tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75021933790810812192024-03-18T18:29:25.779-07:00Rev Chris RothRevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.comBlogger546125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-49978666798332371762024-03-18T18:28:00.000-07:002024-03-18T18:28:54.655-07:00Lent 5- I will put my Law within them<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRI3C6qyAkI5wkuU98VrM1AHspLG79gYrzc35PSjSqFE3g7K0mMiznc9-vcMG4W2j3t9tzQD6j2zLKl3m5il-3YDI7xpBqGJ7RQprUX-vy3XAg41PGU2omD6lUQMgjmhNfLLxWDVF37J0Gr1FdXqM4jykX_m-fQYC4LDaH1l_lrJjPpLsx_EA_8_31hDLd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRI3C6qyAkI5wkuU98VrM1AHspLG79gYrzc35PSjSqFE3g7K0mMiznc9-vcMG4W2j3t9tzQD6j2zLKl3m5il-3YDI7xpBqGJ7RQprUX-vy3XAg41PGU2omD6lUQMgjmhNfLLxWDVF37J0Gr1FdXqM4jykX_m-fQYC4LDaH1l_lrJjPpLsx_EA_8_31hDLd=w266-h385" width="266" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+31%3A31-34%3B+Psalm+119%3A9-16%3B+Hebrews+5%3A5-10%3B+John+12%3A20-33&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Jeremiah 31:31-34; Psalm 119:9-16; Hebrews 5:5-10; John 12:20-33</a><br /><br /> I suspect all of us have the experience of knowing that we should do something, but for some reason just couldn’t seem to do it. Maybe you know you should exercise, or eat better, or dedicate more time to prayer or Bible study, but you just don't seem to be able to make yourself do it? <br /><br /> I suspect we also have the experience of doing something we know we shouldn’t do. For some reason we just can't seem to stop ourselves. Maybe you smoke and you know that it’s bad for you, but you just aren't able to stop. No matter how many times you plan to do it you just don't seem to be able to do it. Many of us have experiences with different kinds of addictions. Maybe it isn’t food, maybe it’s watching too much TV, or maybe we are too attached to our phones and social media. <br /><br /> It's as if our will is broken. Our ability to make choices, and follow through, is broken. Or, that's what it feels like. Why do we do the silly things we do? Sometimes our inability to choose well even hurts us and those around us. Why do we do these things? <br /><br /> The prophet Jeremiah was speaking to a fairly broken people in our Old Testament reading. They were the chosen people- Israel. God brought them out of slavery and gave them instructions on how to live and time after time they turned their backs on God. The prophets said they were like a spouse that was always committing adultery. They were always breaking God's heart by running off with someone else. Now the people were feeling the effects of the path they walked down. Nearly 600 years before Jesus was born, the Temple built by King Solomon was destroyed by a foreign power and the monarchy of the great king David was ended. They ate the fruit of their rebellion- their infidelity, their corrupt kings and priests, the injustice and exploitation of the poor and vulnerable, their idolatry. It all came back on them, and it was a very bitter fruit. And Jeremiah warned them. <br /><br /> Why did they do it? Jeremiah warned them. Other prophets warned them, and still they kept on in their rebellion. They were like someone who was diagnosed with diabetes and their doctor told them what they had to do but they kept on eating everything they weren't supposed to. Suddenly they ended up in the hospital. <br /><br /> We're not all that different from Israel are we? We get all kinds of warnings to stop doing damaging things- from friends, family, doctors, psychologists, parole officers. We get all kinds of encouragements to do good and healthy things. For some reason over and over we have a hard time deciding to do what is good for us and those around us. … On one level, we want to do what is right and good and healthy- and we don't want to hurt others. We don't want to hurt ourselves- and yet... we do. <br /><br /> In Chapter 7 of Paul's letter to the Romans he says this (this is Eugene Peterson's version from The Message): </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"... I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. <br /><br />But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. <br /><br />It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge." </blockquote>Just about everyone I know can relate with that passage in the Bible. It may have been written 2000 years ago, but it could have been written yesterday. The people of Israel were told what to do. They had it carved on stone tablets right from God's own hand, but still they didn't follow. We aren’t so different. <br /><br /> Part of what's wrong is that our will is broken. We can know what we need to do, but our will seems to be broken. We need something more than information. We need help choosing and following through on that choice. We need help wanting the good, and healthy, and true. It doesn't matter how much information we have or how smart we are. Our will still betrays us. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Dallas Willard has spoken about a young woman’s experience in university in a moral philosophy class where a fellow classmate was a terrible person, but got good grades in that class. He knew the information, but he was not becoming a better person because of it. Information wasn’t his problem. It was his will. <br /><br /> In the middle of destruction Jeremiah is given a word of hope for the people of Israel: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, [...] “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD." (Jer 31)</blockquote> Through the prophet Jeremiah, God promises to put his Law in the hearts of His people. God won't just tell us what the good thing to do is. God will help us want to do it by writing the law on our hearts. He will give us the power to choose the good and deny the destructive, and it will be what we want. <br /><br /> This is a promise that is fulfilled with the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit now dwells in us. The Holy Spirit does not override our free will, but the resources have been placed in us to allow us to choose to do what is right and to not do what is wrong. God hasn't only told us what is good and true, but He has also given us the power to choose it. This is Paul's message in Romans 8- that through the power of the Spirit we have been given power to be the people God wants us to be. <br /><br /> It's at this point we start wondering why we still have such a hard time. If we have the Holy Spirit, why do we still struggle? Through the Holy Spirit we are drawn into intimate relationship with God. It is a door that is made open to us, and we are invited to walk through it. … It is through deep, and continuous conversation with God in prayer that we will find ourselves being transformed. … We sometimes want to claim the power without the relationship, but it doesn't work that way. Like any relationship this required time and attention. If we want to strengthen a friendship, then we spend time with that person. We treat them well, with respect. We listen to them and value what they have to say. In our relationship with God this means spending time in silence and solitude, as we turn our attention to God and make ourselves available. It means we take time to reflect on Scripture. It means we take time to interact with God in prayer and worship. … And maybe our will is so messed up we find it hard to choose these things. So, we start by asking God to help us to desire a deeper relationship with Him. … As we open ourselves to God in these ways, God enters into our struggles, and struggles there with us, giving us power for that day. Our transformation comes through deep relationship with God, usually one step at a time. <br /><br /> Jeremiah's words have started to come true. He says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant … I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> In Exodus 24 Moses establishes a covenant with the people. We read </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Then [Moses] took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, ‘All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.’ Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, ‘See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words.’” (Ex 24:7-8).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> At the Last Supper Jesus </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">"took the cup, saying, '</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you'" (Luke 20).</span></blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> It is through the life-blood of Jesus poured out for us that we are invited into a new covenant. This opens the doors to all kinds of grace, which will give us the strength to choose what is good and true. <br /><br /> We receive the life of Christ knowing that power for change resides in God. God can change us from the inside out. Through the Holy Spirit our hearts will be changed and be filled with love so that we don't have to be told to love our neighbor, we just do it because the life of God lives in us and courses through us and we can't imagine why you'd want to do anything else. <br /><br /> As disciples, we follow Jesus and learn to be more like him, and therefore we learn to live in his kingdom. His kingdom is present wherever what he wants to have happen is happening. And as we learn to be like him, we begin to feel that the really hard thing to do isn't the right thing. As we become more like Jesus, we begin to feel that the hard thing to do is the wrong thing. As we strengthen our relationship with God and open ourselves to be transformed- as we allow Him to write His Law on our heart- we begin to want what God wants- we learn to love as God loves. Amen. </span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-78029350436980429952024-03-11T08:57:00.000-07:002024-03-11T08:57:42.061-07:00Turn your vision to Christ and be healed- Numbers 21 and John 3<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiz86RafgPX8Y_ixpRivGxXtDOx59A9TeDMC7Ca6UXm7yZTa1MhbjUU9NG5BVltHNXSlSUnXFVPvi7s0cZT_O5Jfc6yI_Mo7Yg2LdWmPAfsYsqbjrMHF5GxlTjeS-If2CpFwFMHhKqdaCEkmQ_MdKEd0agjcfqM_n5a5M0osuVcIFYBRB9YH4lvgxde_L0f" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiz86RafgPX8Y_ixpRivGxXtDOx59A9TeDMC7Ca6UXm7yZTa1MhbjUU9NG5BVltHNXSlSUnXFVPvi7s0cZT_O5Jfc6yI_Mo7Yg2LdWmPAfsYsqbjrMHF5GxlTjeS-If2CpFwFMHhKqdaCEkmQ_MdKEd0agjcfqM_n5a5M0osuVcIFYBRB9YH4lvgxde_L0f=w247-h357" width="247" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+21%3A4-9%3B+Psalm+107%3A1-3%2C+17-22%3B+John+3%3A14-21&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22; John 3:14-21</a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The Hebrew people in the book of Numbers seem to constantly get stuck in a pattern of ingratitude as they wandered in the wilderness. We can’t really judge them for that. We live with technology, medication, and access to information and food that most of humanity could have only dreamed about, … and yet we never seem to lack a reason to complain. So maybe we can identify with the Hebrew people as they wander the wilderness and grumble. <br /><br />When we meet the Hebrews in our reading from the book of Numbers (chapter 21), they are in the middle of complaining. Despite the miraculous way God has rescued them from slavery in Egypt, they complain that they were better off as slaves. They complain that they will starve, and God provides them with manna for food (Ex 16). They complain that they are thirsty, and Moses strikes a rock and God provides water (Ex 17). They complain that they are tired of manna and want meat, and God gives them quail (Num 11). … And yet, they continue to grumble. After all this miraculous provision they still complain. They complain against Moses and they complain against God. Their hearts are ungrateful. They are constantly looking for what is wrong, and overlooking their blessings. … Again, it might be tempting to look down on them, but we don’t seem to be all that different. <br /><br /> As the people complain and express their lack of trust in God, this really strange thing happens. We read, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, ‘Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.’ Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died” (Num 21:4-6). </blockquote><br />The Early Church saw some interesting symbolism in these serpents. They made a connection to the Garden of Eden and the temptation of Adam and Eve by the serpent (Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 94; Bede, Homilies on the Gospels 2.18; Augustine, Sermon 6.7). So, the serpent is the symbol of the devil and the original temptation to sin. Cyril of Alexandria said, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“for the serpent signifies bitter and deadly sin, which was devouring the whole race on earth ... Biting the soul of man and infusing it with the venom of wickedness. And there is no way that we could have escaped being conquered by it, except by the relief that comes only from heaven” (Commentary on the Gospel of John 2.1).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> The serpents invade, and bite, and people begin to die. <br /><br /> God is the rescuer. God is the one who rescued the people from slavery and fought on their behalf against the Egyptian army. God is the one who provided food when they were hungry, and water when they were thirsty. God has rescued them from the dangerous world many times already. … God is the source of all love, life, joy, peace, and beauty. … To reject God is to reject the fountainhead that provides all the good that we desire and enjoy. … To grumble and rebel against God is to put yourself in danger because to reject the source of good, leaves us to experience not-good. To reject the source of beauty, leaves us to experience not-beauty. To reject the source of peace, is to experience not-peace. To reject the source of life, is to experience not-life. To run from the light, is to be left in the dark. … To reject the fountainhead of all that is good is like walking into a snake pit. To push away from God is to push yourself into the presence of all that God wants to save you from.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">The judgement human beings receive is to get what they want- </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">"...this is the judgement, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light..." </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">(Jn 3:19). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">In a strange kind of living parable. The Hebrew people feel the pain of turning away from God- in the form of snake bites. They realize the error of their ways and they come to Moses and say, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> They repent. They turn towards God. They realize the stupidity of what they've done. Turning away from the God of life means death. <br /><br />Moses hears their cry and has compassion. He prays to God on their behalf. And God gives Moses some strange instructions. God told Moses, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> They needed a focal point for their faith. They needed a sacrament- a visible symbol of God’s grace. They needed to put their trust into action in a very practical way. <br /><br />St Augustine said, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“whoever has been bitten by the snakes of sin need only gaze on Christ and will have healing for the forgiveness of sins” (Sermon 6.7).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Of course, this reflects the words of Christ we heard in our gospel reading, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (Jn 3:14-15).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … As the bronze serpent is lifted up in the wilderness for the Hebrews to gaze at with faith and be healed, so Christ was lifted up on the cross that we might look to him in faith and be healed from the bite of that old serpent, the devil, whose bite is sin and death. … Strangely, instead of getting rid of the snakes they were taught to trust God in the midst of their suffering. When they were bit, they looked at the bronze snake and they lived. When they looked at that strange symbol of their suffering they lived. We are told that “in this life we will have trouble” (Jn 16:33). The trouble isn’t taken away, but when we look to Christ and his cross we are given healing and strength to overcome the trouble. <br /><br /> Jesus points to this Bronze serpent in the gospel of John chapter 3, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Jesus is saying that he is like the bronze serpent. Jesus will be lifted up on the cross. People will look at the suffering of the cross and it will become a means of their own healing from the venom of Sin. We are invited to look at him and believe. We are invited to look at the cross- an instrument of torture and destruction- and, mysteriously, receive life. Just as the Hebrew people looked at the symbol of their suffering- the serpent- so we look at death and suffering symbolized by the cross and through it we receive life through Jesus. <br /><br /> We don't know exactly how it works, but we are told God's motivation for doing it in verses 16 and 17, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> The cross, was God's self-sacrifice. It was the best way to show that God would not hold anything back- Jesus would hold nothing back- in order to show us how much he loves us. Even though we constantly grumble in spite of all the good He surrounds us with. <br /><br /> The bronze serpent was raised and they were invited to look upon it and believe God would save them from the venom. Jesus was raised on a cross and we are invited to look to him and believe that this is the ultimate act of love for us- this is God saving us from the poison of Sin. We are invited to see God entering into our suffering out of love for us. … Like the Hebrews, we are not promised that the serpents will be taken away. We are told that when we get stung by Sin that we look to Christ for healing and protection. AMEN<br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-68479363630789023672024-03-03T14:05:00.000-08:002024-03-03T14:05:07.369-08:00Lent 3- The Law (10 Commandments)<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiClWYy8heVxasN5BzkO6qIaPoRjuMgTKN5I4i3FETC41vJCzZfsF_ArZqzaN5cljV9tbTjU5IKvfS-RIFoP9rmzuToER4niv1XEt0CfnjgZdBkydrLIXho4Rs3mUNX8X2cUMPY55zAv8WaamL7F10-feW-Hu4WKz0qKEXEGkNy03nMym0u0hGW2YOFpymb" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="615" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiClWYy8heVxasN5BzkO6qIaPoRjuMgTKN5I4i3FETC41vJCzZfsF_ArZqzaN5cljV9tbTjU5IKvfS-RIFoP9rmzuToER4niv1XEt0CfnjgZdBkydrLIXho4Rs3mUNX8X2cUMPY55zAv8WaamL7F10-feW-Hu4WKz0qKEXEGkNy03nMym0u0hGW2YOFpymb" width="225" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A1-17%3B+Psalm+19%3B+1+Corinthians+1%3A18-25%3B+John+2%3A13-22&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Exodus 20:1-17; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22</a></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />We can have a tendency to see the Law as something that gets in the way of freedom. We can see the Law as something we need to be freed from. We often hold the Law in oppositions against the grace of Christ. John says, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> We can sometimes read verses like this as if Moses and Jesus were in a competition. <br /><br />In the time before Jesus was born, some Jewish scholars believed that there were two powers in heaven. The Jewish people of the time didn’t see this as a violation of monotheism in the way it was understood. The way they thought about this was still considered to be in the realm of correct Jewish thinking. Though, by the second century AD, Judaism had labeled this as a heretical view, which is probably in response to the rise of Christianity. But this was an idea that circulated for at least 400 years. When Jesus was born this was a thought that had already been floating around for a couple hundred years.<a href="#_ftn1">[1]</a> <br /><br />Where would a thought like this come form? … In Exodus 33:11 we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Hold that image in your head. … And just a few verses later in the same chapter we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live” (33:20).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Either we have to believe that the person who wrote this was an incoherent mess, and can’t keep a consistent idea even within the same chapter, or there was something else going on. … There arose an idea that there was God who was visible and seemed to take human form, and God who was invisible and who was even dangerous to try to look at. <br /><br />There are times when this is expressed through the encounter of the “angel of the Lord” where, for example, Abraham acts as host to three angels who come to visit him, but one of those angels seems to speak to Abraham as if he is God (Gen 18). <br /><br />The Jewish Targums were a kind of paraphrase of the Hebrew Bible. In English, “The Message” version of the Bible is a paraphrase written by Eugene Peterson. That’s sort of what a Targum was. They were often written in different languages as people knew less and less Hebrew. It is a kind of retelling of the Bible, which necessarily gives interpretations of the original Hebrew Bible. So, a Targum gives us a little glimpse into how people were reading the Bible. So, for example, there are times in the Aramaic Targum where they will replace “Lord” with “Word of the Lord”, which is presented as a person that is somehow God, and still somehow distinct from other ways that God is encountered. This “Word of the Lord” is presented as the one who speaks to Moses face to face.<a href="#_ftn2">[2]</a> John connected this “Word of the Lord” to Jesus- </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). </blockquote><br />Inheriting this understanding of God, Christians came to understand that the Word of God was who Moses was speaking to face to face as one speaks to a friend. The Lawgiver is really the pre-incarnate Christ. Before Jesus was born, God the Son gave the Law to Moses. … St. Irenaeus, who studied under the teaching of one of St. John’s (the author of the gospel that bears his name) students, and writing in the mid to late 100’s, says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“But one and the same householder produced both covenants, the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, who spoke with both Abraham and Moses” (Adv. Haeresies, 4.9.1). </blockquote><br />Holding the Law and the grace of Christ as enemies of each other is probably not the best way to think about them then. Instead, there is a complementary way of looking at them. … The Law is a guardian over the people until Christ comes (Gal 3). The Law is about identifying, preventing, and containing sin (Rom 3:20; 7:7). The rituals of Israel are about creating safe sacred places where the people can approach the presence of God. Sin is not safe in God’s presence the way darkness is destroyed by the presence of light. The law was a sin management system. … <br /><br />But Christ brings a new covenant. Through the work of Christ, we are purified so that the Holy Spirit can dwell in us, where He then writes the Law on our hearts. The body of Christ replaces the Temple. … In our gospel reading today Jesus judges and symbolically destroys the Temple, which the leadership had corrupted. The Temple will not be needed with the New Covenant Jesus brings. … Christ offers us healing from our sins through the cross. Christ offers to rescue us from death and the oppression of demonic powers, and offers to draw us deeply into God’s reality (2 Pet 1:4). These are things Christ can do, but the Law couldn’t do. … <br /><br />We now see the Law as fulfilled in Christ, but it still gives us guidance. The Law is still a part of our story, through it functions differently in our lives than it did for those who first received it. … Through Christ, there is help available if Sin has grabbed a hold of us. It is still important for us to identify sin, so that we can be drawn into repentance and receive God’s forgiveness and teaching. The danger of sin is that it draws us away from God. It ensnares us and can even make us numb to God’s reaching out to us. Sin will distort us and draw us away from who we were made to be. <br /><br />Like a doctor giving a patient a check-up, Christians have often turned to the Ten Commandments as a way to examine their spiritual health. … In the Book of Common Prayer, once a month on a Sunday Morning, the Priest is directed to lead a responsive reading based on the Ten Commandments. After each command is read out, the people respond saying, “Lord, have mercy upon us, and incline our hearts to keep this law”. <br /><br />So, what I would like to do is briefly go through the Ten Commandments and look at how we might use them to do a kind of spiritual check-up. Remember that these commandments are given to freed slaves. They have been outwardly freed from captivity in Egypt, but they need to be inwardly freed from Egypt as well. <br /><br />The first commandment is about worshipping God alone. We will become like what we worship. We are made in God’s image, so worshipping God will heal and strengthen that image within us. … Worshipping anything but God will enslave us. To worship money, will enslave us into greed. To worship bodily pleasures, will enslave us to an addiction. … <br /><br />Connected to this, we are not to make idols. God cannot be contained by an image. It will always be too false to truly point us to God. We are to allow God to show us who He is, rather than impose our image on God. … Once Christ comes, though, we do have an accurate image for God. We are told that Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15). <br /><br /> The commandment about misusing God’s name protects us from falsely representing God- saying God said something when it's not true. It is also meant to save us from being enslaved by false prophets who are using God’s name to manipulate us. This isn’t primarily about swearing, it’s about manipulation. <br /><br /> The commandment about keeping the Sabbath Holy is about reminding ourselves of the Heavenly perspective. It is a protection against making our work an idol. We stop whatever we do in an ordinary day to remember that the world will continue without us, we remember that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. <br /><br />Honouring our parents calls us into gratitude for where we came from and for what we have inherited. One generation is not to go to war against another. We honour our ancestors, we are alive because of them and we are beneficiaries of their accomplishments. This is about gratitude for what we have inherited from those who have come before us. <br /><br />To murder someone is to take the place of God as judge over their life. It inserts fear and chaos into the community. Christ internalizes this commandment and warns us about fanning the flames of anger that can lead to murder (Matt 5:21-26). <br /><br />Adultery damages the family, and therefore damages the stability of society. It creates mistrust between neighbours as they wonder who might seduce their husband or wife. Again, Christ internalizes this and warns about fanning the flames of lustful thoughts that can lead to unfaithfulness. So this commandment points to a misuse of the gift of sexuality. <br /><br />Stealing from your neighbours inserts mistrust into the social fabric. If we have to constantly worry that someone might steal from us, then we put protections in place, which means we start treating our neighbours with suspicion and even as potential enemies. A knock on the door is greeted with fear and suspicion. <br /><br />Giving false testimony creates a general mistrust of the words of our neighbour. Think of how telephone scams have changed the way you answer your phone. How do you answer your phone if you don’t know who’s calling? What does that do to our attitude towards our neighbours? Jesus says we should let our “yes be yes, and our no be no”. We don’t want to contribute to this problem. <br /><br />The commandment against coveting calls us to look inward- to our deeper desires that give rise to the reason we might steal, or murder. Perhaps the neighbour’s wife is a better household manager and would make a person more wealthy. Maybe their servants work harder. Maybe their animals are younger and stronger. … Instead of being drawn to these acts motivated by coveting, we are taught by Jesus to learn to be content, to be grateful for the life we have, and to trust God. Our lives are about more than the wealth or power we can accumulate, or the pleasures of the flesh. God asks us to trust our life to Him, and to even celebrate the success of our neighbour, rather than burn in envy and jealousy. <br /><br />It is good, especially during Lent, for us to assess our lives to see if there is any place where we are being held back by the Sin that wants to enslave us. God wants us to be free. A fish is free when it is able to live according to its nature, which means in the water. The law reveals where sin can trip us up. And thank God that we can call on Christ to help us whenever we do get tripped up. Ultimately, what we are aiming at isn’t a sinless life. We are aiming at an intimate life with God, sin is just what gets in the way of that. Let’s not obsess about sin. Let’s obsess about the love of God. AMEN <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ligatures: none;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">See “Two Powers in
Heaven” by Alan Segal<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ligatures: none;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-CA;">“The Jewish Targums
