14 October 2021
| 47Woe to you! You build tombs for the prophets, but it was your fathers who killed them. 48So you are witnesses consenting to the deeds of your fathers: They killed the prophets, and you build their tombs. 49Because of this, the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and others they will persecute.’ 50As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world, 51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation. 52Woe to you experts in the law! For you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” 53As Jesus went on from there, the scribes and Pharisees began to oppose Him bitterly and to ply Him with questions about many things, 54waiting to catch Him in something He might say. In today’s Gospel Jesus continues to criticise the religious leaders for their man-made regulations and approach to their religion. Throughout the Old Testament we have the narrative of the mistreatment of the prophets. This was mostly because all the true prophets spoke about the fact that people would pay the consequence for their sinfulness and suffer the affects of not being true to God. While the false prophets all spoke prosperity over the people. The Prophets called the people to care for the less fortunate and show mercy while the religious leaders increasingly taught that perfection was the keeping of man-made regulations and that any disability was caused by the persons family or personal sin. The Scribes had embellished the laws of God into complicated do’s and don’ts and they had built in all sorts of ways for the knowledgeable to circumvent these laws. The definition of work, complex interpretations of how far one could walk on the sabbath, the ceremonial washing of hands, that we looked at that was not about cleanliness, but about self righteousness. As the Prophet had said “I desire mercy nor sacrifice!” Yet the religious order of Jesus’s day was not compassionate, not merciful, was all about prosperity for the elect, status and power. They honoured the prophets of Old, the same ones that had been murdered in their own day for speaking truth to power. They failed to recognise the true prophets of their own day, and most of all, although all scripture spoke to the coming Messiah, and they themselves taught that, they could not recognise the Messiah standing right in front of them. How easily we fall into the trap of the Pharisees and the Scribes. How easily we venerate the stories of Old but fail to adopt those very truth’s in our own lives. How often we use religion to distinguish ourselves, save ourselves and elevate ourselves. So how do we get on the right side of this story? How do we learn the lesson here, hear the woes and change our lives? As Anglicans we have a wonderful tradition of remembering the Saints. My former Bishop the late David Beetge used to say. The Roman Catholic Church Canonises Saints, in the Anglican Church, the “former Rector” automatically carries that title. While in the Parish they struggled to get anyone to do anything, but as soon as they are gone – everyone loves them. Many a true word said in jest. But back to the true saints. We remember these people because of the outstanding contribution made by their lives. While they lived few recognised their qualities and their contribution. Like artists who died as paupers and yet today their paintings sell for millions of Rand’s; human beings have an inability to see truth and greatness right in front of their eyes. We all applaud the top sportsman and the rich and the self- made famous, to think that there are people who are famous because they made themselves famous by presenting themselves as popular and then everyone listens to their every word because they are influential, which is just a lie because the only reason they have influence is because they themselves said they do, and yet there are true heroes of our day that no one will give the time of day to. This text is as relevant today as ever. The Gospel is not meant to be complicated. It is not to be over thought to the point were only a select few can understand it. The Mystery of God is not a secret for a few it is the truth for everyone. If something is true it is true for everyone. By Jesus saying that he is the way the truth and the life, and that no one comes to the Father except through Him, has been used as a scripture to keep some people out, and yet Jesus was saying that He is the gate, he is the one who died while we were still sinners so that all could be saved. We have used the very words of Jesus to create an exclusionary theology, the very thing that Jesus was speaking against. So the Mystery of God is not a secret, it is an astounding reality, that is above comprehension and has to be believed by faith, it is beyond our understanding and yet releveled in tangible simplicity. It is unfathomable because it defies human thinking which is self-centred and divisive. That mystery is love, we are loved and we have the capacity to love. Let us not oppose the love of God, and that love is for all. Let us not oppose the forgiveness of God, and that forgiveness is for all. Let us not use religion as a weapon against others, but like the Saints, let us love God, love our neighbour, love mercy, work for justice and walk humbly with our God. It’s as simple as that – the Mystery is that love conquers all. In the words of 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. Today let us use this measure to guide our actions and our thoughts. Let us define ourselves by these words of truth. Let us pray. Lord without you our labour is wasted, but with you all who are weak can find strength: pour your Spirit out upon us, give your labourers a pure intention, patient faith , sufficient success on earth and the joy of serving you in heaven, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |
