Setting people free 4th Feb 2024 Epiphany 5B

2024  02  04   FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY Year B

Isaiah 40:21-31  •  Psalm 147:1-11, 20c  •  1 Corinthians 9:16-23  •  Mark 1:29-39

 

Failure, sickness and death are facts of life that we all share.  However, this is not the way God intended.  The proof is that Jesus came, healed many, raised some to life, and Jesus died to atone for the failure of all.  The question is; how does this play out in our lives today, and make a difference to the way we live?

 

In this season of the green vestments, the Sundays following Epiphany, we have been on a journey of discovery.  We been discovering God’s call to us. We have been reminded that he continues to call us and also calls us to an action.  For Samuel, it was to hear God and deliver His message, for Jonah it was to proclaim God’s word to the Ninevites, showing us God’s love and concern for all, as the Ninevites were Israel’s enemy. Last week we discovered the heart and attitude we need to have as we go about answering that call of God.  We were reminded that Jesus had all authority, yet His attitude was not one that lorded it over people, and in silencing the Demon, rather than proclaim His divinity, and therefore, His authority, He allowed them freedom to choose.  Therefore, the same respectful and freeing attitude of Christ is what we need to exhibit when we are active in our God given calling – which each of us has. – no exceptions.

 

This week we explore the nature of God.  We become fully aware of just how magnificent is the power of God, and we reflect on how that power is manifest in our own lives.  Our first reading and our Psalm both proclaim aspects of God that reveal His magnificence.  “Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.”  The author is speaking of the stars in the sky.  Not one is missing, because God is in control.  This is the God who parted the sea for the Israelites and fed them with manna in the desert.  When Jesus was revealed to humanity, He commanded storms to cease and trees to wither, demons to come out and be silent and bodies to be healed.  There are many who like to try and make sense of these things by claiming some kind of natural phenomenon.  To them I say, “Is God God, or not?”  and I might quote out reading from Isaiah.

 

God is not some demi-god like we watch in the movies, who loses his hammer and makes bad decisions.  This is our God who created all that is.  He is omnipotent and above time and place.  We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God; begotten not made, one in being with the Father….

 

This is our mighty God who, though he spreads out the heavens, he cares for us and heals the sick and casts out demons. His power is limitless and He sent us His Holy Spirit to be with us always.  Perhaps I should pause for our silent reflection……  Are we aware that God is with us?  He wants to be with us and he wants to live through us.  How IS the power of God manifest in our own lives? 

 

Before we all get too hard on ourselves thinking that maybe we could do better….  A great Chinese Christian man by the name of Watchman Nee said, “For those who walk in the Spirit, the supernatural becomes natural.”  Therefore, unless we stop to reflect, we might not realize just what impact our relying on the power of God is having in our lives.  That being said, it is also worth reflecting whether we are relying on God’s power or whether we are living our lives in our own strength.

 

One of the mysteries of our faith is that Jesus was both fully human and fully God.  When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, grew, ministered, suffered and died, He operated as fully human – even though he was fully God.  Because Jesus operated as fully human, He also, like us, needed to rely on the power of God the Father for His ministry.  This is why we find Jesus at times ask, “Who touched me”… and at yet know that something significant and spiritual had happened…. Ah but that story is not until chapter 5 and we are still in chapter 1. 

 

In today’s Gospel passage, we follow on from last week’s reading where Jesus was in the Synagogue teaching and had healed the demonic man.  For us a week has past, but in the story, we are on the same day.  Jesus goes from the Synagogue to Andrew and Simon’s house where they tell him Simon’s mother-in-law has a fever.  This was a time when a fever could end in death.  Jesus heals her and she began to serve them. 

 

Contrary to what some may think, Jesus didn’t heal her so that He’d have someone to serve them dinner.  There are times when Jesus heals and the person healed is so grateful and convicted about the power of God that they want to stay and work with Jesus.  I believe this is one of those situations, and I believe this passage is indicating more than the woman serving dinner.  She served them… His disciples…. She worked with them, assisting them in their ministry.

 

We are told that after sundown, people brought the sick and possessed to Jesus.  Remember the day that Jesus arrived at the house was the Sabbath, but after sundown the Sabbath was over and the healing would have been acceptable by the Pharisees and all those who adhered to God’s laws.