and John’s Logos Theology” by John Ronning<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div><br /><p></p></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-19790713385119073652024-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:002024-02-25T20:01:51.220-08:00Lent 2- For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhLl_l7jiSIz4T3XXxbk6G60uSO7LYK1BZhACOxHol81xmi6PyXZyQ7EjiczZRQG2fqdXo-9j41EiZiyfhZDpOEXXcAyfJifEF9gX3i1j9tJAF_jNFgUzYjOwWVQ_iUVLfKdXkMICJvU3QjPGOnceQk1M4GxOZ79vabbuMXFkFujHkgV7T8UePMHSS0Qj5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="2283" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhLl_l7jiSIz4T3XXxbk6G60uSO7LYK1BZhACOxHol81xmi6PyXZyQ7EjiczZRQG2fqdXo-9j41EiZiyfhZDpOEXXcAyfJifEF9gX3i1j9tJAF_jNFgUzYjOwWVQ_iUVLfKdXkMICJvU3QjPGOnceQk1M4GxOZ79vabbuMXFkFujHkgV7T8UePMHSS0Qj5=w513-h226" width="513" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+17%3A1-7%2C+15-16%3B+Psalm+22%3A22-30%3B+Romans+4%3A13-25%3B+Mark+8%3A31-38%3B+Mark+9%3A2-9&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38</a><br /><br />In Abraham’s time, gods were associated with geography and aspects of nature. So, you would have a sky god, an earth god, and a water god, a god of the moon, a god of the sun, a god of storms, a god of wisdom, and a god of the city of Babylon. … The gods weren’t associated with individuals. So, God calling Abraham and being associated with his family was a new concept. This God is the God of Abraham. God will be known as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God has attached Himself to this family. <br /><br />Abraham was called out of the biggest and most advanced city in the world. God says, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you” (Gen 12:1).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Abraham isn’t given the whole plan. He is asked to trust God. He is asked to have faith. He is asked to exchange the life he had for what God was promising to give him. God says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:2-3).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … He and Sarah were too old to have children, but God says they were going to birth a great nation. They had no clue where they were being led, but God says they will be shown a land. … They were being asked to trust God to be true to His promise. But to follow God, they had to leave everything they knew. They had to lose the life they knew, to gain the life God was promising them. <br /><br />Jesus says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it” (Mk 8:34-35).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> The offer to Abraham is not dissimilar to the offer Jesus is making. Abraham can’t follow God and stay in the city of Ur. Jesus is telling us that that we can’t live in both worlds. We can’t live with a foot in the kingdom and a foot in the world that rejects him. To enter the Kingdom, we have to leave behind whatever is not of the kingdom. It is a kind of death to one kind of life, so that we can be alive to a different kind of life. <br /><br />It can be a temptation to hold onto both. … Though, Jesus warns us that even if we gain the whole world, it is temporary. The most powerful emperor with the greatest army will die and someone else will take it. The richest CEO of the most influential company will leave it all behind when they die. We can spend our life pouring ourselves into worldly wealth, power, and pleasure, but it is all temporary. The way we focus our lives, how we spend our time, what thoughts fill our minds, all of this has an effect on who we become. Who we become is ultimately all we are left with, and one of the most important parts of who we become is where we place our trust. … <br /><br />I’m a very different person if I’m not committed to Crystal, for example. If I am not faithful to my marriage vows, then I become a different person, in a way. That commitment is a big part of who I am. My commitment will determine how I direct my resources, and my time, and my attention. The way my character is being shaped is bound up in these things. … If my commitment is to Christ, then that will have an effect on how I direct my resources, and my attention, and my time. And all of that will shape my character. My character is an expression of where my life is aiming. If my life is aimed at God, then I’m oriented towards the highest good- the Source of love, and joy, and peace, and beauty. If my life is aimed at God, then I’m oriented towards to Source of all life. If my life is aimed at Jesus, then I will trust that God wants good for us and for the world. <br /><br />Christ’s character is expressed by the cross. The way of the cross is the way of suffering love. … Christ was rejected by the elders, and chief priests, and scribes. They were committed to control and power, and they were unwilling to humble themselves. … The kingdom of Jesus is different, and his presence and unwillingness to compromise provoked a decision to either accept him or reject him. Their rejection of him led Jesus to the cross. In return for their cursing, Jesus would pour out blessing. In return for their hate, Jesus would pour out love. From their violence on the cross, God would create resurrection. <br /><br />The kingdom of Jesus is different. … And the presence of Jesus will provoke a decision- for him or against him. To choose Jesus might also mean a cross. For the original disciples of Jesus, that sometimes meant a literal cross, as it did for Andrew and Peter. Tradition tells us that all but one of the original 12 apostles were martyred, John being exiled to an island. … <br /><br />Even if a decision for Jesus doesn’t lead to martyrdom, it will mean suffering in the sense of the need to let go of the things that draw us away from God. When we shift the central part of who we are to line up with the Kingdom of God, our motivations change. In a way, we see the people in our life differently. We might still work the same job, but our motivation and the way we work changes. The way we see ourselves changes. When we enter the ways of the Kingdom it feels like the whole world is different because we see it in a different way, we act with different motivations, and the people we see are precious in a way we didn’t see before. We are no longer on the throne in our life- Our life is not about serving our pleasures- and there is a part of us that doesn’t like that. But we learn to deny ourselves so that we can have a new kind of life that is focused on Christ as sitting on the throne of our life. <br /><br />Sometimes we see dramatic changes in people when they turn to Jesus and his kingdom. For example, we could look at John Newton, the author of the hymn “Amazing Grace” who had been a captain of slave ships and worked in the business of the slave trade. After experiencing a conversion to Christ, he became a strong supporter of abolitionism and became an Anglican priest. <br /><br />Moses the Ethiopian lived in the 300’s and was a part of an infamous and violent gang in the Nile Valley. Moses was a huge guy and became the leader of this gang who terrorized the people who lived in the area. Once, when trying to hide from the authorities, he hid among some monks. Their way of life moved him so deeply that he converted and became a Christian. He was baptized and joined the monastic community. As a new monk, Moses was once attacked by a group of robbers when he was in his cell, but Moses overpowered the robbers. Since he was a Christin now, he didn’t think he should hurt them. He wasn’t sure what he should do with the robbers, so he dragged them to the chapel to ask the other monks. The robbers repented and joined the monastic community. <br /><br />Sometimes this wasn’t about a dramatic conversion from a villain to a hero. Sometimes it was more subtle. The dedication to the ways of the Kingdom of Jesus might confront someone like Corrie ten Boom with the decision to either put her head down and try to survive the Nazi occupation, or to try to be a force for good and put her life at risk to hide Jewish people from the Nazis. That decision resulted in her, her father, and sister being arrested and taken to a concentration camp. <br /><br />But this could be even more subtle. Allowing the false self to die might mean taking time to pray and study, when you could be entertaining yourself by watching TV. Maybe no one but God will see that decision. … It might mean practicing fasting, so that you learn that your desires are not your master, and so you learn to be kind to others when you don’t get what you want. … It might mean donating money to an organization that is doing good in the world, recognizing this is actually God’s money, rather than spending it on yourself. … Our false self will suffer as we allow our pride to die so that we can show reverence to God. Our false self will suffer when we let go of the habit of looking down on someone in judgement and anger and bitterness, so that we can instead see them as a bearer of the image of God- Someone Christ was willing to die for. … <br /><br />There is a kind of suffering that goes along with these decisions. It is the suffering of the false self- which is being put to death whenever we choose to trust God. The false self will draw us into serving ourselves through gaining power over others, through excessive bodily pleasure, and the amassing of wealth and showing it off. The false self will tell you that you deserve it, and that holiness is elitist, and that the way of Jesus isn’t realistic. The false self will tell you that it isn’t worth it, and it’s probably all fairy tales anyway. … But in the end, there is a greater joy in the Kingdom of Jesus. It is a joy we get glimmers of here in this life, but the fruit will not be fully enjoyed here. Like Abraham, we are being asked to trust God for a land we haven’t seen yet. We are being aske to trust that the ways of the Kingdom will produce virtues in us that we haven’t seen yet. But travelling to the place God wants to show us, means leaving places where Jesus is not welcomed as king. AMEN<br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-27600933575443117052024-02-19T08:58:00.000-08:002024-02-19T08:58:04.475-08:00Lent 1- Christ as the ark that saves us from destruction<p> </p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwj9CZH5OoMjt2FpvWiGMW4WIiQkFcMWcEh7NGajPFOy8QOGON5nAKynFpIorchX8Qc9eTmFvBxwKBXRHMqGNpHeamiQz2ONE_TUSCgQmZHk4THvUXHTiWnlpkqgMwXLPVV0obZNqxZSLesb69iUb15Y16F_QDvT3HlGZkd9nNn0KKTbyp_z-70OnHc6S4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwj9CZH5OoMjt2FpvWiGMW4WIiQkFcMWcEh7NGajPFOy8QOGON5nAKynFpIorchX8Qc9eTmFvBxwKBXRHMqGNpHeamiQz2ONE_TUSCgQmZHk4THvUXHTiWnlpkqgMwXLPVV0obZNqxZSLesb69iUb15Y16F_QDvT3HlGZkd9nNn0KKTbyp_z-70OnHc6S4=w323-h467" width="323" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis+9%3A8-17%3B+Psalm+25%3A1-9%3B+1+Peter+3%3A18-22%3B+Mark+1%3A9-15&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Genesis 9:8-17; Psalm 25:1-9; 1 Peter 3:18-22; Mark 1:9-15</a></div><br />Our readings today are inviting us to think about baptism. Lent arose as a time of preparation for baptism at Easter. <br /><br />Our gospel reading is once again circling back to the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. It is a gospel reading we had in Advent, when we focused on John as the forerunner to the expected Messiah. … We had the reading again in Epiphany, where we focused on the revealing of the Trinity as we heard the voice of the Father declare Jesus as the beloved Son, as the Spirit descended on him like a dove. <br /><br />And now, as we enter Lent, we have this gospel reading once again. This time we also read about Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, though we aren’t presented with the detailed temptations that we get in Matthew and Luke. We just see that he was tempted for forty days, and was with the wild beasts, and the angels waited on him. … Some have seen this as referring to Jesus being the second Adam, who is tempted by Satan just as the first Adam was, though this New Adam didn’t give in to the temptations of Satan. … Others have seen these temptations in the wilderness as related to Israel wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, which was often thought of as a time of purification and testing before entering the Promised Land. … There are a number of connections to the Old Testament that have been made with this time of temptation. <br /><br /> After Jesus is tempted in the wilderness, his public ministry begins and he starts proclaiming the good news of God, saying, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news”.</blockquote>Our other readings also point us towards Baptism. <br /><br />Our reading from Peter is speaking about Christ suffering unjustly and his accusers being put to shame when he is vindicated in resurrection. … This is part of a more general point where Peter is teaching his people to not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse. He tells them to be willing to suffer when they have done nothing wrong, and he uses Christ as an example of this undeserved suffering. <br /><br />As a part of making this more general point, Peter makes a mysterious reference to Christ preaching to Spirits in prison after he was killed on the cross, but before he was resurrected. While his body is dead in the tomb, he goes to preach to imprisoned spirits. Those spirits were said to have been disobedient, and from the time of Noah. … From this reference, Peter expands to speak a bit more generally about the flood. He speaks about God’s patience. The world had become full of evil. We read in Genesis 6:5 that, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … The flood was a means by which the world is sort of un-created by the waters of chaos. God allowed time to build the Ark, which would be the means by which the creation would be saved from the flood. … <br /><br />Peter speaks about the flood story as a prefiguring of Baptism. … God has been patiently allowing time for the Gospel to spread and for people to respond to it, just as God patiently waited for the ark to be built. As the flood washed sin from the world, so Baptism (as the entry to the body of Christ) washes us from sin and connects us to Christ. Noah’s family and the animals were saved through the waters in the ark, and Christians are saved through the baptismal waters by being connected to Christ and his resurrection. <br /><br />This way of looking symbolically at parts of the Old Testament was used extensively by the early Church Fathers. Our Old Testament reading is, of course, part of the Flood story that we read in Genesis chapters 6 to 9. Our reading today is the very end of that story which uses the word “covenant” extensively, which invites us to consider the covenants God has made with human beings. A covenant is a kind of treaty given by the more powerful party. Here God promises (as a part of a covenant) to not flood the earth like this again. … Christ too makes a covenant which we celebrate every time we share in the Eucharist. He says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Lk 22:20- see Jeremiah 31:31-33 and Hebrews 7-8).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Baptism is the means by which we enter into the participation in this new covenant. <br /><br />Early Church commentators saw many symbolic connections to Christ and the church in the flood story. The early church found in Noah an image of Christ. He represents faithfulness in a sea of sin. … Just as creation was rescued from death and chaos of the flood through Noah and his ark, so Christ will save from death and sin. Christ becomes the hope for creation. … Just as through Noah God saves creation through the wood of the ark, so God saves creation through Christ and the wood of the cross. … St. Augustine said the ark is </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“a figure of the church that was saved by the wood on which there hung [Jesus Christ] … As for the door in the side, that surely, symbolizes the open wound made by the lance in the side of the Crucified- the door by which those who come to him enter in, in the sense that believers enter the church by means of the sacraments that issued from that wound. … So it is with every other detail of the ark’s construction. They are all symbols of something in the church” (City of God 15.26).</blockquote>The Early Church saw symbolism everywhere in this story. Like Peter, some early interpreters saw the flood as representing baptism, which washes away our sinful nature (Maximus of Turin in Sermons 50.2). The mixture of clean and unclean animals aboard the ark some saw as representing imperfection within the church, while the variety of animals was seen as representing salvation of all the nations within the church (Augustine in Faith and Works 27.49; Tractates on the Gospel of John 9.11.1). The dove that returned with the olive branch they saw as representing the Holy Spirit that came to Jesus at the time of his baptism (Ambrose in Letters 40.21; Bede in Homily 1.12; Maximus of Turin in Sermons 49.3). <br /><br />The Early Church saw many rich layers as they read the Scriptures, and they saw Christ everywhere as they read. In the flood story they saw salvation as resting on one person- Noah and the Ark. Similarly, our salvation depends on Christ. Through Noah creation is saved. Likewise, the work of Christ extends beyond human beings to affect the rest of creation as well (See Romans 8). And after the flood, God establishes a new relationship with humanity through a covenant. Likewise, through Christ, humanity is invited into a new covenant. … The Early Church saw that what God did through Christ was in line with what God has been doing throughout the ages. <br /><br /> The flood story is an example of how seriously sin is taken by God. This isn’t just about sneaking an extra piece of cake, or the negative attitude we have towards a certain person. It is about that, but it is so much bigger. The sin in our lives compounds and spreads, effecting other people. It has a kind of entropy effect, it creates a slippery slope, where one sin leads to another, which leads to a worse sin, which leads to suffering that we don’t even want to think about. Sin is like a virus that infects and spreads. … And then we imagine the world Noah was living in where, ‘The wickedness of humankind is so great that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts is only evil continually.' … Evil moves in degrees. Nazi Germany didn’t happen overnight. Pol Pot’s Cambodia didn’t happen overnight. The attitudes that led to the genocide in Rawanda didn’t arise overnight. … The sin that is not healed today can become something horrifying if it is allowed to grow. <br /><br />In Lent, we are once again invited to consider our Baptismal Covenant. We are invited to seek out any ways that we need to turn away from sin in our lives. Where has sin found a place to live in my heart? Perhaps it seems small. Seeds are small. It’s easier to dig up a seed, than cut down a tree and grind out the stump. … But we don’t just turn away from sin, more importantly, we turn towards Christ and accept all the ways he wants to help us. Is there any part of my heart that isn’t turned towards Christ? That is probably the more important way to think. … We are invited to turn to him as the one who can save us from the destructive and infectious power of sin. <br /><br /> <br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-46759296609757140022024-02-12T08:55:00.000-08:002024-02-12T08:55:44.105-08:00Transfiguration- the height of the season of Epiphany- Mark 9<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieroVUHC2ppi9glIdMxCk9TivYhaIns7zZRgLltlrSWEMngBeACWB6oYPoneZkVebL3b1TFr3qsiDDfIjmHviqmPAEr9ohrcJLoV8i3JB7hOdv7j4p246ckBmzhN2W2ejxT-t2196ZcycssgfxsszSmW99h33cDkmEn0GmDxF1h954ZD7f2M3Ox87QRufj" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3900" data-original-width="2700" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieroVUHC2ppi9glIdMxCk9TivYhaIns7zZRgLltlrSWEMngBeACWB6oYPoneZkVebL3b1TFr3qsiDDfIjmHviqmPAEr9ohrcJLoV8i3JB7hOdv7j4p246ckBmzhN2W2ejxT-t2196ZcycssgfxsszSmW99h33cDkmEn0GmDxF1h954ZD7f2M3Ox87QRufj=w274-h396" width="274" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+9%3A2-9&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Mark 9:2-9</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">This is the last Sunday of Epiphany. It started with the visit of the Magi, and then the Baptism of Jesus where the Holy Spirit descended on him and the voice of the Father said, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mk 1:11).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … Throughout this season we have been reading passages of Scripture that have been giving us glimpses of who Jesus really is. People have ‘epiphanies’ as they see Jesus teach and heal, and as he casts out demons who identify him as the Holy One of God. <br /><br />Our reading today, at the peak of the season of Epiphany, is the Transfiguration of Jesus. This reading is introduced by an unusual healing of blindness, which is a bit of a hint towards healing spiritual blindness. <br /><br />The healing is at Bethsaida (Mk 8:22-26). Jesus leads the man outside the village, and when he first heals him, he has a partial healing of his sight. Then Jesus lays his hands on his eyes and his sight is fully restored. … Right after this two-stage healing Jesus asks his disciples about who people say he is, to which they answer, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets” (Mk 8:28).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Then he asks who the Disciples say he is and Peter responds saying, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“You are the Messiah” (8:29).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> At this point Jesus starts talking about how he will have to suffer, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, the scribes and be killed. Peter rebukes Jesus for saying these things because the Messiah is not supposed to be rejected and killed. … This is where Jesus then rebukes Peter saying, “Get behind me, Satan. For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’”. … <br /><br />So, we have a partial healing of spiritual blindness. … The disciples are able to see that Jesus is the Messiah, but they can’t fully see what it means to be the Messiah because they can’t see how suffering is a part of that role, and they are even willing to rebuke the one they call “Lord” to try to correct his mistaken understanding of the role of the Messiah. Their view of Jesus has improved, but they are in need of further healing of their spiritual sight. <br /><br />What does Peter need in order to heal his spiritual sight? What can help him grasp that Jesus might know what he is talking about, regarding the Messiah’s path through suffering? What can help Peter heal his spiritual sight? <br /><br />Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, up a mountain. There, we read that Jesus was </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus” (Mk 9:2-4). </blockquote>Imagine being Peter. You just recently rebuked Jesus to correct his view of the Messiah. You rebuked him for saying that the role of the Messiah would include suffering. And now, up on this mountain, Jesus is glowing with divine light, and he is with Moses and Elijah, who are talking to Jesus like they know him. … <br /><br />Moses and Elijah both had encounters with God on a mountain. They represent the height of Israel’s encounter with God. Moses represented the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets. Together they represent the tradition of God’s encounter with Israel. … And they are speaking with Jesus, as if they have met before. <br /><br /> Peter, as the spokesman of the disciples, and realizing the incredible moment they are in, wants to build three dwellings. He wants to extend this moment. … We sometimes tease Peter for this, but it is a completely natural response. Every follower of Jesus hopes to be in the presence of Christ, in his manifest majesty, surrounded by his saints. The vision of the beauty, and the power of God is the source of Christian action. That image of the Kingdom of God having come in power- the source of all love, and joy, and peace- that vision is what has allowed Christians to do incredible things. <br /><br /> I’ll give you an example. In the year 203, there was a woman named Perpetua, who was martyred at the age of 22. She had been recently married and had just had a baby- she was arrested for having become a Christian. She was eventually killed along with five other Christians, as a part of the games celebrating the emperor’s birthday. We have a written account from Perpetua, and she describes visions she had leading up to her death. She writes, <br /><br /><blockquote>“Then I saw an immense garden, and in it a gray-haired man sat in shepherd's garb; tall he was, and milking sheep. And standing around him were many thousands of people clad in white garments. He raised his head, looked at me, and said: 'I am glad you have come, my child.'” <br /><br />“He called me over to him and gave me, as it were, a mouthful of the milk he was drawing; and I took it into my cupped hands and consumed it. And all those who stood around said: 'Amen!' At the sound of this word I came to, with the taste of something sweet still in my mouth. I at once told this to my brother, and we realized that we would have to suffer, and that from now on we would no longer have any hope in this life.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/feasts%20and%20seasons/christmas%20and%20epiphany/Transfiguration-%20Mark%209-%202024.docx#_ftn1">[1]</a></blockquote><br /> She went to her death with incredible courage because she held onto the vision of Christ- The one who loves her, and who is calling her to himself, to a place where death has no more power. … Someone else completes the story from his perspective, describing how she walked before the blood-thirsty crowd who came to see the spectacle of their deaths. He says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Perpetua went along with shining countenance and calm step, as the beloved of God, as a wife of Christ, putting down everyone's stare by her own intense gaze.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … She was able to endure this terrible thing because she had an unshakable image of Christ in his glory, and that he loved her, and she would be with him soon. <br /><br /> In Romans 8:18 Paul says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us”.</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Paul had an unshakable vison of Christ, and he knew him to be the source of peace and love. He knew that what Christ has to offer outweighs any pain we can face. <br /><br /> So, what did Peter, James, and John need so that they could be prepared, not only for the reality that the Messiah would suffer, but that they would be called to suffer too? They would need to see a clearer vision of who Christ is. … And they still didn’t completely get it, but they would. That healing of spiritual sight would be completed with the resurrection. … <br /><br /> Let’s look at the rest of what they saw. … They see Jesus transfigured, talking with Moses and Elijah, and then, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!’” (Mk 9:7).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> They see the cloud, like the cloud that filled Solomon’s Temple, and like the column that led the Hebrews in the wilderness by day. It is a manifestation of the presence of God. And from that cloud there comes the voice of the Father that identifies Jesus as the beloved Son, and they are told to listen to him. … God spoke to these fishermen and told them to listen to Jesus- the one they recently rebuked for saying he would have to suffer to fulfil his role as the Messiah. <br /><br /> When all this is over, they make their way back down the mountain and Jesus tells them to not tell anyone about what they saw until after he has risen from the dead (9:9-10). Here again we have a reference to his death. And the disciples are still confused. The complete healing of spiritual sight would have to wait until the resurrection, but progress has been made. … <br /><br />This vision is a glimpse of who Jesus really is. It is a vision that would grow and become more full when they experience the resurrection. And for us, living after the resurrection, we have the benefit of hindsight- we have access to a more complete vision. For us the challenge is fixing that vision into our minds. … Do we really believe it? That Jesus is who he says he is? That those who have told us about him have told the truth? In our sceptical age, when we are so used to getting lied to, that can be a challenge. … Sometimes, even when we believe it, we get distracted from it, and we need to be reminded of it. … <br /><br />When we are facing suffering, or a difficult part of our life, how would it change things for us to have fixed in our minds a strong vision of Christ, the incarnate God, the One who loves us, Who yearns for us to be with Him some day in Paradise surrounded by His saints? … And what if we know that vision not as a nice idea, or a beautiful symbol, but as a powerful reality- As real as the sun in the sky. Jesus is alive right now. He isn’t a fictional character in a book. He isn’t just a figure from history. Jesus, right now, having defeated death, has invited us into his victory. He wants our good. He once said, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> What would it mean to go through the troubles of our life with the reality of that vision in our minds, knowing that some day we will be bathed in that reality with Him. … Can we maybe even project our minds to that future reality, and imagine how we would look back on our present troubles? <br /><br />We will be bathed in his overwhelming love, joy, and peace. We know those things today in a filtered way, like sunlight through sunglasses. The difference will be like taking the sunglasses off and walking outside into a bright summer day at noon. We will be overwhelmed by the beauty, joy, peace, and love of God. … We are invited to look at our lives today from the point of view of that future reality. When we suffer, and when we are worried, and when we are called to forgive, and when we are called to do something that makes us afraid- we are called to hold that vision in our minds and live our lives from that reality- Christ in his glory as king of the universe, surrounded by his saints, and full of love for you. Amen <br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/feasts%20and%20seasons/christmas%20and%20epiphany/Transfiguration-%20Mark%209-%202024.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/perpetua.html<o:p></o:p></p>
