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Bible Text: John 20:1-18 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

An elderly woman walked into the local country church. The friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he asked politely. “The front row, please,” she answered. “You really don’t want to do that.” the usher said. “The pastor is really boring.” “Do you happen to know who I am?” the woman enquired. “No,” he said. “I’m the pastor’s mother,” she replied indignantly. “Do you know who I am?” he asked. “No,” she said. “Good,” he answered and walked away.  Now, I know this is a joke but I began to wonder how would you have reacted and how would I have reacted.  First, I likely would not discourage someone from sitting in the front row; second, I don’t really know what it is to be a boring pastor. But in all seriousness I have been wondering about how we all react differently to different situations. I read a paper on the psychology of human nature and discovered that even psychologists differ in their theories as to why we all react differently even when experiencing the same situation. There is cognitive theory which believes that responses to situations are governed by emotions, which actually cloud our logic- making it difficult for us to remember events accurately. There is biological psychology that believes our DNA has something to do with our reactions and on the opposite side there is the nurture argument- that we react based on our environment and culture. Finally there are personality theorists which believe that our reactions are governed by our disposition- which is often a combination of our genetic and learned behaviour.  Basically we don’t know how or why the human mind works this way but all we know is that it does. One person’s kindness is another person’s insult. One person’s boring pastor is another person’s loving son. One person’s resurrection story is another person’s idle tale or myth.

Today we hear three people who react in three different ways to some of the greatness news that humanity has ever experienced! On top of that if you have heard the resurrection story before you know that all four Gospels have four different accounts. In Matthew’s Gospel, which  we heard at our Sonrise service this morning, Mary of Magdala and another Mary go to the tomb and there is a great earthquake, an angel appears, and Jesus meets them while they are on their way to tell the disciples. In Mark, which is not only the briefest Gospel but the briefest resurrection story too, the two Marys go to the tomb, but there is no earthquake, merely a man in white sitting on the stone and the women are seized by terror. In Luke it is Mary of Magdala, Joanna and Mary, mother of James, who go and find the stone rolled away.  They are perplexed and run to tell the disciples of this mysterious miracle, and the disciples take it for an idle tale. John’s Gospel is the only one in which Peter and the disciple who Jesus loved, which by the way, scholars debate who that really was, appear at the tomb at all. Now, perhaps some of you are sitting there thinking, well this is proof that the resurrection story did not take place- these four different versions point to the fallacies within the Christian church. But where many would point to the differences, I would point to the similarities. Mary of Magdala is in all four stories, the tomb is rolled away in all four stories, there is great surprise, confusion and awe in all four stories. We all react differently to different situations, which means we all remember things differently. Even in our Gospel passage this morning the three people involved have three very different experiences and would likely have three different stories to tell. I wonder, how would I have reacted? How would have you reacted?

While many might disagree with me, I think that John’s version of the story is the most vivid. It certainly is the most detailed and different. While Mary of Magdala really is the main character, sandwiched in between is the story of Peter and the beloved disciple running to the tomb. There is a lot of running in this story. Mary goes to the tomb, then runs back to the two disciples, then the disciples run to the tomb and back to their homes while Mary- who presumably ran back to the tomb with the disciples- sits and cries in the cemetery. We could break this story up into three parts which could make for a great three part sermon but I’m not that traditional or boring. These journeys to and from the tomb would argue that our reactions are dictated by our emotions because Mary runs to tell the disciples that robbers have stolen the body. But then Peter’s reaction of running into the tomb to see for himself would perhaps argue that we react based on culture- he had to see for himself that the body was gone and finally the beloved disciple displays something of his disposition. While this disciple doesn’t go in to the tomb, he believes, as only one who loves and is loved by Jesus can.

There is a clever use of words throughout this story that only one who knows a bit about Greek can truly appreciate. There is a shift in the verbs used for “seeing” which may reflect the stages of faith. First, Mary sees, blepei in Greek, the empty grave and believes it is robbers. This is the same verb that is used when the beloved disciple sees the grave clothes. Blepei is most closely linked to the verb to look. It is superficial.   But then Peter sees, theorei in Greek, the grave cloths which is the same verb used when Mary sees the two angels. Theorei  is a word that is more closely translated as contemplates. Then the Gospel says that the beloved disciple “saw and believed” and the verb used is horan, which means to see with perfect sight. Mary uses the same verb horan when she says, “I have seen the Lord”. Now I know, talking this much about Greek verbs means I’m border-lining on being a boring pastor, but it really helps us with how we understand the different reactions to the story.  There are those who take it at face value, not seeing beyond the empty grave. There are those who need to think about what this story really means and there are those who see that this is what Jesus was talking about for the past three years and believe with their whole being.

I would also argue however, that we are each Mary, Peter and the beloved disciple throughout our life. There are times when we react to God’s role in our lives like Mary did, with shock, fear, despair but ultimately with experiences of God’s love. There are times when we react as Peter did with curiosity, disbelief, a need for proof, but ultimately one who will work hard for the Gospel. There times when we react as the beloved disciple, shy, reserved, surprised; but ultimately it doesn’t take much for us to believe that God is good.

John’s Gospel, like the other three Gospels, acknowledges the difficulty of faith in the story of the resurrection. I don’t blame you if you are skeptical- clearly even those personally involved in the story were too. But what John does by combining these different experiences allows the text to place value on all of those complexities. As New Testament scholar Barbara Rossing put it, “Understanding of the Easter event builds piece by piece in John 20, progressively for the individual characters and progressively for the community of faith. This valuing of different experiences and ways of coming to faith can be a source of strength for us, both as individuals and as a community of faith.”  We take these reactions and we live them out in our lives of faith. There are times we are running back and forth, and eventually we collapse in tears and exhaustion- but it is at those moments that Jesus calls us by name. There are times when it takes us awhile to recognize God in our midst. There are times when we need to see the world through another’s eyes in order to see the mysteries of God. We all react differently to this story but it is no joke. Jesus lives! Hallelujah! Amen

 

Bible Text: Matthew 21:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-9 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Late April and May are known as migratory season for most birders. It is the time of year when many of the song birds, warblers in particular, start migrating north for the summer. As many of you know I’m a bit of an amateur birder. I’m actually terrible at it. I’m no good at identifying the bird calls and almost as bad at identifying by sight. While I love the birds that arrive, I wish that we had a migration similar to that of March of the Penguins. Large majestic birds, travelling together, slowly, now there is a bird I could identify. In the movie by the same name the narrator, Morgan Freeman, says, “There is a mysterious ritual that dates back thousands of years. No living creature has survived it except the penguin.  And every year, they embark on a nearly impossible journey to find a mate. For twenty days and twenty nights the emperor penguin will march to a place so extreme it supports no other life. In the harshest place on Earth love finds a way. And they will march just as they have done for centuries, ever since the emperor penguin decided to stay, to live and love in the harshest place on Earth.” In some ways with the Trumpeter Swans in the winter, we do have a migration akin to the Emperor Penguins, I know. Every once in a while a bird will be blown off course. Just recently the Comox Valley was home to a red-flanked blue tail, a bird that was only recorded one other time in Canada. Every once in a while a migration, something that has happened for centuries, is interrupted by a significant event. Every once in a while a migration is joined by a bird from a similar genus but of a different species. We joke that in every flock of American Widgeons there is at least one Eurasian widgeon that has tagged a long…it’s a birder joke. What we tend to forget is that birds and beasts aren’t the only ones who have migrated year after year, for centuries. There are many faiths that encourage at least one pilgrimage in a believer’s life. The pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover festival was no different, except when it is interrupted.

