What Only Jesus could Do. Fifth Sunday in Lent 3rd April 2022

 FIFTH SUNDAY IN LENT   Year C    3^rd April 2022

• Isaiah 43:16-21  •   Psalm 126  •    Philippians 3:4b-14  •    John 12:1-8

What is your faith worth to you?

Do you consider yourself to be a practical person?  Do you balance your books and budget well?  Do you seldom allow yourself the luxury of physical delights?  Certainly, in the season of Lent we strive to exercise self-control and limit our luxuries.  Lent is a time of identifying with the poor and exercising self-control through some kind of abstinence.  A time of prayer and reflection.  In contrast we have a lavish act occurring in the telling of our Gospel story, of what seems to be pointless exuberant indulgence.

 

In fact, our first reading seems to be in contrast with the season of Lent.  There is a sense of joyful expectation of something great happening- a sense of victory.  In the end, we know that victory is coming to this Gospel story.  We know that Jesus rose from the grave, conquering death and sin, but at this point in our Lenten journey we are still looking grimly at the cross and at the suffering to come.

 

In our world, we are looking at inflated petrol prices.  Things seem grim. We feel pain for those in Ukraine, praying and wishing that the Russians would have mercy and cease their onslaught.  It seems like the whole world is in a season of poverty and hardship…. Much like our Lenten journey, a season of hardship.  Lent is the season that leads us to the cross…  - but the cross isn’t pointless…  it ends with victory and resurrection. 

In this life, more hardships are yet to come, there is no doubt.  Life on planet Earth is fraught with pain.  If we come down to personal levels, we find friends struggling with cancers, daughters with broken hearts because they can’t fall pregnant, financial hardships, natural disasters like the floods impacting such that any sense of home is lost – and it is probably about now that many of those are feeling the full impact of that loss.

 

We are on the road to the cross.  We are in a wilderness of grief and loss.  We are in a desert where the things that should come easily to refresh us are missing, and we still can’t plan a night out without considering if all of our invitees are double vaccinated.

 

In the midst of this we have a word from God through Isaiah declaring; “I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.”   In the midst of our hardship there is a way of refreshment – but it only comes from Jesus.

 

In Lent we take up some kind of abstinence.  We focus on our faith and we pray and we give.  Sometimes when we fast and pray we expect that because of these actions that God will act with blessing.  Almost like, “Hey God… if I do this, then you should do that for me.”  I doubt that we would put it in those words, but we all can, and do naturally tend towards thinking; “Hey I do what is right… why are these bad things happening to me?”  “Surely God knows how much I try to do good and should be rewarding me.”

 

In stark contrast to our very natural way of thinking, we need to reflect on the words of Saint Paul.  Saint Paul, was brought up to be a righteous man.  He studied diligently and was an A student.  He was brilliant.  He was also a particular personality type that was fastidious and particular.  He ensured that he did everything correctly according to God’s law.  He fasted and prayed and gave sacrifices and he didn’t stop there.  He was so zealous for the law of God that he set out to persecute the Christians.  He put his faith into action.  Surely, this was a man who was going to be welcomed by God. 

 

If one could be welcomed into the kingdom by their good works and adherence to their own form of Religion, God would surely have left Paul alone.

 

Paul believed that he was God’s right-hand man.  He was a person of position and influence.  It was Paul who gave the authority for the stoning of Stephen, the first martyr of the church.  Paul, then called Saul, believed he was acting righteously – how can we hold this against him?  You can believe in God and be zealous in your faith and still get it so wrong.

 

But Paul knows better than any of us, that our good intentions, if they are not done through Christ, are worthless.  Paul knows better than any of us that our righteous acts, if they are not done through Christ, are worthless.  Paul completely and thoroughly understood that there is no salvation apart from Christ and, most importantly, this is a salvation by faith in Jesus and HIS actions and God’s grace and NOT by anything that we do to earn that favour.   Jesus is the key!

 

Saint Paul declares that he strives to attain the heavenly goal by sharing in Christ’s suffering, but make no mistake, he is aware that his own salvation is nothing to do with his works, but by the grace of God, yet he presses on toward the goal.  Note his words; “For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.” 

 

Compared to this gift of God, all else is incomparable.  How much is this gift of God worth?  Sharing in suffering for the Gospel message?  A whole jar of perfume? 

 

There are many Christians who don’t believe we should have anything but the bare essentials for our Churches….  Or would much rather be practical stewards by investing in programs or practicalities, than in beautifying a church.  For the most part, most would agree.  But Jesus accepts the expensive perfume (about a year’s wage worth), simply to wash his feet.  Can you imagine that?  A year’s wage!  Think of that in today’s terms, apparently about $66000, and understand what extravagance was given to wash those feet.

