Asking Questions

Note: this sermon is heavily reliant on chapter 3 of The Last Week By Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan.
The poem ' It was on a Tuesday' is from Stages on the Way from Wild Goose Worship Group

Poem:It was on the Tuesday

I was told once that you should never ask a question if you don’t know the answer. Now that isn’t true all the time, sometimes we want to find out about something, but often we only ask questions if we already know the answer.  The situation we read about today reminds me of question time in Parliament.  All sides of politics only seem to ask questions they know the answer to, and the point of the question is rarely to find out something, but to make someone look good or bad, depending on the political perspective of the person asking the question.

Reading through the week leading to the crucifixion, we have considered the political implication of riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and looked at the collaboration of religious leaders with the Roman occupiers. Today we read about Jesus in the Temple surrounds.

Jesus would not have been the only Rabbi, or teacher,  in the area surrounding the main Temple building. This area is often called the Temple court, like a courtyard.

Mark begins the Tuesday discussion with people wondering about the authority of Jesus, then there are some parables, then the part we heard this morning, which begins.

‘Some Pharisees and some members of Herod's party were sent to Jesus to trap him with questions.’

As in many religions, there were factions within Judaism at this time. The first group we read about today are the Pharisees, a group dedicated to intensification of religious practices, such as tithing and Sabbath observance and purity laws. The Herodians, or Herod’s party, are people who were supporters of Herod, the ‘royal’ family  appointed by Rome.

The authorities had noticed how popular Jesus was with the crowd. There are a number of possible reasons, and here I am speculating: Jesus spoke about religious practice in ways that were available to ordinary working people; he healed; he travelled with ordinary people by foot, as most people did; in short, he wasn’t part of the religious elite, and he was able to take them on in a debate and the religious elite often came out looking foolish.

The religious elite were concerned about the popularity of Jesus, because it could cause political problems for them and they feared a crackdown by Rome.

The Pharisees and Herodians came to trap Jesus. The question they asked is about paying taxes to Rome. They thought they knew the possible answers. Either Jesus would say yes, and be discredited with the crowd, or he would answer no, and then he could be charged with denying Roman authority, which was sedition.

The answer Jesus gives is to turn it back onto the questioners. Jesus knew this was about trying to trick him, so he played them at their own game. By asking for a denarius, a coin which displayed the Emperor’s image, the questioner is discredited by having Roman coinage, rather than Jewish coins which did not bear any image on them.

The next group to try and trap Jesus are the Sadducees, a group of wealthy, powerful families which included the high priestly families. The Sadducees only held the Torah, the first 5 books, to be sacred scripture, most Jews also included the Prophets.

The writings of Prophets emphasize God’s justice against the injustice of social systems dominated by the interest of the powerful and wealthy.

‘Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus’

The Sadducees did not believe in any form of life after death, so why ask a question about life after death? Because they care more about trapping Jesus than about the answer.

Jesus’ answer includes a reference to Exodus, one of the books the Sadducees accepted as scripture. Jesus’ answer does not give a clear answer to the question about marriage and heaven. It does seem to affirm some form of afterlife, but, and this is an important but, Jesus also says that God is God of the living and not of the dead. The Sadducees had asked about the wrong thing, they asked about life after death, when the kingdom of God is about life before death, life in this world.

‘A teacher of the Law was there who heard the discussion. He saw that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer, so he came to him with a question:
Which commandment is the most important of all?’

The teacher of the law or scribe was a person who could read and write, unusual in that day. Asking a Rabbi what is the most important commandment, was a common question for rabbis, though some were known for their lengthy responses. The scribe asked Jesus because he had noticed how well Jesus had answered the other questions that day.

The answer is one Christians are familiar with: love God and neighbour. But there is much in saying that. Firstly, loving God and giving to God what belongs to God is a radical statement of monotheism. Which means if God is God, then the Emperor is not! Or the dollar, or status, or winning at all costs. Loving your neighbour as yourself means not living with the divisions that are an accepted part of civilisation; rich and poor, respected and marginalised, righteous and sinners, friends and enemies, Jews and Gentiles.

