8th Ordinary Sunday 27th Feburary 2022
Luke 6.39-45 St Peter’s; Sirach 27.4-7; Ps. 92. 1 Cor. 15.54-58. EH. 2022
A friend and I recently drove from Kinglake to Balnarring, picking up two more friends on the way. As I was approaching the M3 by an unfamiliar route, a passenger turned on her GPS. Soon we had two GPS’s going, both muted, with directions issuing from front and back seats all the way. Somehow the directions didn’t always agree: or, hampered by our chattering and my deafness, came a bit late… passenger 3 interjected at regular intervals, ‘You’re doing a wonderful job, Pirrial’; ‘You’re doing splendidly, Pirrial’, by way of encouragement.
While negotiating a right turn at a complicated intersection someone behind honked their horn loudly. Aaaargh! I freaked out. I always assume that a honking horn is directed at me. Did I run a red light without noticing? Am I drifting into someone? Is the car on fire?
Scripture is always ‘honking the car horn’ at me and freaking me out, like when Jesus says ‘You hypocrite!’ in today’s Gospel. I always assume he’s addressing me, and neurotically analyse a lifetime of my thoughts and behaviour. It’s amazing what I dredge up.
Jesus points out that without the ability to see clearly we can’t judge correctly. The whole question of judgement is a can of worms – even judging myself is fraught with difficulties. Judging myself harshly freaks me out; I become paralysed by negative emotions like guilt, fear and shame, which prevent me serving God effectively: if I’m too lenient I risk complacency, which renders me unable to serve God effectively…
Accurately judging God’s other servants when logs of prejudice, bias, ignorance, resentment etc. occludes our vision seems impossible, and yet, yet… as members of a Christian community we must hone the gift of discernment and ascertain the integrity of others – searching out the tell-tale ‘fruit’ of their lives which indicates their inner condition before choosing leaders, teachers, spiritual guides. And indeed, we’re called by Jesus himself in Luke 17.3 to ‘be on your guard! If another disciple sins you are to rebuke the offender…’
Sometimes, trying to avoid mistaken judgements, people take refuge by becoming fence-sitters – unfortunately this too is a mistake. In order to serve God effectively by promoting Kingdom values of justice, peace and mercy, we must make discerning choices.
Treading the Pilgrim’s path can be at times a bit like my drive to Balnarring. Even though we know the way, we’re swayed by conflicting voices from beside and behind urging us to go this way and that… even telling us all is well when it’s not; a thing spoken of in Jeremiah 6:14: 8.11, Ezekiel 13:10, 16. in the phrase peace, peace, when there is no peace.
Jeremiah was like a doctor delivering bad news to his patient. His diagnosis was that, unless drastic measures were taken, the patient would die. However, false prophets differed, saying. “Don’t listen to Jeremiah, you’ll be OK.”
“From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”
We too are a wounded people. Leaders in State and Church have deluded us. In the Church, when Christ’s emissaries turned a blind eye to crimes against children they said ‘Nothing to see here’. Political leaders claim to have bought peace by punishing asylum seekers and refugees. For many decades the world chose to make gods out of money, claiming ‘greed is good’ as the devastation of Mother Earth continued apace. Everything’s fine! Keep spending, spend more! Peace, Peace… Satellite images revealed Russian troops surrounding Ukraine while Russia loudly proclaimed ‘Peace’. Human hearts are breaking as the stranglehold on Kyiv tightens and Ukraine Government distributes weapons to its citizens.
Amongst other things, peace relies on the level of mutual humility Jesus spoke of – a recognition that each of us - individuals, cultures, nations - have blind spots and blockages that interfere with clear sight and judgement. We need leaders richly endowed in the ‘fruit’ of discernment and wisdom, whose lives testify to their integrity, and who are committed to mercy and justice.
St Clare’s daily prayer was that she be truthful at every level of her being. You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free the risen Jesus says, when we meet him on the road. In another place he says I am the Truth.
As TS Eliot said in his Four Quartets Humankind cannot bear very much reality. Notwithstanding that truism God’s people need to look the truth of our situation squarely in the eye, for it is in this real world that we are commissioned to share light, hope and faith.
Blaise Paschal wrote:
Knowing God without knowing our own wretchedness makes for pride.
Knowing our own wretchedness without knowing God makes for despair.
Knowing Jesus Christ strikes the balance
because he shows us both God and our own wretchedness.
The thing about Jesus that ‘strikes the balance’ and enables equilibrium is the Incarnation. The boundless mercy of God–in-Jesus like a cosmic ocean flowing from heaven to earth and lapping at the shore of every heart, its waves dancing in the light of Christ. There is no power that can withstand the power of God’s mercy; and the knowledge of that mercy lifts and sustains the faith of God’s people. God’s mercy is sufficient. We keep our eyes on Jesus and ride the waves of God’s mercy.
I’d like to finish with a double invitation:
I invite you, this week, to say the Jesus Prayer for Ukraine Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, a sinner. Say it often and often.
Secondly I invite you to reflect on these words by William Langland
All the wickedness in the world, that humanity can do or think,
is no more to the mercy of God than a live coal dropped in the sea.
God’s peace be with you. Pirrial