Uppsatsen klar, predikan, konsert mm

2010-01-26. Saskatoon, Canada

I dag är det måndag och jag tar en välbehövlig dag av vila. Det har varit fullt ös nu ett tag, men denna veckan blir nog relativt lugn. Idag har jag varit nere på stan en runda. Jag lånar Biskopens bil nu när han är i Rawanda så det är grymt bra. Jag var på en katolsk bokhandel som ligger nere downtown i Saskatoon. De hade en hel del intressant litteratur där. Jag hittade ett par böcker, bland annat en patristisk bok av den nuvarande påven som kan vara intressant med tanke på att han behandlar flera av de östliga fäderna också. Efter det drog jag och plockade upp Jakob och så drog vi och käkade lunch på ett gött ställe som jag har glömt vad det heter. Jag har sagt det innan o jag säger det igen: Maten är fantastisk här i Nordamerika. Tur att man tränar annars hade kilona inte låtit vänta på sig. Mätta och glada gick vi sedan till en evangelikal bokaffär och handlade ett par titlar. De hade en skivavdelning också, men jag trodde inte att de skulle ha någon hård musik. Men jag hade fel. De hade en Metal/Hardcore avdelning med ett gäng schysta alster. Jag inhandlade nya Impending Doom. GRYMT bra!!! Typ Messugha/Living Sacrifice möter Decapitated. KÖP!!! Jag hittade förövrigt en del presenter som man kanske inte ska beskriva i detalj här i fall vederbörande som ska få dem läser min blogg…

Det har gått några veckor sen jag skrev nu och jag antar att det speglar att det har varit ett ganska späckat schema. Jag måste säga att jag trivs bättre och bättre här och att livet flyter på ganska väl. Jag är tacksam för alla som nämner mig inför Allhärskaren och jag vet att varje dag är en nåd och välsignelse från Honom. Stå gärna mig bi i bön under den kommande tiden också, jag vet att jag behöver det.

Jag har en glad nyhet att tillkänna ge er: Jag har under förra veckan slutfört min C-uppsats. Då denna inte skall läggas fram förrän i April eller Maj månad kommer det dock med all säkerhet att bli en del uppdateringar och redigeringar, men version ett är klar. För er som har glömt vad jag skriver om så kan man säga att det är en 70 sidig dogmhistorisk exposé om den första ekumeniska dialogen mellan Lutherdomen och den Ortodoxa Kyrkan. Jag kallar den för Augustana Graeca; Magisteral Lutherdom i mötet med Bysantinsk Ortodoxi. En kritisk analys av korresponsdansen mellan Tübingenteologerna och Patriark Jeremias II Tranos under perioden 1573-1581.

Jag kommer ev lägga upp den här senare under våren om jag får det att funka med fotnoter osv, men om du är intresserad av att läsa den så sänd mig ett mail så kan jag skicka över den längre fram. Det känns väldigt bra att uppsatsen är klar, men samtidigt är det också lite vemodigt. Att få gå ner riktigt djupt i ett specifikt teologiskt område tillhör ju livet större förnöjsamheter. Jag hade förövrigt förmånen att diskutera Luther med en lektor i teologi häromdagen. Vi träffades på samma fest här i lördags. Sen gick fyra timmar snabbt. Jag pratade nog inte med någon annan på hela kvällen. Hur som helst så ska vi ut och fira att Uppsatsen är klar på Onsdag. Det blir jag, Fr Ruben, Barb och Jakob, synd att biskopen inte är hemma för då kunde han ha följt med också.

Förra tisdagen var jag och Jakob på Guns´n´Roses konsert på Credit Union Arena. Det var grym show, men helt ärligt talat måste tillstå att förbanden (Danko Jones och Sebastian Bach) var mycket bättre än huvudakten. Men kul att ha sett dem i alla fall. När man ändå snackar musik så ska det nämnas att vi hittade en grym musikaffär idag också. Tillbringade en timma där och lirade på lite sköna guror.

