Today's Scripture Readings
Genesis 3:8-15 (NRSV)
Psalm 130 (BCP., p.784)
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 (NRSV)
Mark 3:20-35 (Common English Bible CEB)
Blog Reflection
This past January when the Rt. Rev. Libby Lane was ordained as the first woman Bishop in the Church of England, an article appeared in The Huffington Post. The title of the article was Sexism: The Original Sin of the Church. The article was inspired by a podcast on All Together, a talk program. The women who were invited to comment were, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts, Schori, the current Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, the Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, and the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones. As is always the case, Sr. Joan made a most revealing comment about the reading we have today from Genesis 3:8-15. "Let us remember that there were two sets of teeth marks in that apple."
There are two historical interpretations of this chapter from Genesis. The Catholic tradition, interprets this story to imply that Mary is the new Eve, and in her Immaculate Conception and the birth of Christ, the "enmity between you and the woman" was undone. The more Protestant interpretation was that Eve started the whole thing by listening to the serpent, eating the fruit and passing it on to Adam. Thus from this notion came the response so often used in prosecuting criminals, "The devil made me do it." In either case, the original sin of sexism is blatant, not implied.
I tend to agree with the current interpretations that the woman was framed. It was all too easy for a male dominated group of scribes to write this passage of Scripture and point to the woman, and let Adam off the hook much too easily. This reading is only one among many that have been used to justify the subjugation of women as the second class citizens, between two commonly held genders. The masculine is understood to be a dominate species, while the feminine is portrayed as the the weaker and submissive. The man is the commonly accepted "giver" while women are unfairly stereotyped as the helpless "receiver".
The creation and fall narrative in Genesis were not written and passed on to be the explanation of all scientific mysteries to be solved so that any mention of evolution is deemed as untrue or unacceptable. This is a faith story written as an allegory of what really happened. As human beings regardless of our supposedly assigned genders, we were created to love God and one another perfectly and without distinction. In the original plan of God, we were already made as a masterpiece of God's design. When we turn that around and make it all about us and satisfy our own arrogance and lust for godlike, we destroy what is good, and it affects everything and everyone else around us. Including, but not limited to our relationships with those who are different from ourselves. And so sexism, racism, heterosexism and other means of prejudice and oppression become our means of subjugating others while we benefit from their expense. Indeed it has been and remains a plague of humankind. Only by God's grace and our cooperation with it will we really eradicate this sickness out of the Church and society.
Now we turn to our Gospel reading.
Let us not be too hard on those who are suspicious of what Jesus has been doing. After all, they were taught and became convinced that all religious and theological truth made them the center of the universe. So long as they kept those they marginalized set aside and ignored them and their dignity, they were safe and secure in themselves. None of us ever go there, I am sure. LOL.
Here comes Jesus. A young man from Nazareth who has been healing the sick, raising the dead, bringing to the center those conveniently set aside and chasing the evil spirits from those who were considered unlovable, helpless and hopeless. Jesus is able to do things and say things to build an inclusive community around them, and preaching about the love of God being for everyone. Those who felt they were in the center had to be disturbed. Their best answer for what they were witnessing was that Jesus must be possessed by the same evil spirits the He has been casting out. Their desire to keep their power and popularity was being shaken to its roots. All this was happening at a time when all Israel was oppressed by a power that dehumanized everyone under a dictatorship kind of law.
What they do not see, however, is exactly their problem. Jesus is commanding "Satan to cast out Satan" by the power of God that is in Jesus. Jesus is casting out the one who continues to keep the blind from seeing, and those in despair from finding hope in God's mercy. Indeed, they were calling the work of God in Jesus evil, and this is what Jesus responds so sternly to.
Theologians and Biblical scholars of all kinds have and are still wrestling even today with this idea of an "unpardonable sin." Yet a new possibility is emerging. What if we see the "unpardonable sin" as not allowing the Holy Spirit to help us see God doing marvelous things before our eyes and hearts, and not letting go of our suspicions about the call to conversion and renewal? If we are not allowing the Spirit to lead us into a deeper relationship of love with God and one another that changes our attitudes and behaviors; it becomes "unpardonable" not in the sense that we are eternally condemned, but that we are closing ourselves off to the wondrous possibilities of God's work among us. In other words, we cannot be redeemed in this world and the next one that is being established as God's Reign, until we let go and in faith and trust give it all over to God and follow God's will.
