Sermon 6 Pentecost Yr B
(DEAR READERS: In the next several weeks my sermons shall not be based on the Revised Common Lectionary).
6 Pentecost Yr B, 12/07/2009
First in a Series of Sermons
On The Parables of Jesus in Mark
Mk 2:18-22
Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson
Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, &
Chaplain of The Good Samaritan Society’s
South Ridge Village, Medicine Hat, Alberta
“Introduction, fasting & feasting, old & new”
Today, as I often do during this longest season of the church year; I am going to digress from the appointed Bible passages in order to begin a new sermon series on the parables of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel. So, for starters then, we ask: What is a parable?
Biblical scholars have come up with several definitions. The simplest definition may be as follows: A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly message. Another definition runs like this: A parable is a very short story with a double meaning—the surface or literal meaning and the deeper or symbolic meaning. Here is my attempt at a definition, which is a bit longer: A parable is a word-picture story with a zinger of a message. The parable is cast in creative language; often born out of a conflict situation; designed to surprise the hearers and lead them into deeper thinking followed by appropriate action. A parable may or may not include an interpretation.
Parables are found in both Testaments of the Bible, and were a common method of teaching employed by Jewish rabbis. In addition to Jesus’ parables in the Gospels, you likely remember the parable that Nathan told King David about the poor man and his only little ewe lamb in 2 Sam 12; or the song-parable of the unfruitful vineyard in Isaiah 5.
The Greek for parable is parabolé. Etymologically, a parabolé is simply a comparison, a putting of one thing beside another to make a point.
G.K. Chesterton, who was a master of the apt illustration, once gave some sardonic advice about the limitations of parabolic discourse. He said that if you give people an analogy that they claim they do not understand, you should graciously offer them another. If they say they don’t understand that either, you should oblige them with a third. But from there on, Chesterton said, if they still insist they do not understand, the only thing left is to praise them for the one truth they do have a grip on: “Yes,” you tell them, “that is quite correct. You do not understand.”
To put it simply, Jesus began where Chesterton left off. In resorting so often to parables, his main point was that any understanding of the kingdom his hearers could come up with would be a misunderstanding. Mention “messiah” to them, and they would picture a king on horseback, not a carpenter on a cross; mention “forgiveness” and they would start setting up rules about when it ran out. From Jesus’ point of view, the sooner their misguided minds had the props knocked from under them, the better.
In any case, speaking in parables was second nature to Jesus, and it quickly became the hallmark of his teaching style. Clearly then, if we want to hear the actual ticking of Jesus’ mind, we can hardly do better than to study his parabolic words and acts over and over—with our minds open not only to learning but to joy.1
So let us now take a look at our first parable in Mark’s Gospel, which is actually a triad of parables lumped together on fasting and feasting, along with the theme of old and new, found in Mark 2:18-22. The parables also are found in Matthew 9:14-17 and Luke 5:33-39, but more about that later.
The parable begins with a question put to Jesus about the fasting of John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples—why do they fast while Jesus’ disciples do not fast? In Jewish tradition, the only required fast was on the Day of Atonement. However, more strict Jews fasted twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays; although this practice was not a requirement.
Jesus answers the question by saying that it is not proper to fast at a wedding feast in the presence of the bridegroom. In Jewish tradition, a wedding often lasted for about a week. For many poor Jews, it was the most joyous celebration of a lifetime. The week long wedding feasting was the highlight of their life. Who would want to fast during a wedding celebration? Fasting at a wedding would be about as ridiculous as wearing nothing but a swimming suit outside in minus 40 degree temperatures.
Of course, the deeper meaning here is that the bridegroom refers to Jesus himself and the wedding party feasting with the bridegroom refers to Jesus’ disciples with Jesus during the time of his life in this world. In the Jewish tradition of the First Testament, the wedding language is also employed and refers to God and his covenant with the Israelites. So the overall message here is that while Jesus the bridegroom is with us he comes to give us joy and we celebrate his presence among us. That is why in Christian worship we sing hymns, which express our deepest joy in Christ. What a joy and privilege it is celebrating Christ’s presence among us.
