Reflections: October 2021

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Twenty Second Sunday After Pentecost 24 October 2021, by Dr. Peter Youngblood. The scripture readings that day : Job 42:1-6, 10-17 (O.T); Psalm 126 (O.T) and Mark 10:46-52 (N.T).

Bartimaeus is notable for being one of the few people that Jesus heals that is given a name. Mark is the only Gospel writer to give him one, but he can be found in all three of the synoptic Gospels, that is Mark, Matthew, and Luke. He is most likely the unnamed beggar in Luke, and one of a pair mentioned in Matthew. In each case, Bartimaeus is found outside the city, along the road that Jesus and his followers must walk to get to the Son of God’s final destination in Jerusalem.

Bartimaeus is just one of many people we meet in the Gospel who lives in the margins of society. These individuals are often physically handicapped in some way, and this handicap makes them impoverished and socially and spiritually outcast. Bartimaeus was blind, and in Jesus’ time there was no braille, no guide dogs, and no social support. At that time, a blind man’s only option was to be poor and to beg.

And because he was blind and poor, Bartimaeus was also a social outcast. As a poor beggar, he could expect to receive alms from Jewish passers-by, but other than that, people would not have cared about him. To them, he would have been a non-person, and they would have barely noticed him sitting at the side of the road. Or at least, they wouldn’t have noticed him as long as he kept to his “place.”

But, he doesn’t keep to his place, does he? In today’s text, he speaks out!

They say that when we lose one sense, the other senses become sharper, and blind Bartimaeus apparently has very good ears. As the great crowd of people passes by on their way out of Jericho, he hears the name Jesus of Nazareth amidst all the hubbub. By this point of the story, people know of Jesus and what he has done, and—more crucially—who he may really be. Despite being an outcast, Bartimaeus knows this too. “Jesus, Son of David” he calls out. “Have mercy on me.”

But it’s at this point that Bartimaeus goes from being a social afterthought to becoming a big problem for the crowd; He is immediately told to “be quiet” by many. There could have been several reasons for why he is shouted down. Maybe people thought Jesus was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem, and that he wouldn’t have time for a blind beggar. But that seems a bit presumptuous, after all we’ve seen Jesus do up to this point. He has turned no one like Bartimaeus away.

Another reason he may have been shouted down was that people didn’t want to call attention to Jesus. After all, this was a dangerous time for Jesus and his followers. And it wouldn’t have helped that Bartimaeus called him the “Son of David,” a title for the Messiah. That kind of thing was sure to get angry attention. But again, by this point Jesus would have been pretty well known, and he was hardly hiding. He had gathered many followers, had attracted a huge crowd, and was, at this point in the story, knocking on Jerusalem’s door.

The simplest explanation for why Bartimaeus was told off is that was just an embarrassment for people. Think about how you feel when you pass a panhandler on the sidewalk. For me—and this is hard to admit—there is nagging urge to not look. Looking would expose me to feelings of shame, guilt, perhaps even disgust. I dread the possibility of eye contact, because then that would oblige me to see them as a living, breathing, human being with needs. Because it is so inconvenient for us, our social instinct is to not recognize certain people as people.

Explicit poverty isn’t as common today, in a developed city like Hong Kong, as it would have been during Jesus’ time. Back then, beggars were expected to be around. Though they were often forced outside the city gates, the destitute were still expected to be somewhere to receive alms, and charity was religious duty. The poor and lame, like Bartimaeus, still had a role to play, even if that role was a pathetic one.

And many at the time would have said that those like Bartimaeus deserved that role. In the ancient world’s version of causality, people were blind, crippled, sick, and poor for spiritual reasons. Often the assumption was that their problems were their own fault, or the fault of their ancestors. Bartimaeus, or someone in his family line, must have done something wrong to cause him such bad luck.

Now we, today, should know better than this. We’re familiar with the story of Job, and Job, by all accounts was a righteous man who suffered undeservedly. His story has taught us that there isn’t really a strong connection between our actions, good or bad, and what happens to us. We believe God does reward the righteous eventually, but on Earth, the good often suffer and the bad are often rewarded. Such is the mystery of it all.

