Church of the Redeemer, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling
July 7, 2019: 4 Pentecost
I’m
delighted to be celebrating many things with you here today at Church of the
Redeemer in Chestnut Hill. As a missionary and evangelist, and a self-described
“free agent in Christ”, I find great joy in being part of different communities
of faith throughout our diocese and beyond its borders. As St. Paul wrote in
his letter to the Galatians, “For freedom Christ has set us free; and you were
called to freedom, brothers and sisters, for love.”
Speaking of love, my husband Paul
and I celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary last weekend in London, where the
Red Sox played the New York Yankees in that great American game of baseball. It
was an historic event in three ways; it was the first time that American
baseball teams played in London, 50 runs were scored in only two games, and one
game was close to five hours long. That’s a lot of beer and hot dogs, a lot of
peanuts and cracker jacks! The first ball was thrown out by Prince Harry and
his wife Meghan, whose wedding was an historic event in its own right, not
least being that our Presiding Bishop was the preacher.
While we were in London, Paul
and I heard a lot about the history of England - about all those battles that
were waged over the centuries, “ both inside and outside the country. Evidence
of World War 2 was pointed out to us in the stones of Westminster Abbey. In
Parliament, we heard about their current political arguments. “Shall we shake
the dust off our feet and move on?” Or do we remain in the European Union?
There’s a lot of fighting going
on these days, don’t you think? A lot of people are “picking quarrels” with one
another for various reasons. In a recent Boston Globe article, Oliver Stone and
Dan Kovalik wrote, “In two global polls, people ranked the United States as the
greatest threat to world peace.” Indeed, the world continues to debate about
which leader or what country is the greatest war-monger. No wonder there was
such great controversy over the military displays of our power in Washington
D.C. during our Independence Day celebrations on July 4th. (Oliver Stone and
Dan Kovalik,July 1, 2019)
Not unlike today, the king of Israel thought that the king of Aram,
that is current day Syria, was picking a fight with him. It didn’t matter that
Naaman was bringing gifts of silver, gold, and garments from the Syrian king.
Or that the king claimed that he sent Naaman in order to find a cure for his
commander’s leprosy. No, the king of Israel was sure that he was being set up
for failure, that the king of Aram was looking for an excuse to attack Israel.
Tearing his clothes in fear and grief, the Israelite king assumed the worst.
"Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a
man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with
me."
Now Namaan was a powerful man in his own country. Like our own 4 star
generals, he was well known as a mighty warrior, who had been victorious in
many battles; and yet, he suffered from leprosy. When he heard that the prophet
Elisha might heal him from his disease, Namaan asked his king if he might go to
Israel, hoping for a cure.
Like the prophet Elisha, Jesus was
also known for his healing powers, and victorious in his battles over demons.
Wanting to help as many people as possible, and not limiting himself to his own
people or his own country, Jesus appointed 70 others to join him on his
mission. He sent his troops out in pairs, giving them authority and power over
the enemy. Offering no gold or silver, wearing no metal armor for the battlefield,
these disciples had no purses, no bags, and no sandals while on their mission
of healing.
“Yes, I know,” said Jesus. "I am sending you out like lambs into
the midst of wolves. And yet, whatever house you enter, first say, `Peace.’
Cure the sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.' The Rev. William Willimon reminds us “that
absolutely nothing is said about the qualifications of the Seventy—their gifts
and graces, prior experience, gender, sexual orientation, or grades in college.
Apparently any qualification is beside the point, other than the call and
commission of Jesus.” (Christian Century, July 2, 2007)
While we often think of this story as our call to be like them, my
Harper Collins Study Bible invites me to widen my perspective. The number 70
may also refer to the 70 nations mentioned in the book of Genesis. How God
created everyone and everything, including the heavens and the earth. How the
waters in the garden of Eden were no better than those found in Syria or
Israel. How Cain picked a fight with his brother and then murdered him. How
wickedness grew so much that God regretted God’s own creation and sent a flood
to destroy it.
