It’s hard not to be impressed by Volodymyr Zelensky’s optimism. Or Ukraine’s generally. They face such odds, such crushing brutality, such patent injustice; and yet he – and his people seem infected by it – continues to broadcast hope and confidence and optimism. For him it’s when Ukraine prevails, not if it does.
Is their confidence well-placed? Is there really any hope? Optimism can be ridiculous at times. A compulsive form of denial and pollyannarism.
Many leaders in history have been like Zelensky. Mandela and Churchill come to mind (although the latter was also a renowned depressive and pessimist!).
When is optimism realistic? When is pessimism sensible? And where does reality sit – somewhere in between?
Nothing personal, but first I’m going to pour cold water on pessimism, sorry. Before optimism gets critiqued in Part Two.
Pessimism stifles possibilities and too often feeds depression. According to American psychologist and educator Professor Martin Seligman, “Depression is the ultimate expression of pessimism.” And it doesn’t have to be: it’s an attitude that can be harried out of the room. Depressives will decry this, and say depression can’t be helped, it’s imposed from without, it’s chemical, it’s situational …
There is validity in this, and I truly don’t mean to diminish anyone’s struggle with it or aggravate their vulnerability to it. But I will quote a piece relevant to the issue. This is Martin Lloyd-Jones, influential twentieth century Welsh Protestant minister and medical doctor. He counselled people should wrestle with depression (and, by association, pessimism), to bully it out of the mind:
We must talk to ourselves instead of allowing ‘ourselves’ to talk to us … the main trouble in this matter of … depression [is] that we allow our self to talk to us instead of talking to our self … Most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself … You have to take yourself in hand, you have to address yourself, preach to yourself, question yourself. You must say to your soul, “… what business have you to be disquieted?” You must turn on yourself, upbraid yourself, condemn yourself, exhort yourself, and say to yourself, “Hope thou in God.” Instead of muttering in this depressed unhappy way. (Italics added.)
If you can!
A pessimistic mindset needs to be recognised, and consciously and determinedly dealt to. Professor Seligman agrees (with Lloyd-Jones), that we can change our mode of thinking:
The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last … will [happen again, frequently], and are their own fault. Optimists, confronted with the same hard knocks, … think in the opposite way … defeat is just a temporary setback … Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge, and try harder.
Mandela knew this, and overcame. So did Churchill, a depressive. Perhaps Zelensky will too, but only future events can vindicate his optimism, and confirm him as a Churchill or a Pollyanna. Because unwarranted optimism can be problematic too. (On which, and for an unpacking of ‘pollyannarism’, don’t miss Part Two.)
Meanwhile, reflect on these:
Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. (Nelson Mandela)
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. (Winston Churchill)
The essence of optimism is that it takes no account of the present; … it is a source of inspiration, of vitality and hope where others have resigned; it enables a man to hold his head high, to claim the future for himself and not to abandon it to his enemy. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
(Based on Luke 12:13-21; Hosea 11:1-11; Col 3:1-11)
In 1955 I was running in my school steeplechase. As I was overtaken by one of my still best friends, I heard him saying to himself, “Keep going! Keep going!” This could be the underlying theme of today’s three readings (and relevant, in the shadow of the current Birmingham Commonwealth Games) as we all “run the race that is set before us”: Keep going!
The book of Hosea has a sense of intimacy, as the prophet describes God’s relationship with Israel. God’s deep love for Israel as he calls and recalls his people is seemingly evident – even when “the more I called, the more they went away from me”. Yet, “how can I give you up, Ephraim, how can I hand you over, Israel?” God is the love that will never let Israel go; never let the church go; never let you and me go – ever. God’s call to us to keep on going.
We are to keep responding, keep going, keep running in the race set before us.
Never give up!
Paul in his Colossian epistle urges believers not to ease back into their old ways. They are to keep living out their indelible connection to Christ, in whom their life is hidden and protected. Don’t revert – or divert – from your call to live transformed lives. Don’t ease up. Keep going.
And so to Luke, and Jesus’s parable on greed, which is such a human flaw. “Be on your guard,” Jesus admonishes his disciples, “against all kinds of greed.”
What greeds might he be referring to?
The greed for money and things?
The greed for praise?
The greed for power?
The greed for attention? (Not least in our conversations?)
The greed for impersonal, sensual pleasure?
And so on … Also, on the world scene, there is the greed for domination, land and profits …
No, says Jesus, be rich towards God – that is the greatest treasure – for nations, churches and believers. Keep on growing as a person.
Time and again the Scriptures, and Jesus himself, keep encouraging us to keep going – keep walking on God’s way, up hill and down dale – never giving up. Keep letting God’s light and love shine through us.
