Advent 2B 2023 12 10 Peace and Righteousness Kiss

2023  12  10   ADVENT 2B

Isaiah 40:1-11  •  Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13  •  2 Peter 3:8-15a   •  Mark 1:1-8

 

 

The second Sunday in Advent we light the candle of Peace.  As we light it this year, we do so acutely aware of a lack of peace in the world, which can’t help but beg the question; Where is the Peace that the Angels proclaimed at Jesus’ birth?

 

In our Psalm we find the famous imagery of Righteousness and Peace kissing.  In the medieval period there were many great art works depicting Justice and Peace kissing.  Often, they were depicted as two women embracing.  The image, so capturing the imaginations, does little to capture the magnitude of what is implied in the text that we read today. 

 

Psalm 85:10 and 11, in one Biblical translation reads; “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.  Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.”  What does that mean and what is it saying to you? 

 

In other versions, Love is translated as mercy and righteousness is translated as Justice.  Faithfulness is commonly translated as “Truth”.  Do these subtle word changes help in understanding what is being proclaimed in this Psalm or do we just enjoy the wash of imaginative language?  It is a beautiful imagery where it seems all is in harmony!  and even in our limited understanding we can sense the promise of something wonderful that is to come.  And in this we sense the spirit of Christmas.

 

I decided to have a look at the Orthodox Jewish version which says this:

 Chesed (true loving kindness) and emes (truth) will meet together; tzedek (justice) and shalom (peace) will kiss each other.  Emes (Truth) shall titzmach (sprout)…

and this is where the translation gets important.  In the Orthodox Jewish version there is a commentary in brackets that explains that the word titzmach (sprout), while being used as a verb in this context, is also the understood code name for the Messiah and indicating the role of the coming Yeshua - Jesus.  Due to this psalm being written when the Israelites were under Persian rule, this prophecy about a coming King needed to be disguised from the rulers, but understood by the people. 

 

Another commentary explains that the word translated as “kissing” is also a little misleading, as the actual word – nasaqu (?) has several translations, including “Kiss”, “fight” and “fought against each other”.  It is a dynamic type of contact – not unlike when we battle within ourselves over some choice we need to make.

This makes a lot of sense when we think about the aspects of Justice and Peace, Mercy and truth.  Justice demands accountability and restitution. Whereas Mercy, or loving kindness, overlooks wrongs and forgives, and Peace is a state without any angst where all is in order.

Truth is an absolute.  Regardless of popular opinion about truth being relative and each of us having our own truth, the Biblical understanding is that truth is a definitive… and plumbline…. And it sprouts… or, it is what Jesus is.  He himself said, “I am the life, the truth and the way”.  The way to what?  The Father.  “No one comes to the father except through him… an absolute.

Love and truth, Justice and Peace.  We need to understand that these traits, personified in the great artworks and in scripture, are not simply personified to be beautiful images for inspiring art, but they are deliberately personified because they each describe a person who embodies all of them perfectly – Jesus the Messiah.

 

In Jesus, the truth and justice of God knew that we had all at some time turned away from God and Justice and truth demanded that mankind be held accountable for this sin – for the turning away from God.  The Mercy, and loving kindness of God, had compassion on mankind and said, I will become mankind and make restitution for them.  Justice and truth were satisfied, and through mercy, Jesus brought about the situation, such that we could be in a condition of Peace – Shalom – Not just our understanding of peace, but peace where all is in the order and harmony in which God created all to be.   Truly this is the Good News and the core and foundation of our faith.  This is why the Angels proclaimed, ““Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.”

Now that we understand what Jesus has done for us, we can understand why God tells Isaiah to cry out to the people, “Comfort, comfort my people”… the mercy and love of God, longed to have us in a “right relationship” with the himself, but Justice demanded accountability – The prophet proclaims that a saviour is coming and recompense is with him – A harsh word….  Because Jesus had a harsh job to do… but Jesus is our good shepherd and his care for us is loving and protecting.

Before the Messiah was to come, there came the voice of one crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord”.  This voice came from John the Baptist who proclaimed a baptism of repentance.

 

Baptism was not something invented by John and then unique to the Christian church.  The Jewish people were very familiar with baptism and they used it for their converts and also for those entering a new direction in their lives - very much involving God in the process.  It was symbolic of washing away the old and beginning on something new.  We talk about the ONE baptism for the forgiveness of sins…. And there IS only one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, but baptism in John’s time was an understood ritual.  The one baptism for the forgiveness of sins, was the baptism of Jesus as he was baptised with the sins of the world…. And being emersed in, and taking on the entirety of that sin, he made restitution.

