Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.
But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
**************************************************************************
Pretty well anyone who has ever gone to a service of worship at some time has heard the Beatitudes, taken from the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel of Matthew. It is a familiar, beautiful, and powerful text. But unfortunately, in our familiarity with Matthew’s Gospel, we have lost something of our ability to really listen to what it really says. Oh your heads will nod up and down, but will you really be thinking about what it says.
The actual Sermon on the Mount is a long passage, including sayings and parables. If you read the whole sermon, Jesus must have been on a real roll, and the disciples were propping their eyes up with whatever they could find. The Beatitudes is only one tiny excerpt from the whole thing. The entire Sermon on the Mount is parts of Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew. Only Matthew and Luke address parts of this sermon at all. Mark and John don’t.
Today, the lectionary text is the Matthew version of the Beatitudes - but I decided to go off lectionary, and use Luke. In the Hebrew prophetic tradition, which we can see in the book of Deuteronomy, blessings and curses, or blessings and woes were given together - and in Luke’s text, Jesus preaches in the very best of the Hebrew prophetic tradition. But we have to be careful that we don’t interpret the words “woes” or “curses” the way we might understand them today. I don’t think that’s what Jesus had in mind. So let’s look at what Luke calls the “Sermon on the Plain”.
“Blessed are the poor, because God’s realm is yours. Blessed are those who are hungry now; because you will be filled. Blessed are those who are crying now, because you will laugh. Blessed are you when others hate you, exclude you, insult you and throw out your name as something evil because of the son of man. Rejoice in that day. Jump for joy! Because, listen - your reward in heaven will be greater; their ancestors did the same sorts of things to the prophets.
On the other hand, woe to you who are rich, because you have received every bit of your comfort. You are full now, but you will know hunger; you laugh now, but you will know mourning and sadness. When everyone says good things about you, talks well about you, you are in fact cursed; because that’s how their ancestors treated the false prophets."
Jesus paints two pictures. One is of a group of people who are poor, outcast, hungry, shunted aside, saddened. They are outsiders; everyone talks and thinks badly of them, if they think about them at all. Jesus looks at that group and says - you are blessed!
Then there are the other ones. They are rich, have full stomachs, happy and laughing, and everybody likes them because they’re easy to get along with. Jesus looks at them and says, “Wow. Gotta feel sorry for you guys.”
In fact, Jesus really does take everything we believe about the world and turns it completely upside down. And if we’re really reading it, it’s downright upsetting. It’s completely physical; no spiritualising of this one, no “poor in spirit” here. Not hungering for righteousness, only the physical hunger when you don’t have enough to eat. Then he says “Too bad for those of you who have enough. You missed the boat.”
Well, it’s harsh, no question. It’s Jesus doing what he always does in his parables and sermons and stories. He keeps hammering home that the last shall be first in God’s realm.
I think there’s yet another piece behind some of this. We know that Mark was the first Gospel written, quite some time after the death of Jesus; we know that Matthew and Luke used Mark as their basis; and we are pretty sure that some of the sayings attributed to Jesus came from a primitive body of literature, called the Q source, a “Sayings Gospel”. So are we to say that Matthew's "poor in spirit" is secondary to Luke's "poor". We *could* argue that, because Matthew tends to spiritualise, moralise and generalise. However, the expression "poor in spirit" is found in several places in the texts from Qumran and may have been the issue of the day.
There is no question that the Gospel authors were creative in their presentation of Jesus. But what is more helpful? An isolated saying of Jesus, completely historical, but completely out of context; or a creative "saying" of Jesus manufactured by the earliest Christian communities, developed through their knowledge of many sayings of Jesus and the interaction of his disciples with him over these sayings, transformed into a message for the needs of the church which grew out of the movement?
Here’s what I think is really important about this text, and the Matthew. They really highlight how absolutely revolutionary Jesus was and how revolutionary he calls us to be. They highlight Jesus as a man who sees things differently from the way the world sees them. These are not happy little platitudes that are designed to make us feel good. They are revolutionary statements that describe a people with values that are very different from those of the world around us and of which we are a part. They describe the people who live under God’s authority now and who will live in God’s realm. They are Jesus' affirmation of those who, perhaps not knowing it, already are part of the realm of God which he works for, and for which we are to be working.
Seems to me these sayings refer to these people:
- the poor, both in life and in spirit – those who wish to be close to God but somehow can’t; those who know there is something important missing from their lives.
- those who mourn, not only for loved ones who have died, but also those who feel deep sadness about the violence and injustice in our world and who want to do something about it. Those who mourn a life they cannot somehow grasp.
- the meek. We tend to misrepresent meekness as wishy-washy, meek people as useless and helpless. But that isn’t right. The word ‘meek’ is meant to indicate quiet strength of character. The meek do not show of themselves off, but are strong and firm in their values and their lives.
There are people who live God’s way rather than the way of self-centredness. They live for others: the compassionate, the pure in heart, those who work for peace.
And these people are then those who are persecuted, ridiculed and lied about if they live with commitment and integrity. Jesus’ implies that his disciples must expect to be persecuted: not for who they are or what they have or don’t have, but because of our commitment to a way of life that Jesus taught about. Really revolutionary Christians have always been ridiculed, pushed aside, ignored and opposed, just like the person we follow.
The world says, ‘Follow me and I will give you wealth, power and security.’ Jesus says, “Don’t follow the world. You may have lots to eat on the table, but in your life you will know real hunger. You may laugh now, but in your life you will know real and lasting grief.