This will involve,
Keep praying
together
and alone – being still and attentive in God’s presence
Keep reaching out to others
those we know
those we don’t
Keep seeking justice
locally
globally
Of course, we all need resources for the daily walk of discipleship, if we are to avoid wrong turns and side trips, and sustain our forward journey. May I recommend something like this – daily/weekly? (Most of us are probably giving it our best already.)
Early in the day, be still. Wait with a receiving disposition. “Contemplation is the spring which leads to right action, the stream.”
Access a resource that feeds your heart and soul and mind. It is likely the Scriptures and prayers will be part of this.
Have projects and involvements that build relationships with others … and that will build if you listen accurately and respond with empathy.
Seek to be informed about what is going on in the world, and locally – participate and pray – here, weekly, together. And alone. Have broad interests.
Give thanks, often, for this land of Aotearoa, and the planet – and walk outdoors as often as you can with your phone switched off.
Five simple guides – a pattern. All giving God time and space to grace and guide us – so we don’t lose heart, but keep going, forward. Joyfully. Courageously.
Let us all keep on going in the way God has called us; right to our end, which will be a new beginning!
Clearly this passage in Luke is about prayer, but not just prayer. It is actually about life in general.
The first word that came to mind when I read the readings for today was persistence, so I was pleased to find that Elisabeth Johnson in her commentary supported me in this thought. The word used in the NRSV is the Greek word anaideia, which translates as persistence. But a better translation may have been ‘shamelessness’. I will come back to this later.
Parents and grandparents know how persistent children can be when they want something. “Mum, can I have an ice cream? Dad, can you fix my bike? When can we go to the beach?” and, of course, when we’re going somewhere that takes a while, “Are we there yet?” They will ask a million times until they get what they want or are told very strongly not to ask again.
But if we need to keep praying persistently, is it because we think that God is deaf or is not listening, or that once is enough and that God does not need to be bothered any further? Be assured that God is not deaf and is always listening. Someone has written, “Persistence in prayer is the test to determine whether or not we are really serious about our request.” Further, “All worthwhile goals in life are reached by disciplined efforts. Why should we expect less in our prayer efforts?”
In today’s Genesis reading, the Lord was considering hiding from Abraham what he was about to do to the city of Sodom, but decided against it because he had chosen Abraham to become the father of a great nation, that would keep the way of the Lord. So, in the verses that follow we see a great example of persistence or shamelessness. This is a few verses on from last week’s passage when Abraham had three visitors. When the three men left, Abraham went some of the way with them. When they set out towards Sodom, Abraham stayed, standing before the Lord. He began asking the Lord if he was indeed going to sweep away the righteous as well as the wicked, even if only fifty righteous people were found in Sodom. Abraham kept asking boldly, some may say, audaciously, until he got down to asking if just ten righteous people could be found. Abraham was persistent, shameless, in his asking. We don’t know why he kept asking: perhaps it was because he knew his nephew Lot and his family lived there. (Reading on in the following chapters we find that Lot was indeed saved from the destruction of Sodom.)
To illustrate that God can be trusted to respond to our prayers, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent friend who goes to a friend at midnight.
Hospitality was of paramount importance in the biblical world, and when the guest arrived – even unexpected, at midnight – there was no question that hospitality must be extended. But the man does not have the provisions to do so, so he goes to his friend to borrow some, even though he must wake up the entire household.
I wonder how we would have reacted? Some of us would have been pretty upset, especially with that persistent knocking on the door. We feel empathy for the woken friend. Elisabeth Johnson says that in the culture of the biblical world, it is the woken-up friend who is behaving badly. The ability of his friend to provide hospitality, and thus his honour, is at stake. The woken-up friend would incur dishonour if he failed to help in this essential obligation. So, he will respond because of social pressure at the very least.
Jesus then continues, “So I say to you, ask and it will be given to you, search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.” (11:9-10)
Johnson says this is the most difficult part of the passage to preach because our experience contradicts Jesus’s words. So often we have asked and not received; searched and not found. In spite of our most fervent prayers for their health and safety, we have lost loved ones to illness and senseless accidents. In spite of the fervent prayers of people around the world, daily we hear of tragedies of violence, hunger, disease, and natural disasters.
If God is a loving parent who desires what is good and life giving (11:11-13), why do so many prayers seem to go unanswered?
There is no simple answer, although answers are often given. Another writer says, “I don’t know why some prayers seem to be answered and others are not. I don’t have any good answers or explanations but I have heard some really bad ones: ‘You didn’t pray hard enough.’ ‘You didn’t have enough faith.’ ‘You were asking for the wrong thing.’”