 

John’s baptism was a call to repentance.  What do you suppose that meant?  To repent means to change your mind.  The call was for the people to turn back to God.  These WERE God’s people, but in their business of life, much like ours, sometimes they became caught up in other things…. Or maybe they had some emotional hurt that kept them bitter and not practising God’s ways.  Perhaps it was mere selfishness with a desire to live in their own delights and comforts….  Afterall, we are all primarily concerned about our own comfort – it is only natural, and it can be all too easy to simply forget about God. 

 

For all these things, and the fact that God the Son was about to make His entrance, there came a voice in the wilderness that proclaimed that the coming of God’s kingdom was near and it was time to prepare by repenting and being baptised – setting into motion a new course in life. 

 

As we celebrate the season of ADVENT, we call to mind the promises of the prophecy in Isaiah.  It wasn’t just for the first coming of the Messiah, but also proclaiming the second coming.  We still wait for that second coming and the ultimate fulfilment of the prophecy, and we understand, as our message from St. Peter tells us, that with God a thousand years is like a single day… etc…, but we still need a voice proclaiming the message of St. John.  Who is now, the voice that is crying out in the wilderness?  Where is it, and what is the message of that voice?

 

The message is always the same; “Prepare the way of the Lord”!  “Repent and be baptised”, but now although we remember and listen for that voice, we are called to BE that voice.

 

We are John.  John means “Graced by God”.  We are those who have received God’s grace and we need to be the voice declaring that God is near.  God’s Kingdom IS near!  Not just because Jesus is coming again, but because God lives in you and me.  For each of us, we do not know when we will meet Jesus.  Regardless of whether Jesus’ second coming is today, tomorrow or years away, we need to be people who are always prepared, and a people who are a voice of hope in this crazy wilderness of brokenness and hurt, varied opinions and opposing ideologies.  A voice that declares God’s message and encourages people to repent – ie. Change their thinking and turn back to God.

 

Saint Peter tells us that the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire.  It is a world of trouble.  When we face our world of great trouble, we ought to be so trusting of our God who loves us, that these things do not shake us.  We should not be troubled and despairing.  We have been told the end of the story…. Christ will come and His reign will be one of Justice and Peace. 

We are living in troubled times, but the Kingdom of God is near…. And remember, He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.  AND that right there, is the challenge, because, I don’t know about you, but I can get seriously distraught over the tiniest of things.  So today, this message is like a serious lesson to myself.

This Advent, let’s prepare ourselves to be ever prepared to meet our Lord, by remembering that he is closer than a heartbeat in all our troubles.  He is the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace ….and we have ultimate Peace with God, not because of our own righteousness, but because with the sprout or branch for Jesse – ie Jesus -  Justice and Peace “kiss” – Justice, truth, and love are in harmony and there is Peace because of the work that Jesus accomplished.  Today we remember, we rejoice and we give thanks to God.  Today, we recognise we have become John… a recipient of God’s Grace and a proclaimer of the Good News that we know by heart….  We, the church of God, are a voice in the wilderness, declaring the word of the Lord, as we point the chaotic world towards a beacon of hope and the bringer of Peace.  Prepare the way of the Lord.

The talent of the Gospel - Pentecost 25A Proper 28A 19th November 2023

2023  11  19   Proper 28A   Pentecost 25 A

Ahhh the parable of the talents.  A parable with so many applications.  To start with, the very obvious fact that if you have a talent, let’s say for playing the piano, it gets better when you practise.  Practise increases and grows that talent exponentially.  But to not practise… well the talent dwindles. So our Biblical story explains the whole “Use it or you’ll lose it” principle.  However this is a story with an important message. 

To begin with we need to understand the original context.  A “talent” in the Bible is actually a unit of money.  A Talent was seen as 6000 average daily pays.  If we calculate that a person worked every single day, except the Sabbath, it would take 20 years to earn this amount of money.  Therefore, one single “talent” is an astronomical amount of money.  Even the person put in charge of only one talent, was put in charge of a massive sum of money.  

With this realization in mind, what is the Holy Spirit telling us today?

Firstly, we need to understand what was going on and why Jesus is telling this story.  This story follows on directly after the reading that we had last week about the Ten women with their lamps, waiting for the bridegroom.  

Both that parable and the one we read today is part of the private conversation that happened between Jesus and His disciples - Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, when the disciples came to him privately, saying “Tell us, when these things will happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”  - This story is part of Jesus message about end times.

Before telling the two parables, Jesus mentions the rising up of false prophets, persecutions his followers would face, earth quakes, famines and wars.  Jesus also talks about the prophecy of the end times as described in the Old Testament book of Daniel.

Then Jesus tells the parable of the Ten women with their lamps.  It is an obvious encouragement to stay focused and connected to the mission and ministry to which God has entrusted us, and He follows on to explain it further by telling the parable of the talents.

