Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

 Sunday, 27 October 2024

Notes on passages

Job 42:1-6, 10-17

The Book of Job offers a moving reflection on suffering, justice and humanity’s relationship to God. Job is someone who suffers greatly without reason, which casts doubt on the belief that suffering is an eternal punishment for sin. In the book, Job wrestles with this idea, and his friends push a “retributive theology,” meaning that God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. Job’s experience goes against this straightforward moral calculus, though, for he is oppressed at his righteousness.

Job’s conversation with God plays a critical role in changing his perception. Job would at first like to confront God and ask him why he’s suffering but, in the divine intervention, Job discovers how little we know about his own mind. God’s sermons about creation’s abyss and mystery bring Job down to his knees. He shifts from a plea for justice to an acknowledgement that the ways the world works – and God’s justice – transcend human understanding.

A main theme of the book is gratuitousness: a conception of life and God’s grace as non-human, unmerited gifts. Job’s distress is the entrance into greater insight, in which Job recognizes God not as an impartial arbiter but as a loving friend. Through his ordeals, Job learns to identify with the innocent victim, allowing space for a deeper conversation about justice and the human condition.

Job invites faith that acknowledges the goodness of God despite unimaginable pain. It urges its readers to walk with a grain of salt through the mysteries of life and to care for those who suffer unfairly.
This passage, the conclusion of the Book of Job, reflects Job’s response to God’s speeches and the restoration of his fortunes. This passage is a key moment in understanding both Job’s transformation and God’s justice, with significant implications for theological reflection on suffering, divine-human relationship, and restoration.

1. Job’s Admission (v. 2-3):

In these verses, Job acknowledges God’s sovereignty and wisdom, recognizing that God’s purposes cannot be thwarted (v. 2). Job also admits that he spoke of things he did not fully understand (v. 3). This represents a crucial moment of humility for Job, who has been protesting his innocence throughout the dialogues. Now, after God’s speeches, Job submits to the idea that human wisdom is limited in comparison to divine wisdom.

2. “I had heard of you, but now my eyes see you” (v. 5):

Job’s declaration here represents a shift from second-hand knowledge to personal, experiential understanding. His encounter with God moves from intellectual knowledge to relational encounter.

3. Job’s transformation (v. 6):

Job’s transformation is not because he had committed specific sins that led to his suffering, but because he now recognises the limitations of his previous understanding of God. His posture of dust and ashes symbolises his deep humility before God

4. Job’s Restoration (v. 10):

God restores Job’s fortunes after he prays for his friends. The act of praying for others, even those who had accused him, shows Job’s growth in compassion and understanding. The doubling of his previous wealth symbolizes God’s abundant grace and restoration.

5. Community and Reconciliation (v. 11):

Job’s family and friends, who had abandoned him, return to comfort him. They bring gifts, symbolising reconciliation. This gathering around Job also restores his social dignity and place in the community.

6. Job’s Material and Familial Blessings (v. 12-17):

Job’s wealth is doubled, and his family grows. Notably, the text makes a special mention of his daughters, giving them names and highlighting their beauty. More strikingly, they receive an inheritance alongside their brothers, which was unusual in ancient Israel.

Key points for preaching 

The Divine’s Wisdom Before Yourself: Job’s transformation teaches that humility before God, particularly our limitations, is a vital aspect of our interaction with God and the creation. We are called to listen to each other, to care for each other. This can be applied to ecological justice and the understanding that we as a species must treat creation with humility, accepting our own inadequacy of knowledge and mastery over the world. We are all relatives; we all came to exist from God’s love and grace.

Restoration as Active Hope: Job’s restitution of his home and country reminds us that God can make things right, even when suffering and death were incredibly devastating. That’s about the potential for ecological repair and justice we can hope for.

Gender Equality and Social Justice: When Job’s daughters are named and passed down, it reveals an outright rejection of culture and is useful as a platform for sermons of inclusion, equality and justice. This is gendered and socially just – to stand up for the marginalised in society and in the world.

Praying for Others as Restore: Job’s work of healing starts by praying for others and the power of intercessory prayer in the form of listening and doing to bring personal and social healing. It’s a great picture for churches engaged in activism and prayer for global justice, including environmental and economic justice.

Hebrews 7:23-28

Verse 23: 
‘The priests who had already served were very numerous, because they were dead and therefore not able to serve again. Because they were mortal, the Levitical priests could not keep their positions unabated through death. This meant there were repeatedly multiple priests needed, demonstrating the impossibility of the former arrangement.

