Scandalous Good News !

          PROPER 11 (16)  Sixth Sunday after Pentecost  Year C  July 17, 2022

·       Amos 8:1-12 and Psalm 52  •    Colossians 1:15-28  •   Luke 10:38-42

Let’s start our reflection on the readings today with a basket of fruit…. Sounds like an inviting, luscious and delicious place to start. 

Sadly, there is a shocking twist to this image.  The Hebrew word for “basket of fruit” and the Hebrew word for “End” are very similar, and it is a poetic play on words.  In our terms, it would be like God showing the prophet a grizzly bear and then proclaiming the land barren – or bare. 

There is more to this image, than a simple play on words.  It is no accident that God uses an image of lavishness.  The Israelites were living in affluence and lavishness.  They were buying and selling, and trade was good.  Of course, this buying and selling involved making a profit at the expense of others and the divide was widened between the rich and poor.  On the surface, life was wonderful… but underneath there was something that God was not happy about.  What could it be?

Another image of goodness and affluence, is the sun.  However, God declares through Amos, that the sun will be darkened at noon.  Noon is the height of the sun.  We might say that at the peak of goodness and affluence, darkness will overtake it all.

In 2019 our world was gearing up to enter the roaring 20’s, but there was a cloud on the horizon and in March of 2020 our Sun went down and our world was darkened.

Our reading from Amos is prophecy.  Prophecy, we know to be fulfilled in more than one way.   God’s word declares, “I will turn your feasts into mourning”.  It is possible that the darkening of the sun referred to the solar eclipse and experts have calculated a number of possible times that these occurred after the prophecy was declared, and interestingly there were a few of them, always coinciding with an Israelite feast.  (From Biblehub.com; )"There was an eclipse of the sun of about 10 digits in the Julian year 3923 (791 b.c.,) June 24, in the Feast of Pentecost; another, of about 12 digits, 20 years afterward, 3943, 771 b.c., Nov. 8, on the Day of the Feast of Tabernacles; and a third of more than 11 digits, on the following year 3944, May 5, on the Feast of the Passover.”

For us, reading this prophecy without context, the judgement of God seems very harsh.  It seems to re-enforce an idea that many have about the image of God in the Old Testament, as being wrathful, where as we preferably, and rightly, understand God as the gracious, loving and forgiving God of the New Testament.

God’s nature, however, is unchanging.  Therefore, if there is a warning and judgment in the Old Testament, we shouldn’t easily dismiss it, but ought to search further to understand the heart of God.  I strongly believe that we need to understand our human condition…. Explore, understand and be familiar with our fallibility, in order to truly appreciate the Good News.  For example, God sent us his son to save us.  Why?  What do we need saving from, or for?  What was so drastic that he had to suffer and die such a death for this to happen? – Hold that thought.

The people of Amos’ time lived in affluence.  I like to compare to see how we might be similar or different.  I mentioned the year 2019 and the world’s eagerness to enter into a time they declared as another version of the “roaring 1920’s” –Characteristics of that time also included affluence, a rise in consumerism and scandal. It wasn’t all bad – There was also some really great music. :-D 

We should always be reflecting on our life and striving for the best, by placing the warnings of scripture into our own world, understanding the differences in culture, but contemplating if we are making similar errors.  We ought to ask deeper questions about why God was upset with the fruit of that society.

In reflecting then, we note that we also live in a society where affluence is prevalent.  The proof of this is that young couples buy their first houses complete with ensuites, internet, pay TV, air-conditioners and all new furniture.  This seems pretty different from previous generations.  Not that any of this is bad in itself.  Please note, that God loves to bless us and just as any good parent does, loves to give good gifts to his children.  In the time of Amos there was a use of uneven scales, creating an injustice…  When the fuel in Townsville and Cairns is cheaper than the fuel in Mackay, because Mackay is deemed a mining town, I’d argue a similar use of uneven scales is being used.  God is concerned with injustice, broken hearts and people who do not have the power to claim their simple rights.  Is this happening today?

