Swallowsrest

Pentecost 3  2011

Romans 7:14-25

Marian Free

In the name of God who sets us free. Amen.

Martin Luther is a significant figure in the history of the church. It was his critique of the abuses of the church in his day that began the process of the Reformation and it was through his study of Paul that we recovered the important notions of justification by faith and grace. Unfortunately, though he uncovered one of the central elements of Pauline teaching, he misunderstood how it was that Paul came to that understanding. In fact, Luther read into the letters of Paul his own experiences and feelings of failure.

The young Luther was deeply troubled by his inability to achieve the degree of goodness and holiness that he felt was expected of him. As a consequence he indulged in practices that were designed to punish or quell his sinful urges and assure his salvation. He would fast for up to three days at a time and throw his blankets aside so that he nearly froze to death. His study led him to Paul and to a longing to understand Paul’s letter to the Romans in particular the notion of the justice of God. He felt that he could not love a just and angry God.

At last he came to the statement that the righteous shall live by faith. It was then that he understood that “the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy, God justifies us by faith.” All his anxiety melted away, his fears of hell disappeared, his anger at an unjust God turned to gratitude and understanding. He knew from that point that all his striving was to no avail, that Christians are justified by faith, set free by God’s grace, not by anything that they do. Grace/justification is a free gift from God that does not have to be earned but only received.

This knowledge was so liberating for him, that Luther made the assumption (based in part on today’s reading from Romans 7) that Paul had had a similar struggle and a similar release. However a reading of Paul’s genuine letters gives the lie to this theory. If anything Paul was a proud and confident Jew. Until the revelation that he describes in Galatians, Paul appears not to have had a troubled conscience from which the love of God set him free.  In fact, more than once he informs us that rather than being insecure about his place before God, he was confident in his position as a righteous Jew.

Instead of reading back into Paul’s letters our own experience, it is important to understand the context in which they were written, the situations to which he was responding and the techniques that he used to make his point. In the case of the letter to the Romans, Paul is responding to accusations that he has rejected the law – a reasonable assumption on the basis of the letter to the Galatians. Before Paul visits Rome, he must ensure he is welcome and reassure the Roman church that he still holds to the law and that God who gave the law remains faithful to the people of Israel (and is not a capricious untrustworthy God).

It is impossible to follow Paul’s argument on the basis of only a couple of isolated passages including one that has been misinterpreted for centuries. Romans 7:14-25 has been used to justify self-loathing and a distrust of our fleshly bodies. It has succeeded in personalizing and externalizing sin – “it wasn’t me, it was my carnal desires”, “the devil made me do it”. Certainly, that is how it reads out of context, and how it reads to any of us who are not able to follow Paul’s argument from the beginning.

There is no evidence anywhere else that Paul suggests that he had any difficulty fulfilling the law or that he believed himself to be a sinner as a consequence, or that he was troubled by his fleshly existence. In face, just the opposite is the case. “If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil 3:5,6).

In order to make sense of today’s passage from chapter 7, we must go back to verse 6: “If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.” This is essential for our understanding. According to the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, the only person to have lived without the law was Adam. This would mean that the “I” in this instance refers to Adam. Paul is using a dramatic technique to demonstrate that the law – though given by God – is not without its problems. In the case of Adam, it was when God said: “Do not eat of the tree” that the tree became interesting to eat. The law is good, Paul points out, but it is not able to achieve what it was intended to achieve. By using the law to make Adam break the law, sin made the law not an instrument of life, but of death. In fact, was the law that enabled sin to spring to life.

According to Paul, sin is not something we do. It is a power which exercises control, a power to which we can choose to submit. A person can make a choice – to be under sin or under grace. Being under grace or led by the Spirit does make someone perfect, but it does mean that they have placed their trust and their hope for salvation in God and in God’s righteousness.

Paul’s problem with the law was not that it was bad, but that it was under the control of sin. The law it led people to rely on themselves, to believe that they could fulfill every requirement of the law. Such self reliance led to a belief that a person could achieve their own salvation instead of relying on Jesus’ saving power. So you see, Paul is not struggling with or overwhelmed by his carnal desires. Instead, using the voice of Adam, he is trying to stress that while the law “is just and holy and good”, it is in the end ineffectual – no effort on our part will save us, only God’s goodness and grace.

If we find this difficult to understand, Chapter 8 makes this point very clear: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”  The “I” of the past few verses has been the voice of Adam, for now those who believe are set free. The law, under the power of sin is unable to set humanity free, but those whose lives are determined by the Spirit are no longer subject to condemnation. Salvation is not measured by an ability to keep a lifeless law, but by the willingness to allow the Spirit to direct our lives.

Paul is not saying that we should despise or subdue our physicality. He is trying to say that no law, no amount of law will enable us to achieve perfection. God’s love isn’t measured out in doses according to how we behave, but is God’s free gift held out to all who will accept it. It is so easy that we find it difficult to believe. It demands so little of us, that we find it almost impossible to trust that it is true. But as Paul constantly reminds us, the base line is that “since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1).

Christ has won us our salvation, we need only trust in God to claim our prize.

Pentecost 3  2011

Romans 7:14-25

Marian Free

In the name of God who sets us free. Amen.

