Swallowsrest

Lent 2 2011

John 3:1-17

Marian Free

In the name of God who asks that we find our true nature only in and through him. Amen.

Recently, a great many Brisbanites went to see an exhibition of lifelike sculptures by the artist Ron Mueck. The exhibition featured incredibly realistic representations of people – some life–size, some miniature and some gigantic. They were all amazing in their detail and their poignancy.  The image that most struck me was that of a giant baby. It was seventeen foot long and even lying down it would have been nearly twice my height. Yet – despite its size – there was no denying that it was a newborn child – the umbilical cord was still attached, there were still signs of blood smeared on it and the face was distorted from the birth. The sculpture is so confronting that the Transit Authority of Calgary (Canada) refused to have a poster of it on display on its buses.

It certainly is a challenging image – which is no doubt the intention of the artist. The baby girl is also compelling and strangely touching. I found something unbelievably moving in the juxtaposition of the enormity of the sculpture and the attendant vulnerability of the subject. That something so huge could be so utterly defenseless did not compute with my normal view of the world – a view in which bigger is usually stronger and less able to be hurt or destroyed. In the case of the sculpture, it wouldn’t have mattered how big it was, the subject would still be utterly dependent on the goodness of those around it for life itself.

No matter whether is it nine inches long or seventeen feet long, a human baby it completely dependent – unable to feed itself, dress itself or even to adequately communicate its needs. Ron Mueck’s baby is even more vulnerable because it is alone.

In today’s gospel, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. Even though he is one of the Pharisees – a member of the opposition – he has sensed that Jesus is no ordinary person and that his teachings have a power that is more than human. He says: ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ You and I might think that Nicodemus deserved acknowledgement of his courage in coming forward, when his fellow Pharisees dared not, or we might believe that at least he had earned recognition of his faith.

We are surprised then, that instead of commending Nicodemus for his wisdom and insight, Jesus responds with a challenge: ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus, understandably, is confused. How can one be born from above? How can one who is now an adult be born a second time? Must one do the absurd, if not impossible, and enter into their mother’s womb and be born again? The image is ludicrous – even for us. It is hard enough to imagine that a baby can safely exit the womb, let alone imagine that an adult can return and be born a second time.

Like Ron Mueck’s baby, Jesus’ statement is intended to challenge and confront his hearers. Just as the life-like baby forces observers to re-think their notions of size and power, so Jesus demands that Nicodemus re-consider his ideas of reality and his practice of his faith. Jesus wants him to see that entering the kingdom of heaven is not a matter of Pharisaic adherence to the law, but a way of life that expresses complete trust in and dependence on God.

By presenting Nicodemus with an impossibility, Jesus is trying to force Nicodemus into a new way of seeing things. He is encouraging him to think outside the frame of reference that he has as a member of the Pharisees – to understand that righteousness is not a matter of law, but of grace. Jesus wants Nicodemus to understand that what is required is more than mere intellectual assent to who he is. What is required, Jesus knows, is a suspension of rational thought, a willingness to be dependent on God and reliant on the Holy Spirit. It is, as Jesus suggests, a re-birth into a different dimension of existence which enables one to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The riddle about being born again is intended to free Nicodemus from his previous way of thinking and to open him to a new way of seeing things. Jesus wants to help Nicodemus to understand the new economy – to grasp that salvation is not so much something to be earned, but something to be received. Righteousness is not a matter of works but of faith. Nicodemus needs to learn that nothing he can do – even recognizing that Jesus is from God – will earn him salvation. On the other hand, if Nicodemus can learn to place his trust in God and not in himself, if Nicodemus can learn dependence instead of self-reliance, he will be on his way to understanding how it is that one enters the kingdom of heaven. Then he will be born into a new reality – a reality in which God’s grace, not human striving leads to salvation.

In the wilderness, Jesus had to face the test of whether he would rely on his own resources or whether he would place his trust in the goodness of God. Jesus chose dependence on God over self-reliance. By rejecting the temptation to go it alone, Jesus reversed the action of Adam and Eve who chose to turn their backs on God and to go their own way.

Jesus wants the Pharisee Nicodemus to know that grace, not the law has the power to save. Jesus wants Nicodemus, and therefore us, to know that only God and not our own endeavours can save us. This means letting go of all the striving, attention seeking and self-reliant ways of the world and becoming as vulnerable and dependent as a newborn child – utterly dependent on God’s goodness and grace. It means relying on God and not on our own ability to be or to do good. It means being born again as a child of God, allowing oneself to be led by the Spirit, and understanding that the economy of the kingdom is vastly different from the economy of the world.

Nicodemus thought that he understood the way to salvation. Jesus turns Nicodemus’ ideas on their head, asks him to suspend his intellect and his notions of reality and to trust God with his life instead of trying to enter the kingdom of heaven on his own (dubious) merits.

Through baptism, we are born again by water and the spirit, we are called to live our baptism reality day by day – living not according to the values of the world, but by the values of the kingdom. We are called to a relationship with God in which we are as dependent on God as a new born baby and totally reliant on God for our salvation.

{Original ending}

At our baptism we are born again by water and the spirit, but like Nicodemus, we continue to believe that it is what we do, not what God does that matters. Over and over again, we are called to die to ourselves and our own efforts at self-determination and to be born again into that spirit filled life which leads to the kingdom of heaven. Let us then live our baptism promises, place our trust wholly in God, knowing that then and only then, will we enter the kingdom of heaven.

Lent 2 2011

John 3:1-17

Marian Free

In the name of God who asks that we find our true nature only in and through him. Amen.