Does this make any difference to the way that we view the parable?  In essence, the parable is about being a reliable and trustworthy servant of God, who is a good steward of the treasures entrusted to them.  It is a message for Jesus disciples.  A disciple is a learner… one who learns the ways of God…. That means; All of us here today. 

So…. What is it that God has entrusted to us?

Each of us individually has some power and authority.  Some of us may perceive ourselves to have more or less than others.  The amount is not the issue, the issue is whether or not we live to grow God’s Kingdom.  Aaaaaaand do we comprehend the treasure to which we’ve been entrusted? 

When I calculated the worth of the “talent”, the first thing that occurred to me, is that I had seriously underestimated what a “talent” was worth.  Along with this thought, was, “what “talents” has God given me that I have also underestimated.  God has given me an astronomical number of blessings – and I generally take them for granted.  

God has given us all an incredible, astronomical “treasure”.   I suspect that I am not the only one who underestimates the “treasure” he has given us.  He has given us a beautiful country to live in.  Are we rejoicing in it and doing our best to contribute to it, keeping it a beautiful, friendly and hospitable place to live?  God has given us a treasure in the scriptures.  Do we safe guard that treasure?  Do we read those scriptures aware that they contain the message of our God? And guard it for the treasure that it is?  

Do we consider the great treasure that God has given us, in the priceless gift of Salvation, through the giving of Jesus? Living in a land of blessing, we give thanks for and appreciate the gift of Salvation, but we may be so busy and caught up in the demands of this life, or so comfortable with the here and now, that we don’t actually treasure our eternal life in the same way that others, who have not had those demands or comforts, might do.

We have been given this treasure of salvation, and we come to church to continue keeping God our focus, and to continue strong in our faith – or in other words; we are filling our lamps with oil – Which it a good thing! We are doing well, but are we growing the treasure that God has entrusted us with, or are we simply maintaining it?  ARE we growing God’s Church?

Sometimes it isn’t until we are hard pressed that we realize the treasure we have in God.  If we look back to our first reading, we find that it is the time of Judges.  This is the time before the nation of Israel had any Kings.  The way the story generally went is that the nation would go well for a while and then they would forget the ways of God and do evil, and then they’d be subjected to another nation who gave them such a hard time that they turned back to God.  God would raise up another Judge for them and this Judge would turn the nation back to the ways of God and the nation would be freed from the oppression of their enemies. 

At the time of our story, the Judge that God raised was Deborah.  As you might have already noted, this Judge was a female and a leader of the nation who led them back to God and to victory over their enemy.  I don’t want to get side-tracked on this issue, but please note that female leadership is not new and is not against the word of God…. Remembering that in the New Testament we note that there is neither male nor female in God’s eyes, but all are one in Christ Jesus.

Back to the main point; The key to the nation’s victory was actually that the people cried out to the Lord.  Deborah was a prophetess.  She delivered the word of God to the people and she sent for Barak to let him know that God would give Sisera, the general of Jabin’s army into his hand.

Now this Sisera was a fearsome man with an incredible army… so much so, that Barak wouldn’t go unless Deborah went with him.  I guess he doubted the word of God and wanted to make sure that it was truly God’s message and not someone’s wishful thinking.  Deborah didn’t hesitate.  She knew that God, who said He would deliver them, would be true to His word.

Deborah went to the battle front confident of God’s deliverance.  The points we need to take note of here are that 1 – we should cry out to the Lord for deliverance.  2 – When the Lord says that He will deliver us, we need to know that we should trust in him when He tells us to act … and that action to which we are called, could well be to face situations that are possibly intimidating to say the least. 

We are currently living in times of unrest.  There are many of our regional towns where people are in fear of youth crime.  There are also strong opinions and protests about how we should be responding to the wars overseas.  In all this what do we learn from our scriptures that we should do?   

1 – Cry out to the Lord for His deliverance… 2 – Have such faith in God that we take the action to which he calls us.  Remember that we have an incredible treasure – God is our treasure.  We are called to grow this treasure, like those talents, in all our situations – even in this time of unrest.  

Saint Paul tells us that the day of Jesus coming will be like a thief in the night.  However, we are children of the day, not the night and that time shouldn’t catch us unawares.  It reminds me of the saying;  “Live as though Christ died yesterday, rose today and is coming again tomorrow.”  

The parable of the talents was told to explain about, and encourage us in the end times.  In the end times it is likened to a Master who entrusted these great treasures to his servants.  The parable tells us that after a long time the Master returned.  Although I have mentioned that our great treasure is the gift of salvation, and our great treasure truly is God himself, when I ponder about the great treasure of God, I’m actually pretty adamant that I know what treasure is most dear to God’s heart.  It is the treasure that He laid down His life to save.  That treasure is you and me.  The people that Jesus died for, are the treasure of God…. The priceless treasure.

