The Appeal to Experience
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 -- Week of Proper 18, Year Two
Elie Naud, Hugenot Witness to the Faith, 1722
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 983)
Psalms 45 (morning) 47, 48 (evening)
Job 29:1-20
Acts 14:1-18
John 10:31-42
In both the gospel and the reading from Acts, we have some disputes that could be called theological. Within each respective argument, Jesus and Paul offer a non-theological invitation from experience. In each, they are threatened with stoning.
Jesus has offended religious sensibilities by speaking with intimate familiarity of God. He testifies to his sense of union with God. For his listeners, he has crossed the line into blasphemy. They prepare to administer the Biblical punishment for blasphemy, stoning.
Jesus re-frames of the situation. "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?" Jesus was known as a healer, and this controversy had been stoked when Jesus gave sight to a man born blind. The authorities had seen with their own eyes the results of Jesus' healing work. He sends them back to their experience, deflecting them from their religious certainties for a moment. If they are people of good will, they will be pleased by these good works. The works will incline them toward acceptance.
Then Jesus gives them a touch of theology. Those who are inclined positively because of the good works may find it something on which they can change their view. Jesus quotes from Psalm 82:6 -- "I said, you are gods." He invites them to seize this word from scripture as an invitation to a high view, the recognition that those to whom the scriptures were given were called gods. It is as if Jesus is providing a little Biblical cover for those whose good hearts would incline them to accept his good works. There would be plenty of scriptures to cite to counter his theology, of course. But Jesus tells them, go back to experience. If you can't believe the words, believe the works.
(Elsewhere Paul invites the church to do the same. When you see good works, the fruit of the Spirit, don't raise theology against that; don't apply your legalisms to condemn what your eye sees. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance. There is no law against such things." Galatians 5:22-23)
When they try to arrest him, Jesus is able to escape. The buzz about "the signs" continued.
In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas find themselves in a diplomatic pickle. They have been visiting in the Jewish synagogues in the cities of what today would be southcentral Turkey. Paul is a Jew. He promotes a Jewish revival movement claiming that God has fulfilled Jewish hopes in Jesus the Messiah. He's having mixed reception in the synagogues, and frequently provokes intense, even violent reactions against his message.
In a public square in Lystra, Paul performs a good work -- he heals a man who had been crippled from birth. It caused quite a stir. Everyone in this town would have known the man. The people speak to each other in their own language and begin to praise Paul and Barnabas from within their own theological frameworks. They speak in the words of the imperial cult, which took the gods of Greece and imported them into a Roman pantheon. They call Barnabas Zeus, for he appears to be the leader; and Paul they call Hermes, the messenger of the gods. This could be a boon to the city. The rumor of a visitation from the gods, especially Zeus, could make their local temple famous.
When Paul and Barnabas overcome the language barrier enough to discover what is happening, Paul makes his first speech/sermon to a Gentile audience. "Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news." Like Jesus, Paul points to their experience, the good works of God that are universal witnesses to God's presence -- "giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food in your hearts with joy."
Paul invites the crowd to see the healing of the crippled man in the light of what they have always known of God's blessing. Look at these good things, and be happy and thankful. Tomorrow we'll see, it didn't work. The crowd was turned, and Paul was stoned and left for dead.
There are so many opportunities for debate and conflict -- theological, philosophical, political conflict. Sometimes it helps to back away from the words and look at the works. Where are the blessings? What good things are being done? Even though we may disagree, can we honor the good that we witness? Wherever there is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance, we should not be opposing these things.
Elie Naud, Hugenot Witness to the Faith, 1722
To read about our daily commemorations, go to our Holy Women, Holy Men blog:
http://liturgyandmusic.wordpress.com/category/holy-women-holy-men/
Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 983)
Psalms 45 (morning) 47, 48 (evening)
Job 29:1-20
Acts 14:1-18
John 10:31-42
In both the gospel and the reading from Acts, we have some disputes that could be called theological. Within each respective argument, Jesus and Paul offer a non-theological invitation from experience. In each, they are threatened with stoning.
Jesus has offended religious sensibilities by speaking with intimate familiarity of God. He testifies to his sense of union with God. For his listeners, he has crossed the line into blasphemy. They prepare to administer the Biblical punishment for blasphemy, stoning.
Jesus re-frames of the situation. "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?" Jesus was known as a healer, and this controversy had been stoked when Jesus gave sight to a man born blind. The authorities had seen with their own eyes the results of Jesus' healing work. He sends them back to their experience, deflecting them from their religious certainties for a moment. If they are people of good will, they will be pleased by these good works. The works will incline them toward acceptance.
Then Jesus gives them a touch of theology. Those who are inclined positively because of the good works may find it something on which they can change their view. Jesus quotes from Psalm 82:6 -- "I said, you are gods." He invites them to seize this word from scripture as an invitation to a high view, the recognition that those to whom the scriptures were given were called gods. It is as if Jesus is providing a little Biblical cover for those whose good hearts would incline them to accept his good works. There would be plenty of scriptures to cite to counter his theology, of course. But Jesus tells them, go back to experience. If you can't believe the words, believe the works.
(Elsewhere Paul invites the church to do the same. When you see good works, the fruit of the Spirit, don't raise theology against that; don't apply your legalisms to condemn what your eye sees. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance. There is no law against such things." Galatians 5:22-23)
When they try to arrest him, Jesus is able to escape. The buzz about "the signs" continued.
In our reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Paul and Barnabas find themselves in a diplomatic pickle. They have been visiting in the Jewish synagogues in the cities of what today would be southcentral Turkey. Paul is a Jew. He promotes a Jewish revival movement claiming that God has fulfilled Jewish hopes in Jesus the Messiah. He's having mixed reception in the synagogues, and frequently provokes intense, even violent reactions against his message.
In a public square in Lystra, Paul performs a good work -- he heals a man who had been crippled from birth. It caused quite a stir. Everyone in this town would have known the man. The people speak to each other in their own language and begin to praise Paul and Barnabas from within their own theological frameworks. They speak in the words of the imperial cult, which took the gods of Greece and imported them into a Roman pantheon. They call Barnabas Zeus, for he appears to be the leader; and Paul they call Hermes, the messenger of the gods. This could be a boon to the city. The rumor of a visitation from the gods, especially Zeus, could make their local temple famous.
When Paul and Barnabas overcome the language barrier enough to discover what is happening, Paul makes his first speech/sermon to a Gentile audience. "Friends, why are you doing this? We are mortals just like you, and we bring you good news." Like Jesus, Paul points to their experience, the good works of God that are universal witnesses to God's presence -- "giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food in your hearts with joy."
Paul invites the crowd to see the healing of the crippled man in the light of what they have always known of God's blessing. Look at these good things, and be happy and thankful. Tomorrow we'll see, it didn't work. The crowd was turned, and Paul was stoned and left for dead.
There are so many opportunities for debate and conflict -- theological, philosophical, political conflict. Sometimes it helps to back away from the words and look at the works. Where are the blessings? What good things are being done? Even though we may disagree, can we honor the good that we witness? Wherever there is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and temperance, we should not be opposing these things.
Lowell
_____________________________________________
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
Lowell Grisham, Rector
Audio podcast: Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week. Click the following link: Morning Reflection Podcasts
About Morning Reflections
Morning Reflections is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.
Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117
An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html
The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Visit our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org
Our Rule of Life
We aspire to...
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
worship weekly
pray daily
learn constantly
serve joyfully
live generously.
Lowell Grisham, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
posted by Lowell @ 7:54 AM
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