We Are Called To Be A Community of Followers of Jesus (Epiphany 3, Proper 3)

In the Readings (Jonah 3.1-5, 10) the prophet is called to go to the ancient city of Nineveh and warn them of God's plan to destroy them. They have an epiphany moment, realize they are in trouble, repent and God spares them. In the Epistle Paul is instructing the Christian community of Corinth on how to prepare for the End Times by focusing on God to the exclusion of worldly issues and relationships. This is how to respond to the Epiphany moment in the Gospel of Mark (1.14-15) when Jesus announces "The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the Good News." The Good News is that God is intervening in history and making a new Covenant in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus is calling individuals into a community of followers who are developing a spiritual life of love in Jesus Christ through:

Christmas or Christ's Mass Is a Celebration Of Our Forgiveness

Names are an important clue to destiny in the Bible. we need to begin by examining the name Jesus and understanding our personal need for both human and divine forgiveness. The name Jesus is a combination of Je or Yeh a shortened form of Yahweh; and “sus” the Aramaic verb to save. Many people in our secular culture are not aware of the danger of un-forgiveness as separating ourselves from both other people and God. I went through 30 years of silence and emotional darkness before experiencing the joy of forgiveness and reconciliation with my ex-wife. In our healing ministry Lucille and I have seen the joy on many faces as people come to forgiveness with others or accept forgiveness from Jesus. Un-forgiveness leads to destructive emotions of bitterness that pollute our personal spirit and separate us from God. The Good news of Jesus is that He was born to die for the sins of all people so they could be freed from what Isaiah called the "rod of the oppressor", Satan, who deceives us into rebellion against God and spiritual death. The Readings explain how this gift of forgiveness works.

1. Luke (2.1-20) Gives Us the Good News of the Forgiveness of Sins by Jesus

Prophecy Calls Us Into Right Relationship - Righteousness (Advent 3, Year B)

In the Gospel Reading (John 1.6-8, 19-28) we see a situation that is happening in our own lifetime. We have representatives of a corrupted religion investigating a genuine prophet. He tells them God is about to fulfill the Isaiah Prophecy. He tells them that the one “…you do not know.” (v. 26) is in their midst. This was a stinging rebuke to the religious leadership and a wake-up call to the Jews. It is also a wake-up call to us now. The question is what should we do to "make the way straight" or get into a right relationship with God  and "make righteousness and praise spring up" (v. 11) in our time?

1. The Baptist proclaimed the fulfillment of the Isaiah Prophecy

This was a prophecy that God would intervene in human affairs once again to "... make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations" (Isaiah 61.11). Water baptism is the first step in spiritual life.

How Do We "Get Free From the Darkness That Ensnares Us" (Proper 33)

The Collect is a prayer that focuses us on the general theme of the readings for each Sunday in liturgical churches. Proper 33 is the last Sunday in the Church year before the "Reign of Christ" (next week) which marks the end of Year A. This is important as a final message generally sums up all that has gone before. The readings begin with a contrast between the disasters that fell on the Hebrew people when they abandoned God, and the military victories and good times when they returned to faith and kept the Covenants of Abraham and Moses. Paul's letter to the people in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 5.1-11) describes this contrast as between people of light and people of darkness. The parable of the Talents (75 lbs. of silver) is a reminder that Jesus will come back to judge us based on what we have done with the gifts we have been given in life. This is not about good works but about faith, hope and the development of spiritual life.

1. What was the darkness ensnared the "wicked servant"?

Notice that he was not accused of the usual sins we think of as preventing inclusion in the Kingdom of God:

Christians Are In the Business of Healing (St. Luke's Day)

During the Management Training Course at Western, the question we learned to ask was: "What business are we in?" Many businesses and organizations fail because management is confused about what business they are really in. I tell the story of the Addison Adding Machine company (never heard of it?) which discovered it was not in the business of making and selling mechanical adding machines. Computers were a new thing. They were in the business of making international business machines - IBM. The dramatic moment when Jesus claims the mission of the Messiah prophesied by Isaiah reminds us of what business we are in. We are not in the business of saving people or planting and developing healthy churches. We are in the business of healing the relationship between God and His people. The prophecy tells us exactly and in depth how we are to do this.

1. We are anointed by the Holy Spirit for this mission

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.