 

This was a time when sickness meant being an outcast, a sinner, a person considered unclean.  We are told that there were various diseases and they were all healed and demons were cast out, but Jesus wouldn’t allow them to speak.

 

There are many speculations about why Jesus wanted the demons to remain silent and not disclose his divinity.  It is called the Messianic Secret.  If Jesus had have allowed them to speak and proclaim His divine nature, it certainly would have drawn attention from the authorities much more quickly, not allowing him the freedom to go to certain places.  But more than that, I believe Jesus kept them silent because he never demanded adoration or worship.  This is a God who desires instead, to be loved by someone who is free to reject him.  It isn’t truly love if we are commanded, coerced or frightened into it.

 

No doubt the healings in themselves created quite a buzz, and Jesus constantly withdrew.  He desired to proclaim the Good News of God’s great love to all and to set people free and that means He desired to heal them of their afflictions also.  Do you think that Jesus, who desired to heal those he encountered, desires you and I to be healed also?  Also, does Jesus still desire to set people outside the churches free by healing them?  How can he reach them today?

 

Freedom has been another theme running from week to week in our Corinthian reading.  We have been set free.  But in the year 2024 have we?  Are we really living in the freedom that Christ brings us?  A great Bible speaker used to say, “You indeed have every gift that God has to offer, but that doesn’t mean that you are enjoying that gift.”  What he means is that God does certainly set us free.  Through the gift of the Holy Spirit sent to the church at Pentecost, we’ve been given access to all that God is, but are we even aware of all that God has given us?

 

The answer is always going to be NO, because the magnitude of God is unfathomable and so too are His gifts.  However, there are some that are obvious and He has revealed them.  The challenge is always going to be there, as we rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us into the revelation of these gifts, but I think it is pretty fair to say that we need to be actively seeking God’s revelation.  God has given the body of Christ every thing it needs…. But are we enjoying those gifts?

 

Are we praying for healing and those people are healed?  Healing is one of the gifts of the spirit.  Jesus did tell His followers, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” 

 

We are all called by God.  We are all called to an action…  As we go about this ministry, we need to embody the attitude of Christ, who was totally confident in His authority, but totally respected those he dealt with and never demanded anything from them… in fact, there were a number of healed lepers who left Jesus and only one returned to give him thanks.   Did the others lose their healing because they didn’t thank him?  NO - they were all healed – Jesus loves!  In his love he desires to set people free.  For some that meant that he had to cast out demons and for others it meant healing from their diseases and for all of us it means that He made atonement for our sins and we are all forgiven in his sacrifice.

 

We need to know all these things.  Not just believe them… we need to know them by heart, because the next part of our call is to manifest the power of God in our lives so that not only our lives are changed, but also those with whom we meet, talk with and pray for will be healed and set free.

 

Saint Paul explains that he became all things to all people, so that he might save some.  This isn’t about pretending to be something that we are not, but it is about identifying with them.  When we are chatting with someone who feels that they have been unfairly treated, we need to so understand their situation that we can acknowledge their pain.  Then we pray. 

 

Do our prayers achieve anything?  A few days ago, my grand daughter came running into the kitchen at my place holding her finger – which looked totally normal.  “Owie” she said.  And I immediately said, “Nanny will get you ice and fix it”.  “No, Rex” she said.  Previously at my place, she had hurt herself - nothing serious - and Rex did what Rex, my husband always does – He prayed for it.

I don’t know what goes on in that little person’s head, but I do believe that she recognised something of God’s truth - something I too believe, which is that my husband has a special gift of healing.  Early in my relationship with Rex he prayed for my neck pain that I’d been suffering with for a couple of years and was getting worse– and after prayer it started to diminish and finally disappeared.   This little episode with the granddaughter and preparing for this service prompted the question that Rex and I discussed – are we being good stewards with the gifts that God has given us? 

 

When anyone asks, Rex will pray.  I think he is a pretty good steward, but this all prompts another question; do we even know what gifts God has given us? And how can we be good stewards if we aren’t fully aware of the gifts that we have?

 

And here is the next part of our call…. We are called to carry on the work of Jesus in setting people free and we need to understand that in doing this we need to pray for them in the same way as Jesus did - relying on God’s power manifest in our lives, which may include all those gifts of the spirit - words of knowledge, increased faith, the gifts of healing, the gift of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues.  

