Reign of Christ - the LORD our righteousness for November 20th 2022

REIGN OF CHRIST - PROPER 29 (34)  Year C  November 20, 2022

Jeremiah 23:1-6 and Luke 1:68-79    •   Colossians 1:11-20  •   Luke 23:33-43

I’ve noticed an add that keeps popping up on my computer lately.  It’s an add for wooden Christmas ornaments.  They are round to resemble a bauble and have the titles or names attributed to Jesus on them.

Today we celebrate one of the titles of Jesus, “Christ the King” for the feast of the reign of Christ.  These various titles, that are ascribed to Jesus, appear throughout the Old Testament and New, and we are introduced to a pertinent one in the reading from Jeremiah 23:5-6.

“The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

 

We know that the righteous branch refers to Jesus, as a descendant of King David, but here is the name by which he will be called, “The LORD is our righteousness”. 

 

Because we are reading this in English, we might miss a couple of things.  The passage, while describing the branch as being of King David, clearly affirms that this is a human of the royal line, but when the passage adds that he will be called, “The Lord our Righteousness”, it clearly uses the sacred word for God Yahweh.  Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God – This name for Jesus, here in the Old Testament clearly names him as God. 

 

In the New Testament reading for today, this “God-ness” of Jesus is clearly stated in a couple of places.  The reading tells us that Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, and also, that in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.  In fact, our New Testament reading sounds a little like a creed explaining the nature of Christ.  Through Christ all things were created and in him all things hold together. 

In both the New Testament and in the Old, it is clear that the nature of Christ, the Messiah, was more than merely human.

 

That phrase from Jeremiah, “The LORD (Yaweh) is our righteousness”.  Clearly tells us that this branch who was to come was also God himself.  But what does this name for Christ mean for us?  We often hear terms like this, but do we understand what this term, “the LORD is our righteousness”, means? 

According to the dictionary righteousness means, “the quality of being morally right or justifiable”.   According to the Bible righteousness means acting in accord with divine or moral law: free from guilt or sin.   The Bible also, clearly tells us that no one is righteous before God.  Every single person, no matter how good and how well intentioned, has fallen short of the glory of God.  We have no righteousness before God.  That is the reality.  We needed a saviour and we have one.  His name is Jesus.  He is Yahweh and HE is our righteousness. 

This is the Good News and the message of our faith.  Jesus, through his own righteousness, and then through his sacrifice on the cross for us – and through our baptism, which is our conscious decision to belong to him, imputes to us his own righteousness.  This is how we can claim to be saved.  This is how we can claim our life is safe and secure as one of the saints in heaven.  Not because of any of our own actions, but because God loved us so much that he sent his son, known as “Yaweh our righteousness”.   What a blessed assurance we have!

 

When we are baptised, we are described as having died with Christ… we are united to him.  We also talk about being clothed in Christ.  In, and of ourselves, we still have no righteousness, but God imputes to us, the righteousness of Christ.  We are said to be made righteous by faith, because of our belief.    When we decide we want to belong to God and we are baptised into Jesus we are agreeing with God that we need a saviour.  God, whose plan was always to save us, is eager to lavish this grace on us and call us righteous because of our union with him.

 

It is because of Jesus’ actions and not our own, and for that reason Jesus could answer to the thief on the cross who asked, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."   Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

 

We are connected to Christ through our baptism.  Our baptism is our conscious decision to submit our lives to Christ.  The symbols of water couldn’t be used by the thief on the cross.  Other rituals could not take place for the thief on the cross.  But all our rituals are meant to be a way of making it clear to us, that we are connected to Jesus and belong most assuredly to him.  Baptism is the outward sign of an inner reality.  The thief could do none of these outward things, but he asked Jesus to remember him.  It was from the heart.  It was a genuine cry for eternal salvation and it was enough.  The thief acknowledged the reality of his condition and his need for a saviour.

 

We do not know what goes on in the heart of another before Christ.  Some, like the other thief, might scoff, but I think the more likely response for all who are presented with the reality of Jesus and stand in the presence of God, will be like the repentant thief, and will figuratively or literally fall on their knees with a desire to serve Christ the King.

 

There is more that we can explore from this passage.  We note that the royal reign of Christ is one of wisdom, justice and righteousness.  As we enter the Christmas season, we are looking to the second coming of Christ, when this rule of wisdom and justice and righteousness will be clearly seen.  But what about right now?  What does it mean for us now?

 

We belong to Christ and we are his hands and his feet.  The rule of wisdom, Justice and righteousness at this time needs to be shown to the world through the church.  More than this, each of us, through our baptism belongs to God – we are the church.  Each of us needs to allow the wisdom, justice and righteousness of God show through in our own lives.  But how? 

 

The answer lies in the theme of today.  Today is the celebration of the Reign of Christ, or Christ the King. 