 

In the heart of Mary there was no doubt she was washing the feet of the Messiah.  Notice that neither her brother or sister stopped her from doing this.  They had all experienced the resurrection of Lazarus and this act was an act of love and worship and gratitude.  Yet Jesus shows us that it is more than that, it is a prophetic act.  Jesus is going to die and she has anointed him for his death.

 

Martha and Lazarus knew what the gift of God was worth….. and they approved of Mary’s giving.  Have we considered how much the gift of God is worth to us?  We are a practical people.  We give what we can, but I wonder what we would give if we had our eyes opened to the same vision of the gift of God, as Mary and of Saint Paul.

 

While many will condemn the riches of the churches in Rome, Michelangelo painted the masterpiece ceiling of the Sistine chapel as a commissioned art work, yet still as an expression of his own devotion and commissioned by the devotion of another.  In our devotion to God, we might give to the poor, perform acts of hospitality or other works.  We are all different and the painter will paint a master piece, the song writer writes a song, and the architect might design an intricate building.  None of these will win our way into heaven, but I hope that we are not like Judas, discouraging an act of extravagant worship.

 

Mary’s worship was extravagant but Jesus declared it right that she should use this for the day of his burial.  And suddenly the room becomes solemn with the realization that Jesus was on his way to the cross.

 

Jesus knew where he was going. 

 

From my own observation, when a person is dying with cancer, perspectives change.  Some things are really important and other things are not. 

 

Jesus knew he was on the journey to the cross.  Jesus knew the priorities of God the father and the gift that he was about to bring about for the world.  A gift that only he could pay for… a price too dear for us.  Only a person without sin could die to save us.  Us, in all our self-righteousness could never be so perfect so as to attain eternal life.  We could not die to save ourselves let alone the whole world.   We can not do it!  We, without Jesus, are separated from God… loved, but in our imperfection, separated.  If Saint Paul’s perfect living was not perfect enough then we can rest assured that there are none who are perfect enough…. Only Jesus and this is our Gospel message.  The Good news of the Gospel is that through Jesus, God see us as his perfect son.

 

Only Jesus could save us.  He was born the son of God, God incarnate.  He is the truth, the life and the way and none can come to the father, but through him.  Our Gospel message is vital, and it is vital that we understand it because without it there is no eternal life.  Life is only through Jesus.  How much is this worth to us?

 

We take it for granted and we complain about things that in the light of eternity are so insignificant.  But rest assured, he does care for us and all those little and big things that cause us grief.  But just for this week, as we journey with Jesus to the cross, reflect on the enormous consequence of this Gospel.   Jesus knowingly went to Jerusalem to die so that we might be saved for eternity.  In his dying he imparts the power of his eternal life to us all.

 

In this life there is pain, but remember the words of Isaiah who declares that God makes a way in the desert.  Rivers do sometimes flow in the desert, but it isn’t the normal thing.  God makes a way for us.  In the desert of our pain and grief and even confusion, God brings us the waters of eternal life through the gift that Jesus bought with his blood and his broken body.  Eternal life… what is it worth to you?  Jesus brings us into a renewed relationship with God the father.  What is that worth to you?  A year’s wage?  No…. it is worth our whole life.  Let us offer ourselves to God …...our whole self.

Walking in faith 2nd Sunday of Lent C 2022

 

Second Sunday of Lent Year C - March 13, 2022

• Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18  •   Psalm 27  •   Philippians 3:17-4:1  •   Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

On television this week, I saw Batman Begins.  Gotham was Batman’s town and it was wicked.  The man who trained Batman, claiming to have a higher purpose, infiltrated the corruption so as to completely destroy the town.  Batman intervenes.  He says, “there is still good here”, and “It can still be saved”.  These statements are echoes our scriptures and the hearts of the Prophets who have laid down their lives in an effort to bring the people back to God. 

 

Our Gospel reading shows the heart of Christ, similar to our Batman narrative, and his desire to save.  The words of Jesus are; “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, …. How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, …!”

 

We know that Christ, laid down his life, not just for the city of Jerusalem, but for the world.  As the followers of Christ, we are those who live in God and God lives in us.  Therefore there is an element in each of us, calling us to have this same heart for our community?

However, we are the “Me” generation.  Well maybe not you specifically – or even me specifically, but we live in the “Me” generation.  We live in a community which has more in common with Gotham and Jerusalem than we might like to admit.  The “Me” generation is a little like the yeast of the Pharisees…  beware of it because it can easily grow and increase in our lives without us even realizing.

 

In our Gospel story some Pharisees were actually trying to be helpful.  They warned Jesus to leave and save himself.  But Jesus was not infected by the “Me” generation.  And there we were thinking that the “Me” generation was something new.  It is not.  It has always been there.  It was there in the beginning when Adam and Eve wanted to be like God.  That was, counting themselves as the most important…. Afterall… surely it is a good thing to eat that fruit and better oneself!