If there is a defining moment within Judaism it is, of course, the story of the Exodus. In Exodus 23:14-19 it states clearly that three times a year the people should hold festivals to God. The first festival being Pesach or Passover, the next being Shavuot, which is the festival at which the church’s Pentecost story took place, and Sukkot, the feast of in-gathering which marks the end of the harvest season. These festivals took place in Jerusalem and therefore it was incumbent on all who could to make a pilgrimage for the festivals- a migration of sorts. Our Gospel reading takes place during this pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Passover. Likely as Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem more and more people would have been joining them, not necessarily to follow Jesus but rather to migrate toward Jerusalem for the festival. In the previous chapter in Matthew, Jesus predicted that the final destination of Jerusalem on this pilgrimage would be a final destination for him on this earth. He predicts this while in Jericho, which was only 15 miles away in distance but involved an arduous uphill hike for nearly all of that 15 miles, rising about 300 feet in altitude. But because it approached the festival of the Passover, there would have been many who made that journey at the time.

Everyone would have stopped at the town of Bethpage on the Mount of Olives which was about two and a half miles long, east of Jerusalem. I have been told by friends who have travelled to the Holy lands that the panoramic view of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley is magnificent. While the view would have been vastly different, the temple in Jerusalem would have been quite the sight to see on the horizon. Like a group of travellers who crest a hill to see their final destination come into view, Jesus and his disciples must have been in awe at the scene. This is what they had been waiting for. Yet, Jesus calls upon them to get a donkey- hardly the type of animal that a conquering king would ride into town on.

Matthew explains that the reason for this is to reflect what was said through the prophet. In this instance the prophet which Matthew is referring to is Zechariah 9:9 which mentions that the coming king will be just, have salvation and be humble. Matthew cleverly edits this prophecy to only highlight the humility of the king. Now the prophet Zechariah preached in Jerusalem during the reign of King Darius which was when the temple was being rebuilt; so most of his prophecies concern Jerusalem getting its act together, so that it could be a place of worship again. By the time Jesus comes along the rebuilt temple has been around for nearly 500 years.  People have been migrating to it to celebrate this festival for that long in harsh conditions, and yet they were still waiting for God to help them “get their act together.”

Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is a familiar one. This humble conquering king parades in on a donkey or colt triumphantly as the people shout Hosanna, which in Hebrew is the word for help! But it is used often idiomatically as an expression of praise. It is actually hard for me to believe that these pilgrims would have recognized anything kingly or conquering about Jesus. He’s riding a donkey, he’s plainly dressed and he was meek, not militaristic as the prophets had all said the Messiah would be. So, in many ways I am surprised that these people would shout anything to him, as he would have looked like the rest of them. But that is perhaps part of this triumphant mystery, and plays into the most important message of Christ. The kingdom of God is nothing like what we picture or experience here on earth.

The Gospel of Matthew scholar David Turner writes, “Throughout his ministry, his teaching and example had exalted humility and downplayed pride. The “triumphal” entry epitomizes the upside-down values of the Kingdom. Jesus radically shifted the world’s paradigm of greatness, showing greatness to be found in humble service, not arrogant rule.” While Jesus brought this idea of a humble leader to reality it was not a new concept to the Jews in Jerusalem.

Isaiah’s passage is the third in a four part series called “Suffering servant songs”. Depending on your context and religious point of view this suffering servant represents Israel, Isaiah or Jesus. While it is all debatable and good to engage in Scripture this way, having this passage read with that of the entry into Jerusalem reminds us what is waiting for Jesus. While Palm Sunday is referred to as the triumphal entry, it is really the tragic entry for Jesus, for he is setting himself up to be the one, as Isaiah says, who will give his back and be struck, who will endure insult and spitting. This migration has a very different end. But it is also this migration of the crowds and Jesus on a donkey that allows us to migrate with him to the cross.

In this service we transition from the rejoicing and waving palms to the deeply difficult passion of Christ. We know what’s coming- which in many ways allows us to know also what comes after. We know that we are about to hear of betrayal, denial, beatings, and death. But we also know that the true triumphant story awaits us on Easter morning. Jesus will not only make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem but will be seated at the right hand of his Father, our God. We are the pilgrims in the crowd- making our way home. We join the migration, the march, to the cross, and in this harsh story love finds a way.  Amen

Bible Text: John 9: 1-41 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Mr. Robinson was born in September, 1930 in Albany, Georgia but was soon moved to Greenville, Florida. After a tragic accident when his younger brother drowned. Mr. Robinson ended up blind by the age of 7. He was sent to a state-sponsored boarding school in St. Augustine, Florida. The school ended up being the best thing that happened to him because it was there that he not only learned to read and write Braille but he also learned to arrange music in Braille and excelled in playing the piano, saxophone, clarinet and trumpet. His love for and of music led him into an amazing career in music. In fact, through his blend of gospel, blues and jazz he is thought to have pioneered the genre of soul music. He is called the “Father of Soul” by many people. Now, Mr. Robinson did decide early on that using his full name was not really appropriate and so instead he decided to be known by his first and middle name, Ray Charles. In 1960 Ray Charles won his first Grammy for “Georgia on My Mind.” In many ways, without the loss of his eye sight Ray Charles would not be the Ray Charles we know today. In fact, without the loss of his eyesight Soul music may not exist! This is not to rejoice in any tragedy that Ray’s life had but rather to acknowledge that sometimes suffering has a purpose much greater than we realize. I once heard a story about a certain now infamous comedian who went to visit Ray. As this comedian entered the hotel room all the lights were out and it was pitch black. He asked, “Ray, where are you?” and Ray responded, “I’m in the bathroom shaving.” The comedian than said, “Why are you shaving with the lights out? You’re going to cut yourself!” “Brother,” Ray replied, “I’ve been shaving in the dark all my life.” I use Ray Charles’ story not to compare Ray to the blind man in the Bible but rather to explain that even in darkness there is hope and teaching. It is also important to note that even in suffering- transformation is possible.