Martin Luther is a significant figure in the history of the church. It was his critique of the abuses of the church in his day that began the process of the Reformation and it was through his study of Paul that we recovered the important notions of justification by faith and grace. Unfortunately, though he uncovered one of the central elements of Pauline teaching, he misunderstood how it was that Paul came to that understanding. In fact, Luther read into the letters of Paul his own experiences and feelings of failure.

The young Luther was deeply troubled by his inability to achieve the degree of goodness and holiness that he felt was expected of him. As a consequence he indulged in practices that were designed to punish or quell his sinful urges and assure his salvation. He would fast for up to three days at a time and throw his blankets aside so that he nearly froze to death. His study led him to Paul and to a longing to understand Paul’s letter to the Romans in particular the notion of the justice of God. He felt that he could not love a just and angry God.

At last he came to the statement that the righteous shall live by faith. It was then that he understood that “the justice of God is that righteousness by which through grace and sheer mercy, God justifies us by faith.” All his anxiety melted away, his fears of hell disappeared, his anger at an unjust God turned to gratitude and understanding. He knew from that point that all his striving was to no avail, that Christians are justified by faith, set free by God’s grace, not by anything that they do. Grace/justification is a free gift from God that does not have to be earned but only received.

This knowledge was so liberating for him, that Luther made the assumption (based in part on today’s reading from Romans 7) that Paul had had a similar struggle and a similar release. However a reading of Paul’s genuine letters gives the lie to this theory. If anything Paul was a proud and confident Jew. Until the revelation that he describes in Galatians, Paul appears not to have had a troubled conscience from which the love of God set him free.  In fact, more than once he informs us that rather than being insecure about his place before God, he was confident in his position as a righteous Jew.

Instead of reading back into Paul’s letters our own experience, it is important to understand the context in which they were written, the situations to which he was responding and the techniques that he used to make his point. In the case of the letter to the Romans, Paul is responding to accusations that he has rejected the law – a reasonable assumption on the basis of the letter to the Galatians. Before Paul visits Rome, he must ensure he is welcome and reassure the Roman church that he still holds to the law and that God who gave the law remains faithful to the people of Israel (and is not a capricious untrustworthy God).

It is impossible to follow Paul’s argument on the basis of only a couple of isolated passages including one that has been misinterpreted for centuries. Romans 7:14-25 has been used to justify self-loathing and a distrust of our fleshly bodies. It has succeeded in personalizing and externalizing sin – “it wasn’t me, it was my carnal desires”, “the devil made me do it”. Certainly, that is how it reads out of context, and how it reads to any of us who are not able to follow Paul’s argument from the beginning.

There is no evidence anywhere else that Paul suggests that he had any difficulty fulfilling the law or that he believed himself to be a sinner as a consequence, or that he was troubled by his fleshly existence. In face, just the opposite is the case. “If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil 3:5,6).

In order to make sense of today’s passage from chapter 7, we must go back to verse 6: “If it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin.” This is essential for our understanding. According to the Old Testament and Jewish tradition, the only person to have lived without the law was Adam. This would mean that the “I” in this instance refers to Adam. Paul is using a dramatic technique to demonstrate that the law – though given by God – is not without its problems. In the case of Adam, it was when God said: “Do not eat of the tree” that the tree became interesting to eat. The law is good, Paul points out, but it is not able to achieve what it was intended to achieve. By using the law to make Adam break the law, sin made the law not an instrument of life, but of death. In fact, was the law that enabled sin to spring to life.

According to Paul, sin is not something we do. It is a power which exercises control, a power to which we can choose to submit. A person can make a choice – to be under sin or under grace. Being under grace or led by the Spirit does make someone perfect, but it does mean that they have placed their trust and their hope for salvation in God and in God’s righteousness.

Paul’s problem with the law was not that it was bad, but that it was under the control of sin. The law it led people to rely on themselves, to believe that they could fulfill every requirement of the law. Such self reliance led to a belief that a person could achieve their own salvation instead of relying on Jesus’ saving power. So you see, Paul is not struggling with or overwhelmed by his carnal desires. Instead, using the voice of Adam, he is trying to stress that while the law “is just and holy and good”, it is in the end ineffectual – no effort on our part will save us, only God’s goodness and grace.

If we find this difficult to understand, Chapter 8 makes this point very clear: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”  The “I” of the past few verses has been the voice of Adam, for now those who believe are set free. The law, under the power of sin is unable to set humanity free, but those whose lives are determined by the Spirit are no longer subject to condemnation. Salvation is not measured by an ability to keep a lifeless law, but by the willingness to allow the Spirit to direct our lives.

Paul is not saying that we should despise or subdue our physicality. He is trying to say that no law, no amount of law will enable us to achieve perfection. God’s love isn’t measured out in doses according to how we behave, but is God’s free gift held out to all who will accept it. It is so easy that we find it difficult to believe. It demands so little of us, that we find it almost impossible to trust that it is true. But as Paul constantly reminds us, the base line is that “since we are justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:1).

Christ has won us our salvation, we need only trust in God to claim our prize.

Pentecost 2 2011

Matthew 10:40-42

Marian Free

In the name of God who desires that we share Jesus’ love and compassion with all. Amen.

