A sermon by Maggie Prisk
Sunday 22nd July 2012
What goes around, comes around. History repeats itself. There is nothing new under the sun.
Over the last couple of weeks I have heard several discussions on the radio around the subject of circumcision. Periodically this matter is raised and aired whether on religious, moral, ethical or medical grounds however the latest focus appears to have arisen because the medical authorities (not the government) in Germany have decided that the practice of circumcision should be banned except for where there is a medical necessity for the procedure to be carried out. Naturally the Jews and Muslims are up in arms because it is so much part of their religious heritage. The practice clearly still has the ability to cause division and controversy.
Unlike many of Paul's letters, the epistle to the Ephesians seems to be more general in its approach rather than being written to address a particular issue or issues. Neither does it appear to have been written in response to questions which the young churches have posed to Paul to get his view of. And since I am neither of the Jewish or Muslim faith nor a man I do not intend to dwell on the ins and outs, rights or wrongs of the circumcision debate. However it gives us an opportunity to consider the 'reality of our unity in Christ'.
The pious Jews of Jesus' and Paul's day 'considered all non-Jews ceremonially unclean. They thought of themselves as pure and clean because of their national heritage and religious ceremonies'. The very familiar story told by Jesus of the 'Good Samaritan' is a good illustration of this point of view. The fact that Paul is addressing this issue suggests that it has given rise to divisions amongst the Christian communities to whom Paul is writing. He is very concerned that they should live together in unity having all been made alive in Christ because as he points out at the start of this chapter all were 'dead in their transgressions', Jews and Gentiles alike.
Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of the covenant relationship between God and his special people. When Abraham first circumcised all the men in his household, Isaac had not been conceived never mind born and Isaac was the promised son, the start of a whole new nation. It appears that the practice had slipped because at the beginning of the Book of Joshua it states that all those who left Egypt had been circumcised but all who had been born during the wanderings in the desert had not. The act of circumcision both in Abraham's story and the event recorded in Joshua are reflections of new beginnings. The old has gone, the new has come. In fact in the story of Joshua this is made quite clear because all those whom God said would not see the promised land as a result of the disobedience, had died in the dessert, these men that Joshua addresses were the new generation, a new start, a new beginning. The same is true for the Christians of Paul's time, through Christ whether they were from the Jewish faith or Gentiles, all who had become believers were part of the new beginning.
As so often is the case, when something is new, fresh and exciting people set aside their differences for the project, adventure or cause, but as things settle down the old prejudices begin to surface and when insecurities creep in then divisions come more and more to the fore. Instead of individuals pulling together for the good of the whole they begin to focus on their differences with the result that dissent and discord take over. Relationships, bands, businesses, sports teams - the list goes on and on, high profile break ups and splits, the the world watches as accusations are thrown around and what had been a successful union begins to disintegrate and pull itself apart. Paul doesn't want that; for the sake of the gospel he wants all believers to work together as witnesses to God's saving grace through the death of Jesus Christ.
In my wallet I have a number of loyalty cards. Cards which if I use them in a certain place will give me something back. I have a Costa coffee club card which gives me points every time I buy a drink in one of their cafes. I have a card from Marks and Spencer which gives me a free greetings card whenever I have buy six and and have the card stamped. I have Tesco club and Nectar cards on my key ring. Belonging is very important to most of us. For some it may only be wearing the colours of the football team you support. For others it might be a particular way of dressing which shows they are part of the group. Some go further by getting a tattoo or other identification as a more permanent reminder of belonging. Then there are those who go to the extreme of showing they belong by undertaking a task and sadly for those wanting to become a member of a gang it could involve attacking someone who has nothing to do with the group. To be accepted is part of who we are.
You have had a busy hectic week, you're exhausted and someone suggests you go away for a long relaxing weekend. Sounds idyllic doesn't it? The disciples were well and truly ready for a rest, they have lots to tell and they want time alone with Jesus to relate to him what happened when he sent them out but no sooner have the set out for their well deserved break when they arrive they realise that the people have got their first both times. But Jesus had 'compassion on them'. The people were looking to this young teacher to give them guidance and more importantly to heal their sick. They recognise their needs and are looking to Jesus to meet them. If the disciples had had their way they would have been sent back to where they came from but that's not Jesus' way. Jesus ministry is not only 'spiritual', (the story of his feeding a huge crowd sits in between the two parts of Mark chapter 6 we read this morning), he 'ministers to their every need, touching every part of their lives, accepting them, healing them, teaching them'. And is not just to individuals, when he arrives in Gennesaret the whole community has come out to work together to bring their sick to be healed.
However by the time Paul was writing his letters to the Ephesians both Jewish and Gentile Christians have become divided by the issue of circumcision. Part of the covenant relationship these believers were to demonstrate to others was 'the divine riches of God's grace' to those who did not believe. Yet again on our television screens and in newspapers are pictures of men, women and children fleeing from their homes and countries as a result of famine or war, searching for somewhere to live. 'What refugees want above all, assuming they are not able to return to their homeland is to be accepted into a new community where they can rebuild their lives and their families'. Nearly two years ago my nephew married a young Canadian woman. For the year after their marriage he waited, having provided masses of information, for his citizenship to come through, until it did he couldn't leave the country without the penalty of beginning the process all over again. Now he was not a refugee but in many ways it is the same, he has been accepted into a new community. The relief felt in my sister's family when he got both his citizenship and his work permit was immense, for refugees too getting their passports is the sign that they have been accepted.
Paul wants the Christians to work together, for there to be unity. He wants the Gentiles to recognise that they have hope because of Jesus' death and resurrection, they have been received into God's family not because a ritual has taken place but because of the love and grace of God. He wants the Jewish believers to accept their right to be God's special people but not because they have been circumcised but like the Gentiles they too were lost and in need of the saving, healing power of Christ's death and resurrection. This was the new beginning, the new start, the 'creating of a new humanity which is radically different from both groups and open to all'. The issue of circumcision was dividing the fledgling church and possibly putting off others who might be in need of God's mercy, healing and acceptance. God has accepted both Jew and Gentile, 'they are all citizens of God's people and members of God's household'.
Abraham and the nation of which he was the founder had a covenant with God their side of this agreement was to be a blessing to all nations. The challenge for us today is to 'work in the power of the Spirit, both to break down social and ethnic barriers within the church, and to encourage those currently outside God's people to become part of his new creation'. The cross means nothing if divisions persist whatever their origins, the cross also means 'peace between believers and peace with God, in a community where God himself dwells'. We like the Israelites are to be a blessing to others and divisions will hinder that, we are all members of God's household and part of his new humanity which lives together in unity.
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