4 Pentecost, C p 9, July 3, 2022
2 Kings 5:1-14 Psalm 30
Gal. 6:1-18 Luke 10:1-12,16-20
The first experience of something very wonderful is so great it has the power to inspire exaggeration. Like the first time that one eats ice cream, one can think that one actually invented the experience of eating ice cream. First time experiences can make think that we originated the experience or that the experience began to occur because of the way that it happened to us.
There is a difference between things which have always been, and things which arose or came about in history. All our modern day inventions at one time did not exist, and they have become so integrated to our lives that we find it hard to imagine them not existing. What did we do in our cars before GPS? What did we do before email? Text messages? Photo-copying?
There are things which always were and many of those things have not always been experienced by people. And when some wonderful things which always were, are experienced by people, we can easily begin to treat those things like something that has been invented.
Jesus came to the world not to invent the love of God; the love of God has always been. But it has been undiscovered. Jesus came to help us overcome the alienation within ourselves which has kept us from experiencing what has always been.
Our biblical readings provide us with insights about how to be related to "original" conditions. Is health and healing only for some people or is it a universal right?
For the prophet Elisha, healing was for everyone, including one's enemy. Just because Naaman was a commander in a foreign army did not mean that he was excluded from his right to seek to be healed in any way that might bring success. As we ponder the high cost of health and the lack of access to health care for many people, we need to consider the universal right of people to seek and have healing in their lives. Wanting good health is an "original" blessing. The Psalmist composed a poem and a song exalting in a return to health from sickness.
St. Paul wrote about how practical justice should be in a community. The justice of giving and requiring each person what is appropriately due is an ancient virtue which has to be continually realized in very practical ways.
In ministry, we can get too proud of accomplishments and perhaps begin to think that we originated love, joy, Holy Spirit power, and the rest. Jesus warned his disciple not to be on a power trip or ego trip in ministry. Just rejoice that your name is written in book. Just rejoice that you said, "here" when God called attendance and as is it were "put your name" in the attendance book.
In the ministry of Jesus Christ, we have the privilege to announce to people the things that always have been: God loves you. God cares for you. God forgives you. God dwells in you so that you can find the divine presence.
The state of human alienation from these obvious things requires patience and ministry. We cannot force people out their alienation. Some people are not ready or do not have the life situation to open their doors of perception.
What did Jesus say about people who seem to reject the obvious? Move on, don't get angry. The dust of your feet is symbolic of what you shared with them so that they might be able to come back to it when they are ready. The memory of you having shared the fact that everyone lives in the kingdom of God will be a continual protest to their inability to perceive the always, already reality of the kingdom of God.
The alienation of people from the love of God is vast, so the harvest is great. The work of the promoting love and membership is God's kingdom is never ended. We need to always be at the work of persuading people about the wonderful love of God.
On this eve of the Fourth of July, we Americans, need to know that we did not invent life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as the important values of life. We did find a national constitutional way to teach the practice of these original virtues of life. And we know that the consistent and just application of these rights has not always been lived and many people have been excluded in practice from a fair chance at these rights which are God-given.
The ministry of Jesus Christ and the ideals of our country invite us to experience and practice things which we did not invent. We are invited to know how to be graceful receivers and givers of love, joy, peace, justice, liberty and faith.
Let us all have many more delicious events of awareness of the original blessings of God's love for us as we live up to the image of God on our lives. Amen.
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