I was reminded by a recent sermon of Craig’s that when preaching it is good to tackle the bits in the passage which challenge us.  Indeed, at a previous church, the congregation asked the clergy to specifically address this (rather than preaching on an alternative reading).

They also say that the best sermons are those that are addressed to yourself.

Note to self – remember this and act on it!

Reading the passage for a couple of weeks ago I was reminded of exegesis and eisegesis – if you look at who is invited to the wedding banquet you can reach several different conclusions:

sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come

So we are called, but we have to respond;

gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good

universalism;

Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?

rejection of God (I have been told that the wedding garment would have been provided, so it was a rejection rather than any other reason);

For many are called, but few are chosen

Predestination.

I would however suggest that the small bits of scripture that I have chosen can only support a position based on eisegesis – I know what I think, here is something that supports it.  For exegesis you need to look at all texts which may be relevant and weigh them against each other.

I picked the image I did as for me the overarching narrative of the Bible is of God’s love for us all, so for me all texts have to be read in the light of that love.  If an individual text appears to contradict that love then I am less sure of it.  I’m still not sure whether that means that I read in or read out – but I do think that I am at least weighing conflicting texts in the balance.

Last Sundays reading (Matthew 21.33-46) and next Sundays reading (Matthew 22.1-14) both reminded me of the Johari Window.  In both cases Jesus is telling a story against the chief priests and the Pharisees, and particularly in the first they do not recognise it.  They identify more with the landowner than with the tenants.

For all of us the things which are most likely to trip us up are the things of which we are unaware.  Sometimes others can help us to discover these things, if both they and we can build up the courage to talk about the things that they know about us which we don’t.  But there is still an unknown area where no one (apart from God) knows these things, where we have to work at this ourselves (perhaps in prayer).

One clue can be the times that we get really annoyed with someone else – very often it is because sub consciously we are angry that we too do whatever it was made us angry with them.

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free

[I have been on holiday and retreat, and have had to prepare to be away and cope with getting back – “normal” service should now be resumed!]