 Today’s reading brings to an end chapter 10 of Matthew’s gospel in which Jesus commissions his twelve disciples giving them authority to “proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and to cast out demons. In other words, Jesus gives to his disciples the same authority that he has. They are empowered to do what he does, to preach what he preaches. This privilege however is not without some cost. If the disciples are to share Jesus’ authority, they must expect to share Jesus’ suffering – Jesus sends them out as “sheep among wolves”, warns them that they will be handed over to synagogues and flogged, hauled before governors and kings, persecuted and hated by all because of Jesus’ name. However they are not to worry what to say, for the Spirit of the Father will speak through them.

Despite all the difficulties that they will face they are to have no fear but are to proclaim the word from the housetops, for those who can hurt the body cannot destroy the soul and God who sees the sparrow fall, knows even the number of hairs on their heads so there is no need to be afraid. Besides those who endure to the end will be saved.

Discipleship does not lead to a life of ease. Those who represent Jesus, must expect to experience with him the world’s hatred and rejection. Jesus’ presence and teaching is divisive – he creates strong reactions of love or hatred. Families are split apart by their reaction to him. Finally, discipleship cannot be half-hearted – those who love father, mother, son, or daughter are not worthy of him. In fact, whoever does not take up the cross and follow him is not worthy of him.

A number of things become obvious in this chapter. First of all, when Jesus commissions his disciples, he does not give them subsidiary roles, instead he empowers them with all the power and authority that is his to give. Secondly, Jesus makes clear that being his representative in not without cost. If the disciples are to represent Jesus, they must expect the world to react to them in the same way that it has reacted to Jesus – that is with antagonism and outright violence. Thirdly, the disciples are assured of God’s concern for them and are encouraged to place themselves in God’s care.

The disciples are sent out, warned and reassured. Today’s gospel must be read in this context – the sending out, warning and reassurance of the disciples. In its immediate context, it follows the pattern of the previous verses that insist that love of Jesus have priority over all else. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.“

In these verses there is a repetition of “whoever” and a consequence for behaviour: ‘whoever loves x more than me is not worthy of me”. These arefollowed by a statement that earthly realities are as nothing compared to the life that Jesus offers. The same pattern is found in today’s gospel. We read:“whoever welcomes”, “whoever welcomes”,“whoever welcomes”, “whoever welcomes” and “whoever gives”. Two sets of welcome are followed by receiving a reward and the third by the assurance that the welcomer will not lose their reward.

Those who are welcomed include the disciples, the prophets, the righteous and the little ones. In the first verse we are taken back to the beginning of the chapter the disciples – those whom Jesus sends – are his representatives. So whoever welcomes them welcomes him (just as whoever welcomes Jesus welcomes the Father whom Jesus represents). The remainder elaborate who these disciples are.

They are listed in order of perceived importance. Everyone would have known the significance of prophets and the value of welcoming them. “The righteous person” is another term that comes from Judaism meaning the faithful follower of Jesus – they too are to be welcomed.  The last to be mentioned would have caused some surprise, “the little ones”, the ordinary and the insignificant, find their place among the prophets, the righteous – even the disciples and Jesus himself!

Of course, we are not surprised at the inclusion “of the little ones” in this list. It fits with what we know Jesus’ egalitarianism, and after all, this whole chapter affirms that Jesus has the disciples his equals. There is no hierarchy among those sent by Jesus.  Jesus is keen for the Christian community to understand this. Up until now, Jesus has been addressing the disciples, those whom he has sent. These last few verses are addressed to the settled communities.  They are to welcome not only the prophets and the righteous, but all those who take the gospel to the hostile world and to understand that they are blessed by the presence of missionaries among them.

Through this instruction to the communities, Jesus is ensuring that those whom he sends, will be welcomed by the settled faith communities. At the same time, Jesus is reminding the faith communities that they will be blessed by the presence of these wandering teachers – their welcome will be more than amply rewarded by what they receive. Furthermore, if “the little ones” represents the ordinary Christians, these verses contain a reminder that all of us (not just the prophets and the righteous) are called, commissioned and empowered to spread the gospel, to heal the sick and to cast out demons.

Missionary endeavours have changed over the centuries. The association of mission and colonization and oppression has led to a certain embarrassment and confusion about the place of mission in the modern world. Proclaiming the gospel is different from imposing the gospel. In a multi-cultural, multi-faith world, we should not lose confidence in the faith that we hold, nor should we deny others its power to save. The challenge is how to share our conviction with integrity and with respect.

We are entering a new era in the life of the church. Whom can we send? How can we encourage them? How can we share in their mission?

Jesus says: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Easter 7 – 2011

John 17:1-11

Marian Free

In the name of God in whom we have life in the present and life everlasting. Amen.

I wonder what would happen, if I gave each of you 100 words and asked you to use just those words to write an essay that was 1,500 words long. I imagine that it would take a considerable amount of creativity to complete such a task. Even if you used words like “the” and “and” disproportionately often you would have to use some of your words at least 10 times and you would find it difficult to say what you wanted to say because you were restricted to the 100 words provided. Even if I allowed you to choose your own 100 words, I imagine that the amount of repetition required to complete a 1,500-word essay might be a real test of your ingenuity.

