Jesus: Bread Man, Water Man

10 Pentecost cycle b proper 12     July 29, 2018

2 Kings 4:42-44  Psalm 145: 10-19

Ephesians 3:14-21 John 6:1-21

Lectionary Link
When we read the Gospel of John, it is easy to just access the story aspect of the Gospel presentation of a narrative of the life of Jesus.  We treat the Gospel text as an eye-witness direct report even though we know that such a text involves massive time-lapsing; three years of ministry collapsed into 21 chapters of writing.  Time-lapsing involves editing, re-editing and further redactions as words of and about Jesus get handed on from person to person in eight decades after Jesus and then some "final" editor finally puts together what survives to be found in the various earliest codices that we have.

What we forget is that the writer or writing editors of the Gospel of John's are theologians who are presenting the significance of the life of Jesus to various groups of people who gathered in the Jesus Movement communities.  The people who gathered came from increasingly heterogenous demographic groups.  Such persons would have included those who came from the synagogue traditions with influences from the various rabbinical "schools."  They would have come from those who had been devoted to the liturgical tradition found in the Temple of Jerusalem which had the priestly caste as presiding authorities until the destruction in the year 70.  Christian congregants would have been former followers of John the Baptist; they would have come from the class of what today we call the "unchurched," or to coin new words, "the un-synagogued" or "un-templed."  By this I would mean a group of Jews in Palestine who were not observant of the purity codes and thus because of their "sinner" classification or their "designated sickness" could not but be outsiders to the gatherings which frequented the synagogue and the Temple.  Jews who interacted in compromising ways the Roman authorities were called publicans and sinners and for their livelihood they were regarded to be in sinful state of assimilation to the foreigners who were a part of the great class of sinners:  Defiled and Impure.  The Christian congregants in the communities of the Gospel of John would have been Gentiles, soldiers and those who did not find adequate spiritual or social identity in the cult of the Temples for the various gods and goddesses in the Greco-Roman Mystery Religion traditions.  Christian congregants would have been part of the urbanization movement in Roman society; the house churches would have been a welcoming community for nomads to the city neighborhoods as they explored a new identity in a new place.  From the letters of Paul, it would seem that the Christians by dispensing with the purity codes of Judaism, made the Christian message more conducive to participation by Roman citizenry and Christians could pretend that Caesar was a "fake god" who was good for peaceful social order even while Christians believed in a higher kingdom of God which could co-exist in a parallel manner with the Roman Empire.

It would be naïve to believe that the writer of the Gospel of John was not aware of the demographic diversity of the Johannine communities.  The writer of the Gospel of John also was aware of the liturgical practices of the community; the regularity of baptism and Eucharist.   The writer would not have been blatantly anachronistic; the writer would not have assumed that the liturgical practices of the Johannine communities were fully developed in the time of Jesus, who would have regarded himself to be an observant Jew who visited both Temple and synagogue, not withstanding the reforming words of his "rabbinical" school.

The writer of John's Gospel would present Jesus as the seed origin of the spiritual and liturgical practices which came to prevail in the Johannine communities.

Baptism and Eucharist were the conscious practice of the Johannine communities.  The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the who originates the shape of the practice of both baptism and Eucharist.  The discourses of Jesus in John's Gospel were first instantiated in teaching story events.

Jesus was a water man and a bread man.  The Johannine writers showed how Jesus was in continuity with famous water men and bread men found recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Moses and Elisha were bread men.  Through their intercession people were fed in marvelous ways.  Moses interceded before the appearance of the famous "manna" or heavenly bread to fed the people of Israel.  Jesus, too, was one who fed the multitude.  The Eucharist was the practice of feeding the church with the heavenly bread that was identified with the Real Presence of Jesus being within the life of each Christian communicant.  The Eucharist was the social reality of a continuous feeding of the multitude.  The feeding of the multitude in John's Gospel is the story recounted to present the extended discourse of Jesus on how he was the manna which had come down from heaven.  Hint.  Hint.  He was Eucharistic bread which perpetually fed the church as people ritually realized the presence of Christ to be renewed into the most prominent identity of their spiritual and social lives.  That the Eucharist, the breaking of the bread, was continuing to gather the Johannine communities more than 8 decades after Jesus was proof that multiplication of loaves was a continuing miracles that originated with Jesus.

