DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE Scripture readings: Genesis 35:1-15, Luke 17:1-10 October 4, Israëlsunday today in the Dutch Lectionary. Tomorrow the Jewish people celebrates Sukkoth.(feast of tents). Sukkoth, the place where Jacob pitched his tents after he was reconciled to his brother Esau. This morning we heard that he was ordered to go to Bethel, the place where everything started. The place where the God of Abraham and Isaac had revealed Himself to him. According to the story we find here, he received his new name "Israel" at this place, the spot where God revealed Himself for the first time to him. From the time he fled to Laban, his life was a fight with God and a fight to be blessed by him, with dark and light pages. He had to learn during those years that God is different. He is El Shaddai: I am God Almighty! He is the unique One. It is useful to realize on this Israelsunday, as a Christian congregation, that God is different! The church does not want to revive or keep alive a common religious feeling. Religion and religious feelings, Christian or otherwise, are filling the earth. But often it makes people more unwilling to be reconciled. I heard an interview with a Jewish man, who told that, as a child, he was continually beaten and harassed by on older, Roman Catholic boy, who accused him of "having killed Jesus". I could give a sad litany too about present situations in the world where religion is one of the sources of hatred and atrocities. Recently a biography was published of a well known Dutch pastor. Speaking about faith and what faith is, he always quoted Micah 6: 8 He has made clear to you, O man, what is good; and what is desired from you by the Lord; only doing what is right, and loving mercy, and walking without pride before your God. In our church magazine I wrote how often we hear in the gospel of Luke, when Jesus is going to Jerusalem, about meals. God is the Lord who invites everybody to His meal, the prophets have to keep alive the vision of a great celebration "on the mountain of the Lord". And if there is a divide that separates people, so we heard in the parable of the rich man and the poor Lazarus, then this divide was created by men and eternalized by them. If the rich man had only listened - and obeyed - to Moses and the prophets, he would have invited poor Lazarus at his table and had shared his food with him. Terrible things happen in this world and often they are stumbling blocks - causes of trouble - that will hinder people to give themselves to God. But Jesus speaks harsh words to the people who are the cause of these stumbling blocks. Whoever makes such a little one stumble, such a poor Lazarus, and is a hindrance to meet God - such a man/woman has brought judgement upon him/herself. Luke is also telling that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is different. And so he does not just ask some religion, He asks us to trust Him. Scripture does not deal with theories and ideas about God. The aim of Scripture is that the divide that separates people from one another is bridged. We are challenged to be "the first ones", to be completely honest in dealing with one another before God. "Say a sharp word to your brother if he sins", says Jesus. We should try to persuade him to the way of Micah: walking without pride before your God and doing what is right. It is a way on which we are willing to forgive on another, time and time again. The disciples understand this very well. "Give us more faith", they ask. For faith they ask, for in relationships between human beings we often see cynicism and a judgmental spirit prevailing. If someone dares to forgive, he needs deep wells. Such a person must be freed from a life in which we always have to prove ourselves. Living in a society where being vulnerable is always punished. Faith, trust, solidarity, values that make you lose in this world. Proving yourself, knowing who and what you are, that counts! But Jesus says that a musterdseed of faith is enough to root up a tree with strong roots! The roots of fear of not being accepted by others, the roots of prejudice and mutual misunderstanding. We see the miracle in Bethel. Many years ago Jacob arrived as a looser: he lost his parents, his brother, his land. He had to leave everything behind, for he thought that Gods blessing was something he could obtain privately. He thought he only had to be clever and deceitful to others. Now he returns in Bethel and he receives a new name: Israel. For he dared to meet his brother. The divide between the two was bridged. The roots of anger and revenge were rooted up from the soil of the past. Jacob needed humility. Seven times he bowed for his brother. He needed to realise who he was and what he did. That's exactly what Jesus tells in that little parable. We, modern people, accustomed to the present relationships between boss and personnel, remembering the slave-like situations in which our parents and grandparents lived, could easily misunderstand Jesus words. What a crazy story in which the master does not even thank his servant! And should we, like those slaves, say that there is no profit in us? If that sounds nasty in your ears you are right. But this parable does not want to teach us that we should treat one another in such a way. Jesus intention is to make clear to us that there was a great distinction between master and slave. And we, who listen now, should realise that God and men are totally different. "God is in heaven, you are on earth", we hear in Ecclesiastics 5:2. Jesus does not say we have to admit: "There is no profit in me...", but "there is no profit in us". It is about true humility, a Latin word in which we hear the root "humus" - earth Children of the earth, children of Adam, we are, no gods or angels. We don't have to compete with God or one another. God is not a threatening and demanding God. . Even a musterdseed of faith is enough.... and even that is given by grace! We don't have to compete in piety, zeal or faith. We do not believe and serve one another to receive thank you's. We just do what we have to do, those things that are enabled by our baptism. We all share the same baptism, live by the same grace before the face of God, that unique, loving God who calls us by name. In Scripture you cannot distinguish between ‘religious' work or ‘non-religious' work. Everything we do, we do to glorify God. The reward of faith is faith itself. A man or woman who lives by faith, will experience freedom! Praised be the God of Israel, El Shaddai, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!