Year C Proper 26 31 October 2010
Habakkuk 1: 1-4; 2: 1-4 Psalm 119: 137-144 2 Thessalonians 1: 1-4, 11-12 Luke 19: 1-10
Our readings this week cause us to reflect on the law of God and how it compares and contrasts to the law of the land.
Have you ever been caught out on a technicality? The law of our land tells us that if a person breaks into our house and gets bitten by our dog, we will have to pay – especially if we have a sign up that says, “Beware of the dog”.
Even worse than that is to be convicted of a crime that you didn’t commit. St. Paul spent much time in prison over a mere technicality. There was the misunderstanding about him being flogged without a trial though he was a Roman citizen and then there followed various travels and appeals which were often delayed for no good reason except to keep the certain people happy.
St. Paul was put in prison for speaking out about the truth of Jesus Christ and the experience that he had. Does that really make any sense as far as true justice goes?
I heard of a story in Mackay recently where a P plate driver who had a car accident. The P plate driver was very clearly in the wrong but she was advised by her father not to apologise as that would automatically make her liable. Is that justice?
In an ancient time the prophet Habakkuk cries out to God about this same situation where the law of the land is perverted: Habakkuk 1:2-4 “2 How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. 4 Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.”
The people in Habakkuk’s time were suffering due to the injustices in the law of the land. Those with power were able to do what they wanted and those innocent but without power had to simply suffer in silence as there was no law to protect them. This could well be us. If we were to fully proclaim the Gospel it is possible that we could be put in jail for discrimination. After all, the Bible clearly calls certain things sin.... some of which are the same things which our society protects by law.
We are commissioned as Christians to go out and make disciples of all people and yet if we were to stand on a street corner and preach the truth about Jesus being the only way to heaven because we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God, we’d be offending people and, once again, seen as discriminating.
We have a national holiday for Christmas and yet a teacher could possibly get into trouble for talking about how Jesus is more than just a Christmas story, he is an historical figure who so affected mankind that our dating of the years is based around his birth. Want to know when this historical figure was born? Approximately 2010 years ago! (Although when experts looked into it they decided it may have been about three years later).
Psalm 119: 137, 138 tells us about Gods law; “137 Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right. 138 The statutes you have laid down are righteous; they are fully trustworthy.”
There have been plenty of people who think that God’s law is too hard, and that it, and not our society’s law is unjust. (Maybe even you and me!) God’s law says many things about what should and shouldn’t be and is certainly in contrast to today’s law of the land and yet the law of God can be summarized into two very simple commands: to love God with all your heart, mind and strength and to love your neighbour. Okay... I guess they are not really that simple, but how good is that? Do you think there’d be any place for injustices in God’s law? Do you think the innocent would be suffering under God’s law? No.
However the problem is in our being able to keep God’s law. We really can’t do it. We can see that it is good and maybe we could have a fair shot at loving God – but the neighbour loving bit really tests things – and we all fail. And therefore we fail the first commandment as well, seeing as we are the body of Christ.
St. Paul acknowledges that we live in a world where justice is not what it should be – and he would know due to his own experiences. He writes to the Thessalonians about persevering throughout persecutions and trials, but he commends them for their love, as it is our love that reflects that perfect law of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:3,4 “ 3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.”
So then we come to our Gospel story. A short man by the name of Zacchaeus makes his living upholding a perverted law where his job as a tax collector was seen by the Jewish people as selling out to the Romans and being paid handsomely for it. Also his position meant that he was able to take a little extra from the people and become rich from dishonest gain. He was a small man, but even smaller in the eyes of the Jewish people.
Zacchaeus is keen to see Jesus and so he climbs a tree. Jesus calls him down and honours him in front of the crowd by stating that he must eat at Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus immediately responds to Jesus. Luke 19:8 “8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Jesus then declares that salvation has come to the house of Zacchaeus, but not before the Jewish people grumbled about Jesus eating with a sinner. However, Jesus didn’t eat with a sinner, but a “saved” Christian man.
Here is the Good News: The law of the Lord is perfect – but we can’t keep it. However there is a righteousness that is ours by simply putting our faith in Jesus. The first reading from Habakkuk tells us in Habakkuk 1: 4b, “but the righteous will live by his faith”. Zacchaeus put his faith in Jesus and salvation was his. The same goes for us. Salvation is ours not because we keep God’s law... though we must strive to do so because we know that His law is perfect and brings life.... but we have salvation only because of our faith in Jesus.
