Experiencing God in Ways We Might Not Expect

Collect for Tuesday in the Third Week of Lent

O Lord, we beseech you mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom you have given a fervent desire to pray, may, by your mighty aid, be defended and comforted in all dangers and adversities; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Experiencing God in Ways We Might Not Expect (Matthew 13:53-14:12)

What an odd combination of readings!  Check it out for yourself.  Doesn’t it seem a bit odd that Matthew would write about Jesus being rejected in his hometown, and in the next “breath” talk about John the Baptist’s death?  Sometimes I find it helpful to review the text and focus on the actions of the characters.  In this case, Jesus is rejected and the people are offended because someone they knew, someone they watched grow up as a child, could claim such authority.  They viewed Jesus as a child, and of course what child could have authority over them.  Even though they recognized Jesus’ “wisdom and these deeds of power” they could not bring themselves to accept what they just experienced.  I think today we would call this a major case of denial.  Even though they witnessed Jesus first hand, they could not accept him.

The story of John’s death takes place in the past.  This is Herod’s memory of John’s death.  And that caused me to look back to the first line in chapter 14 where Herod said, “this is John the Baptist”.  Herod recognized something in Jesus.  He recognized a divine power, the same power he saw in John.  And therefore thought Jesus was John resurrected.  And Herod’s response was fear.  He feared John because John spoke the truth to him.  John would not let him get away with marrying his brother’s wife just because he was king!  John called Herod to change, to repent and seek God again.

In both cases Jesus was recognized as someone of power, wisdom, and authority.  And in both cases he was resoundingly rejected.  At home because they “thought” they knew him and could not see past their current understanding.  They could not accept Jesus even though they were witnesses to his wisdom and deeds of power because it didn’t fit with their previous experience and understanding.  Herod understood Jesus to be a prophet but also knew that admitting that would mean he would have to confess his own sins and make a change in his life.

I think Matthew puts these stories together to show us that if we are to follow Jesus, we must be open to experience God in ways we might not expect, and sometimes if we do, we might hear or see something we don’t like in ourselves.  And yet, aren’t these concepts taught in self-help books, business leadership classes, support groups, and many schools?  Be open to new ideas!  Don’t be threatened by those ideas that challenge us!  Be willing to change!  And although we don’t follow this advice much better in business than we do in our spiritual lives, it must be good advice since so many have copied it from Jesus!

The Rev. Mark Moore

Rector

St. Paul's Church, Watertown