 

After that busy day that we read about Jesus’ healings and casting out demons,  Jesus rose early in the morning and went by himself to pray.  It was in this quiet time with God that Jesus received the direction about what His next action would be… not only that, but it was in that action that he received the energy… the life… the ability to be fit for the task. 

 

Our first reading contains verses that are really special to me; “He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless.  Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

 

Do you feel weary, exhausted, in competent and unworthy?  Good!  You are a prime candidate for a manifestation of God’s power – His power is made perfect in weakness and as we wait on the LORD, we renew our strength and we become fit for the call of God – totally reliant on HIS power.

 

My prayer for us all today, and I hope you can join me in making this a focus for our week to come, is to wait on God, to seek His direction in our lives and to look for opportunities to pray for those we meet.  We ARE the body of Christ and His spirit is truly with us.  Let us BE the body and carry on the ministry of Christ in all its power and love.

A posture of Grace Epiphany 4 B 28th Jan 2024

2024  01  28  EPIPHANY  4  Year B

Deuteronomy 18:15-20  •  Psalm 111  •  1 Corinthians 8:1-13  •  Mark 1:21-28

It was forty years in the Desert that the Israelites wondered, and you could be mistaken into thinking they had no direction.  Yet, the Israelites, while in the Desert, had the clearest direction of any nation, and of any time.  They had the very words and commandments of God.  There was a pillar of fire at night and a cloud through the day, which was the very presence of God.  Yet God was too holy to be approached by mere humans.  Moses was the exception, he was merely a human, but he was chosen by God from before his birth.  He didn’t feel very capable and is described as being the most humble man that ever there was.  At the time of our reading, God was about to take Moses, and God promised to raise up a prophet of Moses’ calibre.

 

From that time on, God did raise up prophets.  They would speak God’s words, However, mostly the people rejected their words, yet enough listened to keep the nation on a trajectory that kept the knowledge and fear of God alive.

 

The dictionary defines a prophet as a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.  In the Bible a prophet is a person who speaks God’s truth to others.  Prophets are also called “seers,” because of their spiritual insight or their ability to “see” the future.

 

In the Bible, prophets both taught the people about God, and delivered the word of God, which tended to foretell coming events, or give insight into the heart of God in particular contemporary situations. 

 

An example of prophetic insight would be when the prophet was sent to tell a story about a stolen lamb to David.  When King David heard the injustice in the story he was moved to action, but the twist was the revelation that he was the one guilty of the injustice.  King David understood and repented.  This is exactly how the people should respond to the prophet’s words, however many other Kings refused to have the humility to accept the message of the prophets. Our passage warns; “Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable.” 

 

God’s promise to the people was supposed to be a comfort to them.  God assures Moses; “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command.”  In this there was contemporary fulfilment in Joshua taking over Moses’ leadership, but it very much points to the promise of the Mesiah.  Often prophecy has a multifaceted fulfilment; a fulfilment in the near future, a fulfilment in the times of the Messiah and an end times fulfilment. 

 

When Jesus spoke in the Synagogue the people recognised something different in his teaching.  They recognised that Jesus spoke and taught as one who had authority.  The Levitical priesthood was well established by Jesus’ day, and there was a clear structure which gave respect and authority to the high priest and others in their positions.  Jesus was a relative outsider and yet He was teaching in the Synagogue.    In the time of Jesus, the atmosphere was highly charged with political and religious ideologies.  There were many voices, but something about Jesus struck the people as different.

 

This is something that needs to be explored.  We know what the people said was different about Jesus.  They said that he taught and spoke as one with authority.  This was before he commanded the evil spirit to be quiet and come out.  However, in that action, he proved his authority.

 

If we were there listening to Jesus and we were the ones who said, “He teaches as one with authority”, what would we have seen, felt, and heard that brought us to that conclusion, and what do we mean by it?

 

The Jewish structure had a traditional and an institutional authority.  These were the people who could instruct people in the ways of God.  They taught the people and were the authority on all things pertaining to God, and yet Jesus is different.

