Isaiah 25:6-8 New International Version
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine--
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
Luke 18:9-14 New International Version
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
6 On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine--
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.
Luke 18:9-14 New International Version
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable:
10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Reflection
It’s a confusing world we live in.
I don’t know about you but being a product of the 60’s and 70’s and living in Canada; maybe I just assumed that if we worked really hard at it – things would get better in the world.
We had had the World Wars, we knew the horror, the pain, the suffering, the loss. We had the United Nations safeguarding our way of life, our freedoms, our democracy. We had the civil rights movements and freedom marches. We had the Hare Krishna, Jesus freaks and peace and love. The United Church, (okay other churches too) were advocating for justice all around the world, supporting the campaigns for equality of people in South Africa, boycotting grapes from California, preaching a solidarity with the poor and the oppressed in Latin America and the Caribbean. The world was going to be a better place for everyone because of our efforts. We lived within the hope and expectation of the Kingdom of God here and now.
Looking back and reading scripture I realize Jesus and the Jews in the first century did too. In fact, when we read the scripture passage from Isaiah this morning it describes what the Kingdom of God would look like:
Here on this mountain, in this time and place, God, Yahweh, Abba will throw a feast for all the people of the world. Imagine the finest food and vintage wines, lavish desserts; more than enough for everyone.
And here on this mountain, in this time and place, God, Yahweh, Abba will banish the sense of doom hanging over everyone as war, and climate change, and overpriced housing and food and energy cast a shadow over everyone’s lives in the whole world.
And the deadly forces of fear and intimidation, hunger and greed will be banished from the earth forever. And God, Yahweh, Abba will wipe the tears from every face and remove every sign of disgrace from his people, wherever they are.
This is what Isaiah tells us about God, Yahweh, Abba! I may have changed the words a little but the intent is the same as Isaiah; God’s vision of the world is good and this is the vision we have, one we can live into: it is our hope and our faith, that with our help it will come to pass, it will come.
The Jews have this story told by Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), also known as The Ari, who was a rabbi and mystic in Safed.
Before God created the world, the entire universe was filled with a holy presence. God took a breath to draw back and make room for the world. From that first breath, darkness was created. And when God said, “Let there be light,” lightness was created filling vessels with holy light.
God sent those vessels to the world, and if they had each arrived whole, the world would have been perfect. But the holy light was too powerful to be contained, and the vessels split open sending sparks flying everywhere.
Some of God’s holy light became trapped inside the shards of the vessels. And it is our job gather the shards and to release the sparks of holy light. When enough sparks have been gathered, Tikkun Olam, “repair of the world” will be complete, the world will be as God intended.
Rabbi Luria’s teaching ends with how we gather the shards; through acts of compassion and loving kindness, improving the social situation of the marginalized and less fortunate, by praying.
Everyday becomes an opportunity to heal the self and the family the family, to repair the community and the world.
The purpose of our lives is to bring God’s vision, God’s intention into being. I think that was Jesus’ purpose as well, Jesus’ teachings and his life are like sign posts. This is the way into God’s Kingdom now and in the future.
This is the way to love one another. This is the way to take care of yourself. This is the way to reach out to others. Every story Jesus tells or is told about Jesus is like picking up a shard and letting God’s light free.
No one person can be or is responsible for the whole, the burden is not on anyone as an individual but it makes us all part of the whole. Our participation is necessary, if we give up our praying, if we stop our noticing then who picks up the shards that come our way, who will release that Holy Light into the universe that only you hold in your hand.
I had a little epiphany not very long ago, when I realized I did not have to have an opinion about everything that happens in our world. I don’t know where I got that idea in the first place, but I realized I don’t know enough about a whole bunch of stuff and I don’t mean just things like astrophysics or fixing a car. I don’t know enough about a lot of things happening to say anything except I don’t know enough and I’m either going to look into it further; or I am going to leave it to those who know more and have an interest in it.
What a relief! It was a like a burden being taken off my shoulders. I don’t have to listen to every pundit on TV news and evaluate what they say because I don’t know enough to form an opinion about the topic or what they say. I don’t have to be up to date on every social justice issue that comes my way from the United Church via newsletters, info sheets and webinars. I don’t have to pursue every worthwhile or worthy cause as if that is a reflection on its worthiness. Or as if that is a reflection on me and my worthiness before God.