The scribe responds, and adds to Jesus’ comment: ‘It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God.’

In the midst of the conflict stories of this section, we are again reminded of the difference between some, not all, of the religious leaders and Jesus. The Scribe has affirmed that loving God and neighbour is more important than what happens in the Temple.

 ‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God’

The Scribe was not far from the kingdom because he knew in his heart what was important, to be in the kingdom of God means more than knowing, it means living it.

So what does this mean for us. We are not debating with Jesus, asking odd questions to try and trap him? Or are we? I wonder how often the questions we ask are the wrong questions, how often we ask about the Kingdom of God as if it is about life after death; how often we ask about the Kingdom of God as if it is confined by a set of doctrines we can parrot back at the right moment; how often we ask about the Kingdom of God not listening for any answer other than the one that fits with our own desires.

The Kingdom of God is about life: here, now, for all. Some of the Pharisees, Sadducees and other leaders tried to discredit Jesus because he was popular with the crowd. At times people will try and discredit us because we believe in God, because we live differently, because we stand up for the poor, the oppressed, the marginalised. And we stand up for the poor, the oppressed, and the marginalised not only in words, but in actions.

The reading today is from Tuesday, 3 days before the trial and crucifixion.  The conflict with the Roman and religious authorities continues, not all religious authorities,  but there is concern at the life and teaching of Jesus. Life and teaching that exposes the hollowness of power, the false divisions that have become a normal part of society, the dominance of ritual over righteous living.

The Kingdom of God is for here, for now, for everyone and every part of God’s creation. What questions do we ask to avoid living the Kingdom into being?

what is worship for?

This is the second in a series following through the book: The Last Week by Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, which follows the Gospel of Mark's narrative from Palm Sunday through to Easter Sunday. I recommend reading this book, rather than relying on my interpretation of it.

I wonder what it would be like if this church wasn't here. What difference would it make to your life, our life, to the people of this area and city.

Some  background on the passage we heard from Mark’s gospel this morning.

Mark uses ‘frames’ or ‘sandwiches’ as a literary device. In this passage, the story of the fig tree ‘frames’ the story of the Temple; that is a hint that they are related stories. This isn’t the only place Mark uses that technique, when you are reading Mark’s gospel, keep an eye out for it.

During this part of Israel’s history, Israel was part of the Roman Empire. The Temple was a significant place for the people of Israel. It was also a place where Roman political power and Jewish religious power intersected.   

Mark places this event the day after the entry into Jerusalem, and during the week leading to the crucifixion.   This was Passover week, remembering the Passover when the people of Israel left slavery in Egypt. Passover was huge, lots of people coming in to town, one person describes it like the Christmas rush. Religious tourism was an important part of the economy of Jerusalem, as pilgrims came for major festivals.

The traders associated with the Temple were in an outer area, and a necessary part of the Temple life. Pilgrims came from all over the Mediterranean region, so buying animals for sacrifice was much more practical than carrying them great distances, also the temple tax was paid in local currency, so money changers were essential.

One part of the Passover celebrations was sacrificing lambs. The sacrificial system was part of life for many ancient cultures for centuries. People maintain relationships with each other in two basic ways – giving of gifts and eating together. Think about the people you are friends with, how often do you meet for a drink or a meal. When people sensed the divine and were looking for ways to relate,  giving gifts and eating together turned into a sacrificial system.  In sacrifice as ‘gift’, the animal or grain is burnt on the altar. The idea was that the smoke rising to God was a gift. In sacrifice as a shared meal, the animal was transferred to God by its blood being poured over the altar, when the animal was eaten, it was divine food in a feast with God, where God was the host.

The so-called ‘cleansing of the Temple’ Jesus quotes from Jeremiah chapter 7. Here Jeremiah is calling people’s attention to their false sense of security in the Temple. ‘den of robbers’ is Jeremiah’s way of saying a hideout for  thieves, thieves who steal people’s life by oppressing them, by acting unjustly and without compassion.

So what does all this mean for suburban NN, in NN in the 21^st Century?

