Sermon. No easy peace. No easy welcome.

 Sermon. 2 July 2023. Trinity 4 (Year A)

 

Jeremiah 28:5-9

Matthew 10:40-42

 

Our readings today are easy. They bring us ease. They bring us ease because they are short (that’s part of it). And you are hoping they inspire a short sermon (let us see). The readings give us ease also because their meaning is simple. And they give us ease because their simple meaning is attractive.

 

Our first reading, from Jeremiah, tells us of prophets who speak of peace.

Our gospel reading shows us Jesus, who tells us how important it is to welcome and be welcomed. What is not to like? Here is easy ease.

 

Except, of course (and you were expecting this), it is not quite that simple. Most especially with Jeremiah, it is not that simple. With Jeremiah, the message is very different from how it seems, when put into context.

 

What has happened immediately before our passage is that the prophet called Hananiah has prophesied [Jer 28:1-4]. He is the prophet of peace. His message is that Gd has triumphed over the enemy of the people of the covenant. Gd “has broken the yoke of the King of Babylon”. Gd will bring back the exiles in Babylon, and the people of Judah will live in peace, in their own land. This is a powerful message. Feel the force of it. This is a prophecy about peace coming with victory.

 

Then. Then Jeremiah responds. First, he shares the ardent desire of Hananiah. He says: “Amen! May the LORD do so; may the LORD fulfil the words that you have prophesied.” But, Jeremiah then says: just notice how out of character this prophecy is. He doesn’t dress it up. He says: “The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms.” And so, he then says, as for “the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes true, then it will be known that [Gd] has truly sent the prophet”.

 

Let me summarise. Jeremiah says:

“Dear Hananiah, the success you speak of would be lovely. It is scarcely what prophets tend to say, though. That doesn’t make it wrong, of course. But the thing is: we’ll believe it when we see it. We are right to be sceptical and say ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’.”

 

Jeremiah’s message is really against the prophet who presumes to speak of peace. And this is because Jeremiah’s message overall is that Gd’s people are going to be and stay in exile – to be in  a narrow place – for a long time to come. They need to bear that. They need to make the most of things. Without triumph . Without victory. Without ease.

 

And so to the Gospel. First let me reassure you. I am not saying that the message of the Gospel is the opposite of what it seems. But I am saying it is more complicated. It is not easy.

 

One part may already be clear. Jesus says it is a good thing to welcome a prophet. We have just reminded ourselves that prophets are typically people who bring bad news. It is a good thing to welcome someone who brings us bad news, who says things we find awkward, who says things that trouble us deeply, who says things which call us to action, action we would rather avoid. Can we welcome this welcome? That, I think, is a real challenge for us. A challenge for us as persons/disciples, as households, as church-in-this-place, and as a national Church.

 

Jesus also says it is a good thing to welcome a righteous person. To welcome a person who gets it right, who lives the good life. This feels like easier territory. Perhaps it is. I’ll add only that Jesus does not tell us to welcome the person who lives well in the ways that we live well, the person who sees things the way we see things. And we know (don’t we?) that there are people who we disagree with on nine things out of ten, who also live lives of goodness and holiness that we can only envy. The person who lives well, who is righteous, may – without even meaning it – shine a light on how we are not living well, are not living the good life. Can we welcome this welcome?

 

Again, Jesus says it is a good thing to welcome the little ones. Who are they? Babies, infants, children? I think they are included. But the term is broader than that. Let me put it this way: the “little ones” are those in need. Or better: the “little ones” are those who cannot hide their need, who come with their needs laid bare. Their needs are in your face. Their needs cry out for your response. For action, more action. Can we welcome this welcome?

 

We know, I think, that we are called to these kinds welcome, in our own place, in our own day.

We are called to welcome those who speak awkward truths.

We are called to welcome those whose lives show us the failings in our own lives.

We are called to welcome those whose needs cry out for help, now.

 

Brothers and sisters, you will make the links, the church links, the social links, and the political links. The links need to be made but I need not make them for you. My prayer is only that we reflect on our readings today, and find them (forgive me for this) anything but easy.

 

Amen.