‘Look,
we have left everything
and followed you.
What then will we have?’
‘Look,
we have left everything
and followed you.
What then will we have?’
If this passage from Matthew sounds familiar,
it’s because we’ve heard its Markan counterpart
not too long ago.
Jesus and the disciples
are on the road to Jerusalem
where Jesus knows he will die.
Today’s little passage
which we hear as we draw our hearts
to the model and example
of Hilda of Whitby
comes just after Jesus has told a rich young ruler
to sell all that he has
and give it to the poor.
Sam preached on that passage
a few weeks ago.
Peter is with James and John
maybe Andrew is with them
maybe he’s fallen away for a little bit
and they’ve uprooted their entire lives.
‘Look,
we have left everything
and followed you.
What then will we have?’
The Rich Young Ruler,
may not get eternal life
but at least he’s rich here.
They’ve left their homes
they’ve left their families
they’ve left their jobs.
These disciples,
committed followers of Jesus,
have given up everything
to follow him and learn from him.
What will they have?
Hilda of Whitby,
one of our patron saints,
found herself in a similar situation.
St. Hilda was born into a royal family
and raised by her great uncle
after her father was poisoned
when she was an infant.
After being widowed,
her great uncle married a Christian princess,
Who was allowed to continue to practice
her Roman Christianity
upon moving to Northumbria,
a kingdom that Hilda’s uncle created.
Two years later,
at Easter, April 12, 627,
the entire court is baptized,
including a 13 year old Hilda.
Her faith was devout,
and her formation had been strong
and stuck.
Six years later
Northumbria was invaded,
and her step-great-aunt founded an abbey
where Hilda like remained,
though without taking vows.
At the age of 33
Hilda hoped to join her sister,
who had been widowed,
at an abbey in France.
Rather than going to France, though
Aidan of Lindisfarne asked Hilda to return
to the region of her birth.
As Holy Women, Holy Men says,
“One year after her return,
Aidan appointed her Abbess of Hartlepool.
There, Hilda established the rule of life
that she had been taught by [her baptismal preparers].
She became renowned for her wisdom,
eagerness for learning,
and devotion to God’s service.”[1]
The complexities of being a royal woman
dedicated to God’s service in the seventh century
are enough for an entire undergraduate social sciences course.
Nevertheless, rather than go with her sister,
she answered a call to somewhere new
and in her devotion to God
was then asked to lead at Hartlepool.
The [Venerable] Bede,
from whom we get all our information about Hilda,
“states that the original ideals of monasticism
were maintained strictly in Hilda’s abbey.
All property and goods were held in common,
Christian virtues were exercised,
especially peace and charity.
Everyone had to study the Bible and do good works.” [2]
In this double monastery at Whitby,
community in Jesus was the focus.
Rather than atomized cells,
two or three people of the same sex
lived in little houses together.
Then the worked and prayed
together, all,
as a community.
“Both nuns and monks
lived in strict obedience to Hilda’s rule
of justice, devotion, chastity, peace, and charity.
Known for her prudence and good sense,
Hilda was sought out by kings
and other public men
for advice and counsel.
Those living under her rule
devoted so much time to the study of Scripture
and to works of righteousness
that many were found qualified for ordination.” [3]
Hilda left everything she had
following Jesus,
and leading others in prayer
and devotion to caring for others
in Jesus’ name.
“‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.
What then will we have?’
Jesus said to them,
‘Truly I tell you,
at the renewal of all things,
when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory,
you who have followed me
will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
And everyone who has left
houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or fields,
for my name’s sake,
will receive a hundredfold,
and will inherit eternal life.”
As the disciples start to realize
but don’t really fully understand
that Jesus is going to die
they want to know what comes next.
The standard appointed text for today,
in the regular lectionary
not Hilda’s Day
has Jesus addressing similar concerns.
If Jesus is leaving,
what happens to his followers?
Later in Matthew,
after Jesus predicts his death
for a third and final time,
Jesus offers warnings
about the end of the world.
He gives a preview about that
in this gospel passage today
for St. Hilda’s Day.
While he promises the disciples
and anyone who’s left their lives behind
a hundredfold,
I think his words of comfort
are much bigger than an attempt
at reading grace as transactional.
Jesus doesn’t say,
When the world is totally destroyed,
you get to be judges.
He says
“at the renewal of all things,
when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory.”
At the renewal of all things,
that is
God will renew the whole creation
through the work of Jesus
and because of God’s unquenchable love
for God’s creation.
‘Look,
we have left everything
and followed you.
What then will we have?’
Infinitely more
than you can ask or imagine.
As we celebrate St. Hilda again,
we wonder how we can attune
our lives and hearts to her example.
While it’s fun to use
so-called “Celtic” worship on this day,
what would truly living like a community she oversaw
look like?
Maybe one year we will observe
an English translation of
the seventh century Celtic rite.
How might we corporately and individually
live in strict obedience to Hilda’s rule
of justice, devotion, chastity, peace, and charity
as we follow Jesus,
giving up everything that holds us back?
What systems are we part of
that are inherently unjust
and perpetuate injustice?
Where does our devotion to God shine through?
How can it grow?
I’m already hearing stories
about the ways some of you
see your property and goods as held in common.
While we’re all discerning
our financial pledges for next year,
we’re reflecting today on an actual monastic community.
A community that lived in a commons
and in following Jesus
gave to and provided for the local community.
From giving your raised bed produce
to donating socks
to small jars of creamy peanut butter,
we are in a process that will never end
of following Jesus
and letting St. Hilda be one of our guides.
I’m going to call us again
to deepen our commitment
to set hours and set forms of prayer
trusting that God will show up
and transform us.
St. Hilda of Whitby
was born into royalty
and raised by extended family
before having to grow up even more
in a convent.
As an adult, in her 30s,
she chose to take on a life
of full time prayer.
She left her home
and didn’t go to her family.
‘Look,
we have left everything
and followed you.
What then will we have?’
Infinitely more than we can ask or imagine,
as we transform the world around us
following Jesus’ teachings.
St. Hilda of Whitby
pray for us.
[1] https://standingcommissiononliturgyandmusic.org/2010/11/18/hilda-abbess-of-whitby-680/
[2] https://anastpaul.com/2019/11/17/saint-of-the-day-17-november-saint-hilda-of-whitby-c-614-680/
[3] https://standingcommissiononliturgyandmusic.org/2010/11/18/hilda-abbess-of-whitby-680/