Fifth Sunday after Pentecost 5th July 2020
Sunday 5th July 2020 – Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Romans 7.14-25
14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. 15 I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. 17 But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23 but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.
Matthew 11.15-30
15 Let anyone with ears listen!
16 ‘But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to one another,
17 “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.”
18 For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”;
19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.’
20 Then he began to reproach the cities in which most of his deeds of power had been done, because they did not repent. 21 ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
22 But I tell you, on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
23 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven?
No, you will be brought down to Hades. For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
24 But I tell you that on the day of judgement it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom than for you.’
25 At that time Jesus said, ‘I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants;
26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
28 ‘Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’
Reflection:During the last few months, one of the unfortunate side effects of the pandemic has been that many people have increased their anxiety and subsequently feel a sense of exhaustion. Physical, emotional and spiritual exhaustion has been an unexpected side effect of this virus that doesn’t show signs of disappearing anytime soon.
Thus, it’s nice to hear Jesus today invite the weary: "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light" The yoke was a common symbol of burden bearing, oppression, and dominance. Yokes were laid on the necks and shoulders of oxen and also on prisoners of war and slaves. But "yoke" was also used in Jesus’ day symbolically with positive implications. To put on Yesu’s yoke was an invitation to the difficult but joyous task of obedience to Torah and the blessings that this would bring to a soul weary from the trials and temptations of the world. (Remembering that the Jewish people even to this day find great comfort and peace in their traditions and religious observances).
Sadly, it seems that many people, many souls, do not realise that the cause of their worry and weariness is simply that they actually need a Saviour- they need the rest that Jesus offers. It seems in a world that is continually torn by anger- war, natural disasters and human caused disasters then we have a greater need than ever to take the yoke and rest that God offers.
God is the one who bears our burdens. God is the one who shows up in our need. God is the one who walks along side of us. More than anything, the cross demonstrates this – God’s willingness to embrace all of our life, even to the point of death, in Jesus, to prove God’s profound love and commitment.
In our quest for peace, we as children don’t realise that it’s not necessarily found in what we want, instead in what God offers. We often would prefer a God who would take away our problems rather than help us cope with them. We would prefer that God eliminates challenges rather than accept that he equips us for them. And we would opt that God banish our enemies rather than enable us to make peace with them. Again, it’s not usually what we want, but pretty much exactly what we need. This is to be our prayer.
Jesus is saying “as you embark on the discipleship way, I am with you.” He’s there to sustain us.
Perhaps it’s not so much – Rest more! Take care of yourself! – but rather the reminder that God always shows up where we least expect God to be: in the need of our neighbour, in the person that doesn’t look anything like you, in the person who believes and thinks and acts differently than we do and, just as importantly, than we think they should. And that in all these circumstances, our call is the same: to care for them, to meet them where they are, to accept them as we are able.
It’s not easy work. But as we undertake this kind of discipleship – which pretty much has been the subject of the last few weeks of our readings from Matthew – we discover God in Jesus is already there. Waiting for us, encouraging us, forgiving us, bearing us. Which is what makes the burden light.
We live at a time and place where we are increasingly taught to believe that true joy, deep satisfaction, and the realisation of what we were created for comes through self-discovery, mindfulness and self-expression, being authentic to one’s true self. And while I affirm there’s great value in that kind of practice, I’m not sure we can achieve it apart from being in relationship with our Lord, and bearing the burdens of, those around us.
Jesus says, Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. It is not that Jesus invites us to a life of ease. Following him will be full of risks and challenges, as he has made abundantly clear. He calls us to a life of obedience and humble service. It is life yoked to Jesus under God's gracious and merciful reign, free from the burden of sin and the need to prove oneself, free from the worries of the world, free to rest deeply and securely in God's grace.
Sometimes I wonder if we as the church strive too hard to fit in or offer some u-beaut new fandangle idea. This isn’t being authentic to who we are. We don’t need to make great changes, or do great and remarkable things. We are not called to be anyone else other than who we are. We are however called to be relevant and bring the gospel to people in ways that will be effective for Kingdom building, knowing that God is with us always.
Last week we heard that even to offer a cup of cold water, even the smallest act can be transforming to the one who receives. Two weeks ago, Jesus was speaking of Gods care for even the smallest details of our lives, and he wants us to share these small details with him daily, moment by moment. We are not called to necessarily move mountains but we are called to follow, and to be the people God has called us to be.to bring the gospel message by who we are.
The future is full of possibilities if we open ourselves to see and believe in these. Remember last week I was saying, ‘Each and every act of kindness and mercy spreads through the ages and across the universe filled with Christ’s love for the world, a love we can share anytime and anywhere with gestures that may seem small in the eyes of the world but can have profound effect in the life of those who witness them.’
Jesus compared the generation of Israelites of his day to children who were sitting in a market place, wanting to play games with each other. He suggests that they whinge when they play their flute because others don’t dance to the same tune. At our worst we play and expect others to sing the same song, to play the game to our rules as it were. John the Baptist was criticised because he did not eat- Jesus was criticised because he did eat- but he ate with ‘sinners’ and those who were deemed outcast-lol how terrible in the eyes of the pious religious leaders of the time.
In this present age, we are the religious leaders of our time. The mission of the church is changing- no longer can the church expect people to flock to join them, wouldn’t it be wonderful if they did. Instead in a consumer world and now a Covid world, the churches mission instead more than ever is to be in the community and go where the people are- Not to expect the world to dance to the tune we sing- with all our expectations and traditions. If this generation has not been educated and grown up like we have with church as part of our life how can we expect them to have understanding of what the traditions mean.
The way I see it, we have a window of opportunity to make a new beginning for our church communities. But what is it that God has been and is now telling us? Perhaps we don’t need to make great changes, or do great and remarkable things. We are not called to be anyone else other than who we are. I suggest however, we are called to be the people of God in the Parish of the Bellinger and to be open to the possibilities that we have with God on our side. To dance the dance that God is dancing. To look as see what God is doing in our midst and to rest in his promises and his word. Amen.