Do you have a place you go when you want you don’t want to accept responsibility? As a child did you have a way of avoiding the consequences of your actions? I have read that studying theology can be a way of avoiding God, I wonder if coming to church is also a way of avoiding God, all the outward signs of faith, but none of the transformation.

The Temple, the place considered to be God’s home on earth, and the priests whose role it was to offer the sacrifices in the holy of holies where ordinary people did not go, had become a refuge for collaborators. Is this church a place for people to come and pretend all is well in the world, to come and ignore inequality, oppression, poverty and injustice? Last week we looked at the difference between the Roman Empire and the Kingdom of God. Does our worship allow us to sit comfortably with the status quo, confident of our own in heaven, comfortable with our place in the world.

Remember I mentioned the framing of this incident with the story of the fig tree. Now it was not the season for figs, so the story of the fig tree, read on its own, doesn’t make a lot of sense. But looking at the Temple story framed by the withering fig tree, helps us make sense of the Temple story.

The Temple without fruit is not worthy of its name; just as a fig tree without fruit is useless.  While the Old Testament includes variety of sacrifices for different occasions, there are also places which talk of the need for justice, compassion and inclusion; because without these things, the sacrifices are meaningless.

Looking at sacrifice as a meal with God, how long can we sit at the table with God, as a guest of God, and not  be changed by that encounter.

Reading the gospels we get a picture of Jesus as someone involved and interested in all of life. It can be easy to spiritualise the stories we read, but that is not the intent of the Gospels. What we do here this morning, is not an end in itself. Worship is not for the sake of worship. That is not to say that worship and worshipping together are not important, but they are not all there is to our Christian faith. We believe that in worship, we encounter Jesus, or maybe we become more aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Praising God is good, remembering the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is good, celebrating the coming of the Spirit is good; but they are not ends in themselves.

This morning N was baptised, what will he learn from hanging around with this congregation?

A poem:

Like a well-barnacled ship,
the gospel lumbers through time
encrusted
with layered domestication.
We find it difficult
to think of Jesus
angry.
Love God.
love you neighbour.
love your enemy.
But anger?
Jesus’ anger disturbs
yet reveals
there’s a time for anger.

When we focus on places in which to worship
rather than people to serve
there’s a time for anger.
When we focus on self
and ignore the extreme need of many
there’s a time for anger.
When we accept poverty, injustice, war
as part of the natural order
there’s a time for anger.

There’s a time for anger
that results in action
that
heals the hurting
supports the suffering
relieves the exploited
frees the enslaved
brings God’s love to bear.

There’s a time when it’s wrong
not to be angry.
© Jeff Shrowder, 2012.

A Clash Of Cultures [Mark 11:1-11]

Over the next four Sundays will be hearing some stories from Mark's gospel that we rarely hear. Stories that show a clash of power and culture, stories that remind us of the choices that we make as disciples. Stories of challenge. Starting here at Chapter 11 of Mark's gospel, Mark gives us a day by day account of the week in Jerusalem. This passage we heard today is the first time Mark indicates Jesus has travelled to Jerusalem, while other Gospels record earlier visits to Jerusalem, for Mark this is the first time Jesus has entered the city and the Temple. 

On one hand we have the Roman Imperial culture, a culture based on military might, wealth, and working with locals who would keep their own people under control. Leading up to the Passover festival there was a procession into town, a procession of war horses and  uniforms and the jangle of metal. A procession to show people that the military was in town, to maintain order, to quell any uprisings.

Roman imperial culture worked alongside the system that had existed in Israel for many centuries. The religious and political elites used a series of economic, political, and religious measures to maintain power and control.

Each family needed land to farm, to enable them to grow the crops they needed to eat with enough left over to barter and swap with their neighbours. There were a number of ways in which people's land was taken from them. While land could not be bought or sold it could be used as collateral against debts. Unfortunately the small landholders who needed the money from such a loan were often not able to repay it, therefore their land was taken from them. Also the King was able to acquire land for the kingdom. King Herod, the King during Jesus’ lifetime, acquired land so that it could be given to influential families.