So I don’t see Jesus as offering blessings to one group of people, and cursing another. I don’t see him drawing a line. I see him talking about attitudes to others, attitudes to life, attitudes to our circumstances.
St. Augustine said “Our whole business in life is to restore to health the eye of the heart whereby God may be seen.” I think maybe that’s what Jesus was talking about in the second part of this text - those whose hearts are so clouded they cannot see God clearly, if at all; those whose lives are, in fact, empty - despite what they have.
In the book “Eat, Pray, Love”, author Elizabeth Gilbert talks about the meaning of the word ‘guru’. She says “The word Guru is composed of two Sanskrit syllables. The first means ‘darkness’, the other means ‘light’. Out of the darkness and into the light.”
In this lesson today, Jesus’ function was that of a Guru - someone who helped those he was teaching to step out of the darkness and into the light. The second group - those who will know the woes - they haven’t yet seen the way. They are preoccupied with the things of this world - wealth, power and security. Jesus turns it all upside down.
A colleague of mine, in the Presbyterian Church USA, Rev. Thom Shuman - wrote this version of the Beatitudes for 2011. Thom is a man who has struggled all his life with what it means to find blessings where others would see nothing but heartache.
Blessed are the dog-walkers, for they will discover the streets of the kingdom.
Blessed are the asylum seekers, for they will be welcomed with open arms.
Blessed are those who read to children, for they will plant seeds that bear fruit.
Blessed are those who weep for the homeless, for they will be shawled in God's grace.
Blessed are those who stock food pantries, for they will taste God's hope.
Blessed are those who bring in the marginalized, for they shall be called bridge-builders.
Blessed are the faith-full foolish, for they shall be called the clowns of God.
May it be so.
Sources:
1. “The Other Beatitudes”—A Sermon from Luke 6:20-26 August 18, 2010 by Rev. Stephen Hovater, Pleasant Valley Church of Christ.
2. “An Upside-Down Man”, by Rev. Marion Latham Bellarine Linked Congregations, Uniting Church in Australia.
3. Midrash comments from Rev. Greg Chapman.
4. Beatitudes for 2011, by Rev. Thom Shuman, Immanuel Presbyterian Church, Cincinnatti, Ohio
5. Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert. New York, NY. Penguin Books, 2006; p. 123.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
“Seeing Stars” a sermon based on Isaiah 9:1-4, 1 Cor. 1:10-18 Third Sunday of Epiphany: Humber United Church, Corner Brook, NL
Isaiah 9:1-4
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
1 Cor. 1:10-18
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Peter”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
**************************************************************
One of my favourite cartoons is Lynn Johnston's "For Better of for Worse". I don’t know how many men or children would be able to see themselves in it but I guarantee that women see themselves in it almost daily. I certainly have.
In case you are not familiar with this cartoon, let me give you a little background. It is loosely based on the family life of Lynn, who lives in North Bay Ontario - and is married to a dentist. Her stories are drawn from all kinds of experiences and issues which we all confront in life - revolving around a fictional character Elly, her husband and two children Michael and Elizabeth.
I think my all-time favourite is when John goes away to a convention and Elly is along - the kids are asleep, and as she lies in bed, the house begins to make strange noises - a tap dripping here, a creak there, a thump somewhere downstairs.
Elly’s eyes get bigger and bigger, and she slides further down until the balnkets are right up over her nose “Somehow the house just seems so much emptier when John’s not here.” she thinks. Eventually, there are only eyes peering over the top of the blankets, and there is Elly, thinking to herself “I wonder how many feminists are afraid of the dark?”
I wonder how many of us are afraid of the dark?
Sometimes when I would drive along Highway 401 at night in Toronto, I could see the headlights of a jet circling to land. Especially on a cloudy or foggy night, it is amazing to see those two powerful beams slicing through the clouds. The right wingtip has a red flashing light, and the left wingtip a green flashing light. The riding, or running lights are there so that the plane will be visible to others in the dark. The headlights are there so that the pilot will be able to see.
It is the same with ships - the left, or port side, has a green running light. The right, or starboard, has a red running light. Navigation of ships was done by the stars. Did you know that it still is? Yes, ships have all kinds of computer technology to navigate by, but on every commercial ship, the navigational officers and bridge crew *must* be able to do everything the old fashioned way - with a sextant, and by the stars. I was on the bridge of a ship last year, after dark, - and on big ships the bridge must remain dark so that the crew can see outside. The moon was shining, and not far from it was an incredibly bright light. Both I and the two officers were sure it was the space station. The captain arrived, and we asked him what he thought. “No”, he said “It’s Jupiter.” When we checked the almanac, indeed it was.
Light is an integral part of our lives - and the absence of light, the darkness, tends to frighten us. How about a really simple example? I bet every one of us, at some time, has come home quite late, having forgotten to leave light on in the house.
Well, if you’re like me, nothing ever seems to be in the place it should be - not even the light switches, which always seem to be at least three inches further left than we remember they were. Distance and space are distorted in the dark. Even time seems distorted.
We bang our shins on the coffee table and mutter under our breath, trying to pretend it didn’t really hurt. The old dressing gown on the back of the door takes on ominous proportions, and we suddenly develop a great need, like our friend Ebenezer Scrooge, to peer under the bed and behind all the doors.
And then what happens?
We find the light switch, and everything is thrown into stark relief. The coffee table seems a lot smaller than it did when we barked our shins on it, and tried to feel our way around it. The goblin behind the door simply becomes our comfy and baggy old dressing gown again.
And we realise there’s nothing more lurking under the bed than a couple of dust bunnies and those pencils we couldn’t find last time the phone rang.