With this in mind, you might be surprised to note that the writer of the gospel of John uses only 1,011 words to write the entire gospel. As there are 15,416 words in the gospel as a whole that means that of those 1,011 words, many are repeated over and over and over again.  To give you a few examples, the word “light” appears 22 times, “glory” 19 times, “glorify” 12 times and “hour” occurs 20 times. The fact that the word “life” occurs something like 47 times and the word “know” is repeated something like 100 times takes up some of the slack – and allows for other words to be used much less frequently.

It is a characteristic of John’s gospel that key terms are repeated and also that many of these terms have double meanings. For example, John uses “light” to refer to physical light, but also to the revelation of God through Jesus. “The hour” means not only a point in time, but also the point at which Jesus’ mission comes to fulfillment. “Life” refers to eternal life, which is not something to be expected in the future, but a life that is available to believers in the present. Jesus uses the words “the name” or “your name” when he is speaking of God. “Know” or ”knowledge” is used in the sense of the knowledge of God that leads to salvation.

It is almost as if the author is speaking in code – a code which does make superficial sense to the average listener, but which has a much deeper meaning for those in the community that he is addressing.

I’m certain that the author of John does not have a limited vocabulary. The reason that he uses so few words to write the gospel is that his record of Jesus’ life is condensed into themes – light/darkness, blindness/sight, coming and going. He wants the readers to understand that Jesus existed with God from the beginning of time, that Jesus and the Father are one, that Jesus represents light in the darkness and that light and darkness are two different forms of existence and that no one can inhabit both at the same time. Jesus comes from heaven, is sent by God and will return to heaven. On earth, Jesus’ role is to give people the knowledge of the Father that leads to eternal life.

The author does not need to use a great variety of words, because his intent is simply to share these themes and to record the life of Jesus in such a ways as to draw out these over arching themes.

Today’s gospel reading is, as might be expected, filled with some of John’s key terms – the hour, glorify, life, name, know – all of which the reader will now be familiar with from the earlier chapters.

We have seen over the past few weeks, that the gospel of John concludes with this – Jesus’ farewell discourse. His final speech to the disciples shares many characteristics with other farewell speeches including those of Jacob and Moses. One of the characteristics of such speeches is the prayer for those whom they will be leaving behind. Jesus too concludes with prayer. He prays for himself, for the disciples and finally for those whom the disciples will bring to faith.

There is a sense that Jesus has already moved on, that he has already left this world behind him. His concern now is whether or not the disciples will be able to continue his mission. Will they abide in him as he abides in the Father? Will they be one as he and the Father are one? Will they keep the faith in a world hates them? Jesus’ role in the world has come to an end, now he must rely on his disciples to make God known and so he prays for them – that they will hold fast, that they will be one.

Despite Jesus’ apparent confidence that the disciples have kept his word and have believed that he has come from the Father, there is an element of uncertainty in his prayer. He is after all leaving his mission in the hands of a group of people who have been slow to understand, and who in his moment of need will abandon and deny him. Can they really be trusted to carry on his mission.

Two thousand years later, we might think that over the centuries Jesus’ worst fears have been realised. Jesus’ disciples have not always demonstrated a confidence in God. It would be hard to argue that those who believe in Jesus have always behaved in a way that is consistent with making the glory of God known and it would be impossible to suggest that the church has been one, as Jesus and the Father have been one.

When Jesus prays for the disciples, he prays not only for those who were present with him at the time before his death, but for all who will be his disciples in every generation. As he prays for them, he is praying for us. We must look to ourselves then if his prayer is to be fulfilled in this day and age. We must ask ourselves – Do we strive for the unity with Jesus that Jesus shared with the Father? Is God glorified through our lives? Are we in the business of making God’s name known in the world?

Make no mistake – the answer to Jesus’ prayer does not depend on anyone else, in the past or in the present – it depends on us – on our faith, on our willingness to be one with Jesus and our desire that God be glorified on earth through our lives. Jesus has placed all his trust in us. Are we able to rise to the challenge?

Easter 6, 2011

John 14:15-21

Marian Free

In the name of God whose Spirit works in and through us. Amen.

In John’s gospel there is no record of the Last Supper in the sense of Jesus’ breaking bread and drinking wine with his disciples. Instead Jesus’ final meal is used as an opportunity for the author to introduce Jesus’ final discourse in which Jesus not only prepares the disciples for his departure but also provides instruction for the early church. Jesus warns his disciples that he is going to be leaving them, assures them that in time they will follow to a place which he has prepared, he comforts them by telling them that they will not be alone and assures them that because he lives, they will live also.

As part of preparing the disciples for his departure, Jesus promises that he will send the Holy Spirit to encourage, support and teach them.  He is assuring them that not only will they not be left alone, but that in the future, the Spirit will continue the work that Jesus began with them. A lifetime would not have been sufficient for Jesus to teach the disciples all that they need to know. Indeed their human limitations mean that they could never, on their own, achieve the likeness to Jesus that would ensure his continuing presence in the world.

The Spirit will continue Jesus’ teaching, and unlike Jesus, he will be with them forever.

Jesus not only comforts his disciples, but he turns his “going away” into a positive. It is only if he goes away that the Spirit of truth can come. As the Spirit will lead them into the future, it is essential that Jesus go away so that the Spirit can come and teach them all things.

Long before the church had come up with the doctrine of the Trinity, John’s gospel expresses the unity of the Father with the Son and the Spirit with the Son. Jesus says if anyone has seen the Son they have seen the Father. Now he is saying that the Spirit will come in his stead. Father, Son and Spirit, each revealing the other and all three acting together in unity.