Now we turn to Jesus’ words addressing the theme of old and new. He gives two down-to-earth examples. “No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.” The new unshrunk piece of cloth reminds me of times when I’ve bought new shirts; tried them on in the store; liked them; bought them; brought them home; and washed them. And guess what? The shirts don’t fit—they’ve shrunk. According to Jesus, new unshrunk cloth is too strong for an old well-worn cloak. The threads and fibres of the old cloak rip even more as the new patch shrinks after a wash. Old and new don’t always work together well. A one-hundred-year old man or woman is not going to run a full-length marathon. In fact, they might not even be able run period. Yet, go back when they were twenty-five-years-old and they might have won an Olympic gold medal.
Jesus goes on with the same theme of the old and new by saying: “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost, and so are the skins; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”
In Matthew and Luke, we discover there are some variations. What strikes me though is that in Mark, the point comes across as an instruction of how to store new wine properly and the consequence if one fails to do so. In Matthew, the additional words “and so both are preserved” provides a purpose for storing the new wine. The implication being that preservation is necessary for the drinking of a high quality wine. In Luke, verse thirty-nine communicates more explicitly, what Matthew communicates implicitly—namely that everyone who drinks old wine prefers it to new wine.
Now historically, this parable has been interpreted allegorically, something along these lines: The old wine and wineskins symbolize the Jewish people and God’s covenant with them or the Torah and Judaism. The new wine and wineskins symbolize the Church and the new covenant or Christ and Christianity. The exhortation not to mix old with new is practical—the fermentation process of new wine expands the wineskins and old skins that have been stretched to their limits can only expand so far, then they will explode. However, is there also a theological point here? Is this exhortation not to mix the old with the new a hardening of positions between church and synagogue? Or is it a reflection of the Torah teaching forbidding certain mixtures? For example, according to the Torah you would not mix certain kinds of fabric for clothing or certain kinds of foods like dairy products with meat, they had to be separated and eaten separately.
It is interesting—and I believe instructive for both Jews and Christians—to note that in the parable, in all three versions, both the wine and the skins seem to be valuable. If that is true, then we can make the case for valuing both the Torah and Judaism, the Jewish people and their covenant—and the Church and the new covenant, Christ and Christianity. Indeed, thanks to Judaism, the Torah has been preserved and remains God’s Living Word. The same is true of the Church concerning the new covenant and the Gospel.
Finally, Luke’s additional conclusion to the parable in verse thirty-nine is, if interpreted along these lines, a remarkable compliment to Judaism and the Torah. According to Luke, Jesus concludes by saying: “And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, ‘The old is good.’ “
So, it would seem that in certain matters the old and new do not mix, and the new is superior to the old. In other matters, the reverse is true, the old as in wine, is superior to the new. Jesus calls us to think deeply about the old and new. What of the new do we need to accept and celebrate? What of the new do we refuse? What of the old is good and do we need to honour and keep? What of the old needs to be left behind? One thing is certain, Jesus loves us whether we are old or new or in-between; and one day, God shall make all things new. Amen.
1 Cited from: Robert Farrar Capon, The Parables of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., the Zondervan Corporation, 1985), pp. 8-11.
Brief Musings on the ELCIC National Convention
Brief Musings on the ELCIC National Convention
After almost a week since the closing of our ELCIC national convention at the UBC campus in Vancouver, here’s my brief “take,” pro and con.
As numerous delegates and dignitaries intimated, national conventions of a church body as small as the ELCIC has the atmosphere of a family reunion. And, like family reunions, the upside is that we all get to see each other and catch up on what’s happening in our lives—old friendships are renewed and new friendships are born, this is koinonia at its best, and a taste of the realm of God coming in the present tense. However, sin, the age-old nemesis, is an all too present reality, with sibling rivalry in high gear and devolving into sibling hostility.
As far as the “official” proceedings went, I lament the absence of two old-timer experts on parliamentary etiquette and constitutional expertise—Professor Vincent Eriksson, and the Rev. Dr. Lo Schwabe. I think, had they been present, we may have avoided a whole lot of procedural wrangling and chaos, accomplishing far too much anger, frustration and the overall sense of accomplishing precious little. I don’t think the proceedings helped to heal the distance between alienated clergy and congregations and the national leadership of our denomination—and that is a sobering, sad reality to take away from a convention with a theme of “signs of hope.”
Speaking of hope, and signs of it, I think I walked away renewed in hope vis-à-vis my interactions one-on-one, and in small groupings at coffee breaks and mealtimes than anywhere else. I do have hope for this church on a parish level and in what Luther called the mutual consolation of the brethren (and sisters). Here I think the parables of Jesus on such minute elements as mustard seeds, yeast and salt are instructive—the realm of God is often hard to see, starts out small, but grows almost invisibly all around us. The far away parish in outer gopher gulch Alberta is a sign of the realm of God—we should never forget that, because many, maybe most of our members originally grew up in parishes like that!