But we sometimes forget that, blaming the downtrodden for the own misery when we should be looking at other causes. And during Jesus’ time there was still this pervasive belief that people are lucky or unlucky due to their spiritual and moral character and actions. This is why the disciples are always so surprised by Jesus’ extraordinary ministry to the sick, lame, and poor. He even cares for those who contemporary Jews would have seen as openly sinful, like tax collectors and prostitutes. This is also the kind of primitive moral understanding that made James and John think that they deserved a high rank beside Jesus Christ in his glory, as was read about last week. Their sense of entitlement came from their belief that they were among the most righteous, and the most able to drink from the Cup of Christ. Because of who they thought they were, they thought they were destined to sit at the right and left hands of the Savior.

Bartimaeus was supposed to have a very different destiny. But the moment he spoke out, Bartimaeus asserted himself. By doing so, he challenged social and spiritual conventions. This made him an inconvenience and an embarrassment for many in the crowd. He became an inconvenience for the followers of Jesus, who did not want to delay the “glory” they thought would be found Jerusalem. And he became an embarrassment for those who thought themselves more righteous than a blind beggar.

And those chastising Bartimaeus could have easily been residents of Jericho, which had been rebuilt by King Herod into a modern, successful city. Whenever a great figure like a politician or a Queen visits a town or city, it’s the habit of the populace to hide all the ugliness. Would it have been any different during Jesus’ time? Citizens of Jericho would have wanted to show off their prosperity, not their poverty.

Bartimaeus was where he was supposed to be, outside the rebuilt walls of that famous city, performing his simple, pathetic role. He could not see, but nor was he supposed to speak. Only the “righteous” had a high enough status to call out to Jesus.

But in matters of the Spirit, high status is not conveyed to those who think they are the most deserving. In fact, those who think they are the most deserving are the ones you need to be careful of, because those kinds of people fail to see their weaknesses. They fail to see that they act not out of true righteousness, but out of self-promotion. It is not God they love, but power and their own ego. They are blind in thought and spirit.

But though he was physically blind, Bartimaeus’ spiritual eyes saw Jesus Christ clearly. Bartimaeus made no explicit demand of Jesus like the Sons of Zebedee did. He did not ask Jesus to heal him in order to prove who he was. He simply recognized Jesus for who he is—the Messiah—and asked for mercy. It is only after Jesus came and asked what he wanted that Bartimaeus made his specific desires known.

Through faith, Bartimaeus was as clear-eyed as Job was at the end of his sufferings. Even after all he had endured, the poor man humbled himself before God as if he were a sinner. He repented in the dust and ashes. The substances from which he came, and to which he would return.

And here, in Mark 10, is a man who has received less than nothing all his life. By all rights Bartimaeus has a valid complaint against God. Why have you made me blind, he could ask? Why have you left me poor? Yet, like Job, he prostrates himself before the Glory of the Lord, asking for mercy.

Bartimaeus is humble, and this humility earns him the reward of renewed sight. But in his humility Bartimaeus is also very bold. It was a brave thing he does, calling out to Jesus. In doing so he breaks the social norms of the time. As a blind man and a beggar, he is not supposed to shout out to a man of Jesus stature. But the thing is, it is only by breaking these unspoken rules that he can make Jesus see him. It is the only way to make us see him. If forces us to see Bartimaeus as a person, not a non-person.

But wait, you might ask, doesn’t Bartimaeus have a bit of advantage in this kind of thing? After all, his whole life has been one of forced humility. He, like all marginalized, ignored, and mistreated persons, is acutely aware of being insignificant in front of his fellow human beings. Does this not make those like him more humble before God? What of those of us who are “too privileged” to have this mentality?

But If Bartimaeus had any real advantage, it was his faith. His faith gave him the strength to endure and praise God despite all his own misfortune. It is also his faith that gave him the strength to shout out and say: “Son of David! Look at me. Have Mercy on Me. I am a person.”

Certainly, not all of us can be so bold. And if we are being honest, most of those who are in Bartimaeus’ position aren’t either. Most of those in poverty can’t assert themselves like that. The poor and lame are diminished by hunger, disease, age, and sadness. There are those that assert themselves. There are those that do confront us and demand to be seen as people. But often those people are quickly shuffled off to a place where they can’t bother us, like a hospital or—worse—a jail.

