First and foremost, blessings and prayers for Father Mack as he journeys to our sister diocese in Honduras.
Back here at church, this Sunday’s Gospel picks up where last week’s left off, Luke’s sermon on the plain. After his opening lines of Blessing and Woe, Jesus turns to a new theme, and says to the group who were probably secretly wishing woe on their oppressors, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.”
In a world defined by conflict, loving your enemies is a tall order. It can feel like I’m giving an evil person a pass. And yet it’s a necessary move. At the Wednesday Eucharist, we read John’s beautiful discourse on the vine and the branches. We are meant to come together to revel in our diversity as branch, leaf, grape, root, hyphae, soil, sun, wind, water, and air. If we are too busy demonizing one another, the God vine cannot flourish, but withers and dies, collapsing into polluted soil. The secret Jesus came to teach us is the power of love, for love draws what is unlike together, and loving an enemy often transforms you both.
So how can we do this? How can we become as Jesus in a world as unsettled and scary as this one? Think about it, and on Sunday, I’ll share my thoughts with you. In this work, we are all learners.
The other readings support Luke in lovely ways. The Old Testament lesson shows Joseph reuniting with the brothers who sold him into slavery, saying, “God sent me before you to preserve life.”
The Psalm begins:
Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
For they shall soon wither like the grass, *
like the green grass fade away.
The Epistle may be the most enigmatic of all, as it is a speculation on the nature of resurrection. As you might expect, I enjoy Paul’s reasoning, but I disagree with his conclusions. Resurrection is not about the flesh/spirit split, but the miracle of growth: a seed germinating, stretching its tendrils toward the sky and bearing the fruit of New Creation.
Looking forward to being with you on Sunday!
Carol+
