Sermon 2nd September 2021 – 15th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 7:24-37 – Keep praying – it’s your right.

 Sermon 2^nd September 2021 – 15^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 7:24-37 – Keep praying – it’s your right.

 

Whenever I read this Gospel reading it really speaks to me. Not the healing side of it but the geographical reach of Jesus into Tyre and Sidon which were Gentile countries. That region today is known as the region that encompasses Lebanon as does Syrophoenicia. In case you’re not aware, Lebanon is the homeland of my father who immigrated to Australia after World War 2. Here he met my German mother who also came to Australia after World War 2. After they got married and had children, they had a big decision to make – because my mother, while being a German Lutheran, my father was a Lebanese Muslim. The decision – what religion to raise their children as. The decision was made easy in that my father felt that Australia was a Christian nation and we would have more opportunities. So we were Baptised at Trinity Lutheran Church in East Melbourne – the German speaking church still there today.

 

Fast forward about 20 years when I had my spiritual awakening, I decided to attend the local Lutheran church to further my faith journey, namely, St Paul’s Box Hill.What I had no inkling about was when one of the first comments made to me was “Ghalayini” – that’s not very Lutheran. I had no idea what that meant – but secondly it didn’t make me feel very welcome. It made me feel like a Gentile in the land of Israel. Whereas I don’t have the Lutheran pedigree that many in the Lutheran church have who came out in the 1800s from Prussia rather than post World War 2 – I sometimes like to believe that there may be a slim chance that the Syrophoenecian woman in our bible reading today may be a long lost relative of mine from Lebanon.

 

But our readings are not about who has the best pedigree but rather it’s about the very opposite. It is about treating one another as oneself. James calls it the royal law - You shall love your neighbour as yourself, Society often calls it the Golden Rule – do unto others as you would have them do unto you. There should be no distinction whether it be race, colour, creed, gender – nothing. Because every single person is created by God and created in God’s image. And image has nothing to do with physical image.

Image has to do with extending the love and care to all of God’s earth and creatures just as God would. Just as Adam and Eve were asked to: Genesis One reads: So God created humankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

 

Sadly we are living in a very fractured world and I probably don’t need to list all the categories by which we are seeing this division. As Christians we are asked to live by example of not treating anyone differently even if there are differences. And there are differences. Even God says that when St Paul explains the gifts of the Holy Spirit:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. All these gifts are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

There are differences, there are distinctions, but there is to be no division as we work together for the common good – something we are not seeing much of today.

 

Even Jesus’ disciples didn’t see that at first when the Syrophoenician woman came up to Jesus begging him to heal her daughter: In Matthew’s Gospel reading of this account the disciples told Jesus to send her away.

 

James also warns against making any sort of distinction: If a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Have a seat here, please,” while to the one who is poor you say, “Stand there,” or, “Sit at my feet,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

 

But I want to look a little bit closer at this Syrophoenician woman because it almost seems that Jesus too was making a distinction because of her ethnic background.

Jesus said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” That sounds really harsh – and commentators have tried to get around it by saying the Greek word for “dog” is an endearing term like puppy – but truth be told, I don’t see it. But what we know about Jesus is that he searches the heart.

 

Jesus knew when the Pharisees came up to him with their religious piety what was really in their hearts – like last week when they exalted themselves because they kept the rules of purity handed down to them by their forefathers – the traditions of the elders. But Jesus called them hypocrites because while their outside was clean their hearts were unclean.

 

Likewise here, Jesus could see into her heart and would challenge her faith by seemingly rejecting her request. But she persisted, as Jesus knew she would and she fought back. And maybe this is the lesson for us to take from this.

 

We are going through difficult times at present and if you’re like me you have prayed for an end to what we are facing. It seems like God has said “no” – as he did to this woman. But she persisted –and she was bold and brazen and confronted Jesus when he said - it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs. She claimed her rights.

 

This is a time for us to not give up praying. This woman grew in her faith by the rejection she received and she kept Jesus honest reminding him of her rights, as a dog, to receive even the crumbs that fall from the table. Maybe we too need to be more bold and brazen in our prayers to God and remind him of his duty of care for us.