In what ways can we be faithful servants nurturing the people that God loves so that the reality of God’s love, eternal life and the salvation of God can grow?  Our talent is the Gospel itself; the Good News about Jesus Christ.

What action should we take so that we can bring life and this Good News to our community?  How can we let the light of Christ so shine in us that people turn to God, knowing that His way is goodness and love?  This is a question for each of us to take to prayer, crying out to God for His solutions…. And then whatever it is that He calls us to, we put into action.  

I’d like to end with our prayer of the day; “Everliving God, before the earth was formed, and even after it shall cease to be, you are God.

Break into our short span of life and show us those things that are eternal, that we may serve your purpose in all we do; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in unity with the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  AMEN

Entering the promise through a sacred place 5th Nov 2023 Pentecost 23A Proper 26A

 2023 11  05     PROPER 26A  Pentecost 23A

Joshua 3:7-17 and Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37  •  1 Thessalonians 2:9-13  •  Matthew 23:1-12

 

 

A common thread in the readings today is the concept of being, “Exalted” or humbled.  In our first reading, God says that He will exalt Joshua in the site of the Israelites.  In our Gospel we find that the Pharisees were exalting themselves and Jesus teaches His followers that all who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  Jesus also says that the greatest among them will be their servant.  Jesus was among them, serving them and He is the greatest.  He lived the example for us to follow.

 

Saint Paul was originally known as Saul, and he was a man exalted among his peers.  He was both a Roman citizen and a Jew, and he was exalted in both communities as a man with high intellect and learning, who kept the law – both of God and man.   As Saul, this man was proud and passionate, to the extent that he zealously sought out the Christians to destroy them.  He thought he was righteous in his actions.

 

On the road to Damascus Saul encountered the risen Lord Jesus and the light of that encounter struck him temporarily blind.

 

There is a subtle and important difference between receiving God’s word and receiving God’s word as if from God himself.

 

If there is anyone who knew that difference between receiving the word of God, as from God himself, and receiving the word of God, as from humans, it was Saint Paul.  In Saint Paul’s pre-Christ encountered life, he lived according to the word of God as if it were an intellectual and lifestyle choice – one which he believed zealously.  After he encountered Christ, Saint Paul realized that he had encountered the living God and it made all the difference.

 

The Pharisees of Jesus time had the same problem as Saint Paul before his encounter.  They received and taught the word of God, but they didn’t actually follow it all, because it was more an intellectual, cultural and lifestyle choice.  As much as they believed what they taught, there was a sense that they hadn’t grasped the reality and magnitude of God.  Without this … we could say “Fear” of God, they manipulated the word of God so that it suited themselves.  I suspect that most of them didn’t mean to do anything wrong by God, simply that, without that sense of God’s reality and presence, they tended to work the interpretation of the commands of God to suit themselves. 

 

In all of this we need to understand that this Gospel is written as a warning to it’s readers, us, to not fall into that same error.  Therefore, we need to be examining how this might look in our own context.

 

The scriptures and the commandments from God give us great guidelines for wholesome living.  Many people on the streets will tell you that they agree, the commandments of God are good, and many will tell you that they live by them, but a quick look at their lives will tell you that they have a loose and personal interpretation of those commandments. 

 

When Jesus is asked which is the greatest commandment, he says; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. ' This is the greatest and first commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”

 

We tend to give lots of attention to the second commandment, not really being sure what to do about the first.  I’d go so far as to say that we have built a good society on those commands – those about loving our neighbour.  In fact, many Australian laws are drawn from our Judeo-Christian heritage, as contained in the Bible.  The culture that most of us has grown up in, is one that acknowledged the values of the commandment of God to love your neighbour as yourself.  Not every culture has this.  For example, in places where the caste system is part of their culture, it is quite acceptable to have no pity for your neighbour, because that is their Karma.  In their belief it is Karma that a person is suffering.  -Meaning, that in the past life that person had done some evil and so it is only right that they should suffer now.

 

It is a fact that the Gospel has had a huge impact on society – whether it is acknowledged or not, and it must also impact our life…and not just our intellect and private life.

 

One of the impacts of the Gospel, needs to be on our attitude.  There is a really important message in our Gospel.  The Pharisees were allowing themselves to receive honour.  They were called “father” and “teacher”.  Jesus says – don’t do this.   But we do.  So, what is going on?

 

These terms were terms of honour and they were used in Jesus’ time and they are still used in ours.  It is not the actual terms which are a problem, but that the people in those positions were desiring the honour rather than desiring to do the will of God.   We all feel good when people treat us with honour… and it goes hand in hand with respect.  Jesus didn’t put down the fact that people were to treat the pharisees with the honour/respect of being on the “seat of Moses”.  Jesus was simply speaking about the pharisees out of proportion sense of themselves.   Somewhat like a child’s drawing of a person with a super large head. 

