Help! We’re drowning in words! Wherever I turn, words are urging me to buy something: a miracle snake-oil that’ll solve all my problems (warning: side-effects may include sudden blindness, hemorrhoids or death); the latest in laser technology; or a genome map of my ancestry, horse-thieves and all. Those who’re fortunate to subscribe to these commercials will have nothing to worry about–they’re guaranteed health & happiness, even Eternal Life! With all these voices, there MUST be a word from God in there. Somewhere. Scripture for this weekend is God’s attempt to cut through all these voices in the rumble of the world…
We turn again to the Book of Wisdom, aka PROVERBS, 1-20-33. Lady Wisdom calls out at the busiest corners, “I will make my words known to you.” We’re reminded of the early-morning street-vendors in “Oliver”: “Who will buy…?” Wisdom may be likened to a mother urging restraint on a know-it-all son or daughter, “Don’t come running to me ‘because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof'”. Thank goodness for those saints who listen for and hear the still, small voice! The preacher/study leader needs to lift up those who will hear, and not denigrate or whine about the yet-stubborn. Where are the practices of letting God be God? Are there those among us who value Wisdom in the midst of our power-hungry culture? Who will buy…?
JAMES 3:1-12 speaks about how a small thing such as the tongue can drive so much of our system. “The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature, and is itself set on fire by hell.” He goes on to say that there’s a disconnect between the praise of God and the cursing of creatures bearing God’s image. James will later urge his readers to clean up their act/tongue, dedicating it to the language of God. The preaching moment will be the recognition of profane speech which surrounds the disciple…and the importance of using the tongue as a tool to proclaim that which IS True & Beautiful.
Some say that this moment of the Gospel according to MARK (8:27-38) is a watershed: before this, Jesus was calling disciples and exploring his ministry; from here on in, the journey to the Power-Seat (Jerusalem) focuses on the conflict between the Messiah and the prevailing culture. Mark’s hearers, impatient for freedom, needed to hear this tale of “going, but not there yet”. The microcosm of the conversation with Peter (us) continues each day within the Church: “Who do YOU say that I am?” Realizing the enormity of his confession, Peter attempts to walk it back by downplaying the predicted suffering–only to be rebuked by Jesus for disregarding the hard side of speaking God-language to a culture already noisy with hopes and dreams. When Jesus calls Peter “Satan”, he’s referring to the conflict of the Wisdom of Heaven & the Wisdom of Earth. Followers of this Christ are called to put aside their egos and accept the Cross, with all it carries.
There’s a lot of noise out there. These lessons present the Choices of Voices which is our daily task and opportunity. Sometimes we get to speak Truth to Power; most days our ministry is to quietly add value to those we meet. At the least, there’s a responsibility to not contribute to the plastic cacophany which seduces the multitudes with promises of the Good Life. May I so do…
In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King
Join me every Tuesday to be smacked around by scripture readings assigned to the upcoming weekend–at horacebrownking @ yahoo.com
My Blog 
Love this post, especially the “choices of voices” quote. I find myself more and more shutting out the voices “out there” so I can hear more clearly the voice “inside.”