Recently, a great many Brisbanites went to see an exhibition of lifelike sculptures by the artist Ron Mueck. The exhibition featured incredibly realistic representations of people – some life–size, some miniature and some gigantic. They were all amazing in their detail and their poignancy.  The image that most struck me was that of a giant baby. It was seventeen foot long and even lying down it would have been nearly twice my height. Yet – despite its size – there was no denying that it was a newborn child – the umbilical cord was still attached, there were still signs of blood smeared on it and the face was distorted from the birth. The sculpture is so confronting that the Transit Authority of Calgary (Canada) refused to have a poster of it on display on its buses.

It certainly is a challenging image – which is no doubt the intention of the artist. The baby girl is also compelling and strangely touching. I found something unbelievably moving in the juxtaposition of the enormity of the sculpture and the attendant vulnerability of the subject. That something so huge could be so utterly defenseless did not compute with my normal view of the world – a view in which bigger is usually stronger and less able to be hurt or destroyed. In the case of the sculpture, it wouldn’t have mattered how big it was, the subject would still be utterly dependent on the goodness of those around it for life itself.

No matter whether is it nine inches long or seventeen feet long, a human baby it completely dependent – unable to feed itself, dress itself or even to adequately communicate its needs. Ron Mueck’s baby is even more vulnerable because it is alone.

In today’s gospel, Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night. Even though he is one of the Pharisees – a member of the opposition – he has sensed that Jesus is no ordinary person and that his teachings have a power that is more than human. He says: ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ You and I might think that Nicodemus deserved acknowledgement of his courage in coming forward, or that at least he had earned recognition of his faith.

We are surprised then, that instead of commending Nicodemus for his wisdom and insight, Jesus responds with a challenge: ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus, understandably, is confused. How can one be born from above? How can one who is now an adult be born a second time? Must one do the absurd, if not impossible, and enter into their mother’s womb and be born again? The image is ludicrous – even for us. It is hard enough to imagine that a baby can safely exit the womb, let alone imagine that an adult can return and be born a second time.

Like Ron Mueck’s baby, Jesus’ statement is intended to challenge and confront his hearers. Just as the life-like baby forces observers to re-think their notions of size and power, so Jesus demands that Nicodemus re-consider his ideas of reality and his practice of his faith. Entering the kingdom of heaven is not a matter of Pharisaic adherence to the law, but a way of life that expresses complete trust in and dependence on God.

By presenting Nicodemus with an impossibility, Jesus is trying to force Nicodemus into a new way of seeing things. He is encouraging him to think outside the frame of reference that he has as a member of the Pharisees – to understand that righteousness is not a matter of law, but of grace. Jesus wants Nicodemus to understand that what is required is more than mere intellectual assent to who he is. What is required is, to some extent, a suspension of rational thought, a willingness to be dependent on God, reliant on the Holy Spirit. It is, as Jesus suggests, a re-birth into a different dimension of existence which enables one to enter the kingdom of heaven

The riddle about being born again is intended to free Nicodemus from his previous way of thinking and open him to a new way of seeing things. Jesus wants to help Nicodemus to understand the new economy – to grasp that salvation is not so much something to be earned, but something to be received – righteousness is not a matter of works but of faith. Nicodemus needs to learn that nothing he can do – even recognizing that Jesus is from God – will earn him salvation. On the other hand, if Nicodemus can learn to place his trust in God and not in himself, if Nicodemus can learn dependence instead of self-reliance, he will be on his way to understanding how it is that one enters the kingdom of heaven. He will be born into a new reality – a reality in which God’s grace, not human striving leads to salvation.

In the wilderness, Jesus had to face the test of whether he would rely on his own resources or whether he would place his trust in the goodness of God. Jesus chose dependence on God over self-reliance. By rejecting the temptation to go it alone, Jesus reversed the action of Adam and Eve who chose to turn their backs on God and to go their own way.

Jesus wants the Pharisee Nicodemus to know that grace, not the law has the power to save. Jesus wants Nicodemus, and therefore us, to know that only God and not our own endeavours can save us. This means letting go of all the striving, attention seeking and self-reliant ways of the world and becoming as vulnerable and dependent as a newborn child – utterly dependent on God’s goodness and grace. It means relying on God and not on our own ability to be or to do good. It means being born again as a child of God, allowing oneself to be led by the Spirit, and understanding that the economy of the kingdom is vastly different from the economy of the world.

Nicodemus thought that he understood the way to salvation. Jesus turns Nicodemus’ ideas on their head, asks him to suspend his intellect and his notions of reality and to trust God with his life instead of trying to enter the kingdom of heaven on his own (dubious) merits. At our baptism we are born again by water and the spirit, but like Nicodemus, we continue to believe that it is what we do, not what God does that matters. Over and over again, we are called to die to ourselves and our own efforts at self-determination and to be born again into that spirit filled life which leads to the kingdom of heaven.

Lent 1 2011

Matthew 4:1-11

Marian Free

In the name of God who alone knows the difference between good and evil. Amen.

Many of you will know the story Lord of the Rings by Tolkein and it is possible that many of you have seen the movies produced in New Zealand by Peter Jackson. The story is, of course, about a ring, a ring which has the power to enslave the world. According to the story, the ring must be destroyed so that the evil it wreaks may be destroyed and that all may be free. An unlikely hero, Froddo and his sidekick Sam, must take the ring to Mount Mordor where Froddo must throw it into the fire. To do this, they must evade the evil powers who seek the ring so that they can use it for their own purposes. Two difficulties face the ring bearers – the ring wants to be found and the second is that the ring wants to bend the bearer to its will and not even Froddo is immune from its power.

It is an awesome task for Froddo who is a hobbit with no knowledge of the world outside his village except what his uncle, the finder of the ring, has told him. What he has in his favour is his basic goodness, his willingness to fulfil the task and the determination and moral fortitude of his friend Sam.