A couple of final upside thoughts: First, I loved the opportunity to visit Regent College’s fine bookstore, and made a few purchases. I was quite impressed with the bookstores quality and quantity of inventory. It’s a good place to “get lost” for an afternoon. Second, I did enjoy and appreciate some of the fine music in our daily worship services. Our congregation is “musically challenged,” so the opportunity to sing new hymns, and listen to a choir accompanied by guitar, percussion, keyboards, strings, flute, etc., was a real blessing for yours truly.
Shepherd Me, O God
The 23rd Psalm has a host of musical settings, many of which I appreciate. However, this particular one by a favourite contemporary composer, Marty Haugen, is breath-takingly beautiful–give it a listen here. For your convenience, I’ve included the lyrics as well:
Refrain
Shepherd me, O God,
beyond my wants,
beyond my fears,
from death into life.
God is my shepherd,
so nothing shall I want,
I rest in the meadows
of faithfulness and love,
I walk by the quiet waters of peace.
Refrain
Gently you raise me
and heal my weary soul,
you lead me by pathways
of righteousness and truth,
my spirit shall sing
the music of your Name.
Refrain
Though I should wander
the valley of death,
I fear no evil,
for you are at my side,
your rod and your staff,
my comfort and my hope.
Refrain
You have set me a banquet of love
in the face of hatred,
crowning me with love
beyond my pow’r to hold.
Refrain
Surely your kindness and mercy
follow me all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of my God
forevermore.
Refrain
More than 1 billion hungry
More than 1 billion don’t have enough food to eat
According to a CBC news report: United Nations food agency says a record 1.02 billion people are hungry around the world, largely due to the global economic crisis and stubbornly high food prices. Read more about it here.
What can we do?
- Give generously to benevolent NGOs like Canadian Lutheran World Relief, who work on the front lines to improve the quality of life in the Two-Thirds World with community based projects.
- Pray for “daily bread” for the now over 1 billion starving people in our world. (Note: In Lutheran tradition, following Martin Luther himself, daily bread is an all-inclusive phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, and refers to: food, clothing, shelter, health care, education, good government, and a peaceful, just society).
- Work or volunteer for an NGO that compliments your faith and/or worldview.
- Speak with your political representatives and encourage the government to increase their benevolent giving to the Two-Thirds nations without strings attached.
- Make connections with people from the Two-Thirds World; learn from them, become a neighbour, befriend them.
- I’m sure there are a host of other activities that you, kind reader, with all of your creativity, can add on to my brief list here, and pursue.
Sermon 2 Pentecost Yr B
2 Pentecost Yr B, 14/06/2009
I Sam 15:34-16:13 & 2 Cor 5:6-10, 14-17
Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson
Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, &
Chaplain of The Good Samaritan Society’s
South Ridge Village, Medicine Hat, Alberta
“The LORD looks on the heart”
We’re all familiar with the old adages: “Appearances can be deceiving; never judge a book by its cover; looks are only skin deep.” I’m sure that most, if not all of you here today have experienced—either negatively or positively—the truth of these adages, which are rooted in the Bible.
Here’s a contemporary story that underscores these adages. Mr. Swiller was known far and wide as a hard-nosed boss who watched his employees like a hawk. He was making one of his regular tours of the factory when he spotted a young man leaning against a pile of boxes just outside the foreman’s office. Since George, the foreman, wasn’t around, Swiller stood off to the side and watched to see just how long the young man would stand around doing nothing.
The young man yawned, scratched his head, looked at his watch, and sat on the floor. He took out a nail file and began cleaning his nails. Then he stretched, yawned again, and leaned back on the pile of boxes.
Swiller stepped from his hiding place and walked up to the young man. “You!” he boomed. “How much do you make a week?”
The young man looked up indifferently. “Two hundred and fifty dollars,” he said.
Swiller swooped into the cashier’s office, took $250 from the cash box, and returned. “Take it,” he said, “and get out! Don’t let me see you around here again!”