In this two part passage from John we hear the ever common images of light and darkness. In fact, John really sets the tone right off the bat in his first chapter when he says, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it.” In our passage the most amazing thing is that Jesus, the light of the world, gives light to someone who has lived in darkness for his entire life. But there are some key conversations that happen in the process.

Within our world today there is still a strong belief that bad things happen to people because, they deserve it. When a tragedy hits us we ask, “Why is God doing this to me?” When a family member is suffering we cry out, “What is the purpose of all this?” When we see a world that is being shaped by hatred we wonder, “Is God punishing us?” I can remember when the AIDS epidemic hit in the mid-80s and it was coined, “the gay disease” and many within the church vocally declared that they were just getting what they deserved. Or, what about when we see once strong, active members in our congregation who are struggling with memory loss or major physical deterioration, we wonder, “Why doesn’t God just take them home?” But this passage from John is very clear. Jesus says his blindness has nothing to do with his or his parent’s sins; rather God uses these types of situations to show glory.  Like last week, Jesus saves not souls but rather saves a blind beggar by showing compassion, healing, and being a companion to someone who apparently the whole village knew but about whom they did nothing. Jesus sees someone in need, not someone being punished for sin. Also, Jesus does not even come close to answering the question: why is this man suffering, or the wider question: where is God in human suffering? Or why does God let bad things happen? There is no easy answer. However, it is implied that even in suffering God is able to be glorified- we just might need to take the blinders off to see it.

Jesus’ instructions to this blind man are also important. Unlike other healing stories Jesus instructs this man to wash himself off in the pool of Siloam. No one is really a witness to this healing nor is Jesus present when it actually happens and yet, the blind man, and perhaps others are convinced that Jesus is the one who healed. You will notice that in our translation it makes a note that Siloam means Sent. John is clear from the get go that he understands Jesus as the one who is sent by God. But there is also a familiar image to this man washing himself in a pool and being transformed. In early frescoes in the catacombs of the early church this image of the blind man in the pool was used to depict baptism. Through his “baptism” this blind man becomes a great advocate and missionary.

Within a contemporary interpretation of this story the blind man demonstrates that people have access to this light of God by first acknowledging their own blindness. That becomes even more the case as the story transitions from the blind man to the Pharisees. For the blind man as soon as he is able to see- he also sees the healing power of God, he sees who Jesus really is, he becomes a witness to Jesus Christ. But the Pharisees are so incredibly blinded by their rules, righteousness, and scepticism that they do not see much beyond a strange story of a guy who claims he was born blind but can now see. It is the great irony of the Gospels; the blind man sees what the religious authority does not.

The Pharisees go to great lengths to try and disprove this miraculous story. They approach the man and question his previous blindness. They go to this man’s house and ask the parents whether this man was truly born blind or not. More than once everyone tries to explain to them that this is a true miracle that could only come from God. Not only are the Pharisees blind to what is right in front of them but they are deaf to the words being spoken. The astonishing thing is that this previously blind beggar then begins to teach the Pharisees. That in itself would have been a miracle because we can presume that as a child this blind man did not have an education, did not read or write, did not study the Scriptures as the Pharisees had and yet, here he is saying to them, “This is the craziest thing that you do not know where he comes from, and yet he did this miraculous thing, and the only way this could be explained is that he comes from God, and still you are missing the point!” The Pharisees are less than pleased to be taught by this man, whom they still believe is blind due to sin.

Jesus hears this and then re-enters the story and makes the comment that they, the Pharisees are sinners, for they are unable to see the truth. This is one of the great juxtaposition in the Gospel of John. The chapter opened with the disciples asking what kind of sin the blind man could have done to be born that way and it closes with Jesus pointing out who the real sinners are. The Reverend Margaret Whyte, a minister in the church of Scotland wrote, “There are none so blind as those who cannot see. Often we cannot see what is under our noses- or like the Pharisees, do not want to see…do we really see and act where God wants us to act and reach out with healing, helping touch.” We still blame sin for illnesses; we still react with scepticism when someone, perhaps a little less educated than ourselves, tries to tell us about the role of God in his or her life, we still ignore the needs in our community, and certainly the needs abroad. And yet, Jesus still reaches down and shines light in and through the world in many ways. This is not about shaving in the dark but about finding the music of the soul in those dark places and shining a light upon them. Amen

Bible Text: Exodus 17:1-7, John 4:4-42 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Scientists have recently discovered that 75% of North Americans are chronically dehydrated, meaning, they do not drink enough water. I heard once that you need to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I tried it and mostly discovered that I had a small bladder. However, the science encourages us to drink 8-12 glasses a day. In fact, nutritionists suggest that the best way to find out how much water you should drink is by splitting your weight in half and then drinking that amount in ounces. The article did not say whether that was in pounds or kilograms- all I can say is that I really hope they meant kilograms, otherwise it would mean a whole lot more water for me.  Preliminary research indicates that drinking water can significantly ease back and joint pain, and did you know that lack of water is the number one trigger of daytime fatigue? I suppose I already knew that water can be a powerful thing, but there is good reason to remind ourselves of that every once in a while.  It ties in to last week’s message from Dan Bowen. Perhaps it takes a walk in a desert to realize just how important water is. I remember the Rev. Ian Victor telling me upon returning from a trip in Nevada that along every trail there are signs that say, “Drink Water. You are thirsty even if you don’t know it.” Staying hydrated in the desert makes sense but we too can be in need of water- without even knowing it. Clearly the Israelites understood literal thirst but even the Samaritan woman at the well who was also thirsty for real water was, unbeknownst to her, thirsty for allegorical water.

Throughout Exodus, while the people of Israel are in the desert, the Israelites appear to be grumpy, critical, angry, bitter, dissatisfied people. They are constantly telling Moses how much they wished they were back in Egypt. It doesn’t matter that their oppressors were cruel or that the work was difficult and back breaking. It doesn’t matter that they were treated as animals. Yet, I have come to realize something about the Israelites: they are just being human. We all know how stressful moving can be; imagine being in transition without a proper home for a generation or two. We all know how frightening changing jobs can be. Even when you are really glad to leave a terrible boss, if you don’t know what the next job will be or where it will come from, then one can be under a lot of stress. In all their issues and complaining perhaps the Israelites were just really scared. Their faith was being tested in an incredible way, in fact, it had been tested for hundreds of years while they lived as slaves and now here they are travelling in the desert where food and water are scarce. While we may not be able to live by bread alone, we cannot live without food or water.