I am not in general a reader of fantasy, but when I do read it, I find a complex study of human nature, in particular the fine line between good and evil. Lord of the Rings is no exception. In this tale, the real hero is Sam, because ultimately Frodo is seduced by the ring and destroys it almost by accident. Sam, who has never had the ring in his possession remains steadfast against its power.

It is not only Frodo who finds the power of the ring difficult to resist. More than once the forces of good are tempted by its power believing that they will be able to control it, not it them. The wise wizard Galdalf cannot trust himself with it. The elf queen Galadriel likewise recognises that she could not resist its power. Brothers Boromir and Faramir go so far as attempt to take the ring from Frodo believing that the ring could give them victory over their enemies.

There is a powerful scene in which Froddo, believing that Galadriel could use it wisely, offers the ring to her. Galadriel suddenly changes, she towers over him dark and threatening saying “I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this. Instead of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!”

Her intentions might be good, she might believe that power in her hands might be used for the betterment of all, but she knew that over time the ring would turn even her goodness to its evil purposes.

Jesus is the Son of God. Whatever he knew before his baptism, he knows this now.  As the Son of God he has the power of God, the world lies at his feet – he can do anything! With the clap of his hands he could solve the problems of the world, with very little effort he could demonstrate that God was at his command and without any trouble he could compel the world to obey him. For these are the temptations – stones into bread, throwing oneself off a cliff, bowing down to the devil – temptations to do good, to prove that God will protect you and to rule the world.

From the moment of his baptism, Jesus knows that he is the Son of God and he knows with what that status endows him. The knowledge of who he is so great that it drives him into solitude in the wilderness. Here, without distraction, he can reflect on what it all means and ask himself what he will do with this information. Will he claim the power that is at his fingertips in the belief that he could use if for good. Will he take the easy way out and wave a magic wand to make the world right, to compel the nations of the world to submit to him – and in so doing deprive the world of the freedom God has given it?

Jesus knows that the use of power is not the way to victory – it will not achieve God’s purpose. Bending people to his will is not God’s way or God would have given us the freedom to choose. Jesus will not use his power to take the easy way out. He knows that there is only one who cannot be corrupted by power. There is only one who can ensure that power and authority are at his service not vice versa. That one is God. Only God can exercise power without that same power corrupting God. Only God truly knows the difference between good and evil and only God can consistently choose good. Only God has the courage to give people freedom even if it means that they will turn away from God.

In the desert Jesus has to decide whether he will serve God or whether he will compete with God. He chooses service. In this is our redemption for, in making that choice, Jesus, as Paul tells us, reverses the sin of Adam who chose to compete with the one who created him. Instead of seeking power for himself, Jesus leaves that power where it truly belongs – with the God the creator.

From the beginning of time, the problem for humanity has been that it puts itself in competition with God. Instead of working with the Creator and instead of believing that the one who created us, has our best interests at heart, humankind continues to go its own way, to taking for itself the power and authority which truly belongs to God – often with disastrous results.

God created us to live in harmony with God. It is when we take things into our own hands that they go badly wrong. Jesus shows us a different way.  By refusing to exercise the power that was truly his, Jesus  – fully human – restored humanity to its original (intended) relationship with God. The choice is ours – to go our own way and face the consequences, or to give up personal power and glory for the reward of knowing God and a lifetime (eternity even) of living in harmony with the one who gave us life, and who over and over again brings us to new life in him.

Transfiguration 2011

Matthew 17:1-9

Marian Free

In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Son of Man. Amen.

It might shock you to know that there are at least two artistic representations of Jesus as a woman. One is a painting of the crucifixion by (I think) the Australian artist Sydney Nolan, the other is a sculpture which hangs in a Church in Toronto, Canada. The latter is particularly confronting because it is three dimensional, life sized and naked and because the last place that you would expect such a controversial image is in a Church. To many such an image would be offensive and even irreligious, but to at least one woman it was an image which helped her to see Christ in her own suffering and so to begin the process of healing the wounds which resulted from the sexual abuse which she had experienced as a child.

It is not unusual for images of Christ to reflect the culture which gives them birth. For many people it is important to see Jesus as one of them to understand the human Jesus who shares their human experience. Images of Jesus change according to time and place. The blonde effeminate paintings of the nineteenth century gave way to images that were much more real and which allowed people of non-Caucasian backgrounds to connect with the person of Jesus. I’m sure that you have all seen painting of a black Jesus, a Chinese Jesus, a Maori Jesus and so on.

According to the needs of the culture, or the experience of the artist, Jesus has been depicted as benign or powerful, strong or vulnerable, stoic or in great pain, triumphant or defeated. There are images of the crucifixion which present Jesus as a bishop hanging resignedly on the cross and others which dramatically portray the screaming agony of one who is experiencing excruciating torture.

The huge variety of images enable artists to describe their own experience of Jesus, but they also provide an opportunity for a wide variety of people to identify with the person of Jesus and recognise that Jesus not only identifies with them, but shares with them the highs and lows, the suffering and the exaltation of human existence. It took a depiction of Jesus as a woman to allow the victim of sexual abuse to finally accept that Jesus was “with the violated girl caught in helpless suffering”. So too, the graphic images of the screaming, agonized man speak to the experiences of those who have suffered cruelty and torture at the hands of their oppressors.

The incarnation – God’s presence with us in the world – becomes vividly real when we see Jesus depicted in a way which speaks to our own experience. Intellectually we might know that Jesus understands what it is to feel pain and grief. We can accept that Jesus knew what it was to have his friends betray and abandon him, but when we see a Jesus who looks like us, who is depicted in our own context and culture his pain and disappointment become alive for us and we can know for certain that we are not alone and that Jesus stands beside us in our sorrows as well as our joys.

