Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year C 14th August 2022
Lectionary readings: Jeremiah 23 v23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews 11 v29-12v2; Luke 12 v49-56.
Justice and Peace.
Jesus asked his followers, “Why don’t you understand the right thing to do?” (Luke 12 v57).
Today’s gospel reading follows on from the one about faithful and unfaithful servants. Jesus is trying to help his followers with their thinking about what being ‘faithful’ really means. Just a few verses earlier he asks “Do you think I came to bring peace to earth? No indeed! I came to make people choose sides.” (Luke 12 v51).
This sounds harsh to our ears, but the point I think Jesus was trying to make is that justice needs to come first, before peace can be established, here on earth as it is in heaven.
Followers of Jesus have a choice to make, to be passive, accepting the world as it is, or active in changing it to be in harmony with God’s will for us all. Jesus is urging us to be radicals, to challenge the unjust ‘status quo’ and to campaign for a better world.
The Psalmist in his thinking about what the Lord God, as judge of all, considers to be the right thing to do, says,“Be fair to the poor and to orphans. Defend the helpless and everyone in need. Rescue the weak and homeless from the powerful hands of heartless people.” (Psalm 82 v3). People of faith do such as this.
Hymn writers, John Bell and Graham Maule, wrote this hymn ‘Inspired by love and anger’. (not in Singing the Faith, but published in ‘This is the Day’ a book of readings and meditations from the Iona Community.)
Inspired by love and anger, disturbed by need and pain,
informed of God’s own bias, we ask him once again:
‘How long must some folk suffer? How long can few folk mind?
How long dare vain self-interest turn prayer and pity blind?’
From those forever victims of heartless human greed,
their cruel plight composes a litany of need:
‘Where are the fruits of Justice? Where are the signs of peace?
When is the day when prisoners and dreams find their release?’
From those forever shackled to what their wealth can buy,
the fear of lost advantage provokes the bitter cry,
‘Don’t query our position! Don’t criticise our wealth!
Don’t mention those exploited by politics and stealth!’
To God who through the prophets proclaimed a different age,
we offer earth’s indifference, its agony and rage:
‘When will the wronged be righted? When will the kingdom come?
When will the world be generous to all instead of some?
God asks, ‘Who will go with me? Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen, will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome, will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow, will walk the road I show?
Bible quotations are taken from the Contemporary English Version.