LONG ago, an “established” preacher told us about three necessary ingredients of a sermon: identify the brokenness (sin, injustice); tell about Jesus, the alternative; and discuss how we might therefore live with integrity. Ah, there’s the challenge! How shall I live with integrity with one foot in the City of God, one foot in the City of Man (sic)?
Jeremiah’s oracle (8:18-9-1) could well be called a psalm of lament. Here God moans over “the cry of my poor people from far and wide”. There must be no balm in Gilead, no physician there; the health of God’s people has not been restored. Present-day hearers must admit that at least SOME days our culture leaves us feeling broken and frustrated. Is there any plausible hope for both the victim and the victimizer?
Those of us who believe in predestination can write this off more easily: “Some folks are gonna be like that. We can’t do anything about it.” Not so, says Paul to Timothy (2:1-7). Here is an urging to include EVERYONE in our intercessions and thanksgivings! Even kings and Those Who Would be King, crooked administrators and public servants who feather their own nests! God “desires EVERYONE to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” !!
Jesus’ parable of the Crooked Manager–Luke 16:1-13–is troublesome. Knowing that his employment is over, this guy makes friends for himself by altering their bills; AND the Rich Employer commends him! Is there then virtue in shady dealings? That’s the Way of the World, Jesus said, and are you any different? Our economic systems often conflict with our ethics: news stories and political campaigns celebrate job creation as the only value. Unethical? Insensitive? Let someone else deal with that…
The Gospel is Good News because it presents a pro-active God who takes genuine interest in the well-being of Creation. Not just in the National Parks, but on Main Street AND on Wall Street. These readings seem to urge us toward faithfulness to a Holy Image built into us and all humanity…despite the rhetoric of wealth-at-any-cost.
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My thoughts about Scripture readings for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this space on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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