9th Sunday after Trinity

9th after Trinity

Readings: Jeremiah 23v23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews11v29-12v2; Luke 12v49-56.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: In the readings today we are warned to be careful what we say about and how we represent God.

In the book of the prophet Jeremiah, we hear that God has been let down by false prophets who tell lies, mislead God’s people and turn them away from God and God’s ways. God tells Jeremiah that he has seen and heard all of the misrepresentations, inventions and fabrications and is displeased. God warns Jeremiah that his word is strong like a hammer, is able to break rocks and like a burning fire. God goes on to say that the true prophet is one who has God’s word and tells God’s word to the word faithfully. I believe that prophecy is a reminder for us to be careful who we trust to lead us. Whether that be in the Church, or the state, or the workplace, or any of the organisations we may belong to. For we must be certain they are leading in the right direction, a direction in line with God’s word, something we can only be sure of if we discern the ways of God and judge whether the people who are in place to lead us are doing so in line with God’s ways.

For God’s ways are so different to human ways and I believe that we see evidence of this in Luke. For as Jesus is getting ready to face the cross he is telling his disciples that he came to bring God’s fire, a fire that divides people into those who are Godly and those who are not. Something that his disciples are warned to be mindful of as they read the signs of the time they are living in. For as the psalm tells us, God is coming to judge the earth because people in power have not done what God called them to do. For they have not defended nor rescued the weak, the needy, the poor, the humble or orphans from the wicked. Instead they have walked in darkness by being unjust and showing favour to the wicked. I believe that in our time, we are to read the signs of the age we are living in and decide whether those who lead us are following God’s ways because wickedness only continues to thrive when people in power allow it to do so.

In Hebrews we hear a long list of God’s faithful people and what God did for them because the faithful turned to God. However, in spite of everything that God has done down the ages, there is a very long list of those who suffered at the hands of powerful ungodly people. For bad people do bad things and good people suffer because of them. I believe that this is a call for us to open our eyes and ears to see and hear what is going on all around us, and then to follow the guidance we read in Hebrews. For the writer of Hebrews, encourages God’s people to persevere no matter what we face, so that we become just like the great crowd of witnesses who lived and died in earlier times . And, as we persevere, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, for Jesus died to save us and is now risen and seated at the right hand of God.

Let us Pray: Almighty God, holy Father to us all, thank you for your Holy Spirit that brings light and life to your Church. Pour into our hearts the riches of your grace, as we gather at the table of your Son, Jesus. Bring forth the fruit of the spirit in our lives. Gather people from the four corners of the world to share in the eternal banquet where we share in the new world with the whole household of God. A place where you show to us the fullness of your peace. Amen

Thanks for joining us today.