 

The interesting thing about the warning of the Pharisees, is that they were warning Jesus to save himself and yet Jesus actual mission was to die.  Jesus states, “'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work”.  The work of Jesus was to bring forth the Kingdom of God.  In casting out demons and curing ills, he was declaring his authority, but “on the third day” is a symbolic reference to the completion of his ministry, inferring his death, which is exactly why he would return to Jerusalem.  Jesus’ ministry involved ultimately laying down his life for the world, in order to save us and to bring us into a right relationship with God.  We have a right relationship with God because of the sacrifice of Jesus, but Abraham was also declared to be righteous – in a right relationship with God. 

 

Our reading from Genesis holds that statement that is repeated in the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament.  Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.  Therefore, this is an important account, which we need to understand.

 

There are many who say that they believe in God, but there is a difference in ”believing God”.  Many who believe in God, have little to do with him other than to state that they do.  Believing God, implies a relationship and consequent actions.   Do you see the difference?  I can believe in my Husband… Believe he exists and still have no relationship with him.  To say that I believe him, means that I have spoken with him and heard what he said and will act in accordance.  I have a one on one relationship with him.

 

Abraham had a relationship with God his whole life, but for some reason this action of belief rendered him righteous.  The message that Abraham believed was that he, with a barren and aging wife, was going to be the father of many.  God said it, Abram believed it.  I don’t understand it, except to say that it wasn’t anything that Abraham did, but God’s love and grace.  Abraham is considered the father of our faith because his righteousness is not based on something he did, but instead it is based on the action of, declaration by, and promise of God in response to Abraham believing God.

 

If you think that to be righteous you need to have complete faith and never doubt – read on – God told Abraham that his children would own a great amount of land, but Abraham wanted God to prove that this would happen – And so, God made a covenant with Abraham.  This covenant involved five animals, three of which were three years old.  Three of these animals were cut in half but not the birds.  What is going on here? 

 

The first animal is a heifer.  According to the research that I have done, a heifer was used as a sacrifice to purify people who had become unclean due to coming in contact with a dead body.  Figuratively, to be cleansed from our mortality – cleansed from the fact that we are finite and will die.  The next was a female goat, which signifies life giving.  Next was the ram, signifying Christ himself, the sacrifice for sin. Then the turtle dove and the pigeon signifying the love of God and peace.  Also three is the number signifying life.  Now, I’m not completely sure about all of this, but after a bit of research, this seemed to make the most sense.

 

Apparently common in the ancient world, a beast would be cut in half to signify “cutting a deal”… an agreement.  If two Kings met and even if they didn’t speak the same language, but they cut an animal and walked in between the halves, it was understood that this meant that there was a peace agreement, with the understanding, “May it be done to me as it is with this animal if I should break the agreement.”

 

The very interesting thing about the covenant with Abraham is that Abraham didn’t walk through the halves, but God did.  This meant that it was an unconditional covenant, dependant on the actions of God, regardless of any action on Abraham’s part.  It was a promise and it was solemnly sealed.  The saving grace of God, declared prophetically through the symbols of the animals of the covenant sacrifice, meant that Abraham was redeemed from death, given life, his transgressions atoned for and he had the love of God and Peace between him and God.  This is what we have also. 

 

The meaning behind those animals of the covenant tell the story of salvation to show that we have the promise of eternal life and abundant life, we are redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus, which brings us into a relationship of love and peace with God.

 

The letter to the Philippians tells us, “He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.”  This is telling us about our eternal life. Eternal life – We have this promise.  Do we believe it? 

Just as Abraham couldn’t, in himself, do anything to bring about life from his barren wife, neither can we do anything, in ourselves, to bring about eternal life.  But can we believe God and agree that HE can?

 

What we believe forms our actions.  When we truly believe all that God tells us it shows in our actions.  Although it is through our believing, that we are completely saved by the Grace of God, there naturally must follow, an action. Knowing that we have eternal life gives us a different perspective.  Knowing that we have the life of God and that we are saved by the sacrifice of Jesus, also should change us.  Knowing that we are loved by God and have peace with God, should cultivate a different, more compassionate view of others.  Our behaviour should flow from our belief.  From our faith our behaviours, indeed we ourselves, are transformed.

 

Jesus was imparting healing and casting out demons, loving and caring for people, knowing all the while that he was going to lay down his life for them.  He knew that it was worth it.  His laying down his life would be the completion of his ministry and his final authority over sickness, evil and death.  And now we know why he cried out on the cross – IT IS FINISHED.

 

Life is filled with moments of resilience and pushing through pain.  In these times we push through the pain because there is a vision of a better future.  A “Me” generation only looks at the here and now, but with a vision of a better future we can all find the resilience to live more like Jesus.  Abraham died at 175 years old, but the promises that God made to him were for about 400 years.  Abraham didn’t see all the promises of God fulfilled, but he believed God and this belief formed his actions of complete trust in God – Even when asked to do things that were hard and testing.