As I mentioned this is one of the early wilderness stories. Their adventure is just beginning and their freedom is a mixed blessing in part due to the fact that while they are no longer enslaved they are still without country. This means that the Israelites are still at risk- while they might have been slaves in Egypt they had some form of security, they knew where their next meal was coming from, they knew where they stood in the hierarchy, but now they are in the wilderness- with none of that to help them navigate the land or explain who they are within it. As one commentator put it, “Their new enslavement becomes all too clear when the water runs out in the midst of the desert.” Despite the fact that they were slaves in Egypt, they are about to experience a crisis in the desert. And so they ask the question so many of us have asked before: “Is God in our midst or not!?” But water can be a powerful thing.

I actually have sympathy for the Israelites. They are barely finished their song of celebration in Exodus 15 and are confronted with the unknown risks, wonders and fears of the desert. And let’s be honest, as the story continues Moses is kind of useless. At first he tells them to quit their complaining. It is only once they start to get aggressive that Moses turns to God with his hands up in the air and asks, “What am I supposed to do?” While God doesn’t say as much, other stories would tell us that if Moses had turned to God in the first place than perhaps water would have become apparent a little earlier. It is a good reminder to me and likely for all of us, more often than not, we try to resolve a situation by our own means rather than turning to God in prayer. It is only after we have tried everything else that we ask God for help. Prayer should be our first response, not our last resort, but I know it happens to me all the time and I suspect it happens to others.

The miracle of water from the rock says a lot about who God is; for example, when asked, God does respond, or God does care for the needs of God’s people. However, this miracle also demonstrates a major shift that most of us don’t catch on a first reading. Israel’s dependency is transferred from Egypt to God. Yes, a compassionate God met the needs of the people even as they found themselves in the wilderness, but also that salvation is not independent or brought on by our own power; rather it is dependent upon and brought on by God.

This leads us well into the Gospel story. We often refer to Jesus’ salvific ability as being one that saves souls, but over and over throughout the Gospel Jesus demonstrates very practical concerns for others: for the well-being of friends and strangers, wealthy or marginalized, healing physical illness or granting spiritual relief. In this passage Jesus saves both through his actions and his words. We have discussed in the past just how shocking Jesus’ request would have been to this Samaritan woman. It is important to remind ourselves that Jesus overcomes exclusivity by becoming vulnerable. Jesus’ first words are “Give me a drink.” What is powerful about these words and Jesus’ vulnerability is that he gives the woman the upper hand. He allows the woman to exercise power- it is up to her whether she feels like giving him a drink or not. Water can be a powerful thing.

Jesus changes this woman’s life just by asking for a drink of water. While the woman doesn’t quite understand the allegorical speak that Jesus spouts, Jesus eventually takes the initiative to reveal himself and he does it by stating who she is. Yet, in the way he does it, it does not seem like Jesus has much interest in her sordid past- he does it to demonstrate his divine capacities. Rightly, the woman perceives his abilities, and the dialogue continues.

At our book study on Grace a couple of weeks ago Philip Yancey referred to this story as he discussed how to be grace-filled with someone even when you disagree with their behaviour or opinion. He said that in this story Jesus does not start out by pointing out this woman’s immorality but instead in affect says, “I sense you’re thirsty, the water that you have been drinking, does it satisfy you?” “Oh no, she replies.  “Would you like to learn about a different kind of water? A living water that will never run dry?” and then this unlikely woman becomes Jesus’ very first missionary- taking the story of Christ to her village.  Yancey said that whenever he meets people with whom he disagrees he says this prayer, “Lord, help me not to see, “What a repulsive person. What an immoral person.” Rather, help me to see, “What a thirsty person.”” We are all thirsty and we may not even know it but water can be a powerful thing.

As we continue our Lenten project to support Project Watershed, this seems all the more true. Both literal and figurative water is needed to quench our thirst, to trust that God responds to our needs, that Jesus offers living water, that we are all equally thirsty people. Amen

Bible Text: Genesis 3:1-7, Matthew 4:1-11 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

I have always enjoyed following Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year.  While it has only been going on since 2004, usually they are quite correct that the word of the year becomes part of our regular vernacular. The word for 2016 was no exception. The word was, “post-truth” and while we may not use it in our regular vocabulary, yet, it is closely related to another new term that seems to be taking the world by storm, fake news. Post- truth is an adjective “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion or personal belief.” It is believed that three things have contributed to post-truth: the 24-hr news cycle, the false balance in news reporting, and social media.  That makes it sound like a new phenomenon but there is a part of me that sees the story in Genesis as an example of post-truth. In that there is one character that uses emotions and misinformation to trick or manipulate the situation, and while I believe that it is a story that is used to teach us some valuable lessons about ourselves and who God is, it is also a complex and crafty story.

Ellen Davis, author of “The Soil That Is Scripture”, encourages us to read the Bible with patience and suggests that instead of reading the Bible like we would fiction or non-fiction, we should read it like we would poetry. She suggests, “slowing down to ponder each phrase, to wonder why this word was chosen and not another, how this line or paragraph or story builds on what precedes and leads into what follows.” The story of Eve and Adam, the Serpent and the forbidden fruit is a great one to use as we look carefully at the truth within the pages and the post-truth that our world has come to believe. This can be a challenging task because most of us want clear, straightforward answers, with black and white examples and instructions, but that is not the case for most of Scripture. I remember being about 10 years old and asking my Mom a tough “faith question.”  I believe my question was, “If God created the world then who created God?” My Mother, was baking at the time and she paused before mixing the ingredients and thought. Then she replied with something that has stuck with me for decades. She said, “You see this recipe right here? Well this recipe gives you all the ingredients and instructions but it does not tell you how good it will taste, you have to bake it to find out. The Bible is like that; it gives the ingredients and instructions but it does not give you all the answers. It’s up to you to find those out.” The story in Genesis likely creates more questions than answers, but with patience, wonder, curiosity and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can glean some important facts about the text.

Within the first verse it says that the serpent was very crafty. It seems like a strange word to use- almost modern. I can think of world leaders or corporate CEOs who I might call “crafty” and mean it as an insult. However, the author was quite deliberate because in the original Hebrew the word crafty is ‘arum and it is the root to the word ‘arummim which is the Hebrew word for naked. When we hear that the serpent is crafty it is supposed to trigger a link between the serpent and the naked, innocent humans in the garden.