Yes I know that sounds blasphemous – but no more than this woman to Jesus.

The Psalms are full of cries to the Lord of their unjust treatment, seemingly forgotten by God:

 

Psalm 13: How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.

 

Or Psalm 10: Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

 

Even Jesus cried out at the injustice – My God, My God – why have you forsaken me?

There are different types of prayer but what we see here in our Gospel reading is the prayer of desperation, not pleading with God, but holding God to account when she was refused – even the DOGS have rights Lord. And we are worth much more than many dogs, as Jesus himself said when explaining how precious we are to God.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

 

I hope I am not coming across as disrespectful – I would never do that towards God.

But Luther, when explaining the Lord’s Prayer says –  With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that He is our true Father and that we are His true children, so that with all boldness and confidence we may ask Him as dear children ask their dear father. As a child, did you ever say to your parents “that’s not fair”?

 

The book of Hebrews also says: Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. The woman in our Gospel approached Jesus, not with disrespect but with confidence knowing that the one who stood before her could heal her daughter.

We too know that the one standing before us can bring healing to our world so let’s keep asking.

 

Let’s keep asking with confidence.

Let’s keep asking with boldness.

Let’s keep asking with persistence.

Let’s keep asking –

 

And may the peace of God that surpasses all our understanding keep our hearts and minds forever in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Sermon 29th August 2021 – 14th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 – Following the rules

 Sermon 29^th August 2021 – 14^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 – Following the rules

When I’m going on my daily walk I see many people with their masks under their noses, under their chin, or no mask at all. I’m sure you’ve seen that too – or maybe while no one is around you have snuck a quick breath of fresh air yourself. Do you sometimes feel like speaking up and asking why they aren’t wearing their mask? Or maybe you’ve heard of some people not really sticking to the rules and having friends over to watch the footy or have a quiet drink.

I don’t know about you but I have seen so much more anger and disunity amongst fellow Australians who feel that some people aren’t following the rules while they are diligently following every letter of the law. I’ve seen people at the supermarket yelling at people for not social distancing. The rules make us angry. But people breaking the rules make us even angrier.

Or what about when you get that letter in the mail which we all dread – it’s a window faced envelope and you’re just dreading that you have been snapped going over the speed limit. You get really angry and make comparisons – I was a few Ks over the limit – why aren’t they out their catching the “real criminals”. Or when you see the hundreds of police gathering to arrest the protesters and you’re saying where were they when the climate rallies or Black Lives Matter rallies were on.

It’s easy to make comparisons when we feel that we are in the right and others are not doing their bit or they seem to be treated differently when breaking the rules. Or even when you’re watching a game of football and you’re convinced that the umpires are not enforcing the same rules on the other team.

In today’s Gospel reading that’s the situation that confronts Jesus. When the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands. So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands? Why aren’t they following the rules?

As always, Jesus is aware of their motives and turns it around to stop looking at other people’s outward actions and to look into their own hearts. He did that with the woman caught in adultery – he got her accusers to stop looking at what she did and to look at their own lives – whoever is without sin may cast the first stone. In his Sermon on the Mount he taught about this when he said - “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

We seem to have a tendency that when we are confronted by our own feelings of guilt that our response is to point out someone else’s. To this Jesus quotes from Isaiah to show them their error - These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; And again he points them to their own hearts and not what other people are doing: It is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

We have a tendency to get angry at others whom we perceive are not following the rules, as did the religious leaders to Jesus.  But we remember what Paul warned about with anger when it leads to sin; We say and do things in anger that are like a steam valve where they release all our inner thoughts from our heart and verbalise them – and sometimes worse – they become physical. And sadly it’s often against the ones we love and we cannot take back those words and actions.

So Paul said, in your anger, do not sin. And James gives similar advice today - let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness. James also knew that in our anger we say and do things that hurt. And James has special advice to Christians when he says - If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.