Moses was a water man; his intercession resulted in the parting of the Red Sea.  He brought water out of Rocks.  Elijah and Elisha were water men, floating ax heads on the water and parting waters of the Jordan by striking it with their mantle.  Noah was the water man of the flood.  New Testament writer presented baptismal waters as waters of death and waters of cleansing.  Coming out of the water of baptism was regarded to be a symbolic rising from the death of being buried with Christ.  When the story of Jesus walking on the stormy waters was told, it was a reaffirmation of rising above the death of water and triumphing because of the miracle of knowing an identity with resurrection of Christ.

The writer of John's Gospel goes to great pain to translate Hebrew words and Judaic concepts because the writer was aware of those who did not share any of the Hebraic tradition from which Jesus derived.

Let us appreciate the functions of the narrative of Jesus in John's Gospel.  The writer was so encouraged and surprised by the success of the Christo-mysticism in the Johannine community, the writer preached about the special origin of the living identity with the Risen Christ, in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

We today are still a part of this living tradition of baptism and Holy Eucharist which derived from Jesus and which has been enriched and transmitted through the Gospel of John and through many other Christian communities in the past 2000 years.

Today again in our Eucharist, we celebrate that the Eucharist was regarded to be the miraculous identity rite of the community that wrote the Gospel of John.  And it is our identity today as well.  Like the young boy who gave his packed lunch to prime the pump of generosity which comes from the blessing of Christ, we offer our gifts at hand in our lives in the Eucharistic offering on the altar.  We seek the miraculous blessing of Jesus to return to us in our service the gifts of being renewed in the presence of Christ.  The writer of the Gospel of John believed that the Risen Christ was relevant to the world in the eight decades after Jesus.  You and I are many more decades away from Jesus of Nazareth, but we still can be renewed in our identity with Christ, the eternal Word in profound ways.  Let us seek our renewed identity  with Christ today.  Amen.

Sunday School, July 29, 2018 Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, B proper 12

Sunday School, July 29, 2018        Tenth Sunday after Pentecost,  B proper 12

Sunday School Themes

The Next four Sundays will be from the Gospel of John, chapter six

There will be the story of the feeding of the large multitude and an account of Jesus walking on the water.

We tell stories about what is great in the present by comparing them with stories of greatness in the past.

If we talk about home run hitters today, we talk about the player who really made homerun hitting great.  We talk about Babe Ruth.

When the Gospel writers were telling the story of Jesus they told about the greatness of Jesus by telling stories which were like the stories which everyone knew about the great lawgiver Moses.

Moses led his people out of slavery in Egypt.  He escaped the Egyptian armies by raising his staff and the waters of the Red Sea were parted and the people walked on dry land over the sea.

The story about Jesus showed that he was like Moses, he had a great water story.  He walked on water to the amazement of his disciples.

When Moses led his people out of Egypt, they had to make a long journey and so they camped in the wilderness.   They were not farmers and they did not have place to buy food.  They were able to grow wheat for bread, so Moses prayed to God and God sent a special bread from heaven, called Manna.  The people of Israel ate the heavenly bread for forty years.

People in the time of Jesus believed that someone great like Moses would come and this great one would provide bread for his people.

So the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand people in a special way in the wilderness is a story to compare Jesus and Moses.

It is presented as a story about eating bread and fish but the story is really going to be a way of teaching a lesson.  In the next three weeks we will be studying the lessons of Jesus about eating bread from heaven.

The Gospel also has a child element.  It has the most famous picnic lunch of history.  A young boy brought his lunch and he gave it to Jesus to share and everyone was fed.  It is a lesson for us to share what we have because when our part is added with what everyone else gives we can experience the miracle of doing some "big" things together.  The Gospel lesson is about Christ blessing what we share and we can have plenty left over to share with others.

A story sermon about Manna

  Did your mom or dad ever serve you some food and you said to them, “What’s this?”  And what if you mom and dad then began to call all of your food, “What’s this?”  We’re going to MacDonald and I’m going to order some “What’s this?”  Tomorrow for breakfast, I’m going to have some “What’s this?”  I see that mom has packed some “What’s this?” in my lunch box today.

  Do you think that we should name our food, “What’s this?”

  We could but, it has already happened.  It happened in a Bible story that was written a long time ago.

  The famous Prince of Egypt, Moses led his people out of Egypt.  He brought them into the desert and they had no food, and so they complained.  Moses prayed to God and asked God to provide some food. And so God had some food fall on the ground like snow flakes.  Moses told the people, “Go and gather the food from the ground and eat it.”  It was a new and strange food for the people, so do you know what they said when they saw it?  They said, “What’s this?”  or in Hebrew they said, Mah Nah?  And that means What’s this?  So do you know what they begin to call their new and strange food?  Manna, which means “What’s this?”  What are going to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?  You guessed it, “We’re going to have, “What’s this?”

  The “What’s this” food kept the people alive in their long journey for forty years.

  Some times we may have to try some new food.  And instead of saying, “What’s this?” we should say, Thank you God, thank you mom and dad for another meal that will help me grow strong.

  The next time you think about not eating your food, I want you to remember the “What this?” story.  And when you remember the “What’s this?” story, I want you to remember to be thankful for food, and remember to pray for all of the people in this world who do not have enough food.  Okay…say Mah Nah.  What this?

St. John the Divine Episcopal Church

17740 Peak Avenue, Morgan Hill, CA 95037
Family Service with Holy Eucharist
July 29, 2018: The Tenth Sunday After Pentecost

Here in This Place; I Am the Bread of Life; Seek Ye First; We Will Glorify

Song: Here in This Place (Renew! # 14)    Gray Hymnal or song sheet at the back

1-Here is this place new light streaming now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of this day.  Gather us in, the lost and the forsaken, gather us in the proud and the strong; give us a heart, so meek and so lowly, we shall arise at the sound of our name.

4-Not in the dark of buildings confining, not in the some heaven, light years away—here in this place the new light is shining, now is the kingdom and now is the day,  Gather us in and hold us forever, gather us in and make us your own; gather us in, all peoples together, fire of love in our flesh and our bone.

Liturgist: Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and for ever.  Amen.

Liturgist:  Oh God, Our hearts are open to you.

And you know us and we can hide nothing from you.
Prepare our hearts and our minds to love you and worship you.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Liturgist:         The Lord be with you.

People:            And also with you.

Liturgist:  Let us pray

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Litany Phrase: Alleluia (chanted)

O God, you are Great!  Alleluia

O God, you have made us! Alleluia
O God, you have made yourself known to us!  Alleluia
O God, you have provided us with us a Savior!  Alleluia
O God, you have given us a Christian family!  Alleluia
O God, you have forgiven our sins!  Alleluia
O God, you brought your Son Jesus back from the dead!  Alleluia

A reading from the letter to the Ephesian Church

I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Liturgist: The Word of the Lord

People: Thanks be to God

Liturgist: Let us read together from Psalm 145

All your works praise you, O LORD, * and your faithful servants bless you.

They make known the glory of your kingdom * and speak of your power;
That the peoples may know of your power *and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom; * your dominion endures throughout all ages.
The LORD is faithful in all his words * and merciful in all his deeds.

Litany Phrase: Thanks be to God! (chanted)

Litanist:

For the good earth, for our food and clothing. Thanks be to God!