Then, as the serpent tries to persuade Eve it says, “You will not die, for God knows that when you eat of this fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be like God.”  Here is a fine example of how the Serpent is using post-truth, trying to convince Eve that her innocence is worthless when compared to God’s knowledge.  Now, the creation story in Genesis is complicated, in part because there are two stories. There is “the God created the world in seven days and created both men and women together story” as found in chapter 1 and then there is the other account of creation as found in chapter 2 in which God creates, roughly in the same order, until it gets to Adam, who God creates first and after a while creates Eve, because Adam is lonely. It is in the second creation story in which we find the warning about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In the first creation story God says that every plant, animal and fruit is for humanity to enjoy. In the second creation story God warns Adam, not Eve, about the tree. We couldn’t even argue that Eve misheard God because Eve wasn’t created yet. And so, to blame Eve for biting into the fruit is rather unfair and perhaps the serpent knew that. But also note that it says that while the serpent only addressed Eve, Adam was there, standing right there with her, HE could have warned her, but instead he is silent. Then when they consume this forbidden fruit it says their eyes were opened. And all of a sudden it appears that the serpent was telling the truth all along, and God was the one who lied, because Adam and Eve did not die as God had predicted, but their eyes were opened as the serpent had said would happen. But then again, their innocence did die, their close relationship of walking in the garden with God died, they were no longer the same people they once were. I could go on, but I want us to compare the story in Genesis 3 with our story from Matthew’s Gospel.

Jesus manages to demonstrate a much stronger resistance to post-truth. The devil takes advantage of Jesus’ hunger and attempts to trick Jesus into following his commands. The devil states that even if Jesus threw himself off the top of the temple that angels would come to his rescue.  The devil claimed that he was capable of giving Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if only Jesus fell down to worship the devil. Jesus’ strength really is a foreshadowing of what will happen in that great mystery of death when Jesus rises on Easter morning.

For Jesus, this is really a preparation for his public and earthly ministry. While it says at the close of our Gospel reading that the devil left him, Jesus will endure many examples of being tested and tempted. Think of all the times that it says religious leaders asked questions in hopes of tricking him, or the various ways they criticized him, or even the way his followers struggled to understand him. But Jesus overcomes all of that so that he himself is known as the way, the truth, and the life.

We are faced with a time in history in which post-truth tempts us, and we struggle to understand what is real and what is fake. Crafty leaders manipulate and trick us into believing them over truth. But Lent provides us with this time of reflection, and an opportunity to rebuild, even resurrect broken relationships, with each other and with God. Even the Bible does not always give us clear answers, and stories are often more complicated than they first appear but the Word of God is not fake rather full of truth, Amen

Bible Text: Exodus 24:12-18, Matthew 17:1-9 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Growing up, my Grandma and Grandpa Geddes had a cottage on the shores of Lake Huron close to the town of Goderich, Ontario. I have fond memories of spending summer weeks there. There was a guy who worked for the Opeechee candy factory and so we called him the candy man. There were the Culbert’s who owned a bakery in town and made delicious donuts. (Likely where my love of donuts came from). And there were black flies and noseeums that were just as much a part of the cottage community as any of the human beings who own property there. While the trees were nothing like the ones found in Cathedral grove, as kids these trees were huge. To pass the time we would play a game using these big trees, a baseball and gloves. One person would stand on the opposite side of the tree, throw up the ball as high as he or she could, arching it just so that it would fall near the middle of the tree. As the ball fell, and hit each branch, it would bounce unpredictably and randomly in a variety of directions. The idea of the game was to simply catch the ball as it came down. But one never knew where its final drop would occur.  So, you just stood there, glove in hand, looking up, watching and listening. Of course, there was always a point in the game when the ball would land squarely on someone’s head, bringing a yelp from the victim and howls of laughter from everyone else. The game taught us a very valuable lesson, what goes up must come down, and sometimes the fall is unpredictable.

Today both Moses and Jesus have mountain top experiences, both literally and figuratively. They both go up and they both must come down to a reality that is chaotic and unpredictable. They will hit a few branches on the way down, so to speak.  It is necessary that we look at what happens to them while they are on top of the mountain, but we often get too focused on what happens at the top and forget that what goes up must come down.  These mountaintop experiences are not the end of the story; they don’t even mark the beginning of the story, but rather serve as a stop along the way on a much bigger journey.

There are a few similarities between Moses and Jesus’ experiences, more than we might think. First of all, Moses goes up the mountain initially with Aaron, Nadab, Abihu and 70 of the elders of Israel, one of whom was named Joshua. Moses does not make the journey alone and even when God asks that Moses climb a little higher, Moses takes Joshua with him. The two of them were there for a week and then it seems as though Joshua is left behind while Moses enters a cloud and spends the next forty days and forty nights there. I want to pause for a moment while Moses is on the mountain to touch upon a common theme. Throughout scripture the term forty days and nights is used. It is not to be taken literally, although there is nothing wrong with that, but rather it was used as a statement to demonstrate, “a long time”. Perhaps a modern version of forty days and forty nights would be, “I was up on that mountain forever and a day”.  What is also unique about the use of the term in this passage in Exodus is that in almost every other situation the term is used to describe a long period of hardship or trial. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights in the story of the flood, Goliath taunted Saul’s army for 40 days before David showed up and as Lent approaches it is appropriate to remember that Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights. All of these examples, and many more, use the number 40 to demonstrate a long period of adversity. And yet, in our story of Moses it doesn’t strike me that they are experiencing any major trials at that very moment, aside from the fact that they are wandering the wilderness for the next 40 years. Perhaps it is not that the dispersion of the law was cause for adversity, but that it was foreshadowing the fact that the Israelites, and the people of God, will struggle to maintain and keep the law for the rest of history.

Yet what goes up must come down and Moses is no different. But think about this for a moment, Moses is literally on top of the world, communing with God. I have to believe that Moses did not want to come down! He probably wanted to stay up there as long as possible, taking in the view, enjoying the solitude, happy to be away from the mob of stinky, needy, whiny people below. Like Peter on the mountain with Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses must have wanted to say, “God, why don’t I build a hut here and just stay with you”. But instead, Moses must come down and bounce into every branch along the way,  to the chaos of the Israelite people; and it will be chaotic- in fact, those two tablets that God’s finger wrote upon, will be destroyed as soon as Moses makes his way down the mountain because the people are busy worshipping a golden calf! You never know which way the ball will go, nor do you know who will drop the ball.

