Epiphany 7

Gen 45:3-11; Ps 37:1-12, 41-42; 1 Cor 15:35-38, 42-50; Lk 6:27-38

The Venerable Ralph Leavitt, Honorary Associate Priest

Imagine, if you will, a small circular stained glass piece about 6 inches across, the type that you attach to a wall or a window with a small sticker on the back. We have one like that and I put it on the window right over the kitchen sink, so I can see it everyday. It has a nice stained glass design in it, and at the bottom is printed “Nothing is impossible with God”. This is certainly a scriptural statement that I believe. Nothing is impossible with God.

As I looked at the readings for today, this was the theme that came into my mind. We have 3 readings, very different from each other, and all present situations or ideas that seem truly impossible, but somehow, with God involved, they become possible.

Let’s start with Joseph. No doubt you remember that his jealous brothers threw him in a pit, and sold him for 20 pieces of silver to some Midianite traders who took him to Egypt. Years pass, and by God’s grace Joseph becomes a governor in Egypt under the Pharaoh. When by circumstance, Joseph first sees his brothers, he is harsh with them. However, quite incredibly, in our passage today Joseph is reconciled to his bothers. How can Joseph forgive his brothers who tried to kill him? Only by the grace of God. Here we see Joseph say “ God sent me before you to preserve life” and “it was not you who sent me here, but God”. It is with God that Joseph is able to forgive his brothers and be reconciled with them. We read; “And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them; and after that his brothers talked with him”. What seems like an impossible situation becomes possible through the grace of God.

In our epistle reading from Corinthians the apostle Paul is explaining about the resurrection body. Paul, using the metaphor of a seed that grows explains how we do have a physical body that will die, but that we also, as Christians, have a spiritual body that does not die, but is raised up. How can a dead physical body be raised up? It cannot. But, with God, all things are possible, and it is God’s will that we be with him forever. Hence, our spiritual body, our soul, will always be with God. Again, what seems like an impossible situation becomes possible through the grace of God.

And finally, our Gospel lesson. We read “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” How can Jesus be saying these things? It seems really quite impossible. It is quite impossible for humans, but with God, it becomes possible. For as a Christian, you are a child of God. You are part of the kingdom of God, and God’s kingdom is quite different than our earthly kingdom. God’s kingdom thrives on two main things; love and mercy. And by the grace of God, we do come to the place where love and mercy become the most important things in our lives. Take the example of Nelson Mandela, who was in prison for so long. Nelson actually loved the guards who watched over him. Nelson said that with faith he could be in a place of no fear., and that when you have no fear, no one can hurt you. It was from that place of no fear that he was able to love, and have mercy. He was able indeed to love his enemies. What seemed like an impossible situation became possible through the grace of God.

So we have three different reading showing us how God can radically change earthly impossibles into heavenly possibles. I am reminded of a Christmas book by Madeline l’Engle that tells of the miracle of the incarnation. It is titled “the Glorious Impossibles”. And that is what we have before us today, three readings that show us how, with God, glorious impossibles are possible. Reconciliation, resurrection, love and mercy.

I bring up this theme today because I feel we all need some glorious impossibles right now. There are just so many earthly things right now that depress me and lead me towards despair. One personal example, when I am preparing dinner and listening to the 6 o’clock news on the radio, I hear my wife Deborah’s voice coming from the study asking; “What are you yelling at Ralph?” And I answer, the dinner is fine, I am just listening to the news! It is depressing. Tense political situations, climate change, senseless violence, blatant racism, you know the list. And in some ways I feel that I can’t do much about it. It feels quite impossible. Ahh, there you have it, that word, impossible. Yes, in an earthly way things seem or are impossible.

However, as scripture teaches us today, we do not have to stop there. Not at all. Never stop there. Why? Because we are Christians, and with God, we know nothing is impossible. With God we live a life filled with grace. We live in a realm of glorious impossibles. Our Gospel tells us we are “children of the Most High”. We are children of the kingdom and we are called to build up the kingdom.

Our Associate Priest Deborah, in her sermon two weeks ago, gave us an excellent starting point. She told us;
“The antidote, my friends, is to go deep: to seek true holiness, that purity in heart which allows us to see God.” She urged us to marry “the work of our hands and our lives to the life of prayer. To be so profoundly grounded in prayer and in the truth of God’s love that we bear that love into all our life. It’s to know that in turning to God as our center, we are simultaneously turning toward the world, for all things are held in Christ.”

How true. All things are held in Christ, and we are followers of Christ. So how do we go forward in these difficult times? We pray and we move into action to spread the Good News. And as you could plainly see at our Annual meeting last week, we have not just stopped, not at all, but rather, with God, are running ahead as much as we can. Running the race not that the world has put before us, but the race that God would have us run.

A kingdom race if you will. I see signs of the kingdom all around us. To name just a few;

we feed the poor – with our the end of month lunch.

we care for creation – we have our ecological and social action committee.

we reject discrimination and judgment – with our support of Communitas for ex prisoners, and our LBGTQ+ groups.

we try to stop racism – with our anti racism committee and Black Lives Matter.

And if I may add something here. We had a wonderful Black Heritage event yesterday. The Lutheran Bishop of Saskatchewan, Rev. Dr Ali Tote was the Conference speaker. He was brilliant. One theme that particularly struck me was what his idea of what being an ally meant. In the context of the Beatitudes, when Jesus says that the poor and the hungry are blessed, of course he is saying that we should be an ally to disenfranchised people. Bishop Tote mentioned that if you are an ally with these people, if you are willing to stand beside them, and support them, then you will have to accept the fact that as these people are ignored and even have stones cast at them, as an ally, you will have some stones fall on you. He referred to the theologian Andre Chouragui, a Jewish Algerian who worked tirelessly for the World Congress of Religions for World Peace. This man, a Jew, made a translation of the Bible, not only the Old Testament, but the New Testament also. And when he translated the beatitudes, he did not write, Blessed are the poor, he wrote Stand up with the poor. Stand up with the hungry. Meaning, be an ally. Stand up, get up, and be with the poor, for in so doing, yours is the kingdom of God.

So bravo people of Christ Church Cathedral! Let us indeed continue to stand up and be an ally to all who are disenfranchised. Let us keep up the fight, and build up the kingdom.

On this Freedom Sunday, when we stand against all forms of human trafficking, I end with a prayer written for this day;

Eternal God, you comfort the afflicted and heal the broken. You have fed us this day by your Word of grace, freedom, and hope. Teach us to walk the ways of gentleness and peace in your world. Keep your people from callous indifference to racism, sexism, and violence, that your children from all four directions may flourish in the beautiful life that is your intention for creation. Amen.