Homilies
Inspiration for our own discipleship, from the life of St Bartholomew
Holy Spirit take my words and speak to each of us according to our need.
Today the church celebrates the Feast of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle, one of the Twelve. He is a saint who appears only in glimpses in Scripture, but in those glimpses are valuable lessons for our own discipleship in today’s world.
Bartholomew is most often identified under another name; Nathanael. Nathanael can be found most readily in John’s Gospel and it is Nathanael who, when told by Philip about Jesus of Nazareth, replies, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). At first, his words sound dismissive or even cynical. But if we look closer, those words convey, not cynicism but honesty. Nathanael was straightforward. He wasn’t one to flatter or to pretend. He said just what he thought. And when he met Jesus, the Lord saw the authentic him and declared: “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
It was not Nathanael’s politeness or directness that impressed Jesus, but his truthfulness. He was open, genuine, sincere. And in that moment, Nathanael’s doubts gave way to faith as he declared: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Therefore the first lesson we can draw from Saint Bartholomew’s life is the importance of honesty in our walk with God.
We sometimes think that to be faithful Christians we must always have the right words, the right answers, or unshakable confidence. But Nathanael reminds us that Jesus does not despise our questions or our struggles. God only desires truth from us.
This means that when we are suffering, we can bring our pain honestly before God. When we struggle with doubt, we can admit it in prayer. When life feels confusing or disappointing, we don’t need to cover it over with pious or glib phrases. God can handle our honesty. In fact, honesty is the best soil in which faith can grow.
In our daily lives, honesty before God might mean praying with our real feelings instead of the words we think we “should” say. It might mean taking time out to journal, or simply to sit before God in silence with our questions. In church life, it means creating communities where people can bring their struggles without fear of judgment, where doubts are met with compassion and guidance instead of shame.
I began my theological training for this role in 2022 but in 1995 I gained an undergraduate degree in theology. I still have no idea why I ended up taking that degree but I do know that if I had gone straight into training for ministry then, I would be a completely different priest. I spent those three years questioning everything. When I began the degree, I wasn’t even sure if I was a Christian anymore. I just wanted to study why people believed and I naïvely thought I could do that objectively without it having any affect on me at all…..then it led me here.
A church marked by honesty, acceptance and integrity is a church where faith can thrive.
Jesus praised Nathanael for being a man “without deceit.” It is this integrity that is the second lesson we can take inspiration from in Saint Bartholomew’s life.
We live in a time when half-truths and shifting identities are common. Social media encourages us to present curated versions of ourselves. At work or school, there can be pressure to compromise values to fit in. Even in the Church, there is temptation to say what people want to hear in order to fit in, to not rock the boat or to not raise your head above the parapets, be a lone voice or swim against the tide.
Saint Bartholomew challenges us to live as people of integrity. Genuinely behaving the same on the inside as on the outside, and the same in public as in private.
Living with integrity might mean keeping promises even when it costs us. It might mean admitting mistakes rather than covering them up. It might mean treating colleagues or employees with respect, even when no one is watching. It might mean holding to Christ’s teachings when others would rather take shortcuts.
Integrity however, should not be mistaken for perfection. It is wholeness, accepting the difficulties along with the goodness as part of a whole. It is choosing authenticity over hypocrisy. And when people encounter Christians who do live their lives with such integrity, they glimpse something of Christ Himself.
In my church in the Isle of Wight, the priest there told a story of a young boy around the age of 15/16 who had decided to follow Jesus. He had done a lot of reading and wanted to start going to church. The area in which he lived was quite remote so he asked his Father if he would mind giving him a lift to church. His Dad did not like the idea of his son becoming a Christian so he refused to give him a lift, hoping that it would put him off going to church as it would be difficult to get there. The boy however, didn’t argue, but on Sunday he got up at dawn, got showered and ready for church and set off to walk the 8 miles to church. He stay for the service (and the coffee and chat afterwards) and then walked home again. When he got home, he made himself some lunch and then set to work cleaning his dads car. This became his routine every Sunday. He made friends with someone his own age at church, they had gone there with their family and when they were talking one day, his new friend said “I don’t get it. Your dad refused to bring you to church or collect you. He doesn’t like you being here and yet every week you still clean his car for him without asking for anything for doing it. Why?’
The boy replied, without even pausing for breath ‘because, he said, I might be the only glimpse of Jesus that my Dad ever gets to see.’ - such courage and determination.
And that is the final lesson for today from Saint Bartholomew; courage in mission. Tradition tells us that he carried the Gospel far beyond Israel quite possibly to India, Mesopotamia, and Armenia. There, he was martyred for preaching about Christ.
Bartholomew did not stay comfortable in his hometown. He went where the Spirit led him, and he was faithful even to his own death. His whole life reminds us that discipleship is not comfortable and still in many parts of the world, it is not safe either. It is costly in many different ways for different people. But it is also joyful.
We may not be called to travel to distant lands, but each of us is called to mission right where we are. That might mean speaking about our faith in natural, humble ways when people ask us why we believe. It might mean offering prayer for a struggling colleague. It might mean serving the poor, welcoming the stranger, or standing up for justice even when it is unpopular.
Mission can feel intimidating. We fear rejection or ridicule. But Saint Bartholomew shows us that courage is not the absence of fear rather it is trusting God enough to step forward despite fear. And every time we act in Christ’s name, no matter how small the act, we take part in the mission that reaches to the ends of the earth. I can say with absolutely certainty that I was brought here. Yes, it meant giving up a lot but what I have gained has been so much more than I ever could have imagined. Saint Bartholomew’s life can speak powerfully to us today. He reminds us to be honest before God, integrity-filled in our dealings with others, and courageous in mission. These are not remote ideals for saints of the past, they are holy habit forming, daily practices which are relevant for us today just as much as they were for Saint Bartholomew.
So whilst we celebrate his feast day, let us ask:
• Where do I need to be more honest with God?
• Where do I need to live with greater integrity?
• Where is God calling me to be courageous in witness and service?
And may Saint Bartholomew’s example encourage us to live as true disciples; honest, whole, and brave so that in our lives, others may see Christ and be drawn to Him.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, you saw Nathanael under the fig tree and called him to be your disciple. Help us also, to be real with you in our prayers, to live with integrity in our daily lives, and to be bold in sharing your love with others. Give us strength when we are afraid, and fill us with joy as we follow you. In Jesus’ name we pray Amen