The Roman imperial system relied on local collaborators. These were mainly wealthy families, but also the religious elites. Herod was made King and he used his wealth and influence, his power and the military at his disposal to maintain order in Jerusalem and Israel. This system meant that ordinary people did not have a say in how their society was shaped.

Rome allowed local religion to continue during the Empire in the various places that they conquered. Local religious leaders would be used by Rome to ensure that the local population stayed compliant and obedient to Rome. If the population started using religion to go against the occupation, the religious leaders would be replaced or the religion would be made illegal. The system was supported by the religious elite; by supporting the system of Roman occupation of political privilege of economic inequality, the religious elite benefited from the system.

The Roman Imperial system relied on keeping the populace under control, and local high ranking people loyal to Rome. This was possible in Israel due the existing system of land acquisition, and a sense of the culture, including economic culture, being put in place by God. Who could then dare to oppose it?

From the other side of town there was also a procession, a man on a donkey, with some country folk with him, no uniforms, no jangling metal. A procession to expose the oppression that the other procession stood for.  A procession led by a man whose life was the antithesis of Roman Imperial Culture, and much of Jewish culture. A man whose life and teaching was about each person having enough, the evils of greed, the abuse of religion.

There are many places in the world today, including in our own country, where economic and political injustice continues. There are still places in the world today, including in our own country, where religion is part of that oppression. It is not that long ago that in South Africa where religion was part of the understanding of those who put together the apartheid system. In this country at the moment there is a debate about school funding, about the relative amounts of money that private and public schools should be getting. But there is little debate in this country about the number of children who live in poverty, about children whose life chances are reduced because of poverty.

People in Jerusalem knew what these two processions meant. They knew that the Roman procession was there to keep them in line, to make sure nothing out of the ordinary happened while their population went from about 40,000 to 200,000 during the Passover. They understood the symbolism of this military procession coming into town.

People in Jerusalem would also have known the symbolism behind the man on the donkey. The allusions to old Testament texts of the King coming in on a donkey, a new King who would save his people. ‘Hosanna’ that Mark records people saying, means ‘save us’, meaning save our country. Some people would have been a little confused as to how this man on a donkey was going to be able to fight the Roman army, how else could this be the one who would save the people. But that was not the way of Jesus.

During this season of Lent we journey with Jesus to the cross. As Lent comes around each year it can seem a burden, a drag to go through this dry and barren and challenging time. It is a time of refocusing, of looking at our lives and our motives. It is a time of being intentional in looking at the conflicts between our faith and our life. Lent is a challenge. The challenge of Lent this year is about following the way of Jesus; the way of discipleship.

This passage today sets up the background for the coming week, a week of conflict, blessing, meals, betrayal and crucifixion. When Jesus talks about following on the way this is the way that as disciples we are called to walk, to journey. The way that does not bow down to false gods of Empire, domination and oppression. The way that speaks the good news in order to bring life and hope and peace, not to use religion as a means of oppression. The way of sacrifice rather than remaining passive and on the sidelines.

There were two processions into Jerusalem, one of Empire, and one of the country bumpkin riding a donkey. Which procession are we in?

In what ways does our living support oppressive and unjust system is?

In what ways do we risk standing up for those who have no voice?

note: thanks to Marcus Borg and John Crossan 'The Last Week' for the idea of preaching through some of the stories from Mark and for many of the ideas included.

release or paralyse

Mark 2: 1-12
as usual, this is an amalgam of ideas from a variety of reading

This story from the Gospel of Mark has a variety of possible interpretations.  But to start, a few comments about this passage.

1.   In verses:6, 8 "...wondering" is literally "...discussing in their hearts..." Ancient people around the Mediterranean believed the psychological seat of the person lie in the heart, not the brain.[i]

2.   The friends dug through the roof – yes! They took off the roof, made a hole in it. In this time, houses usually had a set of stairs on the outside of the building, and the roof was  place where you could sit, and sometimes sleep, in warm weather. The roof was made of beams, covered with tree branches, then several feet of dirt. So the friends of the paralysed man, dug through the roof and removed part of it. [ii]

3.   Another thing to keep in mind is that this story follows the healing of the leper we heard last week. Jesus is still confronting the idea, the belief, that people who are ill, are unwell because of their sin. And sin could only be forgiven by God. When Jesus says ‘your sins are forgiven’ that is blasphemy.

