Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 1:4–10 | Psalm 71 | 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 | Luke 4:21–30
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Last Sunday, as we explored the first part of this episode in Luke Chapter 4… the story of Jesus’ first sermon in His hometown of Nazareth… we spent some time reflecting on the importance of remembering our story…the story of the Good News of God’s saving love in Jesus Christ our Saviour King… especially when we are facing times of great confusion and distress. And we looked at how, as Christians today, it is essential that that we keep the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and God’s saving love at the forefront of our minds, and that we stick to this story ourselves in our day to day lives. This morning, we get to see a bit more of the story of what happened that day in Nazareth: we see that this same Good News that Jesus announces offers us not only great comfort… but profound challenges as well… confronting all of those who will listen with the life-changing implications of God’s Kingdom, and what it means for us to share in it. This story takes place, we are told, in Nazareth, our Lord’s hometown, where He would have been well known to many. This was where Jesus had grown up. Where He was surrounded by people who had known Him all of His life. And He knew them too. He knew their stories… what made them all tick, and how they saw the world, and their place within it. And so, when Jesus stood up in the synagogue that day, He really knew His audience, and what they needed to hear… the Good News of God’s saving love that He had come to share. Luke 4:16-22, “He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” They all spoke well of Him. They welcomed His words of comfort… reminding them that their pain and afflictions were well known to the Living God… that the Lord had not abandoned His people, and that the long awaited time of deliverance was at hand. He had given the hope and apparently greatly impressed His hometown crowd. And if He had just stopped there… there would have been no problem that day, as far as the people of Nazareth were concerned. I mean, He had said what they wanted to hear… stirring up their hope, and reminding them of God’s great compassion and mercy. What a perfect place to stop. But Jesus didn’t stop there. He went on to seriously challenge their assumptions about God’s Good Kingdom… in short, that it’s not just for them! Luke 4:22-23, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” Now this first part of Jesus’ response deserves a few words before we press on. I mean, what happened? We just heard that everyone spoke well of Him, and were greatly impressed by His words. One minute He’s talking about proclaiming Good News to the poor, then He’s putting words in their mouths. Why does it seem that Jesus suddenly turns on them? The key seems to be that Jesus knew they did not really believe the words He had spoken… that is, His bold claim that Isaiah’s words were about Jesus Himself, and His mission. Sure, they had a place for Isaiah’s promises in their hearts, but even as they praised His presentation, and welcomed the comfort Jesus offered them, they only saw Him as Joseph’s son… the boy they saw grow up… one of their own. And as the old saying goes, “familiarity breeds contempt.” They thought they already knew all about Him, and so their hearts were not open to what Christ claimed God was now doing in their midst through Him. And so, even though they spoke well of Jesus, in their hearts they were already rejecting His message. And again, Jesus does not stop there. No instead, He shines a big spotlight on part of the story of God’s people, that it seems they’d much sooner forget. Luke 4:24-30, “And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.” Now I’m really thankful that none of you here at St. Luke’s have ever responded that way to one of my sermons… especially as there’s a pretty big river right over there that you could easily throw me into. But think of that for a moment. Think of how drastically… how violently these people reacted to Jesus’ words. Just a moment ago, they were all speaking well of Him. Now they were filled with rage, and ready to take His life! What in the world was going on in the synagogue that day? Well, in a word, Jesus was challenging their story… their understanding of the world, and their place within it. But He was doing so by reminding them of two well known episodes from Israel’s past… from the days before the Exile, when many of God’s people had turned away from the Lord’s ways, and instead were following the desires of their own hearts. He reminds them of the widow from Sidon… whose son had been miraculously rescued from death by the prophet Elijah. And He reminds them of the story of Naaman the Syrian… an enemy general, struck with leprosy, but miraculously made clean again as he humbled himself, and heeded the words of the prophet Elisha. These two stories were well known, and found in 1 Kings Chapter 17, and 2 Kings Chapter 5. But why did Jesus bring these stories up here? What was He seeking to show the people of Nazareth? These two Gentiles, the Sidonian widow, and Syrian general, serve as clear representatives of the typical enemies of God’s people! They belonged to those ‘godless outsiders’… and were threats to Israel. And yet, God reached out to them both in mercy… touching and transforming their lives by His saving love. Both received mercy, and healing, and hope, even though they were never a part of the people of Israel… even though they were the “so-called bad guys” of the story. But as all of Scripture reminds us, the Living God’s mercy and saving love cannot be bound by our borders, or walls, or divisions. Which is something that God’s people, including many of us Christians today, really struggle with. Jesus knew that His own people in Nazareth did not really believe in Him, and so they would not receive Him… just as their ancestors had turned from the Lord all those long years before in the days of Elijah and Elisha. And so, by reminding them of their whole story… of God’s great compassion and rescuing love, not just for them, but also for those they despised and saw as their enemies… Jesus was intentionally challenging them to change… to repent, to believe, and to return wholeheartedly to God’s holy ways… which also meant to let go of their prejudice and hatred for their neighbours… even their hostile ones… and to learn to love like the Living God does. The scholar and theologian Miroslav Volf makes this strong and challenging connection between receiving God’s grace and love, and sharing it, even amid the messiness of our all too often strained and broken relationships with our neighbours: “Inscribed on the very heart of God’s grace is the rule that we can be its recipients only if we do not resist being made into its agents; what happens to us must be done by us. Having been embraced by God, we must make space for others in ourselves and invite them in – even our enemies. This is what we enact as we celebrate the Eucharist. In receiving Christ’s broken body and spilled blood, we, in a sense, receive all those whom Christ received by suffering.” [Miroslav Volf, Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2019), 130.] These words arise from Miroslav Volf’s considered commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in the context of his reflections on the devastation experienced by his fellow Croatians, and neighbouring nations as a result of the brutal 1990’s civil war in the Balkans. As a Christian, caught up in the very real conflicts tearing our world apart, learning how to live God’s way by loving our enemies is no minor thing. All too often, we might rather take offense, like the folks did in Nazareth long ago, at the mere notion that God might love “those people” too… whomever they might be… or even worse… that if we’re to follow Jesus, that He might just be calling us to learn to do the same. Who is it that we find it hard to imagine God caring about today? Who are the people who shake up our stories? Who seem to see the world so differently, and act in ways that make us anxious, alarmed, or outright angry? How can you and I possibly begin to learn to love our enemies at a time like this? To not fall in line, and just pick a side, but to actively seek to share God’s love with everyone? Well, it certainly won’t be easy. Remember that Jesus’ friends and neighbours responded to the Good News of God’s love for everyone by trying to throw Him over a cliff. And His deep commitment to the Good News of God’s love for our broken, divided world would lead Him straight to the cross. But remember as well that the same saving love of God changed everything when Christ Jesus rose again… revealing that true life flows from God’s self-giving love, through the power of God’s Spirit now at work in us… and that all of our sad divisions and hatreds don’t stand a chance in the light of God’s Kingdom. When we really remember our story… which is Jesus’ story…when our minds, and hearts, and actions are recentred around what He has done for us all, once and for all at the cross… it challenges us. It changes us. It calls us to repent of our prejudices… and hatreds, and hand over our hard hearts to the Lord, to be renewed and remade to be like His through and through. And in our second reading today, in the famous passage from 1 Corinthians 13, we get a glimpse of the new way of life that the Risen Lord has opened up for us: “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends… And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, 13). The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the crucified and Risen One challenges us to love those we find it really hard to love. To do good to those who make our lives so much harder. To bless those who deliberately vilify and even attack us. And to pray for those who seek to misuse and manipulate us. This doesn’t mean going along with what they are up to, or stepping aside while they hurt us or others in our world. Far from it. But it does mean that even when we have to stand up against others, we must remember that they too are beloved by God, who longs for us all to turn from our sins, and learn to love... to live alongside one another without contempt, suspicion, and hatred in our hearts… offering all those around us what we have all received at the cross: God’s great saving love. And when we struggle to do so, let us return to the story of Jesus Christ our Saviour King… and in prayer, let us remember that God’s own Holy Spirit is at work in us and that it’s Him that makes it possible for us to live and love like our Lord. I’ll end now with one more quick word from Miroslav Volf: “We who have been embraced by the outstretched arms of the crucified God open our arms even for the enemies – to make space in ourselves for them and invite them in – so that together we may rejoice in the eternal embrace of the triune God.” [Miroslav Volf, Ibid., 132] Amen.
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Scripture Readings: Nehemiah 8:1–10 | Psalm 19 | 1 Corinthians 12:12–31 | Luke 4:14–21
“And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” (Luke 4:20-21). What’s your story? We all have a story we live within. Whether we think about it much or not, we all tend to see our world, and our place within it, not simply as a random series of moments and events, but as a story… a narrative that connects all of these moments together… giving them a greater sense of meaning, and direction… and helping us make sense of our pasts, our present, and our future… a sense of where we’ve come from, and where we’re headed. Of the challenges we’ve faced, the friendships we’ve forged… and the hopes and fears ahead of us. And we don’t only have our personal stories… we have our communal stories too. The stories that shape our relationships, our families, our neighbourhoods… and our nations. St. Luke’s has a story… a way of understanding where have we come from, and where are we headed now. We also share in the stories of Southern New Brunswick, the Maritimes, and Canada… as well as all of the other places we’ve lived, and the groups that we have belonged to. We all have a story, a way of seeing our world, and our place within it. And right now, a lot of our stories, and those of our neighbours are being shaken up by events far from our home, and by people that we’ve never met… people intent on spreading their own stories about the world… using fear, and prejudice, and selfishness to try to seize as much of the world as they can for themselves. And it can be really frightening and disheartening when our stories get shaken up… when others challenge the way that we see ourselves and our world… threatening our hopes for the future, and filling our hearts and minds with new uncertainties and worries. And as unsettling as this can be, we also know it’s nothing new. Bullies and tyrants have always been making use of their own stories to try to crush the wills and intimidate those who might otherwise stand in their way. Propaganda and outright lies have long been spread to reshape how everyday people understand the world, and our place in it… twisting the truth to convince us to just go along with their plans. For some light reading, I’ve recently been working my way through the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich… an account of how the Nazi Party rose to power, and then eventually fell apart. According to this author, it seems that so much of their so-called success came about through blatant belligerence and outright lies offered again and again until most people either agreed with them, or gave in under the pressure and just went along, trying to appease the insatiable self-centred greed and pride of those driven by their terrible quest for power. Eighty years later, we might see a few parallels with some current events at work. I don’t think there’s much need to get into specifics, or focus on stoking up fears. I bring this up mainly to make this point: how do we chose not to get swept up by these kinds of stories? To not let them reframe our understanding of our world, and of our place within it? How do we not give ourselves over to the lies of tyrants on the one hand, or on the other hand, how do we not become so fixated on them, that we spend our days paralyzed by fear, or frantically trying to distract ourselves, and regain some sense of control? I believe that one of the most important things we can do in times like these is to remember our story! To remember that, regardless of all the lies and the threats that the tyrants of today may say, and whatever they may do, we have received truly Good News that they can never undo. Good News that offers to us all a very different vision of our world, and our place within it. The Good News that the Living God alone is Lord of all, and His Good Kingdom will never end. Our first reading this morning from the book of Nehemiah, takes place at a crucial moment for the people of Judah. They had just recently returned from Exile in Babylon, and had begun rebuilding not only the buildings, and structures of their ancient homeland, but were starting to rebuild their whole way of life as God’s covenant people. Remember, the people of Judah had lost everything. Decades before the days of Nehemiah, the Kingdom of Judah had been devastated. Most of the people of Jerusalem and the surrounding region had been deported by their proud and powerful neighbouring nation, the Empire of Babylon. The Holy Temple of Yahweh, the Living God had been desecrated and destroyed. Their kingdom and royal line had been overthrown. The Promised Land that God had swore to give to their ancestors had been completely overrun by their enemies. We might see some more parallels here to many other stories both in the past, and today. Think of Poland in 1939. Or Eastern Ukraine or Gaza today. Places where entire communities have just been wiped away by war. And think about those who continue to make use of outright threats of violence, or other forms of oppression and exploitation to try to gain power for themselves. But then, against all expectations, the Empire of Babylon fell… and it fell hard. God did not allow them in their pride and quest for greatness, to carry on forever. They were overthrown suddenly by their neighbours to the East: the armies of the Medes and Persians. Suddenly, the terrible might of Babylon was shattered forever. And just as unexpectedly, under the Persians, God’s people in Exile were offered the chance to return home… to go back and rebuild Jerusalem. Not quite the same as before… not with the same level of independence, as they were now part of the Persian Empire. Moving forward, their story had changed. They had been greatly humbled, but lived now with a renewed sense of hope that God had not given up on them. What happened when the Exiles returned is a pretty long story. But our reading today from Nehemiah tells of one of the incredibly important steps they took: retelling and remembering their story… God’s story. After centuries of unfaithfulness that led up to the Exile, and then decades of living under the shadow of Babylon, and their proud and idolatrous propaganda… the remnants of Judah needed to be reminded of the truth… they needed to recall the real story of the world, and their place in it. A counter-story to the ones that all those around them were telling: the story of the Living God, and their special role within His hope-filled work in the world. Nehemiah 8:2-3, “Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.” Now the English word “law” here is the word “Torah”, which means not just ‘law’ as in a list of rules… but “teaching” or “instruction”… and it is also the name for the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy… which is not so much a collection of laws as it is a story… a narrative account of how God’s people came to be… a story of how God chose them to be a community shaped by His holiness, goodness, and love… a story of their own repeated failures to stay true to the Lord, and also of His great mercy and forgiveness, and unending faithfulness. And it’s a story that pointed forward to the prophets, and to God’s promised Messiah, and His coming Kingdom… a story that held out the hope of all nations Jew and Gentile alike, bound together, not by fear, or pride, or greed, but by the Living God’s saving love. This was the story that God’s people were called to remember, and to live out, even when everyone else around them thought they were foolish, or mad. This story called them to live faithfully, choosing to stay true to God’s holy ways, even when it meant fighting hard against the cultural currents that kept pushing them the other way. To be God’s people, they needed to know their story, and to stick to it. To place their hopes and faith in what God was up to, and let this story continue to reshape their vision, and their actions day by day. And so, the practice of retelling the story of God was passed down over the centuries… developing into the practices of reading Scripture together in synagogue week after week… retelling God’s story so that His people could continue to live it out. To keep their hopes alive, and their fears refocused, and kept in perspective, preserving their faith despite all the stories to by the many Empires that rose and fell all around them. And several centuries after our reading from Nehemiah, as St. Luke tells it, Jesus of Nazareth comes onto the scene, entering His hometown synagogue, reading the Holy Scriptures, and claiming that the time has finally come for the key part of God’s great story to be fulfilled. Turning to the Book of Isaiah Chapter 61, Jesus reminds those present of the true hope at the heart of their story: the Good News that God’s deliverance has drawn near, and that His Kingdom has finally come. Isaiah 61:1-2a, “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” These are the first words in St. Luke’s Gospel that Jesus preaches, and they mark the beginning of His public ministry. But shockingly, He claims this word of hope has now been fulfilled. This Good News is not simply talking about some far off future… it is for today! In Him! Jesus places Himself at the centre of God’s story… that He is the fulfillment of God’s promises to