Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?
Who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,
Who speaks the truth from his heart. [Psalm 15]
Someone has said that it is our conceit that we must express great thoughts, great ideas only through the medium of words – what about great pictures, great art or great music?
Our service booklet art today is an icon by the Russian Andrei Rublev known as the Holy Trinity – and it happens to illustrate our reading this morning from the 18th chapter of Genesis.
Our reading begins with the simple statement: “The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day.”
But then it continues, “He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground.” He invites them to stay and be refreshed. He goes to Sarah and asks her to make cakes for them and directs a servant a prepare a young calf he has selected, and has all this set before them and as the reading adds, “[Abraham] stood by them under the tree while they ate.”
Then there is conversation:
“Where is your wife Sarah?”
Abraham replies, “There, in the tent.”
Then one of the three says, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.”
All of this is “happening” in the earliest days of Abraham; before Moses, Joseph and his brothers, the journey to the promised land, even Jesus and the events of the New Testament. But some have seen this as prefiguration of the Trinity including Andrei Rublev in this probably his best known icon, The Holy Trinity.
From time to time I have heard the comments of some preachers who say their least favorite subject to preach is the Trinity. Henri Nouwen’s short devotional book, “Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons,” includes words about this icon. He describes the three angelic visitors, representing the members of the Trinity as well as our place in the divine economy. This summer while you are sitting at the entrance of your tent in the heat of the day I would recommend this book.
We hear from Paul in his letter to the struggling church in Colassae written by Paul while he was in prison in Rome. Epaphras had been moved to establish that church maybe some ten years earlier who had heard Paul speak in Ephesus. Initially it had done well but now was having serious problems.
Paul’s only means of communication is by a letter. So he writes.
This morning we have heard only a portion.
Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. Through Jesus we can know God.
We who were sinning and far off from God have been reconciled to God through Jesus. Whatever we’ve done or wherever we are – even in unhappiness, loneliness, despair, meaninglessness, we can know God.
Paul tells us through his sufferings for us as part of the church, he has made known to the Gentiles in his day, and now to all of us the riches of the Glory of Christ, which is Christ in us, the hope of Glory.
Our Gospel reading this morning is short. Our reading today from Luke is similar to one from John where Jesus is in the house of Mary and Martha. Jesus answers Martha’s complaint that Mary is letting her – Martha – do all the work while Mary is just sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to what Jesus is saying. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to Jesus. “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?”
Maybe Martha was speaking, is speaking for us.
Co-worker, spouse, partner, child, parent, neighbor, the government, whoever – do you not care that you have left me to do all the work by myself, take care of this mess you have created, pay for something you ought to pay for….
“
“There is need of only one thing…”
Sometimes maybe we call it the pearl of great price or maybe it’s that coin we think we lost and we keep searching for – and if we are lucky, if we are blessed, we sort of get it, we sort of “find” it we call all our neighbors and friends to rejoice with us.
Or when in the service all the preliminaries are over, the priest, the messenger, the sharer of good news, moves to the pulpit, we settle back in our seats, we hope, we pray, that we too, this day, will hear, will learn, will be touched, by that “only one thing that we are in need of…”
Maybe it is the knowledge, the sure knowledge in our hearts, that there a God in heaven, and He loves us, He promises the best for us, and His promises are sure. How great are the riches of the glories of this mystery, which is Christ in us, the hope of glory. It is Jesus whom we proclaim!
Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle?
Who may abide upon your holy hill?
Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right,
Who speaks the truth from his heart. [from Psalm 15]
Amen.
Richard Robertson