Though we live in a land where sometimes the guilty go free and the innocent are sentenced, we rejoice that ultimately we are living in a greater reality – that of God’s kingdom which is for all eternity. God will be just, yet in His mercy he justifies us through faith.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
reflection for 24th October 2010
I believe that we are living in a time of discouragement. Many people seem to feel that life is beyond their control and the best they can manage is to keep doing the everyday must do’s and have the occasional time out to re-charge enough to start again the next week. If we ask someone who is discouraged to come and be part of Church life, you will find that it is all too hard. It isn’t that they are opposed to Church, but that they don’t have the emotional and physical energy left to commit to attending. Or so they think.
I suspect the problem is that when we are discouraged the last thing we want to do is admit it. We mostly hate to admit our failure and discouragement. Discouragement comes from being disappointed with ourselves and sometimes disappointed with God.
My Dad tells the story of when the decimal currency came in, in 1966 and his father had to find the money that he’d hidden buried in a tin in the back yard. He needed to change the pounds for dollars. Apparently my Dad thought what transpired was amusing, but my Grandfather did not. My Grandfather was expecting to cash in those hard earned savings- but the promise of all that hard work turned out to be dust in the wind as the notes had disintegrated in the poorly sealed tin.
Sometimes this is how we feel in our life. We work hard, believing that our hard work and commitment will pay great dividends, but then life throws us a curve ball and despite our best efforts we are left with disappointment and loss. Often times there are no one to blame, and in our discouragement we lose our enthusiasm. Interestingly enough, the word enthusiasm means to be “in God” or to have God within. So when we say we’ve lost our enthusiasm it means we’ve lost that Holy Spirit vigour. Of Course, God is still with us, but we are in need, more than we can comprehend, to be connected to the life of the Church.
This week’s readings take us to the story of a very discouraged man. He is a tax collector. This tax collector is surrounded socially and culturally with people whose lives seem to be blessed by God. The people who surround him are openly and outwardly religious and the tax collector feels like a giant failure. His life might be financially secure, but he is shunned socially and by the church for the way his living is earned. He is discouraged.
Another group of people who experienced discouragement were the Israelites during the time of the prophets. In this week’s first reading we find that God, through the prophet Joel, is encouraging the people with the promise of better times to come.
St. Paul had also experienced great discouragement and he relates the experience in 2 Timothy 4:16-18 “16At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
We find in this both St. Paul’s discouragement, but then his encouragement from God. St. Paul understood that he needed to look beyond the here and now and know that ultimately his life was secure in God.
We all become discouraged at times but when this happens there are some important lessons that we can learn from this week’s readings. Firstly we learn that we need to be honest and we need to connect with God. The tax collector didn’t try to hide from God and he acknowledged exactly who and what he was. Luke 18:13 “13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'”
We need desperately to acknowledge our fallen state. In the world we constantly have to sell ourselves and make ourselves seem better than we are.... and this can become a hazardous habit where our spiritual life is at stake. We know that God knows who and what we are, but we need to connect with him in honesty.
St. Paul learned that discouragement is part of life. People will let you down and circumstances will go against you despite all of your very best efforts. I have a bit of a “thing” against the program that came into the primary schools a while back – the “you can do it” program, because I believe we are teaching our kids a false reality (unless we are very careful – and most aren’t that careful). Our teenagers are taking anti-depressants as soon as they leave school because they find life too hard.... and many adults too. Life is hard and sometimes it is really horrible.... It is to be expected that we will be depressed and discouraged over these things.... even to the point of not being able to move on.... unless we realize some important things.....
God is on our side. Though everyone else may desert you God will not. Now this brings up another point – about prayer. We sometimes feel that because things go wrong that God is not hearing us – or doesn’t care. Our Psalm tells us that God does answer us and gives us many good things... sometimes, and especially when we are discouraged we don’t see these and need to deliberately be reminded. Psalm 64:5-6 “ 5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,..”
We often only remember the wonderful things God has done when we are connected to the church and cared for by the body of Christ and deliberately make an effort to praise God.