An interpretation such as that deeply disturbs and displaces us. Especially when we read in the next paragraph that Jesus expands His family relationships beyond what is a merely biological. Jesus makes everyone who is obedient out of love for God to Christ as members of His family without distinction. Everyone is related to Jesus and one another by our common Baptism and our response to God's grace.
This is the answer to what happened in Genesis. As we read in Galatians 3:28, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
In conclusion, Jesus seems to be calling all of us to make room for things like marriage equality, the equalization of women, African Americans, Native Americans, etc. As well as those who are unemployed, suffering from mental illness, developmental disabilities, sick, lonely and discouraged. He calls us to embrace the oppressed and the marginalized to celebrate together God's redemption and restoration as members of an inclusive Church and society.
Now, it is up to us as Christians to stop using the Bible and traditional theologies and foolish reasoning to become partners in Christ to build the Reign of God's love through radical hospitality and reconciliation. Just imagine what people might actually believe and be drawn to; if all Christians committed ourselves to such a possibility.
Amen.
Prayers
Genesis 3:8-15 (NRSV)
The man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate." Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate." The LORD God said to the serpent,
- "Because you have done this,
- cursed are you among all animals
- and among all wild creatures;
- upon your belly you shall go,
- and dust you shall eat
- all the days of your life.
- I will put enmity between you and the woman,
- and between your offspring and hers;
- he will strike your head,
- and you will strike his heel."
Psalm 130 (BCP., p.784)
2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1 (NRSV)
Just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture-- "I believed, and so I spoke" -- we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Mark 3:20-35 (Common English Bible CEB)
Jesus entered a house. A crowd gathered again so that it was impossible for him and his followers even to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they came to take control of him. They were saying, “He’s out of his mind!”
The legal experts came down from Jerusalem. Over and over they charged, “He’s possessed by Beelzebul. He throws out demons with the authority of the ruler of demons.”
When Jesus called them together he spoke to them in a parable: “How can Satan throw Satan out? A kingdom involved in civil war will collapse. And a house torn apart by divisions will collapse. If Satan rebels against himself and is divided, then he can’t endure. He’s done for. No one gets into the house of a strong person and steals anything without first tying up the strong person. Only then can the house be burglarized. I assure you that human beings will be forgiven for everything, for all sins and insults of every kind. But whoever insults the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. That person is guilty of a sin with consequences that last forever.” He said this because the legal experts were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
His mother and brothers arrived. They stood outside and sent word to him, calling for him. A crowd was seated around him, and those sent to him said, “Look, your mother, brothers, and sisters are outside looking for you.”
He replied, “Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” Looking around at those seated around him in a circle, he said, “Look, here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does God’s will is my brother, sister, and mother.”
Blog Reflection
This past January when the Rt. Rev. Libby Lane was ordained as the first woman Bishop in the Church of England, an article appeared in The Huffington Post. The title of the article was Sexism: The Original Sin of the Church. The article was inspired by a podcast on All Together, a talk program. The women who were invited to comment were, The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts, Schori, the current Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Sr. Joan Chittister, OSB, the Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, and the Rev. Dr. Serene Jones. As is always the case, Sr. Joan made a most revealing comment about the reading we have today from Genesis 3:8-15. "Let us remember that there were two sets of teeth marks in that apple."
There are two historical interpretations of this chapter from Genesis. The Catholic tradition, interprets this story to imply that Mary is the new Eve, and in her Immaculate Conception and the birth of Christ, the "enmity between you and the woman" was undone. The more Protestant interpretation was that Eve started the whole thing by listening to the serpent, eating the fruit and passing it on to Adam. Thus from this notion came the response so often used in prosecuting criminals, "The devil made me do it." In either case, the original sin of sexism is blatant, not implied.
I tend to agree with the current interpretations that the woman was framed. It was all too easy for a male dominated group of scribes to write this passage of Scripture and point to the woman, and let Adam off the hook much too easily. This reading is only one among many that have been used to justify the subjugation of women as the second class citizens, between two commonly held genders. The masculine is understood to be a dominate species, while the feminine is portrayed as the the weaker and submissive. The man is the commonly accepted "giver" while women are unfairly stereotyped as the helpless "receiver".
