Readings for Prop9B
Ez. 2:1-7; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-6
July 6, 2003
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
And the Lord said to the prophet Ezekiel: "You shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear; for they are a rebellious house." [Ez. 2]
Well, the fireworks have all been spent, the barbecue grills are now being cleaned, and it has been 228 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As you might know, it was Thomas Jefferson who had the honor of writing the first draft of this Declaration of Independence from Britain. But it was Benjamin Franklin who reviewed the draft and made a few (but significant) changes. One of the most important of his edits included the words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident." These self-evident truths (as the Declaration goes on) are that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these [rights] are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
While these rights might have been self-evident to the signers of the Declaration, they are certainly not self-evident to much of the world. These so-called "truths" were not self-evident to the king of England. These truths were not self-evident to slave owners in the South, many of whom treated their slaves like animals. These truths are not self-evident even today, where oppression, dictatorship, and human rights violations occur in the majority of the world.
Because the human ego is wounded and often selfish, self-evident truths can be few and far between. Today, as more and more people embrace a postmodern way of thinking, truth is viewed as being relative, while absolute truth is considered absurd. It is into this context that it is necessary to explore the concept of revelation and prophecy which is the subject of today's sermon. From a Jewish or Christian perspective, revelation is the presentation of the truth through God's own initiative rather than through human initiative and discovery. While human beings can discover patterns, insights, and knowledge through their own senses, there are limits to pure perception.
For instance, since I became a nurse 30 years ago, the treatment and understanding of gastric ulcers has changed significantly three times. Humanity's ideas about who is fully human and who is not, has fluctuated in the past two hundred years to include or exclude black people, women, children, and mixed races. St. Paul describes this inability to name the truth in full, in his letter to the Corinthians. He says: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face." [1Cor. 13] In other words, until our egos, our minds, and our passions, become like Christ's, we will see only partial truths. Thus, we still need to depend on the revelations of God to fully understand God's will for humanity.
It is very difficult for 21st century Americans to rely on revealed truth. Perhaps this is because we are smart, independent, and want to believe that we have all the answers. But as we become more humble, we begin to realize that we have an incredible ability to deceive ourselves. As we become more enlightened, we begin to realize that the conventional wisdom of the day is not necessarily enduring or even embracing of all of God's creatures. "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then we will see face to face." [1Cor. 13]
God reveals God's self through many avenues. One way is through the laws of nature. This is called natural theology. Other ways God communicates God's self are through dreams, through messengers, and through prophets. Today we read about three famous prophets through whom God speaks but of whom many reject (Ezekiel, Paul, and Jesus). Those who have the gift of prophecy have a heightened sensitivity to the guidance of God in given situations. Once being filled with this inner guidance, a prophet is enabled to understand and to pass on to others, the will of God. Some of these words spoken through the prophets are recorded in the Bible. Thus we understand the Holy Scriptures to be a "medium" of revelation. Let's take a look at today's readings.
Our first reading from the Hebrew Scriptures recalls God's commissioning of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was empowered to speak some difficult words to the people of Israel who had been exiled to Babylon at the turn of the 6th century BCE. As you may remember, the invading Babylonians forced into exile, most of the royalty, the educated, the wealthy, and the skilled artisans who were living in and around Jerusalem. It was an intentional "brain drain" meant to destabilize the country and to prevent further revolt. It was into this context that Ezekiel told his people that things were going to get worse before they got better. Because he preached these difficult words of doom and gloom, he never received his pension plan.
In the second reading, Paul is trying to defend his apostleship and his gift of prophecy in his letter to the church in Corinth. Since he didn't "look" the part, and because he wasn't as polished, smooth, and philosophical as other teachers, people began to doubt his message. Certainly, his message about the cross, the resurrection, and being a fool for Christ, did not go over well in the more educated circles of his day (just like they don't go over well in the more educated circles of today.)
Finally, in our gospel story, the people from Jesus' hometown are unwilling to take him seriously. People who know him think he is just putting on airs. After all, Jesus is an uneducated carpenter's son! As a result of their resistance and unbelief, Jesus could not do deeds of power in his own hometown.
Let me conclude by saying a few things about prophecy and revelation: First of all, don't be afraid of listening to new and difficult words and ideas. None of us has the whole truth and all of us need to be further enlightened. The search for truth is a noble task that must be entered into with courage and diligence. If you hear something in the bible or in the preaching that irritates you or causes distress, don't be afraid to think about these things. Struggle with these new insights; suspend your own judgment for a minute. Honestly ask yourself whether or not God might be trying to challenge your current thinking. If after careful processing, it still goes against your conscience, then lay it aside and ask for God's guidance in prayer. Be sure to discuss your opposing views with the preacher. Thinking the faith as an adult is encouraged here at St. Jude's.
Second of all, be open to a variety of different preachers and teachers- even those who don't seem to be polished or look the part. For instance, some children have great wisdom and can often speak a word of God to us. Paul was rejected because he wasn't a smooth talker. Jesus was rejected because he was uneducated, outside of the power structure, and had some very radical ideas. Ezekiel was rejected because he said hard things that people just didn't want to hear.
Sometimes, I am asked by folks moving away, to recommend a church where the preacher thinks just like them. I hesitate at this request. How can we grow, how can we gain new insights, how can God further enlighten us if we do not place ourselves in front of prophetic insights that challenge us? Faithful preaching should distress the comfortable and comfort the distressed. Preaching that goes to great lengths to avoid offense and to keep everyone happy is not preaching but placating. Jesus was not interested in middle class values and in being polite. He was interested in compassion, justice, mercy, generosity, forgiveness, and the dignity of every human being.
Jesus said: "If you continue in my word, you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." [Jn. 8:31] Seeking the truth is an integral part of the religious journey. The goal of revelation and prophecy is to reveal God's truth so that our lives are transformed. The ultimate truth that has been revealed to us is: "to love God and to love our neighbor." Everything else is commentary!
| Updated 7/7/03 |
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