Notes for Reflection

June 14                                   NOTES FOR REFLECTION

Texts: Ezekiel 17:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:6-17; Mark 4:26-34

Theme:  I'm struggling a bit this week – none of the readings rank among the most exciting in the Lectionary.  It may be a good idea to stick to something like "The Kingdom of God", or "Laying the Groundwork", or "Painting with Broad Strokes".  Alternatively, "The Art of Parable-Telling".  Jesus is providing basic teaching on the great central theme of all his teaching and ministry, the Kingdom of God.  At a deeper level, this might suggest "The New Spirituality", or "The Christian Worldview".   Or even "All Change".

Introduction. We start with a passage from the prophet Ezekiel, not always known for the clarity of his message.  As usual this bit only makes sense in the context of the chapter as a whole.  Basically, it is a promise for a fresh start for the people who have suffered the ignominy of being carted off into Babylonia, having first tried a devious arrangement with Egypt in breach of their treaty with Babylonia.  We follow that with some stirring and challenging words from St Paul to a people for whom persecution was an everyday possibility.  There are worse things than death!  In fact, for people of faith, death is something to look forward to.  The gospel passage is a little more low-key – but just as challenging.

Background.  It is not often that I agree with myself, especially not a week after I have said or written something.  But this week I am in the happy position of finding that I still agree with the following passage from last week's Notes:

The spirit of fear.  I keep coming back to that phrase as I ponder the book [Hack Attack, by Nick Davies], and the extraordinary events surrounding FIFA this week.  Even the mini-drama of the Labour Party is another example of what happens when fear replaces a commitment to truth, pragmatism replaces idealism, and cynicism drowns out hope and a belief that we can all do better than this – that we can all BE better than this.  Power over others or service of others?  This week we are reminded that all this is a spiritual battle.  Jesus himself is accused by his opponents of having the spirit of Beelzebub.  He responds with tough talk of his own.  The issue is clear.  We either seek to follow the Spirit of God, or the spirit of evil.

This week Jesus starts to "translate" this basic choice into "kingdom" terminology.  It's visionary stuff, Big Picture stuff.  He comes into the public arena at a time of severe difficulty for the people: they are once again under foreign occupation.  Their leaders are split between those who collaborate and those who resist.  There are all sorts of issues we would recognise today, issues of identity, of inequality, of oppression, and so on.  Attempts are made throughout the gospel to get Jesus to take sides – are you with us or with the Roman overlords?  Jesus seeks to change that whole mindset: he proclaims an entirely new way of living, one in which there are no sides, only people called to love and serve God and one another.  That is his message and the core of his teaching.

That's why it is so difficult to follow, and to proclaim.  It goes completely against our natural grain.  Fear is our default setting.  We fear change because it might makes things worse for us, without considering whether it might make things better for others.  Our principles often seem good and lofty, but they are so easily sacrificed on the altar of pragmatism.  We are all in favour of affordable housing, but not if it might reduce the value of our own properties.  We are sympathetic to the plight of the 50 million refugees and displaced persons currently in dire straits, but we don't want more of them here because they might reduce our own standard of living.  [Can it really be true that Australian officials paid people-smugglers to take their human cargo away from Australian shores?]  We are all in favour of workers being paid a living wage so long as it has no impact on our own income or on the prices we have to pay for the goods we buy.

To what shall we compare the kingdom of the world?  We might like to ponder that question before reflecting on the teaching of Jesus about the alternative.  A jungle in which the strong prey on the weak?  A war zone in which the military destroy the civilians, where adults kill children?  A city damaged by an earthquake in which landlords are free to charge exorbitant rents to people whose homes have been destroyed?

It was to and about such a world that Jesus (and before him John the Baptist) brought a simple but revolutionary message: "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand."  How have we as people of faith responded to this message?  Some of us have, of course, played silly word games with it, insisting that "kingdom" is inherently sexist and therefore can no longer be used in polite society.  More seriously, we have assumed and even taught that the Church is the Kingdom of God, and that there is no Kingdom of God outside the Church.  So we have endless seminars, conferences and other talkfests about "building the Church", "reforming the Church", "saving the Church", and even "finding the Church of the future", whatever that is supposed to mean.  When did we last have a conference on "Proclaiming the Kingdom of God"?  And an even better question, when did we last proclaim it?

The Kingdom of God is like a land with no borders where all our welcome...  it is like a co-operative society in which all members work together to ensure that the needs of all are met... it is like a worshipping community of people who recognise one another as children of God, and who know him as Abba, the source of love, life, and light.

The Kingdom of God is the antithesis of the world as it is at present.  It comes not by conquest and force, but by word of mouth, God's word of mouth first, and then ours.  It comes in practice by practise.  Its coming is a process, not an event – a slow, gentle process of growth.  That's why Jesus starts his explanation with parables about seeds and their sowing.  The way to overcome Roman occupation was not armed rebellion – it was through letting a seed fall to the ground and die.  On the cross fear died, so that love could grow in its place.  "Fear not," said Jesus.  "I have overcome the world."  Can we believe him?