The creation and fall narrative in Genesis were not written and passed on to be the explanation of all scientific mysteries to be solved so that any mention of evolution is deemed as untrue or unacceptable. This is a faith story written as an allegory of what really happened. As human beings regardless of our supposedly assigned genders, we were created to love God and one another perfectly and without distinction. In the original plan of God, we were already made as a masterpiece of God's design. When we turn that around and make it all about us and satisfy our own arrogance and lust for godlike, we destroy what is good, and it affects everything and everyone else around us. Including, but not limited to our relationships with those who are different from ourselves. And so sexism, racism, heterosexism and other means of prejudice and oppression become our means of subjugating others while we benefit from their expense. Indeed it has been and remains a plague of humankind. Only by God's grace and our cooperation with it will we really eradicate this sickness out of the Church and society.
Now we turn to our Gospel reading.
Let us not be too hard on those who are suspicious of what Jesus has been doing. After all, they were taught and became convinced that all religious and theological truth made them the center of the universe. So long as they kept those they marginalized set aside and ignored them and their dignity, they were safe and secure in themselves. None of us ever go there, I am sure. LOL.
Here comes Jesus. A young man from Nazareth who has been healing the sick, raising the dead, bringing to the center those conveniently set aside and chasing the evil spirits from those who were considered unlovable, helpless and hopeless. Jesus is able to do things and say things to build an inclusive community around them, and preaching about the love of God being for everyone. Those who felt they were in the center had to be disturbed. Their best answer for what they were witnessing was that Jesus must be possessed by the same evil spirits the He has been casting out. Their desire to keep their power and popularity was being shaken to its roots. All this was happening at a time when all Israel was oppressed by a power that dehumanized everyone under a dictatorship kind of law.
What they do not see, however, is exactly their problem. Jesus is commanding "Satan to cast out Satan" by the power of God that is in Jesus. Jesus is casting out the one who continues to keep the blind from seeing, and those in despair from finding hope in God's mercy. Indeed, they were calling the work of God in Jesus evil, and this is what Jesus responds so sternly to.
Theologians and Biblical scholars of all kinds have and are still wrestling even today with this idea of an "unpardonable sin." Yet a new possibility is emerging. What if we see the "unpardonable sin" as not allowing the Holy Spirit to help us see God doing marvelous things before our eyes and hearts, and not letting go of our suspicions about the call to conversion and renewal? If we are not allowing the Spirit to lead us into a deeper relationship of love with God and one another that changes our attitudes and behaviors; it becomes "unpardonable" not in the sense that we are eternally condemned, but that we are closing ourselves off to the wondrous possibilities of God's work among us. In other words, we cannot be redeemed in this world and the next one that is being established as God's Reign, until we let go and in faith and trust give it all over to God and follow God's will.
An interpretation such as that deeply disturbs and displaces us. Especially when we read in the next paragraph that Jesus expands His family relationships beyond what is a merely biological. Jesus makes everyone who is obedient out of love for God to Christ as members of His family without distinction. Everyone is related to Jesus and one another by our common Baptism and our response to God's grace.
This is the answer to what happened in Genesis. As we read in Galatians 3:28, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."
In conclusion, Jesus seems to be calling all of us to make room for things like marriage equality, the equalization of women, African Americans, Native Americans, etc. As well as those who are unemployed, suffering from mental illness, developmental disabilities, sick, lonely and discouraged. He calls us to embrace the oppressed and the marginalized to celebrate together God's redemption and restoration as members of an inclusive Church and society.
Now, it is up to us as Christians to stop using the Bible and traditional theologies and foolish reasoning to become partners in Christ to build the Reign of God's love through radical hospitality and reconciliation. Just imagine what people might actually believe and be drawn to; if all Christians committed ourselves to such a possibility.
Amen.
Prayers
O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your
inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by
your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Proper 5. The Book of Common Prayer, p.229).
Almighty Father, whose blessed Son before his passion prayed
for his disciples that they might be one, as you and he are one:
Grant that your Church, being bound together in love and
obedience to you, may be united in one body by the one Spirit,
that the world may believe in him whom you have sent, your
Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in
the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church. The Book of Common Prayer, p.255).
Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice. The Book of Common Prayer, p.260).
No comments:
Post a Comment