Pentecost XIII
By The Rev. Martha Frances+
Year C, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16
26 August 2007
Text: Luke 13: 10-17 Other Readings: Jeremiah 1: 4-10; Hebrews 12: 18-29; Psalm 71: 1-6
Today I'd like you all to keep standing for a moment. Those of you who are willing to try an experiment with me, I'd like you to bend over at your waist, bending as close to a 90 degree angle as you can & still keep your balance. Now, without standing up, try to talk to the folks still standing straight. Those of you standing, how easy is it to communicate with the bent over folks? Try it! Not easy for either group, is it?
Now you may be seated. Thank you so very much for being such good sports. Those who were bent over, how would that have felt for 18 years? In how many ways would your being bent over have limited your life? What must this woman's life have been like? About the only profession which would suit her physical limitations would be as a jockey in horse-racing, & the chances of her having that opportunity are pretty slim. Yet the bent-over woman had not come to the synagogue that day expecting any life-changing encounter. She did not approach Jesus. Jesus called out to her. Jesus took the initiative. Jesus set her free.
The woman stood up immediately & began praising God. Her immediate response is gratitude. Imagine for a moment how this woman's life will be different from now on. Although women were not generally valued highly in the society of Jesus' time, he affirmed her dignity when he gave her new life. What burdens weigh your life down, keep you from living to your fullest? If you were freed from them, how would you celebrate? Can't you just imagine the joyful atmosphere in the synagogue that day?
Not all were thrilled with this woman's transformation, however. The leader of the synagogue was really ticked, wasn't he? After all, he has offered this young rabbi the courtesy of teaching in the synagogue, & all of a sudden, he is blatantly bypassing Sabbath rules, some of the most-honored laws which maintain the community stability, & working on the Sabbath. Who does he think he is?
However, the synagogue leader doesn't confront Jesus directly. He attacks the woman via a challenge to the crowd. He shows no regard for the woman at all, but only concern that the law be enforced.
Jesus responds directly to the synagogue leader, calling all those who hold the law above the care of human beings hypocrites. Jesus cites a usual Sabbath practice: any good Jew would care for his domestic animal, his valuable property, yet a woman's affliction is not valued as much as the animals. Once again, Jesus has put those in authority on the spot, showing their lack of compassion, while gaining the affection & support of common people. In fact, Jesus' actions are just the work which cries out to be done on the Sabbath—what more appropriate time could there be for God's chosen people to be resurrected to new life?
Lest we assume complacently that such care & affection was only inaugurated by Jesus, we can take a peek back at the first two lessons today to see God's loving care & loving-kindness poured out both in the psalm & also in the reading from Jeremiah. The psalmist praises God by saying "I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother's womb you have been my strength." Jeremiah recounts his own call to be a prophet. He describes God's own words to him, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, & before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." If we pause a moment to wrap our minds around it, it's pretty awesome to imagine the God of the universe present & choosing each of us, strengthening us as God's ministers from even before we were born. Breathe that in & treasure it!
Now Jeremiah doesn't respond by praising God & rejoicing. Jeremiah's initial response was, rather, "Who, me? You must have the wrong fella, God. In the first place, I'm just a kid, & on top of that, I don't know how to speak." Of course, God is pretty persuasive, reminding Jeremiah that God doesn't choose the equipped but equips the chosen, so God will tell Jeremiah what to say. In this passage, God even tells Jeremiah that the message to the people won't sound like good news; Jeremiah must warn the people of destruction & exile—& people aren't thrilled to hear of the death of their whole way of life.
News reports as recently as last night hastened to inform us that one of this week's murders in Houston was done by a young man from New Orleans. As concerned as many Houstonians are by the influx of New Orleanians since Katrina, I still shudder at the extent of the loss suffered by people already struggling to survive in New Orleans before Katrina. Not only have those most vulnerable lost all their possessions, their homes, & the part of town they knew, but the whole system of social services on all levels has failed them. Yes, it's a complicated situation, but with whom would Jesus be present in this on-going travesty? God promises Jeremiah that there will be a time to build & to plant, but that sort of rebirth can only come after an acknowledgement of death & destruction. And new life takes time & energy & the strength of which the psalmist speaks.
I'll be taking time this next week to remember my husband Bill's death a year ago tomorrow, & commemorating what would have been our silver wedding anniversary this Wednesday. As much as I wish I could tell you the grieving were already past, that's simply not true. Emotionally, rebirth can only come as I mourn Bill's death & the death of a dream of our growing old together. We've been going through much of the same experience together for over two years in this community, & many of you have suffered other personal deaths as well, so we still have grieving to do together. Only as we fully recognize the death of the past can God plant & build anew. It's not a linear process. It takes time & is painful. But we're reminded throughout scripture that God is ever-present to sustain us, to comfort us, & to strengthen us for new life in which there will be much rejoicing. As our weights are lifted from our shoulders & we stand straight with new life, may we respond with the formerly bent-over women, praising God & crying out, "Hallelujah!"