The young man took the cash, put it in his pocket, and left. Swiller snorted at his lack of remorse, embarrassment, or any other feeling. Then he went looking for George. When he found him, Swiller was red with anger. “That idler in front of your office,” Swiller said. “I just gave him a week’s pay and fired him. What’s the matter with you, letting him stand around as though he had nothing to do?”
“You mean the kid in the red shirt?” George asked.
“Yes! The kid in the red shirt!”
“He was waiting for the twenty dollars we owe him for lunch,” George said. “He works for the coffee shop around the corner.”1
Appearances are deceiving; never judge a book by its cover; looks are only skin deep.
In both our first and second lessons today, these adages are affirmed. The anointing of David as king by the prophet Samuel is full of political intrigue and surprise. Samuel, regretting having anointed Saul as king, goes to Bethlehem under the divine decoy plan of offering a sacrifice. His real reason for going there is to carry out God’s directive to anoint a son of Jesse, whom God shall show Samuel. We are surprised to learn that the most obvious sons are turned down.
Why? Well, there are at least two reasons. The stated reason comes from the voice of the LORD to Samuel in verse seven: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” Then, after all Jesse’s sons present are rejected, the youngest son is fetched and Samuel is told by God to “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.” God’s omniscience, his all-knowing capacity to see into the heart—the true essence and character of a person—causes him to choose David as king, likely much to the shock and surprise of everyone else.
The second reason that the other sons are turned down is more implicit in this story. However, to understand the second reason, we need to remember an important biblical principle that Martin Luther and other interpreters of the Bible have found most helpful. The principle is: scripture interprets scripture. What we mean by that is there are certain themes written large repeatedly in the Bible and it is helpful for us to read the Bible in its larger context to help us discover deeper meanings. In this passage of I Samuel, we have the theme of God choosing the youngest son. Now that theme runs throughout the Bible. Remember, for example, that God chose younger Abel’s sacrifice instead of Cain’s. God favoured Isaac over Ishmael; Jacob over Esau; Joseph over his older brothers. In the New Testament, God seems to favour the youngest, prodigal son over the eldest son. So, in today’s first lesson that theme appears again. God favours and blesses the least likely—those who are excluded by the majority because they are considered too young for the job at hand. As Jesus also said: “The last shall be first, and the first last.”
Our second lesson also connects us in a similar way as this story of God choosing David. The apostle Paul is speaking about his longing to leave this life and be with Christ in heaven. The key to understanding what Paul is saying here is found in verse seven, where he says: “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”
We quite often say, “Yes, I’ve heard of that person but I don’t know him by sight,” or, “I’ve spoken to her on the phone, but I don’t know her by sight.” Our knowledge of God is similarly “not by sight.” Our knowledge of Jesus is “not by sight.” We do, of course, know so much of Jesus, both historically through the Gospels, and in the present by his Spirit, that seeing him, marvellous though it would be, would simply confirm what we already know. Nevertheless, seeing is what we long for, and the promise of it gives us confidence, as Paul repeats in verse 8.2
Walking by faith, not by sight is an act of trust, as the following story attests:
“Oh great!”
Al was not excited about being at this workshop on team-building, but his boss was on a big kick about it, and Al needed at least to look cooperative.
But know the workshop leader was asking people to pair up for a trust walk, to be blindfolded and led by voice through whatever obstacles were ahead.
Al hated that. He had always been afraid of the dark, something he carefully hid from others because it embarrassed him. He didn’t know why darkness was so frightening to him, but he did know that he did put stock in anything he could see.
If it were a concept, a promise, an idea, a dream, forget it. Give him something tangible, something concrete, and he could deal with it. Give him something he could control, and he was fine.
But now this. Al didn’t even really know the partner who was to lead him around. His nametag said Larry, but that told him nothing.
The workshop leader gave instructions.
“I want you to walk by trust, not by sight,” she said, “Let your partner guide you, using only the voice, and get a sense of letting go of your own control, so that you may be responsive to someone outside of you.”
“There is that word again,” Al thought. “Control. It is mine. Why should I give it up? I’m comfortable with it. Why should someone else get to take it away from me?”
Larry handed Al his blindfold, and said, “Let’s get started.”
They exchanged some small talk, but Al was not listening. He was hearing his head instead, telling him just to get it over with, that it shouldn’t be this hard, that people do this all the time.
Then he was hearing his gut tell him otherwise: “Don’t do it,” it was telling him. “You take charge.”
Al stalled, but Larry was persistent. “Give up,” he smiled.