Elisabeth Johnson writes, “What can we say about unanswered prayer? It is wise to be wary of saying more than we can possibly know. We can, however, affirm what Scripture tells us: that God is all-powerful, yet God is not the only power in the world. There are other powers at work, the powers of Satan and his demons, the powers of evil and death often manifested by human sin.” 1 Peter 5:8,9 says, “Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.” Johnson again: “Although God has won the ultimate victory over these powers through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the battle still rages on.”
So, we dare to be persistent in our prayers, to keep bringing our needs and hopes to our heavenly Father, because Jesus tells us to do so, as he himself did, trusting in God’s loving purpose for us; and remember to give thanks. Psalm 138 tells us to give thanks with our whole hearts, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17,18 says, “Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I believe we should always thank God when we have asked, even before we receive the answer, because this shows we have faith in God.
Be persistent, and give thanks. Whatever the outcome.
Today’s reflection today, like the Gospel itself, is couched in hospitality. At St Francis Church we pride ourselves on being hospitable. We even see it as a core element in our church’s mission statement. Let me read it to you: “We are a community of faith who are inspired in worship to encounter a sense of the sacred and spiritual, as we journey in life together. We believe we each have a part to play in the Church and value our team approach to ministry. We are a hospitable, loving and supportive community who care for one another and the wider community to which we belong.”
Hospitality is something we understand. Or do we? In the Genesis reading this morning Abraham takes note of three strangers approaching. Without hesitation he rushes out to them and invites them to sit in the shade of his oak trees and partake of a feast which Abraham would organise for them. In keeping with hospitality protocols of the day, this offer came complete with foot washing! Also in keeping with hospitality protocols of the day, Abraham immediately turns to Sarah his wife and asks her to start making fresh bread, and enlists the servants to kill a calf and prepare it for cooking and serving. When things were ready Abraham served the meal to his guests.
Abraham Receiving the Three Angels (by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1667)
As it turns out these guests were not just ordinary travellers but ‘auguries’ who came to share news from God with Abraham about his impending fatherhood, telling him that his wife Sarah would have a son within the year! Many Biblical commentators think this sequence of events is the source of verse 2 in Hebrews 13: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
From the Genesis reading we glean that we should be disposed to hospitality, and be ready to extend it to all. We never know who we may be serving.
Turning now to the Gospel reading: We have probably worked out that, in this familiar reading, the supporting characters, Mary and Martha, are displaying two modes of hospitality. Martha is cast in the role of the host-provider, while her sister Mary takes the role of host-converser. These are my terms so I’ll explain …. Luke opens the encounter with Martha welcoming Jesus and the disciples travelling with him into their home. Jesus was well known to this family, as he is acknowledged elsewhere as a good friend to Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. This family was definitely aware that Jesus was the Messiah, and Martha refers to Jesus as “Lord”. So, after the greetings she then sets about preparing the feast she intends to put before their guests. So, host-provider.
As Martha busies herself with the tasks of preparing and serving the food, Mary takes a position at the feet of Jesus, listening to his conversation with the gathered disciples. She has engaged with the guests through talking and listening. So, host-converser.
Practically speaking though, all hosting situations require both providers and conversers to really work. The roles are probably played out in your homes when you have guests. In ours, Keri is usually the host-provider and I am the host-converser, greeting and talking. We all have different gifts after all! The roles are not set in stone but are varied according to the guests and the type of hospitality we are providing.
But the teaching point that emerges for us from Luke’s Gospel is not found in the topics that Jesus was covering with his audience, as we are not told what was being discussed. The first lesson is in Martha’s behaviour, in particular her complaint to him about her sister’s inattention to the hosting tasks. Instead of siding with her, Jesus points out to Martha that her upset and worry about the ‘details’ means she misses the main point. And we know that when Jesus says these sorts of things, he does so for our benefit too! So what is the main point?
Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus is not mentioned in the Gospel of Luke. The story of Lazarus being raised from the dead is recorded in chapter 11 of John’s Gospel. In John’s account, Jesus again speaks with Mary and Martha. This narrative is important because it highlights again the difference between the sisters. It emphasises what they are focussed on. In John’s Lazarus resurrection story, Lazarus was sick and died. The sisters had sent for Jesus to come to save him. But Jesus deliberately delayed his arrival to demonstrate the power over death he possessed. When he did arrive in the village of Bethany with his disciples, Lazarus had been in the tomb for several days. Beyond doubt, Lazarus was well and truly dead!
The thing we are particularly interested in though is the exchange between the grieving sisters and Jesus. Martha again has taken the lead role, going out first to address the approaching Jesus. Using an almost accusatory tone she starts telling Jesus what he should do. In her words, Lazarus should not have died, and Jesus should do something about it. God can do whatever Jesus asks, after all.
