Kindness and Generosity Trump Fairness and Justice (Proper A 25)

The readings (Exodus 16.2-5, Philippians 1.21-30 and Matthew 20.1-16) are examples of the kindness and generosity of God reaching out - of and the contrast with our human focus on entitlement, fairness and justice. This is the same kindness and generosity Lucille and I recently experiences in visiting John Sandford and his son Mark in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

1. God is generous and kind to the Hebrew people

When the Hebrew people are grumbling about the lack of food in the desert, God is generous kind.

• ·        God kindly overlooks their rebellious grumbling
• ·        Generously rains down bread in the form of manna, and meat in the form of quail.
• ·        Not just basic rations but a generous display of Gods' kindness and generosity

2. Paul is generous and kind to the Philippians

Mercy is the Highest Form Of Love (Proper 20)

Jesus is teaching us how to do pastoral ministry. The readings teach us that God wants more than a formal relationship with us. God wants a passionate, powerful risk-taking love that is passionate, intimate and forgives. Mercy, when God or we forgive, and give the other another chance, is the highest form of love. The difficulties we face in life are teats of that love. This is how our love and spiritual life grows.

 

 1. Jesus shows us how God’s love and mercy never gives up

Jesus had righteous anger (the good kind) at the Pharisees for developing new teachings that deliberately miss-interpreted God’s Commandments. They focused on the outward details of food and washing, rather than what goes on in the heart. They reduced love of God, self and neighbour to self-serving rituals. Jesus warns His followers to avoid “false teachers” that try to introduce teachings that contradict Scripture:

• ·         We are to “Leave them; they are blind guides” (v14). 
• ·         Instead of what goes into our mouths (the physical) we are to focus on 'what come out of a man’s mouth” (the spiritual) (Matthew 15.11). 
• ·         What we say and do indicates what is really in our heart. 
• ·         The test is when things go wrong - are we really loving, or do we explode in anger?
• ·         God's mercy is unending - no matter how much we have done to separate ourselves from God; Gods’ love and mercy never gives up!

 

2. Jesus was really testing the love of the Canaanite Woman

He really insulted her. Most people would have left. But she persisted. She was really desperate for her daughter. Her love for her daughter was greater than her pride. She is willing to fight with Jesus for His attention. This is exactly the kind of passionate love relationship God wants with us. God does not want “cold love”. God wants hot, passionate love - the kind of love that would drive an uneducated woman to challenge a respected rabbi and the established teachings of the Pharisees in public. 

• She tells Jesus (and the Pharisee in all of us), that this idea of God is too unloving. 
• This does not offend Jesus. He is testing her, pushing her
• He commends her passionate love of God and her faith to us. 
• God tests all of us with adversity, sickness, losses
• God reaches out and shakes us up - not to hurt us, but to force us to grow in love as we realize His mercy is without limit

 3. Jacob could easily have given up on his brothers

They had treated him very badly. They had ruined his life by selling him into slavery. Jacob, like many of us, could easily have become bitter. He could have spent the rest of his life brooding over his situation. He could have allowed himself to be eaten up with anger, bitterness and un-forgiveness. The number of people Lucille and I have helped get out of bondage to un-forgiveness is amazing!

• ·         Joseph chose to have mercy on his brothers
• ·         In jail he had mercy and helped the other prisoners. 
• ·         As ruler of Egypt he had mercy on Pharaoh and the people of Egypt
• ·         Having already forgiven his brothers, he had mercy on them
• ·         God is trying to teach us all to have mercy on ourselves and others

Jesus is Teaching Us How to do Pastoral Ministry With Love

All of us at some time have felt abandoned by God or that God did not love us. This is of course Satan’s lie. Jesus is teaching us to do healing ministry with love:

• When we feel abandoned, it is a sign that we are being tested. 
• Our love of God is being tested.
• Our love of our self is being tested
• Our love of our neighbour is being tested
• What comes out of our mouth?
• Is it judgement and un-forgiveness?
• Is it love in the form of mercy?

There was a Canaanite woman. She was not included in the Covenant of Moses. But she was desperate to save her daughter from a demon. 

 

What came out of her mouth was love in its highest form – loving God and her daughter enough to overcome pride, challenge Jesus and ask for mercy.