When we are discouraged and have lost our enthusiasm we badly need to be back “IN GOD”. We need that Holy Spirit within that bubbles up like a fountain and overflows. Our first reading is filled with the promises that God makes to us:
Joel 2:28-29 28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”
We seem to be living in a time of discouragement, but there is an anti-dote for this epidemic. It is a gift that God gave us quite a long time ago. We need to rediscover it and live a life of enthusiasm!
I suspect the problem is that when we are discouraged the last thing we want to do is admit it. We mostly hate to admit our failure and discouragement. Discouragement comes from being disappointed with ourselves and sometimes disappointed with God.
My Dad tells the story of when the decimal currency came in, in 1966 and his father had to find the money that he’d hidden buried in a tin in the back yard. He needed to change the pounds for dollars. Apparently my Dad thought what transpired was amusing, but my Grandfather did not. My Grandfather was expecting to cash in those hard earned savings- but the promise of all that hard work turned out to be dust in the wind as the notes had disintegrated in the poorly sealed tin.
Sometimes this is how we feel in our life. We work hard, believing that our hard work and commitment will pay great dividends, but then life throws us a curve ball and despite our best efforts we are left with disappointment and loss. Often times there are no one to blame, and in our discouragement we lose our enthusiasm. Interestingly enough, the word enthusiasm means to be “in God” or to have God within. So when we say we’ve lost our enthusiasm it means we’ve lost that Holy Spirit vigour. Of Course, God is still with us, but we are in need, more than we can comprehend, to be connected to the life of the Church.
This week’s readings take us to the story of a very discouraged man. He is a tax collector. This tax collector is surrounded socially and culturally with people whose lives seem to be blessed by God. The people who surround him are openly and outwardly religious and the tax collector feels like a giant failure. His life might be financially secure, but he is shunned socially and by the church for the way his living is earned. He is discouraged.
Another group of people who experienced discouragement were the Israelites during the time of the prophets. In this week’s first reading we find that God, through the prophet Joel, is encouraging the people with the promise of better times to come.
St. Paul had also experienced great discouragement and he relates the experience in 2 Timothy 4:16-18 “16At my first defence, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. 17But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. 18The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
We find in this both St. Paul’s discouragement, but then his encouragement from God. St. Paul understood that he needed to look beyond the here and now and know that ultimately his life was secure in God.
We all become discouraged at times but when this happens there are some important lessons that we can learn from this week’s readings. Firstly we learn that we need to be honest and we need to connect with God. The tax collector didn’t try to hide from God and he acknowledged exactly who and what he was. Luke 18:13 “13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'”
We need desperately to acknowledge our fallen state. In the world we constantly have to sell ourselves and make ourselves seem better than we are.... and this can become a hazardous habit where our spiritual life is at stake. We know that God knows who and what we are, but we need to connect with him in honesty.
St. Paul learned that discouragement is part of life. People will let you down and circumstances will go against you despite all of your very best efforts. I have a bit of a “thing” against the program that came into the primary schools a while back – the “you can do it” program, because I believe we are teaching our kids a false reality (unless we are very careful – and most aren’t that careful). Our teenagers are taking anti-depressants as soon as they leave school because they find life too hard.... and many adults too. Life is hard and sometimes it is really horrible.... It is to be expected that we will be depressed and discouraged over these things.... even to the point of not being able to move on.... unless we realize some important things.....
God is on our side. Though everyone else may desert you God will not. Now this brings up another point – about prayer. We sometimes feel that because things go wrong that God is not hearing us – or doesn’t care. Our Psalm tells us that God does answer us and gives us many good things... sometimes, and especially when we are discouraged we don’t see these and need to deliberately be reminded. Psalm 64:5-6 “ 5 You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas, 6 who formed the mountains by your power, having armed yourself with strength,..”
We often only remember the wonderful things God has done when we are connected to the church and cared for by the body of Christ and deliberately make an effort to praise God.
When we are discouraged and have lost our enthusiasm we badly need to be back “IN GOD”. We need that Holy Spirit within that bubbles up like a fountain and overflows. Our first reading is filled with the promises that God makes to us:
Joel 2:28-29 28 "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.”
We seem to be living in a time of discouragement, but there is an anti-dote for this epidemic. It is a gift that God gave us quite a long time ago. We need to rediscover it and live a life of enthusiasm!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
reflection for 17th October 2010
Year Proper 24 17 October 2010
Jeremiah 31: 27-34 Psalm 119: 97-104 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 Luke 18: 1-8
We live in the time of the New Covenant. With this New Covenant comes many privileges and it is therefore described as the Good News, and God promises to be our God and we His people and He forgives our wickedness and remembers our sins no more.