 

In the last few weeks we have been reflecting on being called by God.  We have discovered that God doesn’t just call us once, but continues to call us and, more than that, he calls us to follow him and he calls us to an action.  For Samuel the call was to listen and hear God’s voice, then faithfully deliver the message.  For Jonah it was to speak to the Ninevites – the enemies of the Israelites, which showed God’s love and concern for ALL people.   Along with this is the understanding about the love and compassion of God for His creation.  Today we explore the nature of Jesus.  We are called to follow him, so we need to know just who we are following, but also this week we focus on the attitudes we need to have, which should also echo that of Moses and Jesus.

 

Jesus, was not like the scribes, as he taught as one with authority.  He taught as one with authority because he had authority!  Jesus is the Son of God… Is God.

 

This might be similar to a Hotel empire, run by a large staff with a hierarchy of managers and servants.   One manager might look after the bar, another the restaurant and another might look after events.  These managers have been given authority, but that authority is a mere mirage compared with the authority of the Heir of the Empire, the son, who is well versed in the running of the family business. 

 

Jesus, is the Son of God, and has all authority, yet note that he doesn’t plead or command that people listen to him.  He calls us to follow him, but he respects our free will.  There is love and compassion and second chances in this call, but we note that there is no doubt that Jesus has all authority, even over demons.  The man with an unclean spirit, cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."

 

We know from other scriptures that, although Jesus was God, he never claimed equality with God.  He was humble and he allowed the free will of others, even to the point of allowing himself to be crucified.

 

Many have noted that the reason for Jesus’ crucifixion at a purely human level, was due to the Jealousy of the Jewish leaders.  Jealousy often stems from an ego that refuses the humility that we see in Jesus.  This attitude of the Jewish leaders that had Jesus crucified is the same one that assumes a superior position due to extra knowledge.  This attitude is still very evident today.  In my humble opinion, it materialised very clearly in the year 2020, when many of those who were happy to be vaccinated against COVID felt that they were so much smarter than those who were not willing to be vaccinated.  Hmm…. Yes… there was definitely a sense, clearly evident in the media, that it was those with superior intellect, who were following the science and being vaccinated… Others were conspiracy theorist.  But wait -   Also, there were antivaxxer’s who thought that those who were vaccinated were just mindless sheep. 

 

Which group were in the right?  Neither.  There were unknown elements and extenuating circumstances and, more importantly, a black and white superiority is not the attitude of Jesus, who knows everything, but still allowed people to be free to choose.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up”, is what we are told in our letter to the Corinthians.  If we are to follow Jesus, then we need to understand and grow to embody Jesus’ same attitude of firm confidence in God, while allowing each other to be free to accept the truth or not…. And still love them.

 

Our Psalm tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.  In Hebrew the term “fear of the Lord” is Yirat Adonai.  This is a term of devotion.  It is not a cringing fear, but a reverential awe.  To have this fear of the Lord is to be in submission to God… that is, to be completely humble before him.

 

Our letter from the Corinthians tells us to take care that our freedom does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.  Saint Paul, expanding on his message of freedom where all is permissible, is making it clear that we are free, and many material things… signs, symbols… foods etc… which traditionally form and inform our faith – in the reality of Jesus, are simply not important.  YET, if it is important for someone else who hasn’t grasped that freedom, or simply needs it to assist them, then it would be dreadful for us to wound our brothers and sisters in Christ by disrespecting what is important to them.

 

We are all on this journey of faith, and we are both uniquely individual, and yet united in one body.  The ear is different to the hand, yet the whole body needs to be united in some facets, and the way in which we need to be united is in our embodying the attitude of Christ…. His confidence in God the father, his respect for the freedom of others, his humility, his submission to the father and his love.  Otherwise, we are mis-representing God, disjointed like some kind of Frankenstein.

 

In God we are both free to be truly individual and yet united, by being filled with and taught by the Holy Spirit.  When I am involved in baptisms, I explain that, in the same way we grow physically, mentally and emotionally to have the attributes of our family members, due to our DNA, as born-again children of God, indwelt by and moved by Holy Spirit, we grow in the likeness of our Heavenly Father.  The direction of the Holy Spirit means that our wondering in the wilderness of this broken life, is not aimless or pointless, but in fact has the clarity and direction of our God, where everything works for the good of those who love God and are willing to grow into His image.

 

Every now and then, we just need to remember that this is what we are meant to be doing, reflecting the image of Jesus and being the body of Christ in this world.  We are willing… we just sometimes forget that we need to be constantly saying “Yes” to God, acknowledging His authority, but that is why we are here… and that is what communion is all about – To be in unity with Christ in every way – The body of Christ…. AMEN!  We are reminded. 

