We had a brain storm about what messages we are told about who is blessed in this world? some of the things that came through were health, good looking, wealthy, no stress, good safe community, intelligent, important, significant...
Then we read Jesus and it seemed to be so different. Almost as if the whole thing was turned on its head...
The Kingdom of Heaven is totally counter culture to our
world’s views understanding of things. We think it’s the people who have it al
together, or have it all in terms of wealth, health, looks and ease who are
blessed and happy…. But Jesus lets us know it’s the ones on the margin, in need
who the world might look down on or write off that find blessing in God’s love
for them.
People call it God’s upside down kingdom… or just maybe it
is God’s right way up kingdom it’s just that we are not used to seeing it that
way.
Perhaps in New Zealand we are able to understand that… Let
me illustrate what I mean.
What is missing off this world map?
The short answer is well…We are. And there is a disturbing trend recently of
leaving New Zealand off world maps.
In fact John Oliver on his Show Last Week Tonight, poked fun
at New Zealand’s recent campaign, which even included our Prime minister,
complaining that we are often left right off world maps.
When you look at most world maps, if we are there, we are
down the bottom and off to the side, like we are insignificant and unimportant,
marginalised. Maps were mainly printed
and published in Europe, and they are placed up the top and in the middle. It’s
a political and historical decision as much as a geographic one as it’s in the
place of prominence and importance..
Just like map’s printed in China are more likely to have
china at the centre. To do that in this case you end up with stereo Greenlands.
We are not used to such maps as this one , which
has corrected the problem… Right. This is Peter Jackson’s Middle earth world
map… New Zealand is up the top in the centre, where we should be, “ On top of
the world Ma”. We know it should be like that but somehow it just does not seem
right as we are used to it being the other way up. Now Jesus is not talking
about New Zealand per sae, the beatitudes tells us what things are like in the
Kingdom of heaven. Where things that are wrong are put to right. The poor and
the marginalised are helped and welcomed in, the meek, the peacemakers those
who thirst and hunger for righteousness are fulfilled, the mourner is
comforted. In that there is hope and grace, and challenge and a call for
transforming the way in which we live and treat others and seeing our world
changed, put right way up.
Jesus blessing the children in our reading from Matthew 19…
Is also a great illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like and Jesus affirmation
of who is blessed. The disciple we’re trying to keep the children away from Jesus…
as Michael Wilkins says they thought that children had insignificant societal
status and are interrupting what they considered Jesus more important task of
proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven. But As Jesus says that Kingdom is for such
as these… The little ones are loved and cherished by Jesus and he takes the
time to bless them.
The ones who didn’t count or were marginalised or not seen
as ‘in’ or blessed by the religious leaders and wider of society of Jesus days,
and suffered depredation and want because of it, are the very ones that God’s
kingdom is for. That are blessed because of it. Both by being invited into a relationship
with God in Christ, that will have a final fulfilment when that kingdom is
consummated and experience its blessing now in God’s provision and the care of
God People.
In our recent parish review the three things that gave us as
a leadership the most hope was that the three areas people were most positive
about our church were that we are a welcoming community, that we are
intergenerational, which we aim for in our blended worship style, and that we
included and valued children and young people, that we are Kids Friendly…
That is important for our church today and into the future.
Most people become followers of Jesus before they reach the age of 19… Just to
illustrate that how many people here see their relationship with Jesus starting
in their childhood.
The big challenge
from that review and from the beatitudes is that there was concern that we do
not have a strong ministry to the poor, or a strong enough commitment to seeing
justice in our community.
So today Kids know that you are welcomed and loved by Jesus,
it is his pleasure to bless you. We love and value you here, we appreciate you
sharing your talents and giftings with us. It’s great when people of all ages
come into the church there is that warm welcome to all from you guys right
there, we welcome you involved in
leading us. In fact Jesus says we need to be more like you… NT Wright sums that
up by saying
“Jesus
simply relishes the young life, bubbling up like water from a fountain and
refusing to be quenched. Because that is what God’s kingdom is like- full of
new and unpredictable life. Little children, adventurous, eager, ready to be
drawn into stories and drama are just the kind of people the kingdom is for.”
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