Pentecost 13 and Narrative 1: This is Why We Can't have Nice Things!

Ezekiel 33:7-11

Psalm 119: 33-40

Romans 13:8-14

Matthew 18:15-20

Narrative: Genesis 6:16-22, 9:8-15

SPECIAL NOTE:

Another change has come to this humble preaching blog: I have added the “Narrative Lectionary” reading for each week. I won’t be writing on the Psalm from now on.  Had I continued to do so it would doubtlessly proven to be either ‘the straw the broke the camel’s back,’ or ‘a bridge too far,’ or ‘more than I can chew,’ or insert other expression here.

If you are unfamiliar with the Narrative Lectionary check it out HERE. As always, thanks for reading!

First Lesson: Ezekiel 33:7-11

Challenges:

There are a couple of challenges here: first of all, I certainly wouldn’t call this a ‘warm and cuddly’ text (but, hey, it’s from Ezekiel after all). There is none of the “Comfort, comfort, O my people!” In this small passage, at least, the motivation for doing what you are supposed to do seems to be to NOT GET ZAPPED.  This doesn’t seem like a very inspiring, uplifting, or amazing reason for doing what God wants and wills.

Also, these particular verses don’t lay out the specific sins that Israel has committed.  Of course, it is listed in other places, but not here.  It’s the preacher’s job to communicate what these sins/transgressions/etc. are.  If the preacher doesn’t talk about what they are, people will come up with examples in their own minds which might or might not be accurate. 

Opportunities:

While not ‘warm and cuddly’ (see above) there are some very strong images here.  The idea of the wicked TURNING from their way and moving to a different way is very vivid. Why not paint a picture with words, showing a wicked person turning away from a very real path of transgression. What would that look like? On a figurative level, it can look like a person getting off the road that was leading to a dead end or a collapsed bridge.  On a more literal level, you could talk about someone who was able to come to their senses and realize that their habits, or lifestyle, or…whatever…were killing them and they needed a change.

Good News:

In many ways it’s a bit of a challenge to find the “good news” here. It seems to be a matter of “get it right or get zapped.”  On the other hand, it IS good news that God has decided to send someone to tell us that things need to change.  I have often told people who are trying to come back from very bad decisions and situations that every day is a new chance to make the right decision.  God greatly desires that we turn back from our evil ways: if God wanted to zap us, God certainly didn’t have to send a prophet(s), but God did (and does). That sounds like good news to me.

Second Lesson: Romans 13:8-14

Challenges:

There is so much here to talk about that it can be a challenge to know how much to talk about.  Also, with verses that talk about drunkenness, debauchery, etc., it could be very easy for this lesson to turn into a “be sure to behave yourself” type of sermon.  Now there’s nothing wrong with “behaving yourself,” (as the father of two kids, I’m all for good behavior), but that only captures part of the message.

Also, I believe it is very important to explain what kind of “love” Paul is talking about here: it’s not romantic love, it’s “self-giving” or agape love here.  That makes a difference.  We give of ourselves to others in a community: it’s what Jesus has already done for us.  We use the word “love” rather easily: maybe we should pause a bit more when we talk about it.

Opportunities:

I’m sure that I have shared this image before in a previous post, but that won’t stop me from using it again. When Paul says, “You know what time it is,” I have the temptation to reply, “GAME TIME!” Football has just started and many people in your congregation are probably pretty excited about this. Images of coaches or team captains yelling, “What times is it?!?!” or shouting, “Give it your all, leave it all on the field!” Can be easily conjured up. 

Just as athletes need to be in good physical and mental states for “Game Day,” Paul is saying Christ followers should be “in the zone,” and ready to give it their all. Athletes have specific diets and other healthy strategies as they prepare for games (at least non-baseball players do).  How can we act differently, knowing that it’s GAME DAY?

Good News

Again, you could look at this passage and say, “Awww, it’s just about being a good person on good behavior so that we don’t get in trouble.” That’d be missing the point.  Also, if we look at this and say, “Well, there’s no way we can do it on our own,” Paul would look at us and say, “Yep, that’s the point! Didn’t you hear me say, ‘Put on the armor of light and Jesus Christ ?” And if we said to ourselves, “Well, I’ll just sit back and let Jesus do everything and I don’t have to do a thing,” Paul would answer, “Listen, does armor put on itself?  No!!! You have a part in all of this too!”