 

Let me go back to the batman story; Batman’s love interest, Rachel, makes a judgment about Bruce Wayne when he tries to tell her that He is more underneath, then the visible playboy façade.  She replies to him, “It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you.”

 

Make no mistake.  We are given the gifts of God because of God’s love for us and not because of anything that we do, but our faith and our belief should be evident by what we do.

Without deserving or earning anything, through Christ we are gifted the promise of eternal life.  We are given the promise of abundant life, we are redeemed from transgressions and have the love of God and peace with him.

 Life is hard and that is a fact.  We have so many youths with depression and perhaps the reason is that they don’t expect life to be hard.  It is!  Our story of faith clearly shows that evil came into the world at the beginning of time and all life was subject to decay because of it – in other words, evil and sickness and disasters and hardship are all part of life on planet Earth.  But Christ has achieved complete authority over death – it is finished – it is accomplished -  and he brings us life.  Note that Jesus desired to embrace die for Jerusalem though there was wickedness there.  There is nothing you can do that will separate you from the love of God.

 

Knowing all that God has given us, can we follow in the footsteps of Abraham and walk in faith, rejoicing in the promise?  Can we walk in the footsteps of Jesus and live selflessly, laying down our lives for others?  The victory is already ours….  Jesus has achieved it.  This world of pain is similar to that of a woman giving birth – there is pain, but there is victory and life through Jesus who has authority over all that pain.  Let’s push through the pain and walk through this life in a way that shows our faith in God who loves us, and the promise that is ours through Christ.

Bearers of the Image of Heaven

 SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY   Year C   February 20, 2022

  • Genesis 45:3-11, 15  •    Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40  •    1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50  •    Luke 6:27-38

In last weeks readings we were exhorted to rejoice when people speak ill of us because of the Gospel.  This week follows on with this tough message, but take heart, it isn’t all that you might think.

Our Psalm reading tells us this; “Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.”

 

The tough times are here and probably there are more tough times ahead, and so it is wise to think through our reactions so that we can respond appropriately instead of reacting inappropriately.  Have you ever had the experience where you know you are going into a difficult interaction with someone?  When we know what it going on and what needs to happen, we tend to play the scene over in our minds and this can sometimes help us, as we can clarify in our own minds just what the issue is, what out come we want, and how to best resolve the conflict.

This is what Jesus does for us in telling us to rejoice when people speak badly of us for the sake of the Gospel.  He gives us a better perspective… a heavenly one.  We rejoice because we know that we are in good company, that of the saints and prophets.  This perspective enables us to be resilient in the face of hardship.  But wait there is more….

Now, I have just become a grandmother and I have some pretty strong opinions about what should be told to expectant mothers.  I have heard people say, “Oh we don’t want to tell them about the difficulties associated with breast feeding, because it might put them off the idea”.  Now my opinion is the opposite.  I believe that new mothers are more likely to push through the pain if they know that it is part and parcel of the experience.  The benefits are great, but there is a cost.  My daughter, it appears, has an allergy baby.  (no surprise), and so Brittany has had to go on a very narrow and strict diet so that Ellianna is kept healthy.  I had warned Brittany about this possibility and she is handling it all pretty well.  It is tough, but the benefits, she knows, out weigh the cost.

In the same way, I believe, Jesus warns us about the things that can happen to us also, so that we can have the resilience to endure, but not only the resilience, but that we might respond in a way that is loving and bears witness to the glory of God.

This week’s Gospel reading tells us that we need to love our enemies, pray for those who abuse us and turn the other cheek to those who strike us.  This is just to name a few of the things we are asked to do.

Now let me be clear– this up-side down way of thinking was revolutionary and it still is.  There is great potential for good, for conversion and for life by following this way.  But before I go on, I have to qualify the reading and put it all in context because a great deal of abuse within the church has, in the past, gone un-checked because of this misunderstood exhortation.

Just to pull out one example of misunderstanding; this idea of turning the other cheek is not about allowing ourselves to be abused.  I can tell you that when someone up-town is punched, very seldom does the other person not punch back… As a Christian, what would our response be and what should it be?  To understand, we need to look into the culture of Jesus time and this little article from the net explains it – from - https://shortdailydevotions.com/turn-the-other-cheek-meaning/

“To be slapped on the right cheek meant someone would be hitting you with the backside of their right hand—or with their left hand, which was associated with weakness and even impurity.  Even more, in their culture any slap was considered an insult. It was a degrading action and a sign of great disrespect. And it was doubly so if someone backhanded you.  Surprisingly, pastor Keith Krell explains in this article that if a man hit you “with the back of his hand instead of punching you in the mouth, you could collect twice the damages because an insult was worse than an injury in Jesus’ honour-shame society.” Jesus’ teaching was a sign of both brilliance and humility before God.”