What we are seeing happening in our state and country at present is nothing new – it’s just on a larger scale. We have seen this played out in individuals whether it’s road rage or car park rage when we feel our human rights have been infringed upon. That person cut into MY lane. That person took MY car spot. All we are seeing here is human nature being played out in a collective form. It’s very easy to condemn them – it’s very easy to condone them.

What we are encouraged to do, as Christians, is to use this to keep our own hearts in check. As James says in his closing words - Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

When I look at the responses to what happened last weekend I see from both those who condemn and those who condone – anger. And anger distracts us away from where our energy should be going – to care for those in need and keeping ourselves unstained by the world – as James said. We don’t want to be like the Scribes and Pharisees pointing out the errors of others masking our own errors.

Like everyone, I am so saddened where our nation is. We used to watch the news and the violence around the world thanking God that we live in a country where that would never happen. Well it’s happening and the world is now watching us. This is now the time for the church to stand up and respond – not with condemning – not with condoning – but with prayer.

Not with judging – but with caring for those in need.

At the moment we live with extremely strict restrictions – we cannot visit our friends and family – we cannot gather for worship – but we can pray (and we have more time to do so) – and maybe for such a time as this, to quote from the book of Esther – we as the Christian community have been called upon to do what others cannot do – to call upon our Heavenly Father to intervene in a way that no human authority can.

And that’s why Paul said last week – our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the devil and the powers of darkness. So we put on the armour of God – no the armour of the world.

The belt of truth

The breastplate of righteousness.

The shoes to proclaim the gospel of peace.

The shield of faith

The helmet of salvation,

And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Like the boy Shepherd David who rejected the worldly armour offered to him but challenged the invincible Goliath with the words: “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord”. Let us too, take up this fight in the name of the Lord and trust in his deliverance.

Sermon 22nd August 2021 – 13th Sunday after Pentecost Text John 6:56-69 – Lord to whom shall we go?

 Sermon 22^nd August 2021 – 13^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text John 6:56-69 – Lord to whom shall we go?

How did you go filling out the census last week? I’m looking forward to hearing the results when they are released  but particularly I want to see the section on religion and what percentage of the population still consider themselves to be Christian. I know we get quite concerned when we hear about the numbers dropping in church attendance. I’ve heard some concerns over this year’s census because Lutherans didn’t come up as a pre-printed option but you have to add it in under “Other” probably because our numbers have declined to such an extent. And because of our business models in the world influencing our church model we naturally see decline in attendance as a sign of failure – and that we have to arrest this fall and do something to bring people back. We feel that we need to make the Christian faith more palatable in order to fix our declining numbers.

Some of the suggestions have been: Be less judgmental. Be more user friendly. Focus less on sin and more on love. Focus less on law and more on gospel. Whereas I don’t disagree that at times the church has probably spoken in ways that has divided people unfairly,

I don’t think we should necessarily see that declining numbers is a sign of failure. In fact as early as the very first churches we read in the book of Hebrews that this was a challenge then too: In Hebrews 10:25 it says: Do not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day of Judgment approaching. And if declining numbers is a sign of failure then we must put Jesus in that camp also.

For the last 3 weeks we have been reading the discussion that Jesus has had with the Jewish leaders who complained because he said he was the bread of life that came down from heaven. Isn’t this Joseph’s son who lives among us – how can he say he came down from heaven? Now, we can understand the controversy this caused amongst the Jewish leaders who didn’t understand God’s plan for the Messiah, but what we see in our Gospel reading today is something remarkable:

It wasn’t the Jewish leaders but when many of his disciples heard Jesus say this, they said, “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it? Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. Jesus’s numbers declined – is that a failure? It doesn’t seem to be as Jesus didn’t waiver or change his teaching but stuck to the core message and he even offers his chosen 12 disciples to also leave him:

Jesus asked the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” What was it that kept Peter and the other disciples following Jesus when others could not understand or accept what Jesus was teaching them? Because they knew that Jesus had the words of eternal life and ONLY Jesus had those words. Nowhere else could they find what Jesus was offering them – sure hope of eternal life in Heaven. We need to ensure that what we offer the world is something the world cannot find anywhere else. And what he have to offer isn’t found anywhere else. We have the words of eternal life.

