Jesus Christ our Liberator

For most of this year, we have finished our prayer for the day by praying “Through Jesus Christ our Liberator, who is alive and reigns with you….” And I wonder what we understand by that. What is it we are being liberated from, especially during these unusual times of pandemic? And what are we being liberated into?

Our readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Exodus 3:1-15, Romans 12:9-21, and      Matthew 16:21-28 are about liberation. They sit in conversation with each other, and all that lies behind Peter’s exchange with Jesus. When Peter names Jesus as the Anointed one, or liberator, the kind of liberation he was looking for was not what Jesus was offering. He’d missed this conversation. I suspect the same is true for me at times.

I wonder if the late Maya Angelou was closer to what Jesus was trying to teach through his life and ministry[1]: “I am grateful to have been loved and to be able to love, because that liberates. Love liberates. It doesn’t just hold -- that’s ego. Love liberates. It doesn’t bind.” 

Over the last few weeks we have been reminded in our gospel reading of God's abundance: abundant generosity, abundant mercy, abundant compassion, abundant love for all. As we read these passages what might love be liberating us from, and what is love liberating us into?

 

[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2163

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Get those PSA Blood Tests Done Boys!

I had a strange conversation a few months ago. I was lying back in a chair, naked from the waste down, holding a nappy over my bits while I waited for the skin under my bits to go numb enough from liquid nitrogen or some such thing, so that they could inject the local anesthetic and then punch a couple of holes through to the prostate. All in all a fun experience. And while I waited the nurse made small talk and asked what I did. "I'm retired", I replied. "Oh, what are you planning to do now you are retired? any travel?" "Turns out not" I said, "It seems I'm just keeping my dairy open for dealing with health things." And I am still keeping my dairy open and still dealing with them. This journey began last year. I was already dealing with two other things, including a lump in my parotid gland which has been slowly growing there for about 3 years. When I got back from being overseas on sabbatical my doctor called me in to talk about that an
Read more

What a Ride! - Thankyou and Goodbye!

Image
You can listen to this sermon here   Gate Pa - Ascension Sunday and Easter 7 Year B, 2024 Readings: Palm                            Psalm 1 First Reading:             Acts 1:1-11, 15-17,21-26                     Bible Page 884 Second Reading:        1 John 5:9-13                                       Bible Page 991 Gospel:                         John 17:6-19                                        Bible Page 879 What I want to say: A sermon to say thankyou -           To explore the process we are all going through – and that it is ok -           Use the ascension to invite us all to trust God in all this -           Offer some thoughts about what the future might be What I want to happen: People to embrace all that the liminal space might offer with thankfulness, hope and trust. The Sermon 1.      Introduction: Pancake Monday in 2012 – nearly 12 ½ years ago Bishop David Rice installed me as vicar of Gate Pa Telling everyone I didn’t know much about vicaring -          Outraged some
Read more

"Just Enjoy The Coffee"

I was just sent this on Anglicans All. Being a coffee enjoyer and a Franciscan I enjoyed it. I hope you do to: Even if you are not a coffee drinker...Have a good day!!!! A group of graduates, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain ,plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite, telling them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee, the professor said: If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the simple and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases, it is just more ex
Read more