On the other hand, a Jesus with whom we can identify is a Jesus who is powerless to help us. A Jesus who is only vulnerable cannot fight the evils that beset us. There are other images of Jesus – images which set Jesus apart from human experience, which depict Jesus in command of the situation and which give Jesus authority and power and dominion. I think of the images of Jesus as King enthroned in glory, Jesus, Jesus ascending into heaven, the extraordinary statue of Jesus that towers over Rio de Janeiro, images of Jesus in command of the situation – turning water into wine, multiplying loaves of bread.

The images of the transfiguration belong in this latter category. On the mountain top Jesus meets with Moses and Elijah – the prophets of old – his face shines like the sun and his clothes are dazzling white. It is clear to any observer that this is a heavenly figure – one whom we can worship, not one with whom we can immediately identify. On the mountain Jesus is revealed as he truly is – the Son of God, a reality which is affirmed by the voice from heaven which sends the disciples to their knees in fear. But here is the paradox. Almost immediately, Jesus is as the disciples have always known him, and it is the very human Jesus – the Son of Man who urges the disciples to get to their feet and tells them not to be afraid.

Son of God, Son of Man. As Son of God Jesus knows no boundary between heaven and earth, as Son of Man, Jesus reassures, comforts and advises Peter, James and John.

Week after week in the Nicene Creed we affirm that we believe in Jesus Christ fully human and divine. It is important to retain the tension. If we make Jesus entirely in our image, we deprive him of his power to save. If on the other hand, we know Jesus only as a remote and heavenly figure we make a mockery of the Incarnation and empty Jesus’ presence in the world of its meaning. The transfiguration reveals Jesus identity as God and reminds us of the awe in which we should hold him. At the same time, the Jesus who calms the disciples, is the Jesus to whom we can look for consolation.

That Jesus became one of us, reminds us that God knows and understands human experience, but that doesn’t make Jesus any less God. That God took on human form does not make Jesus any less God. The account of the transfiguration holds the tension of Jesus as both human and divine- both utterly like and utterly unlike us.

If we are able to hold the tension and to make peace with the paradox, we will know both the Jesus/God whom we can worship and the God/Jesus with whom we can identify. To do anything less robs our faith of its richness and deprives us of the depth of relationship which God through and in Jesus offers to the world.

Epiphany 6 – 2011

Matthew 5:21-37

Marian Free

In the name of God who calls us to radical obedience in service of the kingdom. Amen.

Most of you will know that the readings which we use at our services are pre-determined – not chosen at the whim of the celebrant. At St Augustine’s we use the Revised Common Lectionary which provides us each week with an Old Testament lesson, a Psalm, a New Testament reading and a portion of one of the gospels. This most recent lectionary has created a cycle of readings to ensure that over three years we cover as much of the Bible as possible. During that time, we read Matthew, then Mark then Luke. The gospel of John is read during Lent this year and during the season of Easter next year.

Readings from the Old and New Testament are similarly spread over three years.

This is year is the first year of the cycle – for convenience known as Year A. That means that with the exception of Lent when we will read from John’s gospel, we will be following the gospel of Matthew throughout the year –  hearing the story of Jesus from the point of view of the author of the gospel bearing that name.

You may have already noticed some aspects of Matthew’s narration of the story that are different from those of Mark and Luke.  For example, Mathew’s gospel begins with the genealogy of Jesus and in Matthew’s gospel, it is to Joseph that the angel appears. Only in Matthew do we find the story of the Magi, the flight to Egypt and the return to Nazareth. Five times in the first two chapters we are told “this was to fulfil what is written in the scripture”, indicating that the author wants to demonstrate the continuity of his community with the promises to Israel.

It is widely believed that the author of this gospel was a Jewish Christian whose community was engaged in a debate with a community of non-believing Jews. Evidence for this point of view is supported not only by the fulfilment sayings, but also by the author’s attitude to the law – “not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished” and by his insistence that the community for whom he writes are more righteous than the Pharisees.  Among other things, it appears that the author of this gospel wants to demonstrate to those with whom he is in conflict that his (Christian) community is not only heir to the promises of the Old Testament, but that it is within his (Christian) community that the law, as Jesus commands it, is truly lived.

The conflict between Matthew’s community and the synagogue forms the background for today’s gospel.  In chapters 5 and following, Matthew has collected together a number of sayings that he believes contribute to a common theme – in this case the law. The scene for today’s gospel is set in the preceding verses which include the saying about fulfilling every letter of the law, insist that who ever loosens even the least of the commandments will be considered least in the kingdom of heaven and state that unless the communities’ righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees they will not enter the kingdom of heaven.

According to Matthew then, Jesus does not abolish the law, but more firmly establishes it. The difference is that Jesus is not the servant of the law, but its Master. Jesus appropriates the law, radically interprets it and places at its centre the love, justice and mercy that Deuteronomy commends.

It was and is relatively easy to keep the laws that were recorded on the second of the tablets which were given to Moses – do not steal, do not kill, do not bear false witness. According to Matthew, Jesus demands that his followers go beyond this. It is not enough to stop short of killing someone – any negative attitude towards another is just the same as murder.  In the same way it is not good enough to simply avoid adultery – looking at someone desire indicates a propensity to that sin.

These demands of Jesus seem almost impossible, as do his remedies – plucking out eyes and cutting off hands. Jesus is taking the law much further than anyone else has dared. The repeated statement: “You have heard it said …. but I say to you …..” indicate that this is Jesus’ re-interpretation of the law. Jesus is making the law his own and demanding that the community formed in his name adopt his radical approach to the law of the ancients.

Jesus’ attitude to the law, especially as it is represented in Matthew’s gospel, does two things. Firstly, it challenges us to try to understand and to keep all that the law implies. A superficial understanding of the law is not sufficient because it leads to duplicity, hurt and misunderstanding. A minimalist approach to the law is not only simplistic, it also reveals a certain laziness on the part of the person who does only what is absolutely necessary to observe the law.