You see that vision Isaiah describes, it’s beautiful isn’t it?
And here on this mountain, God will banish
the pall of doom hanging over all peoples,
The shadow of doom darkening all nations.
Yes, he’ll banish death forever.
And God will wipe the tears from every face.
He’ll remove every sign of disgrace
From his people, wherever they are.
It is a vision for everyone, everyone is included. So I have no idea why so many people and churches try to make Christianity into a reward and punishment program; so that only those who say the right things and believe the right things and do the right things get to be part of God’s Kingdom.
Clearly, Jesus didn’t believe it. He rejects that paradigm when he tells the story of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee. The Pharisee should have been the one Jesus was praising; a man who devoted his life to being good, following the rules, praying conscientiously but Jesus sees the tax collector, who was also praying, and despite his profession by which he effectively made his money off the hard work of his friends and neighbours, despite his affiliation with the Romans, despite his ill repute in his community, Jesus praises this man as the more righteous before the face of God.
God’s love, God’s grace, God’s mercy are bigger and more inclusive than we can imagine. They are the mystery by which we are included in the Kingdom. Our failings, our imperfect perfect humanness, our likelihood to walk by a shard containing the Holy Light of God and never pick it up or set it free, our disinclination to help when we can, our casual rejection of opportunity; they are not the end of the story. It doesn’t matter who we are or what credentials we carry, our journey to God is one that always ends with God’s loving embrace.
We are included in Isaiah’s vision of the Kingdom on the mountain, we are included in the Kingdom of God Jesus attested to and ushered into being. We are included in the Kingdom here and now.
It may indeed be a confusing world. There are many things I don’t, can’t understand, and there are far fewer things that I can even influence and yet, I have an important part to play in the coming of the Kingdom of God in the here and now. We have an important part to play in the coming of the Kingdom in the here and now.
The Kingdom of God contains a vision of a better world, a healed world, a world replete with Holy Light, where people feast abundantly and live in peace.
May it be so. Amen
It’s a confusing world we live in.
I don’t know about you but being a product of the 60’s and 70’s and living in Canada; maybe I just assumed that if we worked really hard at it – things would get better in the world.
We had had the World Wars, we knew the horror, the pain, the suffering, the loss. We had the United Nations safeguarding our way of life, our freedoms, our democracy. We had the civil rights movements and freedom marches. We had the Hare Krishna, Jesus freaks and peace and love. The United Church, (okay other churches too) were advocating for justice all around the world, supporting the campaigns for equality of people in South Africa, boycotting grapes from California, preaching a solidarity with the poor and the oppressed in Latin America and the Caribbean. The world was going to be a better place for everyone because of our efforts. We lived within the hope and expectation of the Kingdom of God here and now.
Looking back and reading scripture I realize Jesus and the Jews in the first century did too. In fact, when we read the scripture passage from Isaiah this morning it describes what the Kingdom of God would look like:
Here on this mountain, in this time and place, God, Yahweh, Abba will throw a feast for all the people of the world. Imagine the finest food and vintage wines, lavish desserts; more than enough for everyone.
And here on this mountain, in this time and place, God, Yahweh, Abba will banish the sense of doom hanging over everyone as war, and climate change, and overpriced housing and food and energy cast a shadow over everyone’s lives in the whole world.
And the deadly forces of fear and intimidation, hunger and greed will be banished from the earth forever. And God, Yahweh, Abba will wipe the tears from every face and remove every sign of disgrace from his people, wherever they are.
This is what Isaiah tells us about God, Yahweh, Abba! I may have changed the words a little but the intent is the same as Isaiah; God’s vision of the world is good and this is the vision we have, one we can live into: it is our hope and our faith, that with our help it will come to pass, it will come.
The Jews have this story told by Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572), also known as The Ari, who was a rabbi and mystic in Safed.
Before God created the world, the entire universe was filled with a holy presence. God took a breath to draw back and make room for the world. From that first breath, darkness was created. And when God said, “Let there be light,” lightness was created filling vessels with holy light.