But are those words sometimes hidden behind our politics, our arguments over theology. We have the words of unconditional love by a God who created us – who loved us so much that he sent his Son to die for us so that when we die we will live in Heaven forever. Sometimes that’s still a hard decision to make because to follow Jesus may mean leaving behind those other things that brought you some security and comfort in the immediate term. It may mean extending the same love to others that God extends to us – even the unlovable – as we remember that God’s love is shown in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. It means forgiving the unforgivable as Jesus cried out from the cross against those nailing him to the cross – forgive them Father for they know not what they are doing. Have we refused to forgive someone over something much less that what we did to Jesus?

This can be a hard teaching for many – maybe for you. But what God offers is not security in the immediate term but eternally. And sometimes we have to accept that for some people this is the choice they make - to walk away. But remember, God never walks away from them.

Even at his ascension in Matthew 28 it says that the 11 disciples (remember Judas had also now walked away by betraying Jesus) – it says they worshipped Jesus but some doubted. But it was also at that ascension that Jesus made the promise – I am with you always till the end of the age. Don’t ever underestimate what it means to follow Christ. This is not a club. This is not a charity. This is the gathering of God’s children – the body of Christ.

Likewise we hear that Joshua puts it on the line with his people as they are about to embark on their journey into the Promised Land: And there they will be tempted to follow the false gods that the previous tenants worshipped. God’s that satisfy their immediate needs through physical desires. Joshua says: choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

We need to remember that following Christ is not like following a football team where memberships go up in good times and go down in bad times. This is staying firm and strong in the difficult times trusting in God Paul himself says how challenging following Jesus means because in following Jesus we are rejecting all other gods.

Paul says: Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the cunningness of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The devil is working hard in the hearts of the people to turn them away from Jesus. So our fight is not against the people but against the devil. This is spiritual warfare and we need to pray like we’ve never prayed before for all those who are struggling in their faith, particularly at this time as the effects of the pandemic and lockdowns and restrictions take a heavy toll.

Let us not see the decline in our numbers in the church as a sign of failure but as an opportunity for mission. We have the words of eternal life. And as our world continues to prove less and less hope let us be prepared to give the reason for the hope we have with gentleness and patience. The decline in our numbers means an increase in the mission field – a mission field where the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. So let us pray to the Lord of the harvest and stand firm in our faith in the whole armour of God.

 

Sermon 15th August 2021 – 12th Sunday after Pentecost Text: Ephesians 5:15-20 – singing in the heart

 Sermon 15^th August 2021 – 12^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: Ephesians 5:15-20 – singing in the heart

 

I’m not sure how you are going at present but I have stopped watching the news on TV and reading the newspaper. For those of you who know me that is a pretty big step.  I usually watch the 5am news in the morning, the 5pm news and then the 6pm news and read the newspaper from cover to cover and login regularly during the day to online news. I have done this because I have, like many people, become so saddened and depressed about the state of our world and our nation and state.

 

Now in our 6th lockdown in Victoria hearing every day the state of the pandemic has made me feel like I’m losing my faith in God. I was at the point asking why God has allowed this to happen and struggling to answer that question when I’m asked by others. I have been angry, depressed, confused, to the point where I lay awake wondering about what the numbers are going to be tomorrow and what new announcement is going to come from the Premier and National Cabinet. There was not much merriment in my heart and I’m probably not a lot of fun to be around.

 

One of the few things I look forward to is getting up at 3.30am and taking the dog for a walk for an hour and a half. No one is around to worry about – no TV – no news - where I can just be me with my thoughts (and the dog). As I mentioned last week, lately I feel a lot like Elijah, exhausted and saying – It’s enough Lord. But this week I read our reading from Paul – his letter to the Ephesians. A letter written by Paul while imprisoned because of his faith. And I wondered to myself, how did Paul deal with it? How did Paul reconcile the fact that he had given up everything for God and he ends up in prison and severely persecuted along the way? How did Paul deal with it? What advice and encouragement can Paul give us?