Secondly, by elaborating on the law in the way this way, Jesus confronts the complacency of those who congratulate themselves on keeping the law and who believe themselves to be right with God as a result. In effect, Jesus is saying that there are not degrees of sin – a person is either sinless or they are not. We can’t congratulate ourselves on being less sinful than our neighbours unless we do not sin at all. Jesus’ statements with regard to the law have the effect of reminding us that we are all sinners because it is impossible for any of us to achieve the sort of perfection under the law that Jesus demands.

It is shocking, confronting and humiliating to recognise that if we are angry with someone or think them to be a fool, that we are just as much a sinner as if we had in fact, committed murder. If this is the case, what hope do any of us have? It is as impossible to keep the law as it is to be perfect,  however that is no reason for not trying. The more we try, the more we realise how far we fall short, the more we realise how far we fall short, the more we place our trust in God, the more we place our trust in God, the more we allow God to work in us, the more we allow God to work in us, the closer we become to that perfection which Jesus demands.

It is not a matter of being good enough for God, rather it is a matter of recognising that even though good enough is beyond our reach nothing is impossible for the God who loves us and who died for us and who, if only we will allow him, will transform us.

Epiphany 5

Matthew 5:13-20

Marian Free

In the name of God who calls us to be salt of the earth, light to the world. Amen.

Among other things, the recent flood, and now cyclone, has demonstrated that you do not have to be a card-carrying Christian to respond with love, compassion and action to a situation of need. In fact, one of the most interesting phenomena over the last few weeks has been the frustration, even anger of those who wanted to help, but could not. Men, women and children from all over Brisbane, those of different faiths and those of no faith, descended on volunteer stations and devastated communities anxious to be of use.  Similarly, many of the fundraising events are not being driven by those who identify as Christians but by anyone who feels that they have something to offer – musicians, comedians,. manufacturers, racing associations and local businesses.

Of course, that is not to deny the huge role played by Christian churches – in providing relief, food and shelter and by raising much needed funds towards the recovery – but it does remind us that we, as Christians do not have a monopoly on love and compassion.

This raises the question – if good works and a willingness to help others in need are not a means of distinguishing a Christian from the crowd, what is it that makes a Christian any different from anyone else? This is a question that good people have been asking for decades, though it is usually heard in the form of a statement: “You don’t need to go to church to be good.” One certainly can’t dispute that coming to church doesn’t make one any more good than anyone else.

The answer to the question is far from clear cut. In the West, society has been nominally Christian since the time of Constantine. This has had the effect that the culture itself have been christianised. Many people who would not claim to espouse the Christian faith would still demonstrate Christian values in their lives. In an increasingly secular society, gospel principle still permeate our society and determine how people behave towards one another. This of course, is a good thing but it does mean that oftentimes there is little to differentiate believers from those around us.

If not all good people are Christians then what are Christians if they are not just good people?

This is the question that the author of Matthew’s gospel addresses in what we have come to know as the sermon of the mount. The author has gathered together a collection of Jesus’ teaching which challenges the community to be better than good – to demonstrate a radical goodness which runs counter to the values and expectations of the world. Jesus demands that his followers do not just fit in with the society around them, but by their attitudes and behaviour act counter to the prevailing values.

The sermon begins with the list of blessings, that series of statement which turn upside down the values of the world. No right thinking person would really believe that being poor or persecuted was a blessing or that grief was something to be welcomed. Jesus overturns the normal interpretation of the believer’s experience of the world to open them to the values and ideals of the kingdom. Holding on the values of the world exposes one to their temporal, petty and ephemeral  nature and limits a person’s experience to the strivings and materialism of this life instead of liberating them from the cares and distractions of the world.

Following the section of the gospel which we read this morning, the sermon goes on to describe in even more detail the radically different values by which a Christian’s life will be determined and in which therefore the community of believers will be distinguished from the world around them. According to Jesus, in the kingdom – love your neighbour becomes love your enemy and an eye for an eye becomes turning the other cheek. Those who follow Jesus are not known just for their goodness – anyone can be good – a follower of Jesus is expected to go the extra distance, to demonstrate a willingness to go above and beyond. Jesus demands that those who follow will act out of love and not out of a sense of obligation, that they will understand that the smallest act of meanness against another person has the same consequence in kingdom terms as the murder of another person. There is no room for complacency, if we take the sermon on the mount seriously we have to act radically differently from the world – even if on occasions that leads to censure or persecution.

Our gospel today began with salt and light. Salt that has lost its flavour is not good for anything and a flame that has been covered is extinguished. Jesus’ statements about salt and light have something of a prophetic nature. “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” Words of commendation are followed by words of warning – salt that has lost its flavour can only be thrown out and trampled underfoot. Without flavour it has nothing else to recommend it. Light is only of value if it is light. There is absolutely no point in having a light and then putting it out.

One wonders if Jesus could see a time when the Christian community would become indistinguishable from the world. If he could foresee a time when his radical teaching had been appropriated into the blandness of goodness.

Jesus’ challenged the complacent goodness of the Pharisees who believed that there was an easy formula for getting on the right side of God. In his own life, Jesus lived the radical goodness that went above and beyond what was expected – he withheld his censure from those whom society condemned, he made no distinction between people no matter what their background or their status and from the cross he forgave those whose violence would kill him.

What would he have to say about our saltiness? Would he be able to see our light?

Epiphany 4, 2011

1 Corinthians 1:10-31 (Matthew 5:1-12)

Marian Free

In the name of God who is never as we expect but who constantly surprises and challenges us.  Amen.

