Longing for Righteousness
Can be listened to here.
Gate Pa – Year A 5th
Sunday of Ordinary Time, Candlemas 2017
Readings:
Psalm:
Psalm: 24: 7-10
First
Reading:
Malachi 3:1-5
Second
Reading: Luke
2:22-40
Gospel:
Matthew 5:13-20
What I want to say:
Explore
the Candlemas and the next part of the Sermon of the Mount using work done by
NT Wright looking at righteousness as being image bearers
What I want to
happen:
People to embrace an understanding
of righteousness as image bearers and to apply to our world, namely, to ask - what
is it we long for this Waitangi day, and what is it we thing the God revealed
in light of Christ longs for?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
As
I said in the children’s talk today is Candlemas
not
something I grew up with
first
time really encountered it was at and international meeting in Jerusalem with
others involved in youth ministry
all
went to St. Georges Cathedral for Candlemas service
fair
only one of group who not know much about it
this
Sunday nearest Feb 2nd
40
days after Christmas
when
Luke says Mary and Joseph went to temple
offered
poor person’s sacrifice for first born son
purification
rites done – Mary – become unclean in birthing process
from
11th century become major feast day of blessing
this time of candles to be used rest
of the year
hence
name
this
practice comes from words Simeon
heard
this morning
those
us familiar evensong
would said or sung
this
is Message’s version
“God,
you can now release your servant;
release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;
it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
and of glory for your people Israel.”
release me in peace as you promised.
With my own eyes I’ve seen your salvation;
it’s now out in the open for everyone to see:
A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations,
and of glory for your people Israel.”
As
we light our candles were are reminded that Jesus is the God revealing light
for us gathered here
for all people
that
we are part of that ongoing work
which
on one hand is nice
on
other had
live
in world really stirred up by the actions of President Trump
over last week or so – Executive
Order about immigration and refugees
and
tomorrow is Waitangi day
both
those things evoke a lot raruraru – heated debate
–
wonder what Jesus the God revealing light celebrated at Candlemas have to say
to both those things
2. Matthew
for
number reasons kept reading most churches that follow International Revised Common
Lectionary are using this Sunday
in part keep walking through sermon
on the mount
part because it might help us with that
question.
last
week had beatitudes
basically turned honour system on
its head
said
in God’s eyes
these
are people of great honour, blessing.
may
have seen on screen as you entered this morning.
carries
on
·
you are salt
understand to be about tasted
couple people read suggested that more likely
to be salt cakes used to get the dung fires used in cooking going really hot
for us to be salt is to be catalyst for God’s
work to really get cooking.
·
you are light
poor person have one oil lamp in their one
room
which when put out put under bushel basket to
stop room filling with smoke and fumes
ð so Jesus is God revealing light for all
ð we are light as well
goes
on to say these troubling lines
17 "Do not think that I
have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to
fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass
away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until
all is accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the
least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called
least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be
called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you,
unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven.
3. Righteousness
think
key word in all this is righteousness
often
thought of as
the quality of being morally right or
justifiable.
arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality <righteous
indignation>
currently
reading book by NT Wright – bishop and new testament scholar and author on a
theology of the cross
purpose
of cross is not to get us into heaven
but
to be definitive moment in restoration of heaven and earth to all God longed
for and intended in original creation
in
light of that
states
that above understanding of righteousness is not biblical understanding
biblical
understanding comes from Genesis
we
are made in image of God to be part of God’s ongoing creative work and to reflect
God’s ongoing love, generosity and compassion to all creation;
and
to reflect back to God creation’s praise and worship of the creator
that
this is all based on our ongoing praise of worship of Creator God ourselves
law
acted as guide and reminder for people God to be such a people
But
Genesis 2 tells us that instead we chose to worship idols
what
are out idols?
power
money, wealth, possessions
fame
our safety
our way of life
our country
like
all idols they lead to death.
so
to put all this another way
we
are righteous not when we are morally good and obedient
but
when live lives centre in God
live
as images of God
living
as the light to reveal God’s ongoing creation
when
we are image bearers of God’s ongoing love, generosity and compassion to all
creation and all people;
4. Our Issues
I
wondered what Candlemas might say to both Trump and his executive orders and to
Waitangi Day
I
think – you may disagree
I
think Trumps orders come out of a wrong understanding of righteousness.
he and his supporters think it is
enough to be morally good
but
as I look on I see people replaced worship God revealed in life Jesus
God
compassion, generosity, mercy, love for all people (Simeon said)
with
idols of
power
money, wealth, possessions
safety
their way of life
their country
they
will only lead to death
not
life
That
is easy
that
is over there
I
can sit in judgement and make comments because mostly it will make no
difference to my life
But
Waitangi Day is a very different thing
that
is us right here in Aotearoa
If
we are to be image bearers
if
we are to be light that reveals God’s compassion, generosity, love, aroha in
this land
what
is it we long for this Waitangi day?
what
is it we thing the God revealed in light of Christ longs for?
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