When the friends of the paralysed man lowered him through the roof, Jesus doesn’t mention the dirt or the mess, doesn’t ask why he can’t walk, how long he has been like this, doesn’t ask if he believes, doesn’t tell him to wait in line, all that is recorded is that Jesus recognised the faith of the friends, and said to the paralysed man: your sins are forgiven. We don’t know if the paralysed man responded, Mark doesn’t record anything about him at this point; we don’t even know if he wanted to go and see Jesus.

The overriding view of illness was that you had sinned, you had done something that angered or saddened God. Illness was a result of God being offended by something we have done. [iii] There are still times when illness or disability is considered to be somehow the person’s fault. Can’t get a job, then you are not trying hard enough; injured in an accident, you must have been to careless; diagnosed with cancer, and you are asked to go through your life and see what you may have done to contribute. Today there is still an element of blaming the victim in our understanding of disease.

The Greek word translated as forgiven, was generally used in a legal sense, as being released from an obligation.

Jesus says you are released from your defects, which is translated as your sins are forgiven. God is saying, I am not offended by you, I release you, from that which prevents you living fully. In his interaction with the leper last week, and the man who is paralysed this week, there is no sense from Jesus that God’s judgement has anything to do with illness or healing.

 Basic Christian primer: Maybe now is time for a reminder that we are loved by God. Really! God loves us, always has. God didn’t send Jesus, so that we could be loved, Jesus came because God loved us, as a sign of God’s love. Yet for many the message of the church is you are not worth loving; you have to follow certain protocols, pray certain words, live in certain ways then God will love you. At times the message that comes from churches through the media is that you are unlovable without Jesus, that God can’t stand the sight of such a fallen, weak, sinful person. That is plain wrong. I can remember when I thought that even with Jesus in my life, I was of no value to God, that God only put up with me because of Jesus, because somehow Jesus stood between me and God, and somehow Jesus filtered all my badness. There couldn’t have been much of me left for God to see. I can remember the time when I realised that God loved me, not an image of the perfect me, but this me – unsure, nerdy, fearful and spiritually lazy me.

 Back to the story, another aspect I want us to think about today is the role of the man’s friends. There are times when we all need people around us to carry us to Jesus. Over the past few weeks as various groups have looked at the belonging unit on the church, I have heard a few times that church isn’t only about what we get out of it, but what we give to others. By worshipping in a community, as we do each Sunday, we support and affirm our own faith and the faith of others. Just attending worship can be a challenge to the rest of society, some people wonder why anyone would give up their Sunday morning to come to church when there are so many other options.

The friends of the paralysed man knew that the best place for him to be was in the presence of Jesus. We all know people we would like to place in front of Jesus, and there are times we wish for friends who would do that for us. we do this when we worship together and when we take people to Jesus in our prayers.

Now as far as I know none of you are paralysed, thought I have heard that some of you know what that is like. At times we are all paralysed, it may be physical, but it may that we are paralysed by fear. I know I am so scared of heights I freeze sometimes, paralysed by fear. Other things which can paralyse us are guilt and shame, or even the thought that if people knew what we were really like, then we would be shamed, so we are paralysed by trying to keep things in our life a secret.

I suspect for many there is also the paralysis that comes from a sense of inadequacy. The idea that we are not good enough or clever enough.

What paralyses you?

 As a congregation do we release sins, or do we remind people, both in and outside the church, of their guilt, fear and shame?

This is a powerful story, a story that challenged the theological understanding of the time, a story that hinted again at the divinity of Jesus. Placed in the presence of Jesus, released from that which holds us back, we are sent out to live.

We take some time to reflect

---

[i] word-sunday.com Larry Broding (Copyright 1999 -2007)

[ii] Rev. Dr. Delmer L. Chilton

[iii] Rev Peter Woods

Messiah?

