becoming poor (2/4)

I’d like to bring two thoughts together as we begin this morning. The first thought is this: That I don’t really understand poverty.

Of course, in an abstract kind of way I understand poverty.

I understand that it must be tremendously painful and disabling not to know how you will get your next meal.

I’ve heard my own parents tell stories of hunger in occupied Holland during WWII.

I’ve helped serve meals a few times down at the Old Brewery mission.

I’ve slept in the hut of a poor family in rural Mexico.

So in an abstract kind of way I understand poverty.

becoming poor (in spirit) 1/4

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The question of poverty looms large in both the Old and the New Testament. The question of poverty confronts us in an especially powerful way in the life and teaching of Jesus. And so over the next few weeks we want to spend some time wrestling with the question of poverty – more specifically, we want to think about what it means to become poor.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. We will probably recognize these words as coming from the Sermon on the Mount. But this morning we should perhaps remember that both Matthew and Luke have versions of the Sermon on the Mount. And in the gospel of Matthew, the sermon begins with Jesus saying, as we’ve already read: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” But in Luke’s gospel, Jesus says: “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.”

come for breakfast…

Our New Testament lesson this morning from John chapter 21 is jam-packed with activity. Full to over-flowing with interesting and even astonishing moments.

There is Peter inviting the disciples to go fishing.

There is a long night of catching nothing.

There is a stranger on the shore telling them to try the other side of the boat.

There is a huge catch of fish.

There is the disciples’ recognition of Jesus.

There is Peter throwing himself into sea.

There is breakfast on the shore.

The passage is jam-packed with action and activity – full of interesting and astonishing moments.

As we get into the passage this morning it might be helpful to set out a kind of parallel between the busyness and activity of this passage and the busyness and activity of our lives. This passage is overflowing with activity in much the same way that our lives are overflowing with activity.

recognizing jesus

We don’t know a whole lot about Mary Magdalene. In fact, before we get to the last chapter of Jesus’ story, there is only one clear reference to Mary Magdalene in the gospels. Almost in passing, Luke tells us that once when Jesus was travelling around preaching with his disciples, there was a group of women travelling with him. And among these women was Mary Magdalene, says the text, from whom seven demons had gone out.

We don’t know much about Mary Magdalene. At the same time it’s interesting that when we get to the last chapter of Jesus’ life, Mary Magdalene is suddenly everywhere.

Three of the gospels indicate that Mary was present at Jesus’ crucifixion.

Two of the gospels point out that Mary Magdalene was present when Joseph of Aramathea placed Jesus’ body in the tomb.

All four of the gospels have her among those who discovered the empty tomb.

Three of them have Mary Magdalene as the first witness of the resurrection.

good friday – the seven words (reflections)

The First Word – “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

In the title of his book on the subject, Archbishop Desmond puts it this way: there is no future without forgiveness. Without forgiveness, the human descends into patterns of remembered hatreds and ongoing hostility. Without forgiveness, the human descends into repetitive cycles of violence and counter-violence. There is no future without forgiveness.

Forgiveness isn’t simply about letting go of wrongs done to me. Forgiveness isn’t about making me feel better and allowing me to get on with my life. Forgiveness is a step on the way to restored relationships. Forgiveness is about a restoration of trust in relationships where trust was broken. Forgiveness is about restoring respect in relationships where disrespect was shown. Forgiveness is a step on the way to healed relationships – on the way to an embrace between those who were alienated.  The path of forgiveness and reconciliation is often a long and difficult one. But there is no future without forgiveness.

palm sunday lamentation

When we imagine the first Palm Sunday, and when we re-enact it in our worship

there is a celebratory waving of palm branches,

            there are joyful cries of hosanna,

there are children dancing with ribbons,

Palm Sunday is all of these things. It is joy, it is celebration – it is, in the broadest sense of the word, laughter. God has come to his people. Jesus is the king who brings the reign of God to our world. Joy makes sense.

When we read the narrative of that first Palm Sunday from Luke chapter 19, we find an apt and beautiful conclusion in verse 40. That verse gives a great sense of completion to the story. In verse 40, Jesus says to the religious leaders who object to this procession of disciples – Jesus says to the religious leaders: “I tell you if my disciples were silent, the stones themselves would shout out blessing and glory.”

wrestling with God

When I think of wrestling, I think back to my 9^th grade, high school gym class – the year that wrestling was part of the phys ed. curriculum. I had never wrestled before in my life – and when I first walking into that wrestling room with padded floor I was more than a little intimidated. But with a bit of an introduction – with a bit of instruction on some basic wrestling moves– it was actually a lot of fun in the end. I was never going to join the wrestling team, but it was fun to learn. One of the nice things about amateur wrestling is that you always wrestle against someone is of a similar weight to you. The thought of wrestling someone twice your size would be intimidating (especially for the scrawny little guy I was), but right from the start in amateur wrestling you are close to being on an equal footing – at least in terms of size. For that I was grateful.

I can’t tell you much about wrestling techniques or wrestling moves – but I can tell you that keeping your body low to the ground as possible matters a great deal. The higher your body is from the mat, the higher your centre of gravity, the more likely that your competitor will be able to get under you and lift you from the legs, or roll you across the mat. For someone of my height, already in grade nine, keeping my body low mattered a lot. The higher your centre of gravity, the more likely your competitor will be able to use his weight and strength to turn you onto your back and perhaps even pin you.