*************************************************************
The World Council of Churches logo is a ship sailing the sea. The metaphor of the church as a ship has been used for centuries. You all know well that the front of the church - here where the table and pulpit are, and the choir - is called the chancel. The lobby is known as the narthex. But the main body of the church, where you are all sitting, is called the *nave* - from the Latin “navis” meaning ship. So in church, we are literally sitting in the belly of the ship.
What kind of ship is the Christian church in the world? The good ship “Lollipop” where we are happy as long as everything goes the way we think it should? Are we a cruise ship, living the life of luxury while the people who look after us work long hard hours for slave wages? Are we a ship full of a bunch of sailors who all think they know the best way to steer, and can’t even agree on the charts?
How do we know where we are sailing? How do others see us as we sail? Do all our leading and running lights work properly? Do we know how to navigate by the stars?
Isaiah says "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined." We take that to be a prophecy referring to Jesus; in my imagery of light - Jesus becomes the leading light - the headlights on the plane, the star which shines in our spiritual sky to give guidance on the way.
What does that make us? Christ is the leading light - the star pointing the way for us, but no ship can travel with only one light. Every ship needs running lights too - to port and starboard - every ship needs light in the galley - every ship needs light to be able to see other ships.
With a leading light alone, progress is slow. With running lights alone progress is also hampered. It is the fine working of both together - through calm and through storm - which enables the ship to make headway. So if we in the Christian church are neither leading lights nor running lights, how do we help light the way for others?
If we stay inside our own little ship, put out the lights outside, and shutter the windows, we can see each other, but we cannot see out and no one else can see in.
The light only works if it illuminates the way for everyone.
Is the Christian church a light for a world in increasing darkness? Is each of us a light in our part of the ship? Every ship needs leading lights and running lights. If there are no lights at all, the end is disaster.
It is a question I ask a lot - because it seems as if the church and Christians are no longer a light, or stars on the way, for illumination as we travel together. We are inward focussed; we have put out the lights on our ship and shuttered the windows so that we can see only each other inside - most of us thinking the same way of course - and no one can see in.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians makes a strong case for being united rather than divided. Jesus, the leading light, in my image, did not come to divide, but to bring together. Today marks the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, and so we have the word of Paul to the churches in Corinth. These churches were seriously divided, over who was the one they followed - Paul. Peter. Apollos or Jesus.
On the back of your bulletin this morning, is a reflection by Rev. Darren Liepold, Mission and Service staff at our national office. Darren writes “We remember that despite our differences we are all part of God’s family. We are diverse, but each of us is created in God’s image. The languages may be different, the liturgical practices anything but uniform, yet today we celebrate our unity.” We celebrate our unity in Jesus, who is the one leading light, the great shining star we see in the sky.
Based on a sermon “Leading Lights and Running Lights” , January 1996, Fran Ota.
Notes by Rev. Darren Liepold, Mission and Service Staff, The United Church od Canada; January 23, 2011
Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.
1 Cor. 1:10-18
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Peter”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel - not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
**************************************************************
One of my favourite cartoons is Lynn Johnston's "For Better of for Worse". I don’t know how many men or children would be able to see themselves in it but I guarantee that women see themselves in it almost daily. I certainly have.
In case you are not familiar with this cartoon, let me give you a little background. It is loosely based on the family life of Lynn, who lives in North Bay Ontario - and is married to a dentist. Her stories are drawn from all kinds of experiences and issues which we all confront in life - revolving around a fictional character Elly, her husband and two children Michael and Elizabeth.
I think my all-time favourite is when John goes away to a convention and Elly is along - the kids are asleep, and as she lies in bed, the house begins to make strange noises - a tap dripping here, a creak there, a thump somewhere downstairs.
Elly’s eyes get bigger and bigger, and she slides further down until the balnkets are right up over her nose “Somehow the house just seems so much emptier when John’s not here.” she thinks. Eventually, there are only eyes peering over the top of the blankets, and there is Elly, thinking to herself “I wonder how many feminists are afraid of the dark?”
I wonder how many of us are afraid of the dark?
Sometimes when I would drive along Highway 401 at night in Toronto, I could see the headlights of a jet circling to land. Especially on a cloudy or foggy night, it is amazing to see those two powerful beams slicing through the clouds. The right wingtip has a red flashing light, and the left wingtip a green flashing light. The riding, or running lights are there so that the plane will be visible to others in the dark. The headlights are there so that the pilot will be able to see.
It is the same with ships - the left, or port side, has a green running light. The right, or starboard, has a red running light. Navigation of ships was done by the stars. Did you know that it still is? Yes, ships have all kinds of computer technology to navigate by, but on every commercial ship, the navigational officers and bridge crew *must* be able to do everything the old fashioned way - with a sextant, and by the stars. I was on the bridge of a ship last year, after dark, - and on big ships the bridge must remain dark so that the crew can see outside. The moon was shining, and not far from it was an incredibly bright light. Both I and the two officers were sure it was the space station. The captain arrived, and we asked him what he thought. “No”, he said “It’s Jupiter.” When we checked the almanac, indeed it was.
Light is an integral part of our lives - and the absence of light, the darkness, tends to frighten us. How about a really simple example? I bet every one of us, at some time, has come home quite late, having forgotten to leave light on in the house.
Well, if you’re like me, nothing ever seems to be in the place it should be - not even the light switches, which always seem to be at least three inches further left than we remember they were. Distance and space are distorted in the dark. Even time seems distorted.