 

Well, he tells us: Be filled with the Spirit, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, sing and make melody to the Lord in your hearts, give thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does that mean living irresponsibly or without care for what’s happening in the world because, well, I’m a Christian and I don’t have to worry about anything? No. But it means that I can live my life not brought down by the things of the world even when I watch the news with so much sadness in the world.

 

Sadly I had stopped singing and making melody to the Lord in my heart because I was so sad and fearful about everything. Usually you’ll catch me humming or whistling a hymn, song or part of the liturgy from last week.

Instead I worry about things: Did I QR code at that last place correctly? Did I read the questions before I answered them and answer them honestly? Did I sanitise properly. Oops, I forgot to put my mask on.

Woops, I shook hands with that person out of habit. These are all important and I’m not downplaying them in the least but I worry that fear has sapped so much joy out of our hearts and out of our lives. And the more I was reading and watching the news the more fearful I became to the point I just couldn’t sleep at night. And when I read how many people are ringing lifeline and other self-help lines, including children, I know something is not right.

 

I guess the good that has come from this is that I have returned to reading my bible with my breakfast rather than watching the news with my breakfast. I have returned to praying more than reading the paper. And I can’t tell you how much more joyful my heart has become. Am I still fearful and concerned? You bet I am.

Does it drive every waking moment of my life – No.

 

Sometimes when I sit and reflect I worry but then I hear again Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel:

Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.

And I think, wow. Jesus has my life in his hands no matter what happens. It doesn’t mean that nothing bad can ever happen to me but I’m reminded what Jesus said about fear in this life: Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Again, it doesn’t mean that we live life irresponsibly but we need to be aware when the fears of this life are damaging our faith in God. When the fears of this life have taken control.

Even Paul said the same thing from prison, not knowing what the future held for him when he wrote to the Philippians -  he said – to live is Christ – to die is gain.

 

Paul saw every day as a gift from God to share the love of Christ and the Gospel of Christ with others – and if in doing that he was to meet his death then he knew that eternal life in heaven awaited him. Every day he saw an opportunity for his suffering to produces perseverance and his perseverance to produce character and character to produce hope – a hope that would never disappoint him because that hope came from Jesus Christ. And that’s why he could, while languishing in prison, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in his heart, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ even while in prison.

 

Our Psalm directs us in the same direction: Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. Now we need to understand that the fear here is not about being afraid but about what directs and guides our lives – about where we place our fears. Is our fear created by the world going to guide our everyday life? If so, then what hope can the world give us? But if our fear is guided by God then it is not a fear that is afraid but one that actually is managed by God and our trust in him. As Psalm 23 says – even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall not fear because YOU are with me. The valley of the shadow of death doesn’t direct our journey because its fear cannot control us.

 

We pass through the valley of the shadow of death on our way to our heavenly home where we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And when all of our fears are handed over to God then we lack nothing – which again links to Psalm 23 – The Lord is my Shepherd – I lack nothing. I have realised that not watching the news or reading the newspaper won’t make the bad things go away. But what being aware of the news does is that it gives me an opportunity to include the world in my prayers and not let them create fear and doubt.  As Paul says, the days are evil but let us be wise and understand what the will of the Lord is. And the will of the Lord is that we put our trust in him and seek his peace.

 

So go out into God’s creation – safely of course – and enjoy God’s gift to you. Enjoy time with your family that you live with or your friend in your social bubble. Whistle, hum or sing your favourite song, hymn or liturgy while you take your dog for a walk or just walk and take in God’s creation. Read your bibles and hear again God’s promises to you. When you watch the news use it as an opportunity to pray for the world, the church and all people according to their needs and don’t be afraid – because -  Jesus is the bread of life that came down from heaven and whoever eats of him will live forever and nothing in the world can take that away from us.

Sermon 8th August 2021 – 11th Sunday after Pentecost Text: 1 Kings 19:4-8 – It is enough now, O Lord

 Sermon 8^th August 2021 – 11^th Sunday after Pentecost

Text: 1 Kings 19:4-8 – It is enough now, O Lord

 

Have you ever read a passage in the Bible and thought – wow – that’s exactly what I’m going through – or, that’s exactly how I feel at present. When I read today’s Old Testament reading from 1 Kings about Elijah that’s exactly how I felt. It is enough; now, O Lord.

 

Elijah actually wanted to die. I certainly don’t feel that way – but if the reports are correct, sadly, there are growing numbers of people around Australia, in fact the world, who are reaching out to organisations such as Life Line – including, and worrying, a growing number of children.

 

What we first need to understand about Elijah is that he is exhausted. But it is not physical exhaustion that he is  experiencing but spiritual exhaustion. Which is what he meant by “I am no better than my ancestors”. You see, Elijah has been fight what seemed to him to be a losing battle. Sadly we don’t hear all the exchange between Elijah and the angel but in later verses he explains his exhaustion

 

The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. Elijah feels he’s the only one left. As Christians we too can feel isolated as if the whole world is moving away from God and we are of no worth.

 

This week we are asked to fill out the 2021 Census. There is a huge push by many celebrities in Australia urging people to tick the “No Religion” box in an attempt to reduce the support given to churches and church institutions. That’s not my words – that is what their terms of reference say. We also see in the Victorian Parliament a push to have the Lord’s Prayer removed from the opening of Parliament. What we see here in all this – whether it’s the weariness from Covid, the weariness of attacks on the Church, is the need to distinguish between physical weariness and spiritual weariness. No doubt Elijah experienced both. He had been running for his life and was physically drained. So he deals with his physical exhaustion as he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. But that doesn’t attend to his spiritual exhaustion – the sense that he is all alone fighting a battle that seemingly cannot be won. So the angel provides him with spiritual food: The angel touches him and says: Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.” He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

 

When he reaches the mount of God, God will assure him that he is not in the battle alone. God will speak to him - a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went. And when he goes God will tell Elijah that he is not alone even if it feels that way. God lets him know that he has reserved seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.

So the message here and also in our other 2 readings which I’ll touch on also, is that we need to recognise that our battle at present is not physical, it is spiritual. And if we don’t understand that then we are in danger of giving up because there’s no point – we’re losing an unwinnable battle. But remember what Paul says later in his letter to the Ephesians: He says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. And that’s why he says in the verse prior to this to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

 

Paul says in our reading today that the devil is looking for way into our spiritual lives.  He says; Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil a foothold into your life.

For spiritual warfare we need spiritual strength. For spiritual strength we need spiritual food. And God has given us food and water as he gave to Elijah. He has given us the water of our Baptism as a reminder that we are not alone. I AM with you always till the end of the age, Jesus tells us. In Holy Communion he says – take and eat – take and drink this IS my body and blood given and shed for you. The Jews in our Gospel reading show us the misunderstanding of physical and spiritual awareness: Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” They couldn’t see the spiritual food and drink Jesus was offering because they were focusing on his human pedigree – he’s the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know.

 

If we see our church as a physical presence only with physical demands then it is no wonder the numbers are dwindling. It gets tiring complying with all the physical demands of being the church which is made even more so since Covid came onto the scene.  But even before then it was tiring with all the compliancy all the rosters. Worship is where we receive the spiritual food we need for our journey. Like the angel who said to Elijah - Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you – we too need to equip ourselves with the spiritual food of God’s Word and Sacraments. And then when we are home we need to top up that spiritual food with the armour of God. Through prayer and reading of God’s word.

And we need to support each other as the angel supported Elijah.  And let us never forget this this is God’s battle that he has already won.

 

Let us also pray for those who have given up the fight because it has gotten all too hard. Let us not criticise or write them off but pray for them. Let us continue to feed on the Bread of Life and put on the full armour of God as we stand firm against the devil’s evil scheme. Let us not give the devil a foothold into our life and keep trusting in God who is with us till the end of the age and let us put on the full armour of God.