Questions

This can be listened to online here:


Gate Pa – Pentecost 20, 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time
11 October 2015

Readings:
Psalm                         Psalm 22:1-15
First Reading:             Job 23:1-9, 16-17                               
Second Reading:        Hebrews 4:12-16        
Gospel:                        Mark 10:17-31                       

What I want to say:
to explore how the questions asked in both Job and Mark are our questions. And how they reveal something of our need to let go of self
What I want to happen:


The Sermon

     1.     Introduction:

Monty Python and questions at bridge
            questions are important
One theology lecturers used tell us good theology came from asking good questions
answer to our questions did not lead to the next question – needed find another answer
three assignments for that paper were based around that approach
He had once run whole degree course on that approach
astounding results
the questions we ask are important
todays readings ask some big questions
lets have a look

     2.     Job

Job is one of my favourite books in Bible
asks some hardest questions we ever ask
why is this happening to me?
or why O God have YOU done this to me?
This is not some neat intellectual question
this is a question from the gut
why is this happening?
where are you God in all this?
This question comes out who we are and all we believe about ourselves and God
Job written time
everyone knew that God rewarded the righteous with honour, health, a long life, off spring and wealth
and that God punished the sinner with sickness, a short life, no offspring, and poverty, all of which meant you were a person of low honour.
many ways that understanding is still at work today
but even when it is not
we are still led to times of despair
where we join psalmist
join Job
join Jesus in asking
my God my God, why have you forsaken me.
And just as with Job
just as with Jesus
there are no easy answers
unlike Job – whose answer we will explore next week
we know that through Christs sharing of that experience on cross
God is there in midst of that place
which sometimes is enough
and sometimes isn’t

     3.     Mark

the rich young man also asks one of these big questions
Like Jobs cry
this one too is laden with theology
and shaped by all he understands about his place in life and God.
What must I do to inherit eternal life?
inherit – entitlement
eternal life? what mean by that
            life after death – maybe
            concept of life after death still new concept
                        not part of traditional judaism
one authors read quoted research that 50% American jews do not believe in after life
still not
what is eternal life?
Jesus quotes his version of Torah
first 5 words implied in response – only God is good
lists out next five with interesting switch
Here is the thing
Torah was not a list of things you check off in order to earn eterannal life
            what ever we mean by that
oen way describe eternal life is life with God
Isrealites were already living with God
            pillar of fire at night
            clourd during day
God was present
issue was how does one live in God’s presence
The torah is then description of that
summarised as
God is most important thing
first priority when living in God’s presence is God
making God focus of our lives
which leads to second five words – describe what looks like when God is focus of our lives
            not looking at other person wishing we had what they had or wondering how we can aquire more
            honour
            wealth
            whatever
God as our first priority in fact shapes how we relate to each other
Those who live in presence of God become people marked by God’s compassion and mercy
That does not fit this mans sense of entitlement or superiority
he has a lot
he wants more
he wants eternal life
he wants to know what he has to do to get it
what box he needs to tick off to earn it.
how many of us use bible like that I wonder
His questions reveals all of this
he stands effectively naked before Jesus through his question
questions are imporatn things
they reveal a lot about us
Jesus loves him
wants more for him
wants him to live in God’s presence
knows for that to happen he first needs to let go of
everything
this man doesn’t really want to live in God’s presence
he just wants more

where are we in this story
What is it then that we want?
what questions are we asking and what do they reveal about us?

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