In December of 1925 Pope Pius the XI instituted this feast.  This happened nearly 100 years ago.  The explanation from the Pope was to remind people of the supremacy of Christ in the wake of World War One.  In his writings about this feast the Pope points out that the chief causes of the “manifold evils in the world” were that the majority of people had “thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives,” both in private and political affairs. While Christ is to rule over the hearts, minds and wills of individuals, Pope Pius reminds us that as long as states refuse to submit to the sovereignty of Christ, “there would be no really hopeful prospect of a lasting peace among nations.”  (https://www.thecatholictelegraph.com/a-closer-look-christ-the-king-of-individuals-nations-of-time-eternity/60199) 

 

I find this statement quite amazing considering the trajectory of modern life and where life is at right now with the absolute abandonment of what has been traditionally considered God’s moral law for so many centuries.  Many more people have thrust Jesus Christ and his holy law out of their lives, both in private and in political affairs.  What hope is there for lasting peace among the nations?

 

There is always hope.  But that hope is only found in Christ.  The world, like each of us, needs to realize a need for Christ and also acknowledge Christ as King.  This is not something that is necessarily going to happen nationally.  In fact, it can’t and shouldn’t happen that way, as it is something that has to happen one heart at a time and it must start right now with you and me.

 

Our lives are vital.  It is vital for the good of each other, the community, the nation and beyond.  It is vital that we understand that Christ is our King.  Wisdom, justice and righteousness comes through Christ via you and I.  We bring this to the world by our submission and dedication to Christ and by continuing to remain connected to the branch – to Christ, allowing his life to flow through us by his Holy Spirit.  It is simply something that we, like the thief, must consciously acknowledge - our need of a saviour and acknowledge the Kingship of Christ.  “Jesus remember me, when you come into your kingdom.”    We are already assured to be with him in his kingdom, but his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven through his Holy Spirit working through us, in our lives.

 

The word “Hosanna”, means, “God save us”.  It is a cry for help that became a term of praise.  Why?  Because God DOES save us.  “Jesus remember me, when you come into your Kingdom”, should also be for us, a phrase of praise.  God is our righteousness – He imputes to us all his goodness before the father.

 

We live in the reality, that in and of ourselves, we may tend to give in to temptations… we do fall, often.  But we walk in a spiritual reality where we are unconditionally accepted by God because Jesus is The LORD (Yaweh) our righteousness.  This is the Good News we need to offer the world.  Then, one heart at a time, the reign of Christ is manifest.  It begins with you and I consciously, each day saying, “Jesus Christ, you are the Lord and King of my life.  I live this day for you.”

ALL SAINTs (1st Nov) celebrated on 6th Nov 2022

 

All Saints 2022  - Daniel 7.1-3, 15-18   - Psalm 149 - Ephesians 1.11-23 -  Luke 6.20-31

 

Welcome to the celebration of ALL SAINTS DAY.  What is it that comes to mind for you on this day?  Perhaps it is those who were dramatically martyred like St. Peter, or the first martyr, St. Stephan.  Did you know that 45.5 million of the estimated 70 million Christians who have died for Christ did so in the last century?  That means that, in some places of the world, it is incredibly dangerous to be a Christian.  It is something we don’t really like to think about and the media is strangely quiet about it.

 

For me, being brought up in the Roman Catholic church, I remember the many stories of the many different ancient saints.  I remember having to choose a patron Saint for my confirmation.  For as long as I could remember, I was told by my mother that I should choose Therese… so wanting to be my own person, I chose Louise…. And really can’t tell you why, except that it wasn’t Therese.

 

In more modern times, as I reflect on All Saints Day, and great people of faith, the stand outs for me are, Mother Theresa or Saint Paul.  These had very different ministries and callings, but both gave their life to God and lived and breathed that calling.  For them and for all of those modern saints, they lived the beatitudes that we read in the Gospel today.  However, the beatitudes are written just as much for you and I.  The beatitudes are a promise that there is an inheritance worth more than these trials of earth.

 

Christians who take their faith seriously and live those beatitudes are all around us.  Do you know the story of Rachael Scott?  She was brought up in a Christian family and at the age of 11 in 1993, she chose to make her own commitment to Christ. By April 1998, when she was at Columbine High School, five of her closest friends had distanced themselves from her because of her increasing commitment to her faith. Furthermore, because of her faith, she was occasionally subjected to mockery by several of her peers. Rachel documented this in a letter to a relative a year to the day before her death. The letter included the words: "Now that I have begun to walk my talk, they make fun of me. I don't even know what I have done. I don't even have to say anything, and they turn me away. I have no more personal friends at school. But you know what, it's all worth it."

 

Rachael was observed by her family to be often praying on her knees and one person that she prayed for, was one who would eventually murder her in the killing spree at the Columbine High school.   Speaking about Rachael in the Eulogy, one of her school mates who had been considered an outcast at Columbine High School, stated: "All my life I prayed that someone would love me and make me feel wanted. God sent me an angel," 

 

Rachael was living her life in the reality of the beatitudes, knowing that there was an inheritance in heaven that was worth more than the rejection she faced from former friends.  She continued to reach out in compassion and love to others and pray for those who troubled her.