2 Kings 5: 1-14 and Mark 1: 40-45
In reading the story of Naaman and Elisha, and the passage from Mark’s gospel about the healing of the leper, it would seem obvious to focus on healing; on how God heals, why, who and why not!

I have heard from people who believe in God’s healing power, and who themselves have been healed in remarkable way. But I also know from my own experience and from other people that this is not always the case. People die early, people live with pain, physical and emotional, sometimes it seems their prayers for healing go unanswered.

And I would have to say I really don't know, I don't know why some people are healed and some people are not. In looking at these two passages together today, I hope that we might get some ideas about what Mark is trying to tell us through the story of the healing of the leper, and what we can learn from Naaman and Elisha.

The people of Israel expected a messiah to come, a messiah who would bring about a new world order; a messiah who would overthrow the Roman dictators; a messiah that would return the temple to the priests, that would put religion back in its right place. Jesus was not the messiah that the Jewish people were expecting.

A leper came to see Jesus, and then most texts will read Jesus was moved with compassion or with pity. Many ancient manuscripts or texts say that Jesus was angry. When biblical scholars look at different manuscripts or ancient copies  of the Biblical books, where there is a difference between manuscripts, scholars currently tend to take the more difficult reading as the one most likely to be the original.

 It's easy for us to think of Jesus being moved with compassion. It is not so easy to think of Jesus being angry, and then to think of why Jesus would be angry. If we go with the current thinking that Jesus is angry, then is he angry with the leper for asking for healing? That is unlikely. The explanation that makes the most sense to me is that Jesus is angry because the leper was unsure if a person of God wanted him to be healed.

If you had a skin disease, and leprosy covers a whole range of skin diseases, it is the priest who tells you that you are no longer clean and to leave the temple and your family. Because the priests were the ones who were trying to keep the Holiness code, trying to make sure that those who were unclean did not contaminate the clean.

I've met people who feel that the church does not want to know them, people who may not have been to church for a long time, but feel excluded, alienated; People who won't take the risk of coming to church because they will be shunned. One person I met probably 15 years ago had moved since her divorce and had not to hold people at church that she was divorced because she thought they might not talk to her. I have spoken with people wanting their child baptised who can't imagine walking into a church.

The priest was the one, who could declare you clean or unclean, and here is the leper saying to Jesus if you choose you can make a clean, if you choose. As if God would want any other outcome for us, as if God wanted people to have leprosy or be ill. So Jesus is angry, angry at the culture, the understanding of the time that people deserve their illness, it is because of their sins or their parent’s sin. If people are told often enough, especially by those perceived to be the experts, that they are outside of God’s grace, then they start to believe it. Jesus is angry, Jesus is angry at the abuse and misuse of religion.

And how does Jesus respond to the man, he doesn't condemn the man for sinning, he doesn't denounce the man for being caught up in structural oppression, he doesn't yell or scream; Jesus reached out and touched him. Jesus is angry, and his response is to reach out and touch the man.

Both the Old Testament and the gospel reading this morning show signs of a new world order. A servant girl captured in a raid on Israel is the one who tells Naaman about the possibility of healing. Naaman is a leader and thinks he knows how things work, so he arranged for a letter from his king to the king of Israel, packed jewels and gold and silver and went to the king of Israel. The king of Israel panic's, he doesn't know what to do because he can't heal the man of leprosy- are they trying to start a war. Even though the servant girl had heard of the Prophet Elisha, the king of Israel was not familiar with him. You will also notice in the passage that the Jordan River was not considered a particularly spectacular River. In a society, in a culture, the information is valued, we status is very important a slave girl was brave enough to suggest that healing is possible.

In Mark's gospel we see a change of position between Jesus and the man with leprosy. At the beginning of the story the man with leprosy is unclean, he is not able to travel freely; at the end of the story he no longer has leprosy, and travels freely. Compare that with Jesus, at the beginning of the story he is considered clean, after touching the leper is unclean; at the beginning of the story he is able to move about reasonably freely, at the end of the story he has to stay out in the country so was not to be mobbed.