For our families and friends. Thanks be to God!
For the talents and gifts that you have given to us. Thanks be to God!
For this day of worship. Thanks be to God!
For health and for a good night’s sleep. Thanks be to God!
For work and for play. Thanks be to God!
For teaching and for learning. Thanks be to God!
For the happy events of our lives. Thanks be to God!
For the celebration of the birthdays and anniversaries of our friends and parish family.
Thanks be to God!

Liturgist:         The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John

People:            Glory to you, Lord Christ.

The next day, when the people who remained after the feeding of the five thousand saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.  When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, `He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

Liturgist:         The Gospel of the Lord.

People:            Praise to you, Lord Christ.

Sermon:  Fr. Phil

Children’s Creed

We did not make ourselves, so we believe that God the Father is the maker of the world.

Since God is so great and we are so small,
We believe God came into our world and was born as Jesus, son of the Virgin Mary.
We need God’s help and we believe that God saved us by the life, death and
     resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We believe that God is present with us now as the Holy Spirit.
We believe that we are baptized into God’s family the Church where everyone is
     welcome.
We believe that Christ is kind and fair.
We believe that we have a future in knowing Jesus Christ.
And since we all must die, we believe that God will preserve us forever.  Amen.

Litany Phrase: Christ, have mercy. (chanted)

For fighting and war to cease in our world. Christ, have mercy.

For peace on earth and good will towards all. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety of all who travel. Christ, have mercy.
For jobs for all who need them. Christ, have mercy.
For care of those who are growing old. Christ, have mercy.
For the safety, health and nutrition of all the children in our world. Christ, have mercy.
For the well-being of our families and friends. Christ, have mercy.
For the good health of those we know to be ill. Christ, have mercy.
For the remembrance of those who have died. Christ, have mercy.
For the forgiveness of all of our sins. Christ, have mercy.

Liturgist:        The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

People:            And also with you.

Song during the preparation of the Altar and the receiving of an offering.

Song: I Am the Bread of Life, Hymn  # 335   (blue hymnal)

1          I am the bread of life, they who come to me shall not hunger; they who believe in me shall not thirst.  No one can come to  me unless the Father draw them.  And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day.

2          I am the resurrection, I am the life, they who believe in me, even if they die, they shall live forever.  And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day.
3          Yes Lord we believe that you are the Christ, the Son of god who has come into the world. And I will raise them up, and I will raise them up, and I will raise them up on the last day

Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Prologue to the Eucharist

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me, for to them belong the kingdom of heaven.”

All become members of a family by birth or adoption.
Baptism is a celebration of birth into the family of God.
A family meal gathers and sustains each human family.
The Holy Eucharist is the special meal that Jesus gave to his friends to keep us together as the family of Christ.

The Lord be with you

And also with you.

Lift up your hearts

We lift them to the Lord.

Let us give thanks to God.

It is right to give God thanks and praise.

It is very good and right to give thanks, because God made us, Jesus redeemed us and the Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts.  Therefore with Angels and Archangels and all of the world that we see and don’t see, we forever sing this hymn of praise:

Holy, Holy, Holy (Intoned)

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of Power and Might.  Heav’n and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 
Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the Highest.

All may gather around the altar

Our grateful praise we offer to you God, our Creator;
You have made us in your image
And you gave us many men and women of faith to help us to live by faith:
Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, Jacob and Rachael.
And then you gave us your Son, Jesus, born of Mary, nurtured by Joseph
And he called us to be sons and daughters of God.
Your Son called us to live better lives and he gave us this Holy Meal so that when we eat
  the bread and drink the wine, we can  know that the Presence of Christ is as near to us as   this food and drink  that becomes a part of us.
And so, Father, we bring you these gifts of bread and wine. Bless and sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Bless and sanctify us by your Holy Spirit so that we may love God and our neighbor.

On the night when Jesus was betrayed he took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread, and gave it to his friends, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper, Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and said, "Drink this, all of you. This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Father, we now celebrate the memorial of your Son. When we eat this holy Meal of Bread and Wine, we are telling the entire world about the life, death and resurrection of Christ and that his presence will be with us in our future.

