A long time ago in the Middle Ages in Hungary there was a princess called
Elizabeth. She didnt really want to be a princess at all, though. She
wanted to be a nun. She wanted to serve the sick and help the poor, but
that wasn't really an option for a princess in her day. She was expected
to marry a prince from a neighbouring country, to strengthen the ties
between her nation and his. So she ended up married to Prince Louis of
Thuringia.
She was disappointed at this, but she soon realized that being a princess
didnt mean that she couldnt help others. In fact because she now had
money and a big castle she could do a lot for them. She started giving out
food to the poor and hungry, and nursing the sick. Soon everyone who was in
need knew that she was the person to come to, and the castle began to fill
up. There were wounded people in the basements and lepers in the attic and
people with all sorts of other problems in between. Every nook and cranny
was full of suffering, needy people. Her husband didnt seem to mind too
much so long as it didnt affect him too much! But there was someone in
the castle who most definitely did mind - her husband's mother, the
princess's mother-in-law. She was furious. What kind of woman was this
that her son had married? What did she think she was doing, bringing all
these dirty, ragged people into the palace?
One day, the prince decided that he would go away on a hunting trip. Hed
be away several days. Not long after hed gone a leper came to the castle
gates. He was desperately ill and starving. The princess could see that
he wouldn't last long, but the castle was full - there was nowhere to put
him. Sadly, she told him that she couldn't help, and she watched as he
turned away and began to drag himself back towards the castle gates. She
was very sad. She thought and thought. Wasn't there anywhere she could put
him? But every bit of free space in the castle was taken. Then she had an
idea. There would be one bed that was empty that night - her husband's
bed! He wouldn't be needing it while he was away.
So she had the leper carried up to her husband's bedroom and laid in his
bed with its fine sheets and warm covers. It looked to her as if the leper
was dying, but at least his last night would be comfortable. It didn't
take long though for her mother-in-law to find out what she'd done. She
was fuming. How could the princess put another man in her son's bed - and
a leper at that! When her son next slept in the bed, he might catch
leprosy himself. But perhaps that was what the princess wanted, she
thought. Something had to be done!
So she summoned a messenger, and she sent him after her son with a
message. Come home straight away. Your wife has put another man in your
bed! The messenger rode off as fast as he could. He caught up with the
prince, and he delivered his message. The prince was shocked, and he
headed home as fast as he could. When he arrived night was falling. His
mother was standing at the castle gates looking out for him. Come
quickly, she said, and see what that woman has done! She led the prince
up through the castle, and they came to his bedroom door. She flung the
door open, and she pointed inside. Look, there ! she said. A leper in
your bed!
But when they looked towards the bed it wasn't a leper that they saw
there. Lying on the bed was Christ himself, wounded and exhausted. He
raised his head wearily from the pillow, and looked towards them. Can you
not let me lie here for one night? Foxes have holes, birds have their
nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. The prince and his
mother were astonished. They didn't know what was happening. But they
could hardly turn Jesus out into the cold night, could they? Shamefacedly,
they tiptoed quietly out of the room, and shut the door gently.
In the morning, when they came back to the bedroom, there was the leper
lying on the bed again, right where they had seen Christ the night before.
But now he was healed. He was full of gratitude for those who had helped
him, and went on his way rejoicing.
It is a strange story, and I'm not sure that I believe that it really
happened. But it's a story that tells us something important.
If we know someone important is coming to visit us someone we look up to -
nothing is too much trouble. We bring out the best china and the finest
food. Wed do anything to help them. But there are other people that we
hardly even notice. We don't know their names. We don't know their
stories. We might not mean them any disrespect or unkindness, but they just
dont matter to us. There are many people who we look at and just see
problems the homeless and destitute, the drunk lying in the gutter. But
to God, everyone is special, just a special as Jesus is. Everyone is his
child.
It took a miracle to make the prince and his mother see that that leper
deserved and needed help, but their story is a reminder to us that we need
to open our eyes too. We need to learn to see God in each other, to see how
special we all are. Everyone of us has gifts to give. Everyone of us has
stories to tell. Everyone reflects God in some way. The Gospel story today
reminded us of the same thing. Help each other as if you are helping me
says Jesus. That's how special you all are in God's eyes, and that's how
special you should be in each other's eyes too.
That's why in the run-up to Christmas, we are launching our secret prayer
partner scheme. When you came into church, you were given a postcard. I
hope you've all written your name on it and put it on this table at the
front. In a moment as we sing our next hymn I'm going to invite you to
come and to pick up a card to take home with you. Whoevers name is on the
card is your secret prayer partner. Your job is to pray for them during
Advent. But don't tell them that you're praying for them. It'll be a nice
surprise when they eventually find out. At Christmas, write them a card
signed with your name, and the words your secret prayer partner. And of
course youll discover that someones been praying for you too. I wonder
who it'll be?
You don't have to pray long and complicated prayers. You just have to
think of that person, and remember that they are God's child, just like
you. Ask God to bless them. Thank God for them. I've put some ideas to
help you pray for others on the back of the service sheet. Take it away
with you and use it if you'd like to. There are some other resources on
the table at the front as well to help you pray.
Now for some practicalities. What if you pick up your own name, by
accident? Well, just put it down and have another go. Children, you don't
have to keep your prayer partner secret from your mum and dad-only from the
person you're praying for. In fact families might like to pray for all
their prayer partners all together before a meal or before bed. But that
will be a bit difficult if youve picked up your mumor dad, or brother or
sisters name! So if you do that, again, put the card back and choose
another. To try and avoid that happening I'm going to suggest that the
families with children come up first to choose their names in a minute.
I hope everyone understands all of that. What we hope that this little
exercise will do is to encourage us all to look at one another with new
eyes, to remember that each one of us here is as special to God as his own
son. We should care for each other, just as we would care for Jesus
himself, and learn to see God in one another.
So we're going to sing our next hymn now. Its hymn number . Thou didst
leave thy throne. Its a hymn that talks about the way God is among us, in
each of us always. Amen.
(Comments to Anne at annelebas@DSL.PIPEX.COM.)