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</div><br /><p></p></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-70073101665212851732024-02-05T09:31:00.000-08:002024-02-05T09:31:31.507-08:001 Corinthians 9- Navigating our Society<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0yKbrgGLPM-D0sL7A6Jc_R_QlZbKG-HszCBchSctrkXY4Wu0rp8RopHqjxu-zC8cXpAsLuppC71Cwlv2PirtF_WpRQWkbNNCYxtGy5EU1XSTlMTrmV7ZagaMVsJCovxDWWfUd-W7TZMKHaVcr4gPF9NIEzIZi7nvnjpwEBBg6j_ZHDYV3dJzwFNrvnEgt" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0yKbrgGLPM-D0sL7A6Jc_R_QlZbKG-HszCBchSctrkXY4Wu0rp8RopHqjxu-zC8cXpAsLuppC71Cwlv2PirtF_WpRQWkbNNCYxtGy5EU1XSTlMTrmV7ZagaMVsJCovxDWWfUd-W7TZMKHaVcr4gPF9NIEzIZi7nvnjpwEBBg6j_ZHDYV3dJzwFNrvnEgt=w266-h384" width="266" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40%3A21-31%3B+Psalm+147%3A1-12%2C+21%3B+1+Corinthians+9%3A16-23%3B+Mark+1%3A29-39&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm147:1-12, 21; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is a fascinating peek into how Christians in the early Church were trying to live out the way of Christ. I want to explore this a bit more generally this morning. <br /><br />In the first century, there was an advantage to becoming a follower of Jesus as a Jewish person living In Israel. A person who grew up in a Jewish society at that time meant that they spent their whole life being shaped by the Scriptures and the rhythms of their religion. The rhythm of society would have largely encouraged you to keep your mind on God. You would have seen people around you praying and fasting regularly, and you would probably feel a societal pressure to do so. Little boxes containing pieces of Scripture called Mezuzahs would have been fixed to the doorframes of houses as a reminder of their covenant with God, and the commandments they had been given to direct their lives. On the Sabbath everything would have slowed into a time of rest, and families would go to the synagogue. Three times a year just about everyone would have gathered in Jerusalem for the major feasts, and to worship at the Temple. Society would have reinforced a sense of identity as people of the covenant, and they would have been surrounded by reminders of their responsibilities before God. <br /><br />To come to believe in Jesus as the Messiah in this environment would have been revolutionary, but it would have been experienced as a completing- as a drawing all things together. In this society, the teachings of Jesus focused on motivations and the inner life- People are generally doing the right thing, but are they doing it for the right reason? Charitable giving was already valued, but Jesus says don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing; don’t do it to show off. Fasting and prayer were already practiced and valued, but Jesus corrected these practices by teaching the people to do them secretly, rather than to show off how spiritual you are. They knew that adultery was wrong, but Jesus taught them to look deeper and deal with the lust in their hearts before it had a chance to grow. … Jesus taught that love should be the inner motivating reality- Love should be expressed even towards enemies, and Jesus challenged his society’s prejudicial attitudes towards Samaritans and Gentiles. … <br /><br />In Jesus, the people took the next step into relationship with God- the God who has come to visit them as Jesus- Jesus who completed sacrifice and replaced the temple as the meeting place with God. … The shaping of their life, the rhythm of prayer, the stories they heard in Scripture, would have all flowed into this new understanding of the Messiah and the New Covenant that Jesus established. <br /><br />It was a very different thing to have grown up in a Greco-Roman Pagan environment. The stories of the gods, might have been interesting, but the gods certainly didn’t give moral examples to be admired or imitated. Paganism wasn’t about teaching people to be being moral. The gods had to be appeased and kept from being offended, but favours could be asked for as well. The religious atmosphere was diverse. There were many different gods and many different temples. There were sacrifices, and temple prostitution. Men were permitted to express their sexual desires as they wished, more or less. There were offerings made in worship of the Roman Emperor, and that was considered a civic duty. Business meetings and family celebrations would often happen in halls attached to temples where offerings would be made, and a feast would take place, where the god would be considered one of the guests of the banquet. They believed that for groups of people to refuse to worship the gods could put the whole city in danger, if one of the gods took offence at this. Slavery was widespread. Between 10-20% of the Empire were slaves, but I’ve read that in some cities may have been half slaves. It was a culture marked by power and strength. There was no place for humility or forgiveness. Human beings did not have an inherent dignity by virtue of being human. There was a hierarchy of worth, and near the bottom of that hierarchy human beings were mere property. <br /><br />To become a Christian in that environment was a very different situation from growing up in a Jewish society. New Gentile Christians would have all kinds of cultural habits to break, and would have all kinds of questions about how to navigate their society. Recently, our readings from First Corinthians have addressed meat dedicated to idols. That was pretty much the only meat available in the markets, unless you were wealthy enough to raise your own animals. Could they eat meat from the market, knowing that the meat came from a sacrifice at a Pagan temple? … Could they go to a business meeting at the hall of the temple, knowing that sacrifices were made to the god of that temple, and the feast itself was thought to be a meal with that pagan god? … There were very real consequences to how these questions were answered. It could mean that you ate as a vegetarian (Like Daniel and his friends while in exile in Babylon). But, what do you do if you are invited to someone’s home? Is it important enough to risk offending your host? This could dramatically change a person’s social life, and their ability to network and do business. … <br /><br />We have experienced a shift in our society, and I think it can help us relate to both of these societies, to some degree. … When I was a kid, I remember Canadian Tire putting out a sign saying that they would be open on Sundays. I remember people talking about that. There was a time when we (in Red Deer) had a pattern of life that leaned us a bit more towards Christianity. I remember praying the Lord’s Prayer in school until grade 3. Stores were mostly closed on Sundays. Sports clubs didn’t meet on Sunday mornings. This meant people were free to go to church and spend time with their families because almost no one was working. There were guidelines for television and radio that expressed a generally shared sense of morality and modesty. There was mostly a shared attitude towards the Bible, and to call someone a ‘good person’ was synonymous with calling someone a ‘Christian’. … This is sometimes called “Christendom”. It had its problems, so I’m not being nostalgic. But, it did give a baseline assumption that Christianity was true and good. When people woke up on Sunday morning, going to church was something that was generally in people’s minds (even if they didn’t go). <br /><br />Now, most stores are open on Sundays, and they have extended their hours into the evenings. There is a lot happening that can get in the way of attending church on Sunday Morning. The guidelines for what we can see on television doesn’t seem to care much at all for a Christian sense of modesty or morality. To call someone a “Christian” no longer automatically means calling someone a “good person”. To some, it might even be considered an insult. … <br /><br />I’m not saying Christians are oppressed. We should talk to our brothers and sisters in the Middle East, China, and parts of Africa before we comment about being oppressed. … But we are aware that Christianity is no longer assumed. Christian principles still haunt our culture under the surface, but our culture doesn’t necessarily lean us towards Christian formation. The TV networks aren’t going to help you decide what is appropriate to watch. Our society’s patterns aren’t going to lean you towards church attendance, regular prayer, charitable giving, or an awareness of the stories in the Bible. It’s up to us to navigate these waters. <br /><br />Growing up as a Jewish person in Israel, in Paul’s day, meant that the society would have done a lot of the heavy lifting regarding your spiritual life. The patterns would have been imposed on you. … But as a new Gentile Christian living in a Greco-Roman world, you would have been living with constant friction with your society as you tried to discern and choose how you would live as a faithful Jesus follower. <br /><br />Paul was traversing these different environments as he tried to guide these communities. It would have been easy for there to be two different churches- a Jewish Christian Church, and a Gentile Christian Church. But Paul believed that Christ came to draw people into a new humanity, where those kinds of divisions are overcome in the Kingdom of God. Paul is trying to help these Christians navigate these tricky waters. <br /><br />Paul’s letter to the Corinthians seems to have been in response to some challenges that were being thrown at him and his teachings. Some in the Corinthian church believed that their freedom in Christ meant that they were free in a way that allowed them to do things like go to feasts at pagan temples for family gatherings and business meetings. Paul seems to have forbidden this, and in 10:21-22 probably restates his position on this matter, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … But even if they were right that they could participate in such feasts because the Pagan gods have no power, Paul encourages them to act out of love for a fellow Christian who might be scandalized by this or even tempted back into Paganism by being drawn into these temple feasts. <br /><br />Christian freedom is not about what we can ‘get away with’ before getting in trouble. The freedom of a fish is to swim. To “free” it from the water is not freedom for the fish. The freedom we are called to (in Christ) is the freedom to be who we were created to be. Just as the fish has a nature, so we have a nature. We are made in the image of God and just as water is the place for a fish to be free, so being immersed in God is freedom for us. There is an ordering to reality, and freedom is to find our proper place in that larger order. <br /><br />People might think using drugs is an expression of our freedom, but that could very easily lead to not having the freedom to have a life without drugs. … It’s not just drugs, all sin works this way. Drug abuse is just a kind of gluttony. Pride, greed, anger, jealousy, envy, lust, and sloth, are just as likely to trap us and steal away our freedom to not be ruled by them. To choose them means losing the freedom to be joyfully following the ways of God. <br /><br />Paul says that he is free in Christ in important ways that allow him to go into Gentile homes and eat with them, and he is also free to go to the synagogue and eat with them. His freedom is for the purpose of sharing the life of Christ with them, not to serve his own personal desires. His freedom allows him to be who God has made him to be. <br /><br />In Red Deer, we are dealing with a changing society. More and more we will be called to make decisions regarding how our soul is being shaped by different parts of our society, and how our behaviour influences the souls of those around us, especially our fellow Christians. Like Paul, we are being called to navigate very tricky waters. … May the Holy Spirit grant us discernment to know how to use our freedom in service of God, rather than merely for ourselves. AMEN <br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-62658281144688762252024-01-29T10:16:00.000-08:002024-01-29T10:17:01.336-08:00A Prophet like Moses and an Unclean Spirit- Deut 18 and Mark 1<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaMakC2dFN727_bLwuWHXm572oUvf33UMtDTeb2O-fHCmYBy0R1oBjAbEBa5CgaVA0BL7_XL9iPdTqjTYqzDgmJq_kGRNcVe18hjbNq55y5Jj_cq5fWRdz7uhYF8rIWOYFMKMLU36chSBeh-iFKzPguW4PEMnk2dw-9W0wNPvxF-LZ7-MZJPrd5sLoJaM/s1950/moses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXaMakC2dFN727_bLwuWHXm572oUvf33UMtDTeb2O-fHCmYBy0R1oBjAbEBa5CgaVA0BL7_XL9iPdTqjTYqzDgmJq_kGRNcVe18hjbNq55y5Jj_cq5fWRdz7uhYF8rIWOYFMKMLU36chSBeh-iFKzPguW4PEMnk2dw-9W0wNPvxF-LZ7-MZJPrd5sLoJaM/w263-h380/moses.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+18%3A15-20%3B+Mark+1%3A21-28&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Mark 1:21-28</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />In our reading from Deuteronomy Moses tells the people that God will raise up a prophet like Moses from among the people. <br /><br />God, through Moses, performed great signs and wonders in Egypt in order to rescue the Hebrew people from slavery. Moses also acted as a mediator between God and the people. The people discovered what God was like, and what expectations God had of them. There was no equal to Moses among the prophets in the Old Testament. … The Bible tells us </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“… the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). </blockquote><br />God established the Covenant on Mt. Sinai through Moses. And Moses let the people know the state of their relationship with God as they wandered through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. … The role of the prophet is to make the mind of God known. A prophet calls people to turn back to God. A prophet reminds them of the Covenant they have made with God, especially when they have ventured off the path. <br /><br />Moses has led them, and he knows his time with them is coming to a close. Deuteronomy is Moses’ final words to the people. They will have to go on without him. … But, now there is a promise that there will be another like Moses. In our reading God says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to [the people] everything that I command” (Deur 18:18). </blockquote><br />In Acts 3, after Peter is involved in healing a man who couldn’t walk, he starts to teach the crowd that gathers, and he quotes this passage. Moses said, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you. And it will be that everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly rooted out from the people.” (Acts 2:22-23). </blockquote><br />When Jesus feeds the five thousand with the 5 loaves and 2 fish we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, ‘This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world’” (Jn 6:14).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> They saw bread and meat miraculously being given to the crowds in the wilderness, and their minds were drawn to Moses, who likewise was with the Hebrew people, who were fed with manna and quail by God in the wilderness. <br /><br />And just a chapter later, in John 7, after Jesus had been teaching, we see the crowd divided over who Jesus is. We read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ … ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?” (Jn 7:40-41). </blockquote><br />In Matthew, Jesus goes up a mountain to give the Sermon on the Mount. Which sounds a bit like Moses on Mt. Sinai receiving the Law. … Jesus calls 12 disciples, just as Moses gathers the elders of the 12 tribes of Israel. … Jesus sends out the 70 (or 72) to heal and declare that “the Kingdom of God has come near to you” (Lk 10). Moses also called 70 (or 72) elders (Num 11:16-25). … And on the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus is speaking with Moses and Elijah (Matt 17), but not in in a submissive way, as if Moses was his superior. <br /><br />God says about this expected Prophet like Moses, </span><span style="font-size: large;">“I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet”, but Jesus was the Word of God in the flesh (Jn 1:14). </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">He didn’t Just speak God’s words, he was (and is) “the Word”. Jesus is not just a prophet.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Jesus is “God with us”. … He doesn’t establish the tabernacle for worship, he is the Tabernacle where God is present to the people. … He doesn’t establish a system of sacrifices overseen by priests, he is the sacrifice and the High Priest. … When the people are questioning who this son of a carpenter is that he can be speaking with such authority, Jesus quotes Isaiah 54:13, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me” (John 6:45).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … Jesus is the expected prophet, and he is so much more. <br /><br />We continue to be in the season of Epiphany, and we continue to see people have epiphanies about who Jesus is. Something about him is revealed. Not everyone sees it, which is why his presence causes division. Some see that he is the Prophet that they were expecting, who Moses spoke about. Others doubt. <br /><br />In our Gospel reading from Mark, we read about Jesus teaching in the Synagogue on the sabbath. This is the first chapter of Mark, so Jesus just began his public ministry. The people don’t really know who he is yet. … The people notice that his teaching is different. He teaches with authority. The Scribes teach by leaning on the authority of something else. Jesus seems to have this authority within him. <br /><br />While Jesus is teaching, a man with an unclean spirit cries out. … I feel this this is a spot where were we should just pause and have a bit of an aside. … In the modern secular west, we have largely moved talk about spirits and demons to the realm of fantasy and superstition. Sophisticated people don’t take this stuff seriously. … We think that demons are a primitive way of explaining mental illnesses, or other unusual human behaviours. … <br /><br />I heard a preacher named Timothy Keller talk about this, and he pointed out that outside of the modern west, the idea that there is a battle between unseen spiritual forces of good and evil is largely taken for granted. Not only is it taken for granted, but they believe they experience this reality. They think the idea of this battle helps to make sense of the world. <br /><br />In the modern West, we have almost eliminated the idea of evil. We will use the categories of nature and nurture. We will medicalize it and say that the terrible thing we see someone do is a symptom of a mental illness. … Or, we will see it as a symptom of a sociological problem. … So, we might say that the person who did that awful thing was brought up in an abusive home, or they grew up in a rough neighbourhood- there were societal factors that caused this to happen. … Nature or nurture. Psychiatry or sociology. Broken brain, or broken environment. … <br /><br />I’m not denying that these are very important factors. They are. But it’s a bit flat. … One problem with this is that personal choice seems to be gone. The freedom of the individual to do good or bad doesn’t exist. The individual it just a function of their biology and their community. That’s all. So individual freedom is gone as a source of evil. <br /><br />The other thing that gets eliminated is the influence of the unseen realm- spiritual beings. We, sophisticated, modern people don’t seem to be willing to entertain the notion that there can be such a thing as unseen spiritual beings that can have an influence on people. … But maybe that’s being a bit narrow-minded. Maybe it’s too simplistic. Maybe reality is more complicated than this. Maybe we should leave open a possibility that this talk about unseen spiritual beings points to something we don’t really know much about. Maybe we should try to consider that the modern western secular way of looking at things doesn’t always have everything figured out. … Maybe we should consider that people in other parts of the world, for whom spiritual realities are very real, shouldn’t be so quickly dismissed. Maybe we are being culturally narrow-minded when we dismiss these people as being just superstitious. … <br /><br />If we can open ourselves to believe in God (an unseen spiritual being) then why would it be such a stretch that there might be other lesser spiritual beings? And why would it be impossible to believe that some of those beings might be hostile? … That’s all I wanted to say about that. We often pass over the unclean spirit bits of the Bible without saying much. … And that’s mostly okay because they aren’t the point. In our Gospel reading today, the unclean spirit isn’t the point. <br /><br />Jesus is teaching in the Synagogue on the sabbath. The people recognize that his teaching has authority. And suddenly a man with an unclean spirit cries out. What does he say? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." … </blockquote><br />We are in the season of Epiphany. It is a time of revealing. … The unclean spirits know who Jesus is. They know that he will be their destruction, and they know that he is the Holy One of God. … Jesus tells the spirit to be quiet and to leave the man, and it obeys. (Jesus probably tells it to be quiet because he doesn’t want too much information to get out before the right time. Similarly, he sometimes heals people and tells them to not tell anyone.) Jesus tells the unclean spirit to leave and there is no fight. Jesus doesn’t even pray, he just commands and it has no choice but to obey. … So, though it comes from an unclean spirit, it reveals to those present that Jesus is the Holy One of God. <br /><br />Jesus is the prophet that Moses spoke about, but he is so much more than what they were expecting. He doesn’t just have God’s words in his mouth, he is God’s Word in the flesh- he is the Holy One of God. To encounter Jesus is to encounter God. … In Deuteronomy, the people are called to do something in response to this prophet when he is revealed. In our reading God says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I will raise up for them a prophet like [Moses] from among their own people; I will put my words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in my name, I myself will hold accountable” (Deut 18:18-19).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> We are called to heed what he says. We are to listen and take seriously what he says. We are not to be admirers, but followers- disciples- apprentices in kingdom living. … May we be found having taken his words seriously. Lord, have mercy. AMEN </span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-76133756817445414202024-01-17T20:32:00.000-08:002024-01-17T20:32:25.757-08:00The Call of God- 1 Sam 3<p> </p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPdsqyPebpOgyrm1iq_CcoQhv88r55BhU_eLrndywWM5FWn2qgkflNHmZY2Kf2wqoGiTgBH5ti4Bdywy8d_ACvf1foTA78qIPx6piYz6E9EGZERTPnZ7w0x9L9TtzURKUin7LEolaj4uQ03wl5qcuMe3wrECnmAqyGBwGWU1wXTqfjxUYnSMSCOu5BDQ2a" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3900" data-original-width="2700" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPdsqyPebpOgyrm1iq_CcoQhv88r55BhU_eLrndywWM5FWn2qgkflNHmZY2Kf2wqoGiTgBH5ti4Bdywy8d_ACvf1foTA78qIPx6piYz6E9EGZERTPnZ7w0x9L9TtzURKUin7LEolaj4uQ03wl5qcuMe3wrECnmAqyGBwGWU1wXTqfjxUYnSMSCOu5BDQ2a=w261-h377" width="261" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+3%3A1-20%3B+Psalm+139%3A1-5%2C+12-17%3B+1+Corinthians+6%3A12-20%3B+John+1%3A43-51&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">1 Samuel 3:1-20; </a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+3%3A1-20%3B+Psalm+139%3A1-5%2C+12-17%3B+1+Corinthians+6%3A12-20%3B+John+1%3A43-51&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; </a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+3%3A1-20%3B+Psalm+139%3A1-5%2C+12-17%3B+1+Corinthians+6%3A12-20%3B+John+1%3A43-51&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 6:12-20; </a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+3%3A1-20%3B+Psalm+139%3A1-5%2C+12-17%3B+1+Corinthians+6%3A12-20%3B+John+1%3A43-51&version=NRSVACE" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">John 1:43-51</a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>We continue to be in the season of Epiphany, which is a time when we consider how God has made Himself known to us. It is a time of revealing. So, in our readings we see the epiphany of the priest Eli as he realizes God is revealing Himself to little Samuel. We also see the epiphany of Nathaniel as he realizes Jesus is the Messiah because he saw him under the fig tree, which was a common place for study and prayer in hot weather. <br /><br />Our readings today are also marked by a theme of God’s call. God called little Samuel into the life of a prophet. And Jesus calls Philip and Nathaniel to Follow him. <br /><br />The book of Judges is a book about the deterioration of God’s people. By the end of the book they are in a deep dark hole. This is what’s happening when we meet Samuel. <br /><br />The spiritual state of the people probably has something to do with why it says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> It could be that God wasn’t active in communicating, but I suspect it is more likely that the people had become unable to hear God, due to their spiritual state. <br /><br />There are things we can do that will make it hard for us to hear God’s word to us. Sin will make it hard to hear God’s word to us. If we are unwilling to follow God’s directions, that will also make it harder for us to hear God. We might also lead a life of distracted hurry where we rarely take time to be quiet- that too will make it difficult to hear God. <br /><br /> It is during this dark time in the history of Israel that we meet little Samuel, who was placed into the care of the priest Eli by his parents. He has been growing up serving in the temple and being trained under the old priest Eli. <br /><br />We read that the priest Eli was sleeping in his room near the Tabernacle, and Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle near the Ark of the Covenant when Samuel hears a voice calling him. <br /><br /> This might be obvious, but it is worth pointing out that we have a God who communicates. Our Bible is full of descriptions of God communicating with people- God communicates with all kinds of people in all kinds of ways. Our God wants to communicate, but it’s more than that. God wants to have a relationship with His people. <br /><br /> At this moment of darkness and transition God chooses a young boy to be his prophet. I suspect this has to do with the humility Samuel represents. When asked who was the greatest in the kingdom of God, Jesus replied, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt 18:4). </blockquote><br /> It is also important that there is at least some willingness towards doing what God is asking. Those God communicates with are often full of hesitation, and that is usually connected to their humility. Moses thinks God should pick someone else because he isn’t a good communicator, for example (Exodus 3:11). When the prophet Jeremiah is first called, he responds to God saying, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I do not know how to speak; I am too young” (Jer1:6).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> And we see that kind of reaction over and over when God speaks to various people, but they eventually overcame their initial hesitation to do what God was asking them to do. An openness to do what God is asking them to do seems like an important part of this. If God knew that there was no chance of partnering with a person to do the task, then why would God communicate with that person. <br /><br /> So, humility and obedience to God’s will seem to be important elements for hearing God. Perhaps this is why Jesus chose fishermen rather than religion scholars when he was calling for his disciples. They were teachable, and they were people of action. <br /><br /> Little Samuel is sleeping when he hears a voice calling to him. Twice he thinks the old priest Eli is calling to him. To Samuel, the voice he heard seemed familiar. It was so familiar to him that he thought it was the voice of the man who was a father to him, so he ran to Eli. <br /><br />God’s voice also called him by name. God didn’t call into the crowd saying, “can anyone hear me”, waiting for someone to respond. … God didn’t say, “you boy”. … God said, “Samuel”. No, God is personal. God knows us intimately. Our Psalm today speaks about how God knows us all intimately- </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away” (Psalm 139:1-2).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> God speaks as someone who knows you. Samuel didn’t seem frightened or disturbed by the voice, which to me says that there much have been a warmth to the voice. <br /><br /> There is also a persistence to God’s voice. God didn’t just call out once and then give up. God gave Samuel time to figure out what was going on, so he kept calling. … But notice how important Eli’s guidance is here. What if Eli told the boy that he was just dreaming and to go back to bed. The guidance of Eli is crucial for Samuel to hear God. … This required wisdom on Eli’s part. People do sometimes dream. And people can hear voices and have hallucinations. Eli had to use a discerning wisdom to help Samuel understand what was happening. … By the third time Samuel came to him he realized what was going on, and he gave him guidance, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'” </blockquote><br /> Samuel follows Eli’s direction and hears a message from God. But it isn’t a pleasant message. Part of hearing God is being willing to do the difficult thing God is asking. God gave a message that Eli’s irreverent and hypocritical sons would be removed from service as priests. Understandably, Samuel doesn’t want to share what God Spoke to him, but Eli insists. <br /><br /> I think this is another aspect of the story we don’t want to miss. A prophet who has to share difficult news finds it painful to do so. Samuel wasn’t happy about this news. The prophet Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet. He loved his people, but he saw the terrible things that were going to happen to them as consequences of their choices. … True prophets were willing to speak the hard words of necessary correction- and they were hard words to speak, as well as being hard words to hear. <br /><br /> I think that Samuel was called to a very specific ministry as God’s prophet, and so he heard God in a very specific way. … I also believe that God speaks to people now. <br /><br /> Generally, God probably won’t make a point of communicating something to us that is plainly a part of the overall message of Scripture. I suspect God probably isn’t going to wake us up in the middle of the night to tell us not to murder. That is something that we should know generally from our study of the Scriptures. Generally, when we take Scripture as a whole, there are principles we can derive from it. And as Christians, that also means reading it through the person of Jesus. When we do that, we have a pretty good sense of God’s general direction for us as human beings. … <br /><br />Knowing the Scriptures this way is also important for discerning God’s voice when He speaks to us in a more specific and individual way. God’s voice is going to be consistent with who Jesus is as the incarnate Word of God. … The general principles we can derive from the Scriptures aren’t going to tell us if we should get married, or which individual we should get married to. The general principles we find in Scripture won’t tell what job we should get, or what city we should live in. These are more specific issues that we can ask God about. I suspect that there are issues where God may just want us to choose. God will sometimes give us specific direction, and this can be very subtle. We might not always recognize that God has given us direction. <br /><br /> The main way we hear God personally is through an inner impression, or in our thoughts. An inner impression is something like the feeling of conscience. When you are about to do something that you know is wrong, and you have an inner discomfort, that’s what we call our conscience. Or, when you know you should do something to help someone, the inner pressure you feel is what we call our conscience. … Similarly, you will sometimes have thoughts enter your mind. God doesn’t have to use the vibration of air to stimulate our eardrums. God can insert thoughts directly into our minds. That doesn’t mean that every thought we have is from God. These are things that need to be discerned carefully, and I have to admit that it isn’t always easy to discern between my thoughts and God’s voice. <br /><br /> We should not be surprised that God communicates with us. That is the God we read about in Scripture. Jesus is God with us. Surely communication is a part of why God came to be with us as Jesus. We should expect that God wants to communicate with us. … We should also beware of saying things like, “who am I that God would speak to me?” because the people God speaks to in the Bible seem to have that same kind of reaction. … God spoke to a little boy, not the priest. Jesus didn’t call famous religion scholars when he called his disciples to follow him. … Maybe our not hearing him has to do with our ability to listen, not God’s desire to speak with us. AMEN <br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-32626433171143304252024-01-08T10:28:00.000-08:002024-01-08T10:28:25.663-08:00The Baptism of the Lord- Mark 1<p><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU35z-TlEtLLAXTm3n0in5ZS2kW-S7a5vbI4kVb8bt9ImoyyZXOBdvZ4AgGg3Zo3bfZrJYgmvZ7Bsj8vgM7wLKkVvkW79sO8I2omrc7yoAkK3K_Gi5qCx1H9I13nEnhyKtRKqCFQ1ATMIVSBxddl7fMP80EzLLxnC_UhF-5hYgsWANR4Bdj8HxO9SsnjbC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1419" data-original-width="1909" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU35z-TlEtLLAXTm3n0in5ZS2kW-S7a5vbI4kVb8bt9ImoyyZXOBdvZ4AgGg3Zo3bfZrJYgmvZ7Bsj8vgM7wLKkVvkW79sO8I2omrc7yoAkK3K_Gi5qCx1H9I13nEnhyKtRKqCFQ1ATMIVSBxddl7fMP80EzLLxnC_UhF-5hYgsWANR4Bdj8HxO9SsnjbC=w395-h294" width="395" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201%3A1-5%3B%20Psalm%2029%3B%20Acts%2019%3A1-7%3B%20Mark%201%3A4-11&version=NRSVCE" target="_blank">Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Our readings today begin with Genesis 1. … As our Christian ancestors read these words carefully, they saw God in the beginning, creating. They also saw the Spirit of God “hovering over the waters”, which is almost bird-like (Imagine a bird brooding over eggs). Then, God speaks. … <br /><br />The Church has often seen in these opening versus the presence of the Father, the Spirit, and the Word. And the beginning of John’s gospel tells us that Jesus was God’s Word made flesh. So, at the beginning of creation, the Church saw the Trinity being revealed. <br /><br />This didn’t come out of nowhere. Before the birth of Christ, Jewish scholars were already seeing a kind of mysterious distinction in God. The Bible speaks about God and God’s Spirit; The Word of God; The Son of Man; the Angel of the Lord; and Wisdom. (This becomes more clear when we look at Second Temple literature) … There are times when these are described in ways that don’t seem to draw a thick line between what is being described and God, which can be confusing. At one moment the being is speaking as if it is something like an angel, but then at other times it seems to be God speaking. At times, it seems like we are encountering an angel, but then God seems to be the one being encountered, and we aren’t sure if we are just dealing with an angel anymore. It seems like we are encountering God. … So, there are times when we see glimpses of this mysterious diversity associated with God when we are encountering God in the Old Testament. And looking back on this, the Church saw the persons of the Trinity. <br /><br />At the beginning of Creation in Genesis, the Church saw the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. … Jesus’ ministry was the beginning of a new creation. … <br /><br />The day of his resurrection is sometimes thought of as the 8th day of creation. It took place on the first day of the week, but it was a new first day. It was the first day at the beginning of a new creation. … <br /><br />The beginning of Jesus’ public ministry is marked by his Baptism. Only two of the Gospels talk about the birth of Jesus, but all four speak about his baptism by John in the Jordan River. It was an important moment. In this moment, Jesus would begin his public ministry, which is a new work of creation. <br /><br /> And here at this baptism we encounter the Father, the Spirit, and the Son. The unseen Father calls Jesus His Son. The Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove (we once again see a bird-like image being associated with God’s Spirit). And Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, The Son of God, stands in the waters of the Jordan River to receive the Baptism of John. … The baptism of Jesus is a revealing of God. <br /><br /> The word "Epiphany" comes from a Greek word that has the implication of "appearing", "revealing", “manifestation”, or “showing”. When we suddenly realize something, we say we have had an “epiphany”. So, the season of Epiphany focuses on ‘revealings’. In particular, the season of Epiphany is about God breaking into the world through Jesus. … In the baptism of Jesus, we see the Trinity revealed. We see Jesus’ particular relationship to the Father, and the empowering presence of the Spirit resting on Jesus as he begins his public ministry. Who Jesus is, is revealed. Or, we might say that we get a very big and important part of that puzzle, at least. <br /><br /> It's worth saying something about John’s Baptism. … Ritual washing or bathing was not invented by John the Baptist. … At the time of Jesus, ritual washing and bathing was a well-known practice. … There were washing places before entering the Temple courts, for example. … There was also washing that dealt with ritual uncleanness. There were a number of ways that someone could become ritually unclean, and it wasn’t always connected to sin. Sometimes uncleanness was connected to natural bodily processes or to sickness, so it was about hygiene, rather than sin. Touching the dead body of a loved one to prepare them for burial made a person unclean, but that didn’t have anything to do with sin. … If the uncleanness was about hygiene, rather than sin, then the way to deal with it was time and ritual washing. Then the person was welcomed back to participate in their life as usual. <br /><br />Committing sin would also make someone ritually unclean. When sin was involved, then it would require a particular kind of sacrifice made at the Temple in Jerusalem. This might also require making compensation to the one who was sinned against (depending on the offense). Ritual uncleanness that involved sin required repentance, sacrifice, and compensation, then washing.