Verse 24: 
“But he holds his priesthood forever, because he lasts forever.” By contrast, Jesus’ priesthood lasts forever. Because he is the new and living Christ, he is eternal and indestructible, so his priesthood will be ongoing and inert, assuring continuity and ultimate efficacy as a mediator between God and humankind.

Verse 25: 
‘In turn, he can save to the greatest extent those who approach God through him, because he lives to intercede for them.’ Through his priesthood, Jesus provides all-encompassing, final salvation to those who come to God through him. His intercession continues, so that he can have unending access to God’s grace and salvation is complete and everlasting.

Verse 26: 
“Because it was right that we should have such a high priest, sanctified, virtuous, pure, far from sinners, and high above the heavens.” And in this verse Jesus’ perfection as a high priest is emphasised. He is said to be sanctified and unsinful and therefore suited for the priesthood. His separation from sinners and his elevation to heaven signifies both his divinity and his transcendence of earthly faults.

Verse 27: 
‘He does not have to sacrifice every day, as those high priests did, first to himself, then to the people; for he did this once and for all when he sacrificed himself.’ Where the Levitical priests had to repeatedly sacrifice themselves and others, Jesus’ death on the cross was one-time-enough. He is alone, and no more sacrifices are necessary.

Verse 28: 
“For the law appoints men in their folly as high priests, but the word of the oath, that is after the law, appoints a Son who is complete (holistic) forever”. This last verse contrasts the fragility of the Levitical priests, who were governed by human weakness, with Jesus who was chosen by God’s vow and perfect forever. Jesus is fulfilling his role of revealing God’s beloved community and mercy, and his ministry will endure forever.

Mark 10:35-45

IIn the Gospel of Mark, the account of Bartimaeus is precisely positioned towards the close of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. It is the opening to Jesus’ ministry and his entry into Jerusalem, an important turning point for Jesus’ pathway toward his passion: false accusation, imprisonment, abandonment by many of his followers and so-called friends, torture, murdered/death and resurrection. It is thematically based on key themes of Mark: discovering Jesus, discipleship and belief (cross). Bartimaeus’ healing is a crescendo in the story of discipleship and (w)holiness, one that contrasts sharply with the disciples’ endless misunderstandings of Jesus’ work.

Mark contains two great blind-person healing narratives: the blind one at Bethsaida’s (the house of mercy) healing (Mark 8:22-26) and Bartimaeus’ healing (10:46-52). Both are a distinctive feature of Mark’s Gospel, and scholars think of them as symbolically revealing of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. In the middle of these two passages we find Jesus three times revealing to his disciples what is going to happen to him, three times the disciples don’t understand nor care for Jesus (they are worried about themselves) and three times Jesus teaching what they are suppose to do.

Mark 8:22-26: The Blind Man of Bethsaida. Then, in the same earlier story, Jesus restores sight to a blind man twice: initially, the man cannot see other people, because they are not “walking trees” but he becomes aware of them on the second touch. This gradual healing is often viewed as illustrative of the disciples’ partial knowledge of Jesus. But even though they are close to Jesus, they lack spiritual understanding and need to be taught further. It is important to notice that all narratives of healing and “miracles” are testimonies of Jesus who cares, who goes further to make sure healing is in place.

Mark 10:46-52: Bartimaeus. But unlike the gradual recovery at Bethsaida, Bartimaeus is delivered right after he reveals his faith. Even though physically blind, Bartimaeus also has spiritual acuity when he refers to Jesus as the “Son of David” because Jesus is the Messiah. His trust not only leads to the re-opening of his sight, but also immediately to an act of obedience: to follow Jesus “on the way,” as a disciple. The healing comes just before Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, and it places Bartimaeus in a unique position as exemplary disciple, “knowing” Jesus’ mission better than the apostles now.

The healing at Bethsaida emphasises the slow spiritual illumination, the disciples’ momentary glimpse of the identity of Jesus. Bartimaeus, however, shows immediate identification with Jesus and rushes after him. This contrast highlights the shift from partial to full insight and true discipleship.

Both are about being a true disciple of Jesus. Where the apostles seem at a loss over what Jesus does, Bartimaeus, an outsider and implorer, displays the kind of devotion that Mark defines as discipleship. He is willing to follow Jesus in a way that contrasts with the confusion and misfortune of the disciples throughout the Gospel.

INTERRUPTING THE SILENCE 

Symbolism of Blindness and Sight 

In Mark, blindness is often invoked as a metaphor for spiritual misinformation. Blindness cures physically.’ The spiritual wisdom is the essence of this whole. In the Gospel, the disciples – although in close proximity to Jesus – rarely understand his purpose. This is why, in Mark 10, the juxtaposition of Bartimaeus’ faith with the disciples’ daily struggles illustrates the schism between blindness and divinity. Bartimaeus, who is blind, “sees” Jesus more than his contemporaries during his preaching.

