“I can see clearly now…
I can see all obstacles in my way…”
I heard this song on the radio not too many days ago.
Johnny Nash
“Gonna be a bright (bright) sunshiny day!”
It certainly didn’t describe my feelings, my mood, at the time – I had been thinking about the wars, no end, no resolution in sight, the dissention, the great bitterness in our own country, the uncertainty surrounding our own national leadership…
And yet, and yet…
From Psalm 85:
“I will listen to what the Lord God is saying,
For he is speaking peace to his faithful people
And to those who turn their hearts to him.
Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him,
That his glory may dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have met together,
Righteousness and peace have kissed each other…”
And then there is that tightly packed mass of words, a book of theology and hope packed in one paragraph, the words of Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus we have heard this morning as our second reading.
As I read that paragraph initially – and re-read it. As I heard it read, , I kept hearing one word: “destined.” Destined. Not pre-destined as in “pre-destined for the Firey torments of hell as sinners might be in the hands of an angry God…No, we all are “destined.”
Let’s listen again to Paul’s words:
“Blessed by God…who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing…just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will…”
“Before the foundation of the world…he destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ.”
Some say there are two schools of thought about the creation: one might be All that is, all that was, and all that there will ever be, is the result of random happenstance – an accident – no reason, particularly, it just happened. We live, we die. No big deal.
Another approach might be that Someone created all of this, caused all of this to be. That, that Someone had, has some purpose in this creation, that, that Someone has a love, a pride, a joy in this His creation. And so, loving His creation would want the best for all of His creatures. That Someone fixed in certain of His creation, men and women, a freewill…He could have created creatures who puppet-like mimic whatever he would have wished – but what is the creativity of that? So, he destined all of us to be the most that we could be – however that might go.
Again, Paul’s words: [Through Him] we have obtained an inheritance, having been destined [there is that word again] …so that we…might live for the praise of his glory.
“[And all of this] as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things in earth.”
So maybe our proper response, our grateful response, could be summed up [in words attributed to St. Augustine] “love God and do whatever you will…”
Or as Father Carey suggested to me as we discussed this Scripture – and this is attributed to the theologian Paul Tillich, [We are called by God] to accept our acceptance.
Again Paul, “…when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, [you] were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people…”
Our first reading, is a reading from the book of Amos:
“I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel…
…the high places of Issac shall be made desolate,
…the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste…
…and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword…”
What is going on?
It is sometime around 760 B.C. God’s people in the Holy Land are divided into two areas – two nations – the northern kingdom – called Israel – and at this time ruled by a king Jeroboam – and to the south of this Judah which is less arable, much less prosperous. The northern kingdom is seemingly more prosperous, more satisfied with itself. Its priests are part of a “guild” supported by and supportive of the king. That means paid by the king.
So Amaziah as a member of the priests’ guild is “offended” by what he considers an upstart “priest” – a mere herdsman – who says everything is not right – we are not on the right track with God – and we need to change. Amaziah arrogantly tells him to go back to Judah – to an impoverished Judah – “earn your bread there – and “prophesy” there.
To which Amos replies “Yes, I am a herdsman…but the Lord took me from following the flock…and told me, ’Go, prophecy to my people Israel.’”
Sometimes a people, sometimes even a church can become so satisfied, so pleased with itself, so sure that it has all the answers, that God sends someone – even a “herdsman” – with a raw, frank, message that needs to be heard and that God wishes to be heard.
Let our prayer be that we always have ears to hear God’s message.
How do we make sense of our third reading, a reading from the Gospel of Mark?
It is an ugly story – a sordid tale. Evil seemingly has the upper hand, Evil seemingly is in charge.
Herod’s comment that begins the story is sort of odd. It is after the brutal murder of John ordered by Herod.
Those surrounding King Herod are discussing a new religious figure who is being talked about. Some say it is John the Baptist now risen. Some Elijah, some a prophet.
But Herod says, “John, whom I beheaded has been raised.”
In a sense he is acknowledging that what he has done is so bad, so evil, that God has brought him back to life.
There were in fact several “Herod’s.” Herod the Great is the one who rebuilt the Temple. He is one who made it a point to “religiously” observe the Jewish dietary laws – such as abstaining from pork. The commandment “Do not Kill” not so much. Along with many others he ordered the execution of his wife and his sons. One of the Roman emperors reportedly commented, “It would be better to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son.”
We live in a time of many Herod’s. From Stalin to Hitler to the many “wannabes” of our own times. And as mortals we face our own time of ending. Yet as Paul would tell us we are destined for more.
I can see clearly now…
Listen to what the Lord God is saying,
…He is speaking peace to his faithful people
And to those who turn their hearts to Him.
Truly his salvation is very near…
Amen.
Richard Robertson