 

A couple of weeks ago we read the story of the rich man who asked, what must I do to inherit eternal life.  There are two interesting things in that question; Firstly, he asked about what he must do.  He was asking about the action he must take and the reason was so that he could perform some action to be assured eternal life… or earn eternal life.  The word he used in the second part of his question, however, was the word inherit.  And the interesting part about an inheritance, is that how a child inherits the parents’ property, is by simply remaining a part of the family…. They do nothing but remain connected.

 

In looking into the Hebrew and Greek meaning of the word translated as inherit, there is nothing different from our own understanding, except perhaps to emphasise that it is to gain something permanently.  The reason I’m so interested in this word, is that it pops up again in our readings for All Saints Day, in Saint Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.  “In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things….”

 

In Christ, we obtain an inheritance.  It is important to note that it is only through the accomplishment of Christ that we obtain this inheritance.  We need to note that it is not through something that we do, but something that Christ has done…. And ONLY Christ could accomplish this.  We also note the permanency of this inheritance in the prophecy of Daniel, where he says, “But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever--forever and ever."  The term “Holy ones” is often translated, “the saints”.  To whom is Daniel referring?  And just who are these “Saints”.

 

Being the celebration of All Saints, we could be thinking that we are celebrating the lives of particular holy people, whose stories should spur us on in our faith.  We may also be misled into thinking that these are the particular holy people who are the only ones who made it with any assurance into heaven.  We might also be misled into thinking that they are those who earnt their place in heaven.  This would be an error in our thinking, and we need to explore what the truth is, to discover the truly Good News that is ours.  The truly Good News which enabled those inspirational people to press on regardless of hardships and persecution.

 

It is true that the Holy ones, or Saints are those who are assured of their inheritance, but it isn’t just the Mother Theresa’s, or Saint Paul’s of the world who belong to this group. 

 

It is also, not our good deeds that ensure our salvation.  It is a common error to think that those good and inspirational people have earnt their place in heaven, but none of us can earn our way into heaven…. Not even Mother Theresa or Saint Paul… just to name a few.

 

We may need to take a moment to let that sink in.  Mother Theresa gave her life to serve the poor.  Saint Paul gave his life to proclaim the Gospel.  Surely these people deserve a place in heaven.  The Bible has many verses to tell us that only the good and perfect will inherit the Kingdom of God… and also tells us that all have fallen short of the glory of God.

 

These inspirational people are SAINTs and they are those who willingly bore hardships because they had a God given understanding of the Kingdom of God and the salvation that is ours through Jesus Christ.

 

Although, at this time we reflect on the inspiration of these people, the group designated as “Saints” is much broader than you might initially imagine.  You and I are even named in this category, as the term “Saints” is actually a term used in the Bible.  In the New Testament it is used, even in the greeting, in the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans.   He writes in Romans 1:7 To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Saint Paul is referring to all believers and followers of Jesus. (NKJV).  The word “Saint” is sometimes translated Holy ones, meaning, “those set apart for God”.  You and I were anointed as one set apart and belonging to God at our Baptism. 

 

You and I are called “holy ones”… set apart, because of our faith in God and Jesus Christ. 

 

In the book of Revelation in the Bible, there are many mysterious prophecies and one talks about the people of God being sealed with a mark such that they are set apart as belonging to God.  We read about this seal here also… perhaps you missed it.   It is in our reading from Ephesians; “In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.”

 

Not only are we promised eternal life through Christ, as an inheritor with him, of the kingdom of God, but we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, ensuring our salvation and assuring us that God has accepted us.  We are also told in this message to the Ephesians, just how it works; it says, “In him, you also, when you had heard the word of truth…. And believed in him – you were marked with the seal.  The prerequisite for being sealed with the Holy Spirit and being an inheritor, is hearing the truth and believing in Jesus Christ.  Have you heard the word of truth and believed in Jesus Christ?  Then you too, are inheritor of this marvellous salvation.  Rest assured you are among the Saints.

 

Hmmm… well… that is the truth, but the problem is that we don’t always feel it, act it or look like it.  We live our life in the physical realm and our focus is on the physical.  Our preoccupation with the physical, more often than not, leaves us blind to the reality of God’s Holy Spirit working in us.  While we live on this earth and in this physical body, there will always be a battle.  The physical reality is that we are fallen beings.  The spiritual reality is that, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and our Baptism which units us to him, we are clothed in Christ and we are redeemed beings.  We have his spirit alive in us and God has sealed us with this spirit as his own.

 

Today, as we celebrate All Saints Day, we need to take time out to stop awhile.  Take time out to focus on that spiritual reality.  I believe it is because of a revelation of that spiritual reality that the many amazing Saints, such as Saint Paul and Mother Theresa, and Rachael Scott could do the things they did.  It is for this reason that Saint Paul prays for the Ephesians, for a spirit of wisdom and revelation and that they be enlightened to know what hope to which God has called them and what are the riches of his glorious inheritance.