 

Jesus tells them, “The greatest among you will be your servant.  All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

 

How do we keep a proper balance so that we stay properly proportioned?  Easy!  We seek to do God’s will most of all, and God will arrange it so that he keeps us balanced.

 

Joshua was the leader of the Israelites after Moses died.  He was quite a unique character in that he was a leader in battles, but also the servant of Moses for many years.  In our reading today the story begins with the word of God to Joshua; “The LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.”

 

Why did God exalt Joshua? 

 

Moses had been the people’s leader and they had many times grumbled against him and criticised him.  Right from the start of Moses’ interactions with the people, God was performing wonders through which he proved that He was with Moses, and yet we mostly see those wonders as God’s work for the people and not as a means to exalt Moses.

 

It is said that Moses was a most humble man.  Numbers 12:23 tells us; “Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” 

 

Joshua was the epitome of a perfect servant.  He was faithful and courageous.  He and Caleb were the only ones who brought back a good report of the lands around them when they and others were sent to spy on the land.  They only difference being that they trusted in God’s promise to give them the land.

Joshua was humble, but not meek.  I think sometimes we get a bit confused with what humbleness looks like.  Joshua had complete trust in God.  This is where his courage came from and this is also where his humility came from. 

 

Moses and Joshua both experienced the majesty of God.  In fact, so did Saint Paul.  The experience of God, changed their lives and shaped who they became.

 

I love the story of our first reading.  It was Moses who led the Israelites out of the slavery of Egypt, but it was Joshua who led them into the promised land.  Both of these events involved the miraculous parting of waters.

 

A Jewish commentary about the splitting of the waters explains that there is an implication in these events beyond and deeper than the incredible miracle.  The waters conceal those things beneath and symbolize a spiritual realm that is inaccessible.  When God parts the waters, he is inviting the nation of Israel to enter into a spiritual place – a sacred place.

 

These events also, symbolize a baptism.  In baptism we become one with God.  We enter into a spiritual and sacred place formally unknown. 

 

“Since water conceals everything beneath its waves, the sea represents the realm of that which is hidden, a spirituality so distant from ours that it is hidden from us. Splitting the sea and revealing the dry land on which the Jews could walk expresses the idea that the hidden realms become in some way revealed and accessible.” https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/246647/jewish/Parting-of-the-Red-Sea.htm

 

That nation on the banks of the Jordan entered a mass baptism.  Probably the only one ever where no one got wet…. However, all must have known the symbolism of God taking them into his sacred, and formally unknown place.  God was, in that act, taking them into the secret place only known by God.  God was taking this nation into His confidence.  The people were not “Storming” heaven… or breaking in.  This was God’s doing… God’s invitation and there could be no doubt about it, or misunderstanding.  These people were figuratively passing through the valley of the shadow of death and fearing no evil because it was God leading them/ encompassing them.

 

 

What impact would an event like this have on the people?  This was a little different from the Red Sea, where the people were in fear of their life and desperate for rescue.  This was an invitation to enter into a reality.  The reality of the Kingdom of God.

 

To enter into the Kingdom of God requires us to say “Yes” to God’s invitation.  To enter into the Kingdom of God involves stepping out in faith, trusting that God will protect us.  To enter into the Kingdom of God is to step into the holy place of God and answer God’s call to become the person, the people, the nation that God originally intended us to be.

 

We can not be the people that God intends us to be without stepping into the river.  By this, I mean that those Pharisees were living in a comfort zone where they and their comfort, and honour from humans was the most important factor.  They didn’t step out to help the people, except to make a show of how great they were.  

 

 

Joshua wasn’t a showy person.  He simply followed the call of God.  It is the call of God that matters and God has called us also.

 

In all the mess of this world, it feels very much like a river in flood.  The Jorden River was in flood when the Israelites crossed over.  It must have seemed like an inopportune time to be crossing that river.  Sensibility would have been to cross when it was in the dry season…. But no… God calls them at this time…. and right now, God calls to us in to the mess of our world and invites us to step out.  BUT we don’t rush in zealously like Saul who persecuted the Christians, thinking he was doing the right thing.  We can be really great people, honoured by our community and still get it really wrong.   So, we first must enter that sacred place where God invites us.  It is a place where we realize the majesty, awesomeness and magnitude of God….. the place of God’s presence …  then, knowing that we walk in the presence of God, we step into all that chaos and we bring the love, the light and the reality of God to our world.  There will be battles against powers and principalities in the spiritual realm as we go, but that is why we really need to know that we are walking in God’s presence.  We step into His sacred place and in this way, as a servant, we enter the promised land.

In the Presence Pentecost 21 A 22nd Oct 2023

2023 10 22 Proper 24 Pentecost 21

• Exodus 33:12-23 and Psalm 99  •  1 Thessalonians 1:1-10  • Matthew 22:15-22

 

Are we a distinct people?  What is it that makes us distinct?