So Al reluctantly placed the blindfold over his eyes. “All right, I give up,” he said to himself.
The voice began to lead him, but Al suddenly realized it was not Larry’s voice, and it was not the voice of the workshop leader.
“Follow me,” the voice was saying. “Give me control of your steps, and I will show you the way. Trust me as you walk, I will guide you. Don’t you see that?”
Maybe Al did see something when the blindfold went on. Maybe he did see that it is possible to see by faith what is not seen by the eyes. Maybe the voice assured him that these steps would be the first steps out of the darkness of his fear.
“Trust me,” Larry said.
Al sighed, “I’ll try,” he replied.
Larry smiled and said, “It’s a step in the right direction.”3
“The LORD looks on the heart; we walk by faith, not by sight.” Let us pray: Jesus, we struggle with many fears. We bring them to you, and in return, we ask you to help us place all of our trust in you. In your Holy Name. Amen.
1 I do not have the source of this story; however, it came my way via e-mail a few years ago.
2 N.T. Wright, Reflecting The Glory: Meditations for Living Christ’s Life in the World (Minneapolis: Augsburg Books, 1998), p. 44.
3 Paul Lintern, “Believing Is Seeing,” in: 56 Lectionary Stories For Preaching: Based Upon The Revised Common Lectionary Cycle B (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Co., Inc., 1993), pp. 73-74.
Mikhail Lennikov seeks sanctuary in First Lutheran Church
Mikhail Lennikov seeks sanctuary in First Lutheran Church
Mikhail Lennikov, a former Russian KGB agent, seeks sanctuary in First Lutheran Church, Vancouver, B.C. The practice of sanctuary goes back at least to biblical times. Such a practice is certainly in line with the spirit of Jesus who loved and welcomed into his midst the outcasts of his day. Should sanctuary, under certain circumstances, take precedent over civil law? What are such circumstances? What do you think? Read and watch video here.
Pentecost Scribbles
Pentecost Scribbles
The Holy Spirit symbolised by dove and fire are depicted here in my recent scribbles. I call them scribbles as opposed to works of art because I’m not a trained artist. I turn to scribbling as a pleasant activity, which has value in and of itself. If the finished scribble is of any significance, well it’s likely more by accident than design—perhaps the work of the creative Holy Spirit through this earthly vessel.
Sermon Pentecost Sunday Yr B
Day of Pentecost Yr B, 31/05/2009
Acts 2:1-21
Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson
Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, &
Chaplain of The Good Samaritan Society’s
South Ridge Village, Medicine Hat, Alberta
“The Gift of the Holy Spirit”
The Day of Pentecost. The third major festival day of the church year. The day when, according to Luke’s account in Acts chapter two, the Christian Church was born by the event of the Holy Spirit’s visitation. Yet, over the centuries, and even on that Day of Pentecost over two thousand years ago, there were and still are misunderstandings of what actually happened on that special day.
Sometimes misunderstandings are accidental. Consider this little vignette. A little old lady planning a vacation wrote a letter to a particular campground to inquire about its facilities. She could not bring herself to write the word “toilet” so she finally settled on the term, “BC,” which, to her, meant “bathroom commode.” The initials baffled the campground manager who showed the letter to some of the other campers. They did not understand either until one of them suggested the woman might be referring to a Baptist church. The owner agreed and wrote this reply:
Dear Madam,1
Thank you for your inquiry. I take pleasure in informing you that a
BC is located two miles north of our campground, and seats 250
People. My wife and I go quite regularly, but as we grow older, it
seems to be more of an effort, particularly during cold spells. If you
visit our campground, perhaps we could go with you the first time,
sit with you, and introduce you to the other folks. Ours is a friendly
community.
Sincerely yours
A humorous story, yet a fine example of what happened on the day of Pentecost long ago; and what continues to occur when people read—or misread and misunderstand—our passage from Acts even today. So let’s take a look at this passage and see what understanding, we can discover today with, of course, the Holy Spirit’s help and presence and work among and within us. Luke begins by stating the time and place and people of this special event: it was the day of Pentecost, nine o’clock in the morning, and the twelve apostles, along with one hundred and twenty other believers were gathered in a room in Jerusalem. All of these people were Jews, he tells us. The day of Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, was a Jewish festival that took place 50 days, seven weeks after Passover. Originally, it was a harvest festival, giving thanks to God for the harvest. Later, Jews also celebrated the giving of the Law, or the Torah to Moses and the Jewish people on Sinai. A Jewish tradition has it that the time from the Hebrew slaves’ departure in Egypt to the time they reached Mount Sinai was also 50 days. All of these bits of information emphasise the point that the earliest Christian Church had its origins deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and, the earliest Christians were Jews.
