Bible Sunday (Proper 25) – Sunday 27th October 2024 – St Peter’s, Stanley (Eucharist)
Isaiah 55: 1-11 | 2 Timothy 3:14-4.5 | John 5:36b-end
Now I don’t know about you, but I am privileged to own more than one Holy Bible.
I’m sorry, i’ll start that one again…
Now, I don’t know about you, but I am extremely privileged to own more than one version, translation, copy, format, style, iteration, or whatever…. Of the Holy Bible!
Yes, some of them look old and some not so much.
Some are in the form and style of yesteryear, and some look and sound modern and almost cool! (Whatever that might mean to you).
In some the text is tiny, and in the rest, well to be honest, the text isn’t that much larger…!
Which is why, for me, some of these treasured books are not books, but are digital versions with text that is more visible….even in the dark!
Some were gifts, some purchased for study, and quite a few were rescued from the library of my parents. Growing up in a vicarage, I never got a helpful response to my sensible questioning of “why are there so many bibles in this house…?”
They say there is safety in numbers….. other books of the Bible are available.
Perhaps you also have several Bibles, or maybe just one that is treasured; an heirloom or gift, or as you travel fast and light in this world, it’s just on your phone….
The Holy Bible, in all its forms, is at the core of our Christian journey into Discipleship.
The words found within its pages – the stories, the law, wisdom, poetry, joy, misery and hope – all humankind is there, as are all of the challenges faced by humankind in every age of the world.
You know your scripture…!
You may have learned it early in life… maybe now recalling passages from memory (wow!)
“All scripture is inspired by God….” (16)
And however it dwells within you… NOW is the time to “proclaim the message” regardless of how the land lays in this or at any other time.
Not just to shout it out – for even scripture without context or teaching or just someone to help explain – can be worse than useless. Yes the Holy Spirit will open the ears and eyes of anyone who wishes to hear or see…. But it needs something to work with – US!
And as Paul warns, in his letter to Timothy, the time is coming when people will turn away, cease to listen, and find new gods….
Surely that time has ever been with us…. We will always be challenged in this way… and we cannot turn aside from the mission given to us!
It is a responsibility….
Scripture is a responsibility.
To treasure its words and what they might mean….
To ensure that it prevails across the years…
To absolutely make sure others have a chance to hear and understand…
And yet there is even more that is our responsibility.
John helps us with this…
Jesus was chastising the scholars of the day – who were searching scripture for some route to eternal life… although it doesn’t seem like they knew what that was.
Now that sounds modern already!
Moses had given them The Law, as given to Moses direct from God….
And it was woven throughout the books of what we call The Old Testament.
The Law was to help Israel live: amidst all of its travels and disasters and battles, that they could hold on to their history and identity across the years.
But God wanted their hearts to know of His love for Creation – for them.
Jesus acknowledged Himself in what Moses taught.
Do they not see?
They had The Law… but there could be so much more….!
The Christ does not seek glory and worship from people…. He seeks only that the love of God is known, and that such love will indeed become The Way.
Jesus offered Eternal Life. Just not what they were looking for.
The truth would be there, in their scripture, if only they could make the connection with what they read and the very real presence of Jesus before them.
In all the “knowing” of scripture… of learning, memorising or even in the study and interpretation of The Word; if all that remains is learned knowledge, then where is love?
And what would ultimately be the point of such an endeavour?
So what is it that we should claim responsibility for?
The physical book? Well, personally I would not like to see any book thrown on the fire of other people’s ignorance or judgement, especially a holy text. It’s not just the loss of something physical, but more so the act of destroying something that others hold as being valuable or special. Is that problematic though?
Do we take a responsibility for the ways in which the Bible is spoken of, or proclaimed… that the voices that are heard actually represent Christianity? Well, this one is more challenging as we all sense the Spirit in different ways, called to different ministries, as we strive to make sense of scripture. Although hopefully, there are many aspects in which we find common purpose, especially the words of Jesus. Although that is not guaranteed!
And we have a responsibility for vigilance that what we call sacred does not become broken, fragmented or even perverted. We may be challenged in these days by reading of Israels historical struggles alongside the words of Jesus. There will be many who seek to divorce the sentiments of Old and New Testament.
We will hear of those whose actions and attitudes are at odds with what we understand as Christian – with The Bible enduring desecration by aligning it with other perverse ideals and worldviews.
I have no easy solutions for such worries.
Pray God will guide us with these doubts and dangers…. And the fear that grows from ignorance and hate.
What then can we be responsible for daily?
I believe that we are blessed with a collection of books, of Old and New Testament, bound together, created to help us wonder at how God so loved the world.
It is written through the lens of a particular region and history, by many people – in ways that we can actually interpret as having a relevance for today. If only we might try.
And although that takes some degree of effort, we are not alone. We have each other and the legacy of wrestling with God’s Word for millennia…
Primarily, we have the Holy Spirt as our guide.
For being blessed with such a library of hope, surely The Holy Bible in all its forms must remain a living testament.
It may seem static in its words, even with different translations – but it has undergone change, over time, and in each generation there are new eyes and ears to bear witness to its promise.
I have encountered many who have held the Bible up as being the only book they need. I wonder what that means.
I believe we are called to read scripture and overlay it onto the world around us. Let it be our compass and guide, that others too might find their way. Now that’s a responsibility!
“Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.” – words attributed to Karl Barth, renowned theologian – intended to encourage Christians to look at all contemporary life, through the lens of faith.
The voices of dissent on social media are legion – those with no real idea of spirituality or faith, yet filled with condemnation for Christianity and its ‘magic book’.
For the many who have only ever encountered judgement, misunderstanding, and worse… in the realms of religion – they have yet to hear about Gods love, and the encouragement of Jesus to live in the light.
Back to shelves filled with bibles….
Yours, mine, long perished and those yet to be cherished….
I’ll be honest… although a little late in the day, perhaps…
I am not the best at reading the Bible. Far from it. Sorry.
It is not an everyday thing for me, and I don’t just mean I am undisciplined!
I often favour the words of others who have understood it better than me, and in whom I have confidence and trust… but I know where I must return to…
By always coming back to the Gospel words of Jesus, we are grounded.
I began my Lay Reader training with the sole aim of just knowing the Bible “a bit better”!
I’m getting there… slowly!
Yet the progress I make in living the hope of God’s love, the faith built upon those words of Jesus, now that is a progress that only God truly knows, and that I will only glimpse… a little more each day, for now.
I leave you with the words of Isaiah – powerful words of hope about the Word of God….from Chapter 55:
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
My sisters and brothers,
Keep reading, learning and loving!
Amen.
Image: James Coleman on Unsplash
Image: Aaron Burden on Unsplash