Determinedly Committed to Hope
Gate Pa – Year C 2nd Sunday in Lent, 2019
Readings:
Psalm Psalm:
27
First Reading: Genesis
15:1-12, 17-18
Second Reading: Phil
3:17-4:1
Gospel:
Luke
13:31-35
What I want to say:
explore Jesus commitment to
hope expressed in his determination for follow his call to Jerusalem. What
did/does Jerusalem represent then and now? How does all this help us recognise “our
true being which brims over into true words and deeds”?
What I want to happen:
People
to continue to reflect on their identity as beloved daughters and sons of God:
as
we ponder our true selves as people blessed to be a blessing
in
what ways are we blessed?
what
are we determinedly committed to?
for
what might we join Jesus’ lament?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
many years ago
Bonnie and I did the Bethel Bible Study course
at heart summary
of Genesis 12 – first time Abram and Sarai hear promise of children
that they were to
be blessed to be a blessing
theme of whole
course
suggested
biblical story could be understood in light of that
which suspect
profound influence my understanding biblical story
come though more
sermons than realised.
blessed to be
blessing
reiterated again
today in reading Genesis
promise/covenant
reaffirmed
action is all God’s
-
Abram smokes too
much from fiery pot – falls terrifyingly deep sleep
-
- what was in that
pot?
-
in sleep Abram
hears God affirm the covenant – without this time much about being a blessing
2. God’s Covenant
this covenant is
at heart what happens next
right though to
story of Jesus
right through to
events of Jerusalem
right through to
today
Blessed to be a
blessing
not how we
usually like it or describe it
we talk about
being blessed because we are blessing
or just blessed.
3. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds
Last week we
looked at Jesus time in wilderness
used line from
previous weeks reading in Message paraphrase
“It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being
brims over into true words and deeds.” (Luke 6: 45, The Message)
talked about it
as time of testing
Jesus discovering
and deepening his sense of his true self as Son of God
where answer the
big question
-
what kind of son
of God would he be?
as Devil tested
his resolve
-
> offering ways
of Rome, or Herod or High Priesthood
o
held firm in his
understanding
o
that as son he
lived compassion, generosity, justice and love of God
think we need to
hold that phrase again this week
-
where we have
this wonderfully weird reading from Luke
scholars can’t
even agree on how works
can agree that to
have any hope understanding it need to go back to Luke 9:51
-
Jesus sets his
face to Jerusalem
in wilderness we
see Jesus being determined to live his true self
we see it again
here
Pharisees might
or might not be genuinely trying to help
-
scholars divided
but by trying to
warn Jesus
effect is to
distract him from hi focus on Jerusalem
saying – be careful.
o
look out.
o
don’t stay here
too long
then might say – don’t
go to Jerusalem – it’s too dangerous
but Jesus is determinedly
committed to Jerusalem
his sense of his
true self demands he go there
demands he die
there
4. Jerusalem
Jerusalem is more
than a place here
it is important
for what it represents
place where
heaven and earth kiss in the temple
where God’s will
is done on earth as in heaven
The thin place
symbolising God’s
determined commitment to humanity
expressed in the covenant
with Abram
god’s commitment
to hope
where people of
God live out “blessed to be a blessing”
also symbol of
humanities deep reluctance
to desire anything
more than the blessing
which leads to heartfelt
lament
“Jerusalem,
Jerusalem, killer of prophets,
abuser of the messengers of God!
How often I've longed to gather your
children,
gather your children like a hen,
Her brood safe under her wings—
but you refused and turned away!”
easy for us to
wag our finger
but we are no
better
our true selves are
found when we realise that we too are blessed to be a blessing
As new temples
we too are thin
places
where heaven and
earth kiss
and God’s will is
done on earth as in heaven
symbolising God’s
determined commitment to humanity
expressed in the covenant
with Abram
We too live God’s
commitment to hope.
but we also
struggle
it is hard living
our true selves
we struggle to be
as determinedly committed to hope as Jesus is
and that is fine
God remains
deeply committed
As Jesus shows in
this story
God will not
relent
we can trust that
at least
5. final question
As we reflect on
our identity as beloved daughters and sons of God:
as we ponder our
true selves as people blessed to be a blessing
in what ways are
we blessed?
what are we
determinedly committed to?
for what might we
join Jesus’ lament?
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