The time is short - The time is NOW! 2024 Jan 21 Epiphany 3B

2024  01  21  Epiphany 3B

Jonah 3.1-10     Psalm 62.5-12     1 Corinthians 7.29-31     Mark 1.14-20

 

Just forty days and Nineveh was to be overthrown.  What do you think it was that caused the Ninevites to have believed Jonah and therefore repented?

 

The book of Jonah is one of my favourites and I have a children’s book at home that is written in rhyme, called A Jonah Day by Phil A Smouse.  It pretty much just retells the story simply and puts it in language that would appeal to children – and me!  According to the children’s book the word that Jonah was to say to the Ninevites was; “You’re all mean and you’re nasty and you’re not very nice – And those are your good points to be quite precise.  For I mean what I say and I am quite sincere – when I tell you I smell you the whole way up here.”  Of course Jonah responds, “Tell that to them, you must be mistaken -  you certainly can’t expect me to partake in – a dreadful impossible scheme”, Jonah spat – “like the one you’re suggesting, and that Lord, is THAT!”

 

A retelling of a sacred text in the Jewish tradition is called a midrash.  I actually think that my kid’s book fits pretty well into that category.  So, I’m a bit curious about the category that sometimes modern theological scholars suggested for the book of Jonah.  It is also often placed in the category of a sarcastic novella.  It is clear that there are a variety of views about the book and so it is interesting to see how the Israelite people view the story, as this is primarily their sacred text.

 

Some history about the great city; Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, Israel's longstanding enemy in the 8th century BC.  In the 1800s there was much interest in Ninevah, and some sites were excavated and extensive remains were found, revealing the truth about it’s rumoured greatness.

 Dr Michael Schulman (https://sacreddrama.org/2017/08/08/what-are-the-jewish-perspectives-on-the-book-of-jonah/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Talmud%2C%20Jonah,to%20King%20Jeroboam%20II%20(ibid.  )  tells us; “The Book of Jonah is read during the services of Yom Kippur, the Jews’ Day of Atonement, because its messages are a fitting inspiration for that time. To understand this scripture, it helps to know the identities of Jonah and the king of Nineveh.”  He explains a connection between Elijah and Jonah, and the Pharaoh of Egypt at the time of the exodus and the King of Nineveh… therefore an understanding about our God of miracles and magnificent divine intervention.

 

The article goes on to explain that although the Ninevites were not God’s people, and therefore not held to be responsible for Keeping the many Israelite laws, they and all Gentiles (this includes us) are still held accountable for “7 Universal Commandments in the Book of Genesis, which are the foundation of true morality: establishing just courts, and the prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, homicide, forbidden sexual relations, theft, and eating meat that was severed from a living animal (cruelty to animals).”

 

A very interesting article, with many interesting aspects, but the most important for our reading is those about the nature of receiving a prophecy.  Jonah would rather die than stand as a witness against his own people.  You see, many prophets had been sent to the Israelites and the Israelite people largely rejected them.  The people of Nineveh, who are Gentiles, heard the warning from God and they repented.  In New Testament times; Many of God’s own people rejected Jesus, but the word of God and salvation came to the Gentiles.  Yet the message is about the heart of one who would rather die for God’s people than stand as a witness against them – And this is where the heart of God is at.

 

 Jesus would have heard this story and message at his own celebrations of Yom Kippur, and he also says in Matthew 12:39-41, “The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at Jonah’s proclamation; and look – something greater than Jonah is here!”  Christ pointed to Jonah’s adventure into the belly of the fish as a precursor and a sign pointing to his own death, burial, and resurrection.  But how does all this affect us today and what is God’s message in this for us?

 

Last week we had the call of Samuel and Nathanael.  This week we have the call of Jonah to speak God’s word to the Ninevites and the call of the fishermen in our Gospel reading.  Can you see a continuation of the theme?  It isn’t just that we are looking at people being called by God, but looking at what the were called to do and the heart of compassion with which we are called to do it.

 

I think it is worth noting that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.  If we think back to our story last week about Samuel and Eli, it is important to note that God does not give up on us. God does understand our fears and hesitations, but ultimately, these characters fall into two categories;  we see stories of those who say yes and follow God, and those who, like Eli, though they know God, choose to close their eyes to God’s call. 