rescue God’s people, to bring to them the Good News of God’s salvation… the source of new life to those who seemed powerless, abandoned, and forgotten. Next week we’ll look a bit closer at this claim, and at the people’s response. For today, it’s enough for us to remember that this is the Good News of our story too! Jesus Christ really is the centre of God’s Story, and in Him, we see the living heart of what the LORD has done, and is doing. And it’s a story of saving love, through and through. Setting aside all earthly honour and glory, Jesus Christ, God’s beloved Son humbled Himself. He faced head on the fears and the struggles of His people. He bore their sorrows and pain, and brought help and healing and hope to those sitting in darkness… and freedom to those bound by sin and evil… and He gave up His life at the cross… allowing Himself to be ridiculed, shamed, and brutally tortured to death for all to see… crushed by the power of Rome. And yet, God did not abandon His Son to death. Three days later, Christ Jesus rose again from the grave, overthrowing the powers of hell, once and for all. And He still lives! And even now, He reigns alongside the Father. And He will return to set our world right again, once and for all. And when He does, every knee shall bow, and every tongue will confess that He as Lord. This is where our story’s headed. This is the Good News that we have come to believe: that Jesus Christ alone is Lord. That our Saviour King shall reign forever. And no matter what the vain kingdoms of the earth may say or do, this truth will never fail. And today, in our own lives, we Christians are called to continue remembering this story, and to stick to it. And in our second reading today from the first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul gives us an important example of what it looks like to live out this story. St. Paul spent many years travelling about the Eastern Roman Empire, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ among people who were largely convinced that the tyrant Caesar was Lord, and establishing Church communities where new Christians could begin to live God’s ways together. St. Paul worked hard to help these confused Christian communities come to understand the massive implications of the Good News that they had received… and to live out the story of the Risen Christ. From his letters, we know that the Church in Corinth was deeply divided. There were filled with factions and infighting… and busy arguing over which party was more spiritual, more important, more powerful, and so on. Sadly, these disputes have more that a few modern parallels within the worldwide Church, as many of us Christians today still struggle with the impulse to turn away from each other… to cut ourselves off from each other, and spurn those who are different from us. And so, one of St. Paul’s tasks was to help them (and us) to see that it is precisely in learning how to love and embrace one another that we are living out the story of Jesus. This is how we share in, and show the world, what the saving love of God looks like, by putting His saving, reconciling love into practice with one another. 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” St. Paul goes on to speak about how different members of a body are all still mutually dependent. They may be very different in function, appearance, and even honour, but are all working together in harmony for the benefit of all. In our world, so many keep turning against one another… fighting for supremacy, and despising those who are different. But Jesus our Risen Lord has commanded us to follow Him on another way. Which is why we must always remember our story! Remember the Good News of what God has done in and through Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to Himself, and to draw all nations together into His eternal Kingdom. We are called to remember that God does not show favoritism, but intends to unite all peoples to Himself through His Son Jesus. We are called to remember that the Lord opposes the proud, and lifts up the lowly, and that kingdoms founded on fear, and hatred, and greed can never endure. And that the one Spirit of God can bind us together even despite all our differences. We remember this story, our story, every week when we gather for worship. When we confess our faith by reciting the Creeds together. When we read the story of Scripture together, as part of our worship gatherings, or as we study the Bible, together or in private. We remember this story when we pray the prayers that Jesus our Lord has given to us… when practice the new way of life that He has opened for us… when we receive the gift of His body and blood in the bread and the wine we share together at His table. Our story is Jesus’ story. And so, when we find ourselves shaken by what’s going on in our world, let us remember His story… the Good News of God’s saving love. And whatever challenges we face, today, or in the days to come, thanks be to God we know where His story is headed: and that His Good Kingdom will never end. Amen. Scripture Readings: Isaiah 43:1–7 | Psalm 29 | Acts 8:14–17 | Luke 3:15–22
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” (Isaiah 43:1b-3). How hard is it to ask for help? I guess it depends on the context, doesn’t it? Personally, I know there are lots of times when I can find it pretty easy to ask for help. Like when I’m in an unfamiliar store, and looking for something specific. In that instance, I’d much rather just ask someone else for directions than waste my time wandering around. Of course, there are other times when asking for help seems a whole lot less easy… like when I think I already know how to do something… or when I want to prove, either to myself or to those around me, that I am capable and strong enough to handle the challenge I’m facing all by myself. That’s when my pride certainly gets in the way of asking for help. Or when I simply don’t want anybody else to know what I’m going through… when I am too ashamed to share my struggles… and worried that others will think less of me, or look down on me if I let them know about my weaknesses. That’s when shame stops me from reaching out. Now we all have our own times when, and reasons why we might find it really hard to ask for help. But the reality is: there are some problems we will face in life that are just too big for us to face alone. The Good News is, of course, we don’t have to face them alone! We are not simply left to fend for ourselves in this life. Our Saviour stands with us always. Today we Christians celebrate the Baptism of the Lord: retelling the story of how Jesus Christ, God’s Son chose to step into our shoes… wade into the waters that threaten to overwhelm us, and share the lot of us sinners… to save us. The Baptism of Jesus marks the beginning of His earthly ministry… His first steps along the path to become the Saviour and Redeemer of the world. But long before Jesus stepped into the Jordan River… long before He was born of Mary… the Living God had been preparing His people for Christ’s arrival... revealing Himself not only as their Almighty Sovereign, but also as their Divine Helper. The whole story of Scripture depicts Yahweh, the Living God, as the One who longs to rescue the oppressed… to bind up the broken, lift up the lowly, and set the captives free. And all throughout Israel’s story, God proves to be their faithful deliverer. The One who comes to their aid, and who refuses to abandon them, despite their many mistakes… allowing them at times to face the grave consequences of their sins, but at the same time, always eager to step in and show them His mercy and steadfast love. And this is the context for our first reading from Isaiah 43. God’s people had been in the Promised Land for several centuries… enjoying God’s great generosity and divine protection from their enemies. But despite this, Israel had also turned away from the Lord in their hearts, and in their daily lives: worshipping idols, perverting justice, oppressing the poor, and refusing to walk in God’s holy ways. Much of the writings of Isaiah make it clear that Israel had made a big mess of things, and so they would have to face some big consequences: Exile was coming. God would allow His unfaithful people to have everything taken from them… their land, their possessions, their communities… and they would have to live as strangers in the land of Babylon. But even so, Isaiah shared the Good News that God would not abandon His people. Far from it. And in today’s reading we hear God’s words of promise, that despite all of their sins, the Lord Himself would deliver them. Isaiah 43:1-3, “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” And further down, verses 5-7, “Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” With these words, and many more like them, God called His people throughout the Old Testament to trust in Him, and to turn back to Him, even when they’ve completely messed up everything… God Himself would be with them. He would stand by them… and not forsake them. He would come to their rescue. And so, many centuries after God’s people returned from Babylon, and tried to rebuild their lives in the land… at the right time, God sent John the Baptist to prepare His people for the arrival of their Saviour King. John’s ministry of baptism at the Jordan River stood as an invitation for God’s people to seek the Lord’s forgiveness… to seek out a new beginning, a fresh start, both as individuals, and as a renewed community. It was a call to humble themselves. To let go of their pride and acknowledge that they all really needed God’s help. To confess that they could not turn their own stories around alone. That they needed His salvation. And it was a call to own up to the brokenness of their own lives. To publicly own the fact that they had really messed up and sinned… falling far short of the glory of God, and His holy purposes for His people. It was a call to face their own guilt and shame, and bring themselves honestly before God seeking His mercy. John was calling God’s people to draw near to the Lord again, and to stop playing games… to show up as themselves… as those in desperate need of help, turning to God with their whole lives in the hopes that He really would save them. That invitation echoes down to us today as well. In whatever mess we may find ourselves in… in our times of distress and desperation, we too are called to draw near to God… not as we wish we were, but as we are… with our worries and weaknesses… with our mistakes and failures… we are invited to trust, and turn our eyes to the Lord, and to wholeheartedly seek His help. But as we read on in the Gospel, we find that God offers us so much more than the help we might ever have expected, or dare to ask for… and nothing could really prepare us for the surprising scandal of what happens next. For Jesus Christ, God’s perfect, sinless Son, does not just come to the river to pardon and extend forgiveness to those who turned to God in faith. That would be wonderful enough… but He does so much more! He steps into the waters Himself. Jesus identifies Himself fully with those who had turned their backs on God, and rejected His holy ways. Jesus wades into their messed up circumstances and chooses to make them His own. He doesn’t stand by while His people and His world struggle to stay afloat… in His baptism, Jesus binds Himself to those who are drowning, doomed, and completely dependent on the mercy of God alone to deliver them. And John doesn’t miss the point, or the scandal of it all, which is why in St. Matthew’s account, John is so confused by Jesus’s actions. John knows that Jesus doesn’t need to turn Himself around to be at one with God like everyone else… and that in fact, it’s John himself that needs to be set free by God’s Messiah… the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. But Jesus knows that this is how God’s great deliverance will be made complete: by binding Himself completely to sinners, so that they can be saved in and through Him. And Jesus is right! This is God’s will for His beloved Son. And as Christ is baptized, John sees “the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22). In this moment of public humility, but also incredible compassion and grace, stepping into the place of us sinners, Jesus is fully in line with the heart of His Father in Heaven, and filled with the Holy Spirit. The Living God, the Triune Lord is completely on the same page: choosing to be bound to our broken world, to become it’s blessed Saviour. Of course, Jesus’ baptism is just the beginning of this great act of deliverance… a journey that would lead to the crisis of the cross, where Christ joins Himself not only to desperate sinners seeking forgiveness, but to those already condemned to die… to be plunged into the depths of the grave for their sins… to become like them, lifeless, and completely powerless to rescue themselves. At the cross, Jesus binds Himself to us all, to our world at its very worst… choosing to lay down His life… to die bound to us… so that we might be raise up with Him. Jesus trusted that His Father’s saving love was far more powerful even than death, and that His Father would not abandon Him, but would raise Him up again. And the Good News of the Resurrection is that Jesus was right! After three days in the grave, God the Father raised up His Son as the new beginning of a New Creation… no longer susceptible to sin and death… but set free forever. And this is the New Life that Jesus had opened up for us, and offers to us all in His name: to share in His death to sin, and also to share in His glorious New Life, now and forever. And in light of Jesus’ baptism… His act of love, binding Himself to us in the waters of the Jordan River, and ultimately at the cross… our own baptisms bind us to Him in faith… as our tangible response to what He has already done for us at the cross to save us, and to unite us to Him, and to all God’s people, creating a renewed community, committed to living here and now as His beloved children. This is not possible for us all on our own. But it is possible by the power of God’s Holy Spirit, working in us to bring about God’s new life, and helping us to walk in His ways… binding us to Jesus, and setting us free in Him. The practice of baptism for disciples of Jesus today is not simply something that we do ourselves… sort of a religious rite of passage… something we just go through, because that’s what’s expected of us. Baptism is a gift for God’s people… inviting us to be open to God’s life-giving Spirit, once and for all… to spend all our days trusting in what Jesus has done for us at the cross, and in the mercy and saving love of the One who is now our Heavenly Father as well. In a moment, we will have the chance to respond to all this by affirming our faith using the Baptismal Covenant, found on page 158 of the Book of Alternative Services… reaffirming our wholehearted commitment to the One who bound Himself to us in mercy and love. And in the days to come, may we believe that even in our deepest struggles and trials, God will not leave us alone… He has bound Himself to us, so that we might be rescued in Him. May we trust that what Jesus has done for us is far more powerful than all of the messes and mistakes we have made, and that in Him, God really has come to bring us the help we all really need. May our lives reflect this wonderful reality. May these not be merely words that we repeat, but by the Holy Spirit’s help, may we continue to be transformed by this Good News. May we be set free from the pride and shame that keep us from seeking help to live God’s way in the world. And may the saving love Jesus, shared with us when we were at our very worst, turn our lives around, so that we can share His saving love with those in our lives. Amen. Scripture Readings: Isaiah 60:1–6 | Psalm 72 | Ephesians 3:1–12 | Matthew 2:1–12
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn." (Isaiah 60:1-3). Happy Epiphany everyone! The season of Christmas has come to a close, and now the Church turns to the next chapter of Christ’s story: to the joyful revelation that Yahweh, the Living God, is not only determined to be the God of Israel, but the God of all the earth… the divine sovereign of the Gentiles too. Today we proclaim the Good News that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both Israel’s Messiah and the Lord of All, drawing all peoples to Himself, and to one another in His name. Two thousand some odd years on, this may not seem like that big of a deal to us. After all, we Christians have, from very early on, seen the Gospel of Jesus as a having worldwide implications. But if we sit with this claim for a while, in the light of both our own circumstances in the world, and the story of Scripture, the surprising message of Epiphany may begin to shake us up. I mean, how often do we really reflect on the idea that the Living God is not content with just one people or nation… one little corner of the world… and instead to believe that God is actually after all of us? Not in the sense of what we could call colonialism… the process of one country or empire deciding that it’s their right and duty to simply take over other peoples and nations… forcing others to serve the empire’s interests against their will. But, rather in the sense that the Lord cares deeply for the true wellbeing of the world that He has made… and that He longs for His estranged but still beloved creatures made in His image to be reunited… reconciled both to Him, and to one another… and willingly making incredible and costly sacrifices to make that possible. This vision of God’s worldwide concern… God’s cosmic Kingdom… stands in such contrast with the kinds of ‘kings’ and ‘emperors’ who are throwing their weight around the Earth today. More and more it seems, those who are rising to power these days are intentionally pulling back from any sense of international co-operation, and mutual responsibility... empowered by stirring up suspicions, fears, and hatred of others, instead of pursuing justice and peace for all. This is no surprise, I suppose. After all, insecure tyrants have always tended to lash out against anyone… even the most vulnerable and lowly, in order to preserve their own power. But Epiphany reminds us that our Saviour Jesus Christ chose to become both vulnerable and lowly in order to bring about God’s good Kingdom… laying down all Earthly power and glory, to rescue the world that He loves. The story of Epiphany is told in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 2. We hear that strangers from the East, non-Jewish scholars and astrologers, see a new star in the sky, and set out after it, seeking to honour the newly born King of Israel. In some ways, this episode might be a surprising story for St. Matthew to include in his Gospel, which spends a lot of time focussing on Jesus as Israel’s Messiah… the fulfillment of God’s promises to His covenant people to rescue them from their oppressors, and to bring about God’s holy reign at last. But even though St. Matthew clearly wants us his readers to believe that Jesus truly is Israel’s Messiah, He also wants us to see from the start that God’s Kingdom is much greater than we might have imagined… and that what God was doing in and through Jesus might be centred on Israel at first, but would one day come to encompass all nations, to the very ends of creation! And even though we tend to think of the Old Testament story as basically Israel’s story, from the start it’s a the story of the Living God’s work to rescue and be reunited with His world. The people of Israel, Abraham and Sarah’s descendants, were of course chosen to play a pivotal role in God’s great rescue plan… but this was not because of their own elevated status or moral perfection. No, the Scriptures make clear that God loves to choose the least likely… the lowly, and vulnerable, to be lifted up… defying all expectations of what is possible to draw humanity back to Himself. And St. Matthew’s account of this episode in Jesus’ life highlights this contrast between our ways and God’s ways… between our sense of how the world really works, and what God alone can and will do to bring about His Kingdom. In Matthew Chapter 2 verse 1 we’re told that the magi, or wise men, arrive from the East and head straight to the capital city, Jerusalem, expecting