 

The people in the church of Thessalonica were distinct.  Saint Paul sings their praises and reports that in every place, beyond Macedonia and Achaia their faith in God had become known, such that they have no need to speak about it. 

 

Can you imagine if our church here had that reputation?  In our circumstance it might be that the Anglican Church in Mackay has such faith that it is the hot topic in Townsville and Cairns and everywhere!  Up in Ayr they’d be saying, “Have you heard about the faith of the Anglican church in Mackay?  It is clear that they are favoured by God and that God has chosen them.  Their faith is amazing and they spread the word of God to other towns!”

 

The Thessalonians were consistent in living out, the spiritual virtues granted to them in Christ.  A recent meme on facebook said: “Hypocrisy – Church people going about with a mouth full of scripture and a heart full of hate.”  - the point is that, as Christians we ought to be Christ-like.  The fact that there is a meme like this out there, says to me that many churches are not as exemplary as the Thessalonian Church.  The Thessalonians didn’t just give intellectual assent to the moral virtues of Christ and a nod of thanks for His saving sacrifice.  They actually embodied all that a Christian, clothed in Christ, ought to be.

 

Last week’s readings talked about the wedding feast of the King.  The parable showed us that all peoples are invited to Gods Kingdom. Great news!  However, the last line was about someone not in wedding attire who was thrown out.  Our wedding attire is to be clothed in Christ.  Our baptism is where we “put on Christ” – we become so emersed in Him that, like fabric in dye, we become permanently changed. The Thessalonians were living this reality.

 

Saint Paul also says of the Thessalonians, that he knows that God had chosen them.  And he says that the word came to them full of the power of the Holy Spirit and with conviction.  I don’t know exactly what happened at that place, but I think it would have been a mighty exciting place to have been.  That experience of the power and reality of God, permanently shaped the identity of the Thessalonian Church. 

 

One could erroneously think that the Thessalonian church enjoyed honour and privilege in their community, but Thessalonia was a place where Saint Paul faced hostilities and was sent on to Berea.   The Thessalonian church didn’t hide away in fear, however, instead they took on the work of Saint Paul and spread the Gospel to the regions around them.  The Thessalonian Church has been called an exemplary church.  I wonder what our church would look like if we had the same mode of operating as that church?

 

It is one thing to get involved in a lot of church activity, and it is another to be a church that embodies Christ.  But what is it that makes the difference?

 

Moses talked to God about the presence of God.  We read where he says; “In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth."  Moses was not at all keen to move until he had the assurance that God’s presence would go with them.

 

In the times of Moses, the presence of God was signified in the cloud and we read about the tent of meeting that Moses set up for the people to inquire of God.  A bit later in Exodus we find the explanations of the various areas set up, including the “Holy of Holies”.  Only the high priest was allowed to enter that Holy of Holies.  Where is the Holy of Holies today?  When Jesus died on the cross the curtain that sectioned off the Holy of Holies was torn in two.  On the day of Pentecost the presence of God came to individuals with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

 

Many Christians do good works, because, honestly, that is part of our calling – To be the hands and feet of Christ.  Many non-Christians also do good works.  Therefore, how is the Christian distinct?  It obviously isn’t due to the work that we do, even though these are things common to the people of God.  We are distinct because we have the presence of God.  But are we aware of this?  And are we relying on the presence and power of God?

 

I suspect we forget that we can rely on the Holy Spirit.  We forget to always be aware of the presence of God with us.  When things go wrong, both little nonsense things or major things, with the awareness of the presence of God with us, we will know the peace that passes all understanding and gives us rest. You and I are distinct because of God’s presence.  He is always with us. 

 

God has chosen us.  We are chosen to be God’s own.  Saint Paul told the Thessalonians; “For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you,…”  What a reassurance!  But do we realize that God has chosen us?  We are individually chosen, loved and called for the purposeful plan of God.  Also, we as the Mackay Anglican Church, are chosen, loved and called for a purposeful plan of God.

 

Last week’s Gospel reading ended with the line, “Many are invited, but few are chosen.”  We who have been baptised in Christ – who are dressed in Christ, we are in our wedding clothes and WE ARE CHOSEN.  We are identified as Christ’s, because we walk in God’s presence.  We take up that invitation, walking in God’s presence we are appropriately dressed.

 

The Israelites also needed this same reassurance of God’s love and call.  They were the chosen people and they walked with His presence. 

 

Moses quite reasonably then asks God to teach him His ways…. Moses wants to know what God requires so that he can then teach the people what God requires.  God’s response to this is; “My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” More than anything, this is central to our message.  The emphasis therefore is not on what we do for God, but the gift that God gives to us.  God’s presence is the key.  God’s presence will give us rest. 

