The sermon talks more about prophets in general and in a way is a continuation of last week's sermon. Though it does touch on this week's text: 2 Samuel 11:26-12:10, 13-15 and Luke 7:36-8:3.
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For some reason we often equate prophets with fortunetellers, with people who can predict the future. Or we are like Simon, the Pharisee in today’s gospel, who confusing a prophet with someone who knows all. But really a prophet is someone who speaks the word of God. God speaks through prophets.
Throughout scripture prophets did not predict the future but talked bout what God wanted for the people of earth at that time. God spoke through the prophets Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Elijah, Elisha Jonah, Joshua, Nathan, Esther, Deborah, John the Baptist, Paul, many of the disciples. In the Old Testament there are about 55 prophets, and many more in the New Testament. Yes many of these people foretold future events, but quiet often they were more concerned about revealing God’s love for the people of the day and for that time. God spoke through them.
Prophets often rubbed people the wrong way, they spoke out against leaders and the main stream speaking up that things were not the way they were suppose to be. They spoke up for the poor, the dejected, the orphaned, the widow, the sinner and even the dead. Nathan spoke up for Uriah who had died because of David’s deeds. Jesus spoke up for the sinful woman who was being judged and maybe even mistreated by the Pharisee.
And prophets still speak up today. In recent history, there have been some famous prophets. Martin Luther King Jr, spoke up for those who were treated unequally. Mother Teresa spoke up for the poor. Jean Vanier, the founder of the L’Arche communities, spoke up for the disabled. There are still prophets in the world. God is still speaking through prophets.
But those famous prophets of recent years are all dead. There are also some not so famous prophets, John Nunes president and CEO of Lutheran World Relief. Sara Miles, founder of a food pantry network in San Francisco. Shane Claiborne, the founder of the Simple Way, an intentional Christian community. There are still prophets in the world TODAY. God is still speaking through prophets TODAY.
But prophets are not just speaking God’s word, they are also doing God’s work in the world. Elijah feed the widow at Zarapheth, the woman in today’s gospel was prophesying by worshiping Jesus and pointing out that he was more than a prophet. These modern day prophets I have listed are not just speaking about and writing about God’s want and desire to end systemic poverty, homelessness or discrimination. They are also doing something about it. They are working in the poor areas of the world, they are entering into intentional communities that care for, support, and uplift the poor, disabled or imprisoned.
The life of a prophet has never been a smooth road. Johan was swallowed by a large fish trying to run away from such a fate. Prophets are laughed at, mistreated and even killed for what they say and do. People do not like to change the status quo, leaders do not like to hear that they are going in the wrong direction, in a direction mispleasing to God. Tension arise when prophets arise.
This woman who weeps at Jesus’ feet causes tension because she shows love to Jesus and her overwhelming love points out even more what little love Simon showed Jesus. But yet through her love and Jesus’ words, Simon sees that he has done wrong. Nathan’s words about the hypothetical rich man anger David until he realized that he was the rich man. But it is because of Nathan’s words that David is able to repent and seek forgiveness.
That is the point of prophets. Not to predict the future but to speak God’s word, to remind us of where we are being called, to remind us of who calls us. And in the calling, in hearing that call, we are able to repent our sins, how we have taken advantage of other or how we have not shown love to God and others. Through prophets we are able to repent and be forgiven. Prophets remind us of our vocation, our calling, to do God’s work in this world. We need prophets because God speaks through prophets.
And we too are prophets. We are prophets when we serve those in need. We are prophets when we speak up for those whose voice is often lost. We are prophets when we cause others to repentance and seek forgiveness. We are prophets when God speaks through us. We are prophets when we speak God’s words and do God’s work in this world. And God is speaking through us today. How is God speaking through you? How are you a prophet?
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