 

So the equivalent on the streets of Mackay would be someone who was punched, placing their hands in the air as a sign of surrender, but moving themselves into the vision of the security personal or police.    The brilliance of the lack of retaliation means that only the perpetrator will be charged.  Most of the time, both are charged because the police don’t know who is to blame and if both have been fighting it doesn’t matter much who started it.

 

This is the kind of response that Jesus expects of his people.  Not that they allow abuse to continue, but that they bring to light the injustice and show themselves to be innocent and above reproach.

As far as loving your enemy – a couple of years ago, 2020 while in covid lock down, I decided to go through the pascal meal and ceremony.  It was a big learning curve for me, where so many things that were eaten were symbolic of the events of the Passover.  One thing that particularly struck me, was where we had to take the red wine and place drops of it on the plate in recognition of the sorrow of the Egyptians – A drop to represent each plague.   This was the enemies of the Israelites, but every year still, they perform an act that compassionately recognises the sorrow and loss of their enemies.

 

We think of our own situation.  There may be hurt there from people at work or in our families.  There are people who have hurt us.  Sometimes they have taken our opportunities to shine, sometimes they have taken our reputation, sometimes they have taken the heirloom that was meant to be ours.  Can any compare to Joseph?

 

Joseph’s brothers were going to kill him.  That is how much they hated him, but instead they sold him as a slave.  He was only a boy at the time.  They lied to their father and made out that an animal had killed him.  How much pain they caused!  They knew the truth.  They knew their father’s sorrow.  They had years of chances to repent and go search for Joseph to bring him back into the family, but they didn’t do this.  They lived years of lies.  Their father lived years of sorrow.  But Joseph was in Egypt, after spending time in prison, he was finally recognized as a man with integrity and giftedness and was made the leader that he was born to be.  Strangers enabled him to shine, where as his own family rejected and almost killed him, but certainly left him for dead.

 

Of all people, Joseph had good cause to hate his enemies – his brothers.  Joseph even had the power to harm them.  Joseph did delay in revealing his identity to his brothers, testing them and causing them to reflect on their horrific act towards him, but he certainly didn’t treat them as they deserved and he recognised the hand of God in the whole situation.  Joseph could have spent that time in Egypt becoming more and more bitter and hard – hearted, but instead, Joseph remained connected to God and he was able to see with God’s perspective.

Sometimes our own enemies will have no ability to understand us and our pain.  But we know that God died to save us all.  Jesus died to save us, and we have not always been so true to him either.  Certainly, there were those in the crowd who shouted, “Crucify him”, who were then repentant at the preaching of Peter at Pentecost.  We also know, St. Paul, who was a huge enemy of the Christians, was struck blind by God and converted.   And so, it follows that not everyone who is an enemy will always BE an enemy. 

We are all people who have gone astray at some time or other.  None of us is perfectly perfect.  Our reading from 1 Corinthians explains that we bear the image of the man of the dust - a reminder that we are approaching Ash Wednesday of our mortality and connection to Adam who sinned in the beginning.  What this image of the dust implies is that we are all imperfect.  The Good news is that, through the sacrifice of Jesus, we also now bear the image of heaven.

 

This is an incredible spiritual reality!  Are you aware that you bear the image of heaven?  As a bearer of this image, we are required to respond in integrity to the situations we find ourselves in.  In fact, we need to respond in the way that Jesus does.

People readily admit it is the golden rule – “Do to others as you would have them do to you”, but it is not so easy when we have been hurt, to ponder the example of Joseph, or to ponder the example of Jesus.  Understand that we bear the image of heaven, and though it is tough sometimes, lets determine to live in a way that bears witness to the glory of God.

A Godly perspective is one that understands that we bear the image of heaven and one day that is where we will be.  The trials of this life take on a different perspective and life’s trials pale at least a little when we understand who we truly are in God through our unity with Christ.  We are children of God…. Bearers of the image of heaven.  Let us not retaliate and repay wrong for wrong, but instead, walk in integrity, revealing the image of heaven and the love of God.

Like a tree planted by the river - stand firm.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY   Year C   February 13, 2022

• Jeremiah 17:5-10  •    Psalm 1  •    1 Corinthians 15:12-20  •    Luke 6:17-26

A plaque on my wall reads; “Those who leave everything in God’s hand, will eventually see God’s hand in everything”.  It is there because I need to be reminded to place things in God’s hands.  Honestly, I’m a little too inclined to try to fix things myself and not naturally inclined to trust God.  I strongly suspect I am not alone – but learning to trust God is vital.  Our life depends on it, because it was a lack of trust that caused Adam and Eve to disobey God.  It is the original sin.

 

This is why our reading from Jeremiah can rightfully declare that those who do not trust in God, but who only trust in mere mortals, are cursed.  Trusting in mere mortals is to choose ourselves instead of God.