What is amazing is that Jesus says that we can share in that union. Jesus says that we will know the Spirit because the Spirit abides with us and will be in us. That is to say that the Spirit which is one with the Father and the Son, is a part of us, and therefore we can share in the unity that they demonstrate. Jesus takes this image still further in chapter 15 where he elaborates the image of the vine. By remaining connected to the vine, we allow Jesus/the Spirit to work through us, and in this way bear fruit (do those things that Jesus would do). In chapter 15 we find the same language of abiding. Jesus says to the disciples: “abide in me, as I abide in you”.

This has profound implications for the way in which we live our faith. A life of faith is one that is lived in Jesus and one that allows Jesus to live in us.  So often, we confuse faith with doing things – being good, doing good works, keeping the commandments. These chapters of John’s gospel make it clear that the primary task of faith is to allow Jesus/the Spirit to abide in us, to give our lives over completely to the presence of God within us so that the fruits of that relationship may be seen in our lives. If we align our lives with Jesus as he has aligned his with the Father, then he will work through us, just as the Father worked through him.

It’s all so easy. All we have to do is let go and let God. All we have to do is to place ourselves completely at God’s disposal, allow Jesus to reside in us and everything else will follow. However, you, like me know that what is ostensibly easy is, in fact, very hard. We do not like to be out of control. We like to think that we have something to contribute. We want to be able to measure our faith against others. We want to be able to demonstrate our goodness or our obedience. All of these things work to exclude God. Every time we try to something by ourselves – however worthy that activity might be, we are locking God out of our lives. Every time we do a good work instead of allowing God to work through us, we are implying that we can do it better than God. Every time we rely on the commandments, we are demonstrating a failure to trust in the Spirit within us.

Our behaviour very often stands in stark contrast with the faith we profess. We proclaim that we trust in God, then we demonstrate by our actions that we don’t trust God at all.

Perhaps it’s time we took hold of Jesus’ promise to the early disciples, time we tried to understand what it means to have Jesus himself abide in us, time we asked ourselves what our lives would look like if we allowed the Spirit to direct us.

Jesus has promised to do everything for us. Isn’t it time that we stopped resisting and started resting in Jesus’ presence in and with us?

Easter 5 – 2011

1 Peter 2:11-22 (John 14:1-4)

Marian Free

In the name of Jesus Christ who stands with the oppressed and the disadvantaged, and who was not afraid to die to bring life to others. Amen.

I imagine that the reaction of many of us to situations such as those in Libya, Syria, Yemen and throughout the Arab world today stand in stark contrast with the words of the letter of Peter which we have heard read this morning. The author of this letter urges his readers to accept the authority of every human institution, to honour the Emperor and insists that the slave submit to his or her master – even if, in fact especially if, they are cruel. According to this view we are contradicting scripture if we applaud the Egyptians for standing up to and overthrowing an oppressive regime and we are going against God’s will if we support the presence of NATO in Libya.

Measured against this letter of Peter, the Egyptians should have patiently and submissively continued to endure the oppression of Mubarak, the Libyans should bear the consequences of their revolt against the human institution that is Gadaffi and the unrest in the remainder of the Arab world is unlawful and is rightfully being punished. The same sort of logic would say to the battered wife, the abused child or the bullied worker: “Go back to your abuser and submit to the unjust violence, then you will be like Jesus.”

The letters of Peter were written in the early second century, to a persecuted community in Asia Minor. They were written to encourage believers who found themselves in difficult circumstances and they do so by exhorting believers to accept their suffering, because in so doing they imitate Christ’s suffering and will gain an inheritance that is “imperishable, undefiled and unfading”. The readers are encouraged to endure their sufferings, to repay evil with good and to live such exemplary lives such that the injustice of their suffering will be without doubt.

The believers to whom Peter writes may well need to keep their heads down so that they do not draw more attention to themselves, and they obviously need to be reminded that their suffering has value, and that even if the present is filled with danger and fear, they can look forward to a future that is eternal and filled with joy. They can be reassured that they are imitating Jesus and sharing in his sufferings.

This does not mean that it is a rule for all Christians in every age to “mind their own business” or “to bury their heads in the sand”. The situation of a second century community that is experiencing persecution is vastly different from that of a Christian community in the 21^st century in a country in which they are part of the status quo and in no danger from the government of the day.

The idea that Christians should by their silence condone violent and oppressive regimes is not something that can be supported by the gospels. Jesus was not afraid to stand up for the oppressed and marginalised and he does not hesitate to criticise those whom he believed to be oppressing and restraining the people of Israel. In fact, it was because Jesus was prepared to take a stand against the human institutions of his time, that he found himself in trouble. It was because Jesus was not silent in the face of injustice that he found himself on the cross.

Conversely, once Jesus’ knew that his fate was inevitable, he submitted without a fight knowing as he did, that by giving his life he would win life for others.

Over the centuries, many who have followed in Jesus’ footsteps have risked their lives because they dared to speak out against injustice and oppression, to stand up to unjust governments and to declare what was right in the face of what was clearly wrong. Despite the danger to themselves, the saints of past ages have been prepared to make a stand. Yet when the battle was done they too submitted without reserve to the fate that was theirs. On the other hand, in the last century alone many atrocities were carried out against innocent people because good people chose to remain silent – whether out of fear, or from a mistaken belief that God himself condoned evil and unjust regimes.