We bang our shins on the coffee table and mutter under our breath, trying to pretend it didn’t really hurt. The old dressing gown on the back of the door takes on ominous proportions, and we suddenly develop a great need, like our friend Ebenezer Scrooge, to peer under the bed and behind all the doors.
And then what happens?
We find the light switch, and everything is thrown into stark relief. The coffee table seems a lot smaller than it did when we barked our shins on it, and tried to feel our way around it. The goblin behind the door simply becomes our comfy and baggy old dressing gown again.
And we realise there’s nothing more lurking under the bed than a couple of dust bunnies and those pencils we couldn’t find last time the phone rang.
*************************************************************
The World Council of Churches logo is a ship sailing the sea. The metaphor of the church as a ship has been used for centuries. You all know well that the front of the church - here where the table and pulpit are, and the choir - is called the chancel. The lobby is known as the narthex. But the main body of the church, where you are all sitting, is called the *nave* - from the Latin “navis” meaning ship. So in church, we are literally sitting in the belly of the ship.
What kind of ship is the Christian church in the world? The good ship “Lollipop” where we are happy as long as everything goes the way we think it should? Are we a cruise ship, living the life of luxury while the people who look after us work long hard hours for slave wages? Are we a ship full of a bunch of sailors who all think they know the best way to steer, and can’t even agree on the charts?
How do we know where we are sailing? How do others see us as we sail? Do all our leading and running lights work properly? Do we know how to navigate by the stars?
Isaiah says "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, those who lived in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined." We take that to be a prophecy referring to Jesus; in my imagery of light - Jesus becomes the leading light - the headlights on the plane, the star which shines in our spiritual sky to give guidance on the way.
What does that make us? Christ is the leading light - the star pointing the way for us, but no ship can travel with only one light. Every ship needs running lights too - to port and starboard - every ship needs light in the galley - every ship needs light to be able to see other ships.
With a leading light alone, progress is slow. With running lights alone progress is also hampered. It is the fine working of both together - through calm and through storm - which enables the ship to make headway. So if we in the Christian church are neither leading lights nor running lights, how do we help light the way for others?
If we stay inside our own little ship, put out the lights outside, and shutter the windows, we can see each other, but we cannot see out and no one else can see in.
The light only works if it illuminates the way for everyone.
Is the Christian church a light for a world in increasing darkness? Is each of us a light in our part of the ship? Every ship needs leading lights and running lights. If there are no lights at all, the end is disaster.
It is a question I ask a lot - because it seems as if the church and Christians are no longer a light, or stars on the way, for illumination as we travel together. We are inward focussed; we have put out the lights on our ship and shuttered the windows so that we can see only each other inside - most of us thinking the same way of course - and no one can see in.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians makes a strong case for being united rather than divided. Jesus, the leading light, in my image, did not come to divide, but to bring together. Today marks the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”, and so we have the word of Paul to the churches in Corinth. These churches were seriously divided, over who was the one they followed - Paul. Peter. Apollos or Jesus.
On the back of your bulletin this morning, is a reflection by Rev. Darren Liepold, Mission and Service staff at our national office. Darren writes “We remember that despite our differences we are all part of God’s family. We are diverse, but each of us is created in God’s image. The languages may be different, the liturgical practices anything but uniform, yet today we celebrate our unity.” We celebrate our unity in Jesus, who is the one leading light, the great shining star we see in the sky.
Based on a sermon “Leading Lights and Running Lights” , January 1996, Fran Ota.
Notes by Rev. Darren Liepold, Mission and Service Staff, The United Church od Canada; January 23, 2011
Saturday, January 15, 2011
“Called to Shine” Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42 Humber United Church January 16, 2011 Second Sunday in Epiphany
Last week, in the United States, in the process of attempting to kill Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a lone gunman managed to injure several people, and kill several - including a nine-year old child.
The press coverage has turned this young man into a social misfit, a person with anger issues, someone who acted outside the norm - an anomaly in society. What annoys me more than anything, is that if this man had been a Muslim, he would immediately have been branded a terrorist, not human - and once again the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic contingent would have come out of the woodwork. Yet because he is home-grown, he becomes a wacko, and ceases to be human.
But this time there has been widespread discussion about free speech, including hate speech - and that the strong anti-government rhetoric of the right wing has fueled such violence. There have been the usual evangelical and religious types who insist that this is punishment of a nation which has turned away from God.
Even more interesting is that the anger is directed at those people who are struggling to improve the lives of more than 45 million Americans who currently live in poverty - who have no health care, minimal employment, and are often hungry. All that violence and anger, over something which is generally accepted as one of the core Christian values, in a society which has more church-goers per capita than any other.
This week is also the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King. Although the names and faces are different, the issues are not so much. Blacks were looking to be treated like human beings, to be allowed to be free to live, not as segregated semi-slaves, but as children of God, just like others. King supported better rights and treatment of poor people, believed in peaceful resistance, and opposed the war in Viet Nam. He preached that all people were children of God. Yet there were those who did not wish to see that all people are children of God; the freedom movement was bitter and violent, and into that came another assassin, James Earl Ray.
For many of us, coming to church and worshipping God, or coming to Sunday School and learning about God, has similar dynamics. In a sense we are like John, who says he didn't recognize Jesus. The man who Luke identifies as a cousin of Jesus, doesn't recognize him. He doesn’t recognise him until his eyes are opened, the light shines, and he sees Jesus in a new way.
In fact, do we not "see" Jesus all around us -- in pictures, in words, in the lives of others -- yet we don't often recognise him. Sometimes we don't want to, but often we just haven't really had our eyes opened.