 

Ezekiel 17:22-24.  Before there were parables life was even more difficult!  Chapter 17 begins with the word of the Lord coming to Ezekiel with the words, "O mortal, propound a riddle and speak an allegory to the house of Israel."  There follows a riddle/allegory about two eagles and the vine (verses 3-10), with an explanation in verses 11-21.  Whether or not we are any the wiser at the end of all this may well depend on our access to a study bible or commentary.  In brief, this is a reference to the Babylonian captivity following Nebuchadnezzar's invasion and defeat of Judah.  He installed a puppet king and dealt with the people reasonably fairly under a treaty, which set out the relationship between Babylonia, the imperial state, and Judah the vassal state.  But Zedekiah tried to enter into an alliance with Egypt to defeat the Babylonians, in clear breach of the treaty.  Why was that so offensive to God?  Perhaps for two reasons.  First, when the treaty was entered into the king of Judah would have sworn in the name of God, and therefore to break the treaty was to break the oath.  And secondly, God's people should have been putting their faith in God to deliver them, not in the Egyptian armed forces.  Thus, today's passage rewrites the riddle/allegory and turns it into a promise of God's deliverance of Judah.

Taking It Personally.

• Notice how this story is about Judah's lack of trust in God.  Realising that they could not save themselves, they had sought a more powerful military ally.  Does that sound familiar?  Sometimes wisdom resides in recognising our helplessness, which in turn reminds us of our total dependence on God.  Do you agree or disagree?
• Can you recall a situation in which you felt completely helpless?  To whom did you turn for help?
• When you are asked for advice by someone who feels helpless, are you more likely to suggest prayer, or do you try to "solve their problem" yourself?
• Can you recall an occasion when the intended help made the situation worse?
• What view of history comes through to you from this chapter?  Do you believe that New Zealand's history has been guided by God in some sense?  As a nation, do we learn from our history, or are we more likely to keep repeating the same mistakes?
• As you look back over your life, have you learned from past mistakes?  Are you wiser today than you have ever been in the past?

 

2 Corinthians 5:6-17.  Before I forget, the Lectionary suggests we might omit verses 11-14.  I'm not sure whether this is a form of cultural twinge or politically correct nonsense – whatever it is I urge you to reject it.  False humility is just as much false as false boasting.  St Paul is speaking about himself and others in simple truth.  His conscience IS clear: his personal integrity IS well-known.  To boast in the Lord is very different from boasting on Facebook!  We no longer regard ourselves (or Christ!) from a human point of view.  Then comes the wonderful verse 17: So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away: see, everything has become new!  (I don't want to boast, but clearly St Paul shares my love of Isaiah 43:18-19!)  Notice that in this context his term "a new creation" is synonymous with the term "the Kingdom of God".  As noted above, this is addressed to people who are at real risk of persecution and even martyrdom.  St Paul's response to that is not to offer feeble words of encouragement, much less an escape plan.  He dismisses the idea that life and death is a question of any real importance.  The only thing that matters, dead or alive, is to please Christ.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• Have a look at verse 1-5, before you get into this week's passage.  It is not easy, but it may help you to reflect on your own mortality.  Are you afraid of death?  Why?
• Read verse 10.  What are your feelings about this?
• In what sense (if any) do you boast about Christ?  To whom?
• Ponder verses 14 and 15.  What do they say to you at this time?
• Learn verse 17 by heart.  Ask for the grace to truly believe it and live it out in your life.

 

Mark 4:26-34.  We now get into the more detailed parabolic teaching that Jesus gave his disciples, beginning with those by which he tried to convey his vision of "the Kingdom of God".  The short "twin parables" in this week's passage emphasise the point already made that spiritual growth is a slow, gentle process, initiated by God.  We do not know why some people "get it" and others seemingly do not.  We might say that the seed falls where the Sower wills it.  The gardener can improve the chances, of course, but the mystery of life contained in the seed itself is beyond understanding.  It is pure gift.  "The earth produces of itself" is how Jesus puts it, using language drawn from the creation story in Genesis ("let the earth bring forth...).  The point is that maturity is the end result; there are no short-cuts.  Although the mustard plant may not have been the best example to choose, the second parable makes a similar point: from small beginnings true life will grow in time.  Verses 33-34 (along with the earlier verses of 10-12) are worrying, at first sight.  They appear to suggest that Jesus is clearly trying to create an in-crowd and an out-crowd.  But perhaps the explanation comes in verse 11 – "to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of heaven".  Faith and understanding are themselves gifts from God, and are given only to those who first commit themselves to following Christ.

 

Taking It Personally.

 

• Spend time meditating on these two short parables.  Ask the Spirit to lead you deeper into them.  What guidance do they give for your own spiritual growth?
• Make a list of the things that can stop a seed growing.  What might be the spiritual equivalents of those things?
• How would you describe "the Kingdom of God"?