Mark has been described as a crucifixion narrative with an extended introduction. In many ways the early chapters of Mark are background to what happens later in the gospel. In this early part of Mark's gospel, we hear of some of the conflict that occurs between Jesus and the religious elites. In the passage we heard read this morning there is no mention of conflict with the religious elites, but it is there. It is there in Jesus touching the man with leprosy, it is there in Jesus anger, and one of the reasons that Jesus was considered a troublemaker was because of the crowds, and here we have a crowd building around him.

Where do we find Jesus in the Gospels: in temple, synagogue, travelling, in people's homes. What kind of people do we hear that Jesus is with: fishermen, tax collectors, those with mental illness, lepers, women, and crowds.

The Jews were expecting a messiah, a messiah that would change the world. Jesus did come and change the world, but not in the way that people were expecting. People were expecting a messiah who would make everything wonderful, and Jesus came living with the poor, associating with the peasant class. One commentator has written “All the way to the cross Jesus will be trying to get those who think 'where the messiah is, there is no misery' to accept a new perspective--'where there is misery, there is the messiah'"[i]

This isn't just about our personal story. It isn't only a sweet story about Jesus coming and touching our lives and changing us. While that is true, and Jesus does come does sit with us in our misery, and offers transformation. There is much more to this story. This story challenges us to think about where we are as a church, as a congregation. Are there people around us who feel excluded, who fear that in coming to church they will be condemned?

In what ways do we perpetuate the myth that where the messiah is there is no misery; that once you give your life to Jesus everything is just fine; and life is one big party. In what ways do we continue the idea that church is for those who have their life together; that people who are suffering from mental illness, family crises, or unsure about their faith, are not welcome?

What might we do to help people see that where there is misery there is the messiah; that Jesus is always with us, that Jesus doesn't neglect us or avoid us when things are difficult, that Jesus is with us in the midst of life's difficulties?

---

[i] Fred Craddock  in Preaching Through the Christian Year B, quoted in UCC Samuel.

out of Egypt

The first 2 chapters of Matthew set the scene as to the importance of who Jesus is. In chapter one there is the genealogy, which shows Jesus’ place in Jewish culture; he is from the tribe of Judah, born in David’s line. Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah in naming Jesus Emmanuel.

Matthew also quotes the prophet Micah; Bethlehem is the place the Messiah would be born.

Now I know some people find the birth stories a bit hard to believe, in a literal sense. The details don’t matter. The birth stories are not included because they are historically true; they are included because what they tell us about Jesus is true.

Matthew is writing for a Jewish audience, so the people who first heard this would have connected the dots. Matthew includes lots of quotations from the prophets, lots of connections to the Old Testament.

So far we have that Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, and his birth fits the expectation that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

The wise men, or Magi or astronomers, come from the East. The East is where typically the enemies of Israel had come from: Assyria, Babylon and Persia.

There are some other connections that the first hearers of this gospel would have made.

·    The political leader Herod, orders the death of all the children under two, which sounds like; Pharaoh ordering the male Hebrew babies to be killed. And who survives; Jesus and Moses.

·    Egypt was a place of slavery, but this was not the first time we have heard of someone going to Egypt to stay alive. Joseph was taken to Egypt, after his brothers decided not to kill him; then years later Joseph brings all the family to Egypt during a time of famine.
Now another Joseph, with Mary and Jesus travel to Egypt looking for safety.

·    Moses led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and that is thought to be the birth of the nation; what might this coming out of Egypt bring to birth?

·    Joseph is spoken to in dreams, we have heard of another Joseph who considered a dreamer.

Matthew is saying: look out, something amazing is about to take place. This baby is something special, even more special than Moses. God is doing something new, be prepared to be challenged, to be surprised.

As well as setting the scene as to who Jesus is, I think this passage tells us something about the world into which Jesus was born; a culture where tradition is strong and family background is defining; a world of power, oppression and violence; a people under foreign rule; and the marginal place that many lived in.  I wonder how we would read this passage, if we lived in Burma or Zimbabwe, not as leaders, but as peasants, relying on rain and sun for food, and knowing that the current power regime could take your life, or your child, in a moment. What might this passage say to you if you were one of the poor reading this?

