1 Corinthians 15.12-20, Luke 6.17-26
The Third Sunday before Lent, 13 February 2022
Austwick, Keasden
To what shall we compare the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is like a party in full swing, the dance floor full of people moving in tandem in time with the music, and a passer-by outside the window, looking in but unable to hear a sound, so lacking all understanding and appreciation of what is going on.
Or as old Fred Nietzsche is alleged to have said, "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who couldn't hear the music.” [1]
And so the pre-eminent expression of Jesus’ teachings, the preface to his Sermon on the Mount, the passage of blessings and woes recorded by Luke which we heard again today and sometimes call The Beatitudes - these can only really be understood by those whose feet move to the music of the kingdom of God.
For those passing by outside the window cannot comprehend a world where the poor are the blessed ones whilst the wealthy lack what is necessary to flourish; they cannot see how the hungry will be filled in a world dominated by the greedy. Those outside cannot comprehend how tears of grief can turn to laughter or how those who relish being spoken well of, turn out to be uninvited guests to the dance of life.
The key to understanding the kingdom of God, a kingdom which is active now and to eternity; the earth-shaking moment which forces the window open, is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
‘If Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain,’ wrote St Paul. But if Christ has been raised, then our proclamation holds true and our faith is wholly justified. And the dance of life which is the kingdom of God we understand, appreciate, and enjoy as we move in tandem in time with its music.
In the kingdom of God the poor can be uplifted now, because of the resurrection.
Because Christ is raised, all those who say there is a resurrection of the dead, trust that every kind of inequality can be surmounted.
And we have seen how the peoples who lack the most of this world’s goods so often make up for that in fellowship, companionship, mutual support, gratefulness and thanksgiving.
In the kingdom of God the hungry can be filled now, because of the resurrection.
Because Christ is raised, all those who say there is a resurrection of the dead, trust that all varieties of poverty can be annulled.
And we have seen how people of faith respond to hunger on their doorstep by sharing what little they have with neighbours, by working at foodbanks and collecting for hostels, by joining Jubilee campaigns to release poor nations from debt, by volunteering with relief organisations overseas.
In the kingdom of God those who weep now will soon laugh, because of the resurrection.
Because Christ is raised, all those who say there is a resurrection of the dead, have faith that every kind of bereavement can lead to life; that rebirth is always possible.
And we have seen how those whose life has turned upside-down through loss find hope in the ongoing pattern of prayer and in the fellowship of the church; we have seen how those who at their lowest point saw no reason at all to continue to live, through friendship and faith find purpose to embrace new experiences.
In the kingdom of God even those most possessed by wealth may find greater riches in the heart: because Christ is raised, and there is a resurrection of the dead.
And that is how we understand the motivation of groups like the Patriotic Millionaires, a collective of the world's richest people who are calling on government to make them pay more tax to help the world recover from the pandemic. “It’s a wonderful thing to be rich and successful,” says health care executive and practicing Christian John Driscoll. “But … we will be a better and more just society if we can pay our bills as a country and feed the poor.” [2]
In the kingdom of God even those most blessed by the finest food may hunger for others to be well fed: because Christ is raised, and there is a resurrection of the dead.
And that is why many in the wealthier world will donate to the Christian charity Tearfund this winter, to help them supply food to the starving of Afghanistan where ‘half of the population doesn’t have enough to eat.’ [3]
In the kingdom of God those who love to laugh without a care may learn to share the tears of the mourners and weep with those in distress: because Christ is raised, and there is a resurrection of the dead.
And that is why many who have themselves been bereaved have found their grief, in time, turn to joy through befriending others also going through loss; that is why some people volunteer for helplines, whether for debt advice or mental health, listening to people on the edge and helping them towards a more stable, safer place.
In the kingdom of God those obsessed with being admired, the most liked and followed, may find themselves more fulfilled when they turn to reach out towards others: because Christ is raised, and there is a resurrection of the dead.
And that is why those who deliberately switch off their social media for good, to get away from its isolated and narcissistic activity, report how they’ve discovered a better life of friendship and conversation in the physical, and a world of wonder outdoors in nature. [4]
Because we believe in the Father who causes the green blade to rise from a dead seed going into the ground; because we believe in the Father who renews the earth season on season; because we believe in the Father who has raised his Son Jesus Christ, because we’ve experienced new beginnings, fresh starts in our own lives…. then we believe in the resurrection of the dead, and we can see clearly that the world Jesus depicts in the Beatitudes and develops in his Sermon on the Mount, is not a fantasy, not insanity, but is a truer and fuller world of music and motion in tandem with others than anything outside the window.
Notes
[1] Quote investigator: Those Who Dance Are Considered Insane by Those Who Can’t Hear the Music.
[2] Steve Rabey, ‘Tax the Rich!’ Say These “Patriotic Millionaires’. Ministry Watch, 28 December 2021.
[3] Rachael Adams Afghans facing a harsh winter without food. Tearfund, 17 Dec 2021.
[4] Megan Holstein, 10 Great Ways Quitting Social Media Changed My Life for the Better. Medium, 30 August 2021.
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