 

I love the imagery from Jeremiah that follows, about the tree that is planted near the river, with roots that run deep.  When the drought comes it doesn’t fear… it stands strong throughout.  The implication is that we need to be firmly established in God so that when the drought comes, and it certainly does, we can stand firm.

 

Now, we all read these things and acknowledge the truth of it, but we might not think too much about the drought, what it is and how it impacts, so today, lets pause for a short reflection on the drought.

 

The drought is the time when friends are not there to support us.  The drought is when we have neglected our spirit and not spent time in prayer or scripture or had fellowship with the people of God.  The drought is also when our pain is so great that we can’t hear God’s voice.  In times of drought, we need God more than ever, but in times like these we might turn away from faith, our spirit withering much like a shrub planted in the desert.  A shrub in the desert has shallow roots…. And that shallowness is not necessarily their own fault, but could well be because we, the church, have not adequately supported, nurtured or watered.

 

Last week’s reading from Corinthians told us what Saint Paul was passing on as of first importance about our faith; that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried and that he rose from the dead and appeared to eye witnesses.  This is the message that we too must pass on.  This is the message that waters our soul and feeds our spirit, but do we ourselves truly and fully accept it?  Does our life reveal the truth of our faith?  Do we forgive & love others as Jesus commanded?

 

In the letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians there are harsh, but important words. 1 Corinthians 15:19 “If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.”  I have known of people who were Christians and they converted, one to Judaism and one to Muslim.   It baffles me.  How could they forsake such good news, unless they never truly grasped the divinity and all-embracing love of Christ. In accepting Jesus as a good man and nothing else, we effectively put our trust in mere mortals.  We remain spiritually cut off from God because we haven’t accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins.  We would, in this hypothetical case, of all people be most pitied.

 

Those Corinthians, to whom Paul wrote were authentically Christian.  They fully proclaimed that Christ died and rose, but they were a little soft on the proclamation about the resurrection of the dead.   In essence, they were giving credibility to other beliefs.  They were whittling away at the message of salvation.

 

In all we do and say, we reveal to others the truth of what we really believe, and the truth of what we don’t believe.

 

Many years ago, I often played piano and sang for funerals.  I actually enjoyed playing for the funerals of strangers, as I would come to feel as if I knew the person through the eulogies, and I would do my best to give a fitting tribute by my music.

On one occasion, the very tiny funeral of a little known, elderly gentleman, there must have been some problems with the sound system and I remember the Minister saying to me, “don’t worry about it, the person you are playing for won’t complain.”

 

I’m not sure of the exact words, but I distinctly remember the impression.  It seemed abundantly clear to me that the Minister did not believe that the person was alive in any form.  For me, I certainly treated what I did as if that person was watching from heaven and it shocked me that a Minister would be so dismissive and faithless.

 

What we do and what we say, shows other people what we truly believe or not, and it is all too easy to compromise and go with the popular belief of the day.

If we should Compromise as a church, or fail to declare the message fully, or, perhaps most importantly, fail to exude the love of God, we are potentially stunting the growth of our people, not allowing them to send down deep roots so that God’s children become firmly established in the kingdom of God.  We need to be sure of our faith and stand firm. 

 

 

In our Gospel reading we have, what some would identify as the famous sermon on the mount – except it isn’t.  This is Luke’s Gospel and where as in Matthew’s Gospel it is a very similar story and portrays Jesus preaching on the mountain, this story is set on the plain.  Jesus is clearly described as standing on a level place.  The fact that it is from a level place, implies that Jesus came down to the people, bringing the glory of God down to the broken.

 

 

Luke 6:19 tells us that all in the crowd were trying to touch Jesus, and power came out from him and healed all of them.  Last week we read about the glory of God from the vision of Isaiah and how just the hem of God filled the whole temple and that the glory of God fills the whole earth.  A spiritual reality of which we are mostly unaware, and a reminder to realize that God is bigger than, and beyond our finite imaginings.

Jesus brings the glory of God to broken people.  He came down to them in an act of love and compassion, and power came out from him and healed all of them.  Our God is love and our God is powerful.

 

What follows are four blessings and four woes.  Most important for today’s message is 6:22-23 "Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.”

 

This is a message about being absolutely sure of our faith and not compromising for the sake of popularity.  This is a message about knowing God’s love, glory and greatness and trusting him above all.  We find the corresponding woe a little later, in 6:26 "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets."

 

Back when the Israelites were in slavery in Egypt we read in Exodus 12:36  NIV  “The LORD had made the Egyptians favourably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for….” 

There are certainly times when Christians have been looked upon highly.  The people of God are meant to be a blessing to the community, but this should happen because of our value for the dignity of life, our fruit of the Spirit manifest as love, and our integrity to stand firm in the truth of God regardless of temptation to compromise, because our message is GOOD.  Our message is the truth.  Our message, and our God is powerful.  Woe to us if people speak well of us because we water down the message of Christ and limit the glory of God.

