You can listen to this sermon here
Gate Pa – Year B 2nd Sunday in Lent, 2024
Readings:
Psalm Psalm
22:23-31
First Reading:
Genesis
17:1-7,15-16
Second Reading:
Romans
4:13-25
Gospel:
Mark
8:31-38
What I want to
say:
After watching Dean Richard talk abut the
wilderness, I will offer some thoughts on how Genesis 17 and Mark 8 help us in
this Lenten time.
The Abrahamic Covenant offered in Genesis 12 and 15,
and affirmed in Genesis 17 remind us that the blessing is so that the people of
God will be a blessing for all people and all creation – so that humanity is restored,
and creation renewed.
Jesus reaffirms this when he says “Now is the time!
Here comes God’s kingdom! Let that blow your minds and change your hearts and
lives, and trust this good news!” What does that look like?
I will explore how Caesarea Philippi shapes Peters
hopes for this kingdom, and how Jesus rejects this way of violence and power
over, as he did in the wilderness. His way is love, replicating the service he
received from the angels offering God’s healing mission particularly to the
poor, marginalised, rejected. This way can only lead to rejection and death.
And Jesus invites us into this way – to follow him, because in this way is life
- resurrected life.
Briefly offer Archbishop Janani Luwum as an example
of living this way.
What I want to happen:
How does this help us reflect on whose we are, who
we are and what is ours to do at this time of change.
The Sermon
1.
Introduction:
Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTZ5cuEz1kk&t=98s)
part
of longer video
we continue to be with Jesus in our own
wilderness
reflecting on
-
Whose are we? – four words
-
Who are we?
-
What is ours to do?
we are
offered some important pieces of scripture
2.
Abrahamic Covenant
First is the affirmation and restatement of covenant with Sarai and Abram
of Genesis 12 and 15 in Genesis 17
-
Abram will have son with Sarai
-
Son will be father great nation
-
They will be a blessing for all people
-
Through whom God will retore humanity and renew creation
Rest of story is faithfulness of God to this covenant
How people God – including us – have too often
-
Taken blessing to ourselves
-
Forgotten we are to be a blessing
How does that help us in our reflections this lent?
3.
Mark
Heard Jesus declare
“Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Let that blow your minds and
change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!”
The covenant with Sarah and Abraham is being fulfilled
What does God’s kingdom look like?
How will it come to be?
What place does Jesus the Beloved Son have in all this?
Last week heard of Jesus driven into wilderness
-
identity is tested
-
Matthew and Luke tell us he was tempted with way of power and violence
-
He chooses way love
-
Served by angels
o Lesson that will
come mark his own ministry
Brings us to today’s reading
-
one pivotal places in Mark’s
gospel.
-
Heart of how Mark understands Jesus and what Jesus was on about
Way up hills above Sea Galilee
-
Head of Jordan river
-
We might call it a wahi tapu – sacred site
Why did Mark set this story here?
What was important about this place?
Oldest parts are Greek temple to Pan
-
Built by Greeks came with all conquering Alexander the Great
-
Established largest empire seen in that part of world
-
Build on military might
Then a city built by Phillip – Herod the Greats son
-
Honour of Roman emperor –
o Also built and
maintained vast empire
§ Military might
§ Use violence and
force
The setting is important
When Peter answers Jesus’s question – Who do you say I am?
He does so in all likelihood
-
Expecting Jesus the messiah to act as Alexaner and the Romans had
-
Eventually Jesus would evoke power of God
o Defeat Roman legions
o Overturn leadership that
were collaborating with them
o Rid land of vestiges
of Roman and Greek influence and culture
-
Using military force and violence
-
Just as Alexander had done
-
Just as Roman had done
Jesus knows this
Knows that this is not way of covenant
Not way God’s kingdom!
As he learnt in wilderness
-
His way is love,
-
replicating the service he received from the angels
-
offering God’s mission of healing love
-
particularly to poor, marginalised, rejected, the suffering
Also knows that this way can only lead to rejection and death.
So, when Peter chastises Jesus for his teaching that he will be rejected
and killed by chief priests and elders
Jesus rebukes him
Names that way as way of Satan
One commentors read offers
Tempter, Snake in the Garden, Introducer of Hesitation, Mixer of
Motivations, Flaunter of Red Herrings, Side-Tracker of Mission, Setter of One's
Mind on Human Things.
and orders Peter back to his place as disciple
The way of violence and power is not way God
Way of God is to love God by loving our neighbour as we love ourselves.
This way is
very disruptive of powers of this world
Will bring
a response from powers of this world
Lent then
is time pay attention to how God is disrupting our world
-
with this mission of healing love
And how we
might join in this disruptive work
4.
Jesus invitation
Jesus invites Peter into this way
And he will follow
And Jesus invites us into this way – to follow him,
because in this way is life - resurrected life.
Lenten studies Anglican – martyrs Ridley and Latimer October 1555
-
Kereopa and Manihera 12 March 1847
-
7 Melanesian brothers - 2003
Week ago we remembered Archbishop Janani Luwum
-
as an example of living this way.
Janani Luwum was
born in 1922
became Bishop of
Northern Uganda in 1969 and Archbishop of the Church of Uganda in 1974.
He was murdered on
the orders of President Idi Amin on 16 February 1977.
His death was a
direct result of protests made by the Ugandan bishops about the abuse of human
rights under Amin’s regime.
With great courage
he had carried a personal protest to the president on behalf of the Church of
Uganda,
knowing that in
doing so he was probably signing his own death warrant.
Like Jesus he lived God’s healing mission of love
Stood with suffering
Knew that their would be a cost
Where do we stand with this Lent
What cost do we expect to pay?
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