Year C, Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 16
26 August 2007
Text: Luke 13: 10-17 Other Readings: Jeremiah 1: 4-10; Hebrews 12: 18-29; Psalm 71: 1-6
Today I'd like you all to keep standing for a moment. Those of you who are willing to try an experiment with me, I'd like you to bend over at your waist, bending as close to a 90 degree angle as you can & still keep your balance. Now, without standing up, try to talk to the folks still standing straight. Those of you standing, how easy is it to communicate with the bent over folks? Try it! Not easy for either group, is it?
Now you may be seated. Thank you so very much for being such good sports. Those who were bent over, how would that have felt for 18 years? In how many ways would your being bent over have limited your life? What must this woman's life have been like? About the only profession which would suit her physical limitations would be as a jockey in horse-racing, & the chances of her having that opportunity are pretty slim. Yet the bent-over woman had not come to the synagogue that day expecting any life-changing encounter. She did not approach Jesus. Jesus called out to her. Jesus took the initiative. Jesus set her free.
The woman stood up immediately & began praising God. Her immediate response is gratitude. Imagine for a moment how this woman's life will be different from now on. Although women were not generally valued highly in the society of Jesus' time, he affirmed her dignity when he gave her new life. What burdens weigh your life down, keep you from living to your fullest? If you were freed from them, how would you celebrate? Can't you just imagine the joyful atmosphere in the synagogue that day?
Not all were thrilled with this woman's transformation, however. The leader of the synagogue was really ticked, wasn't he? After all, he has offered this young rabbi the courtesy of teaching in the synagogue, & all of a sudden, he is blatantly bypassing Sabbath rules, some of the most-honored laws which maintain the community stability, & working on the Sabbath. Who does he think he is?
However, the synagogue leader doesn't confront Jesus directly. He attacks the woman via a challenge to the crowd. He shows no regard for the woman at all, but only concern that the law be enforced.
Jesus responds directly to the synagogue leader, calling all those who hold the law above the care of human beings hypocrites. Jesus cites a usual Sabbath practice: any good Jew would care for his domestic animal, his valuable property, yet a woman's affliction is not valued as much as the animals. Once again, Jesus has put those in authority on the spot, showing their lack of compassion, while gaining the affection & support of common people. In fact, Jesus' actions are just the work which cries out to be done on the Sabbath—what more appropriate time could there be for God's chosen people to be resurrected to new life?
Lest we assume complacently that such care & affection was only inaugurated by Jesus, we can take a peek back at the first two lessons today to see God's loving care & loving-kindness poured out both in the psalm & also in the reading from Jeremiah. The psalmist praises God by saying "I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother's womb you have been my strength." Jeremiah recounts his own call to be a prophet. He describes God's own words to him, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, & before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." If we pause a moment to wrap our minds around it, it's pretty awesome to imagine the God of the universe present & choosing each of us, strengthening us as God's ministers from even before we were born. Breathe that in & treasure it!
Now Jeremiah doesn't respond by praising God & rejoicing. Jeremiah's initial response was, rather, "Who, me? You must have the wrong fella, God. In the first place, I'm just a kid, & on top of that, I don't know how to speak." Of course, God is pretty persuasive, reminding Jeremiah that God doesn't choose the equipped but equips the chosen, so God will tell Jeremiah what to say. In this passage, God even tells Jeremiah that the message to the people won't sound like good news; Jeremiah must warn the people of destruction & exile—& people aren't thrilled to hear of the death of their whole way of life.
News reports as recently as last night hastened to inform us that one of this week's murders in Houston was done by a young man from New Orleans. As concerned as many Houstonians are by the influx of New Orleanians since Katrina, I still shudder at the extent of the loss suffered by people already struggling to survive in New Orleans before Katrina. Not only have those most vulnerable lost all their possessions, their homes, & the part of town they knew, but the whole system of social services on all levels has failed them. Yes, it's a complicated situation, but with whom would Jesus be present in this on-going travesty? God promises Jeremiah that there will be a time to build & to plant, but that sort of rebirth can only come after an acknowledgement of death & destruction. And new life takes time & energy & the strength of which the psalmist speaks.
I'll be taking time this next week to remember my husband Bill's death a year ago tomorrow, & commemorating what would have been our silver wedding anniversary this Wednesday. As much as I wish I could tell you the grieving were already past, that's simply not true. Emotionally, rebirth can only come as I mourn Bill's death & the death of a dream of our growing old together. We've been going through much of the same experience together for over two years in this community, & many of you have suffered other personal deaths as well, so we still have grieving to do together. Only as we fully recognize the death of the past can God plant & build anew. It's not a linear process. It takes time & is painful. But we're reminded throughout scripture that God is ever-present to sustain us, to comfort us, & to strengthen us for new life in which there will be much rejoicing. As our weights are lifted from our shoulders & we stand straight with new life, may we respond with the formerly bent-over women, praising God & crying out, "Hallelujah!"
posted by
Hope Episcopal Church
at 11:40 PM
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