to find the newborn king within the local centre of power, in Herod’s royal court. But King Herod is caught off guard by their visit. He saw himself as the sovereign over those lands, at least, as long as the Emperor in Rome could be appeased. So, Herod hears of this new child king only as a serious threat to his authority… a challenge to his own power… and from his own experts, he learns that God’s promised Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Ironically, Herod believes just enough to trust the prophecies about where God’s chosen King would come from, but not enough to bend his knee and offer up his allegiance. How many today are still towing Herod’s line? Believing just enough to recognize that Jesus is the One sent from God, but not enough to actually change our ways and offer Him all He is due? Back to Matthew Chapter 2, King Herod tells the magi to go to Bethlehem, find the child, and then let him know where this newborn King can be found… so that he too may worship Him… or so he claims. The wise men go, and find Jesus, not among the wealthy or glamourous, or powerful… but among the common folk… the poor and seemingly insignificant ones. Jesus, the Son of God had become wholly unremarkable… that is, apart from the witness of the star shining high above the holy family’s home… recognizable only to those with eyes to see. And as St. Matthew tells it, these strangers, these Gentiles, these non-Jews see, and they believe. They don’t know the whole story yet, far from it… but they know that this is the One that they’ve been searching for. So they respond: They give Him gifts, and worship Him, and return home without a word to King Herod, serving as a first glimpse of how the whole world will one day search for and find their Saviour, and bow their knees to this One who was once a little boy born in Bethlehem. And this is how God’s Saviour King comes into the world… His world: mistrusted and rejected by the ones who claim to be faithful, but selfishly cling to power… and honoured by strangers and outsiders… drawing near those who are far off, and dwelling with the poor and lowly… entering into the truly dark and dangerous circumstances of our world to save us. St. Matthew’s Gospel goes on after our reading today to recount how King Herod, enraged that the magi would defy his plans to get rid of Jesus, orders the execution of all the boys born in Bethlehem two years old and under. Sit with the horror of that for a minute. Just a minute. Give thought to those innocent toddlers and infants. These truly vulnerable ones… and their families… Herod’s own subjects… put to death just because of one man’s selfish ambition… out of his fear of surrendering control. Maybe in some ways, this brutal, self-centred desperation calls to mind some of the decisions made by leaders across our world today… those who seem willing to burn the world down… to abandon or brutalize their neighbours… and even sacrifice the lives of their own people, if they think it’s in their own interests. But Epiphany reminds us that Jesus the Messiah, God’s Son, and our world’s Saviour King, is so unlike the leaders of the Earth. He came in complete humility, and deep compassion for the lowly. He brought God’s light into the darkest places, setting free those bound by shame, and illness, and brokenness of every kind. He gave His life at the cross, not only to rescue His friends and followers… or even simply His own covenant people… but to bring God’s forgiveness and New Life even to His enemies… even to you and me. Jesus Christ, God’s Son, our Saviour King gave His life in love, once and for all, to save us all! So that all who turn to Him in faith may share in His eternal life. And we who believe and follow Him today, are tasked with sharing this Good News… with passing on the story of Jesus, and all that He has done to the world all around us, and living out the story of His Kingdom in our daily lives. The truth of Epiphany, that Jesus Christ has come to be the Saviour King of all the Earth, calls us all, like the magi all those years ago, to offer our own responses: we too are summoned to lay down what we have… our allegiance… our choices… our lives at His feet, and so to honour Him not only with our words, but with all we do. So if Jesus our Saviour King drew near to and brought help and hope to strangers and the lowly, what are we to do? If Jesus our Saviour King rejected the ways of selfishness and pride, and the worship of power, what are we to do? If Jesus our Saviour King gave His life in love, not just for those who were closest to Him, but for those farthest away… for even those who hated and rejected Him… how are we called to share His holy saving love with our world? With those both near and far? Jesus our Saviour King will come again, and before Him every knee will bow, from the lowest to the highest. So, with the Holy Spirit’s help, may we live today as lights shining in the dark, showing the world around us even a glimpse of what God’s good Kingdom of self-giving love really looks like, so that they too might come to see and believe. Amen. Scripture Readings: Isaiah 62:6–12 | Psalm 97 | Titus 3:4–7 | Luke 2:1–20
“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.’” (Luke 2:10-11). Merry Christmas everyone! Jesus Christ is born. Heaven’s glory has entered into Earth’s dark night, in the tiny body of Mary’s boy. Today we celebrate the birth of our Saviour. The first breaths of the One who has come to be our Saviour… and the Saviour of our world. Of course, we still have so many reminders all around us that our world is still longing to be set free. To be delivered from the darkness and selfishness and sin that continues to wreak havoc among us. In many ways, our world ignores the Good News we celebrate this day. But we who believe that in Jesus, who is God Himself right here with us, in the flesh… we celebrate despite the darkness, because we know that the Saviour has come… that at the cross, He has won… and in Him, our world’s deliverance is forever assured. In our Gospel reading today, we hear of the shepherds, out in the fields late at night. Everyday people, just going about their lives, with no sense that anything strange and wonderful was in the works. They were people living far from comfort… sleeping rough out in the fields with their sheep… living in a troubled corner of the world, far from the centres of power and influence… mostly preoccupied with simply making it through to another day… perhaps with a sense of longing for the ancient promises of God to be fulfilled. And then, there in the darkness, God’s brilliant and terrifying glory suddenly bursts into their little world! Angels announce the Good News that the Christ has been born… that God has given to us a Saviour at last… and then the heavenly choir bursts into song, praising the Lord , and proclaiming peace on earth. Imagine the shepherd’s sudden excitement! The hope that was suddenly lit within them… the promise of peace at last for their troubled and oppressed people… the joyful realization that the Living God was at work in their little corner of the world… that this Good News was for them to share in… and that God’s faithful love was reaching out to rescue and to embrace those sitting in darkness. “the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11). Good News of great joy for all the people: a Saviour has been born this day. The Child King of God’s eternal Kingdom has come to set them free. To set us all free. And so they go. They hurry off to see the One all this Good News of great joy is about. And they see Him. And they believe. And along with Mary and Joseph, and maybe a few animals, these unknown shepherds are the only ones on earth who celebrate the very first Christmas… humble witnesses of the Son of God beginning His saving work. And then they go again. As wonderful as that moment was, they could not stay in that stable forever. They have to go back to their sheep, and their fields, and their everyday lives, carrying the Good News of the Saviour’s birth with them. And this Christmas, as we celebrate the Good News of Christ’s birth, so many centuries later, and in our own quiet little corner of the world… we too must soon go back to our lives. But we need not go back unchanged. Untouched by the Good News we celebrate this day. Because the Good News of Christmas is the Good News of Christ: the Saviour who came to set us free. Who gave His life at the cross, and rose again from the dead to deliver us all from the powers of darkness, in all of its forms… and to bring God’s glorious light and eternal life to us forever. So may we go with the Good News of Christmas always: with our hopes rekindled… with God’s peace calming our troubled hearts… with joyful expectation… and with full assurance of God’s faithful love… carrying the story of Jesus, God’s Son and Saviour of our world… and may we share this blessed story with all those around us. Amen. Scripture Readings: Micah 5:2–5a | Psalm 80:1–7 | Hebrews 10:5–10 | Luke 1:39–55
“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (Luke 1:45). What does love look like? The Christmas season is full of things that our society associates with love: gifts are offered and received. Time is spent together with friends and family. People share in special meals, and take part in all sorts of traditions, and celebrations. And all of these practices are seen to affirm our affections, and strengthen the bonds between us. But even though Christmas is just one short season of the year… these practices are intended to point towards a deeper reality that we hope exists year-round. In short, we’re not only loved during Christmas, but always… even without all the gifts. Even when we are far away from our family and friends. Even when we find ourselves hungry, or a bit lost, or burdened by sadness or grief. Our outward experiences… be they gifts, get-togethers, or celebrations… can help us remember that we are loved… but we can be and are loved even without them. But in order for that love to take root and shape us inside and out… day in and day out… whether we feel it or not… whether our circumstances confirm it or not… we have to actually believe it. We have to trust that we are loved. As we know, throughout the four weeks of Advent, we are called to contemplate and to share in four important themes that are all central to the Christian life: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. And while we all have our own ideas about what these things are, and how they fit into our lives… Advent asks for our attention… for our openness to new ways of understanding… and participating in the Christian story. And so, while we all have our own ideas about what love is, and how we share in it, this Sunday we are reminded that the Christian story points us in a particular direction when it comes to love… inviting us to reevaluate all our ideas about love from this starting point… to learn to trust… to believe in this kind of love, so that we can then begin to put it into practice. In our reading this morning, from St. Luke’s Gospel, we heard about a joyous family reunion: Mary, the soon to be mother of our Lord meets up with her cousin Elizabeth. Right before our reading today, St. Luke tells of how the angel Gabriel had visited Mary, and announced that the Lord had chosen her to give birth to the Messiah, the long awaited the Saviour King sent to set His people free. And while Mary was trying to wrap her head around what this all means… and how this could even be possible… Gabriel assures her that she won’t have to believe this wonderous news all on her own: he tells Mary that her cousin Elizabeth has also received a miracle child. Like Abraham and Sarah, their people’s ancestors, God was giving Zechariah and Elizabeth a son who would share in the story of God’s great rescue mission… even though they were both quite old, and well past the years of natural parenting. And Gabriel says that this is a sign for Mary, to remember that nothing is impossible with the Living God. And so Mary races off to Zechariah’s house, where she is greeted by her very pregnant cousin Elizabeth, who joyfully confirms the gift that God had given to Mary. Luke 1:41-45, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” “Blessed is the one who believed… that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” Mary trusted God’s word to her, and her life was changed forever. St. Luke goes on to tell us how Mary responds to this greeting: with some powerful words of her own. Echoing the prophetic hopes and convictions of God’s people throughout the centuries, Mary starts to speak of the great things God has done, and will do to set things right at last. Luke 1:50-51, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” A lot can be said about Mary’s words, and the hope, and peace, and joy that they inspire. But today, I want us to think about how these words help us to understand God’s love… how God has committed to put His love into action in our world. Mary believes that the Living God has drawn her into the story of His great rescue mission: acting to end the oppression of His covenant people, by overthrowing the unjust tyrants of the world, and rescuing those in dire need. She speaks of mercy, strength, and faithfulness shown to the lowly, the hungry, and the lost… lifting up the humble to new heights they had never dreamed of. And she speaks of God scattering the proud… bringing down those in power… and sending away those who are rich with nothing… completely turning the tables on those who use their positions and possessions to abuse others. And Mary was right. This is what the Lord was up to, and would do through this Child that Mary carried within her. But Mary would not get to see all this take place… at least, not in the ways that she first imagined. She had to share in this story by faith… by believing what the Lord had told her… trusting Him to be true to His word, and that He would truly bring to a good end all that He had begun in her womb. For her son Jesus would come to overthrow not the powerful sinners who were ruling in the world, but rather striking at the powers of sin itself at the source, disarming them once and for all. And He would come to bring down the greatest foes that hold people everywhere in fear and bondage… the enemies of death and the demonic rebels that seek to ruin God’s good world. And Jesus came to send away all that is in us… the self-centredness, and greed, that keeps us from walking in God’s holy ways… in order to lift up those who are lost… to reach out and embrace the broken, and the broken-hearted… to share His saving love not just with Israel… but with His whole world. This is of course, the Good News of God’s Kingdom. The Good News of God’s King, Christ Jesus our Lord… that “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Advent calls us to remember that God’s love is a Christ-shaped love. That Jesus is Himself the love of God in the flesh. And that, if we want to know what God’s love looks like… if we want it to transform our lives, inside and out, than we must look to Jesus, and believe. To believe in Him: in God’s Son, who laid down His life at the cross to give us sinners the gift of forgiveness, and who rose again to give us God’s blessed New Life. We are to believe in what He is doing: gathering together a new world-wide family, the Church… who, despite our differences, and struggles, are bound together in Jesus as God’s own sons and daughters… drawn together by His grace to care for each other… comfort each other... challenge each other… and encourage each other. We are to draw near with faith to Christ’s table, and sharing in the sacred meal of Christ’s own body and blood… saying yes to all that He has done for us, and longs to do within us… taking part week after week, in this meal shared with generations of believers… and celebrating God’s great saving love for us, and for everyone. In Jesus Christ, God’s love has truly come among us… raising up all that is lowly within us… and bringing down all those areas of our lives that still stand against His holy, life-giving ways. And God’s love is at work in and through us Christ’s people today, drawing us into the story of His saving love, not just for our own sake, but for our world… challenging oppression, injustice, and evil… reaching out to bring help to the hurting, the hungry, and all those that God puts in our path… learning what real love looks like, so that we can share it with everyone around us. Our part is to believe, to trust in what Jesus’s story tell us… to believe the story of God’s self-giving love… and to live it out along with our Christian sisters and brothers… especially when we’re tempted to listen to all of those other stories being told around us: Stories that tell us that we’re unloved. Stories that try to get us to turn against our neighbours. Stories that would have us fixated on our circumstances, fears, and doubts… and forget Jesus, our Saviour King and everything that He has done for us… especially at the cross. And so, as Christians we look to the cross, and see there what God’s love truly looks like. We look to the cross, and remember the wonderous lengths Jesus went to embrace us and to heal our broken world. We look to the cross, and we can believe that no matter what may come, nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39). And so as Advent draws to a close, and the season of Christmas draws near, how can we help one another to believe… to truly trust in the story of God’s saving love? Not just as an abstract idea, but as our lived reality… as the story that shapes our minds, and hearts, and all that we say and do? And how might we then help those around us to hear and hopefully believe this story too? How can we help them to come to know that they are loved by the Living God? And that Jesus Christ gave His life to rescue them? To forgive them? And to set them free? How can we bring down the obstacles that keep our friends and neighbours from understanding the Good News? How can we help lift them up in their times of need so they can experience God’s love at work in their lives? However we might respond to these questions this Advent and Christmas season, may the Holy Spirit of God guard our hearts and minds, and guide our words and actions… and fill us with the life-changing love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Scripture Readings: Zephaniah 3:14–20 | Isaiah 12:2–6 | Philippians 4:4–7 | Luke 3:7–18