Had Jesus not responded to him, Bartimaeus would have been shuffled off to one of those places. But the Christ does respond to him. He does see him as a person. In so doing, Jesus Christ teaches a lesson to those of us lucky enough to call ourselves privileged. Those of us with working bodies, and with homes and jobs, have a special obligation to those who do not.

But to perform this obligation we have to be brave in our own way. We have to confront our own weaknesses. Particularly, we must overcome our tendency to look away from the evil and suffering that surrounds us. We need to force ourselves to not immediately look down at our cell phone when we pass a homeless person. We need to look into the eyes of the people around, even those we do not wish to see. We must even look into the eyes of those who may resent us, hate us.

By seeing other people as people, we are performing the first step in serving them. And this is what Jesus called us to do last week. To be glorified in God we must become servants, even slaves to one another. Bartimaeus knew this all too well. He “saw” himself as a servant, and that is what gave him to strength to speak out. As Christians, we must find the strength servitude to see Bartimaeus in all of those we might meet on the street, asking for mercy. However ugly the poverty we encounter might seem, however we might want to look away, we need to see it. Because underneath this ugliness there is beauty. That is, the beauty of faith.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, October 24, 2021

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Twenty First Sunday After Pentecost 17 October 2021, by Muriel Orevillo-Montenegro. The scripture reading that day : Mark 10:35-45.

Drinking from the Cup: What is the big deal?
The royalty and upper-class folks have a ritualistic way of drinking from the cup during their tea party. You must know the steps of how to drink from the fragile little teacup. In Psalm 23, the Psalmist says something about cup saying: “my cup overflows.” Some interpret this cup as a symbol of God’s overflowing providence and generosity. During the wedding in Cana, cups also overflowed as water turned into the best wine. Then, Jesus asked: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?” What is the big deal about drinking from Jesus’ cup?

Today, October 17, is the 31^st commemoration of the UN’s World Day of Overcoming Poverty. But the World Bank said that this year, 163 million new poor, will join the 1.3 billion people already reeling in poverty before COVID-19. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are also faltering with only 15 years left to end poverty. It is bound to fail, unless the government leaders, who are in cahoots with unscrupulous companies, would their practices of corporate kleptocracy, of unrestrained corruption, even amid the pandemic. They should stop bingeing on the cup of greed!

Mark, a companion of Paul, and later a disciple of Peter, wrote the gospel to the “Gentile converts” when he was with Peter in Rome. These people must have been traumatized by the Roman siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 70 C.E. Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian waged imperial conquests, and brought chaos even in Rome.

Mark reflected on Jesus words passed on to him by Peter through stories. He wrote the gospel around some 36 years have passed, after Jesus’ crucifixion. He traced the story of Jesus’ journey for us to understand the question, “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?”

Jesus’ Journey: from Dalmanutha to Jerusalem via Jericho
The pericope of the text makes us see the events surrounding the story in Mark 10:35-45. Jesus took a long walk from Dalmanutha (Magdala) to Jericho, making stops in some towns along the way.

On their way to Capernaum, the disciples were arguing. Upon arrival in Peter’s house in Capernaum, Jesus asked the disciples: “What are you arguing about?” The disciples just kept silent. They did not want to tell Jesus they were arguing who was the greatest among them.

Then, Jesus left Capernaum and went to “Judea and beyond Jordan.” There, more people came to listen to Jesus, who was teaching about a broad range of topics: the commandments, marriage, divorce, giving one’s wealth to the poor, and called them to follow him. Jesus, however, hinted that it was “easier for a camel” than the disciples to enter the kingdom of God.” Peter protested, saying that they have already left everything to follow Jesus. Jesus responded calmly: “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” The disciples failed to understand.

