YOU CAN'T DO THAT

August 21, 2016

Pentecost 14

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Luke 13:10-17

(prayer)

Now that I have crossed over the mid-life hump, I am keenly aware that how I prioritize my time and where my energy is spent has changed over the decades.

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This summer, I have been spending at least one evening at Camp Maspepetoon (I was there last night) - the United Church camp on the NW corner of Pigeon Lake... where I spent so much time in my youth and young adult years... where the path of my life was foraged.

On this side of mid-life, I now can see how those years at camp allowed me to nurture important relationships and helped me develop an ethic that defines who I am today.

I am drawn back to camp at this time of my life because one of my sons is on the paid staff this summer and my daughter is out there for several weeks as a volunteer. 

But also, I feel very welcomed this summer because the current camp leaders are making a concerted effort to re-connect with camp alumni in this 60th year of the camp's history. 

But mostly I am enjoying my camp visits because... for a couple of hours once a week or so, as I strum familiar chords around a familiar campfire, I am reminded of younger days... for a few hours, I get to be a time traveller.  I'm sure that everyone else can see the gray mustache and the bald patch, but they are gone from my mind... for a while, at least.

It is a nice feeling to realize that I still 'got it'.  For a few hours, I strip 30 years off my life.

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It is one of the universal ironies of life. 

When we are younger, we long for the freedom of adult years. 

As adults, we lament the loss of the less-complicated life of years-gone-by.

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There is a meme that I see cropping up from time to time on the social media feeds of friends my age that says (in essense) what I saw as the punishments of my childhood have become my adult hobbies (sitting quietly by myself, having to read a book, going to bed early, etc.).  Even skipping dessert here and there is now seen as accomplishing a life-betterment goal, not any form of discipline.

Times change.  And so do I.

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Over the arc of our lives, there are assumptions and formal or informal restrictions imposed on us based on who the world views us to be in that moment.  These norms are based on patterns and habits well worn over many years of cultural and societal development.

And yet... in every new moment, there are those among us who challenge the long-held assumptions.  And every once and a while: a wall comes down and the assumptions evolve.

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Both of the scripture passages we heard this morning start with cultural and societal assumptions that attempt to stop the Spirit of God before it has a chance to move.

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Jeremiah (whose father was a priest in the tradition of Aaron) grew up the village of Anathoth which was one of the towns given to the Levites (priests and temple workers).  Anathoth was only a few kilometres northeast of Jerusalem - think of it as a suburb for temple workers.

We can assume that from a young age - listening to his father speak about his work in the nearby temple - Jeremiah was well informed about the concerns of the religious sects of Judean life.

Young Jeremiah grew up at a time when the formal worship of foreign gods was ingrained into Judean society.  This was a legacy of King Manasseh; who lead Judah in the first half of the 7th century BCE (697-643).

Manasseh had massaged a cozy relationship with the Assyrian Empire: who had overrun the northern Israelite kingdom in the late 8th century (720 BCE).  Manasseh's inclusion of foreign religiosity into Judean culture was likely motivated by keeping foreign powers at bay and improving his own economic opportunities and grip on power.  Coincidentally, Assyrian expansion never included Judah.  This cozy relationship had its benefits.

One has to imagine that this shift in focus did not sit well with the levitical class which eventually included priests like Jeremiah's father.

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As we start to read the book of Jeremiah, Manessah's grandson Josiah was now the Judean king.  Josiah was only eight years old when he became king after his father (Amon) was assassinated.  

When Josiah was about 21 or so, he began a series of reforms to reverse the idolatry that had endured since his grandfather's reign.  In fairness, the Assyrian Empire's power had waned and there was little geopolitical advantage to continue the status quo.

About the same time as the young king was attempting to put his own stamp on Judah's history, another young man, Jeremiah, was being called to be a prophet of God in Judah.  God wanted a prophet who could encourage a spiritual reformation and a reclaiming of a faith in Yahweh as the sovereign of the nation and its people.

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Although Josiah and Jeremiah were likely about the same age, the priest's son did not feel ready to take on such important responsibilities.

I am too young for this, Jeremiah said.

Jeremiah was not being unusual in his lack of confidendence - it would be a normal assumption that an older, more established and experienced person would be more readily accepted by the people whom God wanted to reach.  Calling a young prophet went against common wisdom.

But Jeremiah's lack of confidence was overshadowed by God's assertions that Jeremiah was destined to be a great prophet.