 

Let us take a moment now to pray to God for ourselves, that he will also give us this same revelation, so that we too can live a life uncommon, embodying his extraordinary compassion and grace, to the praise of his glory.

 

Impossible for us - Possible for God! Reflection for Pentecost 20C Oct 23rd, 2022

PROPER 25 (30) Twentieth Sunday after PentecostYear C  October 23, 2022

Joel 2:23-32 and Psalm 65  2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18  Luke 18:15-30 _

 

 

The prophecy we read in the book of Joel today is good news for those who’ve been struggling.  Hands up if you’d like to hear God saying to you that He will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, and that you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied?

 

When I read it, this wonderful promise, I think of a friend of mine for whom her whole adult life has been framed with grief.  And I pray that this could be God’s word to her.  Maybe you have had a life, or a time in your life, that seems also framed with grief or hardships.  How would you feel to hear God declare to you this day, that He will repay you with years of plenty for the years you have suffered. 

 

I get the feeling that Joel was writing to a people who were weary with grief and hardship.  I think most of us can relate to that.  The reading is an encouragement to persevere.  God sees our pain and longs, with us, for the time when he can repay us for what the figurative locusts have eaten.  We can take that prophecy as a word of God’s love for us.  God knows our pain and our struggle. 

 

Saint Paul was a man, well educated.  He was a Jew, but also a Roman citizen. He was someone of high status, but he counted it all as loss compared with knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection.  The proof of this we see in the life of Saint Paul as he willingly bore suffering to proclaim the message of the Gospel.  We get the sense of grief in Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy that we read today, as he tells of how his life has been poured out and that no one came to support him and all deserted him.

 

In all this we come to understand that, for Saint Paul, the riches of Heaven far surpass any suffering, and are worth far more than a comfortable life.  We should be encouraged by his example to cultivate this vision and understanding in our lives… but it is easier said than done.  Our perceptions of how life should be, sometimes gets in the way of seeing God’s hand.

 

On Friday night, while on shift with Mackay Street Chaplaincy, we came across a lady who was more than likely homeless… she had an accent – possibly English – and was 45 years old.

 

Our first interaction with her was when we were setting up.  The team were talking about spiders and cockroaches.  This lady had obvious mental health issues and walked past the team.  Over hearing part of the conversation, she severely scolded the team for referring to people as cockroaches.  This was not what they were doing, but there was no convincing this woman otherwise.  Fast forward about a half hour and we found a man who was unconscious.  He seemed to be simply asleep but we couldn’t wake him and we tried everything we could with respect and caution.  Suddenly this lady walks up, and without any hesitation or invitation, rubs the man’s chest and he wakes up.  She continued to help us assist him.  I feel like we were lacking in the gifts needed for that moment and God, most certainly was working through that lady to assist us, even though, from our perspective, she probably needed plenty of help herself. 

 

We were being professional and respectful of the man’s boundaries – which is not what he needed in that moment, and the lady was not bound by our same sense of boundary.  Her ability to simply see a need and act was similar to a child, straightforward and simple.  Not to say it is the right thing to act impulsively, but the simple acceptance to act on the prompting of God is a lesson we could all learn, and what I see as Jesus’ encouragement in our Gospel reading today, to accept the Good News like a child.

 

This lady was not bound by riches either and was, in many ways, freer than most – she had nothing to lose.  She was a gift to us, and a lesson…. To never discount a person because of their status or assumed mental condition.  In the economy of God that lady was more valuable to God for his purpose in that moment, than those of us who were there to do the job of ministering to the man.

 

Our Street Chaplaincy group is a diverse group with people who have a heart to be in ministry, and yet, interestingly, some of those people are boarder-line broke, and others have their own mental or physical fragility.  Many times, the church and charitable organisations grow into a middle to upper-class group – those with the financial resources to help others.  It morphs into a group of the “Haves” who minister to the “Have-nots”.  This is not the way God intended us to be, and not the way that God wants us to see each other.  I can’t tell you how many times that God has taught me something, through someone unlikely – according to my own preconceived idea of things. There is no condition on the spirit of God that says you need to be a person of financial stability or a person of intellectual or physical prowess to be valuable in the kingdom of God.  he delights to use us all, but I reckon that he especially loves to work through those that we don’t expect.

 

The rich ruler who came to Jesus was a mover and shaker.  He was not just rich, but he was also a ruler.  This means that he was a man with leadership qualities.  Not only was he a rich leader, but he was good man.  He asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life.  Jesus answered him according to the Law of God, the Torah.  The man had kept the commandments from his youth.  We all probably know someone like this.  An admirable person in our community who was a perfect child and sailed through their teenage years with integrity, resisting peer pressure and always choosing the right thing.  Seriously, these people do exist…. I have known some.  The rich ruler was this person.

