Posted on by atfurse

Trinity XIII: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!

LIFE in the twenty-first century seems to involve an ever-increasing amount of decisions. If we want to buy a cup of coffee we have to make many quick decisions about size, strength, type of coffee, milk, sugar, etc. It can be quite exhausting. Our readings this week focus on the choices and decisions people make. To follow the Christian faith is something we choose to do. We choose to trust God, we are not forced to. The decision to follow Christ is the most important choice we ever make. It affects both our life on earth and in the hereafter.

This morning’s first reading is an account of the renewal of the covenant between God and Israel brought about by Joshua at Shechem. The people of Israel are asked if they want to worship God and follow his laws. Joshua makes his position clear:

“But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

“Ond byddaf fi a’m teulu yn gwasanaethu’r Arglwydd.” (Josh 24:15)

The people of Israel follow his example and renew their covenant with God:

“Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.”

“Yr ydym ninnau hefyd am wasanaethu’r Arglwydd, oherwydd ef yw ein Duw.” (Josh 24:18)

Their religious faith is a conscious act of the will. They choose to serve the God who has saved them. God has shown that He is their God.

In a similar way, the events of Chapter 6 of St John’s Gospel happen around the time of Passover, the festival which marks Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt and the start of their journey to the Promised Land. This is a key moment in Salvation history. Our Lord has been teaching about the Bread of Life, and stressing the importance of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. Such teaching was difficult for a Jewish audience to hear, as it violated fundamental principles of their dietary laws. 

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”

Wedi iddynt ei glywed, meddai llawer o’i ddisgyblion, “Geiriau caled yw’r rhain. Pwy all wrando arnynt?” (Jn 6:60)

Jesus is teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum, and those present are not used to this kind of instruction. It turns everything they know on its head. In Hebrew the word for flesh (baśar) and the word for good news, glad tidings, or the Gospel(besorah), sound similar. Such word-play is intentional, and may be linked to the Hebrew Wisdom tradition, such as we heard last week in the Book of Proverbs. Our Lord does not, however, back down, or change His teaching, but instead develops it further:

“Do you take offence at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.”

“A yw hyn yn peri tramgwydd i chwi? Beth ynteu os gwelwch Fab y Dyn yn esgyn i’r lle’r oedd o’r blaen? Yr Ysbryd sy’n rhoi bywyd; nid yw’r cnawd yn tycio dim. Y mae’r geiriau yr wyf fi wedi eu llefaru wrthych yn ysbryd ac yn fywyd. Ac eto y mae rhai ohonoch sydd heb gredu.” (Jn 6:61-64)

Having described the Institution of the Eucharist as a way of understanding His Passion and Death, Jesus goes on to talk about events after His Resurrection, namely His Ascension, and the Sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. These are all linked, because they form the culmination of Salvation History. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is God saving His people, the outworking of the covenant at Shechem into the New Covenant of Our Lord and Saviour. However its proclamation does not draw people to Jesus, instead it has the opposite effect:

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

O’r amser hwn trodd llawer o’i ddisgyblion yn eu holau a pheidio mwyach â mynd o gwmpas gydag ef. Yna gofynnodd Iesu i’r Deuddeg, “A ydych chwithau hefyd, efallai, am fy ngadael?” (Jn 6:66-67)

Jesus does not force people to follow Him. Then, as now, the choice to follow (or not follow) Christ is a personal decision made freely by each individual. Our Lord asks the Twelve if they want to leave as well, which leads to the following declaration of faith by St Peter:

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Atebodd Simon Pedr ef, “Arglwydd, at bwy yr awn ni? Y mae geiriau bywyd tragwyddol gennyt ti, ac yr ydym ni wedi dod i gredu a gwybod mai ti yw Sanct Duw.” (Jn 6:68-69)

Simon Peter trusts Our Lord. He expresses that faith and trust. No-one else can offer what Jesus does, because He is God. Only God can make such incredible claims. To be a Christian is to make the same confession as Peter, and to have the same hope of eternal life in and through Jesus Christ. 

Jesus’ teaching is hard to accept, and difficult to understand, but we can experience it, when we receive Holy Communion. For Peter, and for us, belief precedes knowledge. We believe and then we come to understand.

Faith revolves around the question of commitment. It involves love and sacrifice — the two go hand in hand. This is what marriage is all about, and commitment also describes God’s relationship with us, and ours with God. It will see Jesus die on the Cross for us, to show us just how much God loves us, and wants to restore our relationship with Him, and with each other. To be close to God is wonderful, but it isn’t something God forces us into: we may choose to accept God’s love, or to refuse it. This love is freely given.

