Matthew 7:21-29
Epiphany 9 - Year A
Proper 4 (9) - Year A
Entering the realm of "heaven" takes more than learning traditional passwords of praise-song repetition of "Jesus, Jesus." This has been called the SUTJ [Sucking Up To Jesus] approach to salvation, using Jesus to make oneself important.
Working backward from this lection toward heaven, the last teaching of Jesus before he talks about his word being a place of refuge was that we would know people by who they are (their "fruit," not just what they say (v. 20)). The "narrow" way that does lead to fulfilling the prayer that GOD be present on earth as in heaven (v. 14) is found in expanding relationships through a golden rule-of-thumb, "Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get." (v. 12) [ The Message ]
Where else do you find that you need to back up a bit and hear what went before or tell a different part of the story before you can better address what is before you?
A major part of our work is that of setting the scene. May you continue to go back to a "golden" context for the meaning of life and then live boldly between a rock and a sandy place (that is, live abundantly with others in the midst of all the conglomeration [geologically] of life).
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/june2002.html
To hear . . . to act . . . prelude to wisdom.
Hearing another is important. Harking back to the Babelfish, hearing is understanding not just translating words. As such it gets to motive, always a tricky thing, given projection and whatnot. To hear means also to check what is being heard.
It is at this point of hearing all too well as well as no where near well enough that we enter into religious and every other kind of difference. Our hearing and response to what we are hearing and our hearing while not quite hearing lead to action based on defensiveness or ignorance. Both of these find the resultant action faulty.
Are we right to hear within the present administration bent on empire the seeds of our own destruction? If that is what we are hearing and we defensively react against it are we not planting our own seed to power under a kinder name? Are we right to hear within the present religious right an overemphasis upon personal salvation and labeling as sin what is created gift? If that is what we are hearing and we defensively react against it are we not passing over our own sin and claiming exemption from temptation?
To live with authority is to address what is being heard without defensiveness. Let's put it bluntly - no hearing at depth leads to shallow action easily deflected, hearing another adds to our store of information and better decision-making.
Listen up! Act out!
- - -
Dave responds:
I love you, you meddling fool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Keep up the good work!
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
It is easy to get caught up in SUTJ praise music. Here SUTJ stands for "Sucking Up To Jesus". We do everything for the name of Jesus.
There is another foundation and that is to take the focus off of Jesus and put it on what he put his focus on - healing/saving humanity and unity with GOD. These are complementary practices in the same way that the greatest commandment is twofold - GOD and Neighbor.
No wonder Jesus can say that he misses the point of the doctrinaire use of his name. Jesus is just too humble to take such blasphemy. Ironic, isn't it, that Jesus is accused of blasphemy when it is such as ourselves who are most prone to the invisible blasphemy of going along with the power of today with nary a counter-cultural thought in our head or feeling in our heart.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
This summer I am not going to follow the lectionary, though I will still post about it here. We will be having guests (this week, Mel Duncan, Executive Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce) and responding to desired sermon topics from the congregation. I expect there to be connections between the lectionary and other scriptures chosen for their more literal connection to a given topic.
For instance: a general sermon title might be: "When 'Lord, Lord' is a Foundation of Sand" and a specific application this week might be – "You can't use Jesus as an excuse for hitting someone".
An immediate connection is with the possible list of good things we have done that would allow us to excuse ourselves from the evil we have also done. Jesus doesn't seem to have a concept of impartial justice that weighs good and evil and whichever is an ounce/gram weightier wins. Thus the history of evil-doers who are appreciators of the arts and gentle with their own children are not excused because of those and other virtues. Or, in this passage, those who prophesy, exorcise, or otherwise do miraculous deeds under the cloak of "Jesus" are not commended for simply doing such. Even the devil can quote scripture.
Here Jesus suggests a return to his foundation – belovedness. In the baptism of life, wherever rain falls, is there an increase in belovedness – one's own and that of everyone? If so, its solid foundation is revealed; if not, shifting sand is revealed.
Sometimes we desire to hide our base foundation. Here Jesus asks us to reveal it. On this "Memorial Day" can we remember a foundation of Jesus in non-violence (the reported mini-apocalyptic statements attributed to Jesus aside) such as Luke 9:51-56 – "When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village."