win, to show off and to be praised, because true love and selfless service have nothing to do with these. In fact, this is also the great principles of the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. That is to be faithful to our faith and to serve the needy with love and heart as embodied in its motto: “For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity.”

Dear members of the Hong Kong St. John’s Ambulance Brigade, it is inevitable that you would face stress when performing your duties to help persons in sickness, distress, suffering or danger. As time goes by, the stress might put a damper on our enthusiasm for serving. What is even worse is that we might think of leaving the organization when facing with personnel or operational problems. There is a simple and direct way to counteract such feelings. We must know that each person whom is served by us is made with the image of God and is unique and full of human dignity. Also, we can see the person whom we served as Jesus. Like Jesus told us in today’s Gospel: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” If we can do it this way, we would serve with happiness and seriousness. I wish all of you would carry on the spirit of the Knights Hospitallers of St John to serve persons in sickness, distress, suffering or danger with faith, love and heart. I would also like each of you to understand that your professional medical knowledge, the insignia on the shoulder or stripes on the sleeve of your uniform are not for show-off and praises, but for reminding you that you are the “lucky one,” because you are capable to love and to serve with the needy with your professional medical knowledge. Lastly, I pray for God’s mercy on each of us and leading us to live out St John’s spirit, which is also the teaching of Jesus Christ, in our daily lives, to serve the needy, so that we could be saved at the Judgment Day and praise God with our organisation’s founding fathers in Heaven.