To this end, God promises that this young prophet would not be alone in this work - God would inspire and guide.

Contrary to what might have been common wisdom, Jereimiah's tongue was literally emboldened with the words of God.

The assumptions and excuses were ignored and the Spirit began to move in a new way in ancient Judah.

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The middle chapters of the gospel of Luke contain a series of stories from Jesus' ministry that were intended to teach the early church about the ways to live faithfully as the community of Jesus' followers.  Parts of this part of the gospel are direct teaching passages; others are descriptions of events that almost always end with a memorable lesson.

The story beginning in Luke 13:10 follows this pattern.

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As a faithful pharasaic Jew, Jesus regularly attend sabbath services in the local synagogue of whatever town he was in. 

Over and over again, we read how he was not shy about questioning local leaders or challenging established practices.

Today we heard how - in the synagogue one Saturday, Jesus met a local woman who had endured almost two decades with a crippling back disorder that did not allow her to stand up straight without experiencing unbearable pain.

This must have meant that she was not able to perform most of the normal duties for someone of her age and status in her community. It is unlikely that she would be able lift things or walk even short distances that would have been part of normal life for a woman like her.
I have to assume that because her ailment would have restricted her travel, that this was her local synagogue.  She did not come to worship that sabbath seeking healing.  She came to worship because it was the sabbath - this was her "church".

The context into which Jesus inserted himself was that this woman had spent 18 years relying on the generosity of her family and community just to help her live day by day.

On a personal level, she may have lamented that she was (for lack of a better word) a burden to others.  I imagined that she longed to be able to control her own life.

The story goes that Jesus healed her of this chronic ailment - opening up possibilities for her life which she must have long since given up on.

It was a moment that should have been met with astonishment and appreciation.

And yet, instead of marveling at this miraculous turn of events, the leader of the synagogue was bothered by the timing of Jesus' actions.  He chastised Jesus for "working" on the sabbath day and the leader warned the crowd not to expect to find healing on a sabbath day.  That's not the way things are done.

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In both of our scriptures today, a significant change was being called for.

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A new prophet is needed.

Jeremiah: God, I can't do that.

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A forgotten life needs to be transformed.

Religious Leader: Jesus, you can't do that.

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God, I can't be your prophet.

Don't worry.  We'll do the work together.

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Jesus, you can't do that.

Too late.  I already did.

Then don't do it again.

Convince me why.

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I love Jesus' response - it is one we have all heard in situations when someone is told that they can't do something.

Why?  Explain your reasoning to me.  Why is this a rule?  If you can justify the restriction - if it makes sense - then we can all agree how to proceed.

Asking why is not a rejection of the rule or norm.  It is a desire to understand it.

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There are so many restrictions that we encounter everyday - they all have their story.  But, it is a good thing to review the logic of society's rules from time to time.

I am sure you can imagine that there are going to be times when we would have to admit that we have no idea why certain 'rules' are in place.

Why?  ...  Because it's always been that way.

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Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof: "We always keep our heads covered and we always wear little prayer shawls.  You may ask 'how did this tradition get started?'  I don't know. But it's a tradition!"

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It is very common for people to fear change.  Fear might be too strong a word for every situation.  Change often makes us uneasy at least.

To me, the easiest way to define fear is to say that... fear is the emotion we feel, when we have little or no control over what we think will happen next.

Fear is how we feel, when we have little or no control over what we think will happen next.

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When changes are happening all around us and we are uncertain about what it means for us, resisting (or attempting to hold off) change is out last vestige of control: you can't make me move.

Examples in passive resistance: limp protestor, environmentalist chained to tree...

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You want to move?  Well, I won't let you.

Examples in active restraint: handcuff, jail, timeouts....

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But... what about when change is desperately wanted - or more importantly... deeply needed?

Initial acts of resistance can hold off change, but the desire for change that is needed seldom goes away.

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In order for change to happen, we need to confront the barriers of resistance that are desperately trying to keep things the same.

In other words, to be open to change, we will need to face our fears.

Butting up against resistance is not easy.  Especially resistance that is founded in intimidating phrases like tradition or heritage or ethos or the way we do things sound here or the scariest of all, that's the way it's always been done.

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Let's seek some inspiration and guidance by asking: what was the response in the scriptures to the resistance.