<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/feasts%20and%20seasons/christmas%20and%20epiphany/Baptism%20of%20Jesus%202024.docx#_ftn1">[1]</a> <br /><br /> We read that John the Baptist “appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” People came confessing their sins and then “were baptized by him in the Jordan River”. … They also did this in the wilderness, which brings to mind Israel’s wandering in the wilderness, as they were being prepared to enter the Promised Land. Similarly, the people who came to John were being prepared for what God was about to do. They were being prepared to enter God’s Kingdom. <br /><br />John’s baptism is pointing to another baptism that is about more than water. John’s baptism is for repentance- it is a preparation for what is about to come. John’s baptism doesn’t have the power to deal with the problem. … John says, “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” <br /><br /> Jesus’s ministry will make it possible for people to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. In and through the community he establishes as his body, people will be baptized in the Holy Spirit, who will complete what the Baptism of John points to. John’s baptism is a preparation. Christ will make a new people, who share the same Spirit, and are citizens if the same heavenly kingdom. … The Spirit will energize the followers of Jesus to spread the news about Jesus and his teachings about the Way he taught to live. The Spirit will break barriers that stand between people- Jew-Gentile, old-young, rich-poor, free-slave, male-female. In the Spirit we are made children of God, through Christ. … The Spirit will connect people to God, because the Spirit will make His home in them. … John’s baptism could merely prepare for this, but only Jesus could bring the people into the Promised Land- the kingdom of God. <br /><br />Jesus joins the crowds that are being baptized by John. Jesus identifies with the crowd- The mass of humanity that is dealing with the twisted knots and dead-ends of the complexity of sin. … The mass of humanity that is dealing with this mess is coming to John for baptism, to repent of it, to be washed and prepared for God, … and Jesus comes with them, identifying with them, as one of them. He identifies with those who are struggling with a world infected by sin. He is not a sinner, but he identifies with us in our sin, and accepts the consequences that humanity inherits, … but he also begins to administer the cure. <br /><br />The baptism of Jesus reveals Jesus’ ministry as the Messiah. He is to become who Israel was meant to be. He is the embodiment of Israel. He will do what Israel was called to do, but failed to do. … <br /><br />He enters the waters of the Jordan to receive baptism, and he will then be led into the wilderness. While in the wilderness we read that “he was with the wild beasts“ (1:13), so some commentators see Jesus going back, not only to the beginning of Israel, but to the very beginning of humanity. As Adam was with the wild animals in the garden, so Jesus is with the wild animals in the wilderness as the new Adam. <br /><br />Israel was meant to represent humanity, as the hope for humanity, to be the light of the world. They inherited the blessing of Abraham to be a blessing to all the families of the world (Gen 12:3). … Jesus is walking the path of Israel as they journeyed to the Promised Land. Jesus will withstand the temptations in the wilderness. He will not fail to be faithful, and will not fail to resist evil. Where Israel failed, Jesus will succeed. … Jesus will enter back into society with his mission to recreate Israel- choosing 12 new tribal elders. He will be the new Moses, and will teach them not just the Law, but the very heart of the law. And he will perfect and complete sacrifice by being both the perfect mediating priest, and by being the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. … God’s original design is getting put back on course through Jesus. <br /><br />God has been revealed in Christ, and he has immersed himself in our mess, so that he can rescue us from it and bring us into a new reality where we can be immersed in the Holy Spirit, and welcomed into the true Promised Land- the Kingdom of God, where Jesus rules as our loving King. <br /></span><br /><br /><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/feasts%20and%20seasons/christmas%20and%20epiphany/Baptism%20of%20Jesus%202024.docx#_ftnref1">[1]</a> See Stephen de Young's contribution in <i>Behold a Great Light</i>. ~page 191 </div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-77698946657169871602023-12-25T06:43:00.000-08:002023-12-25T06:43:45.667-08:00Christmas Day- God enters the ordinary<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5wq2jTPfVSGEtMoQOBKbxpGb3hK_TwARwp-cDU9WBTVwkLFcs1nmT9xVNiBycLvuxnK6EHu3pcbP4e8uzSqq1MZWani2tdxQZBBtCVraXqThEw5E3ODyRplAD4ckNED1utGFBrT8PbEpawaOV6uU_Dj7OgF-AsNcb55kC1GWyL8u3rqum79Hqi7TmXB3/s3849/cmasday_21635c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3849" data-original-width="3664" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5wq2jTPfVSGEtMoQOBKbxpGb3hK_TwARwp-cDU9WBTVwkLFcs1nmT9xVNiBycLvuxnK6EHu3pcbP4e8uzSqq1MZWani2tdxQZBBtCVraXqThEw5E3ODyRplAD4ckNED1utGFBrT8PbEpawaOV6uU_Dj7OgF-AsNcb55kC1GWyL8u3rqum79Hqi7TmXB3/s320/cmasday_21635c.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ligatures: none;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+62%3A6-12%3B+Psalm+97%3B+Titus+3%3A4-7%3B+Luke+2%3A1-20&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Isaiah62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />With all the celebration and decorations surrounding Christmas we can sometimes miss the ordinariness that was a part of the birth of Jesus. <br /><br /> There was nothing special about when Jesus was born. Jesus wasn't born on Yom Kippur, which was the highest holy day in the Jewish year- the Day of Atonement. That would have been a very interesting and theologically appropriate time for Jesus to be born. … But he wasn't, he was born on an ordinary day. The kind of day where you buy your groceries, go to work, clean the house, play with your kids, have coffee with friends. That's the kind of day Jesus was born on. <br /><br /> Jesus was born to an ordinary couple- Joseph and Mary. He wasn't born to a king and queen. Or to a high priest and his wife. We probably couldn't pick Joseph and Mary out of a crowd. Joseph was a carpenter, and Mary seemed to be an ordinary peasant girl. … Jesus has some royal blood, being from the family of King David. But that might have been relatively common in people whose families were from Bethlehem, the city of King David. King David had 20 children. So, in a short amount of time, that family could get pretty big. … For example, I’ve heard that 16 million men can say they are descendants of Genghis Kahn. … <br /><br /> Jesus was born in an ordinary way- which is messy, and painful, and often dangerous. <br /><br />He was born in a fairly ordinary place. … He wasn't born in a palace. He wasn't born in the temple. He wasn't born on Mt. Sinai where Moses received the law. … It was slightly unusual in that Jesus wasn't born in his parent's home. He was born as a visitor. He was probably born in a one room home. There was no room for them in the guest room so they were welcomed to stay with the family in the one room where they lived. … The animals had a space at the back where they would stay at night and the family room would often have either a wooden manger or a kind of bowl dug out of floor which would be used to feed animals. … Jesus was born in a place were people lived their lives- where they cooked, cleaned, ate, slept, and lived everyday life with those they loved. Jesus was born, and swaddled, and they placed him in an ordinary manger, a kind of feeding trough for the animals. The place of his birth would not have been considered special. … He was born in the ordinary way, to ordinary people, in an ordinary place, among other ordinary people. In many ways Jesus' birth was very ordinary. <br /><br /> Part of the story is not very ordinary. … Angels appeared to announce the birth of Jesus. But, they didn't appear to Caesar, or King Herod. The Angels didn't appear to the high priests of the temple, or the religion experts. … The angels appeared to Shepherds. Ordinary, run of the mill, bottom of the social ladder, shepherds. <br /><br /> Luke says (2:9-14), </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">"... there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.' Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, <br /><br /> “Glory to God in the highest heaven, <br /> and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”". </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> This was no ordinary message for these ordinary shepherds. <br /><br />This isn't the first time an angel has appeared in Luke's biography of Jesus. An angel appeared to announce the pregnancy Elizabeth, who would give birth to John the Baptist. The Angel Gabriel appeared to the young virgin Mary and announced that she would miraculously conceive a child, not by the ordinary way, but through the working of the Holy Spirit. This ordinary girl. A virgin. Betrothed to be wed, would conceive a child in a supernatural way. <br /><br /> Continuously, we have this pairing of the ordinary and the extraordinary. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary pregnancy. … Ordinary shepherds are visited by extraordinary angelic beings. … This extraordinary child who is called Jesus (which means God Saves), and Immanuel (which means God-with-us), savior, and Lord- this extraordinary child is born, on an ordinary day, in an ordinary home, to an ordinary couple, and placed in an ordinary straw-filled manger used to feed ordinary animals. Most people went on with their day unaware that anything special happened. <br /><br /> That is the incarnation- God invades the ordinary. "The Incarnation" is really just a big word for what the author C.S. Lewis described as “the author writing himself into the script of the play". The Creator of the universe is embraced as a baby. A real baby. A human baby. A drooling, giggling, cooing, crying, burping, laughing, pooping, fragile, hungry, sleepy, baby. God enters the ordinary. Out of God's amazing love, God the Son comes to us and places himself as a fragile baby into a human mother's arms. <br /><br /> Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, lived as one of us. an ordinary life. He scraped his knee as a boy. He had friends and played. He learned from his parents. He grew up to be a carpenter like his father. He didn't start preaching until he was 30. Most of Jesus' life was lived in an ordinary way. That is what the incarnation is about- God enters the everyday ordinary-ness of human life as one of us. That is what God wanted. God wants to be our Father. The one who is present in our daily lives- our ordinary daily lives. <br /><br /> God became incarnate in Jesus to save us. And what does it mean to be saved? It means to be in God's presence- to accept God's presence in your life. It means that through Jesus, God can be our Father. That is what God has done through the ordinary events of that first Christmas. God has become a part of our everyday ordinary lives. And through our ordinary lives God will bring about the extraordinary. </span><p></p>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-36803363321041222062023-12-25T06:39:00.000-08:002023-12-25T06:39:39.212-08:00Christmas Eve- God takes on flesh and lives among us<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKZofUf2AGWWMQ8vXE7kVz4aABTFM7QiM0my-zYKVb-NGVQja6h5j5H0keoWOTysrqiQc2D5njAWgZ3a4HYWWC-Xkol-Ogh1DYUFjjAKTfZemu4wIOZoNJBRwXP2CtZ4_HXGl3TOkWHLZYQZNT8d-rbaUGsuXi4KDfVbzV-MiRb9aL7cWTChXVHIB8bTC/s3844/cmaseve_21634c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3844" data-original-width="3664" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPKZofUf2AGWWMQ8vXE7kVz4aABTFM7QiM0my-zYKVb-NGVQja6h5j5H0keoWOTysrqiQc2D5njAWgZ3a4HYWWC-Xkol-Ogh1DYUFjjAKTfZemu4wIOZoNJBRwXP2CtZ4_HXGl3TOkWHLZYQZNT8d-rbaUGsuXi4KDfVbzV-MiRb9aL7cWTChXVHIB8bTC/s320/cmaseve_21634c.jpg" width="305" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+52%3A7-10%3B+Psalm+98%3B+Hebrews+1%3A1-12%3B+John+1%3A1-14&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-12; John 1:1-14</a></div><br />Christmas Eve is a magical evening. Even those of us who aren’t usually into tradition will find ourselves caught up in the nostalgia of this evening. The Christmas Tree. Christmas carols. The lights. … And at the center of it all is the nativity scene- Mary, Joseph, and the baby, surrounded by a shepherd or two, along with a few animals. … And all of it bathed in a warm glow, perhaps with the faint smell of peppermint in the air. <br /><br />Often, on Christmas Eve, we tell the Gospel story of Joseph and a very pregnant Mary journeying to Joseph’s hometown of Bethlehem because of a Roman census that required people to register in the place of their birth. It seems that Bethlehem was a bit crowded when they got there, and there was no room for them in the inn, or in the spare room (depending on how you read it). While visiting Bethlehem, Mary gives birth to Jesus, and without a crib to put him in, she swaddles him and places him in an animal’s feeding trough. <br /><br />An angel appears to shepherds who are watching their flocks that night. No one really paid much attention to shepherds, and they weren’t thought of as particularly holy. So, the fact that they would appear to shepherds, rather than the chief priests in the Temple, is a bit topsy-turvy. Nonetheless, they are told the news that in the city of the great King David a saviour has been born. He is the messiah, and this is good news for all the people. They are told how to find the child, and suddenly a multitude of angels appear praising God. … When the angels leave, the shepherds go to see the child that the angels told them about (see Luke 2). <br /><br />Tonight, we didn’t hear that story. Instead, our gospel reading gave us a peak behind the curtain. On the surface, what we see is a child laid in a manger, whose family is visiting a small town because of an oppressive government’s requirement. … But in our reading from John, we see beyond those surface realities. … <br /><br /> John describes the “logos”. Scholars translate that Greek word “Logos” into the English word “Word”, but logos is a complex word. “Logos” was the word that Greco-Roman philosophers used to describe the organizing, rational, integrating principle that permeated the universe. The logos is the power that gives shape and form to the universe. The logos leads the universe to its purpose. The Logos is the principle that organized the universe into planets, and solar systems, and galaxies, and molecules, and living beings. We might think of the Logos as the author of the physical laws of the universe, and the author of biological systems, and DNA. <br /><br />In the Greek version of the Old Testament (LXX), which the New Testament authors seems to be very familiar with, the logos is “the word of the Lord”. We read over and over again that “The Word of the Lord” comes to people like Abraham, Samuel, Elijah and the other prophets. This Logos speaks throughout the Old Testament Scriptures, and is related to wisdom and the Law that orders life. This Word spoke throughout the Old Testament to make God known and to give God’s people direction. <br /><br />John is happily allowing these senses of the word “Logos” to drift together and intermingle in the minds of his original readers. He says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” He starts by saying, “In the beginning”, and so he is drawing our minds back to Genesis and the story of creation. The Word was there at the beginning. And the Word is both God and with God. <br /><br />And this Word isn’t some impersonal force. John describes the ‘Word’ as a person (He is not a human being at this point, but still a person). John continues, “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being”. All of creation owes its existence to the Word- this person, who is both mysteriously God and with God. <br /><br /> John says that this Logos, this Word, became human. He says, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“And the Word became flesh and lived among us”.</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> This is the Incarnation. “Incarnation” comes from two words meaning “in” and “flesh”. So, “Incarnation” means something like “in the flesh”. The “Word” became ‘God with flesh on’. God became flesh and lived among us. Or, as the author Eugene Peterson interprets it in his version of the Bible, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (John 1:14 The Message). </blockquote><br /> This is what is happening behind the scenes- on the surface we see a baby laying in an animal’s feeding trough. He entered so fully into our human reality, that it was possible to miss what was really going on. We could miss him in the crowd. Behind that surface image, though, God has mysteriously come to be among us, as one of us. <br /><br />Why would God do such a thing? … John says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“…to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God”.</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … One very good response to the question “what is the good news of Christianity?” is ‘God became a human being so that human beings might become children of God’. … To be a child of God, is to (somehow) resemble God. … We read in the original creation story that human beings are made in the image of God- God says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion…” (Gen 1:26).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> This image (imprinted into humanity) has been obscured by the mess of sin that we live in. How can we become like God if we have a muddy image of God? … The coming of the Word in the flesh has come to make that image known to us in its most clear presentation. The letter to the Colossians says that Jesus </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“is the image of the invisible God” (Col 1:15).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> If we want to know what the invisible God is like, we look at Jesus. <br /><br />And what do we see when we look at Jesus? <br /><br />In Jesus we see God’s love for those who have lost their way and made bad decision after bad decision. In Jesus we see God’s willingness to be with those who have been rejected. When asked who the greatest in the kingdom of heaven was, he pointed to a little child. In Jesus’ healings and teachings, we see God’s compassion and desire to teach his people a better way of life- one that would heal our souls and our relationships. Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, even Judas (who would betray him). Jesus lived a life of service for others, and so in him we see a God who desires to help us- to rescue us. Jesus wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, and so we see the compassion of God as we mourn the loss of those we love. In Jesus we see a God who is willing to endure the excruciating pain of the cross to help us- to save us. In Jesus we see a willingness to forgive enemies as he forgives those who nailed him to the cross. … If we want to know what God is like, we look to Jesus. And the God we see there is a God who is full of love, mercy, and a desire to help us. We see a God who is for us and not against us. We see a God who wants to live with us, and be a part of our lives. He wants to move into our neighbourhood. <br /><br />Jesus invites us to live his way. He sets up his tent among us to show us how to live. If we let him, he protects us from all that would ruin our souls (that doesn't mean we are protected from having to deal with hard things). If we let him, he provides us with everything we need to become radiant beings made in the image of God. If we let him, he holds us to himself, ensuring that we are secure in his Kingdom, eternally growing into his likeness as we are bathed in his presence. <br /><br />On the surface, we see a baby in a manger, but behind that image is God-with-us. AMEN <br /><br /> <br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-73327840280648879372023-12-18T09:25:00.000-08:002023-12-18T09:25:37.539-08:00Advent 3- He is coming!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVGGPJv_JDS2UrgsHkCH-LTN6I9WY7-bMjzRQvb2bEglsbk6m0iJb39Gj9aYLuKoPXnkzH63BPPCpGIRqMwLGr1PJU54URQ0taI113VNTIBBKW3ez7GnxsgjsXvNoUmgHN6JX7NWfrNqRt-mpaPDRgtq2ww7wACil4oYb6Hzpgj7JFYEy5JStFM-EISNdb" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2935" data-original-width="3420" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVGGPJv_JDS2UrgsHkCH-LTN6I9WY7-bMjzRQvb2bEglsbk6m0iJb39Gj9aYLuKoPXnkzH63BPPCpGIRqMwLGr1PJU54URQ0taI113VNTIBBKW3ez7GnxsgjsXvNoUmgHN6JX7NWfrNqRt-mpaPDRgtq2ww7wACil4oYb6Hzpgj7JFYEy5JStFM-EISNdb" width="280" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2061%3A1-4%2C%208-11%3B%20Psalm%20126%3B%201%20Thessalonians%205%3A16-24%3B%20John%201%3A6-8%2C%2019-28&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; Psalm 126; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe four children arrive in a mystical land called “Narnia”. It is a land ruled by a witch who has caused the whole land to fall under and enchantment that makes it always winter, but never Christmas. It is an oppressive enchantment where nothing grows. There are still good creatures there, but it is an oppressed land. The potential of the land is locked away. The green grass is frozen under the snow. The trees are locked in a winter hibernation. The good people have to avoid the eyes of the witch’s minions. The potential for joy, for love, for laughter, for goodness is frozen. <br /><br />The four children are at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver when they hear that someone is coming to help. … Lewis writes, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“’They say Aslan is on the move- perhaps has already landed.’ And now a very curious thing happened. None of the children knew who Aslan was any more than you do; but the moment the Beaver had spoken these words everyone felt quite different. Perhaps it has sometimes happened to you in a dream that someone says something which you don't understand but in the dream it feels as if it has some enormous meaning- either a terrifying one which turns the whole dream into a nightmare or else a lovely meaning too lovely to put into words, which makes the dream so beautiful that you remember it all your life and are always wishing you could get into that dream again. It was like that now. At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror [He betrays his siblings]. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.” </blockquote><br /><br />Aslan, the great lion, was coming to end the winter and bring spring to the land. He was coming to unleash the potential locked up by the frost. When he comes, the tress could grow their leaves, and the streams could flow, and the fish could jump, and the grass could grow, and each creature could be free to do the good they were born to do. Aslan was coming to free the land from the enchantment that has enslaved it. <br /><br />Word spreads through the frozen land, not unlike John the Baptist’s message, ‘Aslan is on the move'- get ready. Your heart has been enchanted. It has been frozen by fear and sadness. This frost has kept you from being who God has created you to be. Now, get ready- Spring is coming. Aslan is on the move.<br /><br />John the Baptist saw himself as nothing more than a pointing finger. He pointed to Jesus- the lion of Judah. He was quick to say that he was not the light; he was not the Christ; he was not Elijah (He was not the historical Elijah, but he was functioning in the spirit of Elijah); he was not the prophet like Moses they were waiting for. … He wears a prophet’s uniform- camel’s hair and a leather belt- like the great prophet Elijah. The words of the prophets are on his lips. And like the prophets, he speaks God’s message to the people. <br /><br />John the Baptist is a pointing finger. A voice announcing the arrival of the one who will bring spring and banish winter. … When John is asked to explain himself he uses the words of the prophet Isaiah, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord’”. </blockquote><br />John’s voice doesn’t call out from the Temple. It doesn’t even call out from the city of Jerusalem. That’s where we would expect important news from God to come. This voice cries out from the wilderness at the Jordan River. The voice cries out from the place where the Israelites crossed into the Promised Land, leaving their slavery in Egypt behind. <br /><br />Many of the people who heard John would have felt that their land was under a kind of wicked enchantment. They had left exile in Babylon nearly 600 years earlier. The Temple has been rebuilt. But many had a sense that the presence of God hadn’t returned to the Temple. The Ark of the Covenant had gone missing when Babylon invaded and was never seen again. There was a pervasive sense that the high priests of the Temple were corrupt. And they lived under Roman occupation, a pagan empire, which was surely evidence that God was (in some way) withdrawn. <br /><br />And this was on top of the usual enchantment that haunts human existence. We can feel like we live in frozen land where justice is not really able to blossom, where love between neighbours is stifled, where fear paralyses, and sadness makes us feel like exiles. … <br /><br />To imagine a world free from that enchantment is a beautiful thing. Children will no longer be abused in their homes. We will no longer have people we love die because of cancer. We will no longer feel lonely. We will no longer be controlled by fear and anxiety. People will no longer be condemned to a life on the streets because of a mental illness, or addiction. We will finally see justice done. Victims will be healed and restored. Famine and war will be a thing of the past. This is the promised future we wait for- a future where God is fully present with His people. <br /><br />John the Baptist was announcing the arrival of the one who was going to end the oppressive enchantment. … This 3rd week of Advent is a bit unusual. Many of the Advent readings in other weeks speak about the final judgement. The 3rd week of Advent is Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete means “rejoice”. So, this Sunday stands out from what is traditionally a penitential season. We are reminded that, while we should think about the reality of repentance, and preparing for judgement, we should also keep in mind that the coming of the Messiah is news we should celebrate. <br /><br />Yes, I am a part of what has to be changed to make this world what God wants it to be. I am a part of the problem God has to deal with. … The voice crying out from the wilderness is saying that we can be changed. We can be made ready for God’s coming. The road to be made straight for the Lord leads right through our hearts. John’s baptism is about that new start. It is about washing away the old sins and taking on a new way of life. It is about washing away the old false self, and putting on our true self. But John’s baptism was of water. If we are to be truly changed it needs to be more than water. <br /><br />John’s baptism is only a shadow of the baptism that is to come. John points away from himself to one who was greater. John points to the one who will come to baptize the repentant with not only water, but also the Holy Spirit. … The one who will come will fill you with God’s power. He will fill you with God. He will give you the strength to live as people of God’s kingdom. He will bathe the people in God Himself. He will not only forgive and wipe away your sins. He will make it so that God will live in you and change the world through you. … God will deal with me by transforming me- and that is good news because there are parts of me I am tired of dealing with. <br /><br />John said to make the way straight because someone is coming- get rid of anything that is in his way. Jesus is the future John is talking about. Jesus is the future for the whole of creation. It is Jesus that John the Baptist points to, and it is Jesus who we will all be stand before. We will all stand before “The Word of God”, “God with us”, the fully-human and fully-God Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Jesus doesn’t just come and fix things. Things are transformed because Jesus is present- because in Jesus God and creation are brought into harmony. <br /><br />This healing has begun, but it hasn’t finished yet. Much of the land is still under the enchantment that traps it in winter. But Spring has begun. We can see ice melting, and flowers pushing up through the snow. The enchantment is losing its hold on the world. Aslan is on the move. Death has been defeated. Sin has been defeated. The news is spreading. Some day the work will be completed, and Christ’s victory will spread to every corner. AMEN<br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-17783830647647527832023-12-11T08:26:00.000-08:002023-12-11T08:26:46.947-08:00Advent 2- What sort of people ought you to be?