We call this Sunday transfiguration Sunday because of the story we hear in Matthew in which Jesus’ form is changed. The Greek word for transfiguration is metamorfosi, so really a more literal term and better understood term would be metamorphosis Sunday- but it doesn’t really have the same ring to it. Like Moses, Jesus takes a few of the disciples up the mountain with him, Peter, James and John.  As the version of the story in The Message says then, “Jesus’ appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him.” Moses, as demonstrated in our Exodus passage, came to symbolize the law and Elijah served as the representative for the prophets. We have to remember that we heard Jesus say just a few weeks ago that he did not come to abolish the law and prophets but to fulfil them. Peter then makes a pretty obvious statement that it is good these disciples are there to witness to this event. Then he follows it up with his brilliant plan to build booths or memorials for these three prestigious characters. Of course, this request is not only denied but completely ignored and God responds with a reiteration of what was said at Jesus’ baptism, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him.” What goes up must come down, but where it will fall, no one knows.  As Warren Carter states, “Every Mountaintop experience has this element of the story, the part where the people come down from the mountain and move forward with their lives. The part where people acknowledge that, while it is good for us to be on the mountain, it is also good for us not to stay, it is good to move on to other terrain, to the valleys and plains of life and perhaps to other mountains. The spiritual life is one of mountains and hills and valleys and plains.”

When Jesus and Peter, James and John made their way down the mountain they were heading back down to the road that led to the cross. On Wednesday we mark the beginning of the long valley journey for ourselves as we begin Lent. It is a season of deep reflection on our mortality, on our frailty, on the chaos that is our lives. While it can be wonderfully solitary, peaceful, calm, and yet still exciting up there on the mountain, we need to walk those valleys too.  We have to come down the mountain to where it is unpredictable, especially as we face an unpredictable future for our church.  Imagine the one on the other side of the tree being like the many great prophets, encouraging us to grab our gloves and get ready. We don’t know where the ball will fall and so we feel like we are back under the tree, baseball glove in hand hoping to catch the ball, or just catch on. We are never too sure we are standing in the right spot, but it is a risk we have to take because sometimes we might not only be lucky enough to catch the ball, but to have God’s inspiration and wisdom to hit us squarely on the head.  Amen

Bible Text: Leviticus 19:9-18, Matthew 5:38-48 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

As one commentary put it, the book of  “Leviticus is a minefield full of topics that nobody wants to talk about in church.” If you have ever attempted to read the entire book you know that often either the laws are so monotonous that you can’t get through them without deep motivation, or they are so ridiculous that they are completely out of date or out of touch with reality. So many of us break many of the laws in Leviticus without even realizing it. This made me think of some of our own laws, and I discovered that there are some pretty interesting laws around this country. For example, one federal law states that vendors can say no to any purchase made over $5 using only nickels or any purchase made over $25 with only loonies. Just in case you were saving up for something big in your piggy bank. It is also an offence to make, print, publish, distribute, sell or have in possession for the purpose of publication, distribution or circulation….a crime comic, as in a comic book that deals with a crime series. So anyone collecting Spider-Man, Superman, or Wonder Woman comics and planning on selling them at some point better have a good hiding place. It is also illegal to scare the queen- but I get the impression she’s a pretty tough woman and would be hard to scare. In Toronto, it’s illegal to swear in a public park. I’ve been to parks in Toronto…and there are a lot of people breaking that law. In Windsor, it’s illegal to play an instrument in a park. Speaking of instruments, in Petrolia, Ontario, “Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing in public places is prohibited at all times.” I get the yelling or shouting…but who knew that whistling and singing could cause such a disturbance. Basically, having fun is illegal in Petrolia. Based on some of those laws, I can say with confidence that I have broken the law once or twice. In fact, I spent a week one summer in Petrolia, and I know we sang our VBS songs outside and I have indeed been in possession of a Superman comic, which I sold at a garage sale. The situation gets a little more concerning when we look at many of the laws in the Book of Leviticus. I enjoy my shellfish, my hamburger with cheese, and I’m pretty sure that even this morning I am wearing a blend of fabrics, all of which are forbidden in the Book of Leviticus.

Yet, before we write off the Book of Leviticus altogether, we come across these clear, succinct, compassionate laws as read this morning. We also have to understand the context from which the book comes. As I mentioned this book was for both the priests and the people but it gains its name from the Levites, the ones charged with looking after the spiritual well-being of the people. As late prominent Jewish scholar Jacob Milgrom once said regarding the law, “Israel attains it and priests sustain it.” The first 10 chapters are laws regarding worship and ritual. They particularly touch upon sacrifices and include such laws as, “When anyone presents a grain offering to the Lord, the offering shall be of choice flour; the worshipper shall pour oil and frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests (Lev. 2:1)”. Then in the following 5 chapters, Leviticus 11-16, is the section that is most likely going to make us blush as it deals with human bodies and sexuality and cleanliness. It deals with everything from childbirth to symptoms of leprosy, as well as what to eat and when. Then the remaining ten chapters, 17-27, are called the “Holiness Code” and they deal with not only what the priests should do, but what all people should do to remain set apart.

We have to remember that these laws were established to set the Israelites apart from the Canaanites, whose land they were not only entering but conquering. These laws make sure that they do not participate in any of the cultic, morally ambiguous, or different behaviours of the Canaanite people. While some of these laws seem outdated and strange to us, they were written to help establish who the Israelite people were and, sometimes more importantly, who they were not.  The level of holiness was not only something for the temple on the Sabbath but also something that separated them from the other people in the land.

The passage we heard this morning is all about this holiness but it is not about the behaviour within the temple but rather within the land. For the Israelite community the land tied them to God, and so it is no surprise that there are laws regarding the land and its people in Leviticus. To be holy was to have a mark of distinction as God’s people, and this mark went beyond rituals. It seeped into ethical behaviour as well. Like most of our federal, provincial and local laws, these ones make sense and for the majority of us are somewhat easy to maintain. “Don’t steal, don’t swear falsely using God’s name, don’t exploit or rob a friend, don’t put a stumbling block in front of the blind.” But then they get a lot more complicated. “Don’t spread gossip or rumours. Don’t stand by when your neighbour’s life is in danger. Don’t seek revenge or carry a grudge against any of your people. Love your neighbour as yourself.” The book of Leviticus not only deals with unclean bodies but unclean behaviour and sometimes the rules about behaviour are the hardest rules to adhere to. The book of Leviticus is at the heart of defining who the Israelites and early Jews were, and therefore are at the heart of who Jesus was.