Rather than reacting to this, Jesus instead serves the main point: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” Martha needed to focus on the divine personage of Jesus.
On the other hand, Mary is late to the scene, having been summoned by Jesus after Martha’s encounter. Mary rushes up and throws herself weeping at his feet. At that moment she acknowledges that divine personage! Mary’s actions move Jesus, and he approaches the tomb and calls Lazarus out, having raised him back to life. Martha is focussed on her concerns and the details around them. Mary is focussed on Jesus and engages with him and it was this that produced desired results. Direct attention to the guest is the most important thing, not just focussing on their needs.
Now back to Luke: although Jesus stated that Mary’s behaviour was preferred, he doesn’t condemn Martha. Remember, in today’s Gospel Martha had been fussing over providing Jesus and his disciples a meal. I am sure they all thoroughly enjoyed it!
So, how disposed are we to put Jesus first? I confess that for me, most days, it is a struggle. I tried to think of a way to explain what I mean. I came up with a scenario that may help us to focus on our own dispositions towards the Lord. Imagine if you will, God sends a clear message in a dream to our website editor. In that dream, Web-guy is told that Jesus will be visiting St Francis Church in Tairua next Saturday. God outlines the timetable for the visit: Jesus will arrive at 10am, participate in a meet-and-greet with any assembled folk, have a tour of the facilities, share a meal with those attending, and conduct a teaching session in the afternoon.
The Web-ster is convinced that he has heard everything clearly, been shown umpteen confirming signs, and so sends out a message on the email network and on the website to tell us all what will be happening. What would you be thinking as you receive this message? Would you be taking the Martha or Mary approach? Be honest!
I did this. Off the top of my head, I would be wondering if the church lawns had been mown, was there any unsightly piles of Op Shop drop-offs, were there going to be kids skateboarding in the carpark, do we have enough matching dinner plates, will Jesus think our church is up to scratch, will we cancel Op Shop for that day, will we wear our masks, what will I wear, what will Jesus teach us, how will I hide my doubts?
We are about to host Jesus, and to start with all I could think about was what needed to be done. How would we measure up? Hospitality like this is more about the host than the guest!
On reflection, I’m pretty sure that Jesus wouldn’t mind if the lawns needed mowing, or that we were eating off mismatched crockery, or that the skateboarding kids were in the carpark. Yet I obviously see those things as pretty big deal. It convicts me again of Strahan’s reflection a fortnight ago when he referred to the Kingdom without the King (see here). Maybe I don’t get it, that without the King, the Kingdom is a façade; or in my case should that be: if I concentrate on the Kingdom, I turn the King into a façade!
Talking with Keri about the prep for my talk today she mentioned having read a teaching by Pastor Joseph Prince on today’s reading and found it for me. In it, Pastor Prince poses the question: “What would you do if Jesus was coming to your house?” Would you sit him down and start serving him, or would you sit down and start drawing from him? Would you let him serve you and fill you up?
Haven’t we been taught to be gracious hosts? In Acts (Acts 20:35) it says it is better to give than receive, a concept that we have adopted to look after those in need and, like Abraham, to be generous hosts. But we aren’t talking about ordinary guests we are talking about the Lord; our Lord!
Pastor Prince writes about what the sisters saw in Jesus. When Martha sees Jesus she sees his weariness. He has been on the road, doing good, healing the sick and tending to people’s needs. Martha sees Him as tired and someone she needs to care for. Mary on the other hand looks past the weariness and sees his divinity. She sees Jesus as someone she needs to draw from. In doing so she has acknowledged his holiness. This is the Messiah, the Saviour that came to serve, not to be served! And Jesus commends her for her actions.
So how can we become more like Mary? How do we change our dispositions? A key is understanding the relationship God seeks to have with us.
When I first read today’s Psalm it sounded like a list of benchmarks for those deemed worthy to be in God’s presence. My first reaction was if I could do or be all this, I might be good enough. But with the help of the Holy Spirit I flipped it around. I do believe God wants me in his company. In the presence of God these things will flow. The law would have us doing the mahi. Grace would have us in communion! But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:33) Jesus and the Cross cleared the way!
According to Pastor Prince, we use our ears and hearts to draw from Jesus. We use our hands and feet to serve him. But our sense and appreciation of our divine God is more precious to him than all the service we can render to him. And the mystery is that the more we draw from him, the better we become at giving and serving! And the better hosts we will be!
So my prayer today is simply, “My Lord, if it pleases you, stop here with us for a while.”
stfrancischurchtairuanz 