Som jag nämnde i förra inlägget var det min tur att predika i Söndags. Det var en god upplevelse. Jag tror att det gick lite bättre än i Indianapolis för jag börjar få bättre flyt i engelskan nu. Perikopen som jag utgick ifrån var söndagens heliga evangelium: Luk 4:21-30. Det är en spännande text och det blev en intressant predikan som jag klistrar in här nedan för er som vill läsa:


Introduction

"And so again Herod is filled with wrath, again his daughter is dancing, and asking about John's head on a platter ..."

It is interesting to note how quickly things change. During its first 300 years the Church was marked by persecution of all kinds. The Jews persecuted the Christians because they believed that they disobeyed the law of God and the Romans persecuted the Christians even more because they thought that the Christians violated the law of the Roman Empire when they refused to worship the emperor.

In year 313 the so-called first Christian emperor Constantine ordered that the persecution against Christians should stop. Only 70 years later Constantine's successor Theodosius prohibited all other religions than Christendom in the Roman Empire and the Christian themselves started to persecute and kill other people.

It is in a similar context, a few decades later a radical bishop named John makes this statement about Herod. The words are a direct polemic against the fact that the Christian leaders in Constantinople had changed God's agenda of peace, simplicity and humility for political alliances, wars and a life in luxury. The Bishop becomes persecuted and opposed by the other leaders, but his words bear witness to God's truth and by the request of the people he is allowed to return to the city. This Bishop is known in the Church with the epithet golden mouth - Chrysostom.

Context
Prophets and profetism has a prominent role in the Gospel of Luke. An example of this is that John the Baptist is mentioned more times by Luke than in any other gospel and that the stories about him are more developed and contains more details. What is a prophet, anyway? How can we define them?

Perhaps one could say that "Prophet is the one who speaks on the Behalf God and The One Who Speaks on Behalf of God is a Prophet!" Greek word profetes means literally "to carry forward." That is something you have to be borne forth or passed on to anyone else.

Very often, I would say we just imagine prophetism as something that has exclusively to do with the future. If you read the so-called prophetic books in the Old Testament it will soon become obvious that it is not the whole picture. A prophet speaks in the first place on God's Behalf In the present situation, although there also are clear visions of the future as well. The main purpose of the Prophets is to reveal the truth about who God is and that he appears and speaks to His people in history.

Jeremiah confirms this in today's OT text:
But the LORD said to me: "Do not say, 'I [am] a youth,' For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I [am] with you to deliver you," says the LORD

The prophet, like both Jeremiah, John the Baptist and John the Golden Mouth meet opposition and resistance, but they were chosen to speak God's truth to the people.

Text
(context + v21)
Today's Gospel continues where we ended up last Sunday. We're back in the synagogue of Nazareth, in the town where Jesus grew up. Jesus has just read a very central messianic pericope from the book of Isaiah. The audience reaction confirms that this was not just any text. Everyone is waiting intently, with their eyes fixed on the young rabbi. What would Jesus say in his exposition of this text?

Jesus said: Today this scripture has been fulfilled, in other words: He announces himself as the fulfillment of these words! He is the awaited Messiah - the anointed One and thus also Jesus says indirectly that the new era has begun! The poor will get good news, the blind shall see, the oppressed must be liberated. The Kingdom of God is here!

(v 22 a)
No wonder the initial reaction of the people - all praised Him by giving Him their witness to Him, And they were amazed at His lovely words

(v 22b) But the joy is short-lived.
It is interesting to note how the whole atmosphere turned into the second part of verse 22. We read here before the words "and they asked Him," The little Greek word kai for and in this verse should properly be translated with the possible other translation: but. But they asked: "Is not Joseph's son?" The people recognize Jesus as a simple son of a carpenter from the small town where they all lived. He could he be anything special? All knew that Joseph came from Nazareth so how could that be true according to the prophet Micah's words that the Messiah will come from Bethlehem. And Jerusalem in Judea would be the place where this Person was to be vindicated, not Nazareth in Galilee. They clearly did not know about God's mysterious plan…

(v 23-24)
Jesus' answer in the next few verses may seem a little cryptic. What does he mean by the words: Physician, heal yourself and no prophet is accepted in his hometown? Very briefly, I think it is about that Jesus challenge the attitude of the jews…

"Physician heal thyself" is a unique expression of the Gospel of Luke - perhaps it is included to connect to the profession of Luke who according to tradition was a doctor. The implication, however, connects to the ministry of Christ, which is a ministry of serving others, not making own benefits.

