Gospel of Peace
Ōtūmoetai – 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time- Year A – 2026
Readings:
What I want to say:
What I want to happen:
The Sermon
"God tests Abraham" by Oleksandr Antonyuk. [1]
1.
Akedah
Reading from Genesis is simply horrific
nice to ignore it
note Abraham’s importance
Abraham seen father 3 “Abrahamic faiths”
through Ishmael for Muslims
through Isaac for Jews
through Christ we Christians become sons and daughters of Abraham
need to spend a minute thinking about
- what this hard story says about Abraham/Ibrahim
- what says about God
This is an old story
- God in this story is not all knowing – omniscient
- despite Abraham’s faith up to this point – God has doubts
is Abraham really the one?
Abraham is tested
Really difficult story
- What kind of God would demand child sacrifice?
o Even as a test?
- What kind of father would agree?
imagine Abraham and Isaac on that walk
- each shrouded in silence
- filled with doubt
- anger
- ??
® Abraham grieving his son – which our tradition describes as only son
- grieving the end of the promise
- angry with God at this outrageous demand after all he had gone through
- yet clearly still trusting, hoping.
® Isaac
- filled with so much doubt and wonder
- carrying the wood on his back
- has his father gone mad?
- had this God gone mad?
- yet in obedience – doing as father commands
- hoping, that a lamb will be provided
This story plays important role in all three faith traditions
* E.g. Islam
- See rock in Dome of Rock as rock Ibrahim brought Ishmael to
o Haram al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary)
* Judaism – again saw Mt Moriah as site of temple and holy of holies.
® Makes this site highly contested
how we read this story is in some ways shaped by how we see Isaac/Ishmael
- Young boy,
o trusting his father as father seemed trust God
- Older teenage boy
o 2nd century Christianity
§ who knew what was happening and could have walked away
§ Still carried wood on his shoulders
§ Carrying for his own sacrifice - to his own death
§ Acts as precursor to Jesus
· (why this story has been one readings set Good Friday long time)
Story set in world where child sacrifice was not uncommon
- Later kings of Israel would be willing to sacrifice one of their sons
o They could gain favours of gods
o imitating what every other ruling family in area did to keep power
In this context what Abraham is asked to do is not so outrageous
But still horrific
One ways this understood over years
- This is story that makes it clear that people of God do not need to do as other peoples do
- Do no need sacrifice their children
- Child sacrifice is not to be tolerated
- Most importantly – holds promise
o That God is present
o That God will provide
o God will always provide
2. Matthew
Invitation to live out our thankfulness for God’s generosity and presence
- in our individual lives,
- and in our life as a community.
at centre of today’s gospel reading from Matthew
- is end of Jesus’ instructions to apostles
- listened to over last 3 weeks
Apostle not highfalutin title
Simple meant “those who are sent”
This week return to theme Jesus began with
- Being sent with nothing
- meant being dependent on the welcome of others
Theme in all this is welcome
- Welcoming others
- Being welcomed
o being willing to be sent to where we rely on being welcomed
o And accepting that welcome
Underlying this idea of welcome is how we see other people
- In Jesus’ instructions is idea that the apostles,
o and through them we
- become envoys or representatives of sending God
- Inviting those being sent to grow relationships that convey God’s generosity and presence to all they met
- to all who welcomed them
- living God’s presence and generosity for all we meet.
One commentator wondered
What would happen if we truly believed that we bear the presence of Christ to every person we encounter, in every home, workplace, or neighbourhood we enter?
What would happen if we saw every conversation as an opportunity to speak words of grace,
every interaction as an opportunity to embody Christ's love for the neighbour?[https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=4482]
3. Others who have lived this faith
over last week as church we have remembered some who show us what it looks like to step out of the expected
- put our selves in need of others welcome
- bear witness to presence of Christ
- live grace
- trusting in God who always provides
® 3 Williams
left safety Mission School Otaki – where teacher
returned to be among his whanau
- as reluctantly took up arms put down when embraced Gospel of Peace
- to defend their whanau, their whenua, their way of life
limited that hostility to only those actively involved – rules of engagement
ended with passage from Romans – on my cope
- ex-Naval officer – seen war first hand in Napoleonic and 1812-15 war with USA
- 1823 left world he knew with wife and 3 children (had 8 more)
- rest of life in Te Ao Māori
- utterly dependant on their welcome
- set about growing relationships that conveyed God’s generosity and presence to all they met
- actively engaged in Māori peace making process to bring Gospel of peace to this land
o not a peace built on utu
o peace built on forgiving your enemies and living in peace of God
- living out this gospel of peace –
o actively seeking to end hostilities during battles
o working with Māori rangatira after battles to end conflict
When open yourselves to welcome of others
- it will change you
- Te Wiremu was changed by living in Te Ao Māori
o work of mediation and peace making
Thursday night we spent time reflecting in his greatest gift to our nation
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi
- he had worked with others including Sir James Stephens Colonial Office
- find way structure relationship between majority population of Aotearoa – Māori (100,000)
- 2.000 Europeans
- create way that allowed settlers to be here under control of British
- avoiding tragic consequences for indigenous people in Americas, Africa and Australia
- through covenant of peace
o Māori kept control of own affairs and own resources
o Māori and Settlers we able to benefit from peaceful co-existence
- he sought to uphold covenant of peace rest of his life
He was the second son of the Ngati Haua chief, Te Waharoa.
- deeply influenced by gospel of peace
- refused join father’s war parties
- He created a marae near Matamata which became known for its peaceful Christian witness.
- worked to uphold Te Wiremu’s vision for Aotearoa in covenant of Te Tiriti
- after creation of Settler New Zealand Government
o originally had no place Māori representation despite being a little less that half population and most land
- He earned the title, “kingmaker”, in the creation of the first of the Māori kings.
- He tried to mediate during the land wars and negotiated a settlement when they ended.
- He wrote many letters to colonial authorities advocating a just provision for Māori and Pakeha.
4. Followers Of Way
Early Christians called followers of way
Christianity not about believing certain things –
way of life
way shaped kind of faith shown three Williams
way that you and I invited into
not an easy way
as Akedah reminds us
times of doubts, fear, angst.
invited trust God of infinite love
God who is faithful,
who is present
who always provides
trusts us join the saints and follow the way.
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