Readings: 1
Corinthians 3:1-9, Matthew 5:21-37
We pray: Open us, guide us, teach us we pray O God
that we may hear your truth and live in loving relationship with you and each
other. In Jesus name. Amen
One Minister said
to a group gathered to discuss the gospel for the coming Sunday: ‘What do you
do when you are seem to be at odds with what Jesus has said – when you think
it’s not the whole story, not compatible with your experience and
understanding?’ What if the holes appear larger than the help? It was today’s passage they had in front of
them.
I want to begin
with a self-observation – how much harder it was for me to compile this sermon
compared to the flowing narrative of last Sunday. And that is probably because last week was a
story, this a list of do’s and do not’s.
Both necessary in our lives and our faith but the difference for me is
that stories transcend context, live longer, invite us in in a more seamless
way. The parables seem more timeless
than the teachings of law. The Gospel
word for today is, at first glance, of the time. Only men need to be warned about committing
adultery – for they have the power to hurt and abuse the vulnerable. There will be exceptions but as a rule…..
The teachings on
divorce too are removed from our today experience, our world view but again we
are looking at protection of the vulnerable of the time, how it is that the
relatively powerful are to behave in relationship with those who they can
easily hurt. Interesting about the oaths
– it is not linked to any particularly historical context and so we can more
immediately link to the teaching today:
that those who embody the kingdom of God will speak truthfully,
no underlining, oath taking required. Let your word be simply yes or no. (I wonder what Jesus would make of the
concept of ‘alternative facts’ as introduced to our language this last month).
So we can ask, who
are the vulnerable of today – how do we harm and abuse within family
relationships, what are the rules today for protecting the innocent, taking
care of the helpless, bringing justice to the down trodden. We might talk of the focus on sexuality when
instead it needs to be on faithfulness and covenant. We might highlight bullying, emotional,
physical, verbal within relationships or the exploitation of children, whether
slave labour or children at the mercy of exploitative parents.
We might want to
ask why our words of faith have come to embrace sexism, racism, ageism and all
the other isms of the world. When truth
has become conditional and occasional and often quite selfish?
These are the
questions and directions that Jesus might have put in the scripture if it was
today – how is it that we are to encourage safe and compassionate
relationships, protect the vulnerable, live in God’s way and truth today.
And then we come
to the words of verses 21-26 - on how we are to come to the table. We hear that we cannot bring our gifts to the
table until we have reconciled with those who have something against us. It
seems at first glance directly contradictory to the understanding that we come
to the table to find forgiveness and reconciliation, from where we go out to do
the same. Cart before the horse, we would say today. I mean it would be amazing
if we could each gather round the table pure of heart and certain of
goodness. But to keep us away until we
are would make for empty communion tables for sure.
Bishop John
Robinson defined the practice of Holy Communion as ‘making holy that which is
common’. In other words we offer God the
totality of our lives, darkness and light, and in return we are offered the
presence of the living Christ, who works in and through us to make
reconciliation possible.
But when we begin
to concentrate on the fact that anger has the capacity to close all other
communication channels, to tie our soul in knots, we begin to realise the need
to put it aside as we approach the table.
For how can we hear the message of forgiveness and reconciliation if we
are paralysed by anger for it destroys our relationship with God, let alone
each other.
So we find our way
through these directions for living, understanding why they are there and
realising that the question they were the answer for are still there for us
today – maybe in a slightly different shape, but still as meaningful as kingdom
actions.
On reflection, I
think one of the stumbling blocks that I have wherever we have solid
interpretation of the living out of the faith within the biblical canon is the
knowledge that some take them as read, encase them in concrete for all
time. They choose or forget to ask the
question of why they were needed and what that means for us, that ongoing
(remember reformed and reforming) discernment of the purpose of God made known
in Jesus for the people of God.
They too can use
them to ensure their own supremacy or agenda - politics in the world today
would suggest that – or to exclude people from full participation as God’s
people. Just imagine if women had been
fully partners in the church throughout time and the impact that would have had
on the western world.
And it is this
manipulation we bring to God’s purpose that we have to be very aware of. The
Psalmist talks about it – how learning to walk the path of right living with
God is something we will need to work at and learn and grow in else we will go
astray. The metaphor of the school with
willing pupils is a helpful one I believe.
Always we are questioning and learning.
In the Epistle
reading too we see the trap that the Corinthians had fallen into – of thinking
that various leaders had the superior wisdom and were therefore the true path
to God. Paul doesn’t say that they
should reject all human teaching and interpretation of how we live in the way
of Jesus but he does say that they need to forever be discerning God in those
teachings, to be hearing what the Spirit of God is saying into each and every
situation, to be continuously growing in our questioning and believing and
living in faith. And how do we know the
Spirit is in this – to put it rather crudely ‘if Jesus was present, as Jesus
is, then what would he embrace and what would he tell us to turn aside from.’ It
is a question I constantly ask as I try to navigate the interpretations of
faith that seem to have lost the ‘Jesus’ factor and sit rigidly in human
certainty.
How is that we are
to keep the teachings of Jesus forever fresh and meaningful for us today?
We remember that
we do not know it all, there is never a time when we can simply abide by the
rules but we are to be continually discussing, learning, growing from each
other, with those who know much and those who would say they know nothing but
in fact have a profound faith.
Look around –
think of the people here who have been teachers for you, those whose journey
with God had impacted on your journey, whose faithfulness gives you hope and
whose gifts have been, and will be, light and salt for you.
The learning and
growing never stops – the questions are always there, the understanding as to
how we are to live as the people of God is found in community interpreting
scripture in the power of the Spirit, and it is for each of us to be alert to the truth that is Jesus Christ
in this world today.
To finish some
words of Michael Hudson on our journey with God:
The grace of God is like a road that draws the heart
from its first home – We long to go, but we hate to leave, and the Spirit
calls, “Come follow me.”
The voice of God is like the wind, it comes and goes
and comes again – We read the signs in the bending trees, and the Sprit calls,
“Come follow me.”
The love of God is like a stream; it fills and feeds
our deepest dreams – It finds a thirst and leaves a spring, and the Spirit
calls, “Come follow me.”
The peace of God is like a
friend who sees us through the journey’s end – The road is long and the talk is
sweet and the Spirit calls, “Come follow me.”
Margaret Garland
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