 

These people are not those who come to God in repentance over their sin… but they do desire God and goodness.  But the danger here is that they might feel they have earnt their way into heaven or can do some work to ensure their place with God.  They are good and wonderful people, but the Bible tells us that ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Sin simply means to miss the mark of the perfection of God. 

 

It should be noted that Joel tells us that God promised to repay the people for the years the locusts had eaten their crops and give them a time of plenty.  King David and King Solomon were blessed by God with abundant riches.  So, It would appear that riches are not the problem, but the heart of the matter – and riches do, more often than not, corrupt.

 

The disciples of Jesus were aghast at the words of Jesus to the rich ruler and said, “Who then can be saved?”  It is abundantly clear that the criteria for inheriting eternal life is way beyond us all – and that is the point.

 

We all need to know that no matter how good we are and how little we find ourselves in temptation of sin, we still all fall short of the glory of God.  We can not save ourselves and we need a saviour – and we have one.

 

The rich ruler called Jesus Good and, as a Jew, he should have known that this was not a term to call another human as only God is described as good.  It seems that there was an error in the man’s thinking that it was possible for mere humans to be sinless, and therefore earn the right to enter heaven.  Jesus, in questioning the man about this was drawing out the error in the man’s thinking.

 

I do believe we are often guilty of the same error.  I have often heard people say, perhaps jokingly, “I hope I have done enough for the fella upstairs to let me in.”   More often than not, people are aware of their short-comings but don’t realize the Good News or fully understand the message of salvation.

 

There is NO way that any of us can do something that qualifies us to enter heaven.  Only one person ever born could inherit heaven.  An interesting choice of words – “Inherit”.  We generally think of an inheritance as something that is given to family members, and especially traditionally, to the first-born son.  Guess what?  Jesus is the first-born Son of God.

 

Jesus is the inheritor of heaven.  Jesus is good enough.  Jesus is sinless. And Jesus is the Son of God.

 

Here is how it works; Jesus came because God so loves us.  We believe in ONE baptism for the forgiveness of sins – that ONE baptism is not your personal baptism.  It is, in fact, Jesus’ baptism into the sins of the world.  Jesus was spiritually immersed into the sins of us all and he took these to the cross.  When Jesus cried out, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” it was because he experienced what should be our separation from God because of our sin.  (He was also declaring the prophesy of Psalm 22 fulfilled). 

 

Jesus experienced separation from God, so that we don’t need to.  We all have free will, so if some chose to remain separate from God, God will respect that desire.

 

When Jesus said, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”, this is what he meant.  You and I can’t inherit eternal life, but God the son can.  And then because of our own personal baptism and uniting our life with Jesus, we, with our life in him, also inherit eternal life.   This is the Good News.  This is the message of the Gospel.

 

The saddest thing I’ve witnessed in the Christian church was a wonderful elderly man who was scared of dying because he didn’t know if he had done enough or was good enough to be accepted by God.  I hope that we can all grow in understanding the intense love of God and His extravagant grace.  We, through the death and resurrection of Jesus are promised eternal life.  Is God not a person of his word?  This how it works!  Rejoice – you and I are saved from this fear and this separation.  It is beyond any shadow of doubt.  Not only did Jesus die, but he rose from the dead, proving the power of God to save us all.  It is a done deal.  Nothing in your past or your future can separate you from the love of God through Christ Jesus.

 

The rich ruler went away sad.  His reality was under the old covenant and subject to the law.  That Law of God does not change and we are all asked to love God with all our heart, mind and strength.  For the rich ruler that meant putting God before his riches.  We all have some area of failure, no matter how much we try and none of us can inherit eternal life on our own.  However, rest assured, Jesus established a New Covenant and through him, our inheriting eternal life is a reality that we can rejoice in.  Being united to Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our spiritual life, we are bound for glory.  What is impossible for us is made possible by God.  Amen!!

 

Persevere !! Reflection for 16th Oct 2022

            PROPER 24 (29)Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C  October 16, 2022

·       Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 119:97-104  •    2 Timothy 3:10-4:5  •   Luke 18:1-14 

 

Perseverance and resilience are traits that are talked about often in education settings.  They are talked about because these are needed for success and are often lacking in our children.  It needs to be explicitly taught and encouraged constantly.  It seems to me that this same encouragement is given to us through the readings today.

 

What is perseverance?  The dictionary describes it as: persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. Steadfastness.  Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition.

 

Jesus uses a parable to show us what perseverance looks like and he explains that there was a woman who wanted justice.  She kept going to the Judge with her plea.  She didn’t give up.  And because of her perseverance alone, she received her justice. 

 

Actually, Perseverance is endurance and hope.  In another letter from Saint Paul (1 Corinthians 13), perseverance is spoken about as an aspect of love; “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

 

 

So much of our faith is about persevering.  We know that we have a God who loves us and declares good for us, but we live in a fallen world where evil and destruction are realities.  We persevere because we believe and we have hope… we persevere because we have faith.