 

The first human right that we all have is a right to life.  This is article 3 of the United Nations declaration of Human rights.  In the last few years there have been laws passed about ending life.  There are arguments and justifications… stating love and compassion as the reason.  In the previous legal status, there were provisions for these extenuating circumstances, so why has there been a further change?  I don’t know.  But I do know that people who are concerned about the change are concerned also for compassionate reasons, and that there is a possibility of abuse in these laws.  People with no power… no voice… are in danger of having a basic human right violated.

In the last few years there have been many social changes.  Those affirming those changes state love and compassion as the reason.  And that is the best and only reason that should count.   However, we need to be asking the question; is there a generation, or anyone at all, being hurt by these changes and are we being good stewards of our society by affirming that change?  God knew us and formed us in the womb.  He affirms who we are, and who we are born to be…. But who is that….?   Who am I ?  How can I know, unless I believe what God says about me?

The declaration of Human Rights is worth a read, as it also says that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.  It is tempered with the right to not be discriminated against. 

Do you think our society’s basket of fruit is ripe?  I need to emphasize a point.  God is concerned about the brokenness caused by unloving actions.  I’m sure every lawyer understands there is a back story behind every crime.  There are reasons and justifications, but the bottom line is; Are people being hurt?  Are people’s sense of dignity, respect, freedom and right to life being violated?

But don’t despair…  let me tell you about the Good News.

All that we are, individually and as a society, does not surprise God in the least.  But the surprise for us, is that he still totally and completely loves us.  What’s more the Judgement that there probably should be, has actually already taken place.  Jesus took all that judgement and on that day the sun went down at noon and the earth was darkened. 

God understands every back story to every less than admirable deed.  Please note that an understandable back story does not make it right.  When we fall short of perfection, no matter the good reason, it is called sin.  God understands our heart… and our extenuating circumstances.

Jesus willingly took the judgement that the world should have born.  Our reading from Colossians tells us; “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.  And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him—”

The message of the cross is like the roaring 20’s in one point…. It is scandalous!  How can it be that He has reconciled all things?  How can it be that all people, once hostile in mind and doing evil deeds, are made holy, blameless and irreproachable before God? 

The former slave trader, converted Anglican minister, John Newton, understood this well.  While our contemporary society cringes at the idea that one might dare to insinuate that we are sinners, John Newton openly declared himself to be a wretch.  He wrote about his former life saying, “"I sinned with a high hand," he later wrote, "and I made it my study to tempt and seduce others."”( https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/people/pastorsandpreachers/john-newton.html)

If we can possibly be brave enough to search our own hearts and motives… If we can be brave enough to reflect on the times when we have caused another pain…. If we can notice the times when we have been less than gracious with those around us, perhaps we can then truly understand the magnitude of the reconciliation of God. 

Rather than the actions themselves, God is more concerned with the brokenness we cause ourselves and others by these actions.  However, through the cross, not only are we reconciled… did you notice how far reaching the work of Jesus goes?  We are presented before God as holy and blameless and irreproachable. 

There is nothing that we can do, in our own efforts, sacrifice or deeds, to come anywhere near this condition for which Christ has achieved for us.  And as for our Gospel reading this week…  Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, taking in every word.  Martha was busy serving and doing things.  Jesus never said serving is wrong, but simply that Mary had made a good and important choice.  Amos prophesied a famine of the word of the Lord, and here we notice Mary was taking in everything Jesus said…. Feeding on his words.  We serve, because we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, our servant king, but it is Christ living IN us, the WORD living in us, that is our hope and our salvation.

There is a line in our Colossians reading that we should put on our fridges … or somewhere that we look often.  It is, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.  It is Christ who has reconciled us and will present us holy, blameless and irreproachable before God.  Christ living in us, through his holy spirit, shares the sacrifice that he has made.  Christ in us, the hope of glory.  There is no other way and there needs nothing more, except that we remain steadfast in this faith.

“Christ in us”, has a practical, “on this earth” application.  Through his spirit Christ lives in us.  He works through us and in doing so, he changes us.  Not only is it a spiritual reality, that he has achieved our salvation, but his nature impacts our nature so that we grow to be more like him.  It is a lifelong process, and involves times of sitting at his feet, taking in every word, but we needn’t worry that our slip ups send us into judgement.  The judgement has been dealt with by Jesus.  May the basket of fruit we produce, in the end, nourish our community and bring them the love, light and salvation of God.