Mark 6:1-13 page 1

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Isadore Irandir was the goalkeeper for Brazilian football team Rio Petro in the 1970s. He was a devout Christian, and prayed at the beginning of each match. One day his team faced the famous Brazilian side Corinthians, whose star player was Roberto Rivelino. Corinthians kicked off. The ball was passed to Rivelino. Noticing that Irandir was still on his knees, praying, he shot from the half way line - and scored, just three seconds into the game.
[Adapted from Simon Coupland, Spicing Up Your Speaking, p249 #243.]

I tell you that story today, the day of the World Cup Final, because I realise you haven't heard enough about football in the last month. The Sun's childish headline 'There Is A God', when Wayne Rooney was getting back to fitness, now looks even more pathetic.

But this is not a sermon in which I make analogies about an English football side filled with individuals who can't play together as a team - although that would make a useful analogy for many churches. It is to say, however, that I have chosen a football metaphor to frame this sermon.

And it's this. Usually a football team does better when it plays at 'home' than it does when 'away'. At home, in front of your own supporters, you generally win more matches. And in this passage from Mark's Gospel Jesus is playing both at home and away. Firstly he is on his home ground for a fixture at his local synagogue. Then he is away, teaching in other villages and commissioning his followers to help him spread the Gospel of the Kingdom.

But - does Jesus do better at home or away? And what do the results tell us about discipleship in God's Kingdom?

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Copyright © David D Faulkner, 2006 except where other sources are attributed or noted as inspiration.