Proper 27 C November 10
St Luke's Lincolnton, Epiphany Newton
O God, whose blessed Son came into the
world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God
and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify
ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory,
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Christianity is a religion of faith,
hope, and charity. We have faith in what God has done in the past, show charity
in God’s service in the present, and hold fast to hope in God’s present and
final triumph in the world God has made. Today’s scriptures are about our hope
in God’s present and final triumph.
Begin with today’s collect, written by
Bishop John Cosin of Durham for the 1662 English version of the Prayer Book.
Bishop Cosin was a bright young man from a middle-class east England family. His
father died when he was 13 and he did well as Cambridge University. He was
secretary to two bishops, served the cathedral in Durham and as master of a
Cambridge college. The Puritan Parliament forced him into 17 years exile (from
age 50 to 67) with the royal family in France. At the Restoration in 1660 he
became Bishop of Durham where he served 12 years. Bishop Cosin knew about
living in hope. “Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves . . .”
The word of the
Lord came to Haggai 520 years before Christ. The word of the Lord was a word of
hope. Jerusalem had been conquered 66
years before and many of the people taken captive to Babylon. There they were inspired
by the Prophet Ezekiel to maintain a spiritual community, to come together
Sabbath by Sabbath to pray and study in the synagogues. After 45 years of exile
Cyrus of Persia set the people free to return to Jerusalem. Many did, some
didn’t. In the 18 years before Haggai life had been tough for the returnees
because, Haggai says, the people focused on rebuilding their own lives, and not
on the Lord and on rebuilding the Lord’s Temple. Haggai called the people to
hope in the Lord’s presence and promise. “My spirit abides among you; do not
fear. . . . in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and . . .
all the nations . . . The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD
of hosts. . . . in this place I will give prosperity. . . . You may know the story of the church
treasurer who said, “I have good news and bad news. The good news is that we
have all the money we need; the bad news is that it is still in your pockets.”
The prophet Haggai brings the Lord’s
word of hope. Psalm 98 is a psalm of hope. “Let the hills ring out with joy before the
LORD, when he comes to judge the earth. In righteousness shall he judge the
world and the peoples with equity.”
St. Paul writes to the church in
Thessalonika a word of hope. He affirms Jesus’ coming “and our being gathered together to him,” but that is in God’s
good time. Meanwhile “stand firm” and “may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and
God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good
hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.”
Finally in the gospel Jesus
proclaims our hope in the resurrection. “in
the resurrection from the dead [we] neither marry nor are given in marriage. [We]
cannot die anymore, because [we] are like angels and are children of God, being
children of the resurrection.”
The
gospel reading is from Jesus’
teaching in the controversy of his last week before his Crucifixion and
Resurrection. The political and religious leadership took careful notes,
looking for an excuse to get Rome to execute him. They asked a number of trick
questions. The Pharisees questioned Jesus’ religious authority (20:1-8) and tried
to entangle him in their controversy about paying tribute to the Roman military
authorities (20:20-26). When Jesus turned the Pharisees’ questions back on them
they got help from their own religious and political opponents the Sadducees.
The Pharisees saw God continuing to
reveal himself in the history of the people of Israel and heard God’s word from
the prophets. The experience of the Exile and the teaching of the prophets had
brought them to believe in resurrection.
For the Sadducees the final word of God
was the Torah – the first 5 books including Deuteronomy 25 which calls for
levirate marriage. The term Levirate marriage comes from levir the Latin word for brother-in-law. Levirate marriage can still be found in east
Africa and western Asia. That is how patriarchal
and agricultural clan-based societies provide for widows and keep property in
the family. Men are responsible for mothers, sisters, and minor brothers. So in
levirate marriage if a man dies without a male heir one of his brothers must marry
the widow and father a son to be his dead brother’s heir.
Levirate marriage is found in societies
where women have no rights – no property rights of any kind. It is rare because most societies find other
ways to recognize the natural rights of women and to provide for widows - and
for family property where that is important. And Deuteronomy 25 provides a way
out for a man who does not want to take on this responsibility. The way out includes public humiliation – a
powerful incentive to negotiate a settlement.
Levirate marriage was remembered from
the patriarch Judah (Genesis 38), and in the story of Ruth, King David’s
Moabite great-grandmother, but scholars think it was a rare option. In bringing
it to Jesus the Sadducees were trying for a “gotcha,” and “gotchas” never work.
Jesus turns the Sadducees’ question
back on them with true teaching about the hope and promise of resurrection. We
who live this side of Jesus’ resurrection are God’s children by adoption and
grace. We are born again. We begin here and now to live the new life in Jesus
Christ. God is God of the living; to him and in him we are alive. So let us live in hope.
O God, whose blessed Son came into the
world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God
and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify
ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory,
we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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