What then do we make of the letter to Peter, and how do we in the 21^st century make decisions as to when to be silent and when to speak out, when to submit and when to stand up for what is right? It is not easy and not many of us have the clarity of vision and purpose, or the courage of the martyrs.

John’s gospel gives us some insight into the answer. In today’s reading, Jesus is preparing the disciples for his departure. However, he causes some consternation when he says: “You know the way to where I am going.” Thomas speaks for all the disciples when he responds: “We do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” The disciples have failed to understand what Jesus has been saying for some time – that is that he has come from the Father and that he is returning to the Father. The way that this return will occur is through his lifting up, through his death on the cross. The way to life, the way to the Father – for Jesus and for all those who would follow – is through death. The way is the how as well as the direction.

Following Jesus who is ‘the way’ does not mean a life of ease and safety. It does not mean standing silent in the face of injustice or cruelty and it does not mean seeking one’s own comfort at the expense of another. It can mean taking the risks that Jesus took, knowing when to speak out and when to be silent and when it is necessary to give one’s life so that others might live.

Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The way of Jesus is the way of the cross. It is only if we follow Jesus to the cross and beyond that we will come at last to the Father and to our eternal inheritance.

Easter 4 – Good Shepherd Sunday 2011

 John 10:1-10

Marian Free

In the name of God who gives us life in abundance. Amen.

On the basis of years of familiarity, we sometimes take the meaning of biblical passages as self evident. However, on closer inspection, some at least, prove to be complex and difficult to understand. Such is the case with today’s gospel. We all know and love the image of Jesus the Good Shepherd who not only cares for the sheep, but who lays down his life for them. When we read John 10 we call to mind the 23^rd Psalm. Perhaps we even remember that the prophets called the leaders of the Jews false shepherds and promised them one true shepherd – God.

If we look more carefully at the first ten verses of John chapter 10 we find that there is in fact much that is confusing. For example, is Jesus the shepherd or the gate? Is it possible that he is both? Who are the thieves and robbers? Is there just one flock or many in the sheepfold? Are ALL the shepherd’s sheep named and so on.

In order to answer these questions, I consulted two reputable commentaries on John’s gospel. You might be relieved to know that I am going to spare you the results of my research. Instead – I want you to imagine that we are having a revival meeting, and to the question: “Are you alive?” You all shout out “Yes” and then the question escalates: “Are you really alive?”  as does your answer “Yes!” Then it escalates still more: “Are you filled with the life of the risen Lord?” and you shout out: “Yes sister, Hallelujah.”

What a contrast that would be to our more subdued recital of what we believe. Every Sunday we say the Nicene Creed – a theological/intellectual statement about what we believe, but we say nothing about the transforming, life-giving power of God. In the Creed we affirm what we believe about God, but don’t proclaim God’s powerful presence in our lives. Being decent, reserved Anglicans, we don’t often declare publicly and loudly the blessings God has showered on us.

By our silence, we allow many in the world at large to continue to believe that being a Christian is about being good, about keeping the ten commandments and not rocking the boat. Sadly, this presents Christianity as a dry faith, a faith which demands obedience to an exacting God, when in reality our faith is living and dynamic faith in a God who gives more to us than he asks in return.

The problem, I think, is that it is so much easier (and safer) to tell people what to do than to free them to live. It is easier to teach people what they must do, than to find ways to open them to the possibility of God’s life-giving power. As a result, we teach do’s and don’ts, rather than being and not being. We are good at sharing what we must do: we must love God, we must love others. Loving others means that we must forgive others. We must walk the extra mile, turn the other cheek and so on. Add to that the list of all things we must not do and our faith an observance of rules not a relationship with the living God. Taken to its extreme, this expression of faith constricts a believer into a narrow, life-less way of living. It engenders guilt and a sense of unworthiness rather than opening the door to the fullness of life that is ours in Jesus Christ.

The sort of Christian faith that depends on what we do and don’t do is dangerous, not only because it is life-denying, but because it tends to self-absorption and egoism. It becomes more about us than about God, more about what we do for God than what God does for us. (as if we could ever presume that God needs us to do anything for God). This sort of faith bears a strong similarity to that of the Pharisees of whom Jesus was so critical.

The difference between the faith of the Pharisees and the gospel Jesus preaches is illustrated in today’s gospel. The Pharisees are the thieves and robbers who come only to steal and kill and destroy. On the other hand, Jesus the shepherd leads the flock out to pasture (the source of life). Jesus claims that he has come to bring not just life but abundant life. The rule bound approach to faith is life-destroying because it closes its eyes to possibility. Faith that is completely dependent on the Good Shepherd is life-giving and open to whatever God might do.

I wonder what the church would look life, if in God’s life we all lived abundantly -if our lives were so fulfilled, so rich, so full of joy and peace that others would simply catch the abundant life which Jesus offers. I wonder what would happen, if, instead of – or as well as  – reciting “We believe in one God etc” we declared that we believe in God – Creator, Saviour and Life-giver who not only gives us life in abundance, but who also blesses us with peace and love and joy. Imagine if we trusted God so much that we were able to stop striving to achieve our own goodness and were able to rest completely in God’s goodness. Imagine the freedom we would be able to share with the world if we really truly believed that Jesus died for us and that as a result our salvation had already been won. How liberating it would be if we truly believed that our eternal reward depended not on us, but on what God in Jesus has done for us.