God sent those vessels to the world, and if they had each arrived whole, the world would have been perfect. But the holy light was too powerful to be contained, and the vessels split open sending sparks flying everywhere.
Some of God’s holy light became trapped inside the shards of the vessels. And it is our job gather the shards and to release the sparks of holy light. When enough sparks have been gathered, Tikkun Olam, “repair of the world” will be complete, the world will be as God intended.
Rabbi Luria’s teaching ends with how we gather the shards; through acts of compassion and loving kindness, improving the social situation of the marginalized and less fortunate, by praying.
Everyday becomes an opportunity to heal the self and the family the family, to repair the community and the world.
The purpose of our lives is to bring God’s vision, God’s intention into being. I think that was Jesus’ purpose as well, Jesus’ teachings and his life are like sign posts. This is the way into God’s Kingdom now and in the future.
This is the way to love one another. This is the way to take care of yourself. This is the way to reach out to others. Every story Jesus tells or is told about Jesus is like picking up a shard and letting God’s light free.
No one person can be or is responsible for the whole, the burden is not on anyone as an individual but it makes us all part of the whole. Our participation is necessary, if we give up our praying, if we stop our noticing then who picks up the shards that come our way, who will release that Holy Light into the universe that only you hold in your hand.
I had a little epiphany not very long ago, when I realized I did not have to have an opinion about everything that happens in our world. I don’t know where I got that idea in the first place, but I realized I don’t know enough about a whole bunch of stuff and I don’t mean just things like astrophysics or fixing a car. I don’t know enough about a lot of things happening to say anything except I don’t know enough and I’m either going to look into it further; or I am going to leave it to those who know more and have an interest in it.
What a relief! It was a like a burden being taken off my shoulders. I don’t have to listen to every pundit on TV news and evaluate what they say because I don’t know enough to form an opinion about the topic or what they say. I don’t have to be up to date on every social justice issue that comes my way from the United Church via newsletters, info sheets and webinars. I don’t have to pursue every worthwhile or worthy cause as if that is a reflection on its worthiness. Or as if that is a reflection on me and my worthiness before God.
You see that vision Isaiah describes, it’s beautiful isn’t it?
And here on this mountain, God will banish
the pall of doom hanging over all peoples,
The shadow of doom darkening all nations.
Yes, he’ll banish death forever.
And God will wipe the tears from every face.
He’ll remove every sign of disgrace
From his people, wherever they are.
It is a vision for everyone, everyone is included. So I have no idea why so many people and churches try to make Christianity into a reward and punishment program; so that only those who say the right things and believe the right things and do the right things get to be part of God’s Kingdom.
Clearly, Jesus didn’t believe it. He rejects that paradigm when he tells the story of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee. The Pharisee should have been the one Jesus was praising; a man who devoted his life to being good, following the rules, praying conscientiously but Jesus sees the tax collector, who was also praying, and despite his profession by which he effectively made his money off the hard work of his friends and neighbours, despite his affiliation with the Romans, despite his ill repute in his community, Jesus praises this man as the more righteous before the face of God.
God’s love, God’s grace, God’s mercy are bigger and more inclusive than we can imagine. They are the mystery by which we are included in the Kingdom. Our failings, our imperfect perfect humanness, our likelihood to walk by a shard containing the Holy Light of God and never pick it up or set it free, our disinclination to help when we can, our casual rejection of opportunity; they are not the end of the story. It doesn’t matter who we are or what credentials we carry, our journey to God is one that always ends with God’s loving embrace.
We are included in Isaiah’s vision of the Kingdom on the mountain, we are included in the Kingdom of God Jesus attested to and ushered into being. We are included in the Kingdom here and now.
It may indeed be a confusing world. There are many things I don’t, can’t understand, and there are far fewer things that I can even influence and yet, I have an important part to play in the coming of the Kingdom of God in the here and now. We have an important part to play in the coming of the Kingdom in the here and now.
The Kingdom of God contains a vision of a better world, a healed world, a world replete with Holy Light, where people feast abundantly and live in peace.
May it be so. Amen
