Having another look
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time - 2020
Readings:
Psalm: Psalm: 45:10-17
First Reading: Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Second Reading: Romans 7:15-25
Gospel: Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
What I want to say:
Explore Refugee Sunday through lens of story of Rebekah and Jesus’ yoke
What I want to happen:
How do we experience God’s faithfulness in all this?
What is the yoke of Jesus for us?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Today in our churches calendar is refugee Sunday
Talk a little about in pew sheet.
Timed coincide with World Refugee Day.
- 20 June,
- 2001 by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
- to recognise the contributions of forcibly displaced people throughout the world.
3 years ago, topic refugees quite hot topic
- held “double quote” event here
o kind of told off about by Barbara Rowe
- lots discussion with different party policies
currently taking no refugees as borders shut
even though not hearing much
number displaced people, and refugees in particular continues to grow each year
9.5 million or one in 97 people displaced, up from 70.8 million the year before. The UN recorded 29.6 million refugees in its 2019 figures
Today provides timely reminder that this huge issue remains in our world
Will only get worse
- effects climate change
- increase fighting over resources
- displaced people from too hot or flooding
- that number of displaced people expected grow into 100 millions
- if not billions
today invitation for us to do more
- prayer
- aid those welcome refugees into his land
- work reduce causes
2. Rebekah
Disturbing and remarkable story of Rebekah
Number people rally struggle with elements of this story
Rebekah is little more that property
- Used by men
- Means to move the story forward
Abraham sends servant because doesn’t want son marrying one people live among
- Kind of like when in our past in this land
o those European descent forbid children date or marry Maori, Pacific Islanders or Asians (or eastern European and Greeks in some cases)
§ smacks – white supremacy
Others who see different side story
for example
Often see this as how God honours commitment to Abraham
But really this is about Sarah
Abraham has other children
- Ishmael – first born son (whom he loved)
- After Sarah’s death
o Remarries and has other children
o His inheritance does not rest on Isaac
But Isaac is Sarah’s only child
So, this story is how God is faithful to Sarah
Her story continues through Rebekah
Rebekah refuses to just be a token in that story
She claims her voice and her place
Rebekah – extraordinary
young woman shows such generosity – to unknown strangers
to their animals
boldly agrees to go with this stranger to marry someone she has never met
land she knows nothing about
with no guarantees
(Note – she has a choice in all this
- Isaac is simply presented with a wife
- Has not say at all)
clearly remarkable person
saw opportunity to have different type life than expecting
seized it
because of her courage
- compassion
- strength
- initiative
story of extraordinary union –Rebekah and Isaac
kind of take granted
in this world polygamy was norm
biblical account that Rebekah and Isaac were monogamous couple
no mention other wives, concubines, slaves,
no other children
just Jacob, smooth man
older brother Esau – an hairy man.
Her decision is key moment in biblical story
without it all that follows, pretty much everything
fails.
at this point promise to Sarah hinges on her answer
3. Come to me – my yoke is easy
With all that in mind
Offered these words from Matthew’s gospel
“Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And you will find rest for yourselves. 30 My yoke is easy to bear, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11: 28-29)
Think number of us need that at the moment
Stop
Take deep breathe
Rest in the rest of God offered through Jesus.
Work “yoke” is an interesting one.
Within rabbinic tradition
- Which Jesus placed himself in
Yoke is a particular understanding of Torah
- Mosaic law
There were and are several yokes within Judaism
- Different ways that Torah is understood and applied
- Some more demanding that others
So, what was Jesus interpretation?
He lived that out in way interacted with people
People he interacted with
What he said about those interactions.
Currently reading “Inspired” by wonderful author
- Rachel Held-Evans
- Who tragically died last year
She describes how in many of the stories
Jesus touches
Touches tax collectors
- Dead people
- Sick people
- Lepers
- And is touched by a woman who has been menstruating for years
Each one defined as unclean under purity codes
Each one outcast
By touching them Jesus renders himself unclean
- outcast
Noticing that in many
Jesus yoke overturned the social barriers and abolished the taboos
Declared God’s loving compassion for all.
As I think about that
I wonder what this passage might mean for people in different situations to us
- refugees and displaced people
- people marching in Black Lives Matter marches around the world and US
- women whose experience of abuse is part of the #MeTo movement
- people living in parts of world where COVID-19 is surging
- people of Hong Kong
How do we experience God’s faithfulness in all this?
What is the yoke of Jesus for us?
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