Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10 and Mark 6:1-13
Claire Brill
July 5, 2015
A couple of Sundays ago, I talked with the children about the story of David and Goliath. We learn from the story that God’s favor is with David from an early age and he is able to conquer the Philistine giant, Goliath, with the use of his sling and a few smooth stones. He conquered what seemed to be an impossible feat – without great armor or great armies backing him up. He went forth and faced his opposition using what he believed was enough, because he knew God believed in him.
Today we learn that David has now been anointed king over Israel. He is now 30 years old. And it is told that he became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him. For 40 years he reigned. But we also know through scripture during his reign he did not always execute great judgment.We hear the story of committing adultery with Bathsheba and setting up the murder of Uriah, one of his loyal soldiers. Yet God continued to be with him. This is the saga of David, the youngest son of Jesse, and his lineage is traced to the birth of Jesus.
Now Jesus himself was about 30 years old at the beginning of his ministry. Today’s gospel portrays Jesus returning to his hometown of Nazareth as a Rabbi, a teacher, not as folks remembered him as a young boy. He has taken his disciples with him. Many were astonished by his teaching. News has traveled ahead of him regarding the recent healing of the woman with the issue of blood and the raising of Jairus’ daughter. He has joined his family at the synagogue and is teaching from his experiences. You almost hear his peers saying, “Who does he think he is?” And “How can he possibly have this power and wisdom?” He simply replies to their question, “Prophets are not without honor except in their hometown.” Jesus did not let the fact that “they knew him when” get in his way of going about the work God had given him to do.
A contemporary Christian writer Max Lucado wrote,“One cannot, at once, promote two reputations. Promote God’s and forget yours. Or promote yours and forget God’s. We must choose.” Jesus was known as the carpenter’s son, but he was well beyond his common reputation and living the life God set him on this earth to do. He was amazed that his hometown folks could be in such a state of unbelief. How else could he have healed the sick or brought back life to the dead? Where was their faith? As a result, Jesus could not do any mighty works, as they were not ready to listen or to believe.
So, where is our faith? I think that is the question for us to give some serious thought to as we have witnessed some major changes in our country and in our church in just the past two weeks.
To name a few,
in our country, we have witnessed two major Supreme Court rulings: one to uphold the current health law and the other favoring same-sex marriage.
in our church, we have new canon law about our marriage sacrament and we have elected the first African-American Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church.
Now, mix this on top of the day-to-day eventsin our communities and add them to the happenings in our personal lives; no doubt we are finding ourselves a bit off balance, regardless of whether we view these changes as positive or negative.
Just yesterday, many celebrations took place to honor July 4th, Independence Day. We declared our independence from Great Britain, on July 2, 1776, when we were in the midst of war with them. The men that wrote this Declaration were members of colonies …the United States was not even formed. It was a momentous occasion, but our independence didn’t happen overnight. It took a lot of adjustments to make this Declaration. And it was not until 1870, nearly 100 years later that we declared it a national observance. There were many, many changesthen and are ongoing in our nation today. I trust that it has only been with God’s help that we have become and are still becoming the United States of America.
What would make us believe we could even take on such challenges? Have we learned or can we learn better that practicing our faith can bring balance into our lives while we are on our earthly pilgrimage? Can we trust that God is always ahead of us, behind us and beside us, no matter where we find ourselves?
This week, I watched a video of questions asked to our new Presiding Bishop-elect Curry. His tenure will begin November 1st. However, already therewas a panel of people firing questions to him. They represented the Church media, Episcopal news service, the Church of England, The Living Church, etc. and asking…
What is The Episcopal Church’s way forward?
What has prepared you for this position?
Do you consider yourself an evangelical leader?
What concrete plans do you have for public initiative?
Mind you, this was just a few hours after his election? He responded with such grace and humility. What I gleaned from the interview was that he is a committed follower of Jesus and senses a strong calling as God’s agent for reconciliation. He followed his simple proclamation, I am a follower of Jesus, with the statement, “that if we love Jesus and our focus is on Jesus, we can deal with things on which we disagree and trust that the Spirit of God will create a space for all of us.” He further stated that his dream would be for the church to truly be a holy “catholic” church as we state in our Creed. All of his answers were spoken from the heart without trying to impress. He spoke from his experience, but showed enthusiasm and excitement about what was to come in his serving as our Presiding Bishop.
I can’t help but see the story of David and Goliath continue to play out in our history. There have been and continue to be great challenges in our world – nationally, religiously and personally. There are many Goliaths that are powerful and seem insurmountable, and in most cases all we seem to have are five smooth stones and a sling.
We need to keep reminding ourselves that what we already have is enough. Each one of us is enough in the eyes of God. And when it isn’t enough, God will supply the rest. With faith, our weakness can become our strength.
Can we trust that? Or will Jesus be amazed at our unbelief just as he was at the folks in his hometown synagogue?
To end today, I would like to call our attention to the collect in which we prayed to be devoted to God with our whole heart and to be united to one another with pure affection.
In order to live into this prayer, we would do well to recite and spend some time with that which St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians 1:13
Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, It does not dishonor other, it is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered; it keeps no record ofwrongs. Love does not delight inevil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, and always trust, always hopes and always perseveres.
And knowing the fact that none of us is perfect and can love perfectly, more words from St. Paul can help us unlock our everyday patterns of behavior, which prevent us from responding to God’s call to love. He writes to the Philippians (3:13-14)
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.…
Amen.