A Grave Responsibility
Gate Pa - Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
(Pentecost 16)
Readings:
Psalm
78:1-4, 12-16
First
Reading: Exodus
17:1-7
Second
Reading: Phil 2:1-13
Gospel: Matthew 21:23-32
What
I want to say:
I want to explore the question posed to
Jesus bny the Jersulaem leadership about his authority using material from Rob
Bell’s “Velvet Elvis”. In doing so I want to suggest that not only was Jesus
acting as a revisionist Rabbi (You have heard it said, but I say to you….) but
in giving the early church the power to bind and loose, gave the early church
and its successors the authority and the responsibility to continue to provide
commentary on what it means to follow the way of Christ in our ever changing
world.
What
I want to happen:
I want people to be a little more
careful when they state that such and such is biblical, or not biblical. I also
want people to see that this responsibility is communal – this ongoing work or
interpretation does not belong to any individual, but we are to play our part
in binding and loosing as part of the community of god, the church.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Synod last week – some time spent
hearing about process that General Synod / Te Hinota Whanui went through to
decide on Motion 30
-
uphold this
traditional doctrine of marriage.
-
acknowledge that
all too often our Church has been complicit in homophobic thinking and actions
of society, and has failed to speak out against hatred and violence against
those with same-gender attraction.
-
established process
and structure by which those who believe the blessing of same-gender
relationships is consonant with scripture, doctrine, tikanga and civil law may
perform a yet to be developed liturgy for blessing same-gender relationships
-
set up process so
that proposal for a new liturgy to bless
right ordered same-gender relationships;
-
asks the group to
report for our future on:
(a)
The theology of ordination to Anglican orders and requirements for that; and
(b)
The theology of marriage
Part long process church undergoing
last 10 or so years
4
hermeneutical huis – all about how read and use scripture
Ma
Whea Commission – spent two years listening presentations across church –
presented report to GS/THW
bulk
time at GS is tikanga and house caucus groups trying find way through issues –
which was incredibly gruelling for those involved.
honest – result was lot less many
hoping for
a lot more many comfortable with
heard
people say – this is all not biblical
bible
forbids it
so
should we
number
problems with that position
treats
bible as static – once and all meaning
many
those use scripture in this way struggle tell you
what
writer that particular book said in that paragraph set and how that piece quote
fits into
how
fits with overall theme of the book
let
alone what might meant for those originally heard it.
Other problem is raised in todays
gospel reading
want spend time looking at this reading
do so using material out book called Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell.
2. World of Jesus the Rabbi
Rob Bell treats Jesus of bible as
Rabbi
these people who from age 6 been
through 2 levels school
learning
firstly read Hebrew and whole Torah off by heart
then
learning rest Hebrew Scripture off by heart
as
well as various commentaries provided by different Rabbis as to what that might
mean for life
number of schools of thoughts
based
teaching paritucalr rabbis
sought get as close to what law
Moses meant in new circumstance as possible
number
different understandings of what torah allowed and what torah forbade
what
thought was allowed by Torah – said to be loosed
what
thought be forbidden – bound
familiar language
heard
Jesus use that language very recently
what was bound and what was loosed –
collectively named “yoke”
each rabbi taught particular yoke – understanding
of torah
some
yokes described as easy
others
hard
again – familiar language
rabbis teach what learnt from their
master – been disciple for
who
in turn learnt that from their master
number yokes being taught
each rabbi belong schools or groups
rabbis taught particular yoke
they would begin their teaching by
saying which rabbi’s yoke they were basing their teaching on.
3. Problem with Jesus
which brings us to today’s gospel reading
and problem with Jesus
he
did not cite another rabbi in his teaching
which leads to question keeps being
asked
asked
again today
“By what aurhtoirty are you doing
these things?”
in
the grand scheme of yokes – where do you belong?
Jesus didn’t belong to any of them.
what
he is doing is completely new
although
clearly based on teaching and practice of John Baptist.
Every now and again rabbi would arise
who offer a new teaching of torah
a new yoke
a
new understanding of what was bound and what was loosed
they would begin their new teaching
with….
“you have heard it said, but I say to
you……”
yet again familiar words
in these words we see a rabbi offering
new teaching
Jesus is offering a new understanding
of the torah
a
new yoke
an
easy yoke.
4. Jesus radical instruction
Jesus goes beyond just offering new
teaching
3 weeks ago heard this
Matthew 18:18 – which Mark Davis
translates as “Truly I say to you, whatever [pl] you bind on the earth will be
[what] has been bound in heaven and whatever you loose on the earth will be
[what] has been loosed in heaven.”[1]
Not only was Jesus creating new
teaching around meaning of Torah and how it applied
instructing
his followers that they have same authority and responsibility
they
are decide what is loosed and bound
they
are to create new yokes.
un heard of
glide over these lines
some way make many us uncomfortable
feels
like we are to sit in moral judgement on others
often
read that way and used that way
this way different
Jesus giving his disciples
responsibility determining yoke in ongoing basis
authority
and responsibility see early church use as early as Acts 15
Paul’s
work in Gentile world forces Jerusalem church to work out how Torah applies to
these Gentiles
decide mostly – not
again glide through this
the people making this ruling
James
elder – brother Jesus
Peter
John
devout temple going Jews
strive
live Torah with every breath
way
Jesus their rabbi taught
compassion and generosity especially
for poor, outcast, sinner.
they say – mostly it does not apply
what
does apply is compassion and generosity.
If we read Paul we see that same
process going on
Paul
with churches deciding what is bound and what is loosed
deciding
the yoke is for his church
we have the same responsibility
5. So what
few things need take out all this
is not one meaning fixed for all time
wasn’t
in Jesus time
still
isn’t
Jeus gives us the responsibility to decide
what Torah means in today’s world
huge
responsibility
one
need take very seriously
responsibility sits with community and
not with individuals
Only last 550 years individuals read
on own
up
till that time all done in community
6. GSTHW Motion 30
what I like about how Anglican Church taken
on issues before it
personally – not gone far enough
huge respect for process and decisions
taken
taken task seriously
taken 10 years to get to this point
we have at least four more years to
go, maybe longer
decide what is bound and what it
loosed is huge responsibility
undertaken as church community
involving
many people
robust
and healthy conversations
centre of those conversations has been
scripture and what scripter says to this situation
both
the verses often quoted
also
rest scripture
importantly – what writers those
verses say rest of books verses found
teaching Jesus found in Gospels
7. what does all this mean for us?
work of commentary is not done
ongoing
continue on into future
involves us
all us need take scripture seriously
engaged in understanding big picture
engaged understanding what means for
today
determining yoke of Jesus
when we are sacked by what authority
we do this
do it under authority of Jesus
our rabbi.
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