<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVEm233dSVDZwlwgASA7IhFkpR4VS2VYjau6YCIcCyV57-8CPcYUWPntnboT79oxs4Vfe-EYkU9hzTYLYHZTpV3pbJSzdSt7KuX2FTs3BseU7l6pnCVKb-oJY9whuTKb9yUzFLKxg73vRbmbBQhXIHox0tThsLfHGgqQ_rpSPiw3Fa0BPbxR-zddNmvA-R" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4200" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVEm233dSVDZwlwgASA7IhFkpR4VS2VYjau6YCIcCyV57-8CPcYUWPntnboT79oxs4Vfe-EYkU9hzTYLYHZTpV3pbJSzdSt7KuX2FTs3BseU7l6pnCVKb-oJY9whuTKb9yUzFLKxg73vRbmbBQhXIHox0tThsLfHGgqQ_rpSPiw3Fa0BPbxR-zddNmvA-R=w450-h322" width="450" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40%3A1-11%3B+Psalm+85%3A1-2%2C+8-13%3B+2+Peter+3%3A8-15%3B+Mark+1%3A1-8&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Isaiah 40:1-11; Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13; 2 Peter 3:8-15; Mark 1:1-8</a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />When we think about the Second Coming of Jesus it can be easy for us to get caught up in the dramatic apocalyptic imagery. There is imagery of angels gathering people, of being caught up in the air, the sun and moon being darkened, and consuming fire. The book of Revelation is full of this imagery, and it is often reusing imagery from Old Testament books. <br /><br />There are Christians who get very tangled in trying to create timelines, and attach present day countries and leaders to these symbols. Within the lifetime of the people in this room there have been various predictions offered. I remember my Opa talking about the founding of the state of Israel and the wars that followed, and how people were connecting those events to predictions of the end times. When I was a kid, I remember seeing the televangelist Jack Van Impe on TV and (without any doubt in his voice) connecting the USSR to various apocalyptic images from the Bible. There were people who were certain about the year 2000 being the end, and then we moved into the Mayan calendar for the end of the world in the year 2012. When COVID started causing countries to shut down, and not allow people to participate in aspects of society without the vaccine, there were Christians claiming we were living in the final days. And now, with the turmoil happening with Israel, there are Christians, yet again, claiming that we are in the end times. <br /><br />There has been a lot of energy spent on creating timelines, dissecting apocalyptic images, and connecting political figures to the image of the Antichrist. So far, they have all been wrong. They seem to speak with incredible confidence about their predictions, as well as disdain for anyone who doubts them (as if they lacked knowledge or faith). <br /><br />I believe that there will be a time when Christ will come again, but I also take Christ at his word that no one knows the time, and he will come like a thief in the night. So anytime someone claims to know the time, I am automatically suspicious. I think time spent drawing up charts and timelines, and seeking the identity of the Antichrist… I think it is misspent energy. <br /><br />If we are concerned about the Second Coming, then our time could be better spent. John the Baptist calls people to repentance and baptism in preparation for the revealing of the Messiah. The Second Letter of Peter likewise says that the delay of the coming of Christ allows for more people to repent. <br /><br />‘Repentance’ can have a pretty negative reputation. We might imagine people filled with self-loathing, and monks whipping themselves. … For quite a while we seemed to think that most of our psychological problems came from bad self-esteem. We used that to explain all kinds of behaviour. … When we think about repentance, we usually think about being confronted about the bad things we do, or have done. It all feels very negative. <br /><br />Repentance, however, isn’t just turning away from something bad, it is also turning towards something good. I would even say repentance is primarily about turning towards the good- turning towards God. That means we will automatically be turning away from something in order to turn towards God. But repentance should be primarily positive because it is primarily turning towards God. The turning away from the bad is almost a side effect. <br /><br />In Peter’s letter, he asks, while we wait for the coming of Christ, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“<b>what sort of people</b> <b>ought you to be</b> in leading lives of holiness and godliness?” (2 Pet 3:11-12).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> In a sense, the question isn’t the timing of the Second Coming that should occupy our thoughts. What should occupy us is what kind of person are we becoming? What kind of people will we be when he arrives? … He answers saying, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish; and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation” (2 Pet 3:14-15).</blockquote>He is telling us to consider the delay of the coming of the Lord to be a good thing, because it allows for more time for repentance, and more time for people to be drawn to God. The saints also talk about repentance as being a continuous process for Christians. The life of a Christian is a life of constantly turning towards God. So having more time for repentance is also about allowing time for a deeper repentance for all of us. So the delay is God’s patience, and a greater salvation. <br /><br />Peter speaks about, holiness, godliness, being found at peace, and being found without spot or blemish, as all being related to what kind of people we ought to be as we prepare for the Day of God. He says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness is at home” (2 peter 3:13).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> In the delay, we are given an opportunity to prepare to live as citizens of the kingdom of God. <br /><br />Imagine living in a country that is governed badly. Leaders are corrupt. Crime is rampant. People treat each other terribly. The laws are not enforced. The people don’t seem to care about doing what is right, or about creating a better society. The people are marked by lust and greed. The people constantly over-indulge in whatever pleasures they can find, ignoring their responsibilities. Their actions are driven by what would be good for them, and them alone- they “look out for number one”. People are constantly at each other’s throats in anger- screaming, disrespecting, attacking. It is full of people acting with ulterior motives- pretending to do something that is good for others, but secretly it is just another scheme that benefits them. It is a country that is often chaotic, but it seems to hold together and bump along. <br /><br />Say you lived in that society. It would be easy to just say ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’. It would be easy to just become like that. If you are surrounded with that, then it would be easy to spit back anger when confronted with anger. It would be easy to grab for what you can get, when you know that that’s what everyone else will be doing. It would be easy to indulge in every sensual desire in a society that encourages it and profits from it. It would be easy to become the kind of person who only thinks about yourself, and looks down on others. <br /><br />But then imagine, you hear about a foreign power that is planning to invade your country. They plan to invade and to impose their own ways of doing things. They plan on governing well. They will deal with crime and enforce the law. … But their invasion isn’t just about laws, it is also about imposing their own societal norms. Their norms assume people will treat each other with kindness, and respect. In their society people genuinely care about each other and want the good of the other. They willingly give to those in need, not grudgingly, but out of genuine care for their good. They give to those who are doing good in their society, because they believe in doing good. They value self-restraint, believing that indulging in our sensual desires can lead to a kind of slavery and addiction. They have a sense of purpose- a sense that their life means something. They have a part to play in the bigger picture and in their relationships with others. They work at their jobs with diligence, and they show the same diligence in their relationships with their family and friends, and also in their volunteer work. Rather than turning on each other in anger and attacking one another, they are quick to forgive, assuming the best in others, and giving them the benefit of the doubt. The people of this society seem to have a genuine admiration for each other. They listen to each other, even strangers, in such a way that they seem to be interested in what they do. They seem to think that everyone has something interesting to say. <br /><br />And their King is a perfect example of all these virtues. He is loved and respected. And they know he loves and respects them too. He is just and kind. He doesn’t have secret selfish motives. He is genuinely good. His advice is sought and followed. He is considered to have wisdom beyond anyone else’s ability. They believe that they are blessed to have his leadership and guidance. They all desire to be like him- they all seek to imitate him in whatever they do- whether it is fixing a car, emptying a trash can, or managing an office. They see him as teaching them how to live- how to be human. <br /><br />So, this country is planning on invading your broken and chaotic country. You find this out because they have sent people ahead to spread the news. Someone has approached you to tell you. Your country resists, but you come to know that it is inevitable. Your country will be taken over. So, you prepare for this invasion by learning to live like someone of the invading country. You learn that there are little pockets of people who gather together to learn to live in this other way. You start learning to respect others. It’s hard because the full invasion hasn’t happened yet, and you are learning to respect people who don’t respect you. You are learning to live with forgiveness and mercy when you are surrounded by anger and hate. You learn to give when those around you just want to take. You learn to restrain when those around you indulge. You learn to live with purpose and diligence, doing good. … And you learn to love the King. You know he already loves you, and you seek to be changed by his love, so that you can fit in as a citizen of his kingdom. <br /><br />This is the situation the early Christians believed we are in. We are anticipating a holy invasion. And we are invited to learn to live as citizens of this new kingdom. The delay gives us time to prepare, so let’s not waste the time we have to prepare. AMEN </span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-57748893108894336772023-12-04T09:10:00.000-08:002023-12-04T09:10:37.573-08:00Advent 1- Watching and Waiting<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1ZQe7YGwurIF6etoSo7Q_rC1zD83JyJwc-jmF_tH9AiE8Mw9giJfRo3nhwDirLsOGxQDE4DaGnJ_S__kYA4KGFo7dWPvg8LgqjNBi10BQskTRiXgbIB1X1wij6sn28_pL_o580OSo-b47SRC3AHe7mooGBrEV-Gjz1kKUdRSXUci7LIpVS8fOES5818-C" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3460" data-original-width="3090" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1ZQe7YGwurIF6etoSo7Q_rC1zD83JyJwc-jmF_tH9AiE8Mw9giJfRo3nhwDirLsOGxQDE4DaGnJ_S__kYA4KGFo7dWPvg8LgqjNBi10BQskTRiXgbIB1X1wij6sn28_pL_o580OSo-b47SRC3AHe7mooGBrEV-Gjz1kKUdRSXUci7LIpVS8fOES5818-C=w268-h301" width="268" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href=" Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37" target="_blank">Isaiah 64:1-9; </a></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href=" Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37" target="_blank">Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; </a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href=" Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37" target="_blank">1 Corinthians 1:3-9; </a></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href=" Isaiah 64:1-9; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37" target="_blank">Mark 13:24-37</a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Advent begins today, which means that today is the start of a new church year. Advent comes from a Latin word that means “coming”, and it a time when we think about the coming of Christ. … <br /><br />This creates a level of tension with our surrounding society. … Just as Lent prepares us for Easter, Advent prepares us for Christmas. Like Lent, Advent is a time of introspection. It is a time of preparation. Society wants to skip the fasts, and go straight into the feasts. So, this is a time when we can feel out of step with our broader society, which is skipping Advent and diving straight into Christmas. <br /><br />We think about Christ’s Advent in three ways. <br /><br />First, we think about the yearning of God’s people for a messiah to save them. We think from the perspective of the past. We think about the brokenness of life, the suffering of existence, and the yearning to be saved from the mess. We think about the words of the prophets. Isaiah yearns for God to come in power, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence” (64:1-2).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> They yearn for God to bring justice, but they also know that they themselves are also part of what needs to be corrected, so Isaiah says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth” (64:6).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> He yearns for God to remake his people, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (64:8).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … We see this same yearning reflected in our Psalm as well. We read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Stir up your might, and come to save us! … Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved” (80:2,7).</blockquote>This yearning culminates in Mary’s “Yes” to God, and her becoming pregnant with the expected Messiah. Mary’s pregnancy is a good image for Advent. She is carrying God’s promise, the answer to the yearning of Israel, and the answer to the yearning of suffering and broken humanity. But he has not been born yet. It is an expectation. <br /><br />So, the first way we think about Advent is through the perspective of the past- God’s people yearning for a Messiah to rescue them from the mess. <br /><br />The second way to think about Advent is through the perspective of the future. We believe that Christ will come again. Last Sunday’s readings about Christ coming to judge the nations in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matt 25) dovetails well with this Advent theme. … Our reading from 1 Corinthians speaks about </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 1:8).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … In our Gospel for today, Jesus says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven” (Mk 13:26-27).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … And in our Creed we say, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“He will come again to judge the living and the dead”. …</blockquote>This judgement will result in the final healing of the world from Sin. God and humanity will finally live in harmony. Human beings will be who they were created to be. God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more (Rev 21). <br /><br />Advent is a time to focus on our yearning for the future God has promised, when the sin-sick world will be healed. Healing requires an accurate diagnosis, and that means judgement. All our technologies, and laws, and systems will not be enough to heal our world. We need a heavenly invasion. <br /><br />The Third way to think about Advent is from our present perspective. We yearn for more of God in our lives. We suffer and we want God’s healing. We feel lost and we want God’s direction. We feel trapped in our bad habits and sins, and we yearn for God to heal our desires. We yearn for the Image of God to be repaired within us, so that we can be a healing presence in the lives of others. … And Christ is constantly coming into our lives- judging, and saving, and healing, and loving, and comforting, and teaching. <br /><br />So, what ties all this together? How do we set our hearts and minds so that we can immerse ourselves in Advent? These three ways of looking at Advent- through the past, future, and present are all tied together by the themes of expectation and preparation- of Watching and waiting. <br /><br />In our Gospel reading Jesus says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote> “But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake’” (Mark 13:32-37). </blockquote><br /> Jesus says the phrase “keep awake” three times in that short bit of Scripture. Of course, “keep awake” is not meant to be taken literally. It means don’t go through your life like a zombie and suddenly find out your life is over, or that Christ has come and you aren’t ready. Don’t procrastinate- the evil you can stop, stop; the good you can do, do. Be conscious of how you are living. Don’t think that you will hear that the master is returning and then will have enough time to get your life in order and ready for him to return. We can’t afford to delay. Any changes we need to make in our life shouldn’t be put off for another day- they shouldn’t be left for tomorrow. We are being asked to live consciously. This is a call to a moral life- There’s no time to play around with sin. We are to be people of justice and compassion. This is a call to discipleship- what has the master given you to do? Who has he called you to be? What is your gift, and how are you to use it? This is a call to spiritual health and formation of character. … Above all, this is a call to know Christ, to know his word, and to grow in desire to obey him out of love for him. … Keep awake! Be alert! <br /><br /> Serious martial artists know that they might need to defend themselves or someone they care about at any moment. They won’t have a month to train and get in shape before they need to act in a situation where a life is at risk. They know they need to be ready because it can happen when they least expect it. That is the kind of alertness we are being called into. <br /><br /> The Master has left us in charge of the house and we don’t know when he is coming back. It could be at any moment. The house should be kept ready for the return of the Master. We should be found having been diligent with the task that was left for us. <br /><br /> What if the Master arrives tomorrow? Will we be ready? Will we have been appropriately wrestling against our sin- or giving into it? Will he find us having constantly procrastinated? Will we have been people that create peace, or division? Will the fruit of the Spirit be evident in the way we interact with others- “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23)? <br /><br /> And yes, there is grace. The Master may <i>seem</i> gone, but that is only in one sense. Christ is present to us through the Holy Spirit. He has not left us. We may leave him, and forsake him, but he won’t give up on us. There is grace. We are not expected to be perfect. But too often we use that as an excuse to not try- to not attempt to get our lives in order. As Dallas Willard says, “we can do better without being perfect”. <br /><br />If I’m honest, there is a part of me that yearns for Christ to return. But, there is another part of me that is aware that I’m not completely ready. Advent is about addressing that part of me that isn’t ready. <br /><br /> The Master is gone, in one sense. … But he will return. And he has warned us to be ready for that moment- to not let our guard down- to train so that we are ready for that moment. … We can’t solve the world’s problems. We need Christ to do that. But we can be faithful and awake where we are, with those who are around us, with the tasks that he has given us. Be awake. Be alert. Watch and wait, the master will return. … Amen. <br /><br /> <br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-20231166774444535912023-11-28T20:41:00.000-08:002023-11-28T20:41:00.219-08:00What Kind of King do we Have? Matt 25<span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3FX3uVfcOMqv9v-NIMl0weQB5FRdoYhnTmlSE_DsTpIIeMsaq3LU6_hKUU26Uf867YiumX0O1EqAR5ODy_iOdz598N1yjDkPFGy9UrIefnIm_z2og_FXxOqN93Aq8kb_MBdE-M_Q6jFxxhkal_3j4D015JJzP2afqzvFMtQyaK0ysgufCknPXjYJbLSfL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4187" data-original-width="2506" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3FX3uVfcOMqv9v-NIMl0weQB5FRdoYhnTmlSE_DsTpIIeMsaq3LU6_hKUU26Uf867YiumX0O1EqAR5ODy_iOdz598N1yjDkPFGy9UrIefnIm_z2og_FXxOqN93Aq8kb_MBdE-M_Q6jFxxhkal_3j4D015JJzP2afqzvFMtQyaK0ysgufCknPXjYJbLSfL=w246-h410" width="246" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ezekiel+34%3A11-16%2C+20-24%3B++Matthew+25%3A31-46&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Matthew 25:31-46</a></div><br />We have reached the end of the Christian Year. We might even consider it the height of the Christian year. The Christian calendar begins in Advent with the expectation of the Messiah, and moves into the celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas. Epiphany tells the story of the revealing of Christ’s true identity as God-With-Us. In Lent, we follow Christ into the wilderness in preparation for the cross on Good Friday. And from that deep sadness we enter into the joy of the resurrection on Easter Sunday. <br /><br />But the story doesn’t end there. Christ ascends (Ascension) into the reality of heaven, and becomes present to his people in a new way. Christ remains present to the Church through the Holy Spirit, and continues to act through his body on earth, which is what we celebrate at Pentecost. Throughout the season after Pentecost, we learn to live as his disciples, following his teachings, until we arrive at today- The Reign of Christ, or Christ the King Sunday. … This is where the Bible tells us all of history is heading. We are heading to the time when Christ will be recognized as the King of all. <br /><br />Today, two of our readings use the image of the shepherd. In Ezekiel, we see the image of God as a shepherd going out to gather the scattered sheep. The Good Shepherd feeds the sheep, and leads them to water in the hill country of Israel (see also Jn 10; Psalm 23). <br /><br />There is an element of judgement in Ezekiel’s image of the shepherd. The lost will be found, the injured will be treated, the weak will be strengthened. But strangely, the fat and strong will be destroyed, … which is odd behaviour for a shepherd. Usually, they want fat and strong animals. God, the shepherd, will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Ezekiel says why- the fat and strong sheep are bullies. God says, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide”.</blockquote>Then God sets David as a shepherd over the flock. This is obviously King David, who was actually a shepherd. But this is written long after David died, so David here is a symbol of the Messiah, who is the son of David. Ezekiel says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: … and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them” (34:23-24).</blockquote>So, we have this imagery of God as the shepherd. Judgement, in Ezekiel, seems to belong to God. We read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep” (34:20). </blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">God is the judge here. <br /><br />When we look at our Gospel reading, we see Jesus as this Shepherd who is also judging the flock. In the Gospel there is a blurring of these images that Ezekiel uses for God and the Messiah. Jesus presents himself as the one who will judge all the nations- all the people of the world. <br /><br />What is the basis on which he going to judge humanity? … He is going to judge humanity on the basis of how they treated him when he came to them in disguise. He is disguised as the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned. (In Jesus’ day those who were imprisoned were often those who couldn’t pay their debts- so we might even call them “the bankrupt”). <br /><br />There are a couple of ways we can interpret this passage. <br /><br />To the original hearers they would have probably heard Jesus speaking about his disciples going out to the nations. Jesus speaks about the “least of these my brothers and sisters”, which would most likely refer to his disciples. … As his disciples go out to the peoples of the world to share the gospel they will be treated either with hospitality or with hostility. So, at the end of the age all the peoples of the world will be gathered together, and they will be judged on the basis of how they received the followers of Christ. … If you are a follower of Christ and someone has mistreated you because you are his follower, it is taken personally by Jesus. He takes it so personally that what has been done to you he considers it done to him, personally. It is also true that if we mistreat a fellow Christian, that is also taken personally by Christ. <br /><br />The second way we can interpret this passage is to see the “least of these my brothers and sisters” as the suffering of humanity. This is the way Mother Teresa has interpreted this passage. She often called poverty the “distressing disguise” of Jesus. But she isn’t the first to read this parable this way. … Written in the 6th century, The Rule of St. Benedict (530AD) directs the monks to welcome every stranger as if they are welcoming Christ (Chapter 53). <br /><br />Often throughout the Old Testament the prophets warn the people about a coming judgement for the way they have treated the vulnerable. In Isaiah 58 we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, … if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday” (Is 58:5-7,10).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Psalm 68 says that God is the </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Father of the fatherless and protector of widows” (Ps 68:5).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Exodus explicitly commands, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child” (Ex 22:22).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Deuteronomy 10 says, God </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing” (Deut 10:18).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> God rescues a group of slaves and makes them the people of God. We could go on, but I think we can see from a few examples that God has a particular care for the vulnerable. That doesn’t mean God doesn’t care for the rich and powerful, but there is particular attention given to the poor and vulnerable that live on the margins of society. … Jesus was right in line with this prophetic tradition regarding his care for those who were on the margins of society. <br /><br /> What is Jesus saying with this teaching? He is saying that he comes to us in need, but disguised, and either we help him or we don’t, and we will be judged on that basis. It is about how we treat Jesus in the other person. Our character is being exposed when we encounter those in need. <br /><br />People will hear Jesus say either, “come… inherit the kingdom” or “depart from me”. Those who were welcoming of Jesus in the vulnerable, will find themselves welcomed by him. Those who rejected the presence of Christ in the vulnerable will get more of what they wanted- they will depart from the presence of Christ. <br /><br /> It’s easy for us to focus on the element of judgement here. There is something for us to learn in that for sure, but I think it is equally important to think about what kind of a King we have. … Those who have power have often been guilty of elevating their position and desire for profit over the welfare of vulnerable people. It is often the boots of the powerful that crush the vulnerable. … This is a silly example, considering the things happening in the world, but have you ever been with someone who is always looking over your shoulder to see if there is someone more important for them to talk to, … and when there was they left you mid-sentence, … like you were nothing? … That is often the way of the powerful with the vulnerable. <br /><br />We have a King who so identifies with the poor and vulnerable that he stands with them against the bullies of the world. To bully them, to ignore them, to not help them…. Is to bully him, is to not help him, it is to set yourself against him. … Do you know any other king, or prime minister, or president, who is like this? Who else uses their power to stand with those who have none? … <br /><br />May we recognize Christ in each other. May we love Christ in those the powerful overlook and take advantage of. May we receive the stranger as if they are Christ himself walking through our doors. … And when we feel forgotten, ignored, taken advantage of, or crushed by the boot of the powerful, may we feel Christ standing with us, experiencing our situation as if it was happening to him. That is the kind of King we have. AMEN<br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-56366565754155690342023-11-19T12:00:00.000-08:002023-11-19T22:37:33.978-08:00Using what has been entrusted to you- Matt 25<p> </p><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfOpEJP9Ghkz1aVSFmK1bic544DIso4giF-SdBaT93QdnjosVmcIb_tIO_QTf6Q4GppwP36Yx_dBDcKeWHjXv9uhXw-FpvJrbekhh0bYYwA2SujAiTrzDjWlhrPdKNSJ9WwI2kycAX4SHTa-ihs9235UuWX7ldXvlJVwVwZY0hNXZNU_bcQCuPckIT44eP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3151" data-original-width="4201" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfOpEJP9Ghkz1aVSFmK1bic544DIso4giF-SdBaT93QdnjosVmcIb_tIO_QTf6Q4GppwP36Yx_dBDcKeWHjXv9uhXw-FpvJrbekhh0bYYwA2SujAiTrzDjWlhrPdKNSJ9WwI2kycAX4SHTa-ihs9235UuWX7ldXvlJVwVwZY0hNXZNU_bcQCuPckIT44eP=w414-h311" width="414" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Judges+4%3A1-7%3B+Psalm+123%3B+1+Thessalonians+5%3A1-11%3B+Matthew+25%3A14-30&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Judges 4:1-7; Psalm 123; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 25:14-30</a><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />We have very interesting readings today. First, we have our judges reading, where we see an example of the cycle of apostacy. The Israelites are in the Promised Land. God has brought them there by rescuing them from slavery in Egypt. Through Moses God did dramatic miracles to rescue them. Then Joshua took over from Moses to lead the people into the land. The Jordan river is parted, just as the sea was parted. God miraculously destroyed the strong walls of Jerico. They eventually settle in the land. … And then, instead of living holy lives dedicated to the Lord, who did all these amazing things for them, they turn from God and do evil. … This results in them being attacked and oppressed by another group of people. … The people cry out to God for help. … and then God gives them someone to help them. … This is a cycle we see over and over in the book of Judges, but we find it elsewhere in the Bible too. It seems to be a spiritual pattern in human life. People turn away from God. Bad things happen. People turn back to God for help. God sends them help. Things get better. But then, after a while, people turn from God again. <br /><br />In our reading from Judges today, we meet Deborah, who is a prophet. We don’t know a lot about her, but it’s fascinating that here we have a woman who is speaking for God, and giving orders to an Israelite general. She ends up in the thick of a military campaign to free their people. No one seems to question her, or have an issue with the fact she is a woman. It is exactly the opposite. They want her present with them, and her words are treated with the utmost respect. … It is a fascinating glimpse of a female giving leadership before the kingdom of Israel even exists. <br /><br />Our reading from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians continues the theme of preparation for the coming of Christ. We are nearing the end of the church year, which concludes with the feast of Christ the King. It is when we acknowledge the day when every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord. … But we don’t know when he will come. Paul says here that he “will come like a thief in the night” (5:2). So, Paul urges us to be spiritually awake, and he uses imagery of day and night to make his point. Night is associated with sleep, which is symbolic of a lack of awareness. The darkness of night is associated with a lack of sight. Night is when people sneak around doing things they shouldn’t, like getting drunk. … Instead, Paul urges us to be children of the day. To be in the light, it to be able to see clearly. This means to be awake- to be spiritually aware- to be sober- to be ready. … We don’t know when Christ will come, so we should be ready at all times. <br /><br />I think we can see this in relation to our Judges reading. The danger to the Israelites comes when things seemed to be going well. They were able to rest. They came into the promised land, and they started just living their lives. They were farming and having families. It is in the midst of that ordinary rhythm of life that they turned away from God. They were living in a time of peace. They had resolved their outward necessities. They were no longer wandering in the wilderness with no place to call home. They had finally found a place to call home- food, shelter, family, and the rhythm of ordinary life. The physical dangers had been dealt with. This is where their spiritual danger snuck up on them. Outward comfort can easily lead to spiritual danger if we don’t take our spiritual lives seriously. … And this seems to be what Paul is warning about. <br /><br />The Parable that Jesus tells fits this theme as well. What should we do with our lives? This is especially important for us. We live in safety and comfort that our ancestors couldn’t even imagine. So what should we do with our lives? … <br /><br />The parable is about a man who goes on a journey and entrusts his substantial wealth to three of his servants. He doesn’t distribute the wealth equally, one receives 5 talents, the next 2, and the third gets 1 talent. The master probably had a sense of what his servants could handle, and he distributes his wealth for them to manage while he is away. <br /><br />Just to give you a sense of how much money Jesus is talking about, a talent was worth 15-20 years wages for a day laborer. In modern money one talent would be almost a million