The point to all of this is we are not left in this situation with no help.  There are row after row of suits of armor sitting there, ready to be put on.  We’re not in this alone.

Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20

Challenges:

Having been in congregational life and leadership for awhile now, I’ve heard many people refer to Matthew 18 when it comes to dealing with someone you disagree with or feel wronged by.  Interestingly enough, it’s usually in said in the context of, “Well, they should have done it the Matthew 18 way, not the way they did it!”  I have very, very rarely seen someone deal with conflict in this way. 

On another note, it is important that if the person who has wronged you did so in an abusive way approaching them one-on-one is certainly not a good idea.  How does this actually work in real life?

Opportunities:

There is less value in taking this text and figuring out how you can get it perfectly right and much, MUCH more value in getting the “spirit” of the message.  Don’t get caught up in the technicalities (“Gosh, I approached the person with THREE people rather than ONE or TWO others…darn, I’ll have to start all over again.” Instead, look how this teaching is really about strengthening community.  If you drag in the entire community right off the bat it causes immense problems.  How often to people (and by “people” I mean you and I) tell everyone EXCEPT the person they have a problem with.  It spreads ill feelings and erodes trust.  In essence, it can kill a community. 

I think people get this on a gut level, even though they take part in it themselves. We often say during the Confession, “We are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves….” This is certainly true when it comes to situations like this.  Approaching it from the point of view of the community can really change the dynamic and get people listening.

Good News:

Conflict is inevitable in any community: Jesus acknowledges the truth in this.  This means that when our congregations, families, marriages, etc. face conflict we can realize that this doesn’t mean that we’ve failed…we’re just a part of a community.  It’s HOW we deal with the conflict that matters. Jesus has given us a schematic for this very endeavor: not to be followed in a slavish or micro-managing way, but it in a life-giving, community building way. 

Narrative: Genesis 6:16-22; 9:8-15

Challenges:

“Noah’s Ark” is such a well-known story that there could very well be quite a bit of confusion.  The Children’s version that most of us learned in Sunday School probably varies quite a bit from the actual Biblical account.  Getting people to open their minds and ears to what is actually written in the Bible can be a challenge.

With this in mind, it’s important to remember that this is a story about mass-death and destruction.  While there are plenty of children’s toys, paintings and accessories that deal with Noah’s Ark (I’ve even seen Noah’s Ark wallpaper), this is a very disturbing story. How do we get this across without being obsessed with death and destruction…thereby sucking out any of the wonder of this story?

Having said this, of course, I have to admit that one of my daughters loves the story of Noah’s Ark and we talk about it and tell is quite often.

Opportunities:

In a previous sermon on Genesis 6, I emphasized the real horror of this story by suggesting (somewhat facetiously) that kid’s Ark play-sets should include little wooden or plastic animals with “x’s” over their eyes to depict all of the animals that were killed by the flood. Afterward on person came up to me and said, “Pastor Ed, that was pretty messed up!”

Rainbows are often considered cute and frilly.  When God speaks about placing his ‘bow’ in the clouds, God is talking about hanging up his great “war bow” as a sign of peace.  Rather than cute and frilly, the rainbow is really a decommissioned weapon. 

The Hebrews believed that when God created the Heavens and the Earth, God placed a dome in the sky that kept out the waters of chaos (see Genesis 1:6-8).  When the flood came it says that both “the fountains of the great deep burst forth” and that “the windows of the heavens were opened.”  It’s interesting that God doesn’t necessarily send rain that wasn’t there already. Instead God simply stops doing what he had been doing: holding back the waters of chaos, both above and below. That really means that every moment of life on Earth was a blessing from God…as the waters were held back.

In essence, when God regrets creating humankind and decides to destroy them/us, it’s by doing what humans act like they want already: life without God.  With the flood, we see what life without God really looks like: deadly chaos.

Good News:

The Flood ends and God promises it won’t happen again.  (It’s tempting to leave it at that).

When God says that the covenant that God has made with Noah is also made with his descendants, this means that you and I are included in this story.  It’s a promise that we can count on.