17th Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 19

Old Testament Lesson: Proverbs 1:20-33

I wonder how many of you had a  reaction similar to mine when reading this week’s selection from Proverbs?

It felt jarring.

Here Wisdom is personified, calling out to in the streets, inviting people to head her guidance. Yet, beneath her call is a simmering frustration. “Because I have called and you refused…I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when panic strikes you.”

It is hard to square this comeuppance with an understanding of God who we believe mourns with us in moments of distress and danger.

What then, are we to do? How should we read this passage?

I think we are meant to test scripture against our experience. Yes, we ought to be prudent in our decisions and thoughtful in our discernment—no argument there!

However, the lectionary text ends with the claim “those who listen to me will be secure
and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.” We know that even when we are careful planners, sometimes surprises (including natural disasters) happen. I see the Book of Proverbs as representing the best of the Israelite wisdom tradition of its time. However, this is a living tradition that will change through history. More and more, we see scripture question a tit-for-tat understanding of sin and consequence.

Psalm:

Psalm 19

Psalm 19 celebrates the revelation of God through both nature and Scripture. The first part of the psalm extols the heavens and the sky as silent witnesses to God's glory and creative power, proclaiming His handiwork day and night without words or sounds. The second part shifts to the law of the Lord, praising its perfection, trustworthiness, and righteousness.

Epistle: James 3:1-12

James 3:1-12 offers a stern warning about the power of the words and the responsibility of those who teach.

James begins by cautioning that not many should become teachers because they will be judged more strictly. He then likens the tongue to small things that direct large entities, such as a bit in a horse's mouth or a small rudder on a large ship, emphasizing its ability to steer one's life.

The passage vividly describes the tongue as a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body, capable of corrupting the whole person and setting the course of one’s life on fire. James contrasts the tongue's capacity to praise God and yet curse human beings made in God's likeness, calling out this inconsistency as a fundamental flaw.

He concludes by noting that just as a spring cannot produce both fresh and salty water, the tongue should not produce both blessings and curses.

Gospel: Mark 8:27-38

“Who do you say that I am?”

This is THE foundational question for all of us as Christians.

Who is Jesus?

Why do his teachings matter, and why should we use them a basis for our lives?

We need to answer this question carefully.

If our answer amounts to “Jesus was a nice fellow and he taught us to be nice to others,” we have an answer, but not one that really has a claim on our lives. There have been countless thoughtful people who have urged us to be considerate of others.

If, however, part of our answer reflects our belief that Jesus was the Son of God, and by his death and resurrection God demonstrated that Jesus’s words and teachings were true…then we have something we can build a life around.

So…who is Jesus to you?

Instead of a manuscript, here are my sermon notes

1. The juxtaposition of Jesus

    

   1. Why does Jesus silence reports of his identity as the Son of God?

       

   2. Why does he speak so openly about his upcoming rejection and death?

The Messianic Secret in Mark’s Gospel

Jesus silences or tries to silence anyone who recognizes him as the Son of God

Jesus silences the demons who call him “The Holy One of God.”

He tells miracle recipients not to share the news of how they were healed, restored to life.

Anticipation builds expectation

For 800 years, Israel was anticipating a Messiah who would restore the  Davidic Dynasty.

That meant the messiah was expected to be a Political and Military leader.

If people thought that Jesus was the messiah, their expectations would quickly outpace their anticipation.

Is the bidding towards silence an attempt to refocus Jesus’s messiahship towards the cross?

Peter responds that it is impossible for the Messiah to suffer death and rejection, but Jesus quickly corrects him—saying he is setting his mind on “human” rather than on “divine” things.

Jesus is inviting us into an “Upside Down Kingdom” where our expectations are completely inverted. The last will be first, the first will be last. The meek inherit the earth…

Want to save your life? You’ll lose it. Want to have eternal life? The only way to get it is through death. The messiah will not come to conquer, but to show the weakness of death’s claims on the world.