Many people say that they find Paul’s letters difficult to understand. I am not one of them. It is my firm conviction Paul enriches and enlivens our understanding of the gospel and that without Paul’s contribution to the understanding of the gospel, our faith would flounder on the legalism Jesus tried to confront.  Though Paul doesn’t write a theological textbook, he takes the story and teaching of Jesus and without doing it any injustice interprets it in such a way that we more clearly understand the free gift of God’s grace, the power of the Spirit and the gospel of freedom. The Apostle Paul is one of the most impressive and formative characters of the formation of the Christian faith. Not only do his letters give us a window into the emerging church, but the writings attributed to him combined with the information about him in the book of Acts make up one third of the New Testament.

Paul came to faith through an experience of the risen Christ to which he refers in Galatians. This experience leaves him firmly convinced that Christ has revealed the gospel directly to him. As a result of this experience, Paul not only behaves with the passion of a convert, but he believes that the gospel revealed to him is the only true gospel. For this reason, Paul uses every method at his command to convince his congregations of the truth gospel as it had been revealed to him and he struggled vigorously to win them back when others confused or influenced them.

Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what Paul actually taught his congregations. His letters were written, not to expound particular theological ideas, but to address specific situations in the communities which he had founded. When he wrote to the Galatians, it is because he was furious that they had turned away from the gospel of freedom, to be bound again by the law. His letter to Rome was written as a letter of introduction and also to clarify misconceptions that the Roman community might have had about his teaching. Some scholars think it is possibly to read back through the conflict to discover what Paul originally taught, but this must in part, be based on guesswork and speculation. The letters have to be read with some care. It is important to distinguish between Paul’s voice and what he might be quoting back to the members of his communities. We also have to be aware that Paul is not above using sarcasm and that he uses rhetorical techniques to great effect.

The letter to the Corinthians was written to address a community in crisis. Paul knows of the crisis from two sources. He has received a report from Chloe’s people and the Corinthians have written to Paul in order to clarify a number of issues which are causing concern. The former have to do with divisions within the community and the latter with issues related to the body – sex and marriage, food laws and the resurrection. In Paul’s absence the Corinthians have become a divided (even stratified) community. They were divided by their loyalty to  different teachers, they took one another to court, they discriminated against those who are poor and competed with each other on the basis of their spiritual gifts. On top of this they were arrogant and self assured. According to their own definition they considered themselves to be wise, to be spiritually rich – even perfect.

It is clear from the letter, that the Corinthians completely misunderstood what Paul’s had taught. They have interpreted the freedom of the gospel as an invitation to immorality, rather than freedom to be led by the Spirit (which does not lead to immorality. They believed that having been justified by faith, they did not need to fear a future judgement and that being spiritual they did not have to be concerned with the actions of the body. Paul reminded them firmly that their body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and that they would be made accountable in the future for their behaviour in the present.

In the first chapter, Paul confronts the arrogance and self-assurance of the Corinthians by reminding them that the crucified Christ is at the centre of the gospel that he preached. He reminds them that Christ himself did not seek power or glory but accepted the shame and humiliation of the cross. Even though the idea of a crucified Lord was to the world a notion that was utterly unbelievable and unacceptable – a scandal for the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks – this was the gospel that Paul taught in Corinth.  Paul was clear in his own mind that the very weakness of the cross was what gave it its power.

As an illustration of the power that is found in weakness, Paul reminds the Corinthians of how he brought the gospel to them. By his own admission, Paul was not a powerful speaker, nor was his physical presence commanding or authoritative. He himself did not exhibit the eloquent wisdom which the Corinthians now highly prized. Paul claims that because he was weak, the Corinthians could be assured that it was not Paul, but the gospel itself which convinced them. Because Paul was weak God was able to speak through him. It Because Paul had completely submitted his will to that of God, Christ could be known through him. Because Paul had figuratively allowed his own needs for self-agrandisement and recognition to be crucified with Christ the Spirit could work through Paul to convince the Corinthians of the truth of the gospel. Paul’s weakness and lack of eloquence are ample proof that it was not his presence or speech which convinced the Corinthians but the message of the gospel being proclaimed through him.

Paul did not meet the earthly Jesus. This meant that all that he knew of Jesus’ teaching came directly from the risen Christ or through the teaching of others. Today’s gospel demonstrates that despite coming late to faith Paul clearly understood the kernel of the gospel Jesus’ preached. Paul comprehended that Jesus’ life and teaching challenged the conventional understanding of the world, confronted the status quo and turned upside down the accepted view of reality. If poverty and grief are blessings in the new order, then those who believe are forced to reconsider everything they think they know or understand. More importantly, they are compelled to realize that their own understanding is so limited, and so restricted that they have no grounds for boasting.

The cross throws into sharp relief the false values and expectations of the world. It shatters our arrogance and self assurance by demonstrating that God is utterly beyond our comprehension. The cross is so shocking, so beyond anything we could imagine that we are forced to acknowledge with Paul that “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength” and in turn to recognise our own limitations.

“The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Let us nail to the cross our false pride, our independence and selfishness and knowing that when we are weak we are strong and when we are foolish we are wise, because it is only when we acknowledge our weakness and our foolishness that we allow the Spirit of God to work in and through us.

Epiphany 3. 2011

Matthew 4:12-25

Marian Free

In the name of God, whose ways are not our ways and whose thoughts are not our thoughts. Amen.

Today’s gospel consists of what appear to be three distinct episodes. First of all, we are told that Jesus departs to Galilee in accordance with prophecy and it is here that he begins his ministry: the proclamation of the good news of the kingdom.  Then there is the account of the calling of Simon and Andrew, James and John. Lastly, Jesus begins teaching and preaching in earnest  – though we do not hear the content until the succeeding section of the gospel. In this way, the th author of Matthew’s skillfully creates a bridge between Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and his public ministry.

