August 24, 2014
Pentecost 11
Matthew 16:12-20
Romans 12:1-8
(prayer)
I saw this meme online the
other day:
I think that it is generally true that when
we enjoy a book or a movie or a song or a story, we can continue to find value
in it beyond the first time we read or hear or see it.
If you are a reader, you
likely know what I mean. I know that I
can’t be the only who goes back and re-reads books I have read before.
Same thing with music or
movies.
(now,
I’m going to start sounding my age, but) Kids today don’t know what it was like. When I was younger, we didn’t have YouTube or
Netflix or iTunes or on-demand TV and movies to be able to re-watch or listen again
to something anytime we wanted (provided someone is willing to play the
requisite fees). If I wanted to see Star
Wars four times in 1977 (which I did), I had to go to the movie theatre four
times - and chances are it was only playing at one singled-screened theatre in
town (it was the Paramount in Edmonton, if memory serves).
//
I suspect that you have had
the similar experiences to me - that when I watch a movie again or read a book,
it is not exactly the same. First of
all, chances are that I missed something the first time around. But more so, it’s different because I am
different. How I think and feel about
what I do now - can naturally be different from what was in my heart and mind
before, because I look at my life and the world with my modern eyes, not the
way I was. Even small, largely
un-noticeable changes in my context can affect how I react to new experiences -
even experiences I have had before.
//
There is value in going
back into the things that we have already come to know - to reclaim its value
and to find new meaning (that we missed the first time, or that we have become
open to since we saw it last).
//
The books of the Old
Testament (or Hebrew Bible) in modern Christian bibles is largely the same as
what was used by the teachers and scribes of Judea and Galilee during Jesus’
time. The order of the books within The
Law, The Prophets and The Writings was different, but (by in large) the content
has remained unchanged in more than two millennia.
The books of our New
Testament (or the uniquely Christian Scriptures) were all written sometime within
100 years after the 50s of the first century.
By the mid-200s CE, although the formal church Councils had not declared
an official ‘canon’, much of what we now have in our Bibles was viewed as the
sacred texts of our faith.
While it is true that
various preachers and scholars over the centuries have raised questions over
the worthiness of some of the books of the Bible, and there are continued
discussions over translations and interpretations, the basic texts of our
Scriptures has been the same for many, many, many, many years.
//
And yet, we still turn to
them.
The passages we heard from
Matthew 16 and Romans 12 have been heard before. Even if some of this was new to you this
morning - we can’t ignore that people have been reading the gospel of Matthew
and Paul’s letter to the Romans for much longer than any of us has been alive.
Some things are worth
repeating.
//
//
Today, this is
not just a general comment about people of faith finding value in
re-experiencing their scripture. Both of
the passages we heard today contain examples of things that were worth
repeating.
//
Jesus is aware
that people have been talking about him.
He suspects that the disciples have been following the rumours:
"Who do people say that I am?" Tell
me what you've heard that's worth repeating.
//
Paul's words
of encouragement for the church in Roman was about unity. He wanted people to appreciate the value they
can experience by seeing themselves as part of a larger whole. The Apostle reminded them that they have
different gifts, including: faithful understanding; serving; teaching;
preaching; generosity; leadership; and cheerful compassion. These gifts serve the church as a whole just
as various parts of a body function differently for the well-being of the whole
body.
If this
message to the Romans sounds familiar, it might be because, it is quite similar
to part of a letter Paul sent to the Christians in Corinth. Today's passage from Romans 12 is an abridged
version of what is in First Corinthians 12.
The same chapter number is
pure coincidence (since they were only added a dozen centuries later), but the same content is intentional. Paul had a good, easily understood lesson to
share - it was worth repeating to both church in Corinth and in Rome. Although, the same basic teaching is not
found in other New Testament books, it is extremely fair to assume that if Paul
had a memorable message to share that resonated with his audiences, he used it
often. School teachers, stand up
comedians, motivational speakers know this technique as well as preachers
do. If it's worth repeating... repeat
it.
