The Prophetic Task

I hope that you will agree with me, that the individual Christian and the body of believers, the Church, have several roles that they play in the world.  First and foremost, we are evangelists proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ in word and in deed wherever we find ourselves.  We are also priests, if you will, interceding in prayer and reaching out to the suffering people of the world in the name of God and being God’s presence in the world.  Next, we are pastors in the sense that we shepherd and care for one another in the Christian community.  We support each other and “bear one another’s burdens” to quote St. Paul in Galatians 6:2.   

Finally, one of the roles we play is that of prophet, speaking God’s word of correction and criticism.  To quote Patricia Datchuck Sanchez, “The prophet rarely tells a story, but rather, critiques people and events.  The prophet rarely sings, but castigates.  She does more than translate reality onto poetic key; she is a preacher whose purpose is not self-expression or purgation of emotions, but communication.  The prophet’s images must not shine; they must burn and etch the message of God’s justice, truth and goodness in the human heart.” 

Oh my!  I don’t know about you, but that one gives me pause.  After all, when I think of the people we consider prophets in our day, things didn’t fair too well for them.  Martin Luther King Jr., Archbishop Oscar Romero, Mohandas Gandhi all of them we consider prophets now but at the time they spoke out many saw them as rebels.  People who were trying to stir things up.  People who were rocking the boat and attacking conventional wisdom.  All three paid the price of their lives.  Do we really want to be prophets? 

Add to that the fact that in our country over the past few years, it seems there is no longer room for disagreement and debate.  Lately people who speak an opposing word, a critical word, are considered unpatriotic, in support of the enemy, and, by some folks, just down right evil.  Do we really want that prophetic role? 

Whether we want it or not is really not our choice.  For you see it is God that calls us to the prophetic role.  It is God who wants to use us to point out God’s sovereignty over our human made idols.  It is God that wants us to point out systems which dehumanize and oppress.  It is God that calls us to speak even to the nations about the ways of peace.  Both the old and new testaments make this point over and over again. 

In our texts this week we are presented with three prophets of God, Ezekiel, Paul and Jesus.  Each one has something to say to us about what it means to be a prophet of God and what the costs are. 

Link to the First Reading

Our reading from Ezekiel stresses two points already made and presents us with two more.  First, the call to the prophetic role comes from God.  If we ever find ourselves or our communities of faith speaking their own words from their own perspective, that is not from God.  God calls us to speak God’s words.   

How can we know that our word comes from God and not from ourselves?  We need to test those words against Scripture, the Gospel and our Christian tradition.  Unfortunately (for some) that means yes, we have to read our Bibles.  We have to know what Jesus said, taught and did in his ministry.  We have to know our tradition, not everything ever written, but the basics.  These things will assist us when we are confronted with things that are not mentioned in the Bible, but confront our generations at this time. 

Second, our passage from Ezekiel tells us that people may not want to hear what we have to say on behalf of God.  We too live with an “impudent and stubborn” generation and sometimes that includes us!  Being a prophet has its risks, that why it is so hard.  It would be much easier to “go with the flow” to turn the other way and just accept that things cannot be changed.  However, when the call of God comes it is hard to reject that call. 

The third is similar in that there is really no “convenient” time to be a prophet.  Ezekiel was a prophet for 20 years during a catastrophic time in Israel’s history.  The Babylonians had just captured Jerusalem, the cream of Jerusalem society was being led away into captivity, and people wondered where God had gone and why God had abandoned them.  The gravity of the situation was such that we are told that after the call described in this week’s text, Ezekiel did nothing for seven days but sit (Ezekiel 3:15).  The people had experienced a terrible loss and Ezekiel had thoughts about “rubbing their nose” in the disaster.  Indeed there is no convenient time to be a prophet.

Finally, if one is looking for raging success, the prophecy business is not for them.  As a prophet there is no guarantee that people will listen to you, let alone change their behavior.  God’s declaration to Ezekiel is also for us, “whether they hear or refuse to hear, they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.” 