How well do we see? If I asked you, for instance, to tell me - without turning around - who is sitting behind you this morning and how the person is dressed, could you do it? Some can’t, others could probably do it with incredible detail.
When ministers write sermons, we do a number of things to help "see" what's in the text. We start with the assumption that God has something new to reveal in a text, although sometimes that’s easy to see, other times we wonder what on earth new we can wring out of this text. I often study the text using a commentary, I also discuss the text with other clergy online. I also subscribe to a sermon website, called the “Desperate Preacher”. I use that one a lot.
In John’s text, we find the Greek word - enblepo. It's only used 12 times in the whole New Testament, and only twice in John's gospel, both times in this very text. And John says twice - I myself did not know himIn the NRSV, the word is translated as “looked” in once instance, and “watched” in the other instance. But in the Jerusalem Bible, they are both translated as "looked hard at". I like this translation, because it indicates to me an intent look, a penetrating look which goes beyond just the cursory way we generally take things in. This means “really looked at.” Beyond the surface. When John "looked hard at" Jesus, he recognized him. When Jesus "looked hard at" Simon, he recognized in him a rock, a solid foundation. When we take a hard look at Jesus - really look - , I believe we begin to recognize him all around us.
We recognize Jesus in the face of our neighbour, in children who have no food on their tables. in the hands of people who work the soil, in voices that speak other languages, and people of other faith groups. We can only really see Jesus when we learn to “look hard “at another person.
Jesus "looked hard at" Simon. He saw what all of us would see, a fisherman. He probably smelled like the sea. He may have arrived in his work clothes. His skin had been darkened by the sun, and perhaps had a leathery appearance from the constant exposure to the weather. As a fisherman, Simon would have been considered “unclean” by the other Jews, someone who worked as a labourer, and was a lower social caste.
When Jesus he looked at Simon, he saw all those things, but he also saw a man of convictions, of compassion, of honor. Jesus decides to call him Peter, the rock.
None of these things had been seen by others. Simon may not have seen them himself. But as the story unfolds, first Jesus, then Simon, then the twelve, and then all of those around him begin to sense what Jesus had seen.
We can also take a hard look at God. And we begin to see God as if for the first time. We find a God of compassion, a God of justice, a God of love, a God of vengeance.
In their book Teaching Your Children Values (Simon & Schuster, 1993) Linda and Richard Eyre suggested, as an exercise, that children should be taught to look people in the eye. If you look around you, how many people actually make mutual eye contact in conversations. It's as if we are afraid to see the human being inside the other. If we don’t have to look people in the eye, then we can dehumanise them to the point where they become terrorists, or be convinced it is all right to kill them
Near the beginning of this sermon, I noted that John recognised Jesus when his eyes were opened and he saw the light. In the season of Epiphany, it is light which is the focus - light and a new way of seeing. Since September 11, 2001, the media have inundated us with a lot of coverage about terrorism and Muslims. Radical Islam has become a household concept. Our knowledge of Islam is limited to the fanatics who insist that the Qu’ran tells them that “jihad” - the holy war - is against those who hate Islam. Islamophobia is the new phrase of choice.
In fact, the majority of Muslims, just as the majority of Christians - will tell you that they are a peace-loving religion, and that the word “jihad” means the war with the dark side of one’s own internal self.
Jews, Christians and Muslims are known in religious circles as “people of the book” - or the Abrahamic faiths. That is because we use many common texts - the Qu’ran holds chapters on Abraham, Jonah, Mary, and Joseph, includes the story of the birth of Jesus - who is revered as a great prophet. Light is a concept which is important - seeing people in the light is important.
So I am going to read you a short passage from the Qu’ran. This is my favourite section, taken from the chapter called “Light”.
“God is the light of the heavens and the earth; God’s light is like a niche in a wall, in which is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass, the glass seems as if it is a glittering star; the lamp is lit from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil will give light even though no fire has touched it. Light upon light! God guides to the light whoever God pleases”
In the world today, where human beings are dismissed so easily if they aren’t like us, living in the light, learning to look into the eyes of others and seeing God shining there is an imperative. Perhaps it’s a good way to start a new year - to “look hard” at others, to see the humanity there.
Perhaps we will begin to recognize God in our midst; the ordinary events of life take on divine qualities; the every day becomes sacred; the mundane becomes holy; people are seen in a new light, and are holy. Amen.
***************************************************************************
Sources:
1. “Taking a Hard Look” a sermon based on John 1:29-42 by Rev. Randy Quinn
2. Teaching Your Children Values. Linda & Richard Eyre. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
3. Qu’ran Chapter 24: Light
The press coverage has turned this young man into a social misfit, a person with anger issues, someone who acted outside the norm - an anomaly in society. What annoys me more than anything, is that if this man had been a Muslim, he would immediately have been branded a terrorist, not human - and once again the anti-Muslim and Islamophobic contingent would have come out of the woodwork. Yet because he is home-grown, he becomes a wacko, and ceases to be human.
But this time there has been widespread discussion about free speech, including hate speech - and that the strong anti-government rhetoric of the right wing has fueled such violence. There have been the usual evangelical and religious types who insist that this is punishment of a nation which has turned away from God.
Even more interesting is that the anger is directed at those people who are struggling to improve the lives of more than 45 million Americans who currently live in poverty - who have no health care, minimal employment, and are often hungry. All that violence and anger, over something which is generally accepted as one of the core Christian values, in a society which has more church-goers per capita than any other.
