4th Sunday Homily - Baptized prophets heal

SciFi and Fantasy movies and tv shows almost always have those prophets and prophecies. The one who knows what is to come, the one to fulfill. They usually form the arc of the story that is to unfold. 

A Prophet, at least in the Judeo-Christian sense, is one who reveals the face of God. A Prophet is one who knows God and shares that with others; through words and actions.  The Hebrew Scriptures contain the writings of Prophets. The preeminent prophet among them was Moses. He had that very special relationship with God that no other had after him, well except for THE Prophet. Moses spoke of God to the People of Israel, to begin to form them as a people and form them in mission. He formed the arc of their history; their core identity.  The later prophets also who spoke to Israel, and also to the Kings. Prophets such as Isaiah, Amos, Nehemiah who worked to keep the people and the kings in the right relationship with God. Who worked to keep the people true to their identity as God’s chosen people. The prophets spoke up for justice and fair treatment of all people; against idolatry. Israel was to be a light unto all the nations, so that all other nations would recognize God as well and be transformed.

Jesus, the Son of God, knows the Father in a way beyond any other prophet. He was The prophet, as Moses spoke of.  This is his authority and his authenticity; from that deep profound intimacy with the Father Jesus speaks of God in word and deed. This was how he heals and expels demons/spirits.

God created this world to be known in all of God’s fullness. Humanity was created to know God. Jesus reveals this capacity. Again, Israel's mission to walk with God and to make God known to all the world. Jesus fulfills this mission.  Jesus formed a Community to continue this mission; a community that through him comes to know the Father and then makes the Father known to the world. We call that community, the Church, the Body of Christ.

And so that we remember this, We are baptized as prophets. 

What do we know of the Father from Jesus? God is about Healing; Joy; Life. God is justice, equity, compassion, mercy. This is what we are to make known, this is how we are to live.

There appears to be so much division, conflict in our little world; there appears too many people who say we that “we as Church must be at war with this world.”  I say “appears” because I also believe there is much goodness that goes on, but does not get reported on. It is not sexy enough. Mainly the conflicts and violence. Yet, there are hurts and divisions; we can’t deny that. In our world, our city, our diocese, our parish, our homes. What can we do?

God through the Prophets; the Father through the Son speaks of the transformation of the world. Jesus heals, speaks of unity; gives of himself.

Think about it.  Did the Father go to war with us over the death of this Son? No, the Father gave him back to us as a sign Resurrection, Transformation, Compassion, mercy, love...

The world is good, we are called to bring forth that goodness. We are good, we are to help others be good. 

Instead we have these unclean spirits within us and our institutions: we have our egos, our greed, our fear, that speaks of racism, division, diminishment that reduces this world to objects to give us pleasure, to hoard only for ourselves. There is this lie that others who are different threaten our way of life.

How do we speak the Truth? How do we Speak the Justice, the healing of God?

Just a Jesus; we act on it. We treat others with dignity, we call out sin & we offer a better path. Instead of condemning, we remember we are forgiven, and we forgive.   We clean up our planet. We wisely use the resources we have. We come to a point and say I have “enough" so that others may have the means to support their own families.  We discern, not scream or yell or react. 

But this all hinges on our relationship, both heart and mind, with Christ who shows us the Father, the will of the Father. 

This is why we must not stay still in our faith.  All of us baptized, we have a responsibility to deepen our relationship with Jesus. We have a responsibility to explore what he said and did, so that we grasp more and more the nature of the Father, Our Father.  This past week, as Staff, with the advice of the Parish Council, began our own work of bringing to our parish different ways to draw all us closer to Christ.  We want all of us to be able to speak the prophetic message, so that we can help to heal the hurts that exist; to sit with those who mourn; to walk with those who feel lost.  In the coming months and years, inspired as well by the 2nd Synod of the Diocese of Reno we will do our work as a community to grow, to be those prophets, to know God at a deeper and deeper level.

I believe our community, our world needs God more than ever.  But the world and our community needs us to live with God. The greater community needs to witness us experiencing what it means to believe in God; the struggles along with the joys; watch us transcend our egos, our ignorance and all the limitations that come with it. 

To speak the Truth of God.  For this we were born, live and are baptized.