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While the scriptures are ripe with less than enthusiastic prophets (Moses questioned God's judgment in picking him to go talk to pharaoh), Jeremiah broke new ground by claiming that God was calling him too early in his life.  Maybe, Jeremiah could be an adequate prophet for God... when he is older.  But he was simply too young now.

The first chapter of Jeremiah does not make a point of noting that Jeremiah was virtually the same age as the Judean king - a young ruler who was addressing religious foundations of the nation's from a political perspective - but we know that this was the context.  So perhaps it makes sense that God was calling a prophet who could be a true contemporary of the the king to work toward a similar goal of a societal-wide restructuring this time from a purely faith perspective.

Jeremiah was eased through the initial barriers facing his call by the fact that young leadership was not unknown at that time in Judah and perhaps most importantly, a promise that this call was an invitation to work with God more than working for God.

I have put my words in your mouth.

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From Jeremiah, we see that is easier to embrace being an agent of change when we know that we are not completely on our own.

Change can (and always does, according to Margaret Meade) start with small, committed groups that evolve into transformative movements.

In spite of your age Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, you are the prophet (I and the people) need at this time.  We will do this together!

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After the crippled woman stood up tall, she watched her healer and her synagogue leader argue about the meaning and implication of the fourth commandment: You shall remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.  For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work.

Let's review the "work" Jesus is accused of doing.  When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, ‘Woman, you are set free from your ailment.’ When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight.

The "work" Jesus did involved using his eyes to see the woman, his voice to call her over and his hands to offer healing touch.  It was probably the physical touch that went over the line for the leader of the synagogue.  Perhaps it was the edge of the letter of the law, but the leader felt that Jesus was not honouring nor keeping holy the sabbath day by touching the bent-over woman.

Jesus' counter argument was to go to other parts of the Torah, that described that there were a few practical and reasonable exceptions to a strict reading of the fourth commandment.

 You were allowed to prepare meals, although all of components of the meals were to be gathered or purchased ahead of time.  You were restricted from travelling, but could walk short distances to fulfill necessary duties, like attending the synagogue.  Although most of the work of farming and ranching could be left alone for a day, the work of tending to daily care of livestock was permitted.  The animals needed to eat and drink.  If they were ill or in danger or if a calf was being born, the practicalities of the sabbath allowed for immediate needs to be met.

Now, while, one could convincingly argue that since this woman had had this back problem for eighteen years. What would have been the problem of waiting for one more day?

Jesus' argument was to invite the crowd to imagine how many sabbath days this woman had endured without relief; surely she had waited long enough.

The ten commandments claim the sabbath as a day for holiness and honour.  Jesus proclaimed through his actions the compassion and healing miracle of God are holy acts and deserve at least as much honour as a thirsty ox.

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When we read on a few verses further into Luke's gospel, the first story of chapter fourteen has Jesus eating a sabbath day meal at the home of the leader of a pharisee.  In eerie similarity to today's story, a man was there who suffered from dropsy (endema) - a medical condition where the abdomin or legs swell up because of subdermal fluid accumulation.  Perhaps learning from the chapter 13 experience of a heal-first-ask-questions-later style approach at the synagogue, Jesus is proactive this time:  before he approaches the man with dropsy, he asked the other dinner guests:  Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?

No one answers, so Jesus puts it another way: If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out [even] on a sabbath day.

No one wanted to argue that holding back salvation or healing on the sabbath day made any practical or religious sense.

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We can move through even the established barriers to more welcoming and life-fulfilling acts of faith when we appreciate that God is our companion guide on this journey... and when we are focused on ways that we can help each other to become more fully a part of our communities.

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In our scriptures today, I hear an encouragement to err on the side of compassion and welcome and inclusion when the voices of restriction are raised.

In our scriptures today, I hear a call to trust that God is our helper and guide along the way.

In our scriptures today, I see a desire and a call to invite people back into full community through our own brave acts of welcome and the healing of individual hearts so that all can know that they are beloved children of God.

In our scriptures today, I am hearing a call to not accept systems of exclusion and restriction just because they have been around for a while.

As the Mahatma is often quoted as having said: we are to be the change we want to see in the world.

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This is a truth we see and hear expressed in Jeremiah and Luke today.

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Let us move through this worship experience today out into our world with the love and compassion of our God as our helper and guide.

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Let us pray:

Holy God, we pray for insight enough to see you active in our world - especially in the less obvious places.  Amen.

#642VU “Be Thou My Vision”