Ezekiel
2:1-5
1 He said to me: O mortal, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with
you. 2 And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet;
and I heard him speaking to me. 3 He said to me, Mortal, I am sending you to
the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebelled against me; they
and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this very day. 4 The
descendants are impudent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall
say to them, "Thus says the Lord God." 5 Whether they hear or refuse
to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been
a prophet among them.
2
Corinthians 12:2-10
2 I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the
third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3
And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not
know; God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to
be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5 On behalf of such a one I
will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6
But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth.
But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen
in me or heard from me, 7 even considering the exceptional character of the
revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me
in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too
elated. 8 Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave
me, 9 but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is
made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am
content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for
the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Mark 6:1-13
1 He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed
him. 2 On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard
him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is
this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by
his hands! 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James
and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?" And
they took offense at him. 4 Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not
without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their
own house." 5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid
his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6 And he was amazed at their
unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7 He called the
twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the
unclean spirits. 8 He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a
staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9 but to wear sandals and not
to put on two tunics. 10 He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house,
stay there until you leave the place. 11 If any place will not welcome you and
they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet
as a testimony against them." 12 So they went out and proclaimed that all
should repent. 13 They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who
were sick and cured them.
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness."
· All three of today’s readings seem to deal with failure one way or
another. Ezekiel is told people won’t listen to him. Paul is afflicted with a
demon that keeps him humble. Jesus goes to his home town and receives a
“ho-hum” reception with people asking “Isn’t that Joseph and Mary’s boy? What’s
he going on about?”
· Isn’t it nice to know that such great people like Ezekiel, Paul,
and Jesus had to deal with what could be called failure.
· The trouble is this is not what the readings are about. There
would be no “good news” in such a catalogue of failures. Something more is going
on… and thank God that’s so.
· Did Ezekiel fail? If he expected people to respond to his
prophetic preaching with repentance and life-changing action… well, then he did
fail. But God warned him that the people of Israel would not listen but would
persist in their rebellion against God. Ezekiel knew this right from the word
“go.”
· Did Paul fail? Despite the amazing and incredible revelations of
the third heaven and Paradise
to hear things that are not to be
told, things no mortal
is permitted to repeat, he suffered from some affliction that he
chalked up to the work of the devil. There are many theories as to what that
affliction might have been – epilepsy and seizures, blindness, chronic
migraines, recurring malaria, or some embarrassing personal trait or behavior.
Truth to tell, we’ll never know. It sounds like a trade-off. Got visions from
God? Feel physically lousy for much of your life. (Paul wasn’t alone in this.
Luther suffered from nasty intestinal problems. Francis of Assisi went blind
and had TB. Henry VIII was obese, and had to deal with boils, skin ulcers, and
gout.) Paul might not have expected this, but it was to be his lot.
· Did Jesus fail? Jesus knew he and his
ministry would be opposed, even to the point where he expected death. The
skepticism of the townsfolks of Nazareth appeared to trouble him to the point
where he could do no deed of power
there… Many of Jesus’ words in the Gospels express his
understanding that he would be opposed, even to the point of predicting his
crucifixion.
· There is an under-lying current of
faithfulness here, however. Ezekiel was call to be a prophet and speak
prophetically… whether or not the people listened. Paul accepted the tormenting
messenger of Satan and
continued his mission. Jesus not only shrugged off the skepticism of his
hometown, but doubled down and sent the disciples out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.
They were to behave as people with a mission, leaving behind clutter and go on preaching
and healing. They were to go so far as to shake the dust from their feet if
they were not welcomed and heard in a place.
· The current flowing through all three
reading is the faithfulness of God. The rejection of Ezekiel, the pain of Paul,
and the confusion over Jesus were not enough to stop the will of God, even if
they did pain the humanity of all three. Ezekiel was called to be a prophet and
Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellious
house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.
·
Paul wrote:
Therefore I am content with
weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of
Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
·
Jesus sent
the disciple in pairs and they went
out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and
anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.
·
It is God’s
faithfulness to us that leads to all grace and salvation and indeed, all the
good things we’ve received. Everything is grace and gift.
·
We don’t
hope in our own powers and skills and wits, but in what God and what God allows
us to do with the gifts we’ve received from God. Our weakness does not stand in
the way of God’s love, grace, and will. Poor instruments we might be, but what
God can do with the smallest and the simplest of what God as created! Paul said
it best…
·
"My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness."
No comments:
Post a Comment