In short, Mark 10:46-52 emphasises not only Jesus’ healing ministry but faith, discipleship and spiritual wisdom – the slow and flawed knowledge of the disciples versus Bartimaeus’ revelation. It is closely linked to Mark’s larger story of sight and blindness, and one of the decisive moments in Jesus’ voyage to Jerusalem.

Key Themes for Preaching

1. Faith and Discipleship: Bartimaeus exemplifies faith that leads to action. His journey from blindness to sight is both physical and spiritual, representing the transformation that true discipleship entails. His faith leads him to follow Jesus, even as the road leads to suffering in Jerusalem.
2. Jesus’ Attention and Action to the Marginalised: The story emphasises how Jesus listens to, move towards and help to change status of those whom society and religions overlooks. Bartimaeus’ healing demonstrates that Jesus’ mission is for all, especially the marginalised.
3. Persistence in Faith: Bartimaeus’ refusal to be silenced, despite opposition, teaches about the persistence required in following Jesus. His story encourages believers to persist in faith even when faced with discouragement or societal barriers.

As said earlier, the narrative of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52 marks the beginning of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, the turning point of his mission. The story here highlights key issues of discipleship, religion and spiritual wisdom that have been particularly resonant with environmental justice in light of movements such as the Season of Creation, Renew Our World and the Anglican Alliance and Anglican Communion Environmental Network (ACEN).

We can see Bartimaeus’ transition from blindness to sight as symbolising human consciousness about the dire need for environmental justice and how blind humanity has been in letting big economic interests (since the Old Testament’s times) to lead the world and dictate Biblical interpretations that allows extractivism and consumerism, seeing the environment (what was created apart of humans) as re-source not source of life.

As if Bartimaeus’ faith demanded immediate action, we should be willing to see our planet in desperate times and act accordingly. This religious awakening has echoes in the Season of Creation, which invites the Church to reflect on the suffering of creation and to return to Earth care. Bartimaeus’ procession from shadows to light is a call for Christians to be radical, faith-based environmental advocates, to confront the ecological disasters both in prayer and in action.

Bartimaeus’ tale illustrates Jesus’ concern for the excluded. The blind poor man Bartimaeus on the margins is heard and healed by Jesus, who is unable to be rebuffed by the multitude. This fits with the ethos of Renew Our World, which emphasises the preponderance of the poor and vulnerable affected by environmental degradation. Just as Bartimaeus is brought from the periphery into Jesus’ ministry, environmental justice movements want to bring the voice of the ones most displaced by climate change – the people who are so often marginalised from discussions of ecological conservation and sustainability. The Church, like Jesus, must focus on the enfranchised and see that environmental justice is pursued by means that uplift and shield the vulnerable.

Persistence is another crucial theme. Yet, despite this, Bartimaeus keeps shouting out to Jesus, demonstrating the resilience that is necessary to stand for justice against the resistance of society and institutions. This is a persistence that environmental movements need (such as Anglican Alliance and ACEN), where sustained pressure for climate action can be met with reticence. For the way Bartimaeus’ faith pays off, so too must environmentalists cling to their mission, believing in the cathartic influence of persistent, religious action for the planet.

The symbolism of sight and blindness that this passage depicts further parallels the pathway from ignorance to knowledge. Bartimaeus’ vision-recovery is an image of the Church’s transition from spiritual blindness (disregard for the climate crisis) to clarity and insight. This is a realisation not just of the dangers but of how to confront them, as Bartimaeus does upon meeting Jesus in the road to Jerusalem. This fidelity is similar to the theological context of the Season of Creation, in which God urges repentance and new accountability towards the Earth for the sake of the believer acting according to God’s plans for restoration of the created world.

Sermon outline

Hello, brothers and sisters of all creation.

So, as we gather today, consider three great verses Job 42:1-6, 10-17, Hebrews 7:23-28, and Mark 10:46-52. All of these texts relate to central concepts of belief, humility and redemption that touch us deeply as we contemplate our spiritual journeys and the greater call for justice in our world. These lessons are timely as we are in the midst of COP16 on Biodiversity in Cali, Colombia, where the world’s leaders will address the loss of biodiversity and ecological destruction of our shared homeland.

The ending of the Book of Job leads us to a turning point in Job’s life, a time of humility and an acknowledgement of God’s infinite wisdom. Suffering deeply and questioning God’s mercy, Job says at last, ‘I heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you’ (Job 42:5). It’s an intellectual experience of God giving way to a lived, radical experience. Job learns that God’s ways are unknowable and that prudence is to humble oneself before the Lord.

