Sunday Homily, August 18, 2013, 20th Ordinary Time C
Readings:
Jeremiah 38, 4-6, 8-10, They threw Jeremiah into the cistern.
Psalm 40, Lord, come to my aid.
Hebrews 21, 1-4, We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses.
Luke 12, 49-53, Do you think I have come to establish peace on the earth?
Jeremiah Observations:
Author: really Jeremiah or at least his scribe.
Date: after the Babylonian Captivity again, say 555 years before Chrsit. Jeremiah sees the Babylonian catastrophe coming and says it is going to be how Yahweh punishes the people for their evil and unjust ways.
Subject: Jeremiah is the classic prophet. He does the 3 things characteristic of a prophet. He criticizes the behavior of the people. He promises punishment from Yahweh. He indicates that a better day will come. Jeremiah lives to see the punishment, that is the Captivity. Probably not the return from captivity.
Our selection: Jeremiah pays the price of most real prophets. The people are enraged, turn against him, and watch what happens.
Do you think
I have come to establish peace on earth?
No!
This morning I would like to talk about this line supposedly attributed
to Jesus that he has not come to establish peace on earth. “No,” he says. As you can probably guess, I don’t like this
statement. I can see him aiming it at
the big people who are abusing the poor.
However, I live on the passage from John 15 where he says, “As the
Father has loved me, so I have loved you, live in my love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in
you and your joy may be complete.” There
are numerous other lines where Jesus says, “Peace.”
So, I confess I not only don’t like this line, but have my doubts about
who said it or wrote it. Instead I focus
on the positive, on peace. I see this
everywhere. Let me give you a bunch of
examples.
I had and saw peace and joy Friday when I was honored to do Ryan McClurg’s
wedding in Ogden, Utah. I was
overwhelmed by it when I saw the tears in Diane’s eyes as I stood with Ryan in
front of everyone at the very beginning of the wedding.
Then when his fiance, Grace came up the aisle with tears pouring down
her face, the peace and joy was even stronger.
I had a hard time getting started.
The whole wedding and reception was peace and joy.
I experienced peace and joy when I saw the peace and joy in Ryan’s face
and remembered the difficult days he went through after breaking his ankle in
his freshman year at OK State on his football scholarship. His football days were over and it really hit
him hard. He had been tight end on one
of Plano Senior High 5-A state championship teams. We talked about that time and he is so happy
to have gotten through it.
I experienced peace and joy when our Cole, who was there, of course,
with Chuck and Erin, Ryan’s big sister, did a great one. There was a little blond girl his age named
Peyton whom Cole frequently informs everyone he will marry. At one point
Thursday or Friday he put her head into the ice chest where the beer and drinks
were chilling. What a hoot.
This was followed by, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” And they are back being best buddies.
Peace and joy was found on the big back porch of a big old mansion the
McClurgs rented. At least 20 people
stayed there along with 4 or more little kids around Cole and Peyton’s
ages. 2 hours sitting on that porch
early in the morning drinking coffee and watching the kids play in the house
and yard was total heaven.
Closer to home, how about the peace and joy of Leo getting his head
stuck in the chair up here last week?
And Beth coming to Shonda’s rescue to pull Leo straight out?
And the week before that, how about Emma, who has been shy once upon a
time, slowly coming up here as we celebrate, finally climbing right up beside
me and laying her little toy car on the altar?
Talk about peace and joy.
I do not even talk here about the peace and joy that comes from working
Habitat on a Saturday.
It is there, folks, despite what the writer of this line says. Every day.
You just got to look or, rather sometimes, look back.
Your peace and joy, today?