Perhaps these words are easier to understand if we put them in connection with my introduction, the context of 5th century Constantinople and to the aspect of a prophet as a messenger of truth. The truth can be harsh to hear because it´s challenging and sometimes even overthrows our way to live our lives. The political religious leaders had their agenda on what Christianity meant. It was safe and they had a good life. Therefore the strong reaction against Chrysostom.

What about today then?
In Sweden, for example, you will not be popular if you in some churches preach the biblical view of marriage or if you ask people to live and think more collectively. In the U.S. you will meet resistance if you suggest that people should take care of the creation more and use the car less or if you say that a Christian should not bear a gun. I have not been in Canada long enough to comment on specific issues, but I guess there is such. There are things people do not want to hear, because they must change things in their lives. Therefore, it is difficult to be a prophet in his own hometown...

But what then was the great challenge for the Jews that heard Jesus message? In many ways, I think it was about the Jewish nationalism and the agenda of a political Messiah…

(v 25 - 27)
First, we note that Jesus draws parallels to OT prophets as Elijah and Elisa. Why? First, there is a strong link between these prophets and the ministry of Jesus. The relationship between Elijah and Elisha shows the relationship between God and His people, or with the NT perspective, between Christ and the His Church. Elisha continues the prophetic task of Elijah and this is the same way when Christ sends out his disciples to proclaim the kingdom of God and do miracles in His name. And if you summarize the stories of Elisha they focus on the proclamation of the good news, the feeding of the hungry, the healing of the sick and raising the dead. The similarities with the ministry of Christ are overwhelming and this shows how the Lord still is the same: He keeps His promises and is faithful to His covenant.

Second, there are serious parallels between Israel's disobedience of Elijah and Elishas time and the assurance of the contemporaries of Jesus day. Jesus shows with the illustration that the disobedience of Israel during the OT which made God´s kingdom to be first presented to the gentiles now was to be repeated.

(v 28-30)
The people clearly understood the link to their situation. And what happens?
They become furious. Their political agenda on the physical state of Israel as the manifestation of God's kingdom, is called into question by someone who declares Himself to be the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies, and then argue that the even the Gentiles could have part in these blessings. The reactions are so strong that they try to kill Jesus, but his time was not yet fulfilled. By a miracle Jesus is gone.

And what is Christ doing this after this event? Luke portrays in the upcoming chapters how Jesus confirms his words about himself as the manifestation of God's kingdom. He brings healing to the sick, cast out demons, releases, consoles, unites and raises the dead. The Prophet of prophet shows us that true preaching has its root in God.

Epilogue:
Today we have talked about the proclamation of the truth of God's as the essence of profetism. Let me just make an emphasis at the epistle of today. Paul clearly pointing out that spiritual gifts and profetism is nothing worth if it lacks love.

The great thing about Jesus is that He not only talks about and personifies God's truth on the one hand, or just showing love and personifies the love of God, on the other. He is both. He is with St. John the Words "full of grace and truth" that is, there is no distinction between these Christological attributes.


So, let's summaries what's been said in this Homily:

1. The messengers of truth is Speaking God's truth into the present situation
2. The message is based on the Word of God
3. He or She will often be criticized by the contemporaries
4. They live by the promise of God's presence in the midst of resistance
5. The messengers of truth puts the secular agenda aside in favor of the will of God
6. They confirm their message with their lives
7. And they mediates the prophetic truth with the Love of God.

May therefore, the God who was with Jeremiah, performed miracles through Elijah and Elisha, spoke the truth through John Chrysostom and especially whom became Incarnated in Christ for the life of the world - have mercy on us and help us today to be messengers of God's truth, even in our hometowns….

To the greater glory to God!
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit! AMEN!