 

In our Gospel Jesus was asked about Marriage laws and paying taxes. In regards to the question of taxes, He answers that we should give to God what is God and to Caesar what is Caesar’s.  This is a such a clever answer, but the unspoken implication is the question left unuttered; What belongs to God?   And the answer is an obvious, everything.  The image of Caesar was stamped on the coin, but whose image is stamped on mankind?  We are made in the image of God and so we give to God what belongs to God.   We are challenged to use the free will that God gave us, to freely choose to belong to him.

 

Jesus declared that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are living because they belong to God.  They chose God, but God chose them before they were born… Just as God has loved and chosen us.  Jesus declares that God has power even over death.  This power is God’s and God’s presence is with us.  What are the implications of this?  God’s Holy Spirit with us, is the presence of God and the power of God in us.    There is no reason that we should not be stepping out in faith, walking towards the promised land. 

 

The Christian life is an exciting adventure.  We are called, as the Israelites were, to walk toward the promised land.  It can be a little frightening at times, as we step out in faith to answer God’s call, but we are reassured that we are God’s precious and chosen people.  We are never alone.  We are distinct because we are the people who walk in His presence.

HOLY COW! Pentecost 20A 15th October 2023

 2023 10 15 Proper 23  Pentecost 20A

Exodus 32:1-14 and Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23  •  Philippians 4:1-9  •  Matthew 22:1-14

 

In our reading to the Philippians we find that there is such a rift between two ladies that St. Paul needs to address the matter.  Rather than get into a debate about who is right or wrong he urges us all to think on whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent and worthy of praise…., and to keep doing the things that he, St. Paul, had taught and was doing, and the God of peace would be with them.   

 

Currently there is more than a little rift between Israel and the Palestinians.  I have been surprised/ shocked by the Palestinian response to the Hamas attack on Israel…. The revelry in the street over the body of a dead young Israeli female….  Surely, I thought Hamas was a terrorist group within the Palestinians and the Palestinians were innocent.   But no… the matter is more complex.  It appears at this point in time that the Palestinians are rejoicing in the pain of Israel.  Something that should never be.  After all, who are we if we take pleasure in another’s pain?  Perhaps we would do best to be like St. Paul, and not get into the “He said, She said”, but urge the way of Peace…. And pray for peace.

 

Israel has been, and is God’s chosen nation.  It is a choice made by God, not through anything that Israel did to deserve it.  We, also are God’s chosen people.  It is a sure fact that we are saved only by His amazing Grace, and not by any good works on our part.  In the reality of this incredible grace that we all enjoy, we can easily make the mistake of taking God’s grace for granted and feeling like we can do whatever we want – and still be God’s favoured people.  Today’s readings remind us, that God is God almighty and His grace comes to us at a great cost, which we should never take for granted, just as we also should never undermine God’s greatness.

 

In our first reading Moses was up on the mountain receiving the commandments from God.  The people became impatient in waiting and took things into their own hands.  At this point, the only thing the people knew about God, was that they were God’s chosen people.  As the children of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, they belonged to God and God had promised to bring them back into their own land.  The land of Canaan, given to Abraham, lived in by Jacob, and an inheritance for these children of the promise.  These people had a national and spiritual identity.  It kept them united, but the Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years, and it messed with their identity.

 

Consider our own identity.  Who are we and why?  I consider myself an Australian, connected to this local area.  I often say, “my Grandmother’s grandmother was married here”, but I don’t actually think that is the reason for my identity.  The real reason is more a sense that I share the shaping of who I am with the people in this community with whom I grew up.  We share a common story of our formative years involving cane fires in winter, cyclones and floods in summer, swimming at the beach or Marian falls on the weekends, picnics and swims at Finch Hatton and Eungella, Island holidays, playing sport, going to church, and street parades like the Sugartime festival.  

 

Somehow that sense of community keeps me connected even though our city has grown and changed.  This community formed me and when I travel to conferences and speak with others, I’m aware that even my values are formed by my community.  The Israelites lived side by side with the Egyptians.  Yes, they knew their differences, but their children born in Egypt were certainly influenced by the experience of growing up in Egypt, and this included many generations who grew up in that 430 year time period.

 

The bull or calf was a common god in many of the ancient civilizations, including Egypt.  The bull was known as Apis or Hapi, and he was supposed to have been born of a virgin cow, rendered pregnant by a moonbeam or a flash of lightning.  Many scholars believe that the people didn’t really think of the animal as the god, but as a representation of the god.

 

Aaron built an altar in front of the golden calf and declared a festival to the LORD – LORD in all capitals meaning; to the one true God, Yahweh.  These people thought they were doing what they should.  Aaron thought he was doing what he should.  They meant well but got it wrong.  These people were worshiping God in the only way that they knew how, from their experience in Egypt, and to the best of their ability.  They meant well but got it wrong and God was ready to destroy them because of their actions.