Many years ago now, I gave a session in a workshop on the images of God in both the Old and New Testament. During this session it became clear that people had the idea that the image of God in the Old Testament was one of a God that was harsh and punishing. This was in stark contrast to the image they had of God in the New Testament which was one of unconditional love. As I explained then, God is unchanging and so if God was at any time harsh then he still is, and if God is now unconditionally loving, then way back in the Old Testament times, God was also a God of unconditional love.
The God who unbendingly demands justice is the same God who shows mercy and love.... We need to fully realize this. The demand God has for justice has not been simply overlooked – the demand still exists and no one who sins can be united with God- but the wages for sin have been paid by Jesus.... the mercy of God has provided a way for us.
As I read the Gospel this week I laugh a little at the memory of how I got into trouble for using it at a school. Little did I know how offensive the reading of the persistent widow could be, I was simply following the lectionary readings and using a children’s website as a guide. I had no idea that the persistent widow was showing women in a bad light and neither did I realize that the legal system would be also offended at the reference to the unjust Judge. If you can get past the offense you’ll find that there is an important message which has nothing really to do with nagging women or unjust Judges.
The attitude that I encountered is one that I believe this week’s readings strive to prevent. At the end of the Gospel we find the words, Luke 18:8b “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" We also find the prophecy in the second reading which is St. Paul’s letter 2Timothy 4: “3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
But how has it happened that we find ourselves living in a society where even those professing to be Christians will not accept the words of the Gospel and find them offensive?
Well... of course I do have an opinion on this subject.
In our first reading we find that God is declaring the coming New Covenant. This is an example of how God was always merciful and forgiving. This New Covenant speaks about God forgiving sins and instead of people having to be told by a “third person” to know Him, it claims that under this New Covenant all His people will know Him. We understand that this is talking about the gift of a personal relationship with God. We all can have this. And our helper is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also our teacher.
All this is a two sided coin because on one side we have direct access to God and each of us can know Him personally, but on the other side is the tendency people may have to abuse this privilege by not actively seeking out to know God. There is a freedom in this Covenant, but with this freedom comes the responsibility to be personally active in seeking the truth about God.
Psalm 119 speaks about meditating on God’s law and we learn from this the benefits are that a person who does so will know more than his elders and teachers. It also states very clearly that understanding is gained by obedience to God. This may have been “Old Testament” but I believe that the exhortation to meditate on God’s law holds true for all time.
Psalm 119: “97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. 100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.”
We do live in the time of “Grace”, but people who have known God have always lived under “Grace”. Grace is God’s undeserved favour and Abraham enjoyed it when he believed God would do what he said. We rest in the knowledge that we have God’s grace, but if we do not stay connected to God in prayer and in communion with the rest of God’s body the Church then we will forget what God says and become those people that Paul talks about in his letter to Timothy, who will turn away from truth and believe in myths.
Jesus told the disciples the parable of the persistent widow so that they would know to always pray and to not give up. We also must not give up. We mustn’t give up on praying even though it seems that our prayers aren’t answered. The parable is not meant to give the message that we will be heard by God by praying lots.... God hears us the first time. He is not like the unjust Judge.... but even an unjust Judge will grant requests and God will do so even more... our prayers ARE answered, but the outcome might not be in the way we wish.
We must not give up meeting together. We are encouraged by the readings that each of us can know God, one as much as the other! As the body of Christ we need each other and truly when you are not an active part of this body it is felt dearly.
Another important aspect that is often overlooked, is the implication of us all knowing the Lord, is that there is no place for spiritual pride. I often hear people talking about spiritual maturity as if there are levels and it always grates, as I don’t think anyone but God can know our true spiritual state – it doesn’t work the same as in our physical world where age might determine maturity. I have been humbled in the past by simple and very true statements that taught me (much like a slap in the face), made by people who were new Christians or those not fitting the normal description of a spiritual “elder”.
Jeremiah 31: 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Once upon a time in the history of mankind, and in our own personal story, we may have been taught to know the Lord – but really we were taught to know ABOUT him.... But his will is for us to personally know him and when we do we must continue to be connected and not give up. Constantly be in communion with Him and constantly give our requests to him because His concern is for us – He is on our side.