Link to the Second Reading

We don’t often think of Paul as a prophet, but he certainly was in regards to some of the Christian communities he established and especially to the Corinthians from which our text comes.  Paul often called the churches to task for straying from the Gospel.  Paul did so not so that he could boast that somehow he was the definitive word, but because God had called him to speak the truth in love. 

In our text this week, Paul reminds his readers that he has no reason to boast for it is Jesus working through him.  The first part of our text seems a bit cryptic, but Paul is actually taking about a vision he had.  Paul felt privileged to have been granted such a vision and felt that he certainly could boast of having such a vision.  However, Paul would not boast in his vision but in his weakness.  It is the hardships that Paul faces for the sake of Jesus that are important.   

To remind him of this, Paul claims that he was given a “thorn in the flesh”, some physical defect so that God would be glorified.  What exactly this “thorn in the flesh” was is the subject of many articles and some books.  While it would be nice to know, the point remains that Paul learned that God’s strength as found in human weakness. 

This is good for a prophet to know.  Again, the prophet is reminded that it is God and not the prophet who speaks.  The prophet has no reason or room to boast in him/herself.  If the prophet boasts, the prophet boasts of the Lord. 

It is also good to know that God’s strength is shown in the prophet’s weakness.  So often it is tempting for us to ignore the call of God to the prophetic role by asking ourselves, “Who am I to be called by God to speak to this issue?”  I have no special insight, I have no special training, in the face of the world and the opposition, I am nobody, I am weak.”  To that excuse, St. Paul would say, “Yes indeed, but God’s power will shine through your weakness.” 

Link to the Gospel

Our themes are again found in this week’s Gospel reading.  Jesus is the savior of the world, but Jesus is also a prophet.  I have often said in sermons, in my teaching, and here in WORDLINK that one does not get one’s self nailed to a cross for simply supporting the conventional wisdom.  One does not receive the ire and wrath of the religious leaders by agreeing with their every teaching and practice.  Indeed Jesus spoke the Word of God and was rejected and crucified for it. 

In our text this week, Jesus returns home after a rather successful ministry in other parts of Galilee.  Once home, just like a visiting seminarian or former pastor, Jesus is invited to preach/teach in the synagogue.  We are told by Mark that at first, many who heard him were astounded.  “What is this wisdom that has been given to him?  What deeds of power are being done by his hands!” 

Yet, as they reflect, they begin to question Jesus.  Is this not the carpenter who made our furniture and repaired our roofs?  Is this not the son of Mary, the snotty-nosed kid who used to run around the village?  Aren’t his brothers and sisters still here and they didn’t amount to much?  Who does this Jesus think that he is, the Messiah?”  Finally, Mark tells us they “took offense at him.” 

Jesus then sums up a bit of street wisdom we still hold to be true.  We might say that “you are an expert if you come from a distance but in your own setting you’re just another ______.”  “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown” is how Jesus put it.  Mark then tells us that Jesus could do no deed of power there, except to heal a few of the sick. 

But an amazing thing does happen.  Shortly thereafter, Jesus sends his disciples out two by two to carry on his ministry on their own.  He calls them to a servant’s task but he also alludes at a prophetic task.  Here our themes re-emerge.  The people may not listen to you.  If that is so, shake the dust off your sandals and move on.  They will know that a prophet has been in their midst. 

So it was with Ezekiel and so it is with you and me. 

Questions for Discussion

1. Who are some “prophets” you admire?  Why do you admire them?

2. What are the qualities of a prophet?

3. Can you identify any people today, who might not yet be considered prophets, but whom you feel just might be?

4. Why is it that we have trouble hearing a prophet until after they are dead and gone?  Why is it that later, their words make sense to us while at the time they may have inspired rage in us?

5. When have you been called to be a prophet of God?  What was it like?  How did others react to you?

6. How do you feel about the Church speaking prophetically?  Does that bother you?  Why or why not?

7. What are some issues which the Church should be prophetic about in our day?  What do you think God has to say about those issues?