 

Saint Paul writes to Timothy, “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.  In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…”  Saint Paul persevered through all kinds of difficult situations because he was sure about his faith and sure of his salvation in Christ.  Remember Saint Paul’s conversion.  It was dramatic and he knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that God was who Jesus declared himself to be.  Therefore, Saint Paul was prepared to bear all kinds of unpleasantness.  Saint Paul knew the message of Christ to be worth all and any suffering.

 

The message of the cross is that all who are unworthy, and cry to God for mercy, are shown mercy.  They are loved and accepted.  Our Gospel reading tells us of the Tax collector who came to God and beat his breast saying, “God have mercy on me a sinner.” 

 

The Pharisee, in our Gospel reading, is unaware of his sin before God.  (Sin is simply falling short of perfection).  The Pharisee goes through the motions of faith and accomplishes all that his religion declares is proper  - he feels righteous because of the things he does - and yet the man who comes in honesty before God, who asks for mercy, is the one who is right before God.

 

Where are we in this story of faith?  Do we understand that we all, are people who fall and are in need of God’s mercy?  Are we aware of how much God loves us?  Do we have the perseverance that comes knowing from knowing God’s love and being sure of our faith? 

 

Jeremiah was a prophet who persevered.   He endured much suffering to declare his message, but he continued to proclaim God’s message, knowing Gods love and that God is the ultimate reality.

 

In the days of Jeremiah, it was considered that if you were born with an ailment it was because of the sin of your parents.  There are family problems that get passed down.  We see this, in genetic disorders.  We also see this in family feuds that carry on over generations, and abuses that continue down the lines.   Jeremiah declares that a new covenant is coming when each of us will be responsible for our own sin.

 

Upon reflection, we can see the sins of the parents operating today.  When we, as a community, say sorry for things like the “Stolen Generation”, this is acknowledging and bearing the sins of generations before us.  Yet each of us are called to take responsibility for our own actions, and end the curse by entering into the new covenant.

 

I suspect, if you are like me, you are a “New Testament” Christian, not blaming sickness or bad luck etc on someone’s ancestors, but truth of the matter is ALL of us (if we are not in the new covenant) are under the curse of our ancestor.  As a race, the Bible explains that we are all children of Adam and bear the consequence of his sin.  And all of the earth has also been subject to decay due to that sin.

 

In the new covenant, we are still living in that fallen world, but we are free from that curse and free from that consequence – at least spiritually.  We have the promise of a future that is free from that curse.  Unfortunately, while we live in this physical body we will always struggle and experience the difficulties of the fallen life.  This is why we need to be encouraged to have perseverance.

 

Whenever I read the Gospel story about the persistent woman I am a little uncomfortable.  There are some who pray and pray and pray and it seems that their prayers go unanswered.  Is God even harder than the godless and heartless judge?  No, of course not.  Check out the Bible text; “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” 

 

God answers us quickly.  The woman was persistent with the judge because the judge didn’t really care about her and she needed to let him know that she would not let up until he did something about it.  God DOES care about us.  He cared so much that he suffered and died for us.  In comparison, God is nothing like the judge.  He acts swiftly and not because we nag him.  We do not have to nag him, but we do need to be persistent in prayer because there are powers and principalities operating that we can not see.  Our prayers and our persistence are a sign to those powers and principalities, that we continue to trust in God, regardless that we can’t see the answer.  Our persistence is a sign of our faith.  Just this week I saw a man wearing a shirt that said, “My head was bowed and the devil thought he’d won, until he heard me say, “Amen”.”

 

There is a little sentence in the midst of our reading we mustn’t overlook – “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”  I believe this needs to be our take away message to ponder for this week. 

 

How can we, the Church, ensure that there will be faith on the earth when Jesus returns?  We need to have perseverance to continue proclaiming the Good News about Jesus Christ.  In my time in ministry through Street Chaplaincy, I have come to realize that proclaiming the Good News can only happen by actions.  We can’t reason with an intoxicated person, but we can show love by our actions.  This ministry has also taught me that proclaiming the Good News is not a sprint, but a marathon.  Endurance is needed.

 

Many times, I have felt called to try and make a space where we can encourage faith more tangibly, and so street Chaplaincy had a time of contemplative prayer.  At another time we had a Bible study.  Another time we ran a prayer workshop.  At each activity I felt like it was a flame in a vacuum.  People were encouraged and then it stopped.  Some would say, it wasn’t the right time.  Others might say, it was not what God was calling us to do.  But these judgments are wrong.  We are always called to go and proclaim the Good News and make disciples.  Always.  What activity should we do next?  It doesn’t matter the form, but proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples is our call… we must persevere.                                                                                                                

 

We live in a physical world, but there is a most definite spiritual realm.  In that spiritual realm are forces that are good and some that are not so.  The Bible calls them Powers and Principalities.   Sometimes these Powers and Principalities cause the “ground” where we work to be hard.  When we persevere, we are making a statement in the spiritual realm and we are claiming the ground.  No act is pointless, but I believe that we are doing a vital spiritual activity of breaking ground and declaring faith to those Powers and Principalities.