Let this holy meal keep us together as friends who share a special relationship because of your Son Jesus Christ.  May we forever live with praise to God to whom we belong as sons and daughters.

By Christ, and with Christ, and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory

 is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. Amen.

And now as our Savior Christ has taught us, we now sing,

Our Father: (Renew # 180, West Indian Lord’s Prayer)

Our Father who art in heaven:  Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done: Hallowed be thy name.
Done on earth as it is in heaven: Hallowed be thy name.
Give us this day our daily bread: Hallowed be thy name.
And forgive us all our debts: Hallowed be thy name.
As we forgive our debtors: Hallowed be thy name.
Lead us not into temptation: Hallowed be thy name.
But deliver us from evil: Hallowed be thy name.
Thine is the kingdom, power, and glory: Hallowed be thy name.
Forever and ever: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.
Amen, amen, amen, amen: Hallowed be thy name.

Breaking of the Bread

Celebrant:       Alleluia! Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

People:            Therefore let us keep the feast.  Alleluia!

Words of Administration

Communion Song:  Seek Ye First  (Blue Hymnal, # 711)

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you; Allelu, alleluia.  Refrain: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, allelu, alleluia.

Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you; Allelu, alleluia!  Refrain

Post-Communion Prayer

Everlasting God, we have gathered for the meal that Jesus asked us to keep;

We have remembered his words of blessing on the bread and the wine.
And His Presence has been known to us.
We have remembered that we are sons and daughters of God and brothers
  and sisters in Christ.
Send us forth now into our everyday lives remembering that the blessing in the
     bread and wine spreads into each time, place and person in our lives,
As we are ever blessed by you, O Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Closing Song:  We Will Glorify,  (Renew! # 33 gray hymnal)

1-We will glorify the King of kings, we will glorify the Lamb; we will glorify the Lord of lords, who is the great I Am.

4-Hallelujah to the King of kings, hallelujah to the Lamb; hallelujah to the Lord of lords, who is the great I Am.

Dismissal:   

Liturgist: Let us go forth in the Name of Christ. 

People: Thanks be to God! 

What Does Sickness or Health Mean?

9  Pentecost P.11     July 22, 2018

2 Samuel 7:1-14a Psalm 89:20-37

Ephesians 2:11-22   Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

Lectionary Link

When one reads the Gospel accounts one can often get the impression that the ministry of Jesus was something like the resident doctors in a large city ER hospital.  One gets impression that Jesus is constantly being thronged by sick people who want to be healed.  It sometimes seem like his healing role is even greater than his teaching roles in the Gospel.

The prominence of sick people that are part of the Gospel record invites us to understand sickness in the time of Jesus.

One could say that "sick people" were an entire demographic group of people during the time of Jesus.  When you and I think about sickness, we think about medical diagnosis of a condition that deviates from what we regard to be our normal condition of health.  We live in a world of rhetoric about medical and pharmacological interventions; every other television commercial invites to a medication to suggest that our doctors prescribe.  With all of advances in medical knowledge, it does not seem that we regard ourselves to be any healthier than the people of any other period.  We are obsessed with being healthier, even while we break the obvious rules of health which involve eating right, exercising and avoiding stress.

The general aging process of life means that everyone is always already sick and careening toward the entropy of death.  Health therefore is relative; but it probably means that we are comfortable enough to at least be on our way to living the age of life expectancy in our place and time.

During the time of Jesus, the class of sick people was a religious and public health designation.   The purity code of the time classified life situations into categories of being clean or unclean, pure or defiled.  People with sickness were designated as ritually impure.  This designation would keep one from the being a part of the community as long as the symptoms persisted.  Sickness is always communal; when one person is sick, a host of family members are also involved and so the effects of someone being designated as unclean because of their condition left lots of people and their relatives in the state being ritually impure or they would be unobservant in their religious practices because they had to support their "sick" relative.