It doesn’t get any easier when Jesus turns around and uses these laws from Leviticus in his sermon on the mount. He even takes it further and says forget trying to be set apart from other people, try being set apart like God! If we were to consider the Sermon on the Mount, (which isn’t actually over, but which our reading of it is, as we celebrate the last Sunday in Epiphany this morning,) if we consider the sermon in parts, it began with Jesus bestowing knowledge, telling the people what to expect. Then Jesus gave instructions to the disciples on what to do about it and then on how to act. Now Jesus tells them what it is to be disciples to the world. In the context of our Leviticus passage we are now able to understand a little of what Jesus meant when he said he came to fulfil the law, not abolish it. For Jesus builds upon the holiness code and takes it a little further. Jesus implies that not only are we to care for the poor and the alien, but we are to love our enemies. Not only are we not supposed to hold on to grudges, but we are to let those who want to sue us to take us for everything we’ve got. Not only are we to love our neighbour as ourselves but to be perfect as God is perfect.  You know what, I love these rules; I think they are good rules, but I have broken those rules time and time again. I have definitely not prayed for my enemy. I have definitely fought back if accused of something. I am not perfect. But while there are some rules in Leviticus that no longer seem to apply to our daily life, these laws spoken by Jesus are timeless. Jesus is not only speaking to his disciples of the 1st century, but the church of the 21st century.

In a couple of weeks we head into the season of Lent, a time of reflection based on our mortality and mistakes. Perhaps this is a great passage to help us launch into lent. Jesus was given the awful responsibility of truly practising what he preached. He was arrested, crucified and killed by people that were clearly his enemies. But what about what his friends did, as they betrayed, abandoned, denied, and doubted him.  Karoline Lewis reminds me, “Love your enemies is an important message going into Lent, when those you hoped would walk alongside you end up abandoning you. Our enemies are not always those we deem our opposites, our detractors, our challengers or resisters. Our enemies are all too often those whom we do indeed love.” Nobody is perfect, not even the disciples. However, just as we humans tend to seek for truth, so too should we seek perfection. Because, in a perfect world we wouldn’t have the need for outdated rules, and  we wouldn’t have enemies, only friends. Amen

Bible Text: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-30 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

I recently did an online survey to find out, “what hit 1980’s song I would be”.  Meaning what song best represents me from that decade of synthesizers and big hair. No, it wasn’t a slow day in the office, it was just one of those late evening web surfing activities.  There was a disclaimer on the survey that said “this was not a scientific study”…no kidding! It asked thirty difficult questions like, how do you feel about black eyeliner to how long does it take you to recover from a minor disappointment. They were all multiple choice with the average of three options per question. But some were tougher than others, like the question- which would you rather grow in your backyard? Flowers, fruit, vegetables, berries or a big tree- what this has to do with an 80’s song, I have yet to figure out.  Something you may not know is that I actually love doing surveys- be it over the phone, online or my personal favourite: in the mail. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s that I like to bestow my wisdom, or am curious to find out more about myself in the process. Often surveys have results and sometimes I disagree with those results, but it’s always fun to find out. I also really enjoy having options- like for example, would you rather write  a novel, a film, a collection of poetry, a song, a graphic novel or an important article?  I like to choose, and I like to think about that choice. And I bet, you are all wondering, what kind of hit 80’s song I am. Well, the results are in, I’m Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration”.

The book of Deuteronomy is a complicated book because there is great debate on when it was written and why. The book is essentially reiterations of the law, and reminders of what to do once the people of Israel have entered the land.  So, let’s presume that it was spoken to a people who were just about to enter the Promised Land. Moses decides that now would be a good time to give a lengthy speech. This part always makes me laugh for two reasons. As you might recall Moses told God that he could not lead the people because he had a stutter and because he was not a good orator. That seems to have disappeared now that Moses has spent well over 40 years leading these people. It also makes me wonder what the people must have been thinking. Here they are, ready to walk into the land that God has said is theirs! All they have to do is cross the river, and Moses decides that now is the time to give a speech that likely took hours to say. In fact he doesn’t just give a speech he delivers a speech that lasts 30 lengthy chapters! Lucky for you, instead of hearing all 30 chapters, this morning we get 6 verses that are essentially the rousing round up of the entire speech. Moses summarizes it all by ignoring nuance and saying, you have but two choices, life or death, blessing or curse, good or evil. Essentially these 6 verses are a survey to the people to say- have you been paying attention these last 40 years? Are you ready to live in this Promised Land? Are you ready to make the right choice? Will you tick off the right box? And that’s the amazing thing in all this, while Moses lays out all the realities of either choice,  that choice is still left up to the people.

This is no multiple choice, nor is it a trivial survey, but it is one that will tell us a lot about the people of Israel, and perhaps a lot about ourselves.  The very basis for their faith hinges on Moses stating, “God says, look at what I’ve done for you today; I’ve placed in front of you, Life and Good or Death and Evil. And I command you today, Love God, your God. Walk in God’s ways.  Keep God’s commandments, so that you will live, really live, live exuberantly, blessed by God, your God, in the land you are about to enter and possess.”  Perhaps you remember from a couple weeks ago when we talked about the beatitudes that to be blessed means to be fully satisfied regardless of situation. Moses is asking them- do you want to be blessed in this Promised Land? Perhaps they were shouting out, “Yes! Of Course!” But perhaps they were also just antsy to cross that river.

Luckily we know that the choice given to the people right at that very moment is not a completed decision, and it will come up again and again. While it sounds like the option is obvious, it is one thing to say yes and it is another to be yes. You see, the Israelites will stray from this covenant and will choose things other than life in God, over and over and over again.  Moses essentially explains to them what all the rest of the prophets will touch upon in their ministry. This short section in Deuteronomy is the foundation upon which ALL the prophets build their prophecies. These six verses are at the heart of every single prophet’s words. Prophecy was not future casting, but rather looking at this statement and saying, “SEE! If you don’t change your ways the covenant curses will be upon you. Things will get bad!” Cameron Howard points out, “Centuries of prophets will stand in the tradition of Moses, helping the people see that the consequences of idolatry are deadly, but that striving to live in relationship with God yields life.” She calls it covenant fidelity and continues, “covenant fidelity is a set of lived practices, and ongoing orientation toward love of God and neighbour.”

Idolatry is a tough thing, and before you think, those foolish Israelites, how could they not see how great it is to be in the light and life of God, we should take a long hard look at what we often choose to idolize. Be it our things, our collections, our buildings, our celebrities, our goods, our teams, our time, our money. There is likely not a day that goes by that I don’t serve some form of consumption- meaning I will choose to purchase something or think about purchasing something over thinking about God. There is likely not a day that goes by that I don’t covet something that someone else has. There is likely not a day that goes by that I don’t think of myself before thinking of anyone else.  And idolatry is sneaky because sometimes we can idolize being righteous or our sacrifices.

In fact, I think we even idolize our emotions, which is something that Jesus touches upon in this Matthew passage. I think we often idolize anger, meaning we choose to be angry, we like harbouring resentment, we hold on to grudges. We don’t want to reconcile with our brother and sister because we like feeling like we are more righteous. We don’t want to apologize or admit that we were wrong- especially if it wasn’t our fault. But Jesus tells us that if we enter God’s place of worship and are about to make an offering, and we remember that a friend has a grudge against us, we are to abandon our offering and make things right. Sure we can choose to hold on to that anger but then we are choosing to idolize an emotion that will only get in the way of our worship.