The next information Luke provides is a description of what happened on that day of Pentecost over two thousand years ago. He tells us: “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” The phrase “suddenly from heaven,” reveal the origin of the event—God, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, enters the room where this crowd of believers are gathered. The phrase also underscores the truth that this event is a gift from God, and the word “suddenly,” highlights the fact that it is not planned or intended by the gathered crowd. No! Rather, God takes the initiative here; God comes down to the crowd and gives them the gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit is sheer grace from God. God decides, not the people, to give the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Luke then tells us that the Spirit’s presence was revealed through “a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.” Here again Luke emphasises the deep Jewish roots of Pentecost. Jews of faith would remember the Spirit, the Wind of God moving across the waters at the dawn of creation in Genesis chapter two. The crowd may also have remembered God’s creation of the first human being, breathing into them the breath of life. In the biblical languages, both in the Greek and the Hebrew, the word for Spirit can also mean wind, breath, and to breathe. The phrase “filled the entire house,” fits in well with what Peter says later when he quotes the passage from Joel two, telling of the promise that the Spirit will be poured out “upon all flesh.” God desires all people to enjoy the presence of the Holy Spirit working in and through them. The prophecy, along with the Pentecost coming of the Spirit, seems to lift up the universal gift of God’s Spirit to everyone, regardless of social, racial, ethnic background, age or gender. However, I think this raises a kind of “fly in the ointment” question here. Later, in verse 13 of our passage, we learn of sceptics, cynics, and critics who, Luke says, “sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” What are we to make of the “new wine” accusation? Does this mean those making this charge against the Spirit-filled crowd were not given the same gift of the Holy Spirit? I don’t know, and Luke does not give us a clear yes or no to that question. The implication seems to lean in the direction of the sceptics, cynics and critics receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. If they had received the Spirit like the others, why would they make the accusation that the crowd was drunk? On the other hand, why did those making the accusation not receive the Holy Spirit? I do not think we can answer these questions definitively over two thousand years after the event. Perhaps we shall find our answers in heaven. Or maybe the answer comes from the Jewish rabbinic tradition itself.
There is a wonderful Hasidic tale in which the rabbi asks his student, “Where is the Spirit of God?” And the student answers with a biblical phrase, “…the whole universe resounds with his glory.”
And the rabbi says, “No.”
“What do you mean, no?” the student asks.
“God is where you let God come in,” says the rabbi. “And the Holy Spirit is the power that ushers God into our lives.”2 Maybe it takes longer for the Holy Spirit to usher God into the lives of sceptics, cynics and critics. Perhaps the following familiar quote makes sense in this context: “Please be patient with me, God isn’t finished with me yet!”
Back to our passage, Luke goes on to describe the Spirit’s presence as: “Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them.” The image of “tongues, as of fire,” once again underscores the deep Jewish roots of Pentecost. For Jews, God had been present in the burning bush, speaking to Moses and giving him the call and commission to go back to Egypt and lead the Hebrew people out of slavery. God also revealed God’s Self during the wilderness wanderings as a “pillar of fire.” The Jews would also remember one of their favourite prophets, Elijah, being taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot. So, once again, Luke emphasises here at Pentecost the deep Jewish roots of fire symbolizing God’s presence. Even today, on occasion, we speak of Holy Spirit filled people as “warm-hearted,” or “filled with fiery passion,” or even, “on fire for the Lord.” The work of the Holy Spirit in and through us, I believe, is to give us the “warm-hearted” gifts and fruit such as: kindness, love, gentleness, self control, the passionate commitment for loving and serving our God and our neighbour.
Along with the Spirit’s presence in the form of fire, Luke says is tongues, that is, the gift of language and communication, which deepens our understanding. The majority of biblical scholars today interpret this reference to speaking in “other languages” as foreign languages, not glossolalia—i.e. the phenomenon of ecstatic speaking with tongues. Perhaps the language is such that it is inclusive of both the ability to speak and understand foreign languages as well as speak with ecstatic tongues and interpret them. I think what Luke is lifting up here is the emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit as the Communications Expert par excellence. The Holy Spirit works in and through us to teach us, and, as Luther put it “calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies” us. In other words, the Holy Spirit is always hard at work to make God and God’s will known, clear, and understood among us. The Spirit brings light to our darkness so we can see, understand and act on the truth that God reveals. Namely, as Peter put it in his sermon on that day of Pentecost long ago: “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Amen. Come, Holy Spirit!
