SERMON NOTES FOR PENTECOST XXI- October 21, 2007 (Genesis 32: 3-8, 22-30; Psalm 121; II Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8a). Cycle C

 

In today’s readings we find the common themes of faith, hope, social justice and perseverance, especially in prayer.

 

Psalm 121 reminds us that we have a Lord who gives strength. The one who made heaven and earth assures that God has power to help his people. Complete trust in God is a firm base for assurance. Psalm 121 reminds us that we have a Lord who protects. Whether He is protecting some Pilgrims on their journey to Jerusalem or protecting us through a bad storm, God refuses to be dormant; He is forever a living God. Psalm 121 reminds us we have a Lord who defends. The Lord gives assurance concerning God’s ability and willingness to work for his worshipers. We have a Lord who preserves our “going out and coming in”, embracing our past and our future; our creation and our eternity. Psalm 121 closes with a strong statement that reflects implicit faith in God. This song has become a source of comfort to countless people who have sought assurance and help in their struggles.

 

In Timothy, we are told that Holy Scripture makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. We are thoroughly equipped for every good work. We, like Timothy, are charged to preach the Word, to encourage, and with great patience, to instruct. We, the Baptized, must endure through all situations.  Timothy, like Phillip the Evangelist, is an example for all of us in our Ministry of the Baptized.

 

In our Gospel reading for today from Luke we have a judge and a widow. The judge neither feared God nor regarded man. The widow kept coming to him, saying, “Grant me justice”.  The widow is a symbol of the innocent and helpless. In the Bible, a widow is often a typical representative of those who need to be defended against exploitation. It is taken for granted that her cause is just. The woman had no money to bribe the unscrupulous judge, and no power to bully him, but she had persistence. And she used that, she persevered coming to him everyday with her request. Yes, this story is about justice, but more importantly, it is about perseverance especially in prayer. That is what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples. Judgment is universal. Persistence in prayer brings results.

 

In the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery it describes perseverance as rooted in confidence in the Lord. It is produced by suffering (Rom 5:3, Jas 1:3) and produces character. Faith requires perseverance (Heb 12:1). Perseverance is the mark of an apostle (2 Cor 12:12) and anyone who does the work of God. In perseverance, strength comes from God, and God is glorified by it (Heb 11:27). Paul is perhaps the prime biblical example; his perseverance is marked by humility and lack of concern for himself. Always on his mind is the glory of Christ and his concern for the churches.

 

Can we find perseverance in our modern world? Will God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him?

 

We can find this perseverance in Immaculee Ilibagiza. In her book, Left to Tell: Discover God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust, she tells of her story of terror, endurance, healing and forgiveness. Immaculee grew up in a joyful, loving family environment where each person was recognized as an individual. In their culture, each family member has a different last name. Both parents were educated and encouraged their children to study and choose their future. Rwanda (about the size of MD) is in central Africa, very densely populated and poor. Immaculee was from the western province of Kibuye in the village of Mataba near Lake Kivu. When she was 22 years old, the unthinkable happened.  While home from college on Easter weekend of 1994, the Rwandan president died. A killing spree began that lasted 3 months. Immaculee’s family was brutally murdered. She along with seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s home.  For 91 days they endured endless hours of unspeakable terror while the killers tried to hunt them down. She chose to pray and for 91 continuous days, she prayed unceasingly. She found power in prayer and she eventually moved to a mental and spiritual state where she no longer feared death. In its place, she found a lasting relationship with God. From this horrible genocide of 1994, she found hope; hope that others might find in overcoming divisions. She found the kind of genuine forgiveness that offers redemption. She learned the meaning of unconditional love; she forgave her family’s killers.

 

What has happened to Immaculee? She came to the United States, four years later in 1998 to work for the United Nations in New York City. She is married and her husband and two children live in Long Island.

 

Did she follow in the footsteps of Timothy, Phillip and Paul? She lived out the definition of perseverance, which is rooted in confidence; produced by suffering and produces character. Faith requires perseverance and it is the mark of anyone who does the work of God. Strength comes from God. Her strength for 91 days in a cramped bathroom with seven others came from God. Like Anne Frank, she is an example in our lifetime of one who lived the word, perseverance. Immaculee hopes to be a beacon to others who have suffered injustice.

By the way, her name when translated means “shining and beautiful in body and soul.”

 

AMEN.