Year A Proper 25 2023 Legacy

 Year A Proper 25, 29 October 2023

St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“Legacy”

Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. The Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.

Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

Matthew 22:34-46

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Sermon begins:

Very few of us, so very few of us, know what our legacy will be. That is probably a good thing. If we knew, we would be frozen to inaction. We would either be overwhelmed by what was expected of us, or more likely, we would see that our greatest impact was behind us and we are already on the downward slope.

I most often speak about our Gospel reading. Look through my sermons, and that is where I spend most of my time amongst the lectionary readings when I preach. But today I am so drawn to Moses, and his peering into the Promised Land without going over.

It is heartbreaking, and yet apt. It was time for him to pass the reins and let go. For most leaders, we tend to stay on too long. We need to hear with the same clarity that voice that called us, the voice that is telling us that it is time to go.

In the last few months I have repeatedly had people mention to me that something or other was my legacy. Unless you know something I do not know, my time here is far from over. As I preach today, hear that first. MY TIME HERE IS FAR FROM OVER, good Lord willing. God is not finished with any of us, yet. Thanks be to God!

But Moses knew that his time was over, and he had laid hands on Joshua for him to take up the mantle of leading the tribes of Israel. A few interesting things in the passage I would like to point out.

The Torah, what we call Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, are the first five books in our Bibles. They are also known as the 5 books of Moses. I do need to point out that today’s reading from Deuteronomy contains Moses’ death, so the name, Five Books of Moses is at least, in part, a euphemism. Hard to include your own death in a book with any credibility of what is to come after your demise. The other funny thing in this passage is the contradiction to what I laughed about last week.

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.

Last week God promised Moses that if he saw his face he would surely die. So once again, instead of being too literal on this, I hope we will embrace this with a bit more open grip than to take it literally. This is a euphemism for the nature and depth of Moses’ spiritual life. This was not a literal description, unless it happened on the Mount of Moab when he did die at 120. And if it was, then how would he write about it???

But instead of looking at the holes, let us see what Moses did leave behind.

First and foremost we have his work. He was called to lead God’s people out of slavery into freedom. He performed signs and wonders given to him by God, and accomplished the promise that had been made.

He delivered the judgment of God in the 10 Plagues against Egypt, culminating in the gleaning of the firstborn amongst all of Egypt and Egypt’s flocks, up to and including the Pharaoh’s firstborn son. 

He delivered the instructions of God in the 10 Commandments, which to this day give us a foundation of knowing if we are in good relationship with God.

But most importantly he delivered his people to their inheritance. After hundreds of years, God’s promises were fulfilled. He delivered on God’s promises, and his job was done. After 120 years, and remaining “unimpaired and his vigor unabated.” Not bad for 120. 

Moses’ work was mighty, but we cannot skip over the Gifts of God. To be on the receiving end is no light matter. Think on that from what is said…

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses… He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

God blessed him to be a blessing, as God does each of us. Moses had the faith to handle these awe-some gifts. And I mean that word in the old meaning, FULL OF AWE. While Awesome, the works of power were also AWE-ful. I would not want the responsibility to do what was asked of Moses.

The wrath of God is no joking matter. In our Sunday School class this morning we look at the three fold nature of God’s Salvation: Judgment, Forgiveness, and Teaching. Salvation requires us to know that we are in danger, and without judgment we cannot know. If there is a lion lurking in the underbrush, we want to know it's there. Salvation without forgiveness means that God lets the inmates run the asylum. Salvation without teaching means that once again we are left to our own devices.

God saved Israel’s children and brought them into relationship. There was much judgment, in Egypt, in the Wilderness, and on Sinai. There was much forgiveness along the way as well. And God’s teaching, the Ten Commandments and all the laws surrounding them, are still instructing us to this day. And more importantly, the relationship that they enabled.

The Work of Moses was mighty! The Gifts to Moses were Awful and Awesome. But the lasting thing that is most striking was the Relationship Moses held with God. 

Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord’s command. He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated.

And…

Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.

God held the burial of Moses, and made sure his body was cared for. Moses died on command, it says, having lived a life unimaginable. He died with all his senses and full of vigor. And his relationship was intimate, even being described as face to face.

It was a model for all the prophets to come. And remember, a prophet is not a fortune teller, but one who speaks for God. The Good. The Harsh. But always the Truth.

The idea of the spokespersons to come, whether judges or prophets, this idea of being in relationship with God and even the Spirit of God being on them was prominent in their mind. Moses began that for all that were to come. 

But not just for them. People thought Jesus a prophet before they saw him as the Messiah. And that is why some were coming to him asking about the greatest of the Laws.

One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Jesus did not come to work magic or miracles. Jesus did not come to amaze or amass followers. Jesus came to show us a way to restore Eden, to walk with God, to talk with God, and live in harmony and Grace with one another. That is the point of the Laws. That is the purpose of the Prophets. We cannot make it more clear. And it makes these simple statements all the more necessary.

The truth is right there. Will we live into it? Moses’ Legacy is still with us, his work, his giftedness, but most importantly his relationship with God. May the same be said of us. Amen