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4). Well here we are already: the Third Sunday of Advent. More than halfway through the season of preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ. And this Sunday we take time to reflect on the theme of Joy in connection with Christ and His coming Kingdom. And while Joy itself is a big part of the New Life of God, and the Good News of Jesus Christ, and even though it is something that most people in our world are longing for in one form or another… I personally find that Joy is one of the hardest Advent themes to discuss… to clearly define what it is, and how we can prepare to experience it. I think that at least part of the reason this is so hard is because we tend to confuse Joy with Happiness. The two are of course, deeply related, and yet there remain some important differences. And so before we go too much further, I’d like to suggest the following distinction between Happiness and Joy that I hope will be helpful: Happiness we could say is a feeling of positivity that depends on the ‘close up’ story… on our present, immediate circumstances. We feel happy when we experience moments or seasons of comfort, security, pleasure, satisfaction, fun, and so on. These are all good things… but in this life, they are also all temporary. And so because feelings of happiness are closely bound up with the experiences of the moment, they can be easily lost when our circumstances suddenly change… when we come face to face with serious conflicts, challenges, or loss. But if happiness is the experience of the close-up moment, Joy has more to do with living in the ‘big picture’ story… the uplifting feeling that comes when we are deeply connected, not just to our current circumstances, but when we are able to take everything into account, and start to experience our place in a much wider context. If we think of it like a movie: happiness is what we feel when we’re watching a positive scene… but joy is what we feel when we can see that the whole film is heading towards a positive ending. Even if the current scene may be difficult to watch, we can still experience joy when we recognize that the story’s far from over. This may sound fairly simple at some level, but joy can be hard to hold onto at times, especially as our lives become more complicated, and challenging. Generally speaking, we could say that children tend to experience joy a bit more easily, in part because their world is smaller: their perspective on life doesn’t need to be as comprehensive or detailed as adults… who are easily caught up in other concerns… and juggling lots of pressing matters. The more we see about our world, and the more problems we seem to encounter… the more people tend to feel overwhelmed and disheartened by the story of our world. This is why some people attempt to find joy by trying to shrink their world… by ignoring or downplaying all of the negative or challenging parts of life, and pretending they have no part to play in their stories. Of course, the problem with this kind of denial is that reality always finds us sooner or later. The truth is: there are lots of moments or seasons of life that are far from happy. And this is why joy is so important… and so needed these days. But Christian joy is not about living in denial, or trying to shrink our world… trying to mimic a childlike innocence that is largely ignorant of the big problems we all must face. No, in fact Christian joy is actually about getting an even bigger perspective… it’s about seeing how all of our hopes and fears… all of our lives fit within the Good Story of God’s saving love… and responding to this wonderful reality with how we live everyday. In our first Scripture reading today from Zephaniah, and in our responsive reading from the book of Isaiah, we heard two of Israel’s prophets calling for God’s people to rejoice: to respond to the great works of the Living God by lifting up their hearts in joyful praise. “Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!” (Zephaniah 3:14). “Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, and this is known in all the world. Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.” (Isaiah 12:5-6). Now neither of these prophets could be accused of being oblivious to the real world issues of their day… they were witnesses to Israel’s deep struggles, and anticipated the world-changing issues God’s people would have to face. And yet, even as they warned God’s people of the great perils to come because of their unfaithfulness to the Living God, their messages also gave Israel reasons to rejoice… to remember that what they could see around them in any given moment was not all that there is to consider. To remember that the One who was with them through it all, and who would still see them through, if they would only trust in Him, was stronger than any adversary they could face, and that one day His good Kingdom would be victorious. The prophets call us to remember what the Living God has already done… the mighty acts of His saving love, and they also point us forward to what He will do in days to come. Turning now to our Gospel reading for today, and the challenging words of St. John the Baptist, as he fulfills his ministry preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah. Like the Old Testament prophets before him, John is well aware of the complexities and challenges of life in general. But here in Luke Chapter 3, we see him delves straight into the complicated realities facing the individuals around him. And a key part of his message… his ministry, preparing the way for Jesus, was to call God’s people to repent… to change and turning around… not just in mind and heart, but also in their actions… choices… and all of daily life. Of course, this is an important lesson for all of us today: Joy does not simply fall from the sky. It is a gift, but one that comes to us along with lives shaped by faith… as we believe the Good News of God’s saving love, and take action according to those beliefs. In other words, joy is a byproduct of the life of faith. Real joy can’t be manufactured… it flows from our trust in the Good News, and our trust in the One the Good News calls us to follow… trust that reshapes all that we say and do as we seek to live within the story of God’s saving love in Jesus Christ. Of course, this isn’t always easy. Sometimes the troubles we face really shake our faith, and the choices we’re called to make as Christians can at times feel overwhelming. Where do we turn when we can’t seem to see a way forward anymore, or when the Lord’s saving love feels far away? How can we experience joy in the midst of our struggles? Joy is not based on, or limited by our circumstances… it is a result of our connection to the Living God. And so, as St. Paul reminds us in our second reading today from the Letter to the Philippians, when we’re struggling, and our faith is shaken, we are able to turn to God Himself to help us remember and trust in the Big Story of God’s saving love: the Good News of Jesus and all He has done for all of us. Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” In prayer and supplication, we are always invited to turn to the Lord with all that is a burden to us. We are invited to believe in His great compassion and infinite mercy, and to go to Him with all that is on our hearts and minds. Trusting that, no matter what we might face, and even if we must go through the valley of the shadow of death, as Psalm 23 puts it… the Lord is near. He is with us… and He will turn all of our sadness into joy. And we can believe this because of Jesus. Because He already upended the powers of death and darkness, and sin and “who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus endured the cross because He knew the ending of the story of God’s saving love. And because of His resurrection from the dead, so do we! In Him, we can have joy even now… knowing that God’s love is even stronger than the grave. That His life-giving power can turn the worst failures into truly world-changing victories. We can have joy knowing that we are invited to be a part of Christ’s story… turning darkness to light… despair to hope… and brokenness to peace. But as Christians, our joy is to be a Christ-shaped joy… joy that flows from being faithful to the Living God… joy that is the fruit of God’s Holy Spirit at work in us, reshaping our lives to share in Jesus’ own life… walking in His ways. If we seek the joy that comes from being connected to the big picture of God’s saving love… the story of Jesus Christ, and the Good News of what He has done… then by God’s grace, our lives really must become a part of that story… sharing in and shaped by the life of our Saviour King. Turning back to our Gospel reading again: How did John invite the people he baptized to get ready for the Messiah? How were they as individuals meant to prepare to share in the story of the Christ and His coming Kingdom? What does John tell the people to do? Those who have more than enough should share with those who don’t. Tax collectors should not try to cheat their neighbours, and soldiers should not use their power to extort others either. Essentially, John tells the people to stop being so selfish! Stop being self-centred, and instead turn to their neighbours with compassion and self-giving love. And this is how we too are to live within the Big Story of God’s saving love: by loving those around us. By sharing God’s holy, self-giving love with the people in our lives. If we want to experience real joy today, to be shaped by the big story of God’s saving love freely given to our world in Jesus Christ… then we must step into this story, and choose again and again to stay in this story. We must choose to believe, to trust in what Jesus has done for us, and why: that is, God’s saving love… and let this reality sink in, and shape the ways we relate to the Lord Himself, to those around us, and even to ourselves. We can rejoice always because we know that Jesus loves us, and He invites us to let Him rearrange our lives around God’s saving love. We can rejoice, even when things are bad, because we know that we aren’t facing these challenges alone… and we can always turn to our Heavenly Father and bring all of our burdens to Him. We can rejoice with one another, sharing in the fellowship of God’s family, united forever as sisters and brothers by God’s Holy Spirit. So let us rejoice always, as especially as we celebrate Advent, sharing in the joy of our Saviour King, as we prepare for His return. Amen. Scripture Readings: Malachi 3:1–4 | Luke 1:68–79 | Philippians 1:3–11 | Luke 3:1–6
“By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) Peace is a precious thing… and it always comes with a price. In the ancient world, the price of peace for one people or tribe was usually the use of violence against another rival group. This kind of ‘peace’ was won by the sword, and would only last as long as your tribe managed to stay on top… kind of like that old game called “king of the hill”, where kids try to push their way to the top of snowbanks, and then fend off all challengers to win. The Roman Empire was famous for this approach to peace. The Pax Romana, the “Peace of Rome” was praised as a great gift to the nations they conquered… there was stability within the boundaries… protection for those who went along with the Empire’s interests… that is until the occasional rebellion started, or a neighbour invaded, or a civil war broke out… then the legions were summoned to crush and to crucify anyone who stood in the way. Looking around today, in many ways our world still seems stuck in that same mindset: only envisioning peace to be possible once all who get in our way are gone… brought low underneath the feet of our side in the conflicts we face. This week saw yet another wave of violence, as Syrian rebels rapidly advance towards the capital city of Damascus, hoping to overthrow the oppressive government they have been fighting against for more than a decade. We witnessed the attempt to institute martial law… military rule in South Korea, as a means of resolving the political conflicts among those in power. Over and over, and all over the world, we humans keep using force and the threat of violence try and establish stability and security… thinking that the sword or the gun… or the bomb… is the only way to bring about the peace we all really need. But the season of Advent invites us to reflect on… and to practice another kind of peace. A peace that’s not won through violent force, but which also comes with a price. In our Gospel reading today, for the second week of Advent, we hear about the ministry of St. John the Baptist… the son of Zechariah the priest, and Elizabeth, and the cousin of Jesus our Lord. John’s whole life was set apart for a particular mission: to prepare the way for God’s coming Messiah… serving as a kind of prophetic herald, calling God’s people to get ready for their King. At his naming ceremony, St. Luke tells us that John’s father Zechariah prophesied over his child, and the role he would play in God’s great rescue mission: Luke 1:76-79, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” But this high calling also came with a high price. Like most of the prophets before him, John was not your typical religious leader. He was an outsider. Literally. He lived outside… in the desert on Israel’s border region… far from the cities and centres of power… dressed as one at home in the wilds… and seen as a bit radical and extreme. And John’s message was not exactly a comfortable one either. He was sent to call his people to get ready for God’s Chosen One! Calling them to repent… to turn around and leave behind the ways of life that had taken them down the road of sin… and calling them to start again as God’s people. To remember God’s faithfulness and gracious deliverance in the past… and to walk in His ways again… humbling themselves, admitting their brokenness, and seeking God’s forgiveness… not in the Temple in Jerusalem… but at the Jordan River, where Israel first stepped foot in the Promised Land… symbolically starting again from the very beginning, to get ready for God’s coming Messiah. Of course, John’s message and ministry was not well received by many of those among the leadership of Israel at that time… the priests and scribes based at the Temple, and the strict Pharisees, who saw themselves and their practices as the best way to be faithful to God. And he was not popular with those who had aligned themselves with the Roman Empires’ way of doing things either… with people like Herod Antipas, and his followers, who profited greatly from close ties with Rome. But far from playing it safe, and trying to appease those in power, John’s ministry completely rocked the boat… he was upsetting the status quo… shaking up a complacent and compromised community by calling them to change… to do something different… to repent, restart, and get ready for real. And many flocked to his message, upsetting and radical as it was. Why? Because they believed… they believed that John was right, and they knew that they needed peace. Real peace, not simply the absence of discomfort, or conflict… but peace in the deepest biblical sense: Peace that comes from completeness… from wholeness… from holiness… from having their lives realigned and in sync with the good will of the One who had created them, and loved them, and longs for them to experience the fullness of life… a peace that the world around us promises us constantly… but which it can never deliver. John’s listeners knew that their lives were off base, broken, and incomplete. They knew that their communities were needing to be realigned and set right again. They knew there were many proud mountains that needed to be brought low… as well as many lowly valleys that needed raising. And so, they responded to John’s call to repent by being baptized… submerged in the Jordan River, seeking the forgiveness and faithful love of the Lord, and trusting in His divine mercy to bring about His peace among them. And as John would remind them, this peace would not be painless, or easy. But it would be well worth it! Turning our lives around and walking in God’s holy ways takes work, and will involve real struggles, and ask us to say no to ourselves again and again. But the peace we need is only possible through God’s cleansing hand at work in our lives. AS we heard in our first reading today from the prophet Micah (3:2-4), “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.” John was calling his people to get ready for God’s coming King by seeking God’s peace… God’s own gracious cleansing, purifying, sanctifying power, to set their lives back on track so they could fully participate in His coming Kingdom. And this invitation is not just meant for those who stood by the Jordan River in John’s day… but for us as well… for those of us who know we need God’s peace at work in our lives. How might John’s call to repentance apply to us as a Church community? Here at St. Luke’s? As a Diocese? As the Anglican Church, and as a part of the whole body of Christ? Are there ways we as believers have gotten off track, and are in need of cleansing and new beginnings? Perhaps John’s message is connecting with us in a more personal way this morning. For those of us who may still be exploring the Christian story… John’s calling might offer us an opportunity to respond to the invitation to be baptized… to offer our lives in faith to Christ Jesus, God’s Son, and to receive the gift of forgiveness and new life in His name. And for those of us who have already been baptized, but who may have walked away from God for a time, and are now sensing the deep need for our lives to be set right again, John’s calling might offer us an opportunity to formally renew our baptismal vows… to reaffirm our faith in Jesus, and our need for Christ’s peace to rule in our lives. If you’d like to explore either of these invitations to baptism, or to reaffirm your baptism, please let me know, and I would be happy to meet with you, to pray with you, and to walk with you through this process. But even if that’s not where you are this morning, John’s message is truly for all of us. Wherever we are in our walk with God, we are to get ready for the Messiah… remembering that God’s true and lasting peace also came with a high price. This peace was not won through force or violence… or through unjust compromises, or by avoiding conflicts, or through anything else that our world has to offer… but through the work of Someone even more radical and world changing than John himself was prepared for… through Jesus Christ, God’s Chosen King… the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Throughout His ministry, Jesus disrupted the status quo… not only bringing low the proud mountains… challenging those who thought they were on the right track, but had in truth abandoned God’s good ways… He also lifted up the lowly valleys… reaching out to the hurting, and the desperate… and preaching God’s peace to sinners… to people whose choices and compromises had set them apart from their neighbours, marking them as outsiders in their communities… but not beyond the bounds of God’s love. And Jesus practiced peace among deeply divided communities… pulling together people of all walks of life, and making them one, united to one another by their devotion and connection to Him. Jesus Christ practiced God’s peace… even when it would require the highest cost. He refused to play the world’s game… to rally armed forces to Himself, to bring about His Kingdom by force. No, in self-giving love Christ Jesus surrendered Himself to those who would crush, curse, and crucify Him… pleading for their forgiveness, even as they called for His death… and paying for the sins of the whole world through His blood shed at the cross. But far from ending in utter defeat, we know that the cross became the sign of God’s great victory… breaking the power of guilt and shame by cleansing us of sin… disarming the threat of death, which all tyrants depend on… and assuring us that we no longer need to be estranged from the Living God, or from our neighbours created in His image. In rising again from the grave, Jesus has shown the world that His death for our sake has paid the price once and for all for our peace… and through His Spirit at work in us, we can now put this peace into practice. As Christians, our peace must be a Christ-shaped peace… a peace that is willing to stand out, and shake up the status quo… not by using force to get our own way, or by compromising with injustice and evil, but by trusting that no matter what others might do, they cannot shake or take away the new life that Jesus Christ has share with us, and longs for us to share with one another as we await His return to set our whole world right again. Christ Jesus has paid the high price for God’s true peace to break into our broken world even now, and as His people today we are to practice His peace… to live God’s way here and now, no matter what it might cost us… which we can do with hopefulness and joy because we know that it will be well worth it! In time, St. John too would experience the high price of seeking God’s peace. His ministry would set him at odds powerful people in the world, who would eventually call for his head. We don’t know what it might cost us to devote our lives to the way of God’s peace today. We might risk losing friendships and relationships. We might experience great disappointments or pain. We might even end up losing our lives, as many of our sisters and brothers still do around the world. But whatever the price may be, in Jesus Christ the Risen Lord, we know that the reward is well worth it all. Our Lord has already paid the ultimate price for our peace, not just for a short season of life… but to share the blessed life and love of the Living God with us forever. So may the peace of Christ rule in our hearts this Advent season, and beyond. May we not simply seek to stay comfortable, but to be made complete and holy in Him. May we trust that what He did for us all at the cross is powerful enough to put an end to all that keeps us cut off from God, and from our neighbours. And with the Spirit’s help, may we seek ways to practice God’s peace in our daily lives, and with those all around us. Amen. Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 33:14–16 | Psalm 25:1–10 | 1 Thessalonians 3:9–13 | Luke 21:25–36
“Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28). Are you ready? I don’t often remember my dreams, but occasionally I will have one that stands out. Actually, it’s more of a recurring dream: in it, I find myself writing a math test… scrambling to finish what I know should be simple and straightforward, but still feeling completely lost… and worried that everything else in my life will now be somehow in jeopardy. I feel like I’m about to lose everything all because I didn’t prepare. But then I wake up and realize I haven’t taken a math class in over 20 years. That I’m not about to fail… and lose everything I care about. It’s all just a dream. But even so, I’m left with the feeling that there’s things in my life that I’ve been neglecting… that something’s not in order… that there’s something I have been avoiding, and that I really should get on top of. Maybe I’ve been too distracted by other matters…or too discouraged by the fear of big challenges ahead… and so I’ve just been putting off something pretty important… a strategy which doesn’t tend to do me much good. And so, even though it doesn’t leave me with a very pleasant feeling… these dreams can sometimes kind of serve as a wake-up call for me to stop putting things off. Reminding me to do what I can to be ready… to prepared for what I know is ahead of me… so that I can look forward, not simply with dread, but with some anticipation. One thing I know many people around us are anticipating these days are the holidays. As all the stores and advertisements online remind us, Christmas is right around the corner… just over three weeks away. And if you’re like me, there’s still lots to do to get ready for it. Lots of details to straighten out. Lots of plans to finalize… and of course lots to look forward to. Like this afternoon, as we gather for our annual Parish All Ages Advent celebration… as well as the many other special traditions and events that this time of year has in store. But of course, it’s important for us to remember not to rush too far ahead this time of year. There’s lots to do before Christmas to get ourselves ready, not only in practical ways… but in spiritual ways as well. As we know, today is the beginning of Advent, a season of preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ the Son of God… not just in the cradle in Bethlehem… but as the Crucified and Risen Saviour King, who is coming again to set God’s world right again, once and for all. From the start, Advent is a season of anticipation… of looking forward… of preparation. Getting ready to take part not just in Christmas… but in the Kingdom of God. But even though the Church has been in this state of anticipation and preparation for around two thousand years, Advent reminds us that what we are preparing for is not in our control, or bound by our own expectations. It requires us to pay attention… to remain engaged… to be willing to pivot, and adapt, and to be ready to do whatever needs doing… not sitting idle, or building our own little kingdoms. We’re called to always be ready. But be ready for what? What are we waiting for? I can recall times when I heard the Christian hope talked about in ways that remind me a lot of that sinking feeling I’d get from my math-test dreams: a sense of deep urgency that I know I need to be ready, and even deeper sense of unease that I’m totally helpless and lost. Sometimes we Christians can get so fixated on our own fears, and forget the Good News we’ve been entrusted with. We can talk about the need for ‘being ready’ as a way to scare ourselves, and each other, into ‘being good’… just making sure our own hands are clean, and becoming preoccupied with our own eternal security. Now, you’re not going to hear me start advocating for getting your hands dirty… or to ignore the importance of having a clean conscience before God, or trying to live a life of true holiness. Quite the opposite. But I know that this kind of fear-focused approach to faith leads us only to spiritual self-centredness… and ends up encouraging us to start placing our hope in our own ability to ‘be good’. But as Christians, our hope always requires our active preparation, but our hope is never placed in our own preparations. Our hope is in the One we are preparing for! Our hope is in Jesus Christ, our Saviour King. And our Scripture readings today call us to be ready… to be looking forward to Jesus’ return in ways that help us remain engaged in His Good Kingdom here and now. In our first reading this morning from the book of the Prophet Jeremiah, we are reminded that despite how dark our circumstances may get, we really can place our hope in the Living God. Our reading takes place at a time when things weren’t looking all that great for God’s faithful prophet. Jeremiah was stuck in prison, unjustly persecuted for speaking out against Jerusalem’s unfaithful kings, priests, and leadership, and for prophesying that Babylon, who already had won a great victory against Jerusalem, and sent many into Exile, would indeed come back and utterly overthrow Judah, as the LORD God had commanded him to. And while other prophets were preaching peace, and Judah’s smooth recover and return to greatness, God had again assured Jeremiah that the Exile would not be ending anytime soon, but would in fact get worse. God’s people had turned their backs on the LORD and His ways, and so they would have to face the dark consequences of breaking faith with the Almighty One. Looking around him, and his bleak prospects, Jeremiah might have been tempted to give in… to give up taking his stand, and just try to get on with what was left of his life. When we face dark times, we too have to deal with these kinds of temptations. We can get discouraged by how things in our own lives and our world turn out in ways we had not anticipated. And we can be tempted to get too invested in things that don’t really matter… or get distracted by our own concerns, and forget about the gift of hope we have received. And God knows that about us. God knows we need something to hold onto. Something firm to stand on when our world is shaken. Something trustworthy and true to stay focused on when our troubles and cares demand all our attention. And so God gives us what we need in times like these: He gives us His Word. He reminds us of His steadfast love… His complete faithfulness… and His promise to do what is right… and He calls us to trust Him. To put our faith and our hopes in Him to redeem and rescue us. And so, in that dark time, God also assures Jeremiah that this darkness will not be the end for God’s people. The LORD Himself will not abandon His promises: though in the days to come, it may seem to all like Jerusalem’s royal line and priesthood would fail, God would raise up His people again. Beyond all hope, He would raise them up. Jeremiah 33:10-11, “Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, ‘It is a waste without human beings or animals,’ in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord: “Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.” And then as we heard this morning in Jeremiah 33:14-16, “The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: 'The Lord is our righteousness.'” The Lord is our righteousness. At the right time, the Living God would raise up a righteous descendant of King David… One who would set things right once and for all, and bring God’s salvation to His people. Now Jeremiah Himself would not live to see these words fulfilled. But he would hold onto this hope in his darkest moments, and pass it on to others who trusted in it too. And one day, God did raise up One from David’s line who did bring God’s promised salvation to the world. Turning now to our reading from the Gospel of Luke, and the word of Jesus Christ our Lord, warning His disciples, back then and today, about the dark times that lay ahead of them. As His own time of suffering drew close, Jesus saw serious challenges ahead for His disciples. He knew they would face lots of discouragement and reasons to doubt… And He warned them against becoming distracted from their mission by alarming events in the world… or tripped up by the many pressures and preoccupations of everyday life. And so, Jesus calls them, and those of us who belong to Him today, to be ready… to not give in to the distractions, or to despair when things got dark… but instead, when everything seems to be falling apart, He says to us: “stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28). And Jesus did not just talk about this kind of hope. He lived it. He embodied it. He was fully prepared to face death for us… placing His hope in His Heavenly Father’s steadfast love, which is even stronger than death. Jesus faithfully endured the horrors of the cross for us all, laying down His sinless life to rescue us and our world from the powers of darkness, and to bring us the gift of His freedom and forgiveness, made possible through His blood shed for us. And His hope did not disappoint! Christian hope is Christ-shaped hope: hope, not that we will somehow manage to avoid suffering and evil in this life, but that the life-giving love of God is able to save us from its power, and to raise us up with Jesus to share in God’s holy love forever. And in our second reading this morning, St. Paul shows us what that kind of hope looks like in practice… what it means to get ready and be ready for the coming of our Saviour. 1 Thessalonians 11:13, “Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.” Our hope in Christ our Saviour is expressed… is practiced through sharing in His holy love together. Through Christians gathering for fellowship, and learning together, and worshipping together… Not as a distraction from, or as a denial of, the many difficulties around us, and indeed ahead of us… but as a way of sharing in the life of God’s Good Kingdom even now, through God’s Spirit at work in us… and of encouraging one another to stand firm in the Good News we have been entrusted with: the Good News that, no matter how dark the night might get, the glorious day of the Lord will dawn, and our Redeemer, Jesus, the Saviour King, will return to set this world right. Being ready for Christ’s return is not a call to panic and obsess over the state of ourselves… but to actively put away all that might keep us from sharing God’s holy love with one another, and with those all around us. There is no cosmic pop quiz waiting for us, but there are His commands already made known: to love God, to love one another, and to let God’s holy love have its way in us today. So today, as we enter into the season of Advent together: may we place our hope in the steadfast love of the Living God for our messed up world, and in Christ’s promise to return to set it right again once and for all. May this hope help us to keep our heads held high… not trying to deny the darkness around us, but empowering us to stand firm against it… focused on remaining faithful to our Saviour, and walking in His ways until He returns. And may this hope help us to get ready, and stay ready for eternity… to do what we can to strengthen and encourage one another… in worship, fellowship, and mutual support. And through God’s Holy Spirit, may this hope help us to put God’s holy love into practice here and now… committed to keeping alive the light of the Gospel in our dark and despairing world… so that those all around us may also come to know the Good News of Jesus our Saviour King. Amen. Scripture Readings: Daniel 7:1-18 | Psalm 93 | Revelation 1:4-8 | John 18:33-38
“Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’” (John 18:37). Today we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the Christian year, commemorating the reign of Jesus our Lord. It is an important celebration for us for many reasons, especially at times when there is deep confusion about what it really means to call Christ King… and what it means for those of us who follow Him to serve Him faithfully. After all, not all who claim the name of Christ end up truly serving His Kingdom. Over the centuries, many have mixed up their own agendas with the mission of God. One clear example of this from the last century was the so-called German Christian movement in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s, which gained widespread support among many people of faith, and preached the wholesale realignment of the Christian Church with Nazi ideology… and making loyalty to their Leader… Adolf Hitler, the epitome of doing God’s will. We can also see this confusion and distortion at work in the operations of Christian Nationalist groups in our day… movements that try to establish the Kingdom of God in their own countries by seizing political power and influence to bring about God’s Kingdom by force… inevitably ending up betraying Christ and abandoning His ways in the process. There are countless ways that our faith can, and has been, co-opted over the years. Which is why it’s so important for Christians today to have a clear-headed understanding of the Gospel: of who Jesus Christ is, and what He is doing… and what He is calling us to do in His name. And so, the Feast of Christ the King calls us to regularly reconsider our assumptions about how God’s Kingdom comes about… how we can share in it. In our Gospel reading this morning, we jump right in to a clash of Kingdoms: we hear Jesus being questioned by Pilate, the Roman governor of Judaea, serving as the representative of Caesar, the head of the most powerful and influential Empire the world had yet come to know. And in this encounter, Pilate can’t seem to make sense of Jesus. He can’t seem to understand why our Lord isn’t trying to avoid the horrible fate that is laying before Him. Pilate knows all about power games. He understands the cut-throat competitions for influence, and jealous rivalries at work in so many societies. He can see that Jesus is actually innocent of the charges brought against Him by Jerusalem’s religious leaders… and that their calls for His execution have no legitimate basis. But then Pilate hears that Jesus is called a King of the Jews… which is clearly a claim of authority and power… which must then be put in its ‘proper place’ under the absolute authority and power of Caesar in Rome and his subordinates. But when asked about His supposed kingship, Jesus responds by challenging everything that Pilate thought he knew about real power and authority. “Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not from this world.’” (John 18:36). Notice that He doesn’t say that His Kingdom has no place in this world… as if it only exists somewhere out there, disconnected from the daily realities of earthly life. He’s not claiming that His Kingdom has no authority or power here and now. No, He says His Kingdom is not from this world. It doesn’t arise from here, or rely on the world’s ways of doing things. It is not just another earthly realm. The kingdoms of the world lean on the threat of violence as the basis for their authority… their rulers rely on coercion and force, or manipulation to get their way. For example, the Roman Empire bragged about being the bringers of peace, but they could only do so by swiftly bringing the sword against any who might dare to defy them. And we can see these same approaches at work in modern societies as well. Some countries use explicit violence and oppression to keep their subjects in line. Some rely more on coercion, manipulation, and political power games to get their way. But whatever tactics are being deployed, the general agenda is the same: people desire power, so they do whatever it takes to take it… even if it means crushing others in order to get it. This is what the Romans, and so many other kingdoms of the world have done. But Christ is not that kind of King! So where does Christ’s Kingdom come from then? Where does its power and influence arise from, if not through earthly violence and force? Our first reading today from the book of Daniel offers us an incredibly important glimpse into how Christ understood the basis of His Kingship, and how it must come about. In Daniel Chapter 7, we hear one of the prophet’s visions, experienced at one of the lowest points in Israel’s story… after Jerusalem had fallen, after the Temple of God had been destroyed, and what was left of His covenant people were carried away into Exile by the most powerful kingdom in their day: Babylon… a violent, prideful Empire bent on forcing all others to bend their knees, and bow to their obvious greatness. In Daniel’s vision, he sees a series of great kingdoms depicted as terrifying beasts… inhuman monsters capable of great ruin… the most fearsome of which ends up trampling on God’s people… crushing them beyond all earthly hope. But then suddenly God Almighty, the true Lord of All, brings an end to these beastly rulers, and raises up those who were crushed by the beasts, to reign with Him in glory. It’s a vision of great hope for Israelites like Daniel, who were still suffering in Exile… hope that the Living God would not abandon His people. Regardless of how vicious and powerful the kingdoms of the world may be, or how low their own circumstances might become, this was a message that in the end, God Himself would set things right, and they would be raised up to reign with Him. Daniel’s vision was a powerful reminder for God’s people to place their hope and trust in the LORD… to remain faithful to His ways… and to not get swept up by the ways of the beasts. For the only lasting victory over the beasts is the LORD’s own doing… it cannot be achieved by the might or power, of God’s people, trying to raise themselves up against their enemies, but only by the Almighty’s intervention, striking at the heart of evil’s power in ways that no earthly force could ever do… disarming evil for good. Here we must turn to our second reading today from the book of Revelation. Here’s another plug for our Bible Study on Tuesday afternoons. We’ve spent the last eight weeks working through Revelation, and we’ve just reached verse eight last week! Clearly, there’s a lot going on in this book, which we won’t have time to get into today. But join us on Tuesday afternoons, and you might be surprised by the Good News this book has to share. Just as a reminder: the book of Revelation is not simply a depiction of the end… it is a view of human history offered from God’s perspective… a vision revealing the truth of our world that’s often hidden from our eyes… and that the powerful kingdoms of our day actively deny. This passage we read today is really just setting the stage for the rest of Revelation, introducing the key melodies that will be picked up and explored in greater depth, tying together important themes of the Gospel that run all throughout the Scriptures. But to keep it short, the key point of this passage for this morning is the nature of God’s ultimate victory over evil… not just over the Babylonians, or Greeks, or Romans… but over every beastly Empire that will raise itself up and trample on the innocent. God’s Kingdom will overcome them, not by playing their games… not by coercion or force, or political maneuvering, or manipulation… but by the power of the cross. This victory is won by what Jesus Christ Himself has already done, disarming the power of all evil, through His own death… and through His resurrection… and through His coming again. He disarms the lies that prop up all these beastly kingdoms by being the faithful witness… the One who remained steadfast in the truth, exposing the world’s injustice, greed, violence, and pride as merely self-destructive delusions. He disarms the fear of death, as the firstborn from the dead… who suffered the very worst physical fate that anyone could throw at Him. But three days later, He rose again, conquering the grave forever for those who trust in Him. And He disarms the power of all others who claim to be the masters of our lives, and the final authorities we are to pay our allegiance to… for Jesus Christ alone is the true ruler of the kings of the earth… He alone has been raised to God the Father’s right hand, and all other earthly rulers will one day be called to account before His throne to answer for everything that they have done. And in addition to disarming all these powers at work in our world… disarming the lies, and the fears, and the false-claims over our lives that bring about so much destruction, Christ also shows us how we are to serve within His good Kingdom. Revelation 1:5-6, “To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever.” We share in and serve in His Kingdom through faith in the Good News: by trusting in the love of Christ our King, who will never abandon us, no matter how hard things might get. By trusting in the gracious forgiveness and freedom He achieved for us by shedding His blood at the cross. And by trusting that through His Holy Spirit at work in us, we are being remade in His own likeness… empowered to share in His glorious ministry and reign with Him forever! Trusting that, with Him we are able to stand for the truth… even if it goes against the expectations of all those around us. Trusting that with Him we are able to face death faithfully, because Christ’s victory over the grave and everlasting life will also be ours. Trusting that, with Him we are able to stay true to God’s Kingdom, and to resist the many temptations to play along with the beasts at work today… remembering that Christ’s Kingdom may not be from this world… but it is for this world! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:16-18). This is God’s victory. This is our victory. One not achieved through violence or force… or political power games. But through the rescuing… reconciling… resurrecting love of the Living God, revealed once and for all in Jesus Christ our Saviour King. So let us rejoice in His steadfast love! Let us trust and believe in the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and all that He has done to save us and our world. Let us stay true to Him… walking in His ways, and listening to His voice… as we await His coming again, and the fulness of His good Kingdom. Amen. Hope In What Endures - Sermon for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday After Pentecost (November 17, 2024)11/17/2024 Scripture Readings: Daniel 12:1–3 | Psalm 16 | Hebrews 10:11-25 | Mark 13:1–8
“Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23). What does our hope rest upon? Like many people around the world, in these past two weeks I’ve had to experience and come to grips with some serious disappointment and discouragement. I try not to talk to much about my own political positions from the pulpit… mostly because my views aren’t all that important in the grand scheme of things. We don’t gather here each week to listen to my opinions… or my grand pronouncements… but to try to listen together to God’s word to us all: to be transformed together by the Good News of Jesus Christ, shared with us throughout the Bible, and to worship Him alone… receiving the gift of His new life, in word and sacrament… His saving grace offered to us all, through faith in Him. But in reflecting on our Scripture passages today, it seems to me that the events of these last few weeks… the results of the American election, and the reactions that many have had to it… are being addressed in a relevant and meaningful way, and might actually help us reflect on the bigger picture of what biblical hope is all about. As I said, I was personally disappointed by the results of the American election. Specifically, how so many people chose to entrust such significant power and influence over the lives of millions of people, in their own country and around the world, to someone with such deeply suspect character, and openly self-serving plans and motives. A great part of my disappointment comes from the fact that so many of our fellow Christian brothers and sisters have rallied around him… and seem to see him as chosen by God to bring about a “greater” and more “faithful” America. To these kinds of claims, my mind goes to places like Matthew Chapter 7:15-20, and the words of our Saviour, Jesus Christ our Lord: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20). Now before I start getting too self-righteous here, we need to remember: this is a warning for everyone… not just directed at those who we disagree with. These words apply to us all! And so, while we need to beware of people using our faith to lead us astray, we also must take care that we don’t find ourselves producing bad fruit of our own. All this is to say that I, and a lot of people are disappointed by how the election turned out, and are also concerned about what this all will mean for the future of our world. But that should really be no surprise: after all every election leaves lots of people feeling disappointed. It’s kind of how democracy works: one party or candidate wins, and others lose. Every single time, someone’s dreams are dashed, and some are achieved. And this uncertain reality actually offers us a pretty good life lesson: Maybe the world's hopes… maybe our hopes shouldn’t be resting on something as changeable as the opinions of American voters. Decisive moments in life, like elections, often shine a spotlight on where our hopes really rest... and thankfully, our Scripture readings today call us to reflect on where we have set our hopes… as well as inviting us to place our trust in what is… or who is truly unshakeable. In our reading today from the Gospel of St. Mark, we hear some challenging and perhaps frightening words from our Lord, that certainly shook His first followers, and has the power to keep doing so today. This passage is just a small part of a long section of Jesus’ teachings, found also in Matthew and Luke, that tend to activate a lot of our own hopes and fears about the fate of our world, and what the future holds for us all. Those of us who have been taking part in our Bible Study on the Book of Revelation this Fall might remember that this passage has a deeply prophetic purpose and meaning within the story of Jesus, helping us see what He’s up to. And these words remain very relevant for us today, but not as some collection of cryptic clues to be pulled out of context to help us try and puzzle out an exact roadmap for the events of the ‘end times’. Many still use Jesus’ words that way, and it tends to lead to some strange conclusions that often run counter to the Good News of Jesus Christ that we His followers have been entrusted with. This is why it's so important for us to try to understand what Jesus is speaking about in His own context long before we try to apply His words directly to our own day… trusting that this is how God’s Spirit sheds His light on our own situations. And so, in this passage, we find Jesus preparing His followers for some dramatic events in their not-to-distant future… warning them about the dangers ahead, while also offering them hope. Not the hope that believers will somehow be whisked away from all the troubles of the world… but a hope that can help them, and you and I, to persevere when we must face those troubles. In short: Jesus is challenging the false-hopes of His followers, so that we can place our hope in what will endure. The passage begins with our Lord’s disciples admiring the grandeur and glory of the Holy Temple of the Lord, the Living God, in the heart of Jerusalem. This Temple was built by King Herod… a puppet king of the powerful Emperors in Rome… on the site of Solomon’s Temple, which had been destroyed long ago by Babylon. King Herod built many wonderful buildings in his day, including the Temple, always eager to show off his power and greatness and win the admiration of others. In fact, Herod was not really known for his devotion… he used projects like rebuilding the Temple for political gain, and to win influence over his subjects… trying to buy their loyalty by giving them what they want, and making a show of supporting the faithful. And like most of the people in their day, Jesus’ disciples were deeply impressed with what Herod had done, and for what it meant for the future of their people. After centuries of being kicked around by one empire after another after the Exile, they were now able to worship and practice their faith in ways that made sense to them. Their holy city was no longer a ruin, but was becoming a proud centre of life once again. How could they not look with wonder on the Temple… this tangible sign of God’s presence with them. How could they not get excited, especially now that the Messiah, their rabbi had come. Soon Jesus would set up His Kingdom in Jerusalem, and everything would be wonderful. But as it turns out, even the disciples were looking for hope in the wrong places. Mark 13:1-2, “As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” Then Jesus asked him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1-2). Not. One. Stone. All will be thrown down. Far from being a sign of God's favour, Jesus says the Temple built by Herod was bound for destruction. It would all come crashing down, shattering all hopes of a return of the glory days of King David… or a seamless, painless transition into the eternal Messianic Kingdom. And far from sharing in their hopes, Jesus seemed to be pointing towards a return to their people’s worst nightmare: a return to the horrors of Exile. At one of the lowest points in the story of God’s people, the armies of Babylon had defeated Jerusalem, centuries before… leveling the grand Temple that King Solomon had built, and devastating the city. At that time, it seemed like all hope was lost for Israel. But even in that lowest moment, the Living God did not abandon His covenant people, even though their unfaithfulness and folly had brought the Exile upon them. And God had kept hope alive for those in Exile through faithful prophets like Daniel, who had to learn how to live under the power of proud and ungodly rulers, while staying true to the LORD. Learning how to be faithful to the Living God, even when that put them in harms way. And in His mercy, God brought His people through this time of Exile, and brought them back home again to the land He had promised them… something they could never have achieved on their own. And now… after centuries of struggle, and rebuilding, and waiting for God’s Messiah and Kingdom to come… expectations were high that God’s final victory over their enemies must be drawing near at last. But rather than feeding these hopes, Jesus points instead to a time soon to come when His followers would see the Temple, the Holy City Jerusalem, and all that seemed so sure and promising brought low again. Not. One. Stone. All will be thrown down. Mark 13:4-8, “Then Jesus began to say to them, ‘Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.” And Jesus will go on to speak of armies surrounding Jerusalem… and that all those who could flee should do so without delay. He speaks of terrible suffering… and tragic circumstances… including the persistent persecution of His followers… and warning of deep betrayals, tearing families apart because of Him. Mark 13:12-13, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Mark 13:12-13). Did you hear that last part? The one who endures to the end will be saved. The hope is not in avoidance… but endurance… in remaining faithful, no matter what comes. And all these things did come about: Jerusalem fell to Roman armies, and the Temple was destroyed mere decades after Jesus said these words. Just as He said, other charismatic would-be Messiahs called for armed uprisings against Rome, and after a few years of rebellion, Caesar sent in his legions to completely crush Jerusalem. Now if Christ’s disciples had placed their hopes on a building… however sacred it may have seemed… their hopes would have been completely crushed. And if His disciples had placed their hopes in the establishment of a stable and secure society, shaped by leaders claiming to be in line with the will of God, they would have been put to shame. In His mercy, Jesus challenges the false-hopes that even His followers had: He knew God's Kingdom was not going to arrive in the way that they had hoped… and perhaps, the way that you and I would have hoped. Instead, Jesus invites us all to place our hope in Him… He says to us: ‘trust in Me… be faithful to Me, even when everything else is falling apart… place your hope in what I am up to… what I am doing… and if you do, you will truly get to see God's glory!’ At another decisive moment in Jesus' story, He would stand before the High Priest Caiaphas, and the Jewish Elders. He would be falsely accused of many things… but one charge stands out: some claimed that Jesus said He would destroy the Temple that Herod built, and rebuild it in three days. To those in charge, Jesus was seen as a challenge to how their whole society and faith operated. The things that Jesus was saying and doing was threatening everything that they had hoped to preserve… especially their way of life centred around the Temple. But Jesus had not been speaking about the Temple that Herod had built… Jesus meant the Temple of His own body… the Truest Meeting Place between Heaven and Earth. Jesus knew His own people would reject Him… publicly shame Him… and execute Him as someone apparently accursed by God. Jesus knew that those who opposed Him would destroy His body… would cast it down and crush it at the cross… devastating the dreams of everyone who loved and followed Him. But He also knew that three days later, He would rise again! He knew that in Him, God's unshakable Kingdom could never be overthrown. The Good News of Jesus, the Crucified and Resurrected Saviour of our world, calls into question so many false hopes… but it offers us something far greater: God’s eternal life, which Jesus has already won for us. He is our great High Priest, who has dealt with our sins and failures once and for all through His atoning sacrifice. He is the true meeting place, the Temple where we can encounter the life-changing love of God, and be filled with the power of His own Holy Spirit. In a world full of false hopes, and tempting voices trying to lead us astray… Jesus Christ alone is our hope. He is the One who holds our future… and He is the One who holds us today… helping us to endure, whatever comes. So, where have we placed our hope? Are their still some false hopes we have been holding onto, trusting in people or things that will not endure? Our buildings and institutions will not last forever. But God's Kingdom will. Our leaders and society will all one day be shaken. But our fellowship in the Holy Spirit is truly unstoppable. Our careers, our homes, our hobbies, our families, even our lives will all one day come to an end. But in Jesus, the Crucified and Resurrected King of Kings, we have the promise of eternal life, and an invitation to share in His glory without end. Jesus Christ is our only Lord. The only One who we can truly place all our hopes in, and not be put to shame. What he did for us all, once and for all, at the cross has set the course and destiny of our world. Nations will rage, and evil may run rampant for a time… but their end will come. And His victory… the victory of God’s saving love won at the cross will be made complete. Until then, we are called to remain true to Jesus, our Saviour King. To place our faith, and love, and hope in Him… whatever comes. I’ll close now with a passage from our reading from the Letter to the Hebrews (10:19-25): “Therefore, my friends, since we have confidence to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain (that is, through his flesh), and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Amen. Scripture Readings: Micah 4:1-7 | Psalm 46 | Romans 12:15-21 | Matthew 5:38-48
“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (Romans 12:18). What’s the bravest thing you ever had to do? Life is full of moments that call for bravery… for remaining steadfast and choosing to act with courage, and commitment in the face of danger and fear. It might mean standing up for what we believe in… or standing up to people we need to confront. It might mean having to take on new and challenging responsibilities… or simply having to accept some difficult news… for ourselves, or for those we love. For a lot of people, public speaking requires a lot of bravery… and I’ll admit, when I was a young man, first feeling the call to ministry in the Church, the thought of being a pastor… offering sermons and leading others in worship each week… was a pretty daunting thought, and it took me a long time to feel at home doing this. Each of us will have our own moments when we will need to be brave. When the way forward will be hard, but will bring us to where we truly belong. As we know, tomorrow is Remembrance Day, a day set aside to commemorate those who have served their countries in the armed forces… those from our families and communities who have faced the horrors of war for us… many of whom lost their lives, or returned wounded in mind, body, or spirit. It is important that we take this time to remember them, and what they have done for us… to honour their courage… their steadfast bravery… choosing to face danger and fear, and risk their lives for the sake of others. We take this time each November to remember in the hopes that such sacrifices would not be required again… not to glorify war and violence, but to seek ways to find true and lasting peace. To strive for a future where war is a distant memory for all. Sadly, we know all too well today that many around the world are still faced with the horrors of war… including many civilians who had no choice in the matter. We remember the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, as they defend their homeland from an invasion from Russia. We remember the devastation in Gaza and Lebanon, as the Israeli Defense Forces seek to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah, while thousands of civilians have lost their lives, their homes, and their whole communities have been laid waste as a result. All across our world, conflicts and tensions keep on growing, leaving many of us afraid of what is to come… uncertain of what lies ahead. In times like this, it’s good to step back and remember that there have been troubling times before. And that, those who have gone before us have faced uncertain times, but have found a way forward all the same. We do well to remember the examples of those soldier who faced the horrors of the great wars… we can be inspired by their steadfastness… and dedication to their country’s cause… their courage in the face of uncertainty and danger. But as inspiring as their examples and stories can be, those of us who are Christians have an even greater source of hope: we are called to remember the Good News of Jesus Christ… to remember the hope found in the story of Scripture… hope we heard in our readings today from the Bible… we are called to remember God’s story, which is still at work in our world today. We heard the ancient poetic words of hope shared from the Prophet Micah, and the author of Psalm 46: reminding generations of believers that even when all seems lost… when the mountains themselves are thrown into the sea… and everything that seemed stable and secure is shaken, the Living God will not abandon our world… that God Himself will bring wars to cease in all the earth, breaking the bow, and shattering the spear… and bringing back those who are scattered to where we belong: together, and at peace. Freed from all oppression, and injustice, and fear. This vision of God’s majesty and might setting things right, and opening up an entirely different way of life… the way of peace. In our Gospel reading today, we heard the words of Jesus Himself, calling those of us who trust in Him to live this way even now… to set aside our own desires for revenge, or divisiveness driven by fear, and instead to follow Him in the way of peace… practicing forgiveness today in a world full of hate. Practicing patience with others today in a world that demands instant results. Practicing goodness today towards all… even those we see as deeply mistaken, and even led by evil intentions. Loving our enemies, even when… especially when… it comes with a cost. Jesus Himself knew well the cost of seeking peace… He remained steadfast in the face of injustice and suffering… bravely facing His own death at the cross, in order to bring hostilities to cease between the Living God, and all humanity… and inviting us all to experience the freedom and new life that comes from God’s forgiveness and grace. The way of Jesus, the way of peace is not an easy road to follow. Not by a long-shot. It really does require steadfastness… dedication… and courage to live this way today. To arm ourselves, not with weapons of war, but with a commitment to this whole new way of life… being willing to stand up and stand out, like a candle in a dark room, so that those around us can start to see that there really is another way forward for our world. That with God’s help, we can really be another way together. In our reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Christians in Rome, we heard him offer a glimpse of what this way looks like in practice: Romans 12:15-18, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” This doesn’t mean that we have to agree with or support what everyone around us or around our world is up to… and there will still be times when we will need to be brave and confront evil through our words and actions. But even so, the way of Jesus does challenge us never to turn our backs on or demonize others… even those we deeply disagree with… to write them off as our enemies, even if they see us that way. Instead, we are called to overcome evil with good. To live lives of faithfulness, hope, and love, trusting that the Living God will be at work in, around, and through us to bring about His lasting peace. Now I know not all of us here today are necessarily Christians… followers of Jesus Christ. But I believe that all of us can see that our world really does need to find another way forward. And that way won’t just happen on its own. It will require people like us to put it into practice. To strive to be steadfast… dedicated… and courageous as we face the future together. Seeking not just our own wellbeing, but the lasting peace of our world. May the Living God help us all to face our own uncertain days bravely… steadfast and dedicated not just to winning wars, but to forging a way forward for us all… that the world around us may begin to experience a taste of true peace… learning to live together, and to love one another… even when we disagree. I’ll close now with the words of a well known prayer: Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Scripture Readings: Jeremiah 31:7–9 | Psalm 126 | Hebrews 7:23–28 | Mark 10:46–52
“Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). Last week, we spent some time reflecting on the kind of leadership we really need today… and the ministry that Christ invites His people to share in with Him: not seeking after our own honour or status or glory… but sharing in God’s great love for the world… serving the wellbeing of others… and even suffering along with Jesus until the fullness of His Kingdom, won once and for all at the cross, comes at last. We looked at how upside down this vision of greatness looks from the perspective of the world around us… but also at how powerful and transformative it can be to be led by God’s self-giving love in all we do. But what about those who are not at all concerned about greatness, and those who are already powerless? Those with no ambitions, apart from being set free from their own crushing situations? If Christ’s “upside down” Kingdom would have us reconsider what it means for those who might be called to take the lead… how are we to rethink the stories of those who are most often seen as insignificant? The people on the margins. The poor. The isolated. The vulnerable. For those of us feeling lost, broken, hurting and alone today… what hope does Christ’s Kingdom really have for folks like us? Our Gospel reading today tells us the story of a man named Bartimaeus whose whole life was transformed by a passing encounter with Jesus Christ our Lord. It’s a story that stands is shape contrast with our Gospel reading from last week, and the bold request from James and John, who, despite their closeness to Jesus, could not yet see the truth of what God’s Kingdom was all about. No, this week we are invited to see a stranger… a poor blind man who looks to Jesus for mercy… and receives far more. But before we dig into the story itself, I’d like us to take a few minutes to look at the significance of the title that Jesus is called here: “the Son of David”. David was by far Israel’s greatest king… ruling over the twelve Tribes of Israel, and establishing Jerusalem as it’s capital city. He came from incredibly humble beginnings… the youngest of eight brothers, tasked with shepherding his family’s sheep. But the LORD noticed David… and raised him up to be the shepherd of God’s sheep… the king over God’s covenant people, protecting and providing for them, and guiding them in God’s good ways. And at a crucial point in his story, David receives a powerful promise from Yahweh, the Living God… that one of his descendants would reign as king forever. Excuse this long passage, but listen to the promise that God made to David, and to all His people. 2 Samuel 7:8-16: “Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.” What a powerful, hope-filled promise God gave to David and to his people. But the rest of story of David’s descendants, and his nation is not a happy one. As we read through the rest of Israel’s story in the Scriptures, we find it’s a story of self-destruction. Not long after God makes this promise to King David, he falls into grievous sin. He has an affair with Bathsheba, gets her pregnant, then has her husband killed to cover it up. And from this point on, David’s household descends into bloody infighting, intrigue, and incest… and one of his sons, Absalom, whose name means “my father is peace” leads a rebellion against him. Eventually, one of Bathsheba’s sons, Solomon, becomes king after David dies. And his story seems to start out pretty well. When God says to Solomon “Ask what I should give you.” (1 Kings 5:3), Solomon requests wisdom to rule and guide God’s people well. But soon he too ends up falling into the trap of sin. As his power and greatness grew, Solomon became more and more like the rest of the kings of the earth, amassing military power, forging networks of alliances, and hoarding wealth… placing his hope in his own resources and capabilities instead of in the Living God. And so, even though Solomon was the one who built the first great Temple to God in Jerusalem, his reign would end with him setting up many places of worship for the false gods of the nations around Israel, leading the people away from their covenant relationship with the LORD. And the story gets worse. His son Rehoboam takes the same path as his father, and leads the nation into civil war, splitting the Northern ten tribes of Israel from Judah in the South. And it’s a giant downward spiral from there, as king after king after king abandons their calling to care for Gods people, and lead them in His holy ways… seeking instead their own ambitions and greatness… at great cost to their own people. Now a handful of David’s descendants did try to turn things around again. Kings of Judah like Hezekiah and Josiah. But these were the exceptions that prove the rule. Eventually, due to their unending unfaithfulness to the LORD, first the northern Kingdom of Israel, and then the Southern Kingdom of Judah are swept away into Exile. What had started off in the hope of peace and life had ended in disaster. God’s people were carried off as the spoils of war… led far away from home with no way to return in sight. Our own stories can feel like this at times. When we turn on the news and see all of the conflicts and chaos at work… between our nations, our political parties, our communities… and even our homes. There’s so much confusion, and fear driving people’s decisions… overshadowing so much of the good gifts that life has to offer. What kind of hope is there in times like this? Especially for those so easily overlooked? After all, most people are not really scheming for power or glory. Most of us are just trying to get by, while facing all sorts of struggles… in mind, body, and spirit. So where can we look for hope today? We can look to God’s great mercy and unfailing love. Our first reading this morning comes from the prophet Jeremiah, whose own situation was pretty bleak. He was called to serve as God’s prophet, sharing His words of warning, as Jerusalem was about to fall. Much of Jeremiah’s message was about calling God’s people to turn around… to repent… to stop placing their hope in their own schemes and plans, and instead to accept the coming consequences of turning their backs on their covenant with the LORD. But our reading today is one of the few bright spots in the prophet’s message: that despite how dark the future was going to get, the LORD had not abandoned them. God tells them to trust Him… to place their hope in His mercy and love… and one day the Exile would end. God would bring their children home again, and lead them into life. This was a promise not to avoid suffering, but to come through it. The Exile would still happened… but it’s darkness would not endure. It would not be the end of their story. God gives them this word of hope: “See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, those with child and those in labor, together; a great company, they shall return here.” (Jeremiah 31:8). And true to His word, the Living God brought them back from Exile. But for many years they were still kept waiting for the promised descendant of David to reign as their Messiah King. To provide for and protect them, and lead them into God’s good Kingdom forever. And this is when Jesus of Nazareth comes onto the scene. He was a descendant of David’s line, but born and raise in obscurity… living among the poor, and lowly… and at this point in the story, He was travelling from town to town without a home… bringing the light of God’s good Kingdom to all those still dwelling in darkness. Last week we heard how even His closest disciples imagined that He had come to set up a great earthly kingdom, one that would overthrow the Romans, and that would lead them to status and glory. But we saw that Jesus had come to bring about God’s heavenly Kingdom to bear fruit here on Earth. Not expanding with military force or amassed wealth, or strategic alliances, but through everyday people being touched and transformed by the great mercy and self-giving love of the Living God. The people He met received glimpses of this Kingdom at work in His teachings, and miracles… signs of God’s power and purposes… bringing help, and healing and hope to those around Him, as He slowly makes His way to the cross, to overthrow once and for all all the powers of darkness that keep us trapped in our old self-destructive ways. To set us free from the fear of death, by facing it for us, and rising again to new life. And to set us free from our guilt and shame, taking our sin onto Himself, so that we can find true forgiveness. And to set us free from all that keeps us from taking part in the New Life God has in store for all of His children. From sharing in the life of His New Creation, as we follow Him even now. While He was on the way to this ultimate victory, Jesus touched and transformed many lives… turning them around, and through their stories, bringing the Kingdom of Heaven into view. And one of those lives belonged to Bartimaeus, a blind beggar sitting by the road outside of Jericho, who hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. Though he was blind, Bartimaeus could see in Jesus the hope for new life that he needed… that he was longing for. So he starts crying out: “Jesus, Son of David… have mercy on me!” Son of David. Son of God’s promise to care for His people Israel… the coming King… “have mercy on me!” Those around him tried to silence him… to shut him up, but Bartimaeus would not be deterred. “Son of David… have mercy on me!” He continued to shout as the crowd passed him by. But the LORD took notice of him. Jesus did not ignore his cries, and He would not leave His sheep behind. Mark 10:49-51, “Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’” “What do you want me to do for you?” These were the very same words that Jesus spoke to James and John last week, when they made their bold request… blindly asking for the favour of sitting at Christ’s right and left hand in His Kingdom… seeking places of power and glory for themselves, and missing what God’s Kingdom is really all about. And now Jesus says these same words to Bartimaeus… coming to Jesus poor, blind, and desperate… and who looks to Jesus not for a favour… but for a miracle. “The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’” (Mark 10:51). “Let me see again.” Think about it. As bold as James and John’s request had been, what Bartimaeus was asking for was even greater. James and John at least kept their ambitions grounded in the realm of possibility. After all, every earthly king and queen has honoured counsellors to rule by their side. They were asking for positions for themselves within an earthly Kingdom… not requesting the impossible. But what Bartimaeus asked for goes well beyond the bounds of a reasonable request. He asked Jesus for what God alone could give: to restore his sight…. to completely transform the story of his life, his present circumstances and hopes for the future… to restore his sight… setting him free to take hold of the wealth of possibilities that so many of us take for granted… like the freedom to behold the beauty of the world around us, and seeing familiar faces of loved ones again… and the freedom to no longer stumble along in the darkness, but to choose his own path… to live life to the fullest. To restore his sight would be to restore his whole life. And this request would be madness… insanity, if he asked anyone else to do this for him. But Bartimaeus was looking to the only One who truly could set him free. For Jesus really is the Son of David… the promised Messiah, come to set God’s people free… to protect and to care for them as a true King should… just as a shepherd tending their sheep… seeking to sustain them, provide for them, and lead them always into life. And Jesus remains our Shepherd King, our Messiah today! He alone is the crucified and Risen Lord, and we can look to Him to bring us the freedom we all truly need: the freedom from the fear of suffering, and death… the freedom of forgiveness of our sins… freedom from guilt and shame… from hatred, and greed… the freedom to live and love God’s way. And unlike His answer to James and John, our Lord looked at Bartimaeus in compassion and love, and “said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.” In an instant, Jesus transformed Bartimaeus’ life… as He has transformed the lives of countless others over the centuries… including in this very room: opening our eyes to help us share in God’s Kingdom… setting us free to truly live. But did you notice what Bartimaeus chooses to do with his newfound freedom? He follows Jesus. He focusses his attention… his life on the One who set him free, and lets Him lead the way. He places his faith in Jesus, not just for a favour… or for a miracle… but to lead him into life. Is that our response today? As we face our own struggles… in body, and mind, and spirit… are we open to following Jesus, not as a way to avoid all suffering, as we saw last week… but as a way to take part in God’s Kingdom, here and now, and forever… wherever He may lead us? Following Jesus won’t be easy. Many challenges will come our way when we try to live His way in the world. But even when things get rough, and we can’t see an end to the difficulties that we have to face, we can look to Jesus and know that we can trust Him to lead us into the new life of His Kingdom. We can believe in His mercy, and compassion, and in His steadfast love which is stronger by far than any darkness that may lie before us. So like Bartimaeus, may we also look to our Saviour Jesus, our Shepherd King, and follow Him. May we not be discouraged or deterred by the voices and forces that try to keep us from His side. May we place our faith and hope in His great mercy and unending love. And may our transformed lives help others glimpse God’s heavenly Kingdom at work even now. Amen. Scripture Readings: Isaiah 53:4–12 | Psalm 91:9–16 | Hebrews 5:1–10 | Mark 10:35–45
“For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:35-45). What kind of leadership do we really need today? As I’m sure we are all well aware, tomorrow is our Provincial Election Day… when we the people of New Brunswick will choose between the competing visions of the future our politicians have been pitching to us. A lot of promises have been made. A lot of time and money has been spent. All to convince us to entrust these select representatives with the authority and power to lead us. Of course, this isn’t the only election on people’s minds these days. In just a few weeks, our neighbours in the United States will also be holding their own massive Presidential election. And while there will be lots of other American government officials chosen at that time, a huge amount of energy… not to mention time and money… has been focused on promoting each side’s candidate in the hopes that they will be elevated to the highest office in their country… a choice that shines a huge spotlight on an ever growing clash of values and priorities… and which will likely go on to have some truly worldwide implications. Every community throughout history has had to try to work out the tensions and challenges of leadership… of figuring out how to keep their people united… how to survive together, and to overcome the many challenges being faced… and how to strive for the best future… at least, the best future for themselves. And like so many things in life, leadership is complicated… and messy. Those who seek to gain and exercise authority will face all sorts of serious temptations, and may end up in situations that can expose our worst weaknesses and tendencies. Things like greed and corruption, using our power to exploit others for selfish gain. Or giving in to fear and hatred against those who seem to threaten our groups position. Or fueling mistrust and cynicism that eat away at the communities we claim to serve. These same dynamics are at play in some form in every human society… even in the ones who consider themselves to be explicitly Christian. So it is good news for us that our Scripture Readings today present us with a challenge to the whole way we humans think about and exercise leadership… challenging us to rediscover what the power and authority of the Living God is all about. Our Gospel reading today from Mark Chapter 10 tells us of a moment when two of our Lord’s closest disciples ask Him for a favour: Mark 10:35-37, “James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, ‘Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.’ And he said to them, ‘What is it you want me to do for you?’ And they said to him, ‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’” James and John were asking straight up for authority… for power… to be Christ’s Kingdom cabinet ministers… to belong to the top tier rulers when Jesus finally takes charge. Bold move. But I mean, why not right? They had been with Him a long time. They had paid their dues. They had shared in His ministry, with all of it’s ups and downs. They thought they knew what it would take. Somebody was going to be by Jesus’ side in His moment of glory. Why not them? Well, one reason at least is that it seems like James and John, despite being two of Christ’s closest followers, had also completely misunderstood the nature of the Kingdom Jesus had come to bring. They wanted to share in Jesus’ power and authority… to be lifted up and to reign in glory at their Master’s side. But to be lifted up beside Jesus in His glory was not at all what they had imagined. And Jesus tells them both that it was not to be their fate to have this favour granted. Honestly, what comes to mind when I hear this part of the story is the old warning: ‘Be careful what you wish for!’ Thinking back to the example of Elections again: how many times have people elected a person or party, only to find out after the fact that they should definitely not have been trusted with the reins of power? If we don’t know what someone’s really about… what drives them… and what guides their way, we might be very surprised by the direction that they end up leading us down… for better, or for worse. I often listen to a history podcast, and they have been working through a series on the events of the French Revolution… what a mess! They reminded me that, at that time, like today, so many people were longing for freedom from the very serious challenges they were facing. They longed for things like ‘liberty, equality, and fraternity’… all good things, I hope we’d all agree. But the ways that these ideals were pursued led to an ongoing saga of extreme paranoia, divisions, and widespread bloodshed… a time that’s often been simply called the Terror… as one group after another seized power for themselves, and executed those who opposed their own particular vision of the future for their country. One person’s hero quickly became the next person’s tyrant. And all these cycles of violence paved the way for one of histories most infamous Emperors, Napoleon Bonaparte, to raise himself up above all his rivals, and bathe Europe in war. And this is a pattern that has played out again and again: someone wants to become great, and so they step over and crush anyone else in their path. But we know Jesus is not this kind of King… one who rises by holding others down… who reigns by using fear, or hatred, or endless divisions. And if we want to be a part of His Kingdom, and share in His rule and reign… than we have to do things His way: not seeking to be served… to have our ambitions met… but to serve. After the other disciples start to get upset with James and John, Jesus tries to set the record straight. Mark 10:42-45, “So Jesus called them and said to them, ‘You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’” This passage and others like it has influenced our language about leadership in the West. We speak of our politicians and government employees as ‘public servants’… holding up the ideal that leaders are supposed to be working for the common good… not just pursuing their own interests. This is all a remnant of centuries of Christian influence on our culture’s imagination… but it’s true meaning goes far deeper than just the words we say. When Jesus tells us that He came to serve, He is offering us a whole different path to follow… and a completely different reason to seek greatness at all. Why did Jesus come to serve? Why does He call us to do the same? The answer lies at the heart of the story of the Good News: “to give His life a ransom for many”. A ransom is a payment made to set someone else free. This word is used in the Bible as the price to buy freedom for those who were captives or enslaved… giving them the gift of liberty, erasing the lines that kept them cut off from their fellow humans, and placing them on the same plain… to offer true liberty, equality, fraternity… true fellowship. Jesus came not to get His own way, but to ransom humanity. And not through use of terror… through the shedding of the blood of His enemies… but through His own blood being shed on their behalf… serving their best interests by laying down His own life at the cross. This had been His plan all along. Back in our first reading today from the Prophet Isaiah, the seeds of hope were already planted. Back in Isaiah’s days, the Israelites had long been drawn into the same old self-destructive patterns of slavery to power at work in our world, leading them on the path to devastation and eventually Exile. But the Prophet Isaiah held out the hope of God’s surprising promise to save them… a hope that has echoed down through the centuries, and points us once again to the cross. Isaiah 53:4-6, Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Jesus came to be that faithful, suffering servant… to bring about God’s good Kingdom by ascending the throne of His cross… ruling God’s way by giving up everything in order to save the world that He loves. Because love is the why behind it all. Love is the reason that God sent His Son to give His life for the likes us. Love led Jesus to the cross, and love is what held Him there to the end. And love is how Jesus reigns in our lives even now. Love is the power of God at work in us today. Love, not just for us, or those on ‘our side’… but love for us all… love that sets slaves and captives free… love offered equally to everyone from all nations… even to our enemies… love that draws us together into God’s worldwide family. So, back to James & John’s request: they asked for power and authority and positions of honour for themselves. But to sit at Christ’s right and left hand meant to share in His sufferings… to be lifted up on a cross along with Him… to die with Him, as He gave His life to ransom us all. James and John had no clue what they were asking for… and in the end others would take up those places at Calvary… the two criminals that died at His side. And yet, Jesus invites James and John, and the rest of us to also share in His sufferings in our own ways… to share in His baptism… to drink from the cup of His calling… to offer our lives along with Him as instruments of God’s great compassion and mercy for our frightened, fractured, and imprisoned world. To die to our own ambitions… and maybe even to face death itself for Jesus’ sake, in order to serve those around us… sharing Christ’s saving love, offered up at the cross, once and for all… so that all who trust in Him might share in His resurrection life that even death cannot defeat. So, as we reflect on the people who we will let lead us… not only as elected officials, but as examples, or sources of inspiration, or as those who may influence our visions of the future, let us remember that first of all we are called to be faithful followers of Jesus Christ our Saviour King. May His great love guide us, and keep us, and empower us to resist the impulse to seek our own self-centred goals… or to give ourselves over to the agendas of others… but instead, to help us share with Christ in His sufferings… to walk in His holy ways, and to share His saving love with those all around us today. I’ll close now with a poem I’ve shared before by the priest and poet Malcolm Guite: See, as they strip the robe from off his back And spread his arms and nail them to the cross, The dark nails pierce him and the sky turns black, And love is firmly fastened on to loss. But here a pure change happens. On this tree Loss becomes gain, death opens into birth. Here wounding heals and fastening makes free, Earth breathes in heaven, heaven roots in earth. And here we see the length, the breadth, the height, Where love and hatred meet and love stays true, Where sin meets grace and darkness turns to light, We see what love can bear and be and do. And here our Saviour calls us to his side, His love is free, his arms are open wide.[1] Amen. [1] Malcolm Guite, Sounding the Seasons: Seventy Sonnets for the Christian Year (Norwich, UK: Canterbury Press, 2012). Scripture Readings: Genesis 2:18–24 | Psalm 8 | Hebrews 1:1–4, 2:5–12 | Mark 10:2–16
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’” (Genesis 2:18). Our Scripture readings for this week are definitely difficult, touching on some pretty painful subjects for many of us, both here in this room, and also in our communities. They can be difficult for those of us who have experienced personally the pain of divorce… and also for those of us who have perhaps longed to experience marriage, but have not had those longings fulfilled. These passages can also be painful for those who have felt intense pressure to conform their own relationships to fit an ideal in which one party is somehow meant to dominate, and the other must always be submissive. If today’s readings from the Scriptures are difficult for you, you’re not alone. Thankfully, you are surrounded here by your brothers and sisters in Christ who can help you to find new strength, and hope, and courage as we seek to walk together in God’s ways… and find again and again that our Father in Heaven, the Living God, is offering us all Good News even in the most difficult places… and that His word to us today is part of His gift of life-giving love. I know that these passages have sometimes been used to justify sexist attitudes, and patriarchal practices… but I believe that instead of avoiding these difficult passages, we are much better off to attend to them, and see how they are actually intended to open our eyes to God’s heart and deep desire for humanity as a whole… which is certainly not outdated, but perhaps needed now more than ever. And when we do so, I believe that we’ll find, not ancient arguments in favour of patriarchy… but a deeper appreciation for the Good News of God’s reconciling love, and true fellowship offered to all. And so, to help us reflect on this Good News in our readings today, I’d like us to take a closer look at some of the language… the words and concepts that the Scriptures use in these passages, and see how they make sense within the Biblical story of God’s great love for the world. The first word we need to look at a bit more closely is the Hebrew word for humanity: adam. Adam in Hebrew is related to the word for earth or dirt: adamah… kind of like how ‘human’ is connected to the word ‘humus’, which is Latin for ‘ground’, from which we get words like ‘humble’, for lowly, and so on. And this makes sense, when we think of how Genesis describes the first human being formed from the dirt. Before it’s used as a proper name, adam is simply the word for humanity… “people of the earth”… “dirt-people”. And yet, God has great plans for these lowly humans… these adam. Listen to what Genesis 1:27-28 has to say, “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind [adam] in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind [adam] in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’” The Living God creates humanity in His image. Not just one man named Adam, but the whole human race. And God creates them to represent His own character and goodness… not to oppress or subjugate… but to rule through caring for and cultivating His good world on God’s behalf. Humanity’s job is to be God’s representatives in Creation… acting like Him so that it all thrives and flourishes. How can we do that? Well, one thing’s for sure: we can’t do it all alone. In our reading today, from Genesis Chapter 2, we hear for the first time in the story that something’s “not good”. Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that [adam, which the NRSV translates here as “the man”] should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” Remember, at this point, humanity is one… united, but basically alone. This solitude is no good, it falls short of God’s intentions for His image-bearer… so God seeks to get the human a helper… which is the second word I think that we need to look a bit more closely at today. What often comes to mind when you hear the word 'helper'? Often the way it’s used in our culture carries with it the idea of someone who is subservient… someone who’s job it is to do what someone else wants… like an employee, serving their bosses’ ambitions… doing what the important people tell them to do. But the Hebrew word for ‘help’, ezer has a different slant to it… one that emphasizes the vital importance of their efforts as the ‘one who brings aid’. The reference is not so much about a subordinate, but a saviour! One whose help is completely indispensable. In fact, in the rest of Scripture, ezer is frequently used to refer to God Himself! For example, listen to the words of Psalm 70, and get a feel for how essential an ezer is: Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me [to ezer me]! Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me. Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame. Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help [my ezer] and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! Did you feel the urgency and earnest longing in that prayer to God for help? And even though God proves to be our ezer again and again, no one should think of the LORD as being subservient to us and our plans. No, He helps us lowly people of the earth out of compassion and love… and as His images, He wants us all to be like Him and to ezer each other. The logic of these first chapters of Genesis is not that ‘God made a man, and then made a woman to serve him.’ It’s that ‘God made a single human, split them in two, and now they can do something they simply cannot do alone… that is: filling the earth by sharing in loving fellowship together. The Bible’s vision of how humanity is to reflect God’s image in the world is not about gender hierarchy, but about humans helping one another… caring for each other… welcoming those who are very different in some ways, but who are still ‘bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh’… we serve as God’s image as we love one another. With all this in mind, let’s turn now to our Gospel reading for today from Mark Chapter 10. This whole episode starts off when some Pharisees came up to Jesus and asked Him: “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” (Mark 10:2). Far from an honest question, St. Mark tells us that this question was a test… an attempt to trap or pin down this influential and controversial wandering teacher. At the time, this was a very politically charged question… something like asking an American politician about immigration policy or abortion today. Even more light is shed on this debate by how St. Matthew tells the same story, in Chapter 19:3, because St. Matthew adds a few more words: “for any cause?” Matthew 19:3, “to test him they asked, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?’” In short, the debate that the Pharisees were trying to draw Jesus into was about ‘what kind of limits were placed on men who were seeking to leave their wives’. During those days, most Rabbis were divided on this issue: one camp said that divorce was only allowed under the most serious circumstances… like adultery. The other camp went so far as to say that there were no limits. A man could divorce his wife for any reason… even if their wife had simply ruined supper, they could put an end to their relationship. This was a debate about the power that husbands were free to wield in their relationships… not an argument about what would be best for women, who had little to no say in the matter in that time and place. And yet at the same time, there were very serious consequences for women! The dangers of being abandoned were very real, and devastating, as most women could not live independently in that culture and time. They lived either with a husband, or in their parent’s home… or at the mercy of strangers. Easy divorce for men meant that women had to live with the threat of divorce hanging over their head all the time. It was an incredibly uneven power dynamic, that tended to elevate husbands up over their wives. Not exactly the kind of loving fellowship we see God intended for humanity from the start. When Jesus was asked about what was lawful, Jesus asks them about their understanding of the law. Mark 10:3-4, “He answered them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” The certificate of dismissal or divorce was meant to be a form of legal protection for the woman, so that she could at least be able to remarry, if she was able to. As long as they took the proper legal steps, they seemed to see no problem with it. Of course, it’s not quite as simple as the Pharisees make it seem. The passage in question comes from Deuteronomy 24:1-4, and it’s the only case study in the Torah that discusses the actual process of divorce among the people of Israel: “Suppose a man enters into marriage with a woman, but she does not please him because he finds something objectionable about her, and so he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; she then leaves his house and goes off to become another man’s wife. Then suppose the second man dislikes her, writes her a bill of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house (or the second man who married her dies); her first husband, who sent her away, is not permitted to take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that would be abhorrent to the Lord, and you shall not bring guilt on the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.” The case takes divorce itself for granted, and offers some guidelines around it. But notice that the focus of this case study is the prohibition against remarrying the woman’s first husband after another marriage had taken place. According to the law of Moses, the big problem here is treating marriage like a temporary, casual contract… something that can be entered into and out of on a whim, instead of a coming together of two lives with the intention at least of being each other’s ezer and sharing in a lifetime of loving fellowship. And so Jesus responds to their test by pointing back to God’s intentions for humanity: for us to share together in a fellowship of love. Mark 10:5-9, “Because of your hardness of heart [Moses] wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” God’s intentions are for us humans, His image bearers, to live together in loving community. Not only in marriages, but in all of our relationships. But Jesus also knows that we’re all a long way from Eden… that we are all a part of a world that has already fractured and fallen away from God’s good ways… and that this brokenness is present to a greater or lesser degree in all of our relationships. We all know that sometimes marriages must end, and that some relationships do far more harm than good. But the way forward is not simply to settle for shallower connections that are easier and easier to end… but to remember that God’s heart from the beginning, has been to bring us together… to share in His fellowship and love in community. We humans belong together! And this goes way beyond the bounds of marriage! Notice how Jesus rebuked His disciples who were attempting to keep kids away from Him. Mark 10:14-16, “But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.” Young and old, male and female, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile… politically left and right… whatever way you want to spin it, we humans, with all of our differences, were made to be together… to be an ezer for each other… to care for and bring order to God’s good world… and to share together in His loving fellowship. Sadly, there are so many ways that we humans, that we Christians, have forgotten what the Gospel is all about… not arguing over authority and power, but proclaiming the Good News of Jesus, God’s Son, who set aside His own high status and power and glory to be our ezer… our helper… our Saviour… choosing to bind Himself to us lowly sinners… to suffer and to give His life as an all-sufficient sacrifice of love, atoning for the sins of the whole world… so that we all could be made holy, forgiven, and be reconciled to God and to one another forever. The Good News of Jesus is not about fighting over the right way to organize our human families… it’s about all that the Living God has done in Jesus Christ to reunite us… to make us one in His family. As we heard in our second reading from Hebrews 2:10-12, “It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.” Because of Jesus Christ, all of us are able to share in God’s fellowship and love. He is our Saviour, our ezer, and in Him we all are made one again. Married or divorced, or widowed, or single… all of us have a place at His table. All of us are embraced by His welcoming arms, as beloved members of Christ’s family… reflecting God’s own character and goodness into the world through our lives together. Some relationships aren’t within our power to resurrect. And full reconciliation in our world won’t come to pass until all things are made new when Christ returns. But as Christians living today in an ever increasingly divided and fractured world, our lives are meant to be characterized by reflecting Christ’s great reconciling love in all we do. So with the help of the Holy Spirit at work in us, may we help one another to find new strength, and hope, and courage together as we seek to walk in the ways of God our Father, and our great Saviour Jesus Christ. May we share with one another the grace and compassion and forgiveness that He has offered to us all, and may we find new ways to share this Good News with everyone else in our lives. Amen. |
Rev. RObRev. Rob serves as the Priest-in-Charge at St. Luke's Gondola Point, and as the School Chaplain at Rothesay Netherwood School Archives
December 2024
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