We are Godparents
I grew up in the age of comic books and Super Heros. I remember Superman, Batman & Robin, The Lone Ranger, The Phantom, and some others. I loved watching them either in cartoons or on television, reading comic books. Now more recently, various movie remakes are about them. It always amazed me how they suddenly appeared when there was trouble and people needed help. These super-heroes would perform some superhuman feats of strength and save the day at the last possible second. These had all the ingredients to capture the mind of a young boy growing up. The thing that always impressed me was the way they conducted their lives in complete anonymity. Everywhere they went they left people wondering – “Who was that man?”, “Where did he come from?” Although they left people in a state of awe and wonder, they also left people wondering. They were very selective. Their secrecy impressed me, and it also frustrated me. I couldn’t understand why the people didn’t recognize them. It seemed so very obvious to me. In real life they looked exactly like the super-hero! Really, just a costume or a mask!
In our Gospel lesson today, Jesus asked his disciples what I believe is the most important question of their lives, “Who do you say that I am?” He asked the other question; however, I don’t believe the most important question at the time: Who do they say that I am!” To be fair, the most important question in all our lives is who do we believe Jesus is. Once we have that figured out then we are ready to respond to the “they” people in our lives!
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Canaanites called to Christ
Words have roots which are buried in our language and culture. Often, we may not know them, we forget, until we remember, but they are there just below the surface. If we dig just a little, we find them.
In today’s Gospel Jesus and his disciples encounter a Canaanite woman. That doesn’t mean much to us. Have you ever met a Canaanite? But that’s a loaded term for them. What does Canaanite mean??
After the flood, in Genesis chapter 9, Noah plants a vineyard. The vineyard produces grapes. Grape juice quickly becomes wine. (There was no such thing as grape juice until Thomas Welch invented a pasteurization process in 1869.) Noah has too much wine and passes out drunk, his robes are all akimbo and he is – ahem – uncovered. Awkward!
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Being the Kingdom
All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable. 35 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:34-35)
Today we touch on parables Jesus shares to describe The Kingdom of God: a mustard seed, yeast, a treasure, a pearl and a net full of fish.
This past week was very busy around here. Each morning a team led by Theresa Ryland showed up before dawn to prepare breakfast for the Lake Wales Care Center’s “Stay at Home Work Camp.” They run several camps each summer, where youth help low income homeowners with painting, minor repairs and new roofs.
Over 120 campers, plus their counselors and Care Center staff, would pour in each morning around 7:45, kick off their shoes and file in. They are just crackling with energy. They eat, then come into the sanctuary to hear a lesson, pray and then go out to work. While they are here, they reveal a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.
Here we see the parables of the mustard seed and yeast alive and active in our midst. The mustard seed is not actually the smallest seed, nor does it yield the mightiest bush, or a huge tree. The point here is that the bush is massively bigger than the seed, and we should take note of that. The kingdom of God is like that, and that it’s astounding when we get up close and look at what is come from very small beginnings, but we also know that it has a long way to go to reach all of God’s children.
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