 

It is a sad reality that there are people who, although they were once dedicated Christians, they, for whatever reason, grief, disillusion, or apathy, turned from following God.  God still calls them.  He doesn’t give up.

 

Today’s message for us is the Good News, that even if we have been running in the opposite direction, away from the call of God, he will call us again.  Even in the story of the Ninevites we see God’s mercy.  He never desires to destroy, but finds a way to get us back on track…. And we need to know, beyond any shadow of a doubt that God’s ways are for our good.  And not just for our good, but for the good of society.

 

Jonah was sent to a people who were the enemy of the Israelites.  It must have been almost like… “well, we Israelites will keep God’s law and know the good it is for our society, but the other countries are subject to their own laws and none of my business”.    The Ninevites weren’t breaking their own laws, and they didn’t worship our God, so what right did Jonah have to tell them what to do?  It is reminding me also, of our reading last week about All things being permissible, but not all things are beneficial.  Remembering that God, like any good parent, does want to correct our actions for our future good.

 

How does this relate to us?  Are there places where God would have us be an influence for good, but we are hiding away, keeping our knowledge of that good to ourselves?   And are we like Jonah, preferring to run into the mouth of a great fish rather than speak out God’s truth?

 

Our reading from Corinthians reminds us that the time is short.  When it says that those who have wives should live as though they had none, I would just hope that my husband isn’t listening!!!  No – I’m joking of course – kind of – But we obviously need to make sense of this. 

 

The time is indeed short.  The time to act on God’s word, is now.  When Jonah was sent to tell the Ninevites to repent, lives were saved.  Similarly, we are called to hear God’s call and God’s word, and to act on that call and that word.  The time is short and rescue is needed now.  It isn’t that we forget we have wives, husbands and families, but that our priority together needs to be to hear and heed God’s call.  And the way that God works, is that when we have God’s priorities we will actually care for our spouse more completely.

 

Last year I watched the film; The Sound of Freedom.  It told the incredible true story of a former government agent turned vigilante who embarked on a dangerous mission to rescue hundreds of children from traffickers.  That is not something God has called me to, but I am glad that he has called someone.

 

This is one example of a Christian standing up and doing what God called him to do, and we are all called to be involved somewhere.  I can’t say where God is calling you – But he certainly does call us all, and most probably it is to be involved right where we are.

One of the places I felt called was Street Chaplaincy.  We treat everyone we meet with love and respect.  But we know that the young man who is so concerned about, and offering to look after the young lady who has had her drink spiked, might well be the one who did the spiking.  And they might not. For the safety of that one person that we can help, we believe we are called into that ministry.

 

We can’t be everywhere and we can’t do every ministry, or be the change in every need, but the time is short and we need to listen to Jesus.  What is he saying?

 

Jesus had to make this same choice.  Jesus lived his life on earth as wholly human.  When John the Baptist was put in prison it definitely shook Jesus, as it is mentioned in the different Gospels and in different ways, but always in relation to Jesus’ action.  In the Gospel of Mark we are told; “After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” 

 

John had been preaching the same message and he was put in prison.  The fact that the Gospel writer tells us in this way, means that there was a definite decision.  You can almost see the scene with Jesus’ musing, something like this; There was a pause…. “Okay… this is the dangerous path… the beginning of my ministry, which will end in my dying for the sins of the world…. Deep breath… I will do the father’s will”.

 

Jesus then calls Simon Peter, Andrew, James and John.  We are told that they left their boats and followed him without delay.  We know from other Gospel accounts that these people had already encountered Jesus and had already made up their minds that he was worth following, but at Jesus call on that day, they responded, “Yes, we will”. 

 

In our Baptism service and any other services where we respond to the call of God, the response is always “I will, with God’s grace” or “God’s help”.  In this, we acknowledge that we all fail at times and like Jonah may need the word of God to come to us a 2^nd time, but our Psalm today tells us that with God is unfailing love.  God is concerned for our wellbeing, he understands our fears – but do we understand him and his unfailing love?  Even with a just a little understanding and knowledge, Jesus disciples responded to God’s call without delay.

