Lectionary for Epiphany 6
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending its roots by the stream; without care in a year of drought, it does not cease to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8
Collect. Almighty and everliving God, whose Son Jesus Christ healed the sick and restored them to wholeness of life: look with compassion on the anguish of the world, and by your power make whole all peoples and nations; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Reading. 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. The Christian life revolves around Jesus Christ the Lord and Saviour. He is the one who gives to each believer the confidence that our past is dealt with; in the present we are sustained by him and the future is assured, all because he lives. The whole life of faith in Jesus Christ is built on the understanding that Jesus lives. Today’s passage then highlights a serious issue for Paul to address. When addressing this problem in the Corinthian church Paul had two different groups of people to encourage and teach.
Paul’s trusted method of preaching the gospel was to go to the local synagogue first and so speak to Jews and “God fearers”. Then he would use that base of Christian converts to reach out into the wider community. Thus we can confidently say that the congregation in Corinth would have been made up of members from both a Jewish as well as a Pagan background. Jews were Hebrew thinkers and the majority of people from Corinth were Greek thinkers. This diverse range of people made for a huge difference when discussing resurrection. For a Jew, body mind and spirit made up one unit and one part could not exist without the others. Greek thinkers on the other hand thought the spirit could exist apart from the body, many thought that the spirit was immortal. To cut to the chase and bypass many things that could be said, the bible is a Hebrew book, written from a Hebrew perspective. Therefore Paul is arguing that Jesus has been raised from the dead not as a spirit but as a body, a whole new man. The Apostles’ creed, a key document of the Church reminds us that we “Believe in the resurrection of the body”; not only that, we also believe that life will begin again.
For Paul this discussion with the Corinthians addressed the core of the faith for if Christ has not been raised then everything else in the faith is of no account; that is why Paul ends his argument with the emphatic statement that Christ has been raised and is the hope of all believers, both those living as well as those who have died. Paul is writing to people who had not only met him personally but, because of the itinerant nature of the early church’s ministry, would also have had the opportunity to meet the original Apostles or at least people who were closely related to them. In other words Paul is reminding them of facts they already would have heard from others. As such he is assuring them that despite their doubts and fears their faith in the risen Lord Jesus can and will sustain then now and into the future.
Prayer. Holy God, you are the Lord and giver of life and it is you who sustains us despite our doubts and fears. To you alone we turn for in you is the hope not only of life eternal but daily living. Guide us by your Spirit to keep close to you and sustain us in the faith for Jesus has paid the price of our salvation and through his resurrection power we have obtained mercy and grace from your hand. Bless us with the power of resurrection life that we may be unafraid to serve you and through our living bring you honour and praise. By your power may our new life be a beacon to those whom you are calling so that they and we together may taste the joys of eternal life, now and forever. Amen
Reading. Luke 6:17-26. As Luke relates this important aspect of Jesus ministry he makes his readers aware that the choosing of the apostles by Jesus was done in association with God. Another example that Jesus only did what his Father commanded: Yet at the same time it is Jesus’ choice, he is the one who chooses those who will continue his earthly ministry. Jesus chooses them to be Apostles. An apostle is one who is sent out for that is what the Greek word means; one who is sent out, we might say to be an ambassador. Thus they are chosen for a particular ministry task. Jesus teaches them by watching him and listening to his words and soon he will send them out to try to emulate his message and mission. As Jesus maintained his own personal relationship with God, so he encourages all his disciples to have a close personal relationship with God. The close relationship was important for many reasons, not least was the understanding that the message that Jesus brought was contrary to the way of the world. His preaching and ministry brought hope to the people without worldly influence; the poor will receive the blessing of the kingdom, the hungry will be satisfied, the sad will have joy. This is not the way it works in the society to which most of us belong. Here the rich are all powerful and demand and receive the services they want; Jesus teaches a very different way. With that in mind we see that to be called to be an apostle with that message is to advocate a lifestyle which is contrary to unredeemed human nature! The message that the apostles proclaimed did cause them to often be in conflict with the rulers, the rich and the powerful. It is only when we reflect on the difference that Jesus’ message is that we recognise how radical it is and how demanding was the call to be an apostle. Nevertheless it was the faithfulness of the apostles to continue to proclaim the message of Jesus that has brought the message of Jesus right through until the present day.
From Luke’s passage today we see that the message still confronts us with its change of values and its demands upon all who follow Jesus. Clearly believers are called to live out justice and mercy, trusting in God alone. It calls us to recognising that in biblical terms many of us are the rich and the powerful even though it doesn’t always feel that is the case. We are challenged to live our lives in his way and we can only do that be keeping our own relationship with Jesus firmly in place.
Prayer. Holy Lord God, our heavenly Father, your Son offered a ministry to the weak and powerless and always looked with compassion on those in need. Help us your servants who long to follow more closely in the footsteps of Christ to listen to your word and by your power like him seek to serve those in need. Give us the wisdom and insight we need so that our service honours you and brings true relief. May we not serve simply to assuage our guilt but in order that your gospel may more boldly and completely be proclaimed. Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen
Collect. O God, you call us today to be part of the coming kingdom. Help us to trust in you, and not our possessions; help us to believe you, rather than our false desires; grant us peace and joy in doing your will in the name of Christ. Amen.
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