 

The vision of Isaiah showed us that we can’t limit God to our own image and that if the mere hem of his robe fills the whole temple and His glory fills the whole earth, then God is bigger and beyond our image.  When we compromise on God’s truth to fit in with our comfort, woe to us. We are making God into our own image.

 

In today’s society the Christian is not popular.  Recently our Prime Minister came under fire about that Christian school’s code of conduct.  We need to pray for our Prime Minister.  He is in a very tough place and a place of great responsibility - and I don’t mean because he is answerable to the whole of Australia, but because he is answerable to God and it is so very easy to say the wrong thing to keep people happy.  Woe to us if we compromise the truth of the Gospel.

 

I feel like I need to really emphasis this because we are in a time of figurative drought.   We are in a time of desert where it seems as if all the elements are against us – Woe to us if we compromise the truth of the Gospel.  Woe to us if we deny that Jesus came and died for our sins… Woe to us if we deny that he was buried and woe to us if we deny that he rose from the dead.  Woe to us if we fail to acknowledge that Jesus, after he rose, appeared to the apostles.

 

But blessed are we, if stand strong, like that tree by the river.  And blessed are we, if we encourage others by declaring the truth and Good News of the death and resurrection of Christ.

 

 

Our world is a desert where the elements are against us, but those elements contain people who don’t know how to trust in anyone but themselves and they are cursed, because they don’t know the love of God. 

 Some of those people are afraid to trust God because they are so hurting, grief-stricken and misled by mis-information about God. They are also a people so full of despair that they can not even see the relief that God brings and we need to have compassion enough to bear the notoriety to continue to speak the absolute Good News.

 

In the light of eternity, it doesn’t matter that people speak badly of us.  With our roots deeply watered and fed by God himself, who loves us completely, we can stand firm through the drought, knowing we have been able to bring the life, love and the truth of God to a world so in need.  A world that Christ died to save.  Woe to us if we should deny the fullness of the message of salvation thus allowing his sacrifice for any single person to be in vain.

A lump of Coal - more important than you realize.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY - Year C - February 6, 2022

·       Isaiah 6:1-8, (9-13)  •   Psalm 138  •   1 Corinthians 15:1-11  •   Luke 5:1-11

I realize it has been over a month since Christmas, but I’m wondering if anyone received a lump of coal for Christmas.

Most often said, tongue in cheek, about Santa dropping a lump of coal into the stocking of someone who has been badly behaved, our lump of coal might have a whole new spin after exploring the scripture readings for this weekend.

Our first reading comes from the prophet Isaiah, who had a vision of the Lord on a high and lofty throne.  The enormity of God is such that the mere hem of his robe filled the whole temple.  The imagery of this enormous hem is simply to present us with a picture of the complete and utter superiority of our God.

The vision speaks about a particular kind of angelic being, identified as Seraphim.  This kind of angel has six wings and its name means “burning one”, probably signifying its burning devotion to God.  The seraphim call to one another and declare words which echo those which are part of our service each week, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory."

This vision of Isiah is a declaration of a spiritual reality.   We come to church each week and we might say, we come into the presence of God, usually meaning we come to become aware of God’s presence with us, but our awareness is so limited.  In Isaiah’s vision just the hem of God’s robe filled the whole of the temple and now we read that the Seraphim are declaring that in the same way as the hem of God’s robe filled the whole temple, the whole earth is full of the glory of God.

To have any understanding of Isaiah’s vision we need to take a minute to let these images sink in.  We might watch a movie about Chris Hemsworth as Thor and mistakenly think that our God is not much bigger than this fantastical image of a demi-god.  Also, we might read the stories of Jesus and think of God contained to the image of a man.  In fact, we probably do.  But just for a moment, let’s open our minds to the vision of Isaiah and realize just what it is that God is showing him….. God is showing Isaiah and us, through him, that God is bigger and so completely beyond our finite comprehension. 

God does relate to us personally and through the person of God the son, Jesus, but we should hold in our minds, that fact that God is bigger. 

A man said to me recently, “God is simply a megaphone for the individual Christian’s self.”  Meaning, that what we preach about God is simply a megaphone of ourselves, and not God at all.  

I can tell you that made me stop and think.  The problem that the Pharisees of Jesus time had, was this very thing… they promoted God as a megaphone of their own voice.  They failed to recognize Jesus as the Messiah because they thought that they knew God.  They had an image of God that suited them and they were sticking to it, and they would crucify anyone who might preach otherwise.

We can not make God in our own image.  God made us in his image and Jesus is the visible expression of our God, but we need to know the magnitude of God, the enormity, the majesty, the holiness and even the mystery.  We don’t know everything and it is ok to sit with that mystery and question because God is bigger and what’s more, quite amazingly, God loves us.  But let’s not make the mistake of limiting God into an image that suites us.

