January 24, 2010 THIRD SUNDAY OF THE CHURCH YEAR
24 JANUARY 2010, 5:15, 8:00, 10:30
READINGS: Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; I Corinthians 12:12-30; Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21
SAINT MARY PARISH, VIROQUA
Introduction: Luke’s wonderful story of Jesus reading the scriptures in his synagogue in Nazareth parallels the first reading about Nehemiah reading the scriptures in Jerusalem.
1. Many of you are familiar with Robert Frost’s poem, “Mending Wall.” It takes the reader on a walk in early spring with two farmers who repair their stone fence dismantled each year by the effects of winter. The wall is their boundary line. One farmer asks, “Why do we do this every spring?” The other farmer replies, “Good fences make good neighbors.” The ironic thing about the scene is that the two neighbors walk together building the wall each spring. While it separates their properties, rebuilding the wall creates a bond between them. In some ways this same irony is found in today’s readings.
2. In the first reading we meet Nehemiah, the governor of Judea. He is the leader of the people after they have returned from 50 years of exile in Babylon. Now they have returned to their broken and damaged city. He wants his people to be rooted in the promises of God to their ancestors. So, he has them rebuild the walls of their city, Jerusalem. In this case rebuilding the walls returns their sense of identity as children of God. Then, they listen carefully again to the word of God as it is read to them. They are reconnected to Abraham, to Moses, to their beloved King David, and most of all to their God. They weep!
On the other hand, in the gospel reading Jesus tears down walls. A movement of the Spirit is coming that will embrace the poor, set the oppressed free, bring healing and hope to the downtrodden. Jesus comes to tear down walls that that divide people, that have blocked the understanding of true kingdom-living.
3. So the readings invite us to examine the structures in our lives. Like Nehemiah we should build walls that help assure us that we are God’s people.
a. We want to build walls that separate us from sinful structures like discrimination.
b. We should separate ourselves from a culture of greed; where money counts for everything.
c. We should separate ourselves from a culture of death which permits abortion and capital punishment and favors a war-like aggression. “Good fences make good neighbors.”
And, we should examine those structures in our lives that no longer bear fruit and, even worse, create isolation.
a. It is time for us to tear down walls, walls that separate rich from poor, to free those who are oppressed, to leap over misunderstandings within families.
b. To quote Frost, “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” Not this kind of wall!
Conclusion: We are made to live as citizens of God’s kingdom. Let us build walls that separate us from the attractions of sin; let us tear down walls that separate people who should love each other.