//
//
"Some say
you are like John the Baptist, others
say you are a new Jeremiah or one of
the other prophets; some even wonder if you are Elijah returned from heaven on a fiery chariot."
When Jesus
moves the conversation to what others are saying to what do they think, Simon
proclaims Jesus to be 'The Messiah, the Son of the Living God.'
This
particular conversation is often called Peter's Confession. Although it is told in very similar ways in
all three of the (so-called) Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), Matthew
is the only one where Jesus speaks so glowingly about Simon and gives him a new
nickname: "Simon, son of Jonah, you are Rock, and on this rock, I will build my church."
Because, the
book of Matthew was written in Greek, the pun that the original audience read
was "on this petra, I will build my church, so you are Petros." Petra is greek for rock. It is a feminine noun, so to make petra a
man's name the suffix was adjusted to the masculine '-os'.
The only other
place in the gospels that this nickname conversation takes place is in John,
chapter one, where the first time he meets his, Jesus calls Simon, the Rock -
but the fourth gospel relays the nickname as it was probably spoken by Jesus
and Simon: 'You are to be called Cephas' (rock in Aramaic) - but just to make
sure that John's greek-speaking audience understood, the text inJohn 1:42 goes
on to say, which is translated Petros.
It was a
nickname that was worth repeating. By
the time the earliest writings of the New Testament were penned (20+ years
after Jesus' lifetime for the earliest writings), this disciple was known as Peter.
//
If you were here last week,
you may recall me mentioning the time where a gentile womon from Phonecia came
to Jesus (who she had heard was a healer) because he daughter was sick. Jesus refused to help her because she was not
Hebrew - he likened her to a dog trying to steal children’s food. But she counter with a request for just a
scrap of that ‘food’. And Jesus
agreed. I noted from that point on in
the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is much more open in his ministry in non-jewish
communities.
By the time Paul is writing
to churches in places like Rome and Corinth, the make up of the community of
Jesus-followers is diverse - people from many lands, cultures and religious
backgrounds: women and men; slave and
free; gentile and jew.
On the surface, the church
was far from a homogenious entity. And
there were conflicts - cultural, social, spiritual. In fact, much of what Paul writes is to help
deal with these tensions that seemed common in most communities.
We can understand that.
//
//
So, what can
we get out of repeating these bible stories today... in 2014?
The early followers of
Jesus were challenged to see beyond what divided them and to see what unites
them. It was not as basic as only
focusing on what they agree on - it was also appreciating the advantages of
diversity.
Even today, I think it is
good if we are challenged in this way.
Can we do more that tolerate differences? Can we appreciate the possibilities that only
diversity can bring.
If you come to the drumming
workshop on September 4th, you will experience a diversity of rythmns
that are only possible when cultures interact.
But, you know that the issues
are broader and we need to take Paul’s simple body metaphor deeper.
We live in a world
that is still divided by what makes us unique:
look at the artiliary fire in Gaza and western Isarale. Look at the huge racial divide that has been
highlighted on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri.
We certainly
have interfaith divisions - within Christianity, within Islam - in fact, most
religious organizations argue amongst themselves.
Jesus’ Church divided
- theology, music, exclusivity. And some
of these divisions highlight real disagreements on how best to follow Jesus
today. It’s not as easy as all being
one, for the sake of being one.
one, for the sake of being one.
If there is a
message that I want us to take out of Paul’s body metaphor today it is this -
we don’t need to loos our uniqueness to be part of the body of Christ - we just
need to expand our view of what Christ’s body looks like.
And that has
never been a more challenging or daunting task that it is in our time, right
now.
The dominante
culture of our day, in our part of the world is the primamcy of the
individual. Look out for number
one. Self preservation. Me and Mine.
//
Does a message
of a multiplicity of gifts working together have ears today?
I want to
believe yes. I hope so. I have seen hints of it. So, I repeat it.
We are more
than our own selves alone; and together we are more than the sum of our parts.
//
Romans 2:2Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,
so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and
perfect.
Let us pray,
We thank you
God for the gifts we have because of your grace. We thank you for the opportunity to use them
to live in Jesus' Way. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment