22 September 2024 Pentecost 18

Proverbs 31.10-31     Psalm 1    James 3.1-12    Mark 9.30-37

Our gospel today invites us to consider the threads of relationship with the other and our relationship with God.  They explore what it means to be ‘tuned in’ to God’s vision for our lives, both our family life and church life. 

This is the second time Jesus has spoken about his death, and, in true ‘human’ style, the response of the disciples is to work out who will be the next ‘leader’ of the group.  Because, in the context of honour and shame in which they were living, to have the community see you as a person of honour was the desirable thing.  The leader holds power, and given the following Jesus had, any new leader could potentially build on this.  But Jesus reminds them that in the kingdom of God, servanthood is more desirable than power or status and their focus needs to be humility and love above power and prestige.  And this presents a challenge for us today, are we looking for status or for service.

And because the disciples clearly still do not get what Jesus is trying to tell them, he tells them, and us, that when we welcome children, we welcome God.  And that is a very challenging concept to grab hold of not just for 1st century people but also for 21st century ones.  But when we welcome a child, we extend the simplest of acts to someone who society does not notice, more so then, but also in our modern days too.   Jesus invites us to welcome every person in the same manner, without regard for what their worldly importance might be.  And in this simple act of welcome, Jesus says, we welcome him, and in turn we welcome God the Father who sent him.  Jesus tells us that when we look at a child, we are looking at God.  Children do not understand status, they have no concept of power or importance, and Jesus tells us that to live like a child is the only way to enter his kingdom.

In our current climate of political and environmental upheaval, many of our young people, as well as some of our older people, are suffering from climate anxiety and despair about the future.  We need Wisdom to have a ‘listening ear’ for the voices of our young people and recognise that climate change is an intergenerational justice issue.

Our readings today are all examples of Wisdom Literature.  Typically, Wisdom Literature seeks to convey a message reflecting life experiences.  If you follow the message, your life will be blessed; if not, destruction is a real possibility.  Rather than the commonly understood scenario of – we sin, then God offers salvation; Wisdom theology shows us a different path.  God offers us salvation from the start, teaching us from the outset and guiding our thoughts and actions.  Wisdom literature calls for salvation and right living and tells us not to shame those who have acted unwisely, after all we might be one of them, and instead it offers the good news of salvation in the knowledge that no-one can act wisely all the time.

The call to salvation is then made not in response to sin and the need for forgiveness; but rather, in the promise that righteousness will bring blessing.  And this will hopefully lead us to choose wisely and follow God’s laws.

We often equate sin, ethics and morality with environmental damage.  The concept of environmental change coming from human activity, by definition, indicates that the changing climate and the loss of species is the direct result of human actions.  And Wisdom Literature shows us that our efforts should be put into unpacking the benefits of doing the right things, personally and globally, as well as informing us of the consequences of doing the wrong things.

But we can be assured that there is hope and God will honour all who honour God through righteousness.  And although we know that sin causes separation in our relationship with God, God offers healing to this relationship through his redemptive love on the cross.  However our relationship with God is severed when we fail to care for God’s creation.  So the call to salvation is therefore a call back to God’s goodness, not through anything we can do, but through God’s efforts and sacrifice.  Caring for creation is, for the Christian, a response to salvation and not a means of salvation.

Climate change, species loss and inequality, point to a lack of care for creation and each other, a lack that has often been caused by our focus on ourselves, our personal wellbeing and our financial success.  There are many things that have led to the current state of damage to creation, and some of them are way out of our control, but where we are able to take personal action, the right thing to do is to act with love for others and for creation.  And we are promised that, when we do this, it will lead to blessings and restoration of life, instead of destruction.  The call to salvation is a call to recognise that God offers both an opportunity for our relationship with God to be restored and also a reminder that this offer of salvation has always been present.

Mark’s gospel invites us to consider the meaning of greatness in terms of relational not unilateral power.  Those who are committed to service and honouring the least, are the greatest among us.  Greatness involves welcoming children and giving hospitality to the nuisances and nobodies in our midst.  In the same way as the greatest virtue is love, so the greatest people are those who love well, seeking beauty and bringing wholeness to relationships.  Love is oblivious to morals, which means it is often countercultural.  It does not conform to hierarchy, power relationships, possessiveness or cultural roles, it seeks healing and wholeness, freedom and creativity, beauty and growth for all the beloved, whether they be child or adult, spouse or friend, or even stranger.  Love may even involve sacrifice and suffering in order to achieve the greatest good.  Love is not about ‘me’ but about ‘us’; including the non-human world, and it also transcends social conventions, just like Jesus did, in order to be in alignment with God’s realm.

So are you ready to see God, when you look at a child, are you ready to see God in the unwanted people, the nuisances and nobodies of society, are you ready to see God in all of creation.  Can you welcome God as you care for creation and all peoples in that creation.