 

I have a garden that has dreadful soil.  I chip away at it and slowly it improves – by hard and constant work.  If I give up and think it is too hard, I have to start from scratch.  This is the same with the ground we are working as we proclaim the Good News.  We need to persevere.

 

You know, on Good Friday the ministry of Jesus looked like it failed.  Even after the resurrection, only those close disciples were encouraged.  Even those, probably thought things could have been done differently, so that the ministry could be seen as undeniably victorious.  But God had other plans.  Faith is proved in our perseverance in the face of difficulties and when all looks grim.

 

That being said, we all need encouragement to keep us persevering and so, I’d like to share something that was posted on a facebook group that encouraged me;  Kimberly Anne Steven posted; “I met Christ for a short bit when sick with Covid and pneumonia.  He is real.  He is amazing.  He loves us so much!  He can’t wait for us to be with him.  He has so much for us- he is preparing our place and he told me it’s beyond anything we can ever imagine.  Have faith.  I met him and he is the King.  His robe glows with perfection and his sinless nature.  He knew me and removed my sin as soon as I felt it in his presence as he walked towards me from his throne.  I was wearing a beautiful heavenly gown.  I felt my body was still there, a spiritual body that was a young adult and perfect.  I walked with him and a huge group of people.  I felt spirits all around me.  He spoke into me.  I felt and heard the joy in the place I went to.  It’s real. Don’t ever doubt Jesus, He is absolutely real.”

 

What the persistent woman story is really about, is encouragement to persevere and reassurance that God hears and cares for everything that concerns us.  The times are truly difficult, and we need to persevere.  We need to show that we will be standing firm regardless of what is around us. 

 

We can persevere when we know the goodness, the love and the reality of God.  We grow in faith and perseverance by going to church, reading the scriptures and praying.  We mustn’t give up.  All that we do to proclaim the Good News in our own life and to others, encourages faith.  We must continue and continue and continue.  Otherwise, will Jesus find faith on the earth when he returns?

Magical, Invisible, but fair dinkum Treasure (Pentecost 17C) 2nd Oct 2022

PROPER 22 (27)  Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost  Year C  October 2, 202

Lamentations 1:1-6 and Lamentations 3:19-26 or Psalm 137  •    2 Timothy 1:1-14  •   Luke 17:5-10

 

When I’m at school teaching children, at the end of each lesson, I give two students the opportunity to choose something from the Magical, Invisible and Imaginary Treasure Chest.  I think I’ve been doing this the whole time I’ve been teaching, but can’t remember where the idea came from.  I like to think it is something that God dropped into my mind.  Believe it or not, I have witnessed some children after a lesson fighting over an invisible bouncy ball.  Which made me laugh, and their next teacher, confused.

 

Saint Paul writes to Timothy about a treasure.  He tells him to guard the good treasure entrusted to him.  I think we, unlike children, forget that we have a treasure.  We can’t physically see the faith we have and so we don’t realize the priceless gift that it actually is.  Unlike my classroom treasure chest, our treasure, though invisible is NOT imaginary.

 

The ancient Israelites, over and over again, took their faith for granted.  This was a people like none other.  They were a people who were rescued, when they were slaves in Egypt, by the parting of the Red Sea.  The nations around all heard of the story at that time, and were afraid of them because they had such a powerful God.  Over and over again, God saved them miraculously and assisted them in battles, but the people forgot that they had such a great treasure.  Some of those people chose to make idols and worship other Gods.  Others simply grew so familiar with the story that they grew numb to the wonder and the reality. 

You know, I always expect that the children at school might grow bored of the treasure chest…. But they don’t.  Perhaps it is because it is presented to them as treasure.  Saint Paul, deliberately presents Timothy with the understanding that his faith is a treasure.  And I’m thinking that we need this message today also.

 

We walk this earth, going about our everyday business, and the pressures of life make themselves a priority.  In the midst of these, how much impact does our faith have in that day-to-day life.  We, gathered at church, probably do turn to God with decisions and problems.  We are the people of faith… But do we have the awe, wonder and gratefulness that comes from realizing the incredible treasure that our faith is?

 

In our reading from Saint Paul, we also read that this faith was alive in Timothy’s mother and grandmother.  Timothy had a legacy of faith in his family.  I wonder if your family is the same.  

 

On my facebook page, posts often pop up with quotes from Mother Theresa and C. S. Lewis… to name a few – these are my favourites.  These people are those who have gone before us and left a legacy that we share.  As Christians, these people are our family and they have left us a wonderful gift in their own faith and it helps to shape ours.  In fact, we all play a part in shaping the faith of each other.  We will leave a legacy for our children and for our community. 

 

In families, often heirlooms are handed down and they are priceless treasures.  The particular shape of these treasure can influence the direction of our lives, because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  I recently reconnected with an older cousin who knew our Maltese Grandmother much better than I did.  She informed me that our Grandmother would cook meals and sew clothes and give them to people who she knew were struggling.  My cousin obviously treasured this generous spirit in our grandmother, the evidence being that her own work involves advocating for those who are in need.