All these incidents and discourses took place during the long walk of around 163 kilometers from Bethsaida to Capernaum, and on to Jericho. Jesus aimed to walk 45 kilometers more to Jerusalem, in time for the Passover. On the road, Jesus was walked ahead of the disciples. The people were amazed at Jesus. But “those who followed were afraid.” It was probably because they already got a scolding from Jesus a few days before that. Jesus noticed the disciples’ behavior, and so he took them aside. Then he began to tell them about the possible consequences of his ministry: that he will be arrested, humiliated, and killed, but he will come back to life. Still, the disciples did not understand.

The Ambitious Sons of Zebedee
While on the road, James and John demanded that Jesus reserve for them seats beside him, in his glory. Jesus was probably shocked at the rudeness of the sons of Zebedee. They made a demand, not a request. But he replied: “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” The brothers, without thinking, quickly responded: “Of course, we can.” There was “too much heaven on their mind.” Jesus replied: “Okay, but I am not the one who grants who would sit beside me, as it for those for whom it is reserved.” Can you imagine the angry faces of the ten disciples directed towards James and John when they heard all this?

Imagine Jesus’s frustration. The disciples had been with him for three years, listening to him preaching and teaching, and witnessing his works of healing and feeding the hungry. But until this moment, they did not understand him. So, taught the disciples the most crucial, final lessons of the day.

First, Jesus taught that the disciples must behave differently from the “Gentiles.”
In verse 42-43b, Jesus called the disciples and said: “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you.”

Jesus was pointing to the “great ones” of Rome who lord it over the people, that even some members of the Roman Senate called their emperors, at some point as tyrants. In 66 C.E., some 36 years after Jesus’ crucifixion, the Jewish revolt erupted. That was 150 years after Pompey captured Jerusalem in 63 BCE. In Jesus’ time, the Roman empire oppressively controlled Palestine. Emperor Nero sent his general, Vespasian, to suppress the rebellion. When Nero and his two successors died in the same year in a row, Vespasian became the emperor in 69 C.E. Vespasian imposed heavy taxes on the people of the empire to fund his infrastructure projects, including the Colosseum, and killed those who opposed his policies. He commissioned his son, Titus, to finish off the Jewish rebellion. Titus timed the attack during the Passover, trapped and starved the people and pilgrims in Jerusalem. This was the context of Jesus’ usage of the word “Gentile’s great ones” as tyrants, who lorded it over the people.

James and John displayed an attitude that reflected a culture that gives a premium on rank or social standing. They reflected the practices of self-importance and placement, not just of the Romans but also of the institutionalized Judaism in those days. In the Rabbinic writings, the meal seating orders were observed. This seating arrangement was also observed in the Qumran Rule of Community. James and John desired distinction and recognition. They wanted status, and prestige more than the others. In Jesus’ eyes, they were no different from the “Romans, the Gentiles.” Until now, some people continue to follow this system during meals on special occasions, especially when a “big” personality is present. The host would prepare the so-called “head table,” or, let the “VIP” sit at the “head” of the table, the “cabecera” (‘above’ from Sp. cabeza). The rest of the guests would be seated according to rank and prestige.

Are we not like James and John sometimes? Don’t we have that desire in our heart to gain prestige or rank? We would post a banner on our fences or on FB walls for people to congratulate us, and for us to congratulate ourselves. Sure, psychology says we need affirmation and recognition, and that is fine. But when we go beyond the boundary and want people to bow before us, that is worrisome. We must be conscious not to cross the thin line towards the other side that would make us egotists, narcissistic, and boastful of our desire to sit at the throne of glory beside the VIPs. Some even wanted to be kissed by the VIP.

Second, Jesus taught that those who want to be great must first become a servant.
In Mark 10:43-44, Jesus urged the disciples not to imitate the Roman and Jewish leaders(μέγας). He asserted that whoever wishes to become great among the disciples must be a servant, and whoever wishes to be first “must be slave of all.” The noun “diakonos” in Greek refers to one who waits upon tables, serving food to the master. This position of service, in the Greek world during those times was regarded as undignified and demeaning. It indicates that one has a low social status. Only the poor deserves to be a diakonos. Even Plato once asked: “How can a man be happy when he has to serve someone?”

