Monday, January 29, 2007
Epiphany 5 C - Luke 5: 1 - 11
Luke 5: 1 - 11
Once while Jesus was standing beside the lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, 2he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch." 5Simon answered, "Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets." 6When they had done this, they caught so many fish that their nets were beginning to break. 7So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats, so that they began to sink. 8But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!" 9For he and all who were with him were amazed at the catch of fish that they had taken; 10and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people." 11When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.
I was struck by a theme which arose from the readings as well as the Gospel. The theme of one's un-worthiness when confronted by the epiphany. Isaiah..."Woe is me...I'm lost..I'm a man of unclean lips." Paul..."I'm the least of the apostles...unfit to be called one..." Simon Peter.."Go away from me, Lord, for I'm a sinful man." When confronted by the presence of these differing epiphanies...by holiness... all these are reduced to "I'm not worthy !!" There certainly are true & false senses of humility which we manifest in our life experience. Paul's line in 1 Cor. 15..."But for the grace of God I am what I am..." sums up what makes one worthy to receive anything from God. The realization that one is captured...drawn into..and touched by God's grace. God touched Isaiah and his guilt & sin were 'blotted out." Jesus had more work to be done...and Simon Peter, James, John & the sons of Zebedee...left all to be involved. Can I get a witness ?
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
That Offends Me!
Luke 4Last week, we touched on the theme of temptation and Luke 4.
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
This week, we have the second half of the story of Jesus sermon in his hometown.
It seems a story of Jesus provoking people, and the people overreacting to what they do not want to hear.
It might make sense to write him off, to no longer let him read at worship. No longer attend his rallies, quit going to his class. But take him bungee jumping with no bungee? Folks are a bit on edge.
And yet, when a people are oppressed, attacked, made to feel vulnerable and in danger. . .
I think of the reaction, post 9/11, to anyone who said something like “you know, it is terrible what those terrorists did, but maybe we should ask why they hate us so, and wonder if there is anything we should do to change in our own selves.”
Don’t go there!
I’m not sure what to do with Jesus who is so offensive. It is my sense, that a Lutheran hermeneutic leads us to explore how Jesus offends me and all who hear him. (not just Lutheran of course. . . )
It seems, in looking at a few commentators, that the temptation is to put ourselves in Jesus’ place here.
“See, a prophet is not without honor, no wonder the people in my congregation will not see everything my way. No wonder they don’t - become liberal democrats - read the cross the way I do - embrace my vision / leadership / righteousness.”
What offense does Jesus bring to the table here, an offense with which it might be good for me to be offended?
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Epiphany 3
This text is lodged in the middle of a larger story going on in Luke 4. One of the themes of the story is temptation and the word of God. Prior to our text, in Luke 4: 1-13, Jesus is in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan and defending himself with the word. This use of the word saves him from Satan's attack.Luke 4:14-21
4:14 Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country.
4:15 He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
4:16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
4:17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
4:19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
4:20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
4:21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Following this week's text we see Jesus among his hometown neighbors. He predicts the temptations they will throw his way (doing miracles in Nazareth like he did in Capernaum, seemingly to impress the crowd). He counters these predicted temptations and the complications of being in his hometown with the word-- scripture quotes showing God's interest in Gentiles. This use of the word upsets his neighbors; they almost kill him.
In this week's text Jesus' activity with the word is more "pious." He's in the synagogue reading from scripture. He makes some comments. Things become fishy when he implies a connection between that text and his identity-- that he may be the anointed one, bringing good new to the poor, etc.
Jesus and the word-- what can we say about this theme? It is a tool of God to fight evil-- both its outright attacks and more subtle corrupting effects. But It becomes a Person, filled with the Spirit and delivering good news-- embodying good news, doing good news.
Anything more we can say about temptation?
That's what I have at this point. . .
Monday, January 08, 2007
Rambling on Water, Wine and Grace in Abundance
John 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Is the point of the story that Jesus wants to , as I read somewhere, “help individuals and make them happy”? Then why am I so d*** grumpy?
well, this is a sign, and it points to . . .
What does it point to?
• Surely, as the first miracle in John, it is a key sign that the values of the kingdom are different and unexpected. Here, the last is first. The good wine is served at the last. (lots of it too!)
Marcus Borg says it this way. . . "What is the gospel--the good news-–of Jesus about? John’s answer: It’s about a wedding banquet at which the wine never runs out, and where the best is saved for last."
• Here’s an interesting point: Jesus feels that the time is not right for him to perform any sign, and yet, his mom thinks otherwise. How often are we sure that we need to schedule things better, make some lists, get things organized, then we’ll be able to get things done the way we want to. We need to order our life better to reach our potential, and get the most out of life. Jesus is not so different. Jesus finds himself performing the first of his signs before his hour has come . . . hmmm
• From Wendell Berry
The miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread. Whoever really has considered the lilies of the field or the birds of the air and pondered the improbability of their existence in this warm world within the cold and empty stellar distances will hardly balk at the turning of water into wine - which was, after all, a very small miracle. We forget the greater and still continuing miracle by which water (with soil and sunlight) is turned into grapes. Source: "Sex, Economy, Freedom, and Community"
• I’ve saved this for last. . . an article - mostly of the absurdities of people claiming Jesus was a teetotaler concludes with this postscript:
"All the angels dancing on the head of this particular pin might be moot, since some historians think Jesus might actually have been a beer drinker. Wine was the drink of the Romanized elite in the Middle East of that era, while beer was the preferred drink of the common people. Historians have found it odd that the populist Jesus would have chosen the drink of the rich and powerful above the humble beer of the people."
• Could we suggest that it is not odd at all? That Jesus is subverting the whole system here, providing excellent wine to those whom many would deem unworthy?
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Baptism of the Lord
Luke 3:15-17, 21-22Forgive me. I dislike this text. It's sorta weird. What can you do with it?
3:15 As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah,
3:16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
3:17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."
3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened,
3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
I remember one of Forde's things was to talk about "doing the text" to the hearers of the sermon. For me this has become a method of distilling the text into one sentence. And it is generally a sentence of clear gospel or law. This Sunday's text can't be messed with too much; it seems like a good occasion to "do the text."
A text on Jesus' baptism gives us a good opportunity to talk about our regular-person baptism. Perhaps we could describe it in such a way that hits hard on the externality of it. It is something that happens to us. It is God's work. The Holy Spirit falls upon us (or whatever verb you think you would be more appropriate). God makes his decision about us publicly known.
This discussion of baptism could then lead to the doing of the text in the strong proclamation to the hearers: God says, "You are my child, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."
Ramble away please.