The Gospel of the day is about the disciples on the road to Emmaus... a very interesting and always insight-filled text. "He began with Moses and the prophets, and explained to them everything that was written in the Scriptures, about himself..." As I spent my meditation time reflecting on this point, it struck me that Luke, the author, rightly uses the word 'explained' while referring to the conversation between Jesus and the disciples. Therefore,
I suppose Jesus interpreted the Scriptures, shed new light on the text, made the same Scriptural passages come alive, the same words mean more than the already understood...
And the result of this 'explanation'? "... were not our hearts ablaze..." and "... they ran back all the way to Jerusalem..."
Is not this what a sermon is all about? Illumining the heart and mind and leading one to a concrete action (basically sharing that rich experience to others not so fortunate)...????
The skill of the one delivering a sermon is not in repeating the text or rattling off Scriptural quotes (with references) and speaking a thousand and one things (most of which are not even remotely associated with the core message of the readings). Jesus shows what a good sermon ought to be: empowering the hearers with the key to understand the same text anew, in the present context for a concrete action.
And the result of this 'explanation'? "... were not our hearts ablaze..." and "... they ran back all the way to Jerusalem..."
Is not this what a sermon is all about? Illumining the heart and mind and leading one to a concrete action (basically sharing that rich experience to others not so fortunate)...????
The skill of the one delivering a sermon is not in repeating the text or rattling off Scriptural quotes (with references) and speaking a thousand and one things (most of which are not even remotely associated with the core message of the readings). Jesus shows what a good sermon ought to be: empowering the hearers with the key to understand the same text anew, in the present context for a concrete action.
I have a sermon incident for you..The gospel was about Jesus telling Peter to feed his lambs.
ReplyDeleteA senior priest was giving the sermon. His style is to completely repeat the entire narrative and only then,proceed to saying anything else if he wants to. So he repeated the entire story. And then, he presented his interpretations. He said, that the actual test of discipleship is love, nothing else. (I don't have anything against that)
Then he continued, that in this gospel, Jesus makes Peter the pope, investing in him all authority, and infallibility. He makes him the spiritual "ruler" of the church. Which is why the pope is the spiritual ruler and is infallible because Jesus made him so.And therefore, we must obey him.
UM. HM. I felt like saying, "Pardon my hearing, but didn't Jesus say, feed and look after my lambs?" That too, after Jesus himself prepared breakfast for the apostles.
So where exactly did all the spiritual rule, authority and infallibility fall from into the grass for the lambs?
And of course, the priest never paused about the looking after bit. He said Peter exercised his authority and took decisions etc as we see later in the history of the church. And it is our duty to obey the Pope.
Alleluia! Amen.
I wonder whether Jesus also put down various dogmas in the words, "Feed my lambs". He's such a sharp chap, that Jesus. Capable of anything.