Jeremiah 31: 27-34 Psalm 119: 97-104 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 Luke 18: 1-8
We live in the time of the New Covenant. With this New Covenant comes many privileges and it is therefore described as the Good News, and God promises to be our God and we His people and He forgives our wickedness and remembers our sins no more.
Many years ago now, I gave a session in a workshop on the images of God in both the Old and New Testament. During this session it became clear that people had the idea that the image of God in the Old Testament was one of a God that was harsh and punishing. This was in stark contrast to the image they had of God in the New Testament which was one of unconditional love. As I explained then, God is unchanging and so if God was at any time harsh then he still is, and if God is now unconditionally loving, then way back in the Old Testament times, God was also a God of unconditional love.
The God who unbendingly demands justice is the same God who shows mercy and love.... We need to fully realize this. The demand God has for justice has not been simply overlooked – the demand still exists and no one who sins can be united with God- but the wages for sin have been paid by Jesus.... the mercy of God has provided a way for us.
As I read the Gospel this week I laugh a little at the memory of how I got into trouble for using it at a school. Little did I know how offensive the reading of the persistent widow could be, I was simply following the lectionary readings and using a children’s website as a guide. I had no idea that the persistent widow was showing women in a bad light and neither did I realize that the legal system would be also offended at the reference to the unjust Judge. If you can get past the offense you’ll find that there is an important message which has nothing really to do with nagging women or unjust Judges.
The attitude that I encountered is one that I believe this week’s readings strive to prevent. At the end of the Gospel we find the words, Luke 18:8b “However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" We also find the prophecy in the second reading which is St. Paul’s letter 2Timothy 4: “3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
But how has it happened that we find ourselves living in a society where even those professing to be Christians will not accept the words of the Gospel and find them offensive?
Well... of course I do have an opinion on this subject.
In our first reading we find that God is declaring the coming New Covenant. This is an example of how God was always merciful and forgiving. This New Covenant speaks about God forgiving sins and instead of people having to be told by a “third person” to know Him, it claims that under this New Covenant all His people will know Him. We understand that this is talking about the gift of a personal relationship with God. We all can have this. And our helper is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also our teacher.
All this is a two sided coin because on one side we have direct access to God and each of us can know Him personally, but on the other side is the tendency people may have to abuse this privilege by not actively seeking out to know God. There is a freedom in this Covenant, but with this freedom comes the responsibility to be personally active in seeking the truth about God.
Psalm 119 speaks about meditating on God’s law and we learn from this the benefits are that a person who does so will know more than his elders and teachers. It also states very clearly that understanding is gained by obedience to God. This may have been “Old Testament” but I believe that the exhortation to meditate on God’s law holds true for all time.
Psalm 119: “97 Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. 98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever with me. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. 100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.”
We do live in the time of “Grace”, but people who have known God have always lived under “Grace”. Grace is God’s undeserved favour and Abraham enjoyed it when he believed God would do what he said. We rest in the knowledge that we have God’s grace, but if we do not stay connected to God in prayer and in communion with the rest of God’s body the Church then we will forget what God says and become those people that Paul talks about in his letter to Timothy, who will turn away from truth and believe in myths.
Jesus told the disciples the parable of the persistent widow so that they would know to always pray and to not give up. We also must not give up. We mustn’t give up on praying even though it seems that our prayers aren’t answered. The parable is not meant to give the message that we will be heard by God by praying lots.... God hears us the first time. He is not like the unjust Judge.... but even an unjust Judge will grant requests and God will do so even more... our prayers ARE answered, but the outcome might not be in the way we wish.
We must not give up meeting together. We are encouraged by the readings that each of us can know God, one as much as the other! As the body of Christ we need each other and truly when you are not an active part of this body it is felt dearly.
Another important aspect that is often overlooked, is the implication of us all knowing the Lord, is that there is no place for spiritual pride. I often hear people talking about spiritual maturity as if there are levels and it always grates, as I don’t think anyone but God can know our true spiritual state – it doesn’t work the same as in our physical world where age might determine maturity. I have been humbled in the past by simple and very true statements that taught me (much like a slap in the face), made by people who were new Christians or those not fitting the normal description of a spiritual “elder”.