Jesus, however, re-defined diakoneo (διακονέω) or servanthood in connection with being “mega,” (μέγας) of being great. Diakoneo means personal devotion, servanthood. Jesus showed this new definition of servanthood by his humility and service. Jesus demonstrated that service is an embodiment of God’s love, and one’s love of neighbor. In this sense, service becomes a “visible manifestation of God’s love.” (James R. Edwards). But in church, some people also avoid holding office as diakonos, not because they do not have skills. They do not want to serve. It is more convenient to just sit in the pew and leave after service.

Up to this day, many people still associate servanthood with someone who has low status in life and poor standing in society. Many employers in Hong Kong do not treat well their domestic helpers and migrant workers would receive low compensation compared to locals with the same skills. Today, in the Philippines, the politicians are in the hysteria of preparing for the elections to become megas! They now begin to make promises and their common keyword: service to the country! Experience, however, tells me that most of these people would just abandon their promises. Instead of serving the people, they became tyrants!

Third, Jesus pointed out that discipleship is costly.
This is the highlight of Jesus’ call to those who wish to follow him. In Mark 10:45, Jesus asserted that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." This is Jesus’ answer to the question he posed to James and John in vs. 38: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Coming from the Jewish tradition of waiting for the messiah, James and John though of messiahship as glorious. But they did not understand Jesus’s view of messiahship. To Jesus, a messiah gives one’s life for the people. A messiah struggles and defies the system and culture of lording it over others. So he asked them: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Jesus said this clearly before the crowd earlier (Mark 8:34), after he rebuked Peter: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Yet, the disciples could not, or probably just refuse to understand. Being a follower is not about wearing a golden cross around our necks. We are called to follow by walking behind Jesus’ footsteps and doing what Jesus did. It means attending to ordinary people who are seeking liberation and salvation from their miserable physical and spiritual lot. In a sense, it meant atonement, at-one-ment. When Jesus forgives them, he made them whole again. These people are the ones who had no access to social services. Doing Jesus’ work sometimes requires rocking the boat of oppression. His work subverts the existing system that privileges only a few. Jesus’ works of healing and teaching were a judgment against the system that brought suffering to the people. For Mark, Jesus was determined in overcoming evil forces and defying the power of imperial Rome through his ministry. That was why Jesus warned the disciples and those who witnessed his ministry not to tell anyone about it. But his works could not be hidden forever. The authorities would find out. He knew it. If it is in the Philippines these days, he would be red-tagged and could be killed extrajudicially.

Jesus calls on the follower to drink his cup and go through his baptism. Following Jesus is not a tea party. But Jesus showed there is joy and happiness in the fellowship among those who are serving and willing to give up their lives to serve the oppressed. Mark uses the word “ransom” or lytron (λύτρον). This Greek verb means money or price paid to free a slave, to free the prisoners of war, or to buy the freedom of the victims of piracy. Sometimes, a ransom was in terms of the exchange of prisoners. It was a common practice in Greek and Roman warfare. Those who have no one to buy their freedom would either be enslaved or killed. Mark used the word “ransom” to signify Jesus’ actual, real act of liberating the people from misery.

Today, taking seriously the call of Jesus in Hong Kong or the Philippines could be scary a bit. But Jesus does not call us to make an unnecessary sacrifice. Yet, when times call for it, we must be ready. It is not easy to be a true Christian. But if you want to be one, take it seriously. Fear and anxiety are real. Fear, however, is an occasion for us to reflect and discern what is happening in society. Anxiety could lead us to understand the way of Jesus, the way of Christ. Discipleship is costly. Dietrich Bonhoeffer took discipleship seriously. There are people – priests, pastors, farmers, lawyers, doctors, teachers, activists, community workers in the Philippines – and yes, in Hong Kong too, who did the same in light of their faith.

If Jesus were here today in KUC, and ask: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” Can we tell him, “Yes, we are able?” Are we ready to follow his steps and embody Christ to serve and give our lives to others? Can we be Christ to each other? Remember, Jesus said: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” May the Spirit disturb us from our complacency and help us truly follow Jesus, who showed us the meaning of the word Christ. Amen.

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, October 17, 2021

Justice and Compassion in Action

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost 10 October 2021, by Dr. Doris Lee & Revd. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day : Amos 5:6-7, 10-15 ; Mark 10:17-31.