St Paul’s advice to the Christians in Ephesus is another difficult text, which revolves around making a choice. For St Paul, Christian marriage is all about loving service of one another, as demonstrated by Christ. Jesus lays down His life for us, so we should do the same for each other. Thus, in marriage in particular, and in society in general, loving service and self-sacrifice are the ways by which we should live. It is a generous form of life, because its model is Jesus, the most unselfish person ever, who created all that there is, and who redeemed it by offering His life as a ransom for many. We see this on the Cross and we commemorate it in the Eucharist, where Christ continues to feed us —His people— with Himself, so that we might have life in Him.

So, my brothers and sister in Christ, let us follow the example of St Peter and St Paul in trusting Jesus and being fed with Him, to prepare us for Heaven. Let us demonstrate our commitment by singing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen.

Jesus Teaches in the Synagogues – James Tissot (Brooklyn Museum)
Posted on by atfurse

Advent II – Repent!

ONE of the most important tasks for anyone bringing up children involves teaching them right from wrong, encouraging good conduct while avoiding bad behaviour. Children and adults alike learn by example, and we need people to teach us. The prophets of Ancient Israel take on this role, showing the people of God where they have gone wrong, and what they should do. John the Baptist is the last of the prophets, and points people towards the Messiah, Jesus. John is the last person to call Israel to repentance, and the first to proclaim the Kingdom of God, which finds its fulfilment in Christ. The Baptist looks back to the prophetic tradition of the Old Covenant, and forward to the New Covenant. Like the prophets of earlier generations, he educates God’s people and announces the reality of God’s saving love. Prophets can be divisive and unsettling figures because they speak with clarity and urgency. They tell it like it is, and are convinced of the importance of their message, because it comes from God.

Our first reading this morning from the prophet Isaiah is joyful and optimistic. Through the prophet, God speaks words of comfort to His people. Today we go back to the beginning of the Gospel of Mark. Here we find the words of Isaiah are quoted because they look forward to the coming of the Messiah:

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3)

Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of biblical prophecy. In Him the glory of the Lord is revealed. Mark also quotes from the prophet Malachi:

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)

Mark includes both of these prophetic texts in his Gospel to show us that, from the beginning, prophecy is being fulfilled in Jesus. John the Baptist is the messenger, preparing the community for the coming of the Messiah: Jesus, who is God.

From his first appearance in the wilderness, John proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Such a rite of initiation was usual for people converting to Judaism, but not for those who were already Jewish. It looks something like a revival: people are encouraged to take their faith more seriously, and to live it out in their lives. John then positions himself at a point where the busy road from Jerusalem crosses the River Jordan. There he challenges all those he meets to change their ways. The Baptist calls people to repentance, to turn away from sin and to turn back to God. It is good to be reminded that God’s love and mercy are available to all of us, even when we fall short of what Our Heavenly Father wants us to be. This is why the story of Jesus’ public ministry begins with His Baptism in the Jordan, and at the same time points to Golgotha. The place where Christ will die taking our sins, and those of all humanity upon Himself. Christ’s Death demonstrates God’s love for us and His mercy towards us. It is hard to comprehend how God could love us that much. And yet Christ gives us Himself in the Eucharist, so that His Body and Blood can transform us, so that we can share in His life on Earth and in Heaven.

John the Baptist is the last of the prophets and the voice crying in the wilderness of which the prophet Isaiah spoke. He has a challenging and uncompromising message: repent for the Kingdom of God is close at hand. This may not be what many people today want to hear, but it is, however, what people need to hear. Those who flock to him are aware of their sin, and aware of their need of God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness. The Baptist’s message may not be an easy one, but it is actually Good News. Our prayers are answered: that for which we hope, for which our soul deeply longs can be ours. Through our own baptism, we share in Christ’s Death and Resurrection, and we are washed from sin and given the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is difficult to make a proclamation similar to John’s in today’s society, where the Church is increasingly marginalised. Yet our message must still be ‘Repent!’. This is because the world needs to repent, to turn away from sin and selfishness, and back to a God of love, who longs for us to have life in all its fullness.

Repentance is both an event and a process. It is something that we need to do continuously, and do together. This is the life of faith which Christ calls us to live. Repentance is the work of a lifetime, we need to keep turning away from sin and turning back to God. The season of Advent is a good time for repentance. As we prepare to meet Jesus, we need to return to the God who loves us. As the prophet Isaiah wrote:

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isa 40:11)

We have been given clear instruction in how to live. The prophets tell us to return to the Lord. They too look forward to the coming of the Messiah. As we prepare to meet Him, let us prepare our hearts, our souls, and our lives. Let us, along with John the Baptist and all the saints, sing the praises of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion, and power, now and forever. Amen.

James Tissot – The voice in the desert (Brooklyn Museum)