Jeremiah 31: 33 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."
Once upon a time in the history of mankind, and in our own personal story, we may have been taught to know the Lord – but really we were taught to know ABOUT him.... But his will is for us to personally know him and when we do we must continue to be connected and not give up. Constantly be in communion with Him and constantly give our requests to him because His concern is for us – He is on our side.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Reflection for 10th October 2010
Year C Proper 23 10 October 2010
Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7 Psalm 66: 1-12 2 Timothy 2: 8-15 Luke 17: 11-19
Do you ever feel like you are living in exile?
Through the holidays I spent time in Longreach visiting a friend. He is a man who grew up in Mackay, but due to what he feels God has called him to, he has been living and working in Longreach for the last seven or so years. His life reminds me of God’s call to the people we read about in the first reading.
Jeremiah 20:4-7 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."”
My friend in Longreach feels that God has called him to be in Longreach for an extended period of time and so he has bought a house and has set about renovating it. My friend has not had an easy time. The community has taken a long time to accept him. I suspect I’d have given up and left, but my friend is faithful to the call of God and like the people to whom Jeremiah is addressing, he is becoming part of the community, seeking the peace and praying for the prosperity of that place.
Many times in the Bible we see God telling His people to marry within in the community so that the faith in God should not become confused with the gods of the nations of those around them. In this reading, however, we read that God blesses their unions with those nations.
In Jesus time we read that the Jewish people looked with disdain on the people of mixed nationality. These were known as the Samaritans. Some of their ideas about God were a little confused, but it would seem that a little humble confusion made for openness to the truth of God – as opposed to the narrow-minded self righteousness of the Pharisees who thought they knew it all.
In our Gospel reading we find that Jesus was walking along the border between the area of Samaria and Galilee. In his travels he is greeted, from a distance, by Ten Lepers. These men know of Jesus reputation and cry out for mercy. We do not know the nationality of the other nine, but we do know that the one who returned praising God and giving Jesus thanks was a Samaritan.
Sadly, we may be more like the nine who were also healed, but not praising God for our healing. Often we become stuck in the structure of the ways that we know things should be done, and the structure of how God has worked previously in our lives, such that we cease to see him working the miracles around us. The Pharisees made this mistake and we need to ensure we don’t make the same.
I think that a great example of how God totally is beyond our understanding is found in the second reading of 2 Timothy 2: 11-12 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
You see, just when you expect faith to be black and white, cut and dry – it isn’t. Make sure you read that all correctly....that last line says that God remains faithful even when we are faithless.
There are many times when we know we have been faithless. But rest assured that God is faithful and concerned about our welfare. This is the story of His interactions with the people He sent into exile. The Psalm makes it clear: Psalm 66 “9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 for you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Throughout history God has always been finding ways to bring His people to a place of relationship with Himself.... in everything, even the difficult things it is for God’s purpose in bringing us to a place of abundance – though He takes us through “fire and water” to get there.
We have a security in the “fire and water” of Jesus. We are united with him in the waters of baptism and the fire of the Holy Spirit. Through this unity, when God looks at us He sees Jesus and his sacrifice – and He will not disown himself. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
However, sometimes on planet Earth, we feel that we are living in exile. We are going through times of carrying burdens. We need to know God’s message is to LIVE in these places of exile and increase and prosper (– not necessarily physically!). It is in these times that we need to be the people of faith, knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for our good, even though we don’t see it.
St. Paul tells Timothy that he endures all things for the sake of the elect. How often have we endured anything for the sake of someone else’s salvation? But the elect are those who are in the church.... do we endure any hardship for the sake of those in the church? When we attend meetings do we argue over words and things that don’t lead to anything but disagreements? This is the kind of thing that Paul warns Timothy about and he encourages him to correctly handle the word of truth.
There were ten lepers who called out to Jesus and who were healed. They are people who knew Jesus and they experienced the healing of God. We who are baptised have been healed by God. Is there only a tenth of us who are actively praising God? Jesus told that one leper, “Your faith has made you well”.
We don’t need to muster up a magical feeling and call it “faith”, as faith pertains to something or someone that our faith is in. It would seem that nine out of ten might be unable to see the working of God due to “blinkers” that narrow our vision about how God works according to a set of rules that man has devised. God is beyond that –He is even faithful when we are faithless - Thank God!