We come together as a community, as a people, and we do that in part because God wants us to worship together, but there is also an accountability. We are completing this survey not on our own but together. While we come as individuals that faith actually affects and matters to the individuals sitting next to you and we have the choice to live as people of God, of life, light and blessing or as people for ourselves, of death, darkness and curses. It’s up to you. Which box will you tick? Which one will you choose? But like the people of Israel this is not a done deal- throughout history we have discovered that God gives us this option not once, not twice, but every time we choose idols over God. Amen

 

 

Bible Text: Isaiah 58:1-9, Matthew 5:13-20 | Preacher: Rev. Jenn Geddes

Before every game the former Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher had quite a specific pregame ritual. You would think that for a football player it would involve some intense adrenaline-rushing, machismo-establishing hyper-activity, which is the case for many a football player in the NFL. However, Urlacher was different. He prepared for each game by unwinding for an hour and watching his favourite fishing show. Then, upon arrival at the stadium he listened to music and enjoyed a pregame snack- two cookies, most often chocolate chip. Rituals are all part of the game- regardless of the sport. One of the strangest comes from the Detroit Red Wings.  In 1952 during a playoff game, a fan threw an octopus out onto the ice. It was to represent the eight wins needed to win the Stanley Cup, back when eight wins were needed. What’s strange is that after this one incident the Red Wings swept the playoffs and as a result any time the Red Wings make it to a playoff…well, it gets a bit messy. If you think that’s weird, Richie Ashburn, Baseball Hall of Famer, would not only use the same bat following a particularly good streak, but he didn’t trust the equipment managers to keep his bat separate and thus would not only take it home but sleep with it in his bed. Whether it’s growing a playoff beard, or rubbing a bald head, or perhaps like Wayne Gretzky who always put baby powder on his hockey stick before a game, there are certain rituals that seem to improve someone’s game. At the very least it improves their confidence. But we all know how foolish these rituals are. We all know these are empty rituals. We all know that what one does before a game does not influence whether they win or lose, but rather it is how one plays the game, and perhaps how the others play.  Maybe this is as much a message for the Patriots or Falcons this afternoon as it is for us. It’s not about the rituals but about how the rituals make you feel and act.

Isaiah was basically warning the Israelites of this very fact, although it did not have to do with something so trivial as playing a game but rather how they enacted their very relationship with God. In the passage from Matthew we hear Jesus say, “Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”  As a result we would do well to pay some attention to what Isaiah is saying. In order for us to understand Jesus’ context we should learn more about all of the Old Testament prophets. But what Isaiah and Jesus both reference today is the importance between knowledge of God and being in relationship with God. They are not the same thing, but both are vital.

As we have discussed, the Book of Isaiah spoke to a specific context within the Israelite history. In fact, the Book is often put into three parts, part one being pre-exile, part two being during exile and part three being post-exile. Isaiah 58 likely dates to the post-exilic era. The Israelites have started to return, but their institutions, both religious and political, have not been rebuilt. This is in part because their leaders and the highly educated were not only the first to be deported but they were the last to return- if they were not wiped out. The Israelites are not only rebuilding their nation, they are rebuilding their society and culture. What we have in this morning’s passage is a people who are uncertain about their future and which direction to take. They are also at odds with their rituals to versus their relationship with God. We hear that in this passage as they ask God in verse 3, “Why have we fasted, and you have not seen it?” The Israelites are frustrated that they have participated in this ritual with zero improvement to their situation. What’s the point of inflicting this personal discomfort if God doesn’t seem to care, or notice, or do anything about it. God, through the Book of Isaiah, is quick to respond.

God gives two succinct responses to the Israelites’ complaint. First, while they might fast, the rest of their behaviour is as they please. I appreciate that in verse four it says, “Your fasting ends in quarrelling and strife.” For the record, if I haven’t eaten for 24 hrs you can guarantee that I am not going to be very polite, and likely any of my conversations will end in quarrelling and strife. But the point God is making is that they cannot expect that their pious behaviour of fasting will be heard if the fast is just for fasting’s sake. Religious rituals are supposed to lead them to be better people, but instead this fasting is causing them to exploit their workers and fight with each other. There is nothing pious about it.

Secondly, God asks some rhetorical questions, “Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself?” It is the final rhetorical question that is of great import, for in asking it, God gives the Israelites their answer, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen, to loose the chains of injustice and untie the chords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter?” I have to admit that I appreciate this redefining of fasting. What I infer in these questions is that fasting- giving up food for a day- is not actually what God is asking but rather, fasting by eating less and sharing the rest with those in need is. Earlier I explained that the Israelites are trying to rebuild their society. This brief passage gives them a clue as to how they are to organize themselves. Old Testament scholar and Presbyterian, Tyler Mayfield says, “The passage portrays a people seeking to understand how to worship God truly and rightly, but failing to integrate the various aspects of their spiritual lives. They are fasting, but their fasting does not seem to affect their actions toward others. Religious ritual when unaccompanied by social action is self-serving.” The rituals of the past are all fine and good, but if they do not improve on the relationship with God and with others then they are empty rituals.

Jesus essentially touches upon this as well. Remember that Jesus has just preached his famous beatitudes, and what we hear this morning is just a continuation of that sermon. Immediately after giving the “blessed are they” statements, Jesus then tells the disciples what to do with them. The key piece is that the sermon moves from knowledge to action. Basically Jesus says, “now you know who is going to go to heaven, here’s what you can do about it.” I suppose that’s why I have a bit of a pet peeve around the evangelical questions, “Do you know the Lord?” Of course all of us have the capacity to know the Lord and it is an important step but it is not enough to know. If all we do is say we have accepted the Lord and know the Lord is in our hearts than it strikes me as being just as empty as fasting for fasting’s sake. Jesus says, knowing is not enough, we have to BE salt and light. I know this is a challenging thing to say from a reformed perspective. We believe that it is by faith alone that we are saved by grace. I’m not arguing that, but rather faith is a lot more than just belief, faith involves actions.

Faith is about sharing what we have with others- even if it means we end up with a little less. Faith is about responding to the needs in this world- be it social justice or environmental awareness. Faith is about asking people if they’d like to learn more about God. Faith is coming to church. Faith is about some of those rituals that give us the confidence and spiritual strength so that we can have the courage to engage in all of those things. Faith is about giving life flavour and shining lights on dark places. Faith is about me and about you and most importantly about God. Amen