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Pentecost 10

8 August 2004

Is 1:1,10-20; Ps 50:1-8,22-23; Heb 11:1-11; Lk.12:32-40
Maurice Andrew, in a reflection on the popular view of the prophets quotes Jack Lewis: “A group of Auckland University students gave a weekly lunch to reading aloud together selected books of the Prophets.   They had looked at commentaries beforehand and then kept them at home.   Apart from a five minute introduction from the reader of the day there was no discussion.   Numbers grew.”   He also gives the example of J.K. Archer, a Baptist minister and also mayor of Christchurch and president of the Labour Party, who was described as resembling “in almost every way the O.T. prophets from whom he derived much of his inspiration and phraseology”, who said, for example, in 1918:”We must take the machinery of government out of the hands of the robbers.....We must organise society on the basis of mutual aid instead of mutual plunder.   We must replace competition by cooperation.”

Isaiah 1:1,10-20
How do we view the prophets, especially as we listen to vv 10-16?   Is ‘prophet of doom’ adequate or even fair?   Or can we see the prophets as holding out salvation possibilities?   Sure, they shouted.   When you haven’t got auditoriums and power point, you have to shout.   You have to be heard in the street as well as in the palaces.

Isaiah of Jerusalem was on about worship practices that ignored practical implications.   Some have suggested that he went so far as to recommend abolishing worship if it consisted of doing ‘correct’ things and leaving it there.   And true enough, using worship as an end in itself can be a way of trying to manipulate God.   “I’ve said the right prayers, I’ve sacrificed as lavishly as I’m supposed to, now it’s up to you God.   Do your bit!”   Sometimes, even, correct worship can become an impediment to a Godly life of justice and compassion.

But see v.17.   Isaiah makes a plea to let God be the focus and the presence in worship so that love and compassion and justice can be held out. Forgiveness realised in the most exceptional way.

Psalm 50:1-8,22-23
This is more of a sermon than the usual song or poem.  But fancy missing out on those three marvelous verses — 10-12

This is God speaking, shouting to the people, challenging the people to decide.  “Why should I want your blue-ribbon bull or more and more goats from your herds?”  The conclusion comes in v.23   “Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.”  See above.

Hebrews 11:1-11.
We are used to this marvelous eulogy on faithfulness.   But hang on a minutes, didn’t Sarah laugh?   Didn’t Abraham stand toe to toe with God on more than one occasion, and didn’t he blot his copybook as well?   Maybe herein is faith; not perfectionism but a life that works through many issues, making mistakes, doubting, hesitating, but holding on, even by the skin of the proverbial teeth.  

There’s a interesting textual question in v.1.   NRSV offers “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen”   The suggestion is that this misses the point and isn’t a good translation of hypostasis and elegchos.   REV offers “Faith gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see.”    What the verse seems to mean is the highly provocative claim that faith itself moves towards a kind of life that defies demonstration or description, but only becomes “knowable” as it is lived.

Luke 12:32-40
More about possessions!    The stress seems to be towards striving for life in God rather than even the most basic necessities of life.   Then, almost strangely, it is the Father’s good pleasure to give the kingdom — but not as reward.   It’s a matter of whose rule is to prevail in the world.   That is what makes a difference in the way we regard possessions.   It’s not about storing up treasures for ourselves, but discovering ‘treasures’ that don’t diminish.
So giving to the poor and needy is a part of being a God-person; and it’s part of being prepared and ready.

What do you make of the master’s delight upon his return when he finds people waiting and ready, a delight so great that he changes places with them?   I was reminded of Louis Evely’s comment on Peter’s reaction to Jesus washing his feet.  “...if you refuse the idol-shattering shock of seeing your God at your feet, your God getting your meals for you, serving you at table, washing up for you — if you haven’t accepted that, suffered that, if you haven’t died to your ideas, your prejudices, your etiquette, your tastes, you will never rise again to my people.”   (Our Prayer)

Prayer
Grandfather.
look at our brokenness.
We know that in all creation
only the human family
has strayed away from the sacred way.
We know that we are the ones
who are divided,
and we are the ones
who must come back together
to walk the sacred way.
Grandfather, sacred one,
teach us love, compassion, and honour
that we may heal the earth
and heal each other.
(From the Objibway nation of Canada)