So, here is a self reflection to see if we are one of the nine lepers – or the one who came and gave God thanks - Is our faith in the doctrine of our denomination, our own set of ideas about God, or in God himself?
Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7 Psalm 66: 1-12 2 Timothy 2: 8-15 Luke 17: 11-19
Do you ever feel like you are living in exile?
Through the holidays I spent time in Longreach visiting a friend. He is a man who grew up in Mackay, but due to what he feels God has called him to, he has been living and working in Longreach for the last seven or so years. His life reminds me of God’s call to the people we read about in the first reading.
Jeremiah 20:4-7 “This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."”
My friend in Longreach feels that God has called him to be in Longreach for an extended period of time and so he has bought a house and has set about renovating it. My friend has not had an easy time. The community has taken a long time to accept him. I suspect I’d have given up and left, but my friend is faithful to the call of God and like the people to whom Jeremiah is addressing, he is becoming part of the community, seeking the peace and praying for the prosperity of that place.
Many times in the Bible we see God telling His people to marry within in the community so that the faith in God should not become confused with the gods of the nations of those around them. In this reading, however, we read that God blesses their unions with those nations.
In Jesus time we read that the Jewish people looked with disdain on the people of mixed nationality. These were known as the Samaritans. Some of their ideas about God were a little confused, but it would seem that a little humble confusion made for openness to the truth of God – as opposed to the narrow-minded self righteousness of the Pharisees who thought they knew it all.
In our Gospel reading we find that Jesus was walking along the border between the area of Samaria and Galilee. In his travels he is greeted, from a distance, by Ten Lepers. These men know of Jesus reputation and cry out for mercy. We do not know the nationality of the other nine, but we do know that the one who returned praising God and giving Jesus thanks was a Samaritan.
Sadly, we may be more like the nine who were also healed, but not praising God for our healing. Often we become stuck in the structure of the ways that we know things should be done, and the structure of how God has worked previously in our lives, such that we cease to see him working the miracles around us. The Pharisees made this mistake and we need to ensure we don’t make the same.
I think that a great example of how God totally is beyond our understanding is found in the second reading of 2 Timothy 2: 11-12 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.”
You see, just when you expect faith to be black and white, cut and dry – it isn’t. Make sure you read that all correctly....that last line says that God remains faithful even when we are faithless.
There are many times when we know we have been faithless. But rest assured that God is faithful and concerned about our welfare. This is the story of His interactions with the people He sent into exile. The Psalm makes it clear: Psalm 66 “9 he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. 10 for you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Throughout history God has always been finding ways to bring His people to a place of relationship with Himself.... in everything, even the difficult things it is for God’s purpose in bringing us to a place of abundance – though He takes us through “fire and water” to get there.
We have a security in the “fire and water” of Jesus. We are united with him in the waters of baptism and the fire of the Holy Spirit. Through this unity, when God looks at us He sees Jesus and his sacrifice – and He will not disown himself. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
However, sometimes on planet Earth, we feel that we are living in exile. We are going through times of carrying burdens. We need to know God’s message is to LIVE in these places of exile and increase and prosper (– not necessarily physically!). It is in these times that we need to be the people of faith, knowing that God has a plan and a purpose for our good, even though we don’t see it.
St. Paul tells Timothy that he endures all things for the sake of the elect. How often have we endured anything for the sake of someone else’s salvation? But the elect are those who are in the church.... do we endure any hardship for the sake of those in the church? When we attend meetings do we argue over words and things that don’t lead to anything but disagreements? This is the kind of thing that Paul warns Timothy about and he encourages him to correctly handle the word of truth.
There were ten lepers who called out to Jesus and who were healed. They are people who knew Jesus and they experienced the healing of God. We who are baptised have been healed by God. Is there only a tenth of us who are actively praising God? Jesus told that one leper, “Your faith has made you well”.
We don’t need to muster up a magical feeling and call it “faith”, as faith pertains to something or someone that our faith is in. It would seem that nine out of ten might be unable to see the working of God due to “blinkers” that narrow our vision about how God works according to a set of rules that man has devised. God is beyond that –He is even faithful when we are faithless - Thank God!
So, here is a self reflection to see if we are one of the nine lepers – or the one who came and gave God thanks - Is our faith in the doctrine of our denomination, our own set of ideas about God, or in God himself?
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