En el nombre de Dios que es nuestra fuente, nuestra luz, y nuestro sustento. Amén. In the name of God who is our source, our light, and our sustenance. Amen.
Our Collect today talks about putting our trust in God. It also acknowledges that we are weak and can’t do anything good, that is, pleasing to God, without God’s help.
We tend to resist the idea that we are weak or helpless or that we can be misled, yet we know we are, and we can – not often, but it’s possible, especially if someone is willing to lie, manipulate, or threaten us and those we love.
In our Baptismal vows we repeat this phrase over and over, “I will with God’s help.”
We are asked, will you continue in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers… will you persevere in resisting evil… will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ… will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself… and will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? We reply: I will with God’s help.
It isn’t easy though, is it? And it seems to be getting harder.
I spent quite a few hours these last couple of weeks in conversation with people burdened by pain, fear, betrayal, and a sense of helplessness. My counsel was for them to remember that we are God’s beloved, our hearts are united to God’s heart, so when we feel pain, we are sharing what God is feeling.
God knows the pain of a child being abused by its parent who should be loving and caring for them. God knows the grief of a black mother whose unarmed son was killed because he reached for a pack of Skittles. God knows the fear of a refugee being terrorized, mistreated, and degraded as “aliens.”
God also knows our frustration and grief at our own helplessness to stop someone from continuing to do harm to others. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the Lutheran pastor who attempted to assassinate Hitler and was exterminated in a concentration camp for his crime, comes to mind here.
God knows all this because God is with us, within us. Emmanuel.
Our Scripture readings today help clarify what we’re up against and illuminate our path forward in faith. Reading the gospel in the context of the other lessons is important, as I hope you will see.
The first word in today’s reading from the prophet Jeremiah is “Cursed.” Many of us read that as if God is punishing someone. But that’s wrong. Jeremiah isn’t talking about what God is doing, but what we are doing.
In the original Hebrew, this word means “ill-speaking” and “devoted to destruction.” I’ll restate the first verse using original language translations. Please follow along in the bulletin to see where the original language deepens our understanding.
Our psalm clarifies this even further. I’ll restate just the first verse using original language translations. Again, please read along to see how the original language deepens the message for us. “Blessed are those who have not acted according to the advice of the criminal, nor stood with those who don’t keep their promises, nor made their home with the pernicious criminal, the dishonest mocker.
I have to admit, when I researched these texts in their original languages, as I always do, I found the idea of preparing this sermon daunting. I know I can do nothing good without God’s help.
Then I remembered Jesus and his beautiful teaching from Luke in which Jesus shows us what the path of God looks like and does. In the end, we are the ones making the choice of which path we will follow: the path of God or the path of the false prophet.
Our gospel story begins with Jesus coming down from the mountain. Remember, “mountain” is Bible-speak for the place where God is encountered.
Jesus spent the night on the mountain in prayer. With him were all of his followers. In the morning, Jesus chose 12 from among all his followers to be his apostles. He chose them all at once, apparently having been guided in prayer on whom to choose.
Side note: an apostle is one who is sent. We are the ones sent now.
Back to the story… Together, Jesus and the newly chosen 12 went down to a level place and stood in front of a multitude of Jewish people from Jerusalem and Judea, and Gentile people from Tyre and Sidon. The “level place” is Bible-speak for how Jesus approached the crowd, treating no one as above or better than the other. Jesus approached them with equity, which the dictionary says is “being fair and just, in a way that takes account of and seeks to address existing inequalities.”
Again, we hear that the crowds were pressing in to hear Jesus, for as we heard last week, the word of God came from him. They pressed in trying to touch Jesus and have him touch them because they knew power came out from him power that could heal them; and Jesus did heal them - all of them - Jewish and Gentile - physically and spiritually. What a brilliant description of the inclusive love and care God has for all of us.
Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and taught them. This teaching, in Luke anyway, wasn’t for the gathered crowd. It was for his newly chosen 12. Again, I will restate this with original language translation. Please read along from the bulletin.
Blessed the poor (meaning them) because yours (meaning the 12) is the kingdom of God. Blessed the hungry now because you will satisfy them. Blessed the weeping now because you will laugh them. Blessed are you (meaning the 12) when men hate you and separate you, revile you, cast you out, and name you evil for the sake of the Son of Man. Rejoice this day and leap for joy. Then your reward in heaven is abundant, then they do to you as their fathers did against the prophets.
Nevertheless, grief and public condemnation, you (meaning the 12) the rich because you are receiving your encouragement. Grief and public condemnation you who have been filled now because you will be hungry. Grief and public condemnation you the laughing now because you will mourn and weep. Grief and public condemnation you when all men speak well of you then they do to you as their fathers did to the false prophets.
Jesus is teaching a lesson for us all on how to be his apostles. We are the ones making the choice of which path we will follow: the path of God as Jesus taught it, or the path of the false prophet.
When we follow Jesus’ teaching, we do not seek wealth or a wealthy lifestyle, we are not haughty, and we don’t seek public adulation for proclaiming the Good News of God in Christ. Those who do are false prophets.
We do connect with the poor and share the good news we know with them, remembering to feed them first when their bodies are hungry, so they can receive our spiritual gift. We do sit with those who weep for whatever reason and embody the joy of the Lord for them, knowing it isn’t for us to fix the problems others have but to be available to God to hear and act in the ways God asks us to in the moment.
We do take criticism of our compassion as an honor knowing the world hates it, but God loves it. In fact, God requires it (remember the Great Commandment). We do love and care for all of God’s beloved ones who suffer. We are those presently standing in a long line of faithful folks who were denounced and censured for embodying God’s abundant, inclusive love in the world.
Pray for our enemies and bless those who persecute us. Our prayer opens a path of grace into their souls.
When we love and pray like this, then we’ll know we’re on the right path. Then we’ll know we’ve chosen the path of God over the path of the false prophet.
We aren’t left helpless and we don’t have to fix the problems of the world. We are a people chosen, empowered, and sent by God to bear the kingdom of God onto the earth. Every step we take on this path of God we take with God’s help. Amen.
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