Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 19, September 15, 2024: Proverbs 1:20-33; Psalm 19; James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38
“How much longer, you ignorant people, will you love being ignorant? How much longer, you mockers, will you keep mocking?”
This question that Wisdom asks in Proverbs seems very timely. Wisdom goes on, and reminds her listeners that “you despised knowledge, did not fear Almighty God, and ignored my advice”. Wisdom is promising her readers that if they ignored her, she will not come when they need her. But the first question stays with me: we often wonder “how long”? for all sorts of things. And as a teacher, I lament ignorance. As a citizen, I have become uneasy with our habit (on all sides of the political spectrum) of mocking those we disagree with.
Our Psalm today begins with a gorgeous hymn to creation: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork”. It ends with the prayer often offered before a sermon: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.” The unity of creation is visible: we are all God’s creatures. And what we say and think matters, is part of our service to God.
Like the psalm, the letter of James is convinced that speech matters. The tongue may be small, but it has an extraordinary capacity to do evil: “It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison”. The same tongue that praises God may use it to curse others. We cannot mean both. James also reminds us that the teachers in our midst will be “called to a stricter account”.
And then we come to the Gospel. Our reading starts with Jesus asking his disciples who people think he is. And then: who do *you* think I am? Peter has recognized him as the Messiah. But when Jesus starts explaining that the Messiah will suffer and be killed, Peter rebukes him. But Jesus reminds Peter, and his followers, to focus not on earthly goals but divine ones. We lose our lives to gain it.
This all seems remarkably relevant. Though the lectionary is used internationally, and is more interested in the church year than the US political year, it feels as if these readings were designed for us during an election season when people are deeply divided. Words matter. Knowledge matters. And it matters to watch where people are focusing not on worldly goals but heavenly ones. What serves everyone?
May we listen to Wisdom. May we use the scriptures we hear to seek Wisdom, to fear God, and to listen. I take from these readings that we should listen more than we speak, and seek to act for the good of God’s Kingdom, and all God’s creation, not our own earthly success. And that as we look at our leaders and would be leaders, we should ask these things of them as well.
Amen.