The Trap
Gate
Pa – 32nd Sunday in Ordinary
Time- Year C - 2019
Readings:
Psalm - Psalm:
145:1-5-17-21
First Reading - Haggai
1:14-2:9
Second Reading - 2
Thess 2:1-5,
13-17
Gospel: Luke 20:27-38
What I want to say:
I want to
explore what “resurrection of the dead” means for us, and how that affects how
we live our lives.
Jesus
describes God as the “God of the Living”. How does that help or confuse?
Emerson
Powery[i] talks about embodied resurrection – what is
that?
What I want to happen:
How does any
of this help us face issues of day
-
Parihaka
-
End WWI
-
End of
Life Choice Bill
-
Climate
change
-
Demise
of Church
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Jesus enters Jerusalem
It is nearly over
No longer a matter of if
But when and how it will unfold
The
religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him, … but they were
intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them. Watching
for a chance to get him, they sent spies who posed as honest inquirers, hoping
to trick him into saying something that would get him in trouble with the law
(Luke 20: 19-20. Msg)
So
some Sadducees come and have a go
With
tricky questions about resurrection,
-
7 brothers
-
One woman who fails to produce an heir
-
And marriage in the afterlife
2. Some observations before we start
Sadducees don’t believe in an
afterlife
-
Religious conservatives
-
Nothing in 5 books Moses that supports
this new-fangled idea
-
Comes from Persians or Greeks
-
Developed explain how come baddies
seem to be winning all time
-
When is God’s justice?
System
seems very patriarchal
-
Is all about preserving name of man
o
No afterlife –
o
Live on through descendants
-
All about ensuring male heir for
family
-
Women gets no say in that
-
But also protects her
-
Widows were in very vulnerable position
o
Book of Ruth based on
-
System is patriarchal but there are
some positives
3. Life after death
Resurrection is contentious issue
We need to be careful that what we
think we mean by resurrection
is what Pharisees, Jesus, and gospel writers
meant
so what do we mean by
“We look for the resurrection of the
dead,
and the life of the world to come.”?
è Conversation
with neighbour
è Discussion/plenary
-
When
-
Where
-
What
-
Is everyone raised?
-
What is Sheol
-
What is Hades
-
Where does God fit in all this?
4. Embodied faith.
One commentators – Emerson Powery
Asks this question
What difference does this make for an embodied faith?
Key for him and many of commentators is that God is God of the living,
not the dead
How we read and understand scripture is supposed to help us make sense
of world we live in
Bring life, energy, meaning and substance to reality we find ourselves
in and issues we have
God is God of the living
How that affect how we live our lives?
What difference make in face all issues we face
- Demise of Church
-
Parihaka
- End WWI
- End of Life
Choice Bill
- Climate change
Talk neighbours again
Plenary
Comments