John’s imprisonment sets the scene. It signals the end of John’s ministry and opens the way for that of Jesus. Jesus returns to Galilee where the majority of his ministry will take place – in the country not in the centre of Judaism in Jerusalem.  Galilee is the central character of these few verses – Jesus comes back to Galilee, finds his first disciples by the Sea of Galilee and crowds flock to him from Galilee.  The majority of Jesus’ ministry is carried out in Galilee, which, for Matthew, is the fulfillment of prophecy.

The prophecy serves a secondary purpose for the author of the gospel in that “Galilee of the Gentiles” alludes to the future of the movement that follows Jesus and which will include those who are not Jews – this, despite Jesus’ injunction that the disciples go only to the lost sheep of Israel. Galilee was not in fact, a Gentile region any more than the cosmopolitan Jerusalem, but Matthew uses the prophecy to open the door to the future mission to the Gentiles. In fact, the whole of Jesus’ ministry is framed both by Jesus’ presence in Galilee and the inclusion of the Gentiles, for in Matthew 28, before his ascension into heaven, Jesus’ commissions his followers to “go and make disciples of all nations”. In the meantime, during Jesus’ life, the priority is Israel.

Having established the scene, Matthew moves on to Jesus’ ministry. His first step is to choose disciples. In terms of Jewish tradition this is an extraordinary turn of events – it is customary for disciples choose their master and not the other way around. It is equally unusual for a teacher to share his role with those whom he teachers. But, as we know, Jesus is no ordinary teacher and he will choose his own disciples – people to share with him the ministry to which he has been commissioned.

Walking by the Sea, Jesus comes across two sets of brothers. Andrew and Simon (who is identified as the Peter whom the listeners know) and then James and John abandon their livelihoods and their responsibilities in order to follow Jesus. Andrew and Simon do not even bring in their nets, let alone bring them to shore to be cleaned. James and John leave their earthly father and follow Jesus.

In this very bald and simple way, Matthew reveals two aspects of discipleship.  1. Those who follow Jesus will fish for people – gather those who believe into the faith. 2. For followers of Jesus, family relationships will be changed and re-defined as following Jesus takes priority in their lives. (It is possible that here too there is an allusion to the break with the synagogue that has taken place by the time of Matthew’s writing. Following Jesus has meant being excluded from the practice of the faith of their fathers.)

In the final verses of today’s gospel, Matthew introduces the theme of the following section: Jesus’ teaching and preaching – though in fact here, we learn more about Jesus’ healing ministry and of the crowds which are drawn to Jesus as a result.  These are the crowds who will form the audience for Jesus’ teaching

which begins in earnest in the Sermon on the Mount. The proclamation of the kingdom with which this section began is central to Jesus’ teaching. “He went throughout Galilee proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.” (The exact same language is used to conclude this section and to introduce the commissioning of the disciples at the end of chapter 9.)

The author of Matthew’s gospel achieves a great deal in these eleven verses. He establishes the break between Jesus and John while at the same time indicating their common fate – just as John was handed over, so too will Jesus be handed over. He provides a justification for Jesus’ ministry being largely confined to Galilee and opens a door for the mission to the Gentiles.  The content of Jesus’ preaching is made known and Matthew alludes to the charismatic power of Jesus which can induce complete strangers to abandon everything and follow him. Something of the nature of discipleship is revealed and finally Matthew provides the platform for Jesus’ first discourse – known to us as the Sermon on the Mount.

In a culture in which few could read for themselves, the gospels were written to be read aloud and publicly. For that reason, the authors employed a variety of techniques to ensure that their message would get through. They constructed their accounts in such a way as to gain maximum retention and understanding by those who were listening.  Scripture is used directly and indirectly, material is gathered together in order to have the greatest impact, patterns are employed to assist the hearer to remember, themes are developed and repeated and so on.

When we read or listen to scripture we should bear in mind that the author’s intention is not simply to tell a story, or to produce an account of Jesus’ life that is 100% historically accurate. The author’s intention was to write in such a way as to bring about faith and to challenge the listeners to respond to Jesus as did the early disciples.

That the few verses of today’s gospel can contain so much detail should be a reminder to us that while our gospels can be taken at face value, they are also full of subtle allusions and complexities the knowledge of which can deepen and enrich our understanding of our faith. The depth of meaning in this small section of the gospel is a warning to us not to reduce our faith to simple stories and equally simple formula, but to retain an open mind to all the possibilities that a text might include. If ever we think that we know all that there is to know, not only have we stopped growing, we have also closed our minds to future revelation and shut ourselves off from the presence of God who is ultimately beyond our understanding.

The story of Jesus is more than can be contained in any number of books, and has a meaning deeper than any number of words can express yet we can, like the disciples, be drawn into his presence, be compelled to follow at his command and commissioned to minister in his name. Let us pray for that openness of heart and mind that enables us to be ready to respond to his call and for that sense of expectancy which allows us recognise his presence in our lives.

Flooded street

Flooded street

January 16, 2011

Psalm 40

Marian Free

In the name of God who raises the dead to life. Amen.

Over the past fortnight, we have been bombarded with images of an unprecedented disaster. For most of us it is impossible to comprehend.

I imagine that many of us today are suffering from information overload and compassion overload. It is impossible for most of us to grasp the extent of the devastation and the fact that the catastrophe is continuing in other parts of the state and else where in Australia makes it even harder to come to terms with what is happening.

Just has it has been horrendous to watch the unfolding horror of the last week, so it has been amazing to see the countless acts of selflessness and generosity, the resilience and strength of those who have suffered, the care and efficiency of our Premier, our Prime Minister and Lord Mayor, the courage and endurance of our Police, our Emergency Services and our Defense Force as they have responded to the unfolding drama and have put into place both evacuation and recovery plans.

This disaster is absolutely unimaginable and the recovery will be a long, slow haul both individually and collectively.

However desolate the present and however uncertain the future, it is important to remember that we are people of the resurrection. We know that no matter how the bleak present looks there will be a new tomorrow. As people who believe in the incarnation, we know that God stands beside us in our darkest moments giving us hope, encouragement and the will to face tomorrow.

