Homily for Proper 25 B - October 25, 2009

My sisters and brothers, to be true followers of Christ we must both let go… and grab hold…

In our first reading, Jeremiah sharers God's promise to restore the people of Israel to their former lives. The exile which the people experience as God’s just punishment of their former lives will not last for all generations. The political and military consequences that are oppressing them will come to an end. The people of Israel will be restored to their freedom and their home land.

This portion of Jeremiah’s writing is the text of a hymn extolling the glory of the People’s return to Israel. A procession of the weak emphasizes the miraculous nature of this restoration. The imagery of Yahweh as a father to Israel shows up in various parts of the Old Testament. It first served to define their covenantal relationship with God.

In our second reading we hear from the author of Hebrews about the eternal quality of Jesus' intercession for us. He does not leave office or die. He lives through eternity without need to make further offering for sin. As we talked about last week, the temple priests were under Mosaic Law (the “Old Covenant”). Jesus, the high priest, unlike others, he became a priest at God’s summons and has also become the guarantee of a better “New Covenant.” Therefore, Jesus is the way to God and to salvation for those who are godly because he (as priest) lives to plead with God on their behalf.

From Marks gospel we heard about Jesus healing Bartimaeus of his blindness. He restores the man's sight with the simple and profound statement: "your faith has healed you." Bartimaeus seeks Jesus out actively, is healed immediately, and then becomes a disciple; this is as much a story of Jesus calling a disciple as a story about healing.

There are several other details that make this story stand out. It is unusual because Mark does not normally give the name of someone who is healed. Also, the way he addresses of Jesus as “Son of David,” is loaded. It expresses an acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. Bartimaeus is the first person to do this after Peter’s declaration. And, Jesus does not order him to be quiet about it as he did up to this point. It marks a major shift in the telling of Jesus’ story. Now as He draws closer to his crucifixion the story is marked by this greater openness of the truth about Him.

Becoming one of Jesus’ followers, becoming a Christian, is about many things. Some central elements are embracing him as a healer (or doctor for our souls) as well as a teacher whom we follow through life.

Bartimaeus is a powerful symbolic example of this reality. Shedding what little pride he has left, he calls for the help he knows he needs- removal of his blindness. Having received the blessed healing he sought, he walks away from his old life to live the way of Christ!

In our own lives, a similar dynamic is active. To embrace Christ we must first make room in our lives. We make this room by removing the things that get in the way, the things that take precedence over Jesus.

We must then take on the life long process of being His followers, i.e., study His way of life and patterning ourselves after His teachings and example.

Homily for Oct. 4, 2009 - Proper 22 B

Three priests and their wives were just coming back from General Convention when they got in a wreck and were all killed. All 3 couples stood in line waiting to get into heaven. St Peter opened the books and said to the first priest: I can see that you were a good man but had one problem. You lusted after alcohol your whole life you never drank but your lust was so strong you would never marry until you met a girl named Sherry.  Sorry, you can't come in. The second priest approached St Peter and he said: you were a good man, but it says here you lusted after money and your lust was so strong that you would not marry until you met a girl named Penny. Sorry, you cannot come in. The third priest turned to his wife and said: “come on Fanny, let’s get out of here!” 

There are endless jokes about marriage, why we get into marriage and its ups and downs.  I hope that by making fun of myself and my fellow male clergy I haven’t offended anyone. 

Our first reading today is the newer of the two creation stories.  Emphasizing the bios that men have a central primacy.  It’s important that when we read and think about this story, that we include the older story.  In which man and woman are made together, in the image and likeness of God.  Gen. 1:27. The two stories are meant taken together so that one has a fuller picture of the whole story! 

In our Hebrew’s reading, the author contrast the old, pre-Jesus days with the lives of Christians.  God spoke in the past through the prophets; now he speaks through the one who is Son of God.  The author makes the point that Jesus purified us of our sins through his own death; he was then exalted in returning to the Father. Returning to his original place at God’s right hand in the heavenly thrown room. 

In our gospel reading Jesus teaches about divorce to which, according to Mark, he is totally opposed.  Mosaic Law permitted a man to divorce his wife (but not a woman her husband) for cause, but the grounds were unclear. The Pharisees were divided about the legality of divorce as well as the grounds for it, so their question is an attempt to trick Jesus into a no win situation.  He doesn’t fall for it.  He shifts the discussion from Mosaic Law to God’s original plan, or the ideal of marriage.  Matthew’s version of this has an exception to the prohibition on divorce.  It’s out of this “exceptive clause” that our church had built its pastoral approach to divorce and remarriage. 

Ultimately, I believe it’s much more valuable for us to look at our spiritual ancestors’ images of woman, man and marriage than anything ells.  Wither we are in our first marriages, second or whatever, it’s how we go forward that matters most. 

Clearly the Genesis stories see us as created for each other, in God’s own image.  Many Christian thinkers have pondered what this means.  Part of it is that we are created of the same stuff, and meant to be together as best as reality allows us to be.  Neither, separated from the other, is a full image of God, only in our relationships with each other are we resembling that fullness. 

Of-course, being in God’s image does not mean that God has to arms, two legs, etc. 

That is much too simplistic.  It is probably driving at a deeper since of things like, we share in God’s intelligence, and freedom of choise.  Yes all our choices have their natural consequences.  But our courses of action are not simply dictated by animal instinct.  We can chose and act in many different ways that go far beyond basic instinct. 

So Christian marriage is expressive of a sacred reality.  A solemn and pubic covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God that reflects the image of God.  A community of love and devotion, made between two and maybe including another generation! 

Let us never forget, that wither we are married or single; all our man woman relationships (with our spouse, friends, co-workers) have a sacred character.  We should be striving to treat each other accordingly.