 

we need to be really careful that we don’t make God into a Golden Calf, an idol made for our convenience, that we use to justify our actions.  Do we compromise the truth of God for the sake of keeping people happy?  Do we also mean well, and worship God according to our culture and our nation, exchanging the glory of God for something that is far less than the greatness and glory that God is?

 

Moses “stood in the gap” and interceded for the people.  God hears and is merciful…. Our intercessor is Jesus.  God hears and is merciful to us also.  We rest assured.  We stand today, with blessed assurance of our Salvation yet knowing that though we mean well, we do get things wrong, and even though we are unconditionally saved, we are called to follow God and “get it” right.

 

When we look at our New Testament reading we find ourselves in the story.  There are three groups represented in the story; 1- the invited guests, 2- the slaves or servants of the King, and 3- the people in the streets, including the good and the bad.

 

Jesus tells us, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.”  He is telling us about the Kingdom of God and He is the Son.  We are ALL called.  Many are called but few are chosen.

 

When this parable was told, the religious people had a fair idea that the group in the story, representing them, were the invited guests.  God’s chosen nation had a history of mistreating the prophets.  The prophets and proclaimers of God’s message are represented by the slaves, or servants.  When Jesus came, he made it clear that the Good News of this invitation to the wedding was for all people and ultimately all would be invited.

 

 That invited group is us, the church!  We are God’s chosen people, invited to the wedding feast, but to come to the feast means to make that feast our priority.  In the story these people didn’t think the Kingdom of God was worth more than their work on the farm or their business… it was secondary to their own interests and some even mistreated the messengers who tried to impress upon them that they needed to act now.  The implication? This group will miss out, regardless of their favoured status unless they make Jesus their number one priority.

 

Wow! That is a sobering message.  But wait… there is more.  The slaves are sent into the streets to invite everyone.  Everyone is invited in the end.  AND the slaves will most certainly be at the wedding.  We are called to be the slaves of God, inviting all to the wedding feast of the King.  We are also the outsiders, both good and bad.  We are non-Jews, people on the streets and we are called, invited to enjoy the hospitality of the King. 

 

Regardless of where we see ourselves in the story, there is still one more important aspect; The one found who was not dressed in wedding clothes.  Whether we are the chosen, favoured and invited guest, the slave or the outsiders on the streets, we need to be appropriately dressed for this celebration.  What is meant by this?

 

Galatians 3:27 tells us that all who are baptized have been clothed with Christ.  Romans 13:12-14  to.. put on the Lord Jesus Christ,…”  In our baptism we are emersed in Christ… “baptism” meaning to be emersed such that we are permanently changed, just like a cloth that is dyed takes on a different identity.  To put on our wedding clothes, we need to be clothed in Christ.  We need to be willingly identified as Christ-coloured.  More important than my identity as an Australian, or Mackay-ite is the need to be identified first and foremost as Christ’s, and my opinions and values need to reflect HIM.

 

When our time comes to meet with Christ, he won’t be impressed by the one who says, I identify as Jewish or Christian therefore I’m an invited guest…. If you are not in wedding clothes you will not be allowed in.  If we are basing our invitation on anything other than our identity in Christ we are exchanging the glory of God for an idol–  Ultimately, no matter any of our physical identities, only one thing matters - that we are clothed in Christ.

 

Moses reminds God; “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, …..'"  And the LORD changed his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.”  It appears that God is so angry with their behaviour that he is ready to destroy them.   But what is really happening, is that God is giving Moses, God’s own heart for his people.  Their behaviour is wrong, but God desires someone who will care for them, such that even when they are doing everything wrong, that person will implore God on their behalf.

 

We are called to be this for others, and our call is to share the message about the invitation to the wedding, remembering to pass on to each one that the only requirement be, that we are clothed in Christ.  Being clothed in good intentions is not the wedding attire.  Being clothed in good deeds wont work either.  Being clothed in a Jewish identity – An Anglican, Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal, Australian, French, Maltese or any other identity won't cut it either.  These things are Golden Calves -  mere representations or counterfeits when only the genuine article will do.  The only way to the father is through the son.  Do we desire to belong to God?  We must come to him through the cross – The only acceptable sacrifice.  We identify with Christ and put on Christ -We are clothed in Christ.   

 

Now that we are clothed in Christ, who stood in the gap and interceded for us, we need to do likewise and intercede for others…. After all, clothed in Christ, we must have the attitude of Christ, the heart of Christ for others, the care of Christ for those who are vulnerable, because our identity in Christ is the real wedding garment.  Come… we are invited… and the feast will be the wonderful celebration of God’s salvation.