Is there no balm in Gilead?

Listening to the prophets or to our newsfeed we may well lament “Is there no balm in Gilead?” Everywhere we see appalling injury and suffering and little justice or mercy. All sides suffer and seem to cause suffering to others. Have we learnt nothing from the past? And where is our hope for the future? Where, in this, is God? (Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost. Proper 20 (25) Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; and Luke 16:1-13.) 

The prophets tell us that God is not looking away but lamenting with us and for us: “O that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Lament, judgment, the desire for cure and restoration, are all interwoven in love for the people and a desire that they live well and fully.

And in the light of this raw and terribly relevant anguish we hear the parable told by Jesus of the lengths that the “manager” will go to in order to do an outrageously generous deal. This is a bizarre and provocative parable that many have grappled with for it does seem to condone, if not encourage, dubious behaviour?!

I encourage you to read what I wrote about the gospel three years ago.

Outrageous Grace

If we engage with an interpretation of the parable that says Jesus claims he is being extravagantly radically generous (and that God approves all this forgiveness and abundance of blessing) and the horror and grief of so much suffering and brokenness then maybe we are being challenged to consider that only ridiculously forgiving and generous responses can take us beyond the place we find ourselves in?! Small sensible interventions don’t seem to be getting us anywhere. Certainly retribution and more of the same isn’t! So maybe it’s time for some Jesus like irrational grace and forgiveness is the only strategy that stands a chance of restoring the broken ones? Certainly, for those of us seeking to celebrate meaningfully and hopefully the UN's International Day of Peace, we know that we need to think, hope and act bigger and deeper in the face of entrenched cycles of violence and retribution can take us.

Even so, come Lord Jesus the Christ, come break open our hearts and minds until we are ready to embrace radical forgiveness and grace for ourselves and others. Amen.

This is my work based on all that I have read, heard and experienced. I am indebted to the wisdom of others.