Wrestling with a Pharisee
This sermon can be listened to here
What I want to happen:
The Sermon
Gate Pa – 30th Sunday
in Ordinary Time- Year C - 2019
Readings:
Psalm
- Psalm:
65
First Reading - Joel
2:23-32
Second Reading - 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Second Reading - 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18
Gospel - Luke
18:9-14
What I want to say:
What I want to say:
To
have a conversation about how we read this story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (publican). In what ways do we trust that we are righteous? What does
that even mean? Who do we regard with contempt if any? What does it mean to be
humble? Who is God in all of this?
What I want to happen:
People
to wrestle with the story and ask some good questions in relation to the text
so that they might hear God’s invitation into the compassionate, generous and
just heart of God
The Sermon
1.
Introduction:
last week talked about how for much biblical
history –
-
bible, however that
was understood
-
seen as sacred
text that was to be wrestled with
o
certainly not
read literally
todays reading is great one to wrestle with
lets start with questions
Ü what comes to mind hear about Pharisee in this
story
-
responses
-
is there anything
really wrong with his prayer?
o
is a prayer of
thanksgiving
Ü what about the tax collector?
-
responses
Ü what does it mean to hold someone in contempt?
-
responses
Ü what does it mean to be humble?
-
responses
Humility confesses that we have
nothing that we have not received and admits the fact of our insufficiency and
our dependence upon God. It is the basis of all Christian virtues. (TSSF rule –
Day 23)
2. Pharisees
need to be really careful in assumptions we
make about the Pharisees
struck in conversations over the last week at
2 mid-week services
and in reading some commentaries
-
how close we come
to holding them in contempt
-
make all kinds of
assumptions about their motivations and understanding of God
As we read need to keep in mind
-
Luke’s context
o
post fall Jerusalem
o
existential angst
– who are we as people God
o
role Pharisees in
providing leadership in that
o
Christian
community increasingly excluded from that
-
debate between Jesus
and Pharisees
Pharisees were very similar to Jesus
-
Reform movement
within Judaism
-
calling Jewish people
back to life of faith
o
by loving Lord
their God by daily obedience to Mosaic law
-
might encounter God’s
holiness in all life
-
make visible and accessible
God’s gift in all aspects of life
Jesus very similar
-
difference was
around how interpreted mosaic law
-
emphasis Jesus
seems put on loving God
-
and/by loving
neighbour
-
and our neighbour
to include everyone
o
including tax
collectors, sinners, Samaritans, other undesirables
3. God’s wide mercy
problem is that Pharisee sees everyone as
either in or out
-
I’m in
-
tax collector is
not
Ü so writes off the other
Ü while other passes no comment on Pharisee at
all
o
only acknowledges
his own brokenness
and we all do it
maybe even commentators and translators
Matt Skinner points out that the Greek word
translated as “rather”
can also be translated as “alongside”
it is possible that at end story both men went
home justified
-
Pharisee despite
his blindness lives
o
acknowledges his
need of God lives life deep faith
-
tax collector
despite being despised collaborator
o
acknowledges his
need of God and pleads for mercy
God is merciful and welcoming of both
4. Repent
This reading invites us to repent
that is to have a bigger mind
to see God at work in world in different way –
Ü as Joel describes in our reading this morning
-
let go of our
need for some to be in and some out
-
let go of some to
be right and some wrong
Ü because in the end we are all a bit right
o
and a bit wrong
Ü God is merciful and welcoming of both
-
what limits do we
seek to place on God
-
how to we seek to
narrow the wideness of God’s mercy
-
what barriers do
we put between those we deem unworthy and God of infinite compassion, generosity,
justice?
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