According to John’s gospel the resurrection life begins now. We do not have to wait for an indefinite eternity to experience the life that Jesus has to offer. Jesus brings us out of darkness into light, gives us living water, bread from heaven and life in abundance. In short all that we need, we find in faith in Jesus. Our bones may ache, our income shrink, our dreams be shattered, the world may rage around us but in Jesus we find that we have all that we need and more.

Trying to achieve an illusive goal of goodness may stunt and constrain our growth as a person and as a spiritual being because we end up focussing on ourselves and not God. If we stop trying, if we stop trying to do it on our own, if we live what we believe knowing that God truly loves us, that God is always willing to forgive us, and that in Jesus God gives us life in abundance, if we really and truly allow God into our lives we may just find that God’s peace, love and goodness flow through us, such that our lives are transformed, and the goodness that we sought, becomes the goodness that we live.

Jesus said: “I have come that you might have life and have it abundantly.” Let us live that life in such a way that others will seek to live it too.

Easter 2

John 20:19-35

Marian Free

In the name of God who is revealed in the risen Christ.  Amen.

I can remember a long time ago meeting someoen who was quite critical of the fact that I was researching for my Phd. In his mind a critical examination of scripture was unnecessary for someone entering ministry and that it would at worst lead me on the slippery slope to a loss of faith. I can remember too, on one occasion being asked if I would preach a rather academic student sermon in a parish setting. My answer was “yes”, that I believed that church-goers were entitled to be exposed to up-to-date interpretations of the bible – though I might find a different way of saying it in the context of a congregation.

History has demonstrated that I have not lost my faith. Neither, so far as I know, have I caused others to lose theirs. I am passionate about the bible and want to know as much about it as I possibly can. I may not always find the right words to share my insights or the insights of others, but that is not for lack of trying.

The thing is that no one person or generation has the key to interpreting the bible and none of us are able to go back in time, or enter into the world view of the writers such that we can claim to know exactly what a particular story or passage means. Sometimes in fact we can get it wrong for generations and it is only when someone asks a different question or discovers something about first century existence that we see the text in the way it was originally intended.

A good example of this is the injunction for women not to speak in church. For nearly two thousand years women were excluded from the sanctuary on the basis of a mis-interpretation of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Certainly, in chapter 14, Paul does suggest that women should not to speak in church, but in chapter 11 Paul gives instructions for women when they pray or prophecy in church!

All this goes to show that we should not assume that the interpretation of scripture is fixed and unchanging and that there are no new insights to be had.

This brings me to Thomas. I imagine that many of us tend to think that we know all there is to know about Thomas, and for many of us our knowledge of this disciple is based solely on this morning’s gospel and Thomas’s refusal to believe his fellow disciples outrageous claim. However there is more to Thomas than this one story.

For example, in the gospel of Luke there is an account of the resurrection that is very much like the one we have heard this morning.  Jesus appears to the disciples who are terrified and dis-believing. In response to their doubt Jesus shows them his hands and feet and gives them permission to touch the scars. When we compare this with the account in John two things become obvious– firstly, Thomas is not singled out, and all the disciples are doubters; secondly, all the disciples have them an opportunity to touch his wounds.

On the basis of John’s account, we tend to think of Thomas in a negative light and doubt as something to be completely avoided.

BUT – there is more to Thomas than this account and more to the story than Thomas’ doubt. In John’s gospel, Thomas is a significant perhaps more so than James and John. For example, you will remember that when Jesus is told about Lazarus being ill, it is Thomas who has the courage to say: “Let us also go, that we might die with him.” When the other disciples are urging caution about going to Jerusalem where they Jews are threatening to kill Jesus, it is Thomas who commits himself to following him to the end. At the last supper it is Thomas who has the courage to say: “We do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” In today’s gospel, Thomas begins with doubt, but then does what no one else does – he falls at Jesus’ feet and declares: “My Lord and my God.” Lastly, when Jesus appears to the disciples on the beach Thomas again is present as if nothing has happened. All this suggests that rather than being an embarrassment, Thomas was an important figure for the community that produced John’s gospel.

Furthermore, legend has it that it was Thomas who took the gospel to India and that there he was speared to death. Thomas might be better known as Thomas the brave or as Thomas the spokesperson.

Thomas did find it hard to believe that Jesus had appeared to the disciples and he was honest about how he felt. While Jesus commends those who believe without seeing, he does not condemn Thomas – just the reverse. Jesus respects Thomas’ uncertainty and not only appears again especially for Thomas, but he gives Thomas what Thomas has asked for – the opportunity to touch and see for himself. Jesus recognised what Thomas needed for faith and responded accordingly.

Thomas’ very human reaction to the fantastic new of Jesus’ appearance helps us to understand that questioning and exploring our faith is necessary, but neither is it a bad thing. Rather than being a sign of inadequate faith, asking questions and expressing doubt can be, for some, the way to come to the depth of faith that Thomas expresses in Jesus. Similarly, an openness to scripture and a willingness to explore can provide new insights which in turn strengthen rather than weaken what we believe.