About Amos (OT) by Doris

Amos and Mark have similar messages for us today. God expects us, you and me, to be the ones to uphold social justice. From Amos, chapter 5, we are reminded: Follow God. Uphold justice among you, my people, and in society. And you cannot consider yourselves righteous, while you are in security and comfort and your brothers and sisters are not.

It’s not a message most people want to hear. We often think we are on the side of good, and know injustice when we see it - and it is with other people. We feel rage towards them, but it blinds us to how we may be unjust ourselves, in our own communities. And we also can see in Hong Kong and in many places, that it is dangerous to be on the side of justice and against ones in power. It makes it all the more easy to excuse ourselves and even assure ourselves: I’m not a saint, I’m not a hero. I admire my brave brother or my generous sister, but everyone can’t be like him. This is normal in all of us. Things come to our minds to tell us that we’re doing OK, while justice is something for professionals or saints, or exceptionally brave people, to achieve.

But Amos left us with just that kind of message- a message which at that time he directed to the people of Israel, the chosen people of God. He condemned Israel harshly, and called Israel to repent and fully return to God. Amos said:

Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground! (5:7)

He goes on:

Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. (5:11)

These messages, are for us In Hong Kong – and in many places in the world - we are like Israel in the time of Amos. In Amos’ time, the rich had fortresses, they had mansions and winter and summer houses, beds of inlaid ivory, and the finest lotions, they had wine by the bowlful.

In Hong Kong, like Israel in Amos’ time, the wealth inequality is severe, as most of us are aware. There is enormous wealth here. 70 of the world billionaires are based on Hong Kong, juxtaposed with great poverty and exclusion. And from the Pandora papers that were leaked to the global media recently, we know that national leaders, ones entrusted with the care and growth of their countries, having been pocketing away private wealth publicly gained, to the tune of

trillions of dollars.

So this is one of the first and main messages of Amos. This is the kind of extreme wealth inequality is a social injustice that Amos condemns. But all kinds of inequality in a community degrade people and break relationships, because it brings humiliation. The poor, the uneducated, the sick, the low status, the excluded people… they are all people whom God loves, and God expects us as Christians to love them too, and take them as your people, and bring justice and equality. When we don’t, but let the injustice and inequality go on, this angers God.

But two more things make it worse – make God even more displeased. One is: rejection of critics and truth-tellers.

Amos says: They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. (5:10)

Is this not something we also see in rulers around the world? In Hong Kong, we have seen leaders remain indifferent or even stifle criticism. And in Russia, and the Philippines, leaders also reject and threaten journalists, which is why their job is so dangerous. People turn away from critics. And Christians do the same.

In recent news, we have seen that hundreds of thousands of children, mostly boys from 9 to 13, have been sexually violated by Catholic fathers and others in the French Catholic Church. The children cannot be blamed. Many victims and their loved ones had tried to hold the church accountable. But they were rejected, they were ignored. Those leaders in the church – they did what they thought was right, what was best for the institution. We also have to make sure not to reject truth and criticism when it comes to us.

And the other thing which Amos tells us angers God is: religiosity while leaving injustice among us and around us. Christians count themselves as good, for their charitable works, for their law-abiding lives, their good acts doing good things. Yet still our desire for justice and equality can still be missing. We may still be keeping for ourselves, unequal knowledge, unequal resources, unequal power. God does not want our unthinking “good” acts or our pious acts – when we still fail to follow God and reflect our love and faithfulness to God, through our care and respect for our fellows in Christ. We may still be giving power to the powerful, taking from the poor and silent to the rich and dominant, accepting inequality and hierarchy that is against love and unity of community we seek.

Amos likewise had reminded the people of Israel: God does not treasure your religious acts, when you are not putting God first, and relying wholly on Him. He will instead be angry and reject it. “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them.” (5:21-22)

We are challenged to ask ourselves, as a church as well: how have we made sure that no weak person is excluded, and no voice suppressed? How do we make sure that it is not us, who takes from the poor and builds for the rich? As Brother Aime said last week about unity – it starts with us, within our church. To examine ourselves, our relationships – establishing equality and justice with our sisters and brothers next to us.

