25-october-2015-pentecost-22-fr-daniel-dries-preacher

A sermon preached by the Rev’d Dr Daniel Dries Pentecost 22 (Evensong) Christ Church St Laurence – 25 October 2015 May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight: O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

From the Second Letter to Timothy we read: Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Many Christians struggle with the militaristic imagery that is so prevalent in the Hebrews Scriptures or the Old Testament. The Old Testament is littered with gory battles and countless military victories, usually proving that God was on the side of the Ancient Israelites, and affirming the covenant between Yahweh and his chosen people. In the New Testament, we are presented with a new law or covenant—the law of love, and we are introduced to the Prince of Peace. However, soldiers were an unavoidable part of the landscape in the first century Mediterranean world. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that New Testament passages, such as the Second Letter to Timothy, continue to rely on military metaphor.

In the minds of some Christians, this militaristic imagery evidently goes beyond metaphor— encouraging Christians to believe that God continues to be passionate about armed conflict and that God delights to take sides in acts of war.

In 2005, American President, George W. Bush, confidently expressed his belief that God went into battle with him and his army. Mr Bush (Junior) is reported to have said (and I will refrain from employing my best Texan accent): ‘I am driven with a mission from God’. God would tell me, ‘George go and fight these terrorists in Afghanistan’. And I did. And then God would tell me ‘George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq’. And I did.”i Not all Americans shared Mr Bush’s divine assurance and confidence in terms of warfare. 19th Century American novelist Mark Twain said: God created war so that Americans would learn geography.

 The Second Letter to Timothy forms part of what are commonly known as the Pastoral Epistles— the two letters to Timothy and the Letter to Titus; letters that were written to encourage these disciples in their challenging ministries. Timothy and Titus were two of Paul’s closest companions. The Second Letter to Timothy is the most personal of the three letters. This letter suggests that it was written from Paul’s prison cell. Not surprisingly therefore, the language is about endurance—drawing on the imagery of soldier and athlete.

Like so much of the New Testament, the authorship of the Pastoral Epistles is debated. There are aspects of context in the Letters to Timothy that don’t really make sense. The so-called Pastoral Epistles also lack the urgency and zeal of the other Pauline letters. For more than 200 years scholars have argued that the Letters to Timothy and Titus were probably written by disciples or admirers of Paul, and that they were written after his death. We could spend the next 40 minutes exploring this theory, but perhaps it would more useful to reflect on these metaphors for Christian discipleship that we find in this evening’s epistle.

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The author of the Second Letter to Timothy attempts to encourage Timothy be presenting three contrasted and rather clunky metaphors. The author writes “…be like a soldier; be like an athlete; be like a farmer.” These metaphors are presented with a sense of urgency, and the author does not take the time to explain them. However, they would certainly have been self-explanatory to a first century audience.

For a first century person, a soldier was someone who endured great hardship and was answerable to a higher authority; an athlete pushed themselves forward and played by the rules; a farmer worked patiently to produce a harvest. Three very different images; and Timothy is told to be like all of them as he strives to share his faith and to remain a committed disciple.  Those of you who attend weekday Masses here would know that we often honour the saints of the church on their respective feast days. Our lectionary remembers a number of well-known and commonly recognised saints. On my recent pilgrimage, particularly in Italy, I became aware of many truly obscure saints—some of which are associated with gory and truly bizarre legends.

Some Christians have been observing Reformation Sunday today. Reformation Sunday is perhaps the only optional feast day that has not been a part of the liturgical tradition here at Christ Church St Laurence—perhaps next year. The rejection of the cult of the saints was one of the most significant aspects of the Protestant Reformation. There can be no doubt that some within the church exploited and capitalised on the veneration of shrines and relics. Having recently walked in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims, it’s easy to see how faithfulness was transformed into big business. However, in the architecture of this church building, and certainly in our liturgy, we unashamedly honour and celebrate the saints. We reflect on their greatly contrasted lives and we give thanks for their endurance and commitment to the faith.

The writer of the Letter to Timothy presents three very different metaphors as examples of Christian living. Timothy is not told to be like a soldier or an athlete or a farmer. Rather, he is told to be like all of them. The author of this letter is aware that no single metaphor will fully capture the essence of what it is to be a Christian. In our tradition, we derive great inspiration and guidance from the lives of the saints because they are like the metaphors that have been set before us. We certainly don’t worship them, but the saints are examples of Christian living that collectively form a complete picture of discipleship. They help us to broaden our understanding of this life to which we have committed ourselves.  As we read Scripture, we can pick and choose the passages and aspects of discipleship that appeal to us. We can emphasise parts of the message to suit our own purposes. Those who claim to fight wars in the name of God may have a slightly skewed understanding of the Christian message.

While many people of faith choose to adopt a narrow focus, Timothy is encouraged to think broadly and to face up to the complexities of discipleship. This morning, I had the privilege of baptising our newest parishioner. As I looked into the eyes of the 10 month old child (and as he stared back at me), I proclaimed those challenging words that are said to every newly-baptised person: Fight the good fight; finish the race; keep the faith.

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As we hear them, these words remind us again and again that discipleship is demanding. They affirm that we will need all of the resources and inspiration we can muster. Again and again, we turn to the saints as a vast array of ordinary men and women who collectively demonstrate the meaning of discipleship. As we reflect on their lives, we strive to be like them—like all of them. As we strive to be like them, we are acknowledging that so many of them gave their lives desperately striving to be like Christ.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

i

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa

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