The “Following “ Covenant

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Jonah 3: 1-5, 10 NRSV (New Revised Standard Version of the Bible)

The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth. When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.

Mark 1: 14-20 NRSV

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

Message:

What a wonderful way to spend our fifth week on covenant, making covenant. We are so blest to see Dan come to his baptism and to have Terry, Tuukka, and Kirsi affirm their baptism and become members of this faith community. As we listened to them take on their pledges, we were reminded to hear these in our own hearts and to re-affirm our own covenant with God and this faith community.

On this fifth week in our series on Covenant we commit ourselves to being on this faith journey. Before considering the lectionary readings for today, let’s review where we have been.

Week 1, we started with the basics of what a covenant is, the expectation of covenant, and what we do when we are out of covenant Matthew 18:15-17 being a starting place. We like to believe that there was harmony in those early gathering of Christians. The church being made up of humans has always had troubles with divisions and disharmony. Matthew’s answer then works even now in almost all situations.

Matthew 18:15-17 (NRSV)

‘If another member of the church sins against you, go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one. But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.

-First, if a person is acting in a way that breaks down the body of the church, go talk to a person face to face.

-Second, if that person continues to work against the building up of the body of the church, go with a group. Perhaps, more ears and voices can bring better understanding.

-Third, if a person continues to act in a way that breaks down the body of the church, they must be removed from the fellowship until they are ready to return to the covenant.

Week 2. we looked at the covenant of being on this journey together. We considered the diversity of the wise ones who sought Jesus and brought their gifts and considered what it means for a diverse group to unify to seek after a common experience of God.

Week 3 we look more closely at the specific covenant we share in baptism and how we affirm that covenant when we join as members.

Last week, our 4th week, we looked at the covenant to be Disciples, learners of this way of Jesus. The lectionary passages we heard reminded us to be learners who listen for the Still Speaking God, who have freedom and responsibility in our covenant relationship, and who need to overcome the prejudices that get us stuck.

This week, we promise to be Followers in Covenant with the way of Jesus.

From the book of Jonah, we hear a story. This is not a true story. And it is a story dense with truth. Jonah is a man of God, a prophet. When he gets the message that God wants him to take a message to those whom Jonah despises, Jonah would rather run away than confront them with their wrong. Actually, it is even worse. Jonah knows that the nature of God is one of compassion for those who change from following a destructive path and turn once again to a path that gives life. Jonah does not want these people to change. He wants them to continue in their wrong actions so that their wrong actions, their destructive actions will bring destruction on themselves.

God, does not give up on Jonah nor does God give up in the Ninevities that Jonah hates. God will destroy them if they do not change. And it is the nature of God to have compassion. Thus, when they do change, God changes course as well. God changes the actions God will take while the nature of God does not change.

In the Gospel, Jesus calls two sets of brothers to follow him, Peter and Andrew are out in their boats. They work hard. They are a family just making it by with their little business. And then there are James and John. These brothers come from wealth in compassion to the first two. They work for their father who has a great enough business that they can stay on shore and mend nets while the hired hands do the dangerous work of going out to fish.

Jesus calls both sets of brothers to follow him. They have seen him. They have curiosity about him. They follow to listen, watch, and live with this Jesus to learn more about him and this way he preaches.

In our membership vows, we renew our baptism promises to follow this Jesus. To do this we promise grow in the knowledge of Jesus through worship, prayer, studying scripture and being active in the world.

Think about where you have been on your journey with Jesus. When you think about a Jesus story, a moment in scripture, what comes to mind for you?

I remind you that this way of Jesus is active and non violent. There are those who truly believe that being a Christian is just another name for being a doormat. Jesus taught justice that brings peace. It is a difficult and active practice. Consider the teaching from

Matthew 5:38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

Dr. Walter Wink (Professor Emeritus of Biblical Interpretation at Auburn Theological Seminary in New York City. Previously, he was a parish minister and taught at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In 1989-1990 he was a Peace Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace) has written and spoken on many occasions about this passage.

And Jesus gives three examples of how to live justly and non violently in this world.

First is an example of standing as equals in the home . The passage reads that if someone strikes you on the right cheek, that is to back hand a person, give them the other cheek also - now they must strike you with the palm of the hand. To back hand someone is to humiliate. It is an act where the hitter claims to be superior to the one being hit. To turn the other cheek, to be hit with the palm of the hand or even with the fist, now this is the hit of equals. In the time of Jesus husband might backhand a wife or slave, a wife might backhand a child or slave, it was a more powerful person putting the other person down. This action of Jesus calls us to stand and be recognized as equals.

The second teaching in this passage is about using laws against unjust laws. If a person owed a debt and had no property, it was legal to sue the person for the coat off that poor person’s back. Jesus teaches that if they take your coat, give them your undergarment - underwear - as well. This would leave you naked. In the culture of the time it was not ritually unclean for you to be naked. However, it would make you ritually unclean to look upon a naked person. Thus, when the more wealthy person when to take your coat and your naked body stood there with the coat, the chances are very good that that person would run from you in order to keep status in the community.

And the third teaching was relating to unjust government. It was legal for the Romans to force a person, usually Jewish, to carry a load one mile. And it was against military code to force that person to go further. If a person did carry longer, the military code prescribed punishment for the soldier. I imagine by going the extra mile, the person who had been forced into labor now becomes the person of power and the unjust soldier is left trying to pay off the person.

This way of Jesus is a practice. It is a way of non violence takes a lot of energy . It is not the way of a doormat but the way of courageous people who understand that we are all in this together. It is a journey we in this church take together, finding our way, following this Jesus in covenant with God and one another.

The “Following “ Covenant

Listen to the sermon on your computer. Just click on the link above, to listen to this sermon.

Message:

Listen to the sermon on your computer.

Just click on the link above, to listen to this sermon.