Job’s transformation offers a clear lesson for us now on issues of ecological justice in particular. Like Job, humanity likes to think it can do with creation as it pleases. Our perception of the planet is that she is a thing to be tapped rather than something to be nurtured. But Job’s point is that creation is much greater than we know or manage. As we engage COP16, let us not be shy to approach the global environmental crisis with the same humility, realising that we are guardians, not masters, of creation. We can’t simply barge our way through the planet without hurting others.

COP16 tackles the issue of biodiversity and repairing ecosystems devastated by human use. This is a global moment because the decline of biodiversity jeopardises millions of people’s lives, especially in the Global South. Anglicans in COP16 are encouraging the world to recognise the spiritual and ethical dimensions of biodiversity loss and take a stand for restoring the planet to respect God’s creation.

Themes of redemption and renewal are prevalent in Job’s and Bartimaeus’ narratives. Job’s “luck” returns when he prays for his friends in an act of intercession and reconciliation. His parable gives us hope that God can resurrect what is lost, whether that be material wealth or human relations. Likewise, Bartimaeus, a socially debilitated blind man, is restored to sight by an unyielding trust in Jesus. His sacramental healing goes beyond the physical — he drives Jesus on the road to Jerusalem, becoming a disciple.

This is restoration at the heart of our call for environmental justice. With ruined ecosystems and species dying, we’re invited to restore the world. Just as God restored Job and repaired Bartimaeus, we must restore the brokenness of creation. This is an exercise in doing: reforestation, endangered species, and standing up for those worst hit by ecological destruction.

Religions are asking governments to invest in nature-restoration programmes at COP16, especially in the developing world where biodiversity loss is the most serious. And it’s not a matter of ecology, it’s a matter of justice. Anglican Communion has insisted that Indigenous peoples who can and do protect biodiversity must be acknowledged and encouraged to do the work of preserving the land. Such communities teach us valuable lessons about living in harmony with the natural world that we need to learn if we’re going to save the planet.

In Job’s and Bartimaeus’ narratives, constant faith is crucial. Job is adamant in his commitment to God, while Bartimaeus cannot be dishonoured, calling for relief even as his fellows seek to curse him. This is a model of persistence for us, especially when faced with many challenges, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

In the Epistle to the Hebrews, we are told that Christ is the priest who reigns forever and is ever praying for us (Hebrews 7:25). It’s this vision of Christ as our high priest, interceding for us, that provides us with a sense of hope and courage as we continue to struggle for justice. We don’t have to do it all ourselves—Christ is on our side, encouraging us to step up. As we encounter COP16, we must remember that unflinching faith is crucial to environmental justice. It’s a difficult thing to do, but faith can do more.

Mark’s Gospel offers a solid invitation to respond. Bartimaeus is healed and follows Jesus straight to Jerusalem, where he’ll cross the river. He’s a Christian, and his recovery gives him an impetus to serve. And this is our invitation, too. We need to protest, follow Jesus, and do something for justice—not only for our fellow humans but for our planet.

COP16 is the time for leaders worldwide to stand up and commit to protecting and restoring biodiversity. But it’s also a time for each of us to take stock of our responsibility to take care of creation. Our Season of Creation has brought home the reality that Earthly concern is part of our Christian baptism. When we read these texts, we are left to ask: will we fight for creation? Will we adapt our habits, reduce our carbon footprint, and lobby for green policies?

The Communion Forest of the Anglican Communion is just one of the ways that religious communities are heeding this call. By caring for trees, restoring habitats, and promoting biodiversity, we practise our faith with actions that reflect our gratitude for God’s creation.

The readings today exhort us to be modest, persevere, and move. Job’s re-evolution reminds us that we must humble ourselves before God’s knowledge when we care for God’s creation. Bartimaeus’ healing informs us of the possibility of ongoing belief and its necessity of obedience. The Epistle to the Hebrews reassures us that Christ’s priesthood is eternal, at our side as we seek justice.

Looking at COP16 on Biodiversity, let us pledge to be restorers of the world. Let’s apply what we learnt in the Season of Creation and COP16 to our communities. We are called to tend the edifice, to defend the shackled, to remain true to our faith. We do so because we abide in Christ for all eternity as he intercedes and redeems. Amen. 

Additional Material/ Resources
 

1. https://www.anglicancommunion.org/mission/at-the-un/anglicans-at-cop16.aspx
2. https://seasonofcreation.org/
3. https://www.renewourworld.net/