Let us take some time in silence to give thanks for those who have got us through and will continue to get us through this disaster

to remember before God those who have suffered unbearable loss and all those whose homes, livelihoods,  businesses and incomes have been affected by the floods.

To commit to the care of God all who have lost their lives.

Let us also take time to remember that we are disciples of Christ and consider how, in these present circumstances we may show whose we are – through our love, our confidence in God’s presence and through our generosity and our care for others.

Will you say after me Psalm 40 which seems particularly appropriate as so many of our brothers and sisters throughout the nation try to pull their lives and possessions out of the bog that their homes and businesses have become:

Psalm 40:1-5

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.

2 He drew me up from the desolate pit,*

out of the miry bog,

and set my feet upon a rock,

making my steps secure.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear,

and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Happy are those who make
the Lord their trust,

who do not turn to the proud,

to those who go astray after false gods.

5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God,

your wondrous deeds

and your thoughts towards us;

none can compare with you.

Were I to proclaim and tell of them,

they would be more than can be counted.

Baptism of Jesus – 2011

Matthew 3:13-17

Marian Free

In the name of God in whom we live and breathe and have our being. Amen.

When parents bring their children for baptism, one of the questions I ask is: “Why are you seeking baptism for your child?” I assure them that there are no wrong answers and that their answer helps me to understand why they are here. For that reason, I receive a variety of responses. Some are honest enough to say that they are doing it for Grandma and others have a very genuine desire that their child be initiated into the Christian faith. By far the largest number say that they believe that it is the right thing to do, that they have been baptized and that they would like their child to be baptized.

In what has until recently been a Christian nation, baptism is something that many people seek for their child as a matter of course. Our Christian tradition has allowed us to assume that everyone is a Christian and therefore they and their children are entitled to membership. In the past, the church has actively encouraged baptism with threats of hell for the un-baptised. At the same time baptism was a means of claiming people for one’s faith and even one’s denomination and ensuring that the opposition didn’t get there first.

In my life-time attitudes have changed and debates have raged with regard to the baptism of children, especially the baptism of children of families who are not regular church attenders. This has led to confusion and hurt on the one hand and a more serious approach to baptism on the other.

Baptism is an adult commitment to faith. In baptism a person promises to turn aside from their former life, they affirm that they: turn to Christ, repent of their sins, reject selfish living and all that is false and unjust and to renounce Satan and all evil. They also promise to love God with their whole heart and to love their neighbours as themselves. In front of those present they assent to the Creed stating that they believe in God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Of course, an infant or child cannot understand, let alone assent to such statements, which is why we nominate Godparents – adults who are prepared to make these promises and commitments on behalf of the child and who promise to ensure that the child is raised in the Christian faith.

We cannot be sure when the practice of baptism began, but John’s baptism indicates that baptism was a ritual well known to the Jews, otherwise they would not have flocked to the river Jordan to seek John’s baptism. The verb “baptizo” simply means: “to dip or immerse”. Evidence from archaeological digs coupled with evidence found in the New Testament confirms that ritual washing as a form of purification was an important aspect of Judaism. Whether or not baptism was associated with initiation or conversion is less clear. The baptism of John was a baptism for repentance of sins. John the Baptist was confronting what he perceived as the corruption of Judaism and was urging his fellow countrymen and women to turn their lives around and to restore their relationship with God.

It is this emphasis on repentance which makes Jesus’ baptism such an embarrassment for the author of Matthew’s gosple. Only in Matthew’s gospel does John say: ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ John perceives that Jesus has no need to repent, and tries to dissuade him from baptism. The writer of Matthew overcomes this embarrassment by associating Jesus’ baptism with a requirement in the law.  It is entirely consistent for Matthew to demonstrate that Christianity is consistent with and flows out of Judaism.  Jesus’ willingness to submit to John’s baptism illustrates his commitment to the law of his fathers.

In the wider context of the gospel, Jesus’ baptism by John is much more than a submission to the law. It reveals who Jesus is (both human and divine) and what he is to do (to serve). Further it foreshadows what is to come (Jesus’ submission to the cross). In his baptism, Jesus enters fully into the human experience by identifying himself with the sinfulness and frailty of humankind. As he rises from the water the voice from heaven affirms him as the Son of God and alludes to what this means.  Jesus is not going to fulfill the most common expectation for God’s anointed. The language of the voice from heaven recalls Isaiah 42 – “my chosen the one in whom I delight, I have put my spirit upon him”. This alerts the listeners to what follows in that chapter. Jesus will not be the conquering hero, but the suffering servant of Isaiah, who by identifying with humankind, will bring an end – not to Roman occupation per se but to human suffering in general.

At his baptism, Jesus identified completely with the human condition – accepting for himself its sinfulness. At our baptism the reverse happens – we identify with Jesus in his death and resurrection. We die to sin and rise to newness of life. Like Jesus, in baptism we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and our divinity is acknowledged. The language of baptism makes clear our change of status – we move from death to life, from darkness to light.

Our task is to ensure that the language of our baptism becomes a reality in our lives. Our baptism is of no value unless we claim the gifts it bestows and allow the Spirit to grow in us. Our Christian journey is one of continual dying and rising, leaving behind the old nature and growing into the new, until at last we are formed in the image of Christ. The gift of the Spirit is of little use if it is left dormant, hidden amongst a pile of distractions or buried under a load of cares. It is our responsibility to nurture and encourage the gift that we have received at our baptism and to allow our divinity to grow and develop. As members of this church, our challenge to seek ways in which we can nurture and encourage God’s gifts in all those who are baptised in this church.

In his baptism Jesus identified completely with our frail humanity, may our baptism be a reminder to us that we are called to share in his divinity.