For the people Matthew was writing to, this passage is a sign of hope, a sign of God acting for them again, just as God acted in Moses to lead them from slavery, God will again liberate them. Now Jesus wasn’t the militaristic Messiah many were looking for, but these first few chapters set the scene, for a people looking for hope, looking for a sign from God. The poor know very well that the powerful will not easily give up their places of privilege. Not everyone welcomed the birth of the baby Jesus.

Matthew has set the scene of the kind of world Jesus was born into, and gives a glimpse of who Jesus is; the new Moses, the new liberator.

Shortly we will share in Holy Communion together; we will hear another story from the life of Jesus, the words recorded by Paul in 1 Corinthians of the night before Jesus died.  The life of Jesus began in escaping from a brutal death, and finished on the cross. Violence, revenge, fear, may seem to have won in the end; except we know that isn’t the case, the stories of resurrection, the stories of God touching people’s lives through the ages, and your own faith stories tell us that violence and death do not have the final word.

Matthew is saying: look out, something amazing is about to take place. This baby is something special, even more special than Moses. God is doing something new, be prepared to be challenged, to be surprised.

How do you respond?

[duet: A voice was heard in Ramah © 2004 Carolyn Winfrey Gillette]

Nativity Characters

This morning, I want us to spend some time thinking about the people in the story of the birth of Jesus. We have a nativity set, and I have given some of the pieces to people as they arrived: [speak about each part of the nativity scene as it is put into place]

·    First we hear of Mary – what do we know about Mary? Young, not yet married. Heard an Angel and said yes to God’s messenger.

·    Joseph – what do we know about Joseph? Probably older than Mary; not sure what is happening; a carpenter.

·    Shepherds – lived outside, looked down upon;

·    Angels – messengers from God – to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favour with God.”
to Shepherds: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;”
to Joseph:  “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” [Mt] also:
lots of angels singing to shepherds: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

·    Wise men, Magi, kings: Watched the night sky for changes – scientists. They must have had some money, or wealthy friends, to be able to travel for an unknown amount of time.

·    Star – pointed the way for to where the baby was born.

·    Who is missing – baby Jesus.

Mary said yes to God; Joseph supported her; the shepherds came to see; the Magi searched. The angels brought messages from God and praised God, and the star showed something important was happening.

The story as it is traditionally told is a mixture of the birth stories from the gospels of Matthew and Luke, each includes different information, so generally they are patched together.

Which character best describes where you are at this year? Are you like Mary full of faith, prepared to take a risk and say ‘yes’ to god?

Are you like Joseph, uncertain about the next step?

Are you like the Shepherds, amazed at the fact that angels are speaking to you?

Are you like the Magi, seeking for something more, searching for knowledge?

Are you an angel, speaking God’s message of peace and praising God with your life?

Are you like the star, encouraging and guiding those who are searching?

Or are you like the government officials, scared and wanting everything to happen under your control?

Or are you like the innkeeper, trying to keep your head above water, and no time for anything extra?

What do these stories tell us for today? What can we learn from these stories of the birth of Jesus, whether we believe in the miracles and angels or not.

We can think of this story as something sweet that happened 2,000 years ago. We can think of Jesus as the baby in the manger and forget about the rest of his life. We can see the cuteness and ignore the loneliness, the courage, the wonder, the threat that is within this story.

This is a story for everyone. This is story for young and old, for rich and poor, for travellers, outsiders, a story for seekers and a story for people of deep faith and no faith. This is a story about God’s love for all people.

In the letter to the Hebrews we read of a God who was speaking through the prophets for centuries, and John’s Gospel begins: 

 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”

This is the story not only of a baby being born, but of life and light and love being offered to us by God. Because the birth of Jesus is one more way of God saying: I love you. I know you, you are important to me, and I love you. I have come myself to live amidst the pain, the fear, the unknown-ness of human life. I have come to show you I love you, by being with you, in all aspects of life.

In the birth, the life, the death and resurrection of Jesus, God speaks to us. What message do we hear? How do we respond?