1 Cited from: David E. Leininger, Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit: Series VI Cycle B (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Co., Inc., 2008), p. 158.
2 Cited by Susan Andrews from <www.goodpreacher.com/blog>, found at: <www.deaconsil.com/>.
New Theme
New Theme
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will notice my new theme here. I’d appreciate your comments on the new theme, called The Journalist v 1.9.
Sermon 7 Easter Yr B
7 Easter Yr B, 24/05/2009
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Rev. Garth Wehrfritz-Hanson
Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, &
Chaplain of The Good Samaritan Society’s
South Ridge Village, Medicine Hat, Alberta
“The ministry of ordinary people”
John drove in a leisurely fashion to the Amtrak station. The twins were on the spring break and were coming in on the 3 o’clock train. He needed time alone to reflect on all that had happened in the past several weeks. Karenza, his spouse, had finished seminary at the end of the fall semester. The spring had been filled with opportunities to interview for parish pastorates. It had been a learning experience for them both.
He had been stunned by some of the bigotry and subtle discrimination his wife had encountered as she offered her talents to the Lord through the church. They would usually debrief after her interviews, sipping cups of hot tea, and discussing what it meant to be called in the face of those other disciples who thought women ought not be pastors. He had never doubted Karenza’s gifts for ministry; he was beginning to doubt the church’s ability to utilize them.
The twins greeted him at the station with enthusiastic stories about campus life. Eric looked at his dad thoughtfully, “How is the whole thing going for Mom now? She beat us to graduation by six months.”
John filled them in on all but his wife’s tears. They were silent for a while until Linda said, “It’s God’s church and she’ll be chosen for something. I know it.” Her firm optimism somehow eased the strain.
The next Sunday they all attended a church where Karenza preached as part of the calling process in that parish. During the coffee break before the meeting to vote on her, Linda struck up a conversation with a man in the coffee line. He sat down with her at a nearby table as they munched cookies.
“You’re a visitor here. We’re about to actually consider a woman for our pastor. I have a hard time with that. After all the Bible says women should be silent.”
Linda looked at him and nodded, “Yes, for a particular time and place that was true. But I understand when we are baptized it means we are all together in this. All the gifts God gives ought to be used, whether they belong to women or men. Jesus said in one of his parables that one of the people who got gold was afraid and hid it in the ground. I think doing ministry means we do not hide our gifts.”
The man looked at her and nodded thoughtfully. Then someone struck a glass with a fork and announced that the meeting was to begin. John and the twins went home to await the news from Karenza.
Two hours later she joined them on the backyard terrace, her face filled with joy. “I’ve been chosen to be their new pastor. The chairperson of the committee was not initially in favour of this but he stood up and talked about someone who visited this morning and he said it was obvious she had heard the gospel and he needed to start listening.”1
In today’s first lesson from Acts, we also learn about a choosing and call process to serve Christ among that first generation of Christians. Like the story of Karenza, we learn that God calls and chooses people whom at first, others may not necessarily have chosen. It is the grace and guidance of God at work in the lives of people that determines the end result of any choice in the call process—at least that is what we hope and believe is true.
An important lesson we learn from this story in Acts today is that Christ has given his first followers a ministry in the meantime, that is, in the between time. Today’s story takes place in the meantime, or between time after Christ’s ascension into heaven and before the day of Pentecost. We, too, live in the meantime, in the between time. And like those first-generation followers of Jesus, Christ has also given us a ministry in the meantime, the time in between. We live in the meantime, the between time after the day of Pentecost and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, and before Christ’s second coming. Do we simply do nothing and wait for Jesus to come for us today? No! We continue to do the ministry he has given us, while we wait for his coming again.