Amos reminded us how easy it is for the people of God, which is us now, to get complacent, to turn justice to wormwood, and to reject criticism. We believe we love justice, and hate injustice. But justice, like unity, are for you and me to seek. It is very possible, they are in each one of us, to achieve. The first step is, to “seek the Lord, that you shall live.” I believe the message continues in the New Testament. So I pass now to Phyllis.

N.T. by Phyllis

In the Old Testament, Amos had addressed Israel, God’s chosen people. In the New Testament, Jesus came to fulfil God’s law and he has called the church to be the chosen one.

1 Peter 2:9 says : “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people..”

Like the people of Israel, we Christians are chosen as God’s people. (1 Peter 2:5, 9-10). With the love and mercy granted to us, God expects us to remain faithful and follow His Will. Same as in Amos’s time.

The love of God and the justice of God are not contradicting each other, but rather, they are tied to each other. God wants us to be a united community, with faith in Him and reflecting His love in our relationship with each other. When there is injustice, God’s people are being hurt and His love being taken for granted.

Turning to today’s New Testament reading in Mark –

The gospel reading we heard today is taken from Mark 10: 17-31. It is a good passage to reflect on our theme for today: justice and compassion in action.

The passage talked about a rich man. He believed himself to be already very good, because as a decent law-abiding Jew, he had kept all the laws required of him since he was a boy. He went to Jesus asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus told him to sell what he owned, and to give the money to the poor, and then come follow him. And he was sad for he had many possessions.

Jesus confirms to us, through this story, that being religious and following the law are incomplete ways to follow Jesus and gain eternal life. Jesus’ radical command and teaching to sell all his possession and share with the poor posed challenges to disciples in his time and of today.

First, it is a challenge to the accumulation of wealth by the rich and the unequal wealth distribution between the rich and the poor in society. Poverty is related to injustice. The people who have more power and possession accumulate wealth for their own interests. This is greed and unjust social structure that makes poverty worse. But we often fail to recognize this. For church, doing charity is not enough. We need to challenge unjust systems and exploitation, and to ensure equal share of resources and power amongst all.

The second challenge that we are given is the mentality of the rich man: “I have done what is required. I have done it my whole life.” But Jesus, and Amos (as Doris had clearly explained earlier), challenge us to break through our complacency, which makes us believe that “we are good, we are better than our neighbours”. But in an unjust world where our brothers and sisters are still suffering, our work as a Christian community is not complete. We are called to follow Jesus, to give all that we have to advance his Kingdom of justice and love, to uphold the dignity of our sisters and brothers with all our efforts.

In the gospel story about the rich man, we should notice that Jesus loved the rich man too. Jesus tried to liberate him from earthly attachment. Attachment is source of suffering. Jesus has strong compassion to everyone even the sinners.

Jesus’ command on selling all possession and give to the poor is a divine way of love, love to connect, love of mutuality and love of equality.

Pope John Paul II has made a powerful statement - “Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich he has nothing to receive.”

When we are both giver and receiver, we are equal human being in God, mutually enriched and mutually blessed. This is a beautiful Kingdom of God where loving and equal relationship is cultivated.

Both Amos and Jesus reminded us God’s deep concern to justice because God is loving and compassionate. Justice matters to the church and to each one of us. The reason is clear and straight forward - we are One as God’s children, created in God’s holy image. One member of our body suffers we all suffer, God suffers too.

Sisters and brothers, let us join in one spirit to achieve justice and compassion in our united and loving action.

To close the sermon, I would like to invite you all to sing this song to let the message that we just heard sink in, and to seek God’s strength to build a Kingdom of ONE.

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

And we pray that all unity

May one day be restored

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will walk with each other

We will walk hand in hand

We will walk with each other

We will walk hand-in-hand

And together we'll spread the news

That God is in our land

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other

We will work side-by-side

We will work with each other

We will work side-by-side

And we'll guard each one's dignity and save each one's pride

And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love

Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love

# posted by Kowloon Union Church : Sunday, October 10, 2021

Reflections...

Are you able to drink the cup that I drink?

Justice and Compassion in Action

Archives