There were also theological overtones that went with being sick, including blaming the victims.  A person must be sick because he or she or their family member must have done something wrong to incur such a condition.  In the time of Jesus, it was very important to be lucky or able or well, because if you weren't you could be marked.  You had to bear the mark of being unclean and therefore not worthy of certain religious society because you did not want to infect the community with one's curse exemplified by the symptoms of one's illness.

The throngs of "sick" people that went after Jesus is an indication of a large number of the populace who had no religious standing because of their condition.  The other class of unclean persons, were the publican and sinners, those who had to interact regularly with the Roman Gentile officials and soldiers for their livelihood and so did not observe the ritual purity rules.

Sick people and sinners were a large class of people in the time of Jesus.  And what did Jesus do?  He usurped the role of the priests by ipso facto declaring sick people clean and pure and by declaring sinners, forgiven by God and therefore made clean by God.  Jesus noted that the classification of so many people in his locale as unclean sick people and sinners, did not truly represent the God of the prophets who said that good news meant the inclusion of the blind and the sick and the oppressed and the broken-hearted.  The healing salvation of Jesus primarily involved the declaration of God's love and mercy for all people, especially the sick and the sinners.  The salvation and healing presence of Jesus essentially meant the proclamation of the accessibility of God to all.

King David desired to build a house for God; his son Solomon was the one who built the famous Temple in Jerusalem.  The prophets reminded their people about God's House.  God's House was to be a house for all people.  People could not be segregated or separated from God's presence because of sin or sickness.  We come to God because we need God and want to clean up our act.  If God is only available to the people who have already cleaned up their act, lots of people are missing out on access to God.

The sinners and sick people of the time of Jesus believed that if they could touch the fringe of the clothes of Jesus, they could be forgiven and healed by being declared as clean and acceptable to God.  In the Jewish wardrobe  the fringes or hem of a garment had special significance.  Some included decorative tassels and often the special fringes (tzitzit) were worked into a rounded hem of the robe.  The shawl with the fringes signifying the commandments of God were a sign of the mantle of a prophetic office.  People in faith, paid tribute to the prophetic office of Jesus in reaching out to touch the symbols of his office.  But Jesus did them even better; he touched them; he placed his hand on them thus granting them full accessibility to him and his message about the declaration of the cleanliness of those who once had to live under the classification as unclean sinners and sick people.

During the time of Jesus and Paul, one's group identity was an issue.  One could be observant Pharisees and Sadducees in good standing.  One could be a follower of John the Baptist.  One could be Gentile.  Who am I?  Am I a member of the synagogue?  Am I a Gentile not allowed in the synagogue?  Am I a person victimized as unclean because of sickness or my failure to attain ritual purity?  Am I disqualified from ritual purity because my job requires me to interact with Gentiles?  Paul solved the citizenship issue; he wrote that our citizenship is in heaven.  The new temple is the temple of the connection of believers in God's grace and mercy.  People, not a building is what makes up the universal household of God.

Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the new temple, the church, the body of Christ and everyone is welcome into the body of Christ.  Jesus Christ is a universal presentation of God who lets everyone know that by the virtue of being human, they are declared to forgiven and healthy to know access to God's grace.

To be human is to live within communities which define sickness and sin.  Each of us have our own classification of what it means to be clean or unclean, acceptable of unacceptable.  Jesus Christ is a reminder to us to be careful about implying that God has a bias against any person because of the conditions of life of any person.  Jesus Christ came to declare the unclean sinner as forgiven and thus made clean; he came to declare the sick person as clean and therefore able to live in the healthy regard of God and one's community.

Today let us accept that Jesus Christ has forgiven us and made us clean and acceptable.  Jesus Christ has declared us clean and healthy, even as our aging bodies often tempt us not to believe this.  And if Jesus has declared us clean and healthy, this is how when should live with each other; with grace, love, mercy and forgiveness.  Amen.