Thy Kingdom Come - My Kingdom Treasures (Proper 17)

The readings for the past few weeks (Matthew 13) have been teaching us about the Kingdom of God. In the Parable of the Sower Jesus focuses on how people respond to the Word of God. In the Parable of the Weeds Jesus teaches us how to deal with evil. In the three parables for today Jesus is teaching us that not everyone is included and how important it is to be included in the Kingdom. Those who are included should be able to bring out our treasures from our own experience of the Kingdom to share with others. Let me model this for you by bringing out three treasures from my study and experience of the Kingdom.

1. Let me share my treasure of knowing the Bible as True truth

Our Birthright Is Spiritual Life In-Christ (Proper 15)

A “birthright” is something you are entitled to because of who your parents are. Esau is the first-born son who foolishly gives up his birthright of inheriting his fathers’ land and spiritual blessings. Our birthright as “Christians, “born again” in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, is eternal spiritual life. The Romans reading explains that while we live physically in a mortal body, we have a new spiritual life because the Spirit of Jesus lives in us and guides our life. As we live more and more fully in this spiritual life as we depend on the Holy Spirit to help us understand and overcome the temptations of our ‘natural self’ which can cause us to lose our spiritual birthright. Esau is a warning.

1. We get our spiritual birthright from the seed of the Word

Why Were The Workers Few? (Proper 11)

This is a strange statement coming from Jesus in a country where religion was supposed to be central in everyone’s life. Something is terribly wrong. Something needs fixing. This is important to us now as we live in a similar time. We too are supposed to be Christians in a Christian Church - yet many people are sensing that something is very wrong. Do we to have lots of religion but little real Faith? We need to ask the same question as Jesus - why are the church workers few?”.

1. The workers are few because we have lost our mission

In Jesus time most people went to the synagogues and Temple - but for many, it was only an outward form. Their country was occupied by Roman soldiers. They were harassed and confused. They felt defeated. Instead of giving them hope, their ancient faith had not helped them against the Romans.

• It was a time like our own, when many people feel our own church is drifting without real spiritual direction or leadership.
• We feel like the people in the Gospel who were “...harassed and helpless like sheep without a shepherd...” (Matthew 9.36).

 2. Jesus had a clear mission of radical new teaching and healing

You Were Created To Be A Sign Of God’s Love In The World (Easter 6)

Many people have read Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life and reflected on the purpose of their lives. The readings for today begin with the Apostle Paul telling the people in Athens that the God he speaks of is the one who created the world. Paul goes on to explain that the purpose of creation is “...so that men would seek Him...”(Acts 17.27). In the very next verse he explains that God wants to live inside us and through us. This is how the spiritual dimension intervenes in the physical world as the Holy Spirit. It happens when we “...live and move and have our being in Him...”.

1. The God of Christians is behind creation

We do not want to get sidetracked into an argument of how God created the world. This would distract us from the key fact that creation cannot be random or an accident. There had to be something behind it, creating it. We believe this is the God that revealed Himself to the Hebrew people and us through revelations in history, and particularly in the form of Jesus.

• The readings also tell us God also created a spiritual dimension which seems to inhabit the same space.
• 1 Peter 3.22 adds to our understanding of creation by mentioning heaven, angels, principalities and powers
• Bad news is some of the angles, principalities and powers rebelled against God and have engaged in spiritual warfare for human souls since the time of creation.
• Paul warns us that creation is going somewhere. There will be a final judgement. Each individual will have to give an account of their response to God’s reaching out to them.
• Test will be how well you lived this life as a sign of God’s love.

2. Good news “... Christ died to bring you to God...”. (1 Peter 3.18)

Have You Met The Risen Jesus? (Easter)

The Easter story is about being sure of the Resurrection and meeting the risen Jesus. This is the point where Jesus becomes a real person to a believer. This is the point where each of us goes from being what we might call a “cultural Christian” to a 'serious believer'. Everyone who meets the risen Jesus is changed - even transformed. Their faith goes from being a philosophy of life to being a daily personal relationship with the risen Jesus. They go from a set of intellectual beliefs to “my Faith” and my hope for the future. For many people this is a dramatic encounter like that of Mary. For others it may be more gradual. The important thing is to personally meet the risen Jesus.

1. The Risen Jesus gives us resurrection life