Proper 13 - The Weight of God’s Word

Every Sunday we come to Church mostly to hear the Scriptures read and explained. And in all of this we pray for a Word from the LORD. We pray that God would speak to us - maybe God would comfort us - maybe God would challenge us. Maybe God would send us out to do something - Maybe God would call us.

Challenge, Comfort or Call

Challenge

In the reading from 2 Samuel we read an example of the way that God challenges David, speaking through the prophet Nathan. And we know from my sermon last week that David has let himself go a bit -

And he has let himself go. The David on the roof ogling Bathsheba in her bath is not the David we know from Michelangelo. He is about 50 years old. When his soldiers our out fighting the battles - he is lying around on his couch in the castle.

And I guess we all get that way sometimes.

Too comfortable - and in our idleness - sin creeps in. The trouble did not start when David started watching Bathsheba bath - it started when he lay around on his couch.

He had stopped working so passionately for what god had laid on his heart. ‘The coming of the Kingdom of God.’

Challenge

Finley Peter Dunne - said of journalists that their job was:

“To comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” - Finley Peter Dunne

The same can be said of a good prophet - speaking God’s Word in a way that comforts those who are troubled - but spurs the comfortable to action.

But how can you speak to David who so easily has his soldiers murdered - how will the prophet speak without being thrown in to prison.

He will use a story that appeals to David’s inner sense of justice and compassion - and in speaking that word might awaken that inner heart of goodness.

A story pierces past our presuppositions and our pride - and digs deep down into our hearts.

My wife will tell you that I cry a little when I watch sentimental Disney films - and if you really want emotion let me watch a dog movie.

So Nathan’s story:

A traveler visited a rich man.

He was powerful and had many flocks.

But when it was time to show hospitality to the traveler the rich man didn’t give of his own but took the poor man’s sheep…

2 Samuel 12:3

2 Samuel 12:3 NRSV

3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him.

David was greatly angered.

And you probably shouldn’t watch John Wick - it is an incredibly violent movie.

David - growing up as a shepherd - understands what it is to care for a vulnerable lamb - But don’t mess with John Wick’s pooch:

2 Samuel 12:5–6 (NRSV)

5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

This is how the Word of God gets us - like Hebrews says:

Hebrews 4:12 NRSV

12 Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The prophet Nathan - bravely steps up to David - and speaks the Word of God. In a way that breaks through all of those outer layers of pride, slothfulness, violence… and meets perhaps David’s inner child - a memory of a little lamb that he once raise perhaps. Perhaps the first lamb that he loved - and someone had it for veal.

And this is where it hits home.

2 Samuel 12:7–9 (NRSV)

7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8 I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more.

9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight?

Challenge

Nathan is a better preacher than me - and his relationship with David seems quite special… able to agree with David - and then disagree.

When it comes to the building of the temple remember.

David said he wanted to do it - Nathan said go ahead.

Then 2 Sam 7:4-5:

2 Samuel 7:4–5 (NRSV)

4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in?

God’s word gave Nathan a nudge.

Challenge, Comfort or Call

The Word of God sometimes surprises us - surprises us with a challenge. Sometimes surprises us with comfort - sometimes surprises us with a call.

Comfort

2 Samuel 12:13 NRSV

13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Sometimes the Word of God is a word of comfort. “Now the LORD has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

Death was the consequence that David proposed for someone who did something like that which David did. Death was what David thought he should deserve. But the word of God from Nathan to David was a word of mercy.

David owned his sin - and heard a Word of Grace.

Sometimes the Word of the Lord comes through scripture. Sometimes through a friend, sometimes the Word of God speaks to you directly - in a nudge - a consolation.

On Monday of this week I woke up with worry in my heart about our church. Sometimes there is a wobble along the way.

Our usual pattern at home is getting up early and getting kids to school - Emily usually goes with Heather and I take Zach. But plans didn’t work out, Heather was in a hurry and I had to take both of them.

Traffic made me grumpy. I nearly dropped Emily off at the wrong school - my mind was on other things.

I headed home along Pentz drive - toward Pick ‘n Pay - and as I reached the bottom of Janssens road I saw the end of the rainbow.

I’m serious.

And also disappointed. There was no pot of gold.

But I thought wow God - that is a great reminder. One of the comments on facebook from our sermon last week had reminded me of a beautiful hymn - Oh love that wilt not let me go - It is a bit tricky to sing - but the third verse of that hymn:

3 O Joy that seekest me through pain, I cannot close my heart to thee. I trace the rainbow through the rain, and feel the promise is not vain, that morn shall tearless be.

With a song in my heart - at about 8 in the morning I drove up towards my house - but just like I nearly took Emily to the wrong school - I went past my house. I felt like checking in on the church after all the rain.

I like visiting my friends in the memorial garden - some of those ‘founder members’ of our congregation. To think about them - wishing that some of them could be here sometimes.

As I walked out of the memorial garden I saw the rainbow again.

I think a lot about rainbows - I have a weird interest in particle physics - I don’t understand it - but I try. How light is diffused through solids moving in waves and particles - amazing stuff.

A reminder of something of the intricate lattice work of God’s wisdom that holds the world together.

Don’t worry - I don’t understand any of those equations.

I just want to seem clever.

And I crossed the road to see if I could get a shot of the church under the rainbow.

And in my heart - the word of God said don’t worry.

It was no simple word of God - it was a word drenched in scripture - in Noah’s Ark - in God’s covenant of hope.

Drenched in tradition - Arch Bishop’s bold hope of a Rainbow Nation.

And even in science… acknowledging the delicate balance of forces and tensions that allow a rainbow to form.

A word of comfort.

A Godly Nudge.

Challenge, Comfort or Call

Call

John 6:25–27 (NRSV)

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

26 Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”

Challenge:

If you are living your faith with only the Challenge part - then all you are going to be doing is sitting around feeling bad. You’ll get very depressed. You’ll feel completely disempowered.

I worry that we sometimes allow ourselves to get into that holding pattern. Singing and praying - beating ourselves up - wishing something would happen.

Comfort:

Most of us live our faith with only the comfort part - I like this group of friendly friends and I want to keep it comfortable. Lets not cross cultures - lets not be different - lets stick to what we know.

Let us come to church and get our egos enlarged and be a bit like unhealthy David.

Get in our Holy Huddles.

If you’re stuck in comfort mode Christianity won’t make sense.

It’ll be nice - but you’ll never get it.

John 6:27 NRSV

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.”

God is calling you in a certain direction.

I think the lectionary scripture for us today calls us to move beyond Challenge, Beyond Comfort and into our Calling.

Let’s close by listening , just listening to the words of Ephesians 4:1-16 - the Revised Common Lectionary was published in 1992. So these words - from Ephesians 4:1-16 were chosen for us 32 years ago.