 

Do we treasure the faith that God has given us through Christ Jesus?  Of course, we do… otherwise we wouldn’t be here.  But do we have that same sense of awe, wonder and gratefulness over this treasure, that those children do when they have the opportunity to choose an item from the treasure chest?

 

Do we see our faith as a precious treasure like an heirloom, worth passing on?  It is certainly a treasure, but I pose the question because when we consciously ponder what it is all about, passing this faith on is something we will do naturally and spontaneously. 

 

Gospel means GOOD NEWS.  It is Gospel because it is the Gospel truth.  The story of our faith is Fair dinkum.  It isn’t a fairy tale passed on to keep us in line.  It isn’t a philosophical pondering, conjured up to give us a sense of purpose for life and death- even though it does give us purpose and does keep us in line.  The Gospel is a reality.  Jesus was an historical figure and he made claims about himself that we believe because eye witnesses saw him raised from the dead and because we too have his Holy Spirit in us bearing witness to his reality and the truth of God.  God is real.  He is Alive, he loves us and died for us so that we should never need to suffer separation or rejection from God…  we are unconditionally loved and accepted by God because of Jesus Christ.  Saint Paul tells us that Christ has abolished death and brought life and immortality.  That is no small prize!!!

 

Those who have gone before us have paved the way and passed on faith to us, but more than that, they should be an inspiration, encouraging us to take up this mustard seed faith and move mountains.

 

Or do we, like the disciples, feel we need more faith?

 

It would seem that the disciples wanted power.  Wouldn’t it be great to lay hands on someone and see them healed?  Wouldn’t it be great to have the faith to walk on water?  But do we realize that this is a desire for power?  It is sometimes a fine line.  We want to do God’s will but we would like to see those things happen because then people would sit up and take notice.  If there were obvious miracles, we would feel we would have the respect of the community.  It's nice to be respected in the community and, as a church, we’ve have had this for many years – until the Royal Commission into child abuse.

 

Regardless of public opinion we should remember that God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but a spirit of power and love and self-discipline.  The power he gives is the power to love others – when we maybe, would rather not.  The power to stop from causing harm and thinking of others before ourselves.  When we walk in this kind of power we find we have the power to be his witnesses… the power to stand firm in the face of oppression and persecution.  “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.”

 

Saint Paul encourages Timothy, “Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God,…”

 

Jesus answered the disciples request for more faith by reminding them of their place.  We are the servants of God.  We don’t actually have much in the way of power, in and of ourselves, but we are children of God who has ultimate power.  However, the gift he gives us is faith.

 

When we say, “yes, God I believe.  In you I trust”, God gives us his faith.  When we are baptized, we are given the Holy Spirit, and a gift of the spirit is faith, but what Jesus is telling his disciples is that they already have absolutely everything they could possibly need.

 

Jesus was born as one of us.  He was both fully human and fully man.  I truly believe it works this way…. Jesus chose to live within the limits of humanity, though he was God incarnate.  Every miracle that Jesus performed was done, not because he was God and could, but through trust and reliance on God the father…. In the same way that we can.  Every difficult situation was faced by Jesus through his reliance on God the father… he faced each one with the limits of humanity – and this is why it was such a big deal, all that he accomplished for us… he did it within the limits of humanity, relying fully on God the father.  The temptation to take up his Godly powers would have been enormous, but he went to the cross for you and me, out of love.

 

A 20th century Bible preacher, Major Ian Thomas used to say, “All of Christ in all of you. You can never have more. You need never have less.”   

This is our faith.  Christ living in us by his Holy Spirit – Christ in us is the hope of glory.  This is the treasure that we have.  When we were baptized, we were given all.  God has already given us everything. 

 

So, does this clarify that we don’t need anymore faith?  We already have everything.  The important aspect of faith is not how much… but who.  Our faith is in God and he is powerful – not us.   As Major Ian Thomas also is quoted as saying, “Make sure it is God's trumpet you are blowing- if it is only yours it won't wake the dead, it will simply disturb the neighbours.”

 

Saint Paul tells Timothy to “rekindle” the gift.  This is perhaps our take away message for today.  We have been given the gift of faith.  It is something beyond amazing and incredibly powerful, but it may need rekindling.  To now quote Spiderman, “With great power, comes great responsibility”….  Our faith is a powerful gift, but it is given to us for the good of our community.  God sent his son because he so loved the world… that means, there are a whole lot of people out there, with whom God also wants to impart this gift of faith.  We are his hands and feet.

 

Our mustard seed size faith is inconsequential.  If I only had a little bit of faith that my chair would hold me, it would make no difference.  The important aspect of faith is what it is in.  If the chair is reliable, it will hold my weight despite my doubts.  God is reliable.   All of Christ in all of us and that is all we need.  Let us rekindle the gift, by being mindful of the incredible treasure we hold.