Not being mythical

Sunday March 2nd is the Last Sunday after the Epiphany and readings can be taken from Exodus 24:12-18, Ps 2 or Psalm 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21; Matthew 17:1-9

Not a myth

This story of The Transfiguration is a fascinating one.

And we need to understand its purpose 

We need to heed the advice

that Peter gives to his readers

which is that this is NOT a myth

This is difficult in a way 

because it has all sorts of supernatural bells and whistles

But it’s important that we hear Peter saying

We need to look beyond the supernatural.

This is about seeing Jesus for who he is.

It is one of those points 

when Peter is able to recognize that Jesus is Messiah

The Beloved of God

the one who is able to bring us into God’s very presence and life.

Not religion

This for Peter is an explanation of something he experienced

there are a couple of of things to note.

The first thing we might be tempted to do 

when we encounter God is to make it into a “religious” experience

Peter wants to set up shrines 

for Jesus Moses, and Elijah.

While religious sites have their place

Jesus tells them this is not what this about

Peter is adamant 

this is not to be about 

the bells and whitsles of supernatural experience

It is about seeing Jesus as God’s son

Beloved by God

And opening ourselves to God through Jesus.

Relationship with Jesus

We are being invited to not mythologise this opportunity

or perhaps we would say 

not fantasise.

Or to turn it into some religious experience

But to understand that 

this is about God’s love

for Jesus, the Beloved Son

and for you and me

As Lent looms 

this is what is being handed to us

Not an opportunity to become more religious

but an invitation to relationship. with Jesus.

Maybe we don’t want this

the real danger about ‘religion’ 

is that it can actually be used to keep God at a distance.

Peter is adamant

this is not fantasy

Jesus is certainly

no shrine or religious formularies

what is on offer is relationship

What might we do during Lent

to respond to this invitation?

The account tells us….This is my Son the Beloved

Listen to him.

If Jesus is speaking to me

what might he be saying?

if I cannot hear

can I spend a little time

trying to pay attention?

Time is of course of the essence

in any relationship.

You don’t strengthen your relationships

by not spending time.

And there are perhaps two warnings here

as Lent approaches.

One is, we can say…

that is for somebody else to do

I think that’s wrong

we cannot delegate our responsibility 

for our individual relationship

we must allow time for Jesus

just as we should allow time

for our other relationships.

Second, let’s not make the mistake

of thinking that increased religious practice is what is being asked for

This is the warning that Jesus is giving the disciples.

So keep it Personal

and keep it Real

The extra mile and the other cheek

• Readings for Sunday 23rd February, (The 7th Sunday after Epiphany) can include Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 • 
• Psalm 119:33-40 • 
• 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 • 
• Matthew 5:38-48

The focus this week shifts a little

although we are still emphasising that it is not just sufficient to

say the right thing

but also to do it

last week's emphasis

was more on not doing the wrong thing

But today we are exhorted to do the right thing

Both, of course, are necessary

Jesus uses extreme examples (hyperbole)

this grabs our attention

and indeed they contain some of his most memorable ideas

That is part of the purpose of hyperbole

-to grab our attention-

If anyone strikes you, then turn the other cheek!

If someone wants your jumper, give them your coat too!

To someone who make you do something you don't want, do more than they ask!

And so it goes on

This week therefore we are being invited to stretch ourselves in doing good.

You might immediately think of a situation where this applies, and so you have the opportunity to respond.

But if you need more convincing then maybe we need to go back to first principles (which is sort of what we have been doing over the last few weeks).

Jesus is inviting us not just to keep the rules,

or not just to not break the rules (if you can suss out that double negative)

but to recognise that this discipleship is going to be about

deciding at the very core of our being that we are going to live our life...not out of the book

but according to the principles.

This is probably harder,

because it means we have to actually think about what we do.

We have to do more than just accidently be Christian

It is about commitment.

So THIS WEEK..there may be some obvious place where we can go the extra mile, dig a little deeper, act more out of principle than out of duty

or we may have to grapple with this deeper again

To talk with Jesus about what this will mean.

This is not about punishment, it is not about making life hard. It is about acting out of the heart, rather than the head.

About living the Gospel, rather than keeping the rules.

Find one thing to do, and do it.

Choose life

Readings for the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany can include 

Deuteronomy 30:15-20  or Sirach 15:15-20 • 

Psalm 119:1-8 • 

1 Corinthians 3:1-9 • 

Matthew 5:21-37. [Australian lectionary uses Deuteronomy 10]

What are we to make of this idea

that even thinking about sin

might be as bad

as sin itself?

What Jesus seems to be getting at

in these little sayings:

Don’t just not be angry

Actually do something about it

Don’t just not commit adultery

deal with your inward thoughts

Recognise that you make some serious commitments

and that you need to stick to them

And even…don’t swear an oath

but let your word be of such quality

that it shouldn’t be necessary

to have legal compulsion to tell the truth.

This is the point at which, as the popular saying goes,

the rubber hits the road

or where we not only say the right thing

but we do the right thing.

Is this what people think of us?

Is this, indeed, what we think of ourselves?

or are we two-faced?

We often can rationalize this behaviour

(We don’t want to hurt people

we want to avoid trouble…so on)

But what we hear this morning

is rather consistent

with what we have been receiving

from this section of Jesus’s teaching that we call the The Sermon on the Mount

Your faith should be tasty… like salt
and it should shine out like a light.

Now we hear..

Don’t just say things

but actually ..do them!

And be aware of how you think!

Because your thoughts are probably a tell-tale of what’s really going on

Work for this week

What’s going on in your life?

In particular those secret places

where perhaps we are not up-front with others (or even ourselves)

The word of warning that we are getting here

is that even though we may be duplicitous

with others

and even with ourselves

that it doesn’t actually deceive God

and doesn’t often or actually do what we think.

Avoiding conflict doesn’t resolve it!

Putting on a masquerade

for the sake of public appearances

doesn’t actually make that come true.

Are we thus going to follow our Saviour in deed as well as word?

It is the image of jesus himself. He not only was a good person but his life was put on the line too!

I would even suggest that creating and sustaining the charade

is more damaging in fact than the problems it seeks to solve.

Avoiding conflict is probably more damaging than confronting it.

Suppressing our strong sexual feelings, would seem to be more damaging than actually dealing with them.

When we lose our integrity (our Yes/Yes)

We have lost something centrally and essentially human.

Oscar Romero- Martyr Bishop of El Salvador

so threatened the power brokers

of his country by his determination

to not only be good but also to do good

and to confront evil and corruption

He was assassinated whilst celebrating Mass

This week, let’s pay attention

to where God is calling us to

not only say but also to be and do our Christianity

This may be hard, probably will be

But we are called not to be wishy washy

But to be faithful…in word and in deed