Even in the short between time of the first-generation Christians, they were not content to do nothing. Rather, they were directed to serve Christ by choosing another apostle to succeed Judas. The choosing of a twelfth apostle is consistent with what Jesus had promised earlier in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 22:28-30. In that passage, Jesus promised the twelve apostles they would have a privileged status in his future kingdom. The twelve apostles would sit on thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel. Therefore it was now necessary here in our passage from Acts to reorganise the sacred band of twelve apostles in fulfillment of this promise to choose and call a replacement apostle after Judas had defected and committed suicide. According to Peter, who is here taking a leadership role among the other apostles and the 120 first-generation followers of Jesus, this reorganizational process was necessary to continue the ministry of Christ and his church.
So, Peter proceeds to lay out the qualifications of a new, replacement apostle to be chosen among those 120 first-generation of Christians. The first qualification, so it seems, is that the successor of Judas must have been present with Jesus in his earthly ministry from the time of the baptism of John until the day of Jesus’ ascension into heaven. In other words, the person should not be a recent convert who had not accompanied Jesus in his earthly ministry. This qualification makes a lot of sense, because the continuing ministry of Christ on earth; if it were to be successful; had to reach people with the preaching of the Gospel. The Gospel message, of course, is Christ-centred, therefore who better to preach the Gospel than the closest friends and followers of Jesus? The first-generation apostles had an advantage over everyone else, because they were with Jesus in his day-to-day earthly ministry; they remembered what he said in his preaching and teaching; and they witnessed his miracles and signs. The apostles then were the most qualified folks to “go and tell,” to spread the Gospel to into the world.
The second qualification that Peter spells out is that the replacement apostle “must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” In other words, the resurrection was “the” single, most important Christ-event of them all. Therefore, the replacement apostle had to be an eye-witness to Christ’s resurrection. The resurrection was “the” single, most important life-changing event out of which the Christian church was born. Christ’s resurrection confirms God’s saving power over the powers of evil, sin, and death. If God works in a saving way through Christ’s resurrection for all people, by giving the promise that one day, those who believe in Christ and his resurrection; then, all people would need to hear the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. Who better to spread the Good News of Christ’s resurrection than the original, first-generation eye-witnesses to the resurrection?
Out of the 120 first-generation followers of Jesus, two people are suggested as candidates that meet the two qualifications for a replacement apostle, they are: Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. One of the fascinating things about these two followers of Jesus is that we have zero information about them, other than their names—nowhere else in the New Testament are they mentioned again.
What does this teach us? Well, I believe that it teaches us Christ can and does call ordinary people; folks who may not be that popular or famous. You don’t have to be a world famous televangelist to spread the Good News to others. Christ is able to bless the ministry of even the least among us. In fact, the least known may be the most common way in which Jesus works in the church. If we were to number the total membership of active Christians in the world today and compare that with the total number of the most famous and popular Christian leaders; I think there would be way more ordinary, unknown Christians than there would be popular, famous ones. The vast majority of Christians today are not well known and famous—rather, they are like Joseph called Barsabbas, also known as Justus, and Matthias, little, if anything is known about them. Yet, Christ chooses and calls such ordinary folks as you and me to share in his ministry equally as much as he chooses and calls the rich and famous. We ordinary folks are equally as important in Christ’s eyes as are the most popular people in the church.
So, in the meantime, the between time, it was not at first clear which of these two candidates should be chosen and called to replace Judas as an apostle. The group of those first-generation Christians then turn to the Lord in prayer to ask for guidance as to who is to replace Judas. After that, being Jews, they turn to a familiar method of casting lots to determine which of the two people is going to replace Judas. For them, God was at work even in the chance aspect of casting lots—whether it was choosing straws, rolling dice, or some other method, we do not know. What we do know is that the lot fell on Matthias, and the other apostles, along with the 120 followers of Jesus accept Matthias as the new, replacement apostle. After that, we have absolutely no information on the ministry of Matthias in the New Testament.
In the meantime, the between time, we too, like that first-generation of Jesus’ followers, need to turn to the Lord with one mind and heart and pray for guidance. Prayer, when we listen as much as speak, can and does change our hearts and minds or confirms the truth as we already know it. Prayer is our spiritual oxygen, as I’ve said on many other occasions. If this is so, then we shall want to be in constant communication with the Lord to discern his will for us both as individuals and a congregation. So, may the Lord’s will be done among us individually and as a congregation—that we, like that first-generation church may be faithful witnesses to Christ and his resurrection power. Amen.
1 Cited from: Susan K. Hedahl, “Opening The Door,” in: 56 Lectionary Stories For Preaching: Based Upon The Revised Common Lectionary Cycle B (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing Co., Inc., 1993), pp. 63-64.
