Truth Spoken and Hidden
A common misconception about the biblical prophets is to see them only as fortune tellers. First and foremost, they are called by God to be truth tellers to those who presume themselves to be all powerful. “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!” In the story that had been handed down to Isaiah, those two Canaanite cities were judged by God and destroyed. But now, the prophet speaks to the successors of King David in Jerusalem, and basically says your capital and the kingdom of Judah are no different from Sodom and Gomorrah in their oppression of the powerless, such as orphans and widows.
Today in the Church we have ordained bishops, priests and deacons. We don’t have ordained prophets, though the bishops, priests and deacons are sometimes implored to be “prophetic” in their preaching. Speaking truth to power is sometimes what we all might be called by God to do. But it can come with a price. According to Jewish tradition, Manasseh succeeded his father Hezekiah, the last king mentioned by Isaiah. He was such a terrible king that when Isaiah hid from him in a tree, Manasseh had the tree sawed in half.
But: "Do not be afraid, little flock,” Jesus says to his disciples then and now, “for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom…Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In the case of today’s Gospel, remember that Luke addressed his “orderly narrative” to “most noble Theophilus.” And I have found that wealth and perceived nobility go together. And just a few weeks ago, we saw Martha who was wealthy enough to welcome Jesus and at least twelve of his disciples into her household. She must have had enough money to have house that large. So Jesus isn’t saying that his disciples must give until it really hurts.
The arrangement of Luke’s Gospel in our lectionary places Jesus’ advice to his little flock not to fear but to sell their possessions right after his parable of the Rich Fool which you heard last Sunday. There Jesus told the story of an already rich man who was so anxious about material deprivation that he became schizoid, talking to his soul like it was another person, all the while assuming that he would never die.
But to us Jesus says to look for the kingdom of God that is being given to us as we speak. Usually, we think of things like power and wealth being given to us from above by some superior force that chooses to give rather than destroy. But the metaphors that Jesus uses to speak of God’s rule are not imposed from above us; they emerge from around us. He speaks of seeds so small as to be unnoticed, but which eventually rise up to give shade and fruit. He speaks of treasures that must be hidden for a time, yeast that infiltrates the flour, or perhaps other corrupted things.
Sometimes the truth must be spoken, perhaps even shouted. Other times, the truth may have to be hidden, nurtured with tender loving care, spoken only among disciples – or students – of the kingdom. Sometimes the truth of the kingdom must be a long term investment – in a sacred space – in each other. But that is the only purse which will not wear out.
August 10th, 2025
Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 14, Year C
The Rev. David Kendrick