It is another one of those weeks where it seems hard to preach the gospel text. Just feels like there isn't much in the way of "teachable moments" in the narrative. But then, as always happens, my colleagues find insight where I find none.
Our discussion today turned the narrative into a series of questions.
As we approach the coming of Christ at Christmas and prepare for his coming again, we are like JBap, wondering if we've got it right. And so we, from our virtual prisons, send out feelers, hoping that there might be some undeniable proof that Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus responds with three questions.
What have you heard?
What have you seen?
What did you expect?
Have you heard God respond to your prayers? Have you heard the Good News? Does it make sense any other way?
Have you seen miracles? Have you met the face of Christ in another? Does the world look different with Jesus as your Lord?
Did you expect him to restore things right away? Do you reject him because he isn't pretty, because he calls you to service, because his message isn't only about your personal salvation? Do you expect him to do it all for you?
We bounced around how Western (and especially Mainline) Christians have given up seeing God at work and hearing his voice. We have so much other stuff to rely on; our jobs, our houses, our cars, our families, our friends, our networks, our churches, our secretaries, our physicians, our psychiatrist, and on and on, we don't need to see God at work becuase there are so many other things working for us. But in a place like the Sudan, where there is nothing but Christ crucified to rely on, well there the church looks like a first century church; healing, feeding, preaching, seeing God's hand at work in the world about them - miracles happening all the time.
So I guess there is a point to preach this Rose Sunday. Is there room in my life to see God at work? Is there silence enough to hear God's voice? And if not, what did I expect? Relying on all the world offers means I'm not relying on the one who created all things.
3 comments:
Steve: Thanks for this - its a great direction for these readings to lead. Somewhere last week I read an idea that even those of Jesus' time - JtheB, his disciples - were asking "Was Jesus really the Messiah?" - as though they might be disappointed in how the Son and Savior that God sent went about his ministry. It has made me wonder how much all of our thoughts about the Second Coming have to do with Jesus not being the overpowering leader - turning over the political powers, but instead trying to change us one at a time. It is much, much harder on me to make the changes I need to make in order to allow the change in my own heart to let the Kingdom in. The HS interjected a line into my sermon on Sunday, "God's kingdom will come one changed heart at a time." How much easier if Jesus comes down on a cloud, surrounded by cherubim and does all the work for us? I found a great quote from a Brazilian theologian Rubem Alves about reality being more rhan facts - let me know if you'd like it.
Peace, and Congratulations!!!
Interesting, Steve.
I am following that same course with a slight nuance. If we take last Sunday's reading and this Sunday's reading together, then I see John the Baptist being one crying out in the wilderness. Before he was the literal embodiment of that voice in a desert, while now he is that voice again, crying out for a very different reason. I imagine John crying out for God. He is alone in prison and thinking back, longing and yearning for a day when God's transcendent reality was present so powerfully that a voice from heaven was heard and the Spirit was incarnate as a dove. John is crying out in his wildreness that God will be present in his life again- to which Jesus responds with God is with you and working, in the literal wilderness and in our figurative wildernesses as well. Ultimately, my idea sounds exactly like what you are preaching as well. I guess the Spirit moves pretty well without us trying!
Advent blessings my friend
Thanks to you both. Your comments have wrapped up my sermon nicely. I think I'll ponder how God doesn't live up to our expectations and yet changes our hearts so mightily.
Blessings!
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