 

There is a sense of urgency in our readings.  The time is short.  What will be our response today?  Let us take some time to listen to God.  Ask him to speak to us and direct us.  Then, take a deep breath and say, “Yes, Lord, we will, with your help.”

Hear and Act 2024 01 14 2nd Sunday Epiphany Year B

1 Samuel 3.1-10  - Psalm 139.1-5, 12-18 - 1 Corinthians 6.12-20 - John 1.43-51

We have some incredible readings today.  Eli whose eyes were dim is a contrast with Jesus who saw Nathaniel when he was still under the fig tree.  But just exactly what is it all about and what, through these readings, is God saying to us today?

The first thing that struck me about the reading from Samuel was that the word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.  Immediately I wondered how we would describe the word of the LORD in these days.  Are there still visions and words from God?  There certainly are, but are these widespread or rare?  We are those who have received the message of Jesus and live in a time and place where we really lack for nothing.  We have received the gift of the Holy Spirit – God is with us and in us… We are the body of Christ.  So, technically, the word of God and visions should be common and widespread?

Perhaps we need to look more closely at the story of Eli to see what is going on.  Eli’s eyes had grown dim, but we are also told that the lamp of the LORD had not gone out.  FYI -The lamp of the LORD never goes out!  Here is our first “take-away”.  No matter our perceptions– God’s light will never go out!  I’d like to illustrate it with what I consider a miracle that happened in Melbourne, 1993.  There was a national liturgical convention that I was attending.  Every morning there was an address to everyone in the main auditorium, hosting the thousands of attendees.  After this address, people would break off and go to various electives.

During that convention there were composers of our regular hymns giving lectures.  One in particular spoke about his hymn that everyone had been singing for decades.  It was a favourite for Sundays.  He told us, that it didn’t really mean anything.  We were all shocked.  Someone said, “But surely you are referring to something concrete– you are referring to God.”  He answered very condescendingly that he used to think that way, but he doesn’t anymore, and he continued to explain that the words could be referring to anything and open to the interpretation of the listener.

Much of the convention gave me the same “faithless” impression and I was horrified at what seemed to be more a celebration of the “ART” of liturgy, rather than a worship of the one true and living God. 

On the final morning of the convention, we were in the Auditorium and a drama group prepared a liturgy.  They had a paschal candle lit and many other candles lit.  The symbolism of the candles was obvious, but it all went down hill after that.  Different people entered the stage and proclaimed disjointed sentences of scripture.  Nothing held together and there was no theme…. No message… no point.   I was sitting in the very back row, and incredibly frustrated by the lack of acknowledgement of our very real God.

The liturgy finished and the candles were extinguished.  Finally, they came to extinguish the paschal candle.  It wouldn’t go out!  They tried again and again to extinguish it before the keynote speaker came on.  I was down the back trying to contain myself, saying to my companions – “They can’t snuff Jesus out!”  For about 5 minutes they tried in vain.  Eventually, they left it lit.  The Key note speaker gave his address while the candle remained burning.

The world may seem like a dark and broken place, but the lamp of the LORD will NOT go out.  Eli’s eyes, however, had grown dim.  He was like that well known composer, whose faith in God had become faith in …. Something unknown and vague.  WHY?  Why had Eli’s faith become dim and vague?  We are told that Eli’s sons were evil and Eli did nothing to correct them.  Eli was comfortable and he didn’t want to do the will of God.

This made me stop and ponder; “Am I willing to act on God’s word to me?  Will I determine to not let any of His words fall to the ground?”  When the word of God came to Samuel, he didn’t hide the word, but spoke it out faithfully, even though he was concerned that it wasn’t a comforting word to Eli.  This is important!  The word of the LORD was rare and visions were not widespread because the people were not willing to hear what God was saying, or act upon it.  The word of God is love and comfort to His people – But it would not be loving of God to not correct us when we are going astray.  A loving parent will correct their child, knowing that the good of their future is at stake, and God does likewise.

This brings us to our Letter to the Corinthians with another of my favourite verses; “6:12 "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. ….”   

Our life in Christ is a life of freedom.  Christ has set us free and God certainly wants to bless us, but we need to be aware that although all things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial.  