It is important that our relationship with God is open and honest, that we have the courage and confidence to ask our questions and that we know that God has shoulders big enough to cope with any doubts, complaints or queries that we might have. We do not need to be afraid that God will reject us if we have moments when we struggle to believe, we need to feel unfaithful if we need to tease out a text until we are satisfied that we fully understand. Faith is a journey and we must continue the quest until at last, we like Thomas are inspired to fall to our knees and acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and our God.

Easter Day 2011

Marian Free

 In the name of God, who raised Jesus from the dead so that all might live. Amen.

C.S. Lewis has written that when we say that the resurrection happened two thousand years ago, we should say it in the same way that we might say: “I saw a crocus yesterday.”

I realize that that image is not particularly helpful for those of us who live in the sub-tropics. I can’t think of a seasonal equivalent, but perhaps in Queensland in 2011, we might speak of the resurrection in the same way that we might say to another: “My grandchild was born yesterday.” When we announce the birth of a child, we are speaking about an historical event, but at the same time the event to which we refer is not confined to the past, but points to the future. In a temperate climate, the first crocus indicates a change of season. There might be cool days ahead, but a corner has been turned, and without our doing anything about it, the days will get longer and warmer.

In the same way, when we speak of the birth of a child, we do so with a sense of excitement and anticipation. A new chapter has opened in the life of a family, nothing will ever be the same, the child will add new dimensions, new joys and new worries as well as new hopes. Whatever happens in the life of the child, the family is changed forever parents are grandparents, young people become parents and so on – the whole dynamic is different.

This is the point that Lewis is making. The resurrection marks a turning point in history after which life can never be the same. The centre of gravity has shifted, the nature of our relationship with God has been dramatically expanded, the possibilities for the future have opened wide. We can see and understand both God and the world around us in ways that might have been unimaginable before.

The resurrection is not an event that can be contained or limited by history – it transcends time and place to inspire, encourage and enthuse people in every generation. In calendar time it may have occurred two thousand years ago, but it was not a static, unrepeatable event. The resurrection is relived every time a person encounters the risen Christ; it becomes a reality for those who lives are turned around through new insights or through the strength to overcome addiction. The resurrection is known by those who come out the other side of grief knowing that life can be worth living, or by those who make their way from the losses caused by disaster to a new way of living.

When despair turns to hope, grief to joy, disaster to victory, there is Christ and there the power of the resurrection is known.

A resurrection which is merely a miracle that occurred two thousand years ago has no power to inform and transform the present. The resurrection of Jesus changed everything and continues to change everything for those who believe, it gives hope for the present and the future, it assures us of God’s continuing presence with us, it inspires us to renew our lives and to live with courage and determination to be among those who change the world for the better.

Easter Eve 2010

Marian Free

 In the name of God who raised Jesus from the dead and who constantly raises us to newness of life. Amen.

I don’t know if you have noticed, but musicals, plays and movies about the life of Jesus find it very hard to include the resurrection. In most instances, the action ends with the crucifixion and burial followed by a fleeting reference to the resurrection. One wonders why it is so difficult to portray one of the central tenets of our faith. We believe Jesus has risen, we proclaim that Jesus is alive with us today, but do not seem to be able to dramatically portray the event.

One of the reasons for the problem is that no one saw the resurrection. There were lots of eye-witnesses to the crucifixion, several of Jesus’ followers saw that he was buried, but no one was there on the third day, when Jesus rose from death to life. The women and Peter and John saw the empty tomb, and on that same day Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the two who were walking to Emmaus and to the gathered disciples, but no one observed the moment.

The situation is further complicated by a number of facts: Jesus didn’t rise from the dead and continue with his mission. Instead, he appears at different times and to different people. For the forty days until the ascension, Jesus appears on and off – in a variety of places and situations. He appeared in closed rooms, on the beach, walking along the road. His appearances are just that – he comes and he goes. Another complication is the nature of Jesus’ resurrection body. All the reports seem to indicate that although scared, his body is recognizable as the body he had before the resurrection. Despite this, he is not always immediately identifiable. In some accounts, the risen Jesus is mistaken for a ghost, in others a point is made that he eats with the disciples, and in another he is not recognised until he breaks the bread (at which point he disappears). If he has a physical body with flesh and bones we have to ask ourselves how he manages to appear in locked rooms.

No wonder movie-makers find it difficult to portray what has happened. The resurrection was not observed and experiences of the risen Jesus differed from person to person.  What then do we make of the resurrection? I believe, first of all that the resurrected Jesus was and is something to be experienced. The followers of Jesus knew he was alive and their knowledge was so real and so powerful that they were able to convince others that he was alive. Because the resurrection was something to be experienced, two thousand years later we can experience the resurrected Jesus in our own lives.

It is perhaps to our advantage that the resurrection was not observed because instead of one story and experience we have multiple stories and experiences. Instead of limiting the resurrection to a one-off occurrence two thousand years ago, we can expect to experience the resurrection in our own lives.

Christ is risen and because he is risen, he is not relegated to history but is alive in our present. We know Jesus not only as the Jesus of a past era, but the Jesus who is with us now and will be with us to the end. We don’t need physical proof of the resurrection, because all the proof we need exists in our relationship with the risen Christ, right here and right now.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!