Confronted with the enormity of God, Isaiah becomes acutely aware of his deficiency. 

Fast forward to our story of Jesus in the Gospel reading.  We find that a group of fishermen have been out fishing all night.  They had washed and cleaned their nets when Jesus came aboard so that he could speak to the people without them crowding in on him.  After he had finished, he told the men to go back into deep waters and cast out their nets again.  Can you imagine how you might feel?  Exhausted…. Just got everything cleaned and ready for home and then Jesus needs to use the boat to preach from… when he finishes, instead of going home he wants you to start fishing again.

Simon Peter doesn’t really feel like doing this, but because of who Jesus is, he complies.  How often, when we don’t really feel like it, do we comply with God’s will?   Though we don’t feel like it, it is always wise to do what God asks, as Peter discovered, God comes through with surprises beyond our imaginings.

The nets were so full of fish that Peter had to call their partners in the other boat to come and help.  Now, I’m only guessing, but my guess is, this was a haul of great financial reward.  And this was something that God did for the people whose boat he used to preach from.  After fishing all night with little to show for it, to suddenly have this huge haul in just one cast was phenomenal and a huge gift from God, who really does want to delight and give gifts to his people.

People often think that to go that extra mile and do the will of God… to give our lives to God, means poverty and hardship. And honestly there is an element of sacrifice – no doubt, but in the end there is a harvest of plenty and God provides abundantly.    God certainly provides, but we also have our part to play.  We don’t simply clean our nets and go home…. We cast them out again when God asks us. 

At this point of provision in our story, Simon Peter has a glimpse into that image of God…. He realizes that God is bigger than he had previously imagined.  And, he realizes, Jesus is part of this majesty.  Suddenly Peter is aware that he is in the presence of the majesty and glory of God and he is overwhelmed…. He is a person of “unclean lips” also and falls at Jesus feet saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!"

Both Isaiah and Peter, when presented with the reality of the majesty of God, become acutely aware of their deficiency and confess their inadequacy.   In our Gospel story Jesus simply says, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people."  Isaiah’s story has something more. 

A Seraph takes a live coal from the altar and touched Isaiah’s mouth with it.  The explanation is that the altar is holy and so, all that it touches is also holy.  The altar coal touching the prophet’s mouth, makes him holy.  He is told, “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out."

It has been suggested that there is deep meaning in this vision.  That the coal from the altar is actually a rock… maybe a cornerstone?  Signifying Jesus.  It is Jesus who takes away our guilt and blots out our sin.  It is Jesus who makes us holy and acceptable to God.

In the letter to the Corinthians, we read this; “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

At the center of our faith is this most important fact that Christ died for our sins. And also, that he undeniably rose from the dead.

In recent times, SIN has become a rather unpopular word.  In recent times the church has become less and less relevant to people.  After all, if none of us are sinners, then none of us need Jesus to die for our sins and his death is irrelevant. 

The truth of the matter is that the prophet Isaiah who proclaimed the word of God was a good man, but in the presence of the glory and majesty of God he still cried out that he was unclean.   Are there any among us who would be different?  If Isaiah needed Jesus to blot out his sin, then we surely do also… and it isn’t so much about the evil we do, but the fallible nature that we are.  God knows who we are, and what we are, and actually, the best Christmas present we could get is a lump of coal.

That live coal, that represented Jesus, is what we need.  But the point of the death and sacrifice of Jesus is greater than taking away our sin.  Jesus came to take away our sin so that we could truly live.  

In both the case of Peter and Isaiah there was a realization of their unworthiness and separateness from God. That separateness was impeding them from the call of God.  After his confession, and God’s absolution, Isaiah then responded to God’s call declaring, “Here I am, send me”.  After the confession of Peter, Jesus assured Peter that he would be catching people in the future and Peter left everything and followed Jesus.

What would be your thoughts if I said, “God is calling you”.   He is!  And in the reality of the majesty of God, we do feel acutely aware of our shortcomings and somewhat inadequate for the call, but that is why we need our lump of coal.  

The truth is, that even though we are mere humans, God so loves us, that he sent his only begotten son to save us.  And the truth is also, that God is calling each of us to respond to him all the time.  There are so many who need the encouragement of God.  So many who need to know about God and that God loves them and they will only know this if we answer God’s call.  

We are worthy, not in ourselves, but because Jesus Christ really did live and die and rise from the dead, and HE makes us holy.   Figuratively we all received that lump of coal for Christmas… the rock that makes us holy.

It is no fairy tale.  There were eye witnesses to the story of our faith.  But what will we do with this story?  Will we compartmentalize it so that it fits inside our comfortable existence or will we acknowledge that God is bigger…. Respond to the call and say Here I am, send me.