We are living in a time where the whole world seems to have been changing and pushing the boundaries of what is right and what is wrong, and young people especially, of every generation, have very quickly cottoned onto this idea that all things are permissible.  We need to respect the laws of the land, and up-hold the law, but there certainly have been times throughout history when what was permissible by law did not reflect the values of our God.  Slavery is one simple example.  It was legal and, in some circles, most definitely approved.    All things ARE permissible…..  also, because we are free in Christ, we do not have to circumcise our sons on the 8th day – or keep the O.T. law of no work on Saturdays.  But I think it is pretty obvious that not all things that are lawful, are beneficial, and not all things lawful, reflect the values of our God, who certainly desires to bless us and wants the best for us.

Our letter to the Corinthians goes on to explain that our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit.  We are a HOLY people.  That means that we are set apart for God’s sacred purpose.  All we do should reflect our union with Christ. Saint Paul was saying all things are permissible, because he was talking to a group for whom certain sexual activities were accepted and normal in their community and almost a cultural rite of passage.  In the Corinthian community there were cultural norms.  It was lawful…. It wasn’t illegal.  Saint Paul therefore approaches the subject by acknowledging this.  Yes, it is permissible, but is it what a HOLY people should do? And the answer is NO.   Saint Paul doesn’t shy away from the issue either, but he explains that just because it is lawful doesn’t mean that it is beneficial. 

Jesus did not come to abolish the law and the prophets, but he came to fulfill them.  In other words, Jesus completed the law of God – he kept the law of God.  He is the only one who ever could, and now, through his death and resurrection, we are united to him and share in his life.  We are spiritually, as Jesus is…. Clean.  Therefore, we are free from the reign of sin.  We are free from the wages of sin.  We have been set free.  We are free.  Although all things are permissible, not all things are beneficial.  Saint Paul tells us to think of it this way; Our bodies are the temple of God.  By His Holy Spirit, Jesus dwells in us.  How then should we be behaving?  Saint Paul addresses the sin – The error in the church.  Saint Paul heard the word of God and he acted on it.  He didn’t shy away from confronting the problems such as Eli. Eli, had deliberately closed his eyes to the sin of his sons.

We are told that Jesus saw Nathanael while he was under the fig tree.  It is an intriguing story that comes across simply, such that we may miss the deeper significance.  

Our story is found in the Gospel of John only.  We are told that Philip has encountered Jesus and encourages Nathanael to come and see Jesus also.  Nathanael responds rather doubtfully, however, when Jesus meets him there is a little joke between them.  Jesus says, “"Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!"

This is a little play on words.  Israel’s original name was Jacob – meaning the deceiver.  Israel was the name that God gave Jacob, taking away his identity of a deceiver.  After Nathanael’s enquiring how Jesus knew him, Jesus responds that he saw him under the fig tree before Philip called him.

If you are like me, you probably now have an image of the conversation of Philip and Nathanael taking place under a fig tree, yet the beginning of the story has no mention of a fig tree.  There is more going on here, and we need to understand the Israelite culture to know what is going on.  The first mention of the fig tree in scripture is right back at the fall of humanity.  Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves when they realized that they were naked.  Under the fig tree is Jesus’ way of saying, something quite profound.  He saw Nathanael under the shadow of sin.  If we think it through, we know that Jesus will be the ultimate fig leaves as he not only covers our sin, but atones for it.  All humanity was under the fig tree.  The call of Nathanael is the story of every Christian.  

How significant is it to be truly known and seen?  Jesus sees all that we are.  “Before we were ever a twinkle in the eye, he saw all that we’d be, what we’d do and why.  And with all that knowledge he never once turned away, but he died on that cross everyone of us – to save.”

Psalm 139 tells us that we can not hide from God.  He sees us.  He formed us…. He knows us.  Nathanael realizes that Jesus knows him just as God knows him and he responds to Jesus in the way that is a model for us; “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"  In other words – You are God – You are the Messiah.

The call of Nathanael and the call of Samuel are the same as the call for you and me.  We may begin by not knowing how to respond, or we may even be sceptical, or feeling unworthy – acutely aware of our own shortcomings and sin, but he who changes names knows us and gives us a new way…. A new direction… A new opportunity.  Under the fig tree is where Jesus has seen and known us – before we were born, he knew us.  We are encouraged, like Nathanael, to acknowledge that Jesus is LORD and king of our lives and like Samuel, to respond; "Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."  And with God’s help, we will.