You know the story. Along with
two animals of every kind, only Noah was saved. Guided by a dove who carried an
olive branch in its beak, the ark finally arrived on dry land, and Noah built
an altar to God in thanksgiving. Afterwards, Noah’s sons created many nations,
indeed the 70 nations to which this gospel alludes. Initially, these “nations
represented a temporal “tree of life” that included a magnificent geographical
sweep, mingling cities, lands, and peoples as family members of one another.”
(HCSB, p 16) And so it is today.
God knows that human beings are tempted by unruly passions and strong
wills. That wars, hatred, and violence will continue to rage in our hearts, our
homes, our countries, and throughout our world. Beginning with simple sleights
to our pride like Naaman, or with fear like the king of Israel, we know that
demons, death, and destructive forces are real, and that not all intentions are
good.
Jesus knew that we live in a world where wolves are hungry for power
and are looking for lambs to consume, that we are vulnerable to voices that
will tempt us to fight, that people will reject us even when we bring them good
news. “Go, anyway,” said Jesus, “and tell people that the kingdom of God has
come near to you. I know that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are
few. So go, and speak words of peace in every house that you enter.”
I’m tired of the political battles in our country, and people picking
fights with each other for personal gain. And so it was with similar interest
that I read an article in this week’s Boston Globe. “Both billionaires, the
leftist financier George Soros is an old-fashioned New Deal liberal and the
Koch brothers are fire-breathing right-wingers who have found something to
agree upon: the United States must end its “forever war.” In one of the most
remarkable partnerships in modern American political history, Soros and Koch
are uniting to revive the fading vision of a peaceable United States.” (By
Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe, June 30, 2019)
For the love of God, what on earth will it
take for us to find peace in our world? St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians was
written during a similar time, when Christian Jews were arguing amongst
themselves about certain religious laws. “His letter reflects a critical moment
in early Christian (history), with St. Paul’s emphasis being on God’s initiative - setting humans free from sin and the powers
of the present age.” (HCSB, p2181, 2182) Stop fighting, St. Paul insisted. Do
what is right. Work for the good of all. And, do not give up. Trust in God’s
power to heal and save!
On Sunday mornings in London, there
is a Speaker’s Bureau in Hyde Park. Anyone can stand up on a soap box or a
chair and offer their perspective on whatever they want, just like me today, as
long as they don’t say anything bad about the Queen or use foul language. Last
Sunday, we heard a Muslim man talking about the importance of respectful
dialogue. “Whether we are a Muslim, Jew, Christian, or atheist,” he said, “we
share a common humanity.”
Linday Hardin wrote, “Both the servant girl and Elisha helped Naaman to
(heal) because of their common denominator: a simple and strong belief in a God
who acts, and a God who heals. The unnamed servant girl had no worldly
power—yet across the centuries, she has been a mighty evangelist, leading
others, even her enemies, to God. Perhaps that is the real lesson today: that
being healed may not be as complicated as we think.” And I would add that the
power of God can work through any one of us. (Lindsay Hardin, Xian Century, June
28, 2016)
The life and death of Jesus was an historic event. After his
resurrection, he became known not as a war monger nor the king of the Jews, but
rather as the prince of peace. Eschewing hatred and violence, Jesus proclaimed
God’s love for the world, and gave us the freedom to love in that same way. He
calls and commissions every one of us to be freedom fighters, agents of peace,
and servants of God’s healing power.
Your rector, in his sermon on June 16, called you “Holy Spirit people,”
and St. Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, reminds us what the fruit of the
Spirit is : love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self control. Today, be on God’s mission of love. In the name
of Christ, be Holy Spirit people. Remember that we are all members of the same
human family, and that we all bleed red! Go Red Sox, and God save the Queen!
2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm 30
Galatians 6:(1-6)7-16
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
No comments:
Post a Comment