This week is also the anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King. Although the names and faces are different, the issues are not so much. Blacks were looking to be treated like human beings, to be allowed to be free to live, not as segregated semi-slaves, but as children of God, just like others. King supported better rights and treatment of poor people, believed in peaceful resistance, and opposed the war in Viet Nam. He preached that all people were children of God. Yet there were those who did not wish to see that all people are children of God; the freedom movement was bitter and violent, and into that came another assassin, James Earl Ray.
For many of us, coming to church and worshipping God, or coming to Sunday School and learning about God, has similar dynamics. In a sense we are like John, who says he didn't recognize Jesus. The man who Luke identifies as a cousin of Jesus, doesn't recognize him. He doesn’t recognise him until his eyes are opened, the light shines, and he sees Jesus in a new way.
In fact, do we not "see" Jesus all around us -- in pictures, in words, in the lives of others -- yet we don't often recognise him. Sometimes we don't want to, but often we just haven't really had our eyes opened.
How well do we see? If I asked you, for instance, to tell me - without turning around - who is sitting behind you this morning and how the person is dressed, could you do it? Some can’t, others could probably do it with incredible detail.
When ministers write sermons, we do a number of things to help "see" what's in the text. We start with the assumption that God has something new to reveal in a text, although sometimes that’s easy to see, other times we wonder what on earth new we can wring out of this text. I often study the text using a commentary, I also discuss the text with other clergy online. I also subscribe to a sermon website, called the “Desperate Preacher”. I use that one a lot.
In John’s text, we find the Greek word - enblepo. It's only used 12 times in the whole New Testament, and only twice in John's gospel, both times in this very text. And John says twice - I myself did not know himIn the NRSV, the word is translated as “looked” in once instance, and “watched” in the other instance. But in the Jerusalem Bible, they are both translated as "looked hard at". I like this translation, because it indicates to me an intent look, a penetrating look which goes beyond just the cursory way we generally take things in. This means “really looked at.” Beyond the surface. When John "looked hard at" Jesus, he recognized him. When Jesus "looked hard at" Simon, he recognized in him a rock, a solid foundation. When we take a hard look at Jesus - really look - , I believe we begin to recognize him all around us.
We recognize Jesus in the face of our neighbour, in children who have no food on their tables. in the hands of people who work the soil, in voices that speak other languages, and people of other faith groups. We can only really see Jesus when we learn to “look hard “at another person.
Jesus "looked hard at" Simon. He saw what all of us would see, a fisherman. He probably smelled like the sea. He may have arrived in his work clothes. His skin had been darkened by the sun, and perhaps had a leathery appearance from the constant exposure to the weather. As a fisherman, Simon would have been considered “unclean” by the other Jews, someone who worked as a labourer, and was a lower social caste.
When Jesus he looked at Simon, he saw all those things, but he also saw a man of convictions, of compassion, of honor. Jesus decides to call him Peter, the rock.
None of these things had been seen by others. Simon may not have seen them himself. But as the story unfolds, first Jesus, then Simon, then the twelve, and then all of those around him begin to sense what Jesus had seen.
We can also take a hard look at God. And we begin to see God as if for the first time. We find a God of compassion, a God of justice, a God of love, a God of vengeance.
In their book Teaching Your Children Values (Simon & Schuster, 1993) Linda and Richard Eyre suggested, as an exercise, that children should be taught to look people in the eye. If you look around you, how many people actually make mutual eye contact in conversations. It's as if we are afraid to see the human being inside the other. If we don’t have to look people in the eye, then we can dehumanise them to the point where they become terrorists, or be convinced it is all right to kill them
Near the beginning of this sermon, I noted that John recognised Jesus when his eyes were opened and he saw the light. In the season of Epiphany, it is light which is the focus - light and a new way of seeing. Since September 11, 2001, the media have inundated us with a lot of coverage about terrorism and Muslims. Radical Islam has become a household concept. Our knowledge of Islam is limited to the fanatics who insist that the Qu’ran tells them that “jihad” - the holy war - is against those who hate Islam. Islamophobia is the new phrase of choice.
In fact, the majority of Muslims, just as the majority of Christians - will tell you that they are a peace-loving religion, and that the word “jihad” means the war with the dark side of one’s own internal self.
Jews, Christians and Muslims are known in religious circles as “people of the book” - or the Abrahamic faiths. That is because we use many common texts - the Qu’ran holds chapters on Abraham, Jonah, Mary, and Joseph, includes the story of the birth of Jesus - who is revered as a great prophet. Light is a concept which is important - seeing people in the light is important.
So I am going to read you a short passage from the Qu’ran. This is my favourite section, taken from the chapter called “Light”.
“God is the light of the heavens and the earth; God’s light is like a niche in a wall, in which is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass, the glass seems as if it is a glittering star; the lamp is lit from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil will give light even though no fire has touched it. Light upon light! God guides to the light whoever God pleases”
In the world today, where human beings are dismissed so easily if they aren’t like us, living in the light, learning to look into the eyes of others and seeing God shining there is an imperative. Perhaps it’s a good way to start a new year - to “look hard” at others, to see the humanity there.
Perhaps we will begin to recognize God in our midst; the ordinary events of life take on divine qualities; the every day becomes sacred; the mundane becomes holy; people are seen in a new light, and are holy. Amen.
***************************************************************************
Sources:
1. “Taking a Hard Look” a sermon based on John 1:29-42 by Rev. Randy Quinn
2. Teaching Your Children Values. Linda & Richard Eyre. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.
3. Qu’ran Chapter 24: Light
Saturday, January 8, 2011
“By Another Road” January 9, 2009 Epiphany Humber United Church A sermon based upon Matthew 2:1-12; Matthew 3:13-19
Matthew 2:1-12
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, astrologers from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child born king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising, and have come to honour him." When Herod heard this, he was frightened; calling together the chief priests and scribes, he inquired of them where this Messiah was to be born. They said, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for it was written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned the exact time when the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; when you have found him, send word so that I may also go and honour him." They set out; ahead of them the star moved, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they knelt down and paid him homage. Opening their treasure chests, they offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 3:13-19
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John objected, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so; for it is proper for us, in this way, to fulfill all righteousness." So John agreed. When Jesus had been immersed, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens opened to him; he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
********************************************************
Do you like to travel? You probably know by now that my husband and I travel a lot. In 2009 - between us - we went to Panama, Colombia, the western Caribbean, Japan, Cuba, and all the eastern provinces of Canada. In 2010 - between us - we went to St. Maarten and St. Thomas, Dominican Republic. Japan, Cuba, and Finland - as well as Tennessee and Florida. We always lament that we don’t spend nearly long enough in any place, and see just enough that we want to return and explore some more.
Travelling changes us if we are paying attention. In January 2009, I went to Cartagena de Indias in Colombia - just a few hours on a cruise excursion - but even in a few hours saw the Museum of the Inquisition, heard tales of Spanish torture; saw a church where Jesuit priests defended indigenous peoples, and were killed for it. It was enough to have eyes opened, and be changed enough to want to return. In Panama, I saw a country struggling to modernise itself , and heard the pride of people who now have control of their own destiny. They have a vision for their country. If we are open to seeing, even such a short time can change us, because it changes how we see our own lives as well.
Matthew tells us that some men saw something in the sky which made them leave their homes, their comforts, and take a long journey to a completely new place. They had no idea where they were going, actually - they just knew that they had to go. They were not tourists, nor on a trip for their health. They believed this journey had a purpose of incredible importance. But stars don’t always shine in clear skies, and a trip using hand-held instruments, through cold snowy deserts, on unknown roads, would have been quite dangerous. Sometimes the star was brilliant, sometimes the light was completely obscured and the way unclear.
We are told, almost as an aside, that they returned home by another road. Wait a minute! There’s no more star, no more light, and after this tremendous journey they have to set out on different roads equally unknown, equally dangerous, and find their way back home? Yet they have been changed. They have seen something totally new, totally outside their everyday lives. Because of this journey, they must go by another road.
Jesus comes to John to be baptised. Much speculation goes on about why Jesus would do this. Did he know from birth what he was to do, or did he develop a sense of call as he grew up? Was this baptism an entering into the community of faith, or entering into John’s movement? But Jesus was already a member of a community of faith, an active, practicing Jew who attended synagogue and temple.
So perhaps he finds an affinity with John, who takes the Jewish ritual and turns it into something new, a way of prompting people to think a little more about their faith.
So it’s important to note that baptism for the Jews was a ritual by which people were cleansed before worshipping in the temple, except that they could perform the ritual but not be repentant in their hearts. John’s call to baptism includes repentance.
After Jesus is baptised, Matthew says “as he came up out of the water, the heavens were opened to him...and he saw the spirit descending as a dove and alighting on him.” Jesus says to John that this is done “to fulfill all righteousness.”
We are in the season of Epiphany. Thursday was Epiphany Day for us. The word ‘epiphany’ means to have an “aha” moment when we can see clearly things which had been obscure before.
The Magi had an epiphany - from the beginning when they saw the star, to the place where they found Jesus and realised they had seen something which would change their lives forever, to the setting out again on unknown roads, trusting that they were being led.
Jesus had an epiphany, I believe. I am not convinced he knew himself what his life would hold - but like many of us called to ministry, he felt an impetus to something which he could not ignore. In order fulfill all righteousness, that is - to be cleansed and in good and right relationship with God - he felt he had to take this step.
Now - John says he baptises for repentance. Repentance literally means turning around and going on another road, another path from the one we are on now. The Magi set out on what they thought was one road, and ended up on a completely different road than the one on which they arrived. Their lives were irreversibly changed.
Jesus came for baptism - maybe a step in his process of discernment which he himself felt was necessary, to be in right relationship with God. His sense is confirmed when he has an “aha” moment, when God could be heard and seen and felt - and his sense of call into ministry was confirmed. It meant that he had to turn, and step out on another road altogether. It happened in a flash - and probably to those around him there was no break in continuity. It happened to *him*. It meant he likely had no idea where ministry would lead, but he had to do it, and he had to trust even when the way was not clear.
The magi didn’t know how the story ended - and in fact for them it didn’t end. They met Herod, and with a flash of insight knew that was not the way to go; they found the child, and knew they had found something special; and at the end they knew they could not return home the same way. Matthew says they found the house where Jesus was, and offered their gifts. They might have stayed a couple of hours, or overnight Yet even in that brief time, their lives were completely changed.
As we come into a new year, - 2011 - what is it which leads us as a congregation? What ideas do we want to honour and worship? What is our potential for life in the future??? What makes us look up, look forward, step out on the road?
Throughout Advent, through Christmas, and into Epiphany we travel a road. We try to find new insight; to learn new things about ourselves and our faith. Today, with the Magi, we come to the house and find the child. We come to offer our gifts, and we leave again by another road, trusting that God is with us. May it be so.
