What Blinds?
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year C - 2019
Readings:
Psalm Psalm:
139:1-6, 13-18
First Reading Jeremiah 18:1-11
First Reading Jeremiah 18:1-11
Second Reading Philemon
1-21
Gospel Luke 14:25-33
Gospel Luke 14:25-33
What I want to say:
Using Luke 14:25-33 I want
to explore what might blind us to where God is at work in the world, and what
stops us joining in that work.
What I want to happen:
People to reflect on what
stops us taking Climate Change more seriously.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Good to be back
excellent time
away
3 days exploring Chicago
-
grand
-
highlight was bike
tour which introduced me to Chicago style hot dogs – very healthy – and deep
pan pizza
meeting chaired
over 5 days very productive
-
some fruits of
that are quoted in our latest parish web
wonderful time
with friends in New York and Long Island
-
asked to preach
and preside at services at Episcopalian church
highlight of New
York was going to see Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
story for our
time
come back to that
in language
stories that led to that musical were originally written in
2. Luke
come back to
these interesting readings
Jeremiah’s
message that God’s future is not set in stone
-
but open ended
and pliable like clay
hard hitting
reading from Luke
what do we do
with this Jesus?
-
hate your mother
and father
-
give up all your possessions
what are we to
make of all this?
3. Gospel as theology
keep saying – say
again
when read gospel we
need to read them as theology
writers take
incarnation very seriously
-
in Jesus we meet
God
they use stories
of Jesus life to show us character of God
-
brings good news
to the poor,
-
release for the
captives,
-
recovery of sight
for the blind,
-
and who sets the
oppressed free
rest gospel understood as exploring how that works
rest gospel understood as exploring how that works
helping us see
that God brings good news to poor
-
in Jesus
-
and now
God is the one
who releases captives
-
in Jesus
-
and now
God is bringing recovery
of sight for the blind
-
in Jesus
-
and now
God sets the
oppressed free
-
in Jesus
-
and now
Where is God to
be found in our world?
also invited
apply questions to ourselves
wonder how is God
bringing us good news?
what holds us
captive and how is God releasing us?
How are we blind
and in what ways is our sight being restored?
in what ways are
we oppressed, and how are we being set free?
4. Luke 14: 25-35
In today’s
reading we hear Jesus name two things that blinded, oppressed, held captive
-
possessions
-
family structures
a. Possessions have and will always blind us and
hold us captive
-
when you have
them you need to protect them
-
limit our ability
to be hospitable and generous
b. family structured defined who you were,
-
your purpose in
life
-
your place in the
world
-
who it was you
should care about
which at one
level provides safety and security
but also could be
a bad thing
-
that oppressed, blinded
people and held people them captive
One common themes
across all gospels is Jesus use of summary of the law
“Love God, love
your neighbour as yourself”
big question is
who is your neighbour
-
in Luke Jesus
answers with parable of good Samaritan
-
our neighbours
are everyone, especially all those in need
-
actually,
especially those who provide help to those in need
problem for man
asks question
many those
listening Jesus teaching
family structures
in Jesus time prevented people seeing that
your neighbour
was your family and those linked to your family
-
if honest not a
lot has changed
-
around the world
we see those same ideas at play
locked people
into a very narrow understanding of neighbour
-
an understanding
that man asking the questions of Jesus is looking for
-
instead he gets
the parable
using language of
Luke 16:13
can’t serve two
master
love the one and
hate the other or other way around
love neighbour
hate family
call very
different priorities
got Jesus lots
trouble
5. Climate Change
5. Climate Change
As I consider for
myself what blinds me
what holds me
captive and impoverished
what do I need
liberating from
reminded of
sitting in theatre watching Fiddler on Roof
struck by theme
of coming violence and eventual eviction
-
Jewish people Anatevka
could not believe that bad things happening in big cities of Russia would come
to their little town
-
same true in Elie
Wiesel’s Night – Jewish community of Sighet, Transylvania, could not believe that
violence brought by the Germans would come to their town.
They were blind
they were held
captive
believed status
quo would go on
nothing bad would
happen
so they refused
to act
perhaps they did
not know how to act
and then it was
too late.
At our meeting in
Long Island we spend some time talking about climate change
-
It is hard to see
-
hard to know how
to act
-
hard to find the
energy to act
When I was in New
York just happened to be at dock when Greta Thunberg
-
Young Swedish
Climate Activist arrived
-
urgent cry to act
Inspiring
then read some articles
in press
so many comments
including
comments leading politicians
find myself again
in Anatevka and Sighet
We are as blind
as they were
we too are held
captive
believing status
quo will go on
nothing bad will happen
refusing to act
perhaps we don’t
know how to act
surely it won’t be
that bad
This morning
Jesus is asking us to let go of those things that blind us,
impoverish us
hold us captive
Jesus is shockingly
inviting us consider
what might blind
us to where God is at work in the world,
and what stops us
joining in that work.
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