dollars. So, they are entrusted with a lot of money. Even the servant who was only given 1 talent was still given a lot of money. <br /><br />Our modern description of an ability as a “talent” probably comes from this parable. And that is the appropriate way to look at this parable. Jesus isn’t just talking about money. The money is symbolic of all that God has given us, which includes our material blessings, but it goes beyond this as well. Any use of our skills, time, or resources might be represented by our talent. … The early Church Father St. Chrysostom says these talents could be as simple as our senses, or our ability to speak, our hands and feet, the strength of our body, the understanding of our mind, or our listening ears. <br /><br />We all have different abilities, and we all deal with different life circumstances, and perhaps that tells us something about the 5 talents, the 2 talents and the one talent. Some people are given impressive abilities. Some are given more humble abilities. But the different distribution of the talents doesn’t matter in the end. In the end, the one that was given 5 talents and the one that was given 2 talents receive the same reward. What matters is what they do with what was given to them, and even the smaller amount that was given is still a fortune. We might not be blessed with a genius level IQ. Maybe our body is weak, so we can’t pull people out of burning buildings. Maybe our physicality leads us to help people primarily through prayer, well that is still a fortune. (And maybe our ability to pray is actually the 5 talents.) … <br /><br />We might not have the 5 talents. We might have 2. Two is still absolutely significant and valuable. Even one is significant and valuable. The significance of the talents is to say that we have been entrusted with great wealth- our own lives, material wealth, and spiritual wealth. We have The Gospel, instruction in the ways of the kingdom of God, The Gifts of the Spirit. We have been entrusted with talents and they are to be used for God’s purposes in the world. <br /><br />The master leaves to go on a trip, which is Jesus going to be at the right hand of the Father at the Ascension. The servants are given complete freedom regarding how to deal with their master’s wealth. Eventually the master returns and he calls his servants before him, which is the Second Coming- When Jesus comes again. <br /><br />The one who has 5 talents invested it and turned it into 10. And the servant who has 2 talents also doubles his master’s money. The master replies to both in the same way, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> They receive the affirmation of their master. More power and responsibility are offered to the first two servants, and they are invited into the “joy” of their master. Even though they were given different amounts, the master rewards them both the same way. What matters isn’t so much how much you are given, but how faithful you are in using what you are given for God’s purposes. <br /><br /> The master comes to the third servant who was given one talent, and it is revealed that the servant didn’t make the talent fruitful at all. He actually buried it, which was considered a good way to keep valuables safe at the time. Not only did he not make the talent fruitful, but he also attacks his master’s character saying, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> The servant didn’t lose the money. He didn’t waste the money selfishly. … He was safe. He was careful. … What he wasted was the opportunity. He was driven by fear, and so he was not willing to take a risk. His sin is the sin of omission. In the confession we say, “we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone.” The sin of the third servant is in what was left undone. <br /><br />The sin of omission could also be called the sin of sloth. Sloth isn’t just laziness. Sloth is not using what God has entrusted into your care. It is to not use your abilities, or resources, or time for God’s purposes. It is refusing to use what God has given you. It is putting your lamp under a bushel basket (Matt 5:15). … The third servant was punished for his inactivity, not because he did something wrong, but because he didn’t really do anything. <br /><br />What this parable teaches us is that there is no such thing as sitting on the sidelines. We are all in the game. There are consequences to our actions, even if our action is doing nothing. … To follow Jesus comes with certain risk. …. But choosing to not play has risk as well. We might think that we don’t have a lot to offer. …. But, we all have been given some grace- a talent- our lives. And every talent is like a million dollars. Every one of us has been given something valuable. God isn’t looking for quantity. God is looking for what you have done with what you have given. … We have been given a tremendous opportunity. We are invited to put what God has given us to work in the world, and by doing so we are invited to cooperate with the kingdom of God, and hopefully, in the end, to hear the words of our Master- “Well done good and faithful servant”. AMEN </span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-24536705731932696362023-11-13T08:26:00.000-08:002023-11-13T08:26:50.900-08:00Be Awake! Be Prepared- Matt 25<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5YM6jrGM9zMS26P_LwLFXQjZqjhi3hE7s0Q2Sh5VCzv5yUGCId77v_5yE2XGtIIbKRylKYLaPB06G3WEDkwQ4wQHZoxdCtpxOyzvKZWIzdOwmsuy8CH0SpgvAj8-UZbDOwz0xw-FVt7DpO4nUcbYcU41ZPQDxkDl6N8-hNOB03PVxnn8mO6Ff1z9T9qio" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5YM6jrGM9zMS26P_LwLFXQjZqjhi3hE7s0Q2Sh5VCzv5yUGCId77v_5yE2XGtIIbKRylKYLaPB06G3WEDkwQ4wQHZoxdCtpxOyzvKZWIzdOwmsuy8CH0SpgvAj8-UZbDOwz0xw-FVt7DpO4nUcbYcU41ZPQDxkDl6N8-hNOB03PVxnn8mO6Ff1z9T9qio=w269-h388" width="269" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A1-13&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Matthew 25:1-13</a></div><br /><br />The parable Jesus tells today is about the arrival of God to set things right at the end of human history set in the metaphor of a wedding feast. In the Old Testament, God is sometimes described as the groom, and God’s people are the bride. Interestingly, Jesus constantly places himself in the place of the groom, which is a hint about his divinity. <br /><br />In Jesus’ time, marriage had three steps. First, there was an engagement, which was a contractual agreement between a groom and the father of the bride. (Sorry, women). The second step was the betrothal, which involved a ceremony, and gifts were given to the father of the bride. The covenant is then sealed with a cup of wine, and from this point the husband and wife are officially bound together. The groom then returns back to his father’s house, and he spends the next year preparing a place for them to live together.<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/Matthew%2025-%2010%20bridesmaids%202023.docx#_ftn1">[1]</a> <br /><br />The third step is the actual wedding ceremony and feast. This is the context for our parable. The actual ceremony and feast would take place in the house of the groom’s father, where the new couple would live together. The celebrations could last up to a week. On the day of the wedding, the house and the area in front of the house would fill up with guests. As the crowd is gathering, the groom and a few of his close friends would go to pick up his bride from her family’s home. On the way back they would form a kind of parade, celebrating as they travel through the streets past the homes of their neighbours. Back at his father’s house, everyone would be gathered and waiting for them to arrive. <br /><br />This is where we meet the 10 bridesmaids who are waiting for the bridal party to arrive, and who have dozed off while waiting. <br /><br />The lamps they are holding would have been a kind of ceramic cup filled with olive oil. A wick would be placed in the oil and laid over the edge. According to the scholar Kenneth Bailey, it was particularly important for young women to have working lamps in this culture. It had to do with more than safety- It was about protecting their reputation. Bailey says that when he has seen women in the Middle East out at night, they don’t cast the light of their lamp on the ground to see where they are walking, rather, they carry the light in front of them to light up their faces, so everyone can see who they are and where they are going. It was to protect them from scandalous accusations. <br /><br />The procession is taking longer than some of the bridesmaids thought and 5 of them don’t have enough oil in their lamps. The other five wisely brought extra oil, but not enough to have extra to share. <br /><br />As the bridal parade enters the final street to the house, someone yells, “behold the bridegroom. Come out to meet him”. All the guests flood out to meet the couple as they finally arrive at the house. Five of the young women have enough oil to top up their lamps, but the other five don’t have enough. They have to go into the village to find someone they can beg, borrow, or buy oil from. … Remember, everyone knows everyone in these villages. They know which doors to knock on. Getting oil is not a problem. The problem is they don’t have enough time. They leave to rush and find oil, but while they are gone, everyone floods into the house and the door is shut. <br /><br />The young women get their lamps working again, and rush back to the house, but they come to a locked door. They knock saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But the groom replies, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” And this is where our parable ends. <br /><br />The point of the parable seems to be this. Jesus is the groom, and God’s people are traditionally seen as the bride, and here all those who attend the party seem to be God’s people. The messianic feast is about to take place. This is the Second Coming- when Jesus arrives to set things right. When he arrives, he will find some of God’s people prepared, but unfortunately some will not be properly prepared for his arrival. So, the parable seems to be urging us to be ready, like the five wise bridesmaids, … and not be caught unprepared like the five foolish bridesmaids. It seems that we will not be able to lean on anyone else’s preparation, just as the foolish bridesmaids couldn’t take oil from the wise. We have to take responsibility for our own preparation. <br /><br /> So, this leads us to ask, what does it mean to prepare for him? I think we get a hint at the end of the parable. We read that the foolish bridesmaids came to the locked door saying, </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">“’Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’”</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> These are the most terrifying words to imagine Jesus saying to us. He is saying these people don’t have a relationship with him. We hear these words earlier in the Gospel of Matthew (ch 7:21-23)- <br /><br /></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’” </span></blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> So, preparation here is likely tied to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus is outlining what it means to be citizens of God’s kingdom, or (to put it another way) what it means to do the will of the Father. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus speaks about </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">anger as the seed of murder, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">lust as the seed of adultery, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">justice in marriage, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">avoiding telling lies to manipulate others, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">love for enemies, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">giving and praying and fasting to grow closer to God rather than using these practices to enhance your public image, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">to value the eternal God above temporary wealth, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">to let go of anxiety and trust God, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">to refrain from judging others, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">to treat others the way we want to be treated. … </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Living according to this teaching seems to be the way to prepare. And it seems like it will be too late when we hear the news that he is coming. In other words, the time to start preparing is now. And this is something no one can do for us. … <br /><br /> On Remembrance Day we remember those who lost their lives in war. We sometimes think that our spiritual lives are just about our personal relationship with God. It is more integrated than that, though. Being people of the kingdom has a practical effect on our world. Our world is in desperate need of people who know how to forgive, and how to love an enemy, and how to bless someone who has cursed them. … </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wars don’t start overnight they build until they burst into reality. People who are fully formed as disciples, living as citizens of the Kingdom of God, who live out the Sermon on the Mount in their lives, would not have been able to perpetrate the holocaust, and would have stood against bigotry against Jewish people long before that horror began. War erupted in Christian Europe because of a failure of Discipleship. … I’m not talking about the label “Christian”. This is about more than what we call ourselves. I’m talking about spiritual maturity. This is about learning to be like Jesus and growing in his wisdom about living life. <br /><br />Jesus warns us about putting off our spiritual preparation for another day. It is a warning because we don’t know when he will arrive. … We also don’t know when our last day will be, and that day we will come face to face with him. … </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But delaying our spiritual preparation also means that those around us will be denied- we may have been able to shine Christ’s light into their lives in a way that would have helped them to heal and grow. Romans 8:19 says, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">“the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God”.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> Jesus speaks about his followers being salt and light in the world. Our discipleship isn’t just about us. The creation yearns for us to be mature disciples of Jesus Christ. … One of my favourite quotes was spoken by St. Seraphim of Sarov, who said, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">“Acquire the Spirit of Peace and a thousand souls around you will be saved.”</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> … Perhaps what the world needs most of all is holiness. Maybe we need more people whose vision is so fixed on Christ, that the people around them are drawn to the beauty of Christ and his kingdom. <br /><br />Tom Holland (who I don't believe is a Christian) is a historian who has a particular interest in the ancient world. He has recently written a book called “<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Dominion-Christian-Revolution-Remade-World/dp/1541675592/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699892432&sr=8-5" target="_blank">Dominion</a>” that traces the complex 2000 year history of Christianity in the West, looking particularly at the effect Christianity has had in the formation of modern Western thought and ethics. <br /><br />He argues that the moral values that are held in the West are shaped by a Christian past. Even those who reject Christianity still hold, and are shaped by, these values. For example, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">why should we be bothered by the stronger trampling on the weaker? … </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Why should the individual human being have inherent value? … </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Why believe in human rights? … </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Why should the poor and vulnerable be cared for? ... </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Holland suggests that these assumptions would not have been held by ancient peoples. For people in the West to condemn the bad behavior of Christians invokes moral values that were shaped largely by Christianity. <br /><br />Our discipleship to Christ matters. It matters because God wants us to grow in maturity and wisdom. God want this for us- so we can have a deeper relationship, but God also wants this for the sake of those around us. … We stand in our own time, and the way we are disciples (or not) and the way we invite others into the discipleship of Jesus (or not) might very well be what stands in the way of future acts of horrendous hate and violence. Our discipleship is about more than just us. AMEN</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">(The first two steps are
according to Prof. Darrell Johnson. The next step is mainly based on Kenneth
Bailey’s cultural insights)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-48221078881207352112023-11-06T12:07:00.005-08:002023-11-06T12:07:38.709-08:00Wearing Religious Masks- Matthew 23<p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioAn74B_k-OX3kL-QnBtrOItMrYPCt4nYsqQrYmlsm3wU7wTQHnHYEecryoYQf7pudSsQ48IN8ezYUSQt88QqgOdP8jkEuhuWCP_SSkrslPsEhlUz7Xwv109ZUoF9Rj04Lb4d1DtiybCgLJ1dCVQCJEnUzHj4Gd5IhyPBiIvEF4eb1XXKb2bkzwvbal_sV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioAn74B_k-OX3kL-QnBtrOItMrYPCt4nYsqQrYmlsm3wU7wTQHnHYEecryoYQf7pudSsQ48IN8ezYUSQt88QqgOdP8jkEuhuWCP_SSkrslPsEhlUz7Xwv109ZUoF9Rj04Lb4d1DtiybCgLJ1dCVQCJEnUzHj4Gd5IhyPBiIvEF4eb1XXKb2bkzwvbal_sV=w313-h452" width="313" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">Matthew 23:1-12</div><br />In our Gospel reading today Jesus is speaking about the religious leaders of the day. The Pharisees were highly respected teachers of their day. They sought to follow the Law perfectly. They even made new rules (sometimes called the Oral Law, or the Traditions of the Elders) to protect them from breaking the law. It was like creating a hedge around the law, so they could be extra sure they wouldn’t break that particular law. They created an intricate system for living according to the law. … <br /><br />This could be a heavy burden, especially for those who were too poor to have the leisure to study the Law and the ways of the Pharisees. <br /><br />Jesus even acknowledges the validity of their role as teachers of the people. He says, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it”.</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> That is high praise from Jesus. But he doesn’t stop there. He follows it, saying, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach” (23:2-3).</blockquote>I once heard a historian say that the word “hypocrite”, as we use it today, originates with Jesus. “Hypocrite” was the word for an actor. … Jesus is saying here that the scribes and Pharisees played the role of being God’s faithful people. Jesus is saying they were more interested in the image of being God’s faithful people, than actually being God’s faithful people. They were happy to play the role in public, but not live it in private. <br /><br />In our day, we might call this “virtue signaling” or “moral grandstanding”, where someone cares more about appearing to be for certain causes. What matters most is how they are seen by others to be standing for what is good. <br /><br />This is a common theme we hear from Jesus. In Matthew 6, Jesus says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”</blockquote><blockquote>“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” <br /><br />“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” … <br /><br />“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matt 6:1-6, 16-18). </blockquote><br /><br />This is echoed by our reading today where Jesus accuses the scribes and Pharisees saying, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi” (23:5-7).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Jesus says they desire to be seen doing their good deeds, and they wear their religious clothing and accessories in an extra obvious way, so people would see how religious they are. They enjoy being honoured and sitting in the important seats reserved for them. <br /><br />That doesn’t mean there is anything necessarily wrong with these things, in themselves. The motivation is where the problem is. That’s why, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encourages us to practice the spiritual discipline of secrecy. Practice doing things in secret- pray in secret, give without letting anyone know, fast without telling anyone- then you will be able to observe and correct your motivations. Our worship should be for an audience of One. God should be the one whose approval we seek. … That doesn’t necessarily mean we have to hide from people when we pray, but we should check our motivation, especially when it comes to acts of worship. They shouldn’t be attempts to show off how religious we are. <br /><br />This is an important lesson for clergy, and anyone who serves in the church in a visible way. To be visible- wearing robes, administering the bread and chalice, saying the prayers, readings Scripture, preaching, sitting up in front in the places of honour- it can come with the temptation to appear more spiritual than we actually are. There is nothing wrong with being visible, but there is a spiritual danger that comes with it. If our desire to appear spiritual, exceeds our desire to grow in the grace of God, then we are in the spiritual danger that Jesus is describing. <br /><br />This extends beyond those who serve in worship, though. We can do this in lots of other ways too. Maybe we post religious posts on Facebook, but rarely pray. Maybe we have a chrome Jesus fish on our car, or a cross hanging from our rearview mirror, but we don’t allow Christian grace to modify our driving. This becomes less of a temptation as Christianity is less respected by society, but there are still pockets where this is a temptation. … <br /><br />This also applies generally in our society. Think about corporations who advertise how socially conscious they are, but at the same time participate is what amounts to slavery and environmental destruction to produce their goods in other parts of the world. They want to appear to be good and socially responsible, more than they want to actually be good and socially responsible. … Or think about politicians who present themselves as good and socially responsible, but behind closed doors are working to make themselves wealthier; who are giving special treatment to friends and family; giving business deals to their inner circle; investing money according to government decisions that haven’t been made public yet; and allowing private interest to dictate public policy, rather than the good of the country and its people. <br /><br /> The desire to present yourself as better than you are is a human problem, not just a religious problem. <br /><br /> In this passage Jesus also says not to call someone “rabbi”, which means “guide”, “master”, or “teacher”. And not to call someone “father”, and not to call someone “teacher” or “instructor”. … Some people have read this passage and used this against Roman Catholics for calling their priests, “father”. But if they were to be consistent, then they shouldn’t call their own biological father “father”, and children shouldn’t call their teachers “teacher”. … I suspect just switching to using the title “pastor” isn’t what Jesus was trying to say either. That seems like just word play. … <br /><br />The early church also didn’t seem to have a problem with this. In Acts 13 we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers” (13:1).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> In his 1st letter to the Corinthians Paul says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers” (1 Cor 13:28).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> And similarly in Ephesians we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers…” (4:11).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> These people are being called “teachers” and there doesn’t seem to be any concern about calling them that. <br /><br /> Again, in his 1st letter to the Corinthians Paul says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel” (1 Cor 4:15).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> And in the Letter to the Colossians we read </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart” (3:21).</blockquote>So, was the early church being disobedient to Christ by calling people “teacher” and “father”? … No, I don’t think so. I don’t think it is about what words we are allowed to use to describe our leaders. I don’t think Jesus is saying, call your leaders “pastor” rather than “father”; or “Bible study leader” rather than “teacher”. … Jesus is using hyperbole to teach about the danger of titles, which are just as dangerous as wearing robes. These honours can go to your head. This is a warning to leaders to not let these titles go to your head, so that you think you’re something you’re not. This is a warning to congregations to not place your leaders on a pedestal. Remember that your leaders are sinners too. They are still learning, just like you are. <br /><br />Remember that you and your leader both follow the same Father in heaven, and have the same teacher in Christ. You both have work to do for the kingdom. This isn’t about being anti-authority. It is about the dangers of wearing a mask, of playing a role. It is a call to humility. It is a call for leaders to see themselves as servants. <br /><br /> Jesus, once again, is calling us to examine our hearts. Look inward towards our inner motivations and attitudes. Seek the approval of your heavenly Father, rather than the approval of other human beings. It’s not that other people don’t matter, but it is about order. God first. Seek first the kingdom. Remember that the greatest among us human beings washed feet and gave himself for us on a cross. We never finish growing in humility. AMEN </span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-64095914837974971822023-10-29T23:00:00.090-07:002023-11-09T19:05:18.038-08:00Israel-Palestine<p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0Yb8320RqMNlxf0F3u-nURyf2eHsm6kxM0HzmS8lehwTmAj9uwdki9kmn2cjoc8IEYdIgTxfebv5v2zgvagR4Q4qyeAyodYorMJ9prAOhUXY8zt5EB3t8z7WWvR8q-VbfZgt3RMEsSdMpdH1LUTPisDyU9lVpVGo1Bx4JNN1s6VPI5XojA3ROUho0Epyo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="1697" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0Yb8320RqMNlxf0F3u-nURyf2eHsm6kxM0HzmS8lehwTmAj9uwdki9kmn2cjoc8IEYdIgTxfebv5v2zgvagR4Q4qyeAyodYorMJ9prAOhUXY8zt5EB3t8z7WWvR8q-VbfZgt3RMEsSdMpdH1LUTPisDyU9lVpVGo1Bx4JNN1s6VPI5XojA3ROUho0Epyo=w417-h400" width="417" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is a difficult topic to write on because it is so complicated and divisive. People don't seem to think that you can, at the same time, see what Hamas has done as absolutely horrifying, and also see the resulting death toll of Palestinian civilians as also horrifying. War is horrifying. It is also a war that was completely predictable given the actions of Hamas. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I want to say 3 things. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>First,</b> I don't care how oppressed you are, killing, raping and torturing defenseless civilians (including children) and desecrating their bodies, parading their dead bodies, and celebrating any of this is horrifying and evil. Hamas is no different from ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, or any number of other Islamic-supremacist groups that desire to suppress all the world's people under a caliphate; to impose their understanding of sharia law on all the world; to place Jews and Christians under the jizya tax so that they feel themselves to be subdued and second class citizens; and kill or convert the rest of humanity to Islam. Anyone who supports Hamas should be looked at the way Neo-Nazis are looked at. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm not saying this is representative of all Muslims, but we are fools to ignore that this way of thinking is a powerful force within the Muslim world. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second</b>, we should separate the people of Palestine from Hamas who they voted in as their government in 2006 (elections haven't happened since then, and it was supposed to be for a 4 year term). Hamas is bad for the Palestinian people. (Fatah and Palestine Islamic Jihad are also similar political groups active amongst Palestinians). Hamas has received much aid, but instead of developing their own infrastructure (like water and power) they have been planning for violence, building underground bunkers, tunnels, and weapons. They use their own people as human shields, placing rockets, military equipment, and bases in populated areas, like schools, hospitals, etc. When Israel tells them to evacuate due to an impending attack, Hamas tells their people to stay, knowing many will be killed (and their deaths will work to turn the world against Israel). Hamas has a long record of lying as a means of doing warfare. They have been known to use fake pictures to turn public opinion in their favor. (The recent supposed bombing of the hospital in Gaza is such an example. The Hamas health authority accused Israel of bombing a hospital, killing 500 people. It turns out to have been a rocket that hit the parking lot, which was a misfired rocket that originated in Gaza, with deaths being estimated at around 10. This is 'situation normal' in the way Hamas deals with media.) Hamas has no interest in a 2 state solution. They view a Jewish state on land that was once controlled by Muslims as shameful. Anyone who thinks that a peaceful solution can be created with Hamas is foolish. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Anyone who stands up in support of Palestine without denouncing Hamas is sinning and/or foolish, and is equal to standing for Germany in WW2 without denouncing the Nazis.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If Hamas cared for their own people, they would try to negotiate with Israel by: </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1) Returning all hostages </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2) Stopping the daily rocket launches into Israel </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">3) Turning over those who were responsible for the initial attacks on civilians. (That's who they are really after, not Palestinian civilians).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hamas is not interested in peace, though.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes it is said that Israel has created the harsh conditions that caused Palestine to turn to groups like Hamas. Or, Hamas is so vicious because they are responding to the harsh policies of Israel. So X is like that because of Y. </span><span style="font-size: large;">W</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>hat then has created the harsh policies of Israel? If Israel is X, then what is Y? If</span><span> groups like Hamas are inevitable and expected responses to states like Israel, then why can't the harshness of Israel also have a cause? Perhaps their harsh policies have been shaped in response to the Arab world's hostility. If Hamas' viciousness get blamed on Israel, then surely Israel's harsh policies can also be blamed on some other cause- like Israel enduring the historical violence of the countries surrounding them. Often though, Hamas' violence is blamed on Israel (because it is a response to Israeli oppression), but Israel's harshness is caused by their own cruelty and originates with them.</span><span> Isn't this a double standard? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><b>Third,</b> whatever you think of how the modern state of Israel came to be a country, there is a country right now called Israel with real people, who have homes and jobs and lives and families. Many of them have only known that country to be their home. </span><span>They live under a kind of existential threat that most in the West can't imagine living with. They have been constantly dealing with rocket attacks, suicide bombings, and other acts of violence coming from Hamas and those who support such violence. Israel has a duty to protect their citizens. They have chosen to do things like build walls and create checkpoints to reduce the risk of these kinds of attacks. This means that many who are not responsible for this violence have to deal with walls and checkpoints and the economic consequences that come with that. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is a breeding ground for hate between citizens of Israel and Palestine. But, what is to be done? Should Israel abandon the walls and checkpoints and leave their people open to predictable attack? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If Hamas took over the state of Israel, all Jewish people would be killed or become refugees seeking another country to welcome them (And I'm pretty sure, no Arab country would be welcoming them). And I'm pretty sure that things would not go well for LGBTQ+ people, either. Israel is the safest country in the Middle East for those who identify as LGBTQ+. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If Hamas gave up violence, I believe that there could be peace, but that isn't going to happen. It's not just Hamas. Israel deals with aggression from more than just Hamas, so even if Hamas was completely exterminated, they would still have to deal with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iran's constant calls for their destruction. And there are others. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Israel has offered multiple olive branches to try to make peace, including withdrawing from Gaza in 2005. Hamas will be satisfied with nothing less than the destruction of the state of Israel. People in the West are under the impression that Israel just has to try harder to negotiate for peace. It doesn't work with Hamas.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">You might disagree with how Israel came to be a modern state, but the fact is that a modern state called Israel exists, and what do you want them to do? And what is the cost to doing what you want them to do? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Should all Jewish people leave Israel? And go where? </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span>(over 20% of Israeli citizens are Arab, by the way. There is no Jewish population in Gaza, by comparison, nor in any surrounding Arab countries). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Should Israel abandon the use of the walls and checkpoints? Before these were in place, hundreds of Palestinian suicide bombings killed over 1000 Israeli civilians and wounded thousands more (between 2000-2005). Since putting the wall and security fence in place, no suicide bombing has happened in Israel. Beyond suicide bombings, these measures have greatly decreased terrorist attacks originating from the West Bank. Imagine your family living in Israel, what would you have your government do? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Also, why are Egypt and Jordan refusing to let Palestinian refugees in? Where is the outrage at these countries for not letting them in?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Also, where was the outrage, protests, and calls for ceasefire over the hundreds of thousands recently killed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen? The standard Israel is judged by seems to be different from the standards used to judge the surrounding countries. Why is that? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It is awful that Palestinians are dealing with what they are dealing with. Truly. But perhaps they should turn their attention to Hamas and those who support Hamas, who have caused Israel to respond with such predictable measures, which then makes life so hard for Palestinians. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;">If you want to stop reading here, please feel free. That is most of what I wanted to say. </span><div><span style="font-size: large;">I do not like war. I do not want innocent people to die. I know that there are also many Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land that feel stuck in the midst of this conflict between the actions of Hamas and the responses of Israel. There are children, and people just trying to live their lives. The situation is terrible, but it is also horribly predictable. </span><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This is where is gets messy- <b>The history.</b> This will be very much simplified and choppy. There are plenty of histories out there on this topic, but beware, it is extremely difficult to find any sort of objective/disinterested history. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If we look back to the area we now know as Israel in 1800AD, it was quite sparsely populated. The word "Palestine" was a geographic term, not a word used to describe an ethnicity (It became more of an ethnic marker to refer to Arab peoples living in the region in the mid to late 1960's). So a Jewish person might say they are Palestinian in the same way they might say they are American. During this time there was a Jewish population still present in the land, though they were a minority. There were also those who were Arabic (but they might describe themselves as Syrian, for example), some came into that area from just after the 700's when Islamic armies were spreading out and conquering new lands. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So the land was quite sparsely populated. 20% of the Arab peoples in the land at this time would describe themselves as Christian (It is 2% now. Many have fled). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Many don't know that before Mecca was conquered by Muhammed, he directed them to pray towards Jerusalem. For Muslims the significance of the Temple Mount (the location of the Mosque known as the Dome of the Rock or Al-Aqsa Mosque</span><span style="font-size: x-large;">) </span><span style="font-size: large;">is that it is the location where Muhammed is believed to have travelled to heaven on the back of a winged-horse (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isra%27_and_Mi%27raj" target="_blank">see here</a>). </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Muslims have had control of the Temple Mount since 1967. Jews are not allowed to pray openly here at the site where Solomon's temple stood, which housed the Ark of the Covenant. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Growing antisemitism in Europe in the early to mid-1800's resulted in a movement called Zionism, where Jews began to move to the Holy Land. Russian Jews arrived in the Holy Land in the late 1800's fleeing pogroms. Jews have been made to not feel welcome in many parts if the world, not just Europe. They once had a significant presence throughout the Middle East. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Archeology shows that that area (Israel, Palestine, Levant) has had a Jewish presence for a very long time (~1300 BC). Jewish people had been mostly ejected from the area by the Roman Empire shortly after the temple was destroyed in 70AD and then the </span><span style="font-size: large;">Bar Kokhba revolt (132-136 AD). Romans controlled the area. Then Muslim Arab invaders take over the area in the 7th century. Then the Crusaders take over the area from 1099-1291 AD. The Muslim Mamluks take over in 1291. 1n 1517 the Muslim Ottoman Empire takes control of the area until the end of WW1. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But the Bible is full of references to the geography of this land, so the name Jerusalem was constantly on the lips of Jewish people as they read their scriptures. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Moving back to the historic land of Israel was a dream for many Jews. Sometimes this move required bribing officials in the Ottoman Empire. Once the Ottoman Empire fell, this area fell into the hands of the British Empire. Sometimes the British were in favor of Zionism and sometimes they weren't. It really depended on who one was talking to, and which official was in power at the time. Sometimes British officials even seemed to be sparking violent Arab uprisings against Zionist Jews. An Arab pogrom against the Jews happened in 1920, for example. There was another massacre of Jews at the hands of Arabs in 1929 (Hebron Riots). The British try to limit how many Jews are able to enter the area per year, to try to keep the conflict between the Jews and Arabs controlled. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The Zionist movement picked up after WW2 and the horrors of the Holocaust. It was difficult to stand against the desire to have a Jewish homeland after such an atrocious thing. The population of Jewish people increased in the Holy Land. They brought with them business practices, farming techniques, an understanding of fair treatment of employees, industrialization, etc. And this led to the land flourishing. The country was becoming prosperous. People from surrounding areas began moving into the area for greater opportunities. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Many present-day Palestinians actually have family names that show them to have originally come from Egypt, or Syria, for example. So, as the Jewish population grew from immigration, so too did the Arab population. In 1800, there was a sparse local population of Jews and Arabs (mostly Arab), who were then joined by many more Jews and Arabs who immigrated into the area. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The British handed the responsibility of handling this situation to the new League of Nations (the pre-cursor to the UN). It was decided to create the country of Israel to be a homeland for the Jewish people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This situation became very complicated as some Jews believed the borders of Israel should encompass the whole area occupied by the Biblical Israelites under King David and Solomon. The original plan was to include not just Israel, but also Jordan (Trans-Jordan). It was eventually decided to give Jordan to the Arabs, and to give Israel as a homeland for the Jews. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Some Muslims did not like the idea of areas that had been controlled by Muslims now being controlled by Jews. Local Christians were not often in favor of Zionist expansion. Conflicts ensued and proposals were made regarding one-state and two-state solutions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Tensions erupted into violence. As soon as Israel was declared to be a country, it found itself at war with surrounding Muslim majority countries. </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 1948 Israel declares independence. This is a fairly secular state. Many Jews left Europe to seek safety, rather than for religious reasons. In the original founding of the country they ask the Arab population to stay and be citizens of the new state of Israel. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The surrounding Arab states declare war. Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, even Morocco gets involved to fight against this new state in order to destroy it. Israel ends up winning this war.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 1964 the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded, which works for the destruction of Israel. The word "Palestine" at this point means the whole of the Holy Land. Essentially, the mission of the PLO is to destroy the state of Israel. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 6 Days War takes place in 1967 as the surrounding Arab states are preparing for war against Israel. As a result, Israel takes over a lot of new territory. Israel gives away much of the land they gained in this war. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The 1967 Arab League Summit agrees on 3 no's- </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">No recognition [of the state of Israel]; </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">No negotiations [with the state of Israel]; </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">No peace [</span><span style="font-size: large;">with the state of Israel]</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In 1973 on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar the Yom Kippur War happens after a surprise attack. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1979 witnesses the Camp David Accords. As part of a peace deal, Israel gives up the Sinai Desert to Egypt. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1982 there is war with Lebanon after they fire rockets into Israel. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1987 is the First Intifada. Israel begins negotiating with the PLO. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">1993 is the Oslo Accords (Yasser Arafat represents the PLO), which are a failure. </span></p><span style="font-size: large;">1995- Yitzhak Rabin, prime minister of Israel, was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a peace rally. (The internal dynamics of Israel are complicated as well).</span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>1998 is the Wye River Agreements </span><span>(Yasser Arafat represents the PLO). </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>2000 Camp David Summit negotiations </span><span>(Yasser Arafat represents the PLO). Israel offers much, which is rejected. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2000-2005 is the 2nd Intifada, which comes with much violence. There were many Suicide bombings at this time. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2004 Arafat dies and Abbas takes over the PLO. (Abbas is a Holocaust denier.) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2005 Jewish settlements withdraw from the Gaza Strip, where they lived for decades, and turned the land over to the Palestinians. Hamas burns much of what was left. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2006 Hamas wins the Palestinian elections. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2008 is the 1st Gaza War initiated by Palestine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>2014 is the 2nd Gaza War </span><span>initiated by Palestine.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>2021 is the 3rd Gaza War </span><span>initiated by Palestine.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Israel develops the Iron Dome, which is an anti-missile system to shoot down missiles aimed at their population at about a 90% success rate. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Israel will destroy buildings with their weapons technologies, but will warn people in the area, even calling building managers, to let them know they are going to destroy the building. Sometimes they will scatter leaflets from overhead onto the street below warning of their attack on the area. </span><span> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">2023- Hamas kills around 1400 Israelis, as well as kidnapping many, mostly civilians. Israel responds, predictably. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-66571237960771059722023-10-29T12:28:00.003-07:002023-10-29T12:28:00.183-07:00The Greatest Commandment- Matt 22<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmoby6nSDDYqy_8tOhmJuMjLoNivxPnoMHYkO5qAB7apCpwvvRxmohBG-WApGmKkYcSk4u2WyBlnY-Bce57pnEM-VBou4EiOp3ckvCa6haKN-NbxEkrJEqK3M8-az8msyApq8SK0bJKWiGMSsaeOC_T7C-tRSbxirvH31RR6UMnAiVN9xHrofL1_AkREGN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="2627" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmoby6nSDDYqy_8tOhmJuMjLoNivxPnoMHYkO5qAB7apCpwvvRxmohBG-WApGmKkYcSk4u2WyBlnY-Bce57pnEM-VBou4EiOp3ckvCa6haKN-NbxEkrJEqK3M8-az8msyApq8SK0bJKWiGMSsaeOC_T7C-tRSbxirvH31RR6UMnAiVN9xHrofL1_AkREGN=w274-h361" width="274" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A34-46&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Matthew 22:34-46</a></div><br />In our Gospel reading, Jesus has been peppered with questions by the Sadducees and Pharisees. We are nearing the end of Matthew, so tensions are increasing. They are trying to trap him with their questions- trying to get him to contradict himself, or stump him, or get him in trouble with the crowd, or in trouble with the Romans or King Herod. <br /><br />Our reading has Jesus interacting with these groups on two topics this morning. I would like to deal with the second one first. <br /><br />To those who have been trying to trap him, Jesus asks his own question. Whose son is the Messiah? The obvious answer everyone would have known is “The Son of David”. <br /><br />Quoting Psalm 110, which everyone assumes was written by King David, Jesus says, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’”?</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Who is David calling “Lord”? There are two Lords in that verse, and they are both above David. One is God and the other is assumed to be the Messiah, but who is higher than the king? How can the messiah be higher than the king and be the king’s son? … This leaves his questioners stumped. And they don’t dare ask him any more questions. <br /><br />The other topic is the one that comes first, and the one I would like to spend more time on. <br /><br />A Pharisee expert in the Law asks Jesus, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … For the Pharisees, there are 613 commandments of the Old Testament. The question is really about the heart of the commandments. What is the law all about? <br /><br />Jesus answers, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> But Jesus doesn’t leave it with just the one greatest commandment, he adds the second greatest commandment as well- </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Jesus gives the greatest and the second greatest commandment, but then to show how foundational these two commandments are he says </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets".</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> He essentially says that these two greatest commandments are so important that if you remove them the entire laws falls apart. <br /><br />Those two commands are like two hinges that hold a door in its frame. Remove the hinges and the door won’t work. So, loving God and loving your neighbour aren’t just important commands. They actually effect all the other commands. They are they way they are to be understood. <br /><br />In Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, in the famous chapter on love, he says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing” (1 Cor 13:1-3).</blockquote><br />The lack of love nullifies these otherwise impressive acts of speaking in tongues, prophetic powers, faith to move mountains, giving away all one’s possessions to the poor, and giving one’s life for martyrdom. Without love, it ultimately doesn’t mean anything. <br /><br />Jesus is saying something similar by saying that all the Law and the Prophets hang on the two greatest commands to love God and to love your neighbour. Without those two laws, the rest of the laws are pointless. You might follow the other 611 commandments perfectly, but if you neglect love for God and neighbour, it’s like there was no point. You actually missed the point. <br /><br />Love is Jesus’ way of understanding the Old Testament. If you read something in the Old Testament and you don’t see love you haven’t really understood it yet. … The law is about orienting your life towards God in love. The law isn’t really about being obedient to commands. The law is about a way of life that puts your life in line with God. Jesus says that way of life is really about love. <br /><br />Our society uses the word “love” in all kinds of ways. Sometimes we think it just means being “nice” (and there are worse things than being nice). But, there are times when being nice is not being loving. If you live with someone who is addicted to drugs, being nice will allow them to continue on with their addiction without being confronted about it. ‘Niceness’ avoids conflict. Love is willing to confront for the long term good of the person being confronted. Love is willing to confront the addict in the hopes that the person will find freedom from their addiction. … <br /><br />The Theologian Stanley Hauerwas says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“This love can be harsh and dreadful, because to be loved by God is to be forced to know ourselves truly”.<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftn1">[1]</a></blockquote><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftn1"></a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Real love can be difficult. If we want to understand real love we look to Jesus. When Jesus confronts the Pharisees- that is what love looks like. Jesus turning over the money changers tables is love. Jesus teaching and healing is about love. When we look at Jesus on the cross, we see love. <br /><br />As we look at these two commands that Jesus says are the greatest, we should remember, that Jesus says they are first and second- they are not equal. One is first over the other. Jesus says first of all, primarily, foundationally, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> This is the most important command in the Law. Essentially this is the most important thing a human being can do. If you were to imagine which Law is more important, </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">“loving God…” or “do not murder”, Jesus tells us that “loving God” is the more important command to follow. … Of course, loving God would also mean not murdering, but that is what it means for the laws to hang upon that greatest command to love God. St. Augustine thought this command to love God was so central and so foundational that he said, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Love God and do whatever you please".</span><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftn2" style="font-size: x-large;">[2]</a></blockquote><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftn2" style="font-size: x-large;"></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />Jesus’ response to the question, “what is the greatest commandment?” is actually quite traditional. He refers to the Shema which has been said daily by faithful Jewish people for thousands of years. It is from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and is as close to a creed as exists in Judaism. <br /><br />So what does it mean to love God? Jesuit author, James Skehan says it is to be </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“seized so completely by the love of God that all the desires of my heart and all the actions, affections, thoughts and decisions which flow from them are directed to God”.<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftn3">[3]</a></blockquote><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftn3"></a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> It is to live with a life effected by God’s reality in every area of our life. Our thoughts, our habits, our family, our money, our talents, our work, ... All of it is ultimately directed to God. … God is not a hobby for Sunday mornings. A hobby is added into our life to make our life more enjoyable. … The kind of love that Jesus is talking about places God central in our life, so that our life is oriented around God. <br /><br />Jesus says the second most important command is, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> This response is also traditional. Jesus is quoting Leviticus 19:18. <br /><br />It is interesting that Jesus is asked for the greatest command, but instead he gives the top two. It suggests that there is some kind of link between them. You cannot love God and not love what God loves. If you deeply and truly love God with your whole being, you will love even enemies … because God loves them. Even if it comes at great cost to yourself. Even if it means death on a cross. <br /><br />We read about this connection between the love of God and the love of others in John’s first letter. In 1 John 4 we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. … God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. … Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also” (1 Jn 4:7-8, 16, 20-21).</blockquote> May God help us to grow in this love- love towards God and love towards one another. Not a shallow niceness, but a deep love that genuinely desires that God is honoured, and a genuine desire for the good of our neighbour. AMEN <br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ligatures: none;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Commentary on Matthew,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>192<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/Gospels%20and%20acts/matt%2022-%20greatest%20Commantment-%202023.docx#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ligatures: none;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US"> Tractatus VII, 8<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</div><br /><p></p></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-59728291405013161802023-10-26T13:40:00.000-07:002023-10-26T13:40:04.369-07:00The Dangers of Anti-Racism<p><span style="font-size: large;"> In a previous <a href="https://revchrisroth.blogspot.com/2023/09/anti-racism.html" target="_blank">post</a>, I wrote about how Critical Social Theory could actually make racism worse, or at least not solve the problem. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As an example of how this might happen I saw a video recently regarding Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). I remember talking with friends a few years ago about designating this awful situation as "genocide". </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I think those who are inclined towards Critical Social Theory (Anti-Racism) ways of thinking were wanting to designate this situation as a genocide to highlight the importance and tragedy of Canada's MMIW. Calling it a 'genocide' also calls the situation out as a racist action. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Presumably, white people have been conducting this act of genocide. We imagine someone like Robert Pickton, mixed with a lack of concern and willingness to investigate missing Indigenous women on the part of police, which suggests structural racism in the justice system. Or, perhaps we imagine racist and murderous white truck drivers travelling the Highway of Tears. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A 'genocide' brings to mind one ethnic group trying to kill off another ethnic group. My old Oxford Canadian Dictionary from college defines "genocide" as "the mass extermination of human beings, especially of a particular race or nation. ... [Greek <i>genos</i> race + -cide]". </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> My concern is that it adds a <i>note</i> of exaggeration. While I agree that the situation is tragic, is it really on the same level as the Holocaust or with what we saw in Rwanda? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">If what we are dealing with is a genocide perpetrated by white people against Indigenous women, then what should we do to solve this problem? </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">We should deal with the racism that gives rise to the devaluing of indigenous life, especially the lives of women. This means teaching white people to identify their racism, even hidden and unconscious racism, and also work against those racist inclinations. It also means dealing with the racism that is in the structure of the legal system that allows white people to get away with (literal) murder. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But, if we get this story wrong... </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="374" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AJXteQL57p0" width="450" youtube-src-id="AJXteQL57p0"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />If this story from the Toronto Sun is accurate (and some will discount it based on the news outlet) then this shifts how we label and solve this problem. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">(I recognize that there is a conflict between reports here- Someone will have to do an in-depth study as to why the Stats Can numbers are different from the national inquiry report on MMIW).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The reporter in the video points to a report from Statistics Canada, which states that 86% of murdered Indigenous women were killed by other Indigenous people, mostly Indigenous men. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Obviously, this doesn't make the situation any less tragic, but it does change how we try to label and solve the problem. Is this still a "genocide" if it is a problem that is mostly internal to the Indigenous community? If we care about the actual lives of these murdered Indigenous women, then the proposed solutions for addressing the racism of white people, and fixing the racist structures of the justice system, would have done little to save the women who have already been murdered, and probably won't save those who will be murdered in the future. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As the reporter points out, Canadians can't wash their hands of this situation as if this actually turns out to be an internal issue for Indigenous communities, because the history of Canada and its relationship with Indigenous people has had a role to play in where those communities are today. But the point remains...</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The diagnosis is wrong, so the medicine that is offered won't help. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Critical Social Theory has a tendency towards exaggeration to attempt to draw our attention to a problem. However, this exaggeration can twist the situation enough that the problem isn't solved. It isn't looking at the problem accurately. It is looking at the problem through a lens that twists the problem into a different problem. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the final analysis, to misunderstand this problem means that we will not be helping indigenous women who are in danger of being murdered. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-64333817849343501292023-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:002023-10-16T13:08:33.020-07:00The Parable of the Wedding Banquet<br /> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsunvilZdwpZErRVw78VXDt5fA3JRKzdEQUEzZQO6s6f-pK7U0j4EYC-uQJJs8E5c8IyFo1gbCTVuRdqb5p35QPZvHTzAAqf2CNLgN6aoTzhtOWvudOVH9tVWVKumdxxwtTwUSX20WPI8-BV4_SEJ_Mb8_X85AxSal2oJAy6e5ojrOUFC4uxwGpsOp6rp0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsunvilZdwpZErRVw78VXDt5fA3JRKzdEQUEzZQO6s6f-pK7U0j4EYC-uQJJs8E5c8IyFo1gbCTVuRdqb5p35QPZvHTzAAqf2CNLgN6aoTzhtOWvudOVH9tVWVKumdxxwtTwUSX20WPI8-BV4_SEJ_Mb8_X85AxSal2oJAy6e5ojrOUFC4uxwGpsOp6rp0=w297-h429" width="297" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+22%3A1-14&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Matthew 22:1-14</a></div><br />In our Gospel reading for the last few weeks we have been hearing the Parables of Jesus. … Jesus’ parables are often intended to be unsettling, puzzling, and shocking. They often challenge the status quo. They show the new and often unsettling thing that God is doing. Expectations are reversed. Values are challenged. The social hierarchy is toppled. They force us to think deeper and with a more heavenly perspective. Sometimes they are an indirect way of showing someone their own sin. <br /><br />In today’s parable, Jesus tells a story about a king who is holding a wedding banquet for his son. The theme of a wedding is a common image used when talking about the coming Messiah. … Jesus will tell another parable about ten virgins, some with enough oil, and some without enough as they wait for the arrival of the groom. … Jesus also refers to himself as a groom, for example, when he explains why his disciples don’t fast, he says that they don’t fast while the groom is with them (9:15). … In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he speaks to wives and husbands using the image of Jesus as the groom and the Church as the bride (Eph 5:21-33). … These are just a few examples. … So, when we hear about a wedding in Jesus’ parable, we should think about the coming of the Messiah, and about the final union between God and God’s people. <br /><br />Based on the honour-shame culture of Jesus, if a social superior invited you to an event, you were obligated to attend. So, if it was the king who invited you, you would be in a state of exaggerated obligation because he was the highest social superior. … And this would be intensified even more based on how important the event was. … If it wasn’t just an ordinary dinner, but the wedding banquet for the King’s son, then there would be an even more exaggerated obligation. … On two fronts, this is of exaggerated importance, which places an intense obligation on the one invited. The one giving the invitation is the highest social authority (the King), and the type of event the people are invited to is an extremely important party (the wedding banquet of the king’s son). The social obligation placed on those invited is extreme. No excuse could justify not attending, apart from death. To refuse to come would be an incredible insult towards the king. <br /><br />The servants were sent out to tell those who had been invited that it was time to gather. This is not the first time they are hearing about this banquet. They had already been invited and now it is the time to gather. But, those who had already been invited refuse to come. <br /><br />The servants would be seen as the prophets who have called the people to return to God and God’s ways. John the Baptist would be the last of the Old Testament prophets. <br /><br />Graciously, after being incredibly disrespected, the king sends more servants to urge those who had been invited to attend the wedding banquet. The food has been prepared, everything is ready. He gives them another chance. … This is an incredibly gracious king, who was willing to look past being disrespected so profoundly. … The invitation is issued again. <br /><br />Again, this is an image of the prophets who called the people again and again to return to God. … In the book of Judges, we see the cycle of apostacy. People reject or ignore God, and this puts them out from under God’s protection. Then a calamity happens to them, often another nation attacks them. This causes them to turn back to God, who then sends a Judge to save them. But, then they turn away from God again and the cycle continues. … We see this pattern all over the Bible. The people grumble in the wilderness and yearn to return to Egypt. … King Ahab and Queen Jezebel lead the people into the worship of foreign gods, which leads to a confrontation with God through the prophet Elijah who calls the people to return to God. … … We see this story with the prophets over and over. The people reject or ignore God, often it is the leaders who are leading people into this rejection. Then, the prophets call the people to return to God. … And, God is gracious, so the invitation is re-issued to those who rejected Him. <br /><br />In the parable, after the second invitation is issued, some of those who had been invited to the wedding banquet ignore the servants and go do different things- to work in their field, or to their business. They decide that the king isn’t going to interfere with their lives and they go back to work. … But others seize the servants and abuse them and kill them. <br /><br />The prophets are often abused and killed. Elijah fled into the wilderness to escape King Ahab and Queen Jezebel, who were threatening to kill him. Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern. Isaiah was killed. Zechariah was stoned to death (2 Chron 24:20-22). John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod. And we know that the leadership is going to reject and kill Jesus. <br /><br />The people who were issued invitations to the wedding banquet showed incredible disrespect to the King. To abuse and kill the king’s servants is an unimaginable insult. <br /><br />Here we need to remember that in parables, the characters aren’t always perfect equivalents to what they represent. … Jesus tells a parable about an unjust judge, who doesn’t really care about justice, but gives a widow what she wants to stop her from annoying him. In the parable, the unjust judge is God, but we can’t make a perfect equivalent as if God doesn’t care about justice. … Here too, we should be careful about equating the enraged king with God too closely. Which isn’t to say that there isn’t consequences for such extreme disrespect of God and murder of His servants. … <br /><br />In the parable, the king is enraged. He sends his army who destroys the murderers and burns their city to the ground. St. John Chrysostom teaches that this refers to the later destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70AD. <br /><br />It would be a shameful thing to have no guests at his son’s wedding banquet, so the king tells his servants to invite anyone. He tells them to make the invitation wide, everyone is welcome. They are not to be picky. They invite the good and the bad, until the wedding hall is full of guests. … <br /><br />Some have seen this as an invitation to the Gentiles, who were previously not a part of the covenant of Israel. … But it can also be seen as an invitation to those on the outskirts of society- the tax-collectors and “sinners”. <br /><br />This is one way of understanding the Beatitudes that begin the Sermon on the Mount. By the cultural standards of their day, The Beatitudes describe those who were not thought to be blessed. … To be poor was evidence that God did not bless you with material wealth. To be in mourning was to be one who was not blessed to be saved from tragedy. To be meek was to have people walk all over you, and to not really have social influence. To hunger and thirst for righteousness was to not be blessed to have righteousness to feast on. To be merciful, means you have had wrong done to you and not taken the revenge due to you. The pure in heart are the naïve and are easily taken advantage of. The peacemakers are in the midst of conflict, and so are not already blessed with peace. Those who are persecuted are not blessed with protection from their enemies. … One way to understand The Beatitudes is to see them as a broad invitation to all those who were not seen as blessed by their culture. It is a way of saying, “Yes, even you are invited to be a part of the Kingdom”. All those who the culture thought did not have God’s favour are invited. … Jesus was famous for spending time with Tax-collectors and “sinners”. … And this invitation, eventually extends to the Gentiles as well. They too are invited to the Kingdom. … The invitation is incredibly, and generously, broad. <br /><br />The next part of the parable is often the confusing part. We wish the parable would end here with everyone being invited. But Jesus continues. … The king notices a man who was not wearing wedding clothes. The invitation was broad, but there is still an expectation placed on the guests who attend. They are to be dressed appropriately. We should assume that the man had a wedding garment available to him, which is why he was speechless. He had no excuse. He chose not to dress appropriately for the wedding banquet, and as a consequence of that choice he has excluded himself from the banquet and is thrown out. <br /><br />So, what does the wedding garment represent? He was happy to receive the invitation, but he seemed to want to come on his own terms. He was unwilling to change. … Some have suggested that the garment is a garment of baptism, with all that Baptism represents- its vows to renounce evil and turning to Christ in trust. … Some see it at a garment of righteousness- a life of faith, repentance, and virtue. … Gregory the Great and Augustine said that the garment was love. Augustine points to 1 Corinthians 13 where we read, </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor 13:2).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> To lack the kind of love he is talking about, would remove the value of all the other good works we can do. <br /><br />The New Testament scholar, Bishop NT Wright says about this garment, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“The point of the story is that Jesus is telling the truth, the truth that political and religious leaders often like to hide: the truth that God's Kingdom is a Kingdom in which love and justice and truth and mercy and holiness rein unhindered. They are the clothes you need to wear for the wedding. And if you refuse to put them on, you are saying you don't want to stay at the party. That is the reality. If we don't have the courage to say so, we are deceiving ourselves, and everyone who listens to us” (Matthew for Everyone, Tom Wright).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> This is not what Bonhoeffer would describe as “cheap grace”. It is grace for sure, because everyone is invited, but something is expected. To refuse to be transformed is a way of refusing to be a part of the banquet. All are invited. Everyone. It doesn’t matter what your starting point is. … But, a change of clothes is also necessary. We can’t stay where we are when we were first invited. We are called into transformation. AMEN </span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-25999478559636491822023-10-08T12:31:00.000-07:002023-10-08T12:31:07.371-07:00The Law- Exodus 20 (The Ten Commandments)<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimNchv1bOzK5EBVuujMWSUoknKqHl_oUlvwetw6m0iA7uS_MRCkSnL0RBPegtDPmLBnzKqy89VGqVV-Lt1hggpDS0y_agDi19ySDJHYRsjaKF3OBbEKNMdOITSlLKLF_dsZ_CIUmBAQbtdfD2wllubt1B5EKglHdNBL6G7qGHfxjeJvq30xljsp4xoYLNV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="409" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimNchv1bOzK5EBVuujMWSUoknKqHl_oUlvwetw6m0iA7uS_MRCkSnL0RBPegtDPmLBnzKqy89VGqVV-Lt1hggpDS0y_agDi19ySDJHYRsjaKF3OBbEKNMdOITSlLKLF_dsZ_CIUmBAQbtdfD2wllubt1B5EKglHdNBL6G7qGHfxjeJvq30xljsp4xoYLNV=w283-h409" width="283" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A1-20&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Exodus 20:1-20</a></b></div><br />We usually translate the Hebrew word “Torah” as “Law”, but the word is a bit more full than that. It doesn’t just mean ‘legal rules’. “Torah” refers to the first 5 books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. And, in its most full definition, “Torah” means something like “God’s teaching” or “God’s instruction”. Torah is God’s guidance. It is something precious. It is guidance to live a good life. … We see it in a condensed form in the 10 commandments, and even more condensed form in Jesus’ summary of the law- </span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ … And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt 22:37-40).</blockquote>Sometimes Christians think that because of Jesus we don’t have to think about the law anymore. The Early Christians didn’t think that way. Jesus Says he came to fulfil the law (Matt 5:17-18). In Paul’s Second letter to Timothy he says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness …” (2 Timothy 3:16).</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> In the Early Church, Scripture referred to the Old Testament. What became the New Testament was still in the form of letters that were being shared between the churches. So, there was a lot of respect for what we call the Old Testament in the Early Church, and Christians constantly sought wisdom from God there. Though, they always looked back on Scripture with Christ in their minds as they read those words. <br /><br />For example, Maximus of Turin (a bishop who lived from the late 300’s to early 400’s) said this:<br /><blockquote>“[The] children of Israel, arriving at Marah and being unable to draw the water because of its bitterness (for the well had water but no sweetness and it was pleasing to the eye but polluted to the taste), drank water that became sweet and mild as soon as wood was thrown into it by Moses [Exodus 15:22-27].”</blockquote>Maximus is referring to an Old Testament story in Exodus when the people have been rescued from Egypt and are brought into the wilderness under the leadership of Moses. They were looking for water and when they finally found it, it was too bitter to drink. When Moses cried out to God he was shown a piece of wood. When he threw the wood into the water it became good and drinkable. <br /><br />Maximus goes on to say, <br /><br /><blockquote>“The sacrament of the wood removed the harshness that the noxious water bore. I believe that this happened as a sign, for I think that the bitter water of Marah is the Old Testament law, which was harsh before it was tempered by the Lord's cross. For it used to command ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’ and, austere as it was, it offered none of mercy’s consolation. But, when it had been tempered by the wood of gospel suffering, at once it changed its bitterness into mildness and presented itself as a sweet drink, as the prophet says: ‘How sweet are your words to my taste, more than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth!’ [Ps 119:103] For sweet are the words that command, ‘If anyone strikes you on your cheek, offer him the other as well; if anyone takes your tunic from you, leave him your cloak too.’ This, then, is the bitterness that has been changed into sweetness: the austerity of the law has been tempered by the grace of the gospel. For the letter of the law is bitter without the mystery of the cross; about this the apostle says, ‘The letter kills.’ But when the sacraments of the passion are joined to it, all its bitterness is spiritually buried, and about that the apostle says, ‘But the Spirit gives life.’” (SERMON 67-4).</blockquote>Maximus is outlining a principle that we find in the Early Church. They constantly turn to Christ as the way of understanding the Old Testament. And that the Old Testament remained precious to them. <br /><br />In psalm 119:97 we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“Oh how I love your [Torah]!”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Most of us don’t have an attitude towards the law that would cause us to say such a thing. If we just think about the Torah as a bunch of rules imposed on us, then we are likely to resist and even feel resentful about this. But, if we see the Torah as God’s instruction for how to live life as children of God, then we might start to see how we might start loving the Torah. Maximus would say that this is especially true when we read it with Christ in our mind, who said that he came to fulfil the Torah. He brings out its true meaning and purpose. <br /><br />We keep this in mind as we look at today's reading where Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God on the top of Mt. Sinai. The people have been rescued from slavery in Egypt. They have been rescued from a powerful nation. They are led through the sea and rescued through the supernatural working of God. In the wilderness the people grumble for food and water and even long to return to Egypt, but God provides for them by giving them manna and quail, and by giving them water from a rock. The freed people of Israel are then given the Law through Moses on Mt. Sinai. <br /><br /> Notice that God didn't give the Law to Moses when speaking through the burning bush. God didn’t say, "Now go give these commandments to your people. When they follow them, I will come and rescue them from the hand of Pharaoh and bring them to the Promised land flowing with milk and honey". God didn't do that. God didn't rescue His people from Egypt as a reward for following the Law. By following the law, they express their obedience, then when they are obedient they are ready to be released from Slavery in Egypt. God didn't do it that way. God rescued the people of Israel as an act of grace, not as a reward for good behaviour. It is pure grace. ... Then once God’s people are freed, He gives them this law. <br /><br /> Our Jewish friends have a festival called Shavu'ot, the Festival of Weeks, (we know it as Pentecost in our calendar) where they celebrate the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. It is a celebration. It is a time when they remember that just as they were rescued physically from Egypt at Passover, so the giving of the Law is about rescuing the people from spiritual and social bondage to idolatry and immorality. <br /><br /> The giving of the law is grace- it is a gift. God gives the law to the free people of Israel, not to put them into another kind of slavery, but to teach them how to live as free people. The people are free. The giving of the law is about how to stay free. The law is grace. It is about being God’s people, which is what we were created to be. <br /><br />The Law of God was once accessible through the human conscience. It was how human beings were made by their Creator. But, their conscience became corrupted by sin. God’s giving of the law is part of God’s plan to restore an awareness of the will of God to human beings. Ultimately, this is a work that Christ develops further, especially through the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament Law focuses mostly on the outward and physical. Christ takes this further into our inward desires and motivations. <br /><br /> So, lets take a brief look at these 10 commandments. <br /><br /> The first commandment is about worshipping God alone. If the people are to remain free, then they are to worship God alone. No matter how beautiful, or powerful, nothing can take the place of God. Worship of anything but God will enslave us. To worship money, will enslave us into greed. … And furthermore, we are not to make idols. God cannot be contained by an image. It will always be too false to truly point us to God. We are to allow God to show us who He is. This is to set us free from false concepts of God. … Once Christ comes, we do have an accurate image for God- Christ is the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15). <br /><br /> The commandment about misusing God’s name protects us from falsely representing God- saying God said something when it's not true. It is meant to save us from being enslaved by false prophets who are using God’s name to manipulate us. … C.S. Lewis’ last book in the Narnia series- “The Last Battle” does a good job of showing how this can happen. A manipulative Ape finds a lion skin and uses it to trick people into thinking he speaks for Aslan (The Christ figure in the book). <br /><br /> The commandment about keeping the Sabbath holy is about setting aside time to focus on our relationship with the One who makes us free- It is about refocusing our attention- it is about reminding ourselves of the heavenly perspective. It is a protection against making our work an idol. We stop whatever we do normally in order to rest and focus on God. <br /><br />The commandments also help us have stable and healthy relationships, which lead to a stable society. Honouring our parents calls us into gratitude for where we came from and for what we have inherited. We are to honour family, which is the foundation of society- family gives rise to society. And the health of families will largely determine the health of society. <br /><br />To murder someone is to take the place of God as judge over their life. It inserts fear and chaos into the community, who now look over their shoulders wondering if they can trust their neighbours. Christ internalizes this commandment and warns us about anger that can lead to murder (Matt 5:21-26). <br /><br />Adultery damages the family, and therefore damages the stability of society. Again, Christ internalizes this and warns about lustful thoughts that can lead to unfaithfulness. (Matt 5:27-30)<br /><br />Stealing from your neighbours damages their ability to provide for their family. It inserts doubt into the social fabric, which connects work to the ability to provide for one’s family. If we have to constantly worry that someone might steal from us, then we put protections in place, which means we start treating our neighbours with suspicion. <br /><br />Giving false testimony can be a way of indirectly murdering your neighbour, if you accuse them of something with the death penalty attached. Or if you accuse them of a crime that requires compensation, then it becomes a way of indirectly stealing from your neighbour. ... Beyond oaths, Christ tell us that all our speech should be plain and honest- to let our "yes" be "yes" and our "no" be "no"(Matt 5:33-37) . <br /><br />The commandment against coveting calls us to look inward- to our deeper desires that give rise to the reason we might steal, or murder. Perhaps the neighbour’s wife is a better household manager and would make a person more wealthy. Maybe their servants work harder. Maybe their animals are younger and stronger. Instead of being drawn to these acts motivated by coveting, we are to learn to be content and trust God. Jesus draws our attention to God’s care for the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field. <br /><br />These are ways that lead to a stable society. And a stable society means peace. And peace means the opportunity (if we choose it) to grow into Christ-likeness through prayer and spiritual disciplines. (We could choose to use this peace, instead, to merely entertain ourselves into oblivion.) … The giving of the law was an act of grace, meant to help restore an awareness of the will of God. There is wisdom to receive as we meditate on the principles we see in the Law. The Law reveals a way of life, and reveals the character of God. It is not a full revelation of God, that would have to wait until He walked with us as Jesus Christ. And we can understand these words best, with Jesus reading beside us. AMEN<br /></span><br /></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502193379081081219.post-40446547334073544312023-10-02T09:46:00.003-07:002023-10-02T09:46:38.419-07:00The Humility of Christ- Phil 2<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRNzImqfWNNE1gONIRLsFIlbkiQ0MIMkRu4pZF0vgHIMZgThq-HwSMAozoSqvIKjdvgp3VhlqatAyPUOWNNd5B_i4xdtJILY6UCZv0OLI9XPDCKyMyduSmdL1Qluhdq9Ts98MTZv3lfgFXVvK43Cqhopi6ee15SoFe97H90nkzZ8VGk9jP2J3dHi1wVdNQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1950" data-original-width="1350" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRNzImqfWNNE1gONIRLsFIlbkiQ0MIMkRu4pZF0vgHIMZgThq-HwSMAozoSqvIKjdvgp3VhlqatAyPUOWNNd5B_i4xdtJILY6UCZv0OLI9XPDCKyMyduSmdL1Qluhdq9Ts98MTZv3lfgFXVvK43Cqhopi6ee15SoFe97H90nkzZ8VGk9jP2J3dHi1wVdNQ=w271-h392" width="271" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=phil+2&version=NRSVACE" target="_blank">Philippians 2:1-13</a></div></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />It’s amazing to see the power of celebrity on some people. I remember seeing old news footage of the Beatles and watching girls in the crowd go absolutely bananas. They are screaming and fainting and jumping up and down. It looks like they are on the verge of a riot. The power some rock stars and movie stars have over people is amazing. We see them on TV, in movies, or hear them on the radio. We see them in magazines as we buy our groceries, and it is as if they are from another world. They are beautiful and rich and talented. For some reason, we want to know their opinions on the big issues that confront us. They can seem more than human to us mere mortals. <br /><br />In the ancient world it was like this too. A great military leader like Alexander the Great or the Roman Emperor Augustus was considered divine. They were larger than life. They were more than human. They did amazing things that seemed beyond the ability of a human being. <br /><br /> St. Paul presents a very countercultural image of divinity. Divinity in Paul’s world was about power and strength. In the ancient world humility was considered weakness and was not considered a virtue at all. … Paul and the ancient Christians boldly connected humility to divinity. We really can’t grasp how shocking this would have been. <br /><br />The road to divinity in the ancient world was about grasping for power. The way to divinity was about human beings conquering and gaining status and dominance. We still do this in some ways. We do this in big ways, as celebrities, or political leaders, or CEO’s of multinational corporations- we climb the “ladder of success”. But we also do this in small ways. We grasp for power- we seek for our will to be done- in the office, or classroom, or at home, sometimes even at church. We seek for our will to be done and that often means conflict with someone else’s will. Power meant you get your will done over and against all other wills. <br /><br />Paul asks the Philippians to contemplate their Lord. In a world full of back-stabbing and gossip and cruelty, all for the sake of power and control, Paul asks them to contemplate self-sacrificing love and the relinquishing of power. To make his point, Paul quotes from a hymn (or a poem, or a creed) that would have been known to them. Scholars place Paul’s letter between 50 and 63AD. That’s something like 20 to 30 years after Jesus died, and this hymn pre-existed his letter. So, it is one of the earliest statements about Jesus we have. … <br /><br />I point this out because scholars used to have this idea of the divinity of Jesus as being part of a later development. They thought the church started with what was called a “low Christology” and moved to a “high Christology”. What we are about to look at messes with that theory. That isn’t the main thing we are focused on today, but it is an important side note. … So back to this amazing hymn that Paul seems to be quoting in Philippians 2- we read, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited”.</blockquote>The hymn will say he existed before he became human and is equal with God, which is a pretty fascinating thing to be said for those inheriting a monotheistic Jewish tradition. But the divinity of Jesus is assumed in this letter. Paul isn’t trying to prove that Jesus is God here. It’s assumed that everyone reading this letter is on the same page regarding the divinity of Jesus. … <br /><br />What Paul is highlighting is the amazing humility of Jesus, who being equal to God </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Our Lord, the one in whose footsteps we are invited to follow, descended from the throne of God in the glory of heaven … to becoming a human being. But not an emperor. He came as one who serves, washing his own disciples’ feet, then dying on a cross as a rejected criminal. He chose not to come to humanity in overwhelming power, instead he was marked by humility and love. He was absolutely obedient to the will of his Father. … The idea is that if Christ can humble himself like this, surely we can give up having our way in smaller matters … in imitation of him. <br /><br />Jesus poured himself out in service to the world. The result was that </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … Just to give another nod to the divinity of Jesus here, in Isaiah 45:23 the God of Israel says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Without any seeming need to justify applying that to Jesus, The Philippian hymn says this is the response to Jesus, who humbled himself to serve in obedience to the Father’s will. … By humbling himself low, he is glorified and lifted high. <br /><br />Regardless of what our disagreements are about, it helps to pull ourselves out of the details and see the bigger picture. Christ is victorious and has won eternal life for us, so why would we arguing over the color of the carpet? Given the humility of the cross, and the glorification of the Resurrection and Ascension, how does that reframe the issues we might argue about in the church? Can we learn to submit out wills to each other given the self-emptying we see in Jesus? This isn't to say there aren't important issues to discuss. But those issues will still seem important when we bring our mind to the larger context. … This is the basis for what Paul says at the beginning,<br /><blockquote>“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.”</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … Now, of course, this needs to be applied with wisdom. This isn’t about being abused. This is about a community that is all looking out for the interests of everyone else, rather than just for themselves. <br /><br />This is shifting gears a little bit, but it is important to point out what Paul says in verse 12 and 13. Verse 12 says </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”,</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> which sounds like it is all up to us to imitate the humility of Christ described in the hymn. … It is a dangerous verse if it is not paired with verse 13- </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure”.</blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> Verse 12 makes it sound like it is all up to us and verse 13 makes it seem like it is all up to God. We hold these together. … We are the body of Christ, and although we can sometimes not feel very Christ-like, God is at work in us. This is who God is making us to be. This kind of humility is something God grows in us. … <br /><br />I’ve been reading this book called “<a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Elements-Transfiguration-Elijah-Earth-Water/dp/1777471559/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GF948MO69PJJ&keywords=elements&qid=1696264630&sprefix=e%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Elements</a>”. It is a fiction series about a man who is being transformed into Christ-likeness. The second book is subtitled “Water” because water is always going lowest- it’s a symbol of humility. In the book he says this- <br /><br /><blockquote>"Most people describe the pursuit of God as an ascent… but the truth is that the way to God is always down. When one is struck by the beauty of His lowliness, His extreme humility… the follower of the Way seeks to descend beneath everyone. They recognize that they have spent the majority of their lives stepping on others in order to lift themselves up… in fact they have even lifted themselves above God. When repentance touches one’s heart they have an overwhelming desire to get beneath everyone and everything. The crazy thing is that, no matter how hard one tries… one can never get beneath God… because in His extreme humility, he has descended to the lowest place. In contrast one can see the opposite in history. The never ending ascent of pride and hubris. Cain lifting himself above his brother by murdering him and spilling his blood. The nations of the earth attempting to climb to the heavens by building the Tower of Babel. The Egyptians stepping on the nation of Israel by enslaving them and killing their first born children. The Edomites who took advantage of the exile of the Israelites to ravage the land and do violence to its inhabitants… who were actually their direct relatives… descendants of Isaac, the son of Abraham. The violence done to the prophets who called all to repentance… who called all to descend to justice and mercy… from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom they murdered between the temple and the altar. Finally… this ascent… this rebellion against God… ended in one cry…. crucify Him… crucify Him!"<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/letters/phil%202%20humility%202023.docx#_ftn1">[1]</a></blockquote>Jesus doesn’t see power as we usually see it in the world. He is marked by condescension. Which has become a negative word for us. It means someone comes down to our level, but we don’t like thinking about people being higher than us. … But, condescension can be used well of God. He condescends. The Lord and Creator of the universe came to meet us as a human baby laid in a manger. He condescends to meet us in the prisoner, the sick, the thirsty, the naked, and the hungry (Matt 25). God condescends to meet us in simple bread and simple wine. Our God is not about grasping power. He is about open-handed giving of Himself. <br /><br /> The Methodist Bishop Will Willimon says, </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><blockquote>“… Jesus tells us the truth about God. … God is lowest and the least, the little one, the wretched, the one who hangs in agony on a cross, the one who stoops down and washes our feet, the one who emptied himself in order to get down on our level, the one who rose and thereby shall raise us up as well.”<a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/letters/phil%202%20humility%202023.docx#_ftn2">[2]</a> </blockquote></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"> … His Spirit calls us to a unity that can look past our will needing to be done so that His will would be done. AMEN <br /></span><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="file:///C:/Users/REVCH/Documents/sermons/New%20Test/letters/phil%202%20humility%202023.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">"Elements
- PART II - WATER: The Transfiguration of Elijah" by A Priest Of The
Oriental Church<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Willimon 37</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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</span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>RevChrisRothhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15425620057589777976noreply@blogger.com0