*******************************************************
Sources:
- sermon “New Light” 2008 by Fran Ota
- sermon “Another Road” 1995 Fran Ota
- “Midrash” online lectionary discussion
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, astrologers from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the child born king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising, and have come to honour him." When Herod heard this, he was frightened; calling together the chief priests and scribes, he inquired of them where this Messiah was to be born. They said, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for it was written by the prophet: 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned the exact time when the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; when you have found him, send word so that I may also go and honour him." They set out; ahead of them the star moved, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; they knelt down and paid him homage. Opening their treasure chests, they offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then, having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
Matthew 3:13-19
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John objected, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so; for it is proper for us, in this way, to fulfill all righteousness." So John agreed. When Jesus had been immersed, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens opened to him; he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. A voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
********************************************************
Do you like to travel? You probably know by now that my husband and I travel a lot. In 2009 - between us - we went to Panama, Colombia, the western Caribbean, Japan, Cuba, and all the eastern provinces of Canada. In 2010 - between us - we went to St. Maarten and St. Thomas, Dominican Republic. Japan, Cuba, and Finland - as well as Tennessee and Florida. We always lament that we don’t spend nearly long enough in any place, and see just enough that we want to return and explore some more.
Travelling changes us if we are paying attention. In January 2009, I went to Cartagena de Indias in Colombia - just a few hours on a cruise excursion - but even in a few hours saw the Museum of the Inquisition, heard tales of Spanish torture; saw a church where Jesuit priests defended indigenous peoples, and were killed for it. It was enough to have eyes opened, and be changed enough to want to return. In Panama, I saw a country struggling to modernise itself , and heard the pride of people who now have control of their own destiny. They have a vision for their country. If we are open to seeing, even such a short time can change us, because it changes how we see our own lives as well.
Matthew tells us that some men saw something in the sky which made them leave their homes, their comforts, and take a long journey to a completely new place. They had no idea where they were going, actually - they just knew that they had to go. They were not tourists, nor on a trip for their health. They believed this journey had a purpose of incredible importance. But stars don’t always shine in clear skies, and a trip using hand-held instruments, through cold snowy deserts, on unknown roads, would have been quite dangerous. Sometimes the star was brilliant, sometimes the light was completely obscured and the way unclear.
We are told, almost as an aside, that they returned home by another road. Wait a minute! There’s no more star, no more light, and after this tremendous journey they have to set out on different roads equally unknown, equally dangerous, and find their way back home? Yet they have been changed. They have seen something totally new, totally outside their everyday lives. Because of this journey, they must go by another road.
Jesus comes to John to be baptised. Much speculation goes on about why Jesus would do this. Did he know from birth what he was to do, or did he develop a sense of call as he grew up? Was this baptism an entering into the community of faith, or entering into John’s movement? But Jesus was already a member of a community of faith, an active, practicing Jew who attended synagogue and temple.
So perhaps he finds an affinity with John, who takes the Jewish ritual and turns it into something new, a way of prompting people to think a little more about their faith.
So it’s important to note that baptism for the Jews was a ritual by which people were cleansed before worshipping in the temple, except that they could perform the ritual but not be repentant in their hearts. John’s call to baptism includes repentance.
After Jesus is baptised, Matthew says “as he came up out of the water, the heavens were opened to him...and he saw the spirit descending as a dove and alighting on him.” Jesus says to John that this is done “to fulfill all righteousness.”
We are in the season of Epiphany. Thursday was Epiphany Day for us. The word ‘epiphany’ means to have an “aha” moment when we can see clearly things which had been obscure before.
The Magi had an epiphany - from the beginning when they saw the star, to the place where they found Jesus and realised they had seen something which would change their lives forever, to the setting out again on unknown roads, trusting that they were being led.
Jesus had an epiphany, I believe. I am not convinced he knew himself what his life would hold - but like many of us called to ministry, he felt an impetus to something which he could not ignore. In order fulfill all righteousness, that is - to be cleansed and in good and right relationship with God - he felt he had to take this step.
Now - John says he baptises for repentance. Repentance literally means turning around and going on another road, another path from the one we are on now. The Magi set out on what they thought was one road, and ended up on a completely different road than the one on which they arrived. Their lives were irreversibly changed.
Jesus came for baptism - maybe a step in his process of discernment which he himself felt was necessary, to be in right relationship with God. His sense is confirmed when he has an “aha” moment, when God could be heard and seen and felt - and his sense of call into ministry was confirmed. It meant that he had to turn, and step out on another road altogether. It happened in a flash - and probably to those around him there was no break in continuity. It happened to *him*. It meant he likely had no idea where ministry would lead, but he had to do it, and he had to trust even when the way was not clear.
The magi didn’t know how the story ended - and in fact for them it didn’t end. They met Herod, and with a flash of insight knew that was not the way to go; they found the child, and knew they had found something special; and at the end they knew they could not return home the same way. Matthew says they found the house where Jesus was, and offered their gifts. They might have stayed a couple of hours, or overnight Yet even in that brief time, their lives were completely changed.
As we come into a new year, - 2011 - what is it which leads us as a congregation? What ideas do we want to honour and worship? What is our potential for life in the future??? What makes us look up, look forward, step out on the road?
Throughout Advent, through Christmas, and into Epiphany we travel a road. We try to find new insight; to learn new things about ourselves and our faith. Today, with the Magi, we come to the house and find the child. We come to offer our gifts, and we leave again by another road, trusting that God is with us. May it be so.
*******************************************************
Sources:
- sermon “New Light” 2008 by Fran Ota
- sermon “Another Road” 1995 Fran Ota
- “Midrash” online lectionary discussion
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