One day, an elderly lady went into the grocery store to purchase some dog food. She went to the counter to pay, and the cashier said to her, every so sweetly, “I’m sorry, ma’am. I can’t sell you that dog food unless you can show me evidence that you have a dog.”
The lady asked why.
“I hate to inconvenience you, ma’am,” she replied, “But we have discovered that a lot of older people are purchasing the dog food to eat. That’s not healthy or sanitary. So to prevent this, we’ve instituted a policy that we will not sell dog food without evidence of a dog.”
The old woman took out her cell phone and showed the cashier a picture of her and her dog.
The next week, the senior citizen returned to purchase some cat food. The exact same conversation took place, and the cashier was satisfied when the old lady once again produced evidence in the form of a picture of her and her cat on her cell phone.
The next week, the elderly lady returned to the grocery store this time holding a plastic container with a hole in the top. She walked straight up to the cashier and held up the container.
The cashier asked, “What is this?”
The old grey hair simply said, “Just put your finger in here, dear.”
The cashier did as she said, and then withdrew her finger covered in something smelly and brown.
“Eww!” screamed the cashier. “What in the world is this?!!”
The old lady retorted, “That’s my poop. Is that enough evidence for me to buy toilet paper?”
You will probably not remember another word of this sermon after that one, but I’m going to try anyway.
Christians have often been accused of believing in God without evidence or of believing in God despite evidence to the contrary. The argument generally goes, “You have faith. Faith means believing without evidence. Therefore, you might as well believe in the flying spaghetti monster, or Thor, or the Tooth Fairy, or whatever imaginary thing you choose. You have no basis for your belief.”
That’s not exactly an easy argument to defend if faith means believing without evidence. However, faith without evidence is not the biblical definition of faith. In fact, the biblical definition of faith is quite different. A good definition of biblical faith is trust. Most dictionaries define trust as, “a firm belief in the character, strength, or truth of someone or something.” It is this definition that is better suited when we talk about our faith in God. It’s not believing in God without any form of evidence, but it is a belief in God’s character; God’s strength; and God’s truth. Faith assumes that we have already encountered God in some fashion, and we trust in what He has revealed to us. The question that we must answer from skeptics is, “How do you know you have encountered God?” That’s a bit more difficult to answer, but perhaps we have good guidance before us this morning as we finish up Romans chapter four.
Paul has gone through great pains to show up to this point that Abraham, the founder of the Jewish faith was not justified, or made right with God, by following the Law or by being circumcised. Rather, Abraham was justified, or made right with God, by putting his trust in God’s promises. God had promised that Abraham would be the father of many nations–that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seas. But there were several problems that had arisen. Would they shatter Abraham’s faith? Paul takes us through the process as we begin at the end of verse 17:
–in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ While most translations tie the end of verse 17 to the preceding verses, I prefer attaching it to the beginning of verse 18 to read as a series of clauses leading up to Abraham’s actions. I think it would be better read in this fashion, “In the presence of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist, hoping against hope, Abraham believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations.” The Greek here definitely allows for this sentence construction, and I think it works better in this fashion to set the stage for what Paul is trying to convey to his audience.
Paul is laying out two important attributes of the God that Abraham trusted. Now, as we read through the Old Testament, we know that Abraham had an encounter with God. We do not have the exact details of that encounter. We don’t know what kind of appearance God made. We don’t know what Abraham experienced. We do know that it was enough to change Abraham’s entire life. He went from someone who worshiped many gods–to one who worshiped only one God. He left his family fortune and inheritance and headed to a land he had never seen. Whatever happened in that encounter between God and Abraham had so thoroughly convinced and changed him, that it must have been a marvel to see.
And Abraham had become convinced from his encounter with God that God could give life to the dead and call into existence the things that do not exist. 1. God could give life to the dead and 2. Call into existence the things that do not exist. Think about these two attributes of God for a moment. If you had encountered a being of this kind of power; if you had met this being face to face and come to realize His awesomeness; and if this being had made you a promise, what would that do to you? How would that affect you? Would you trust that He could do as He said? This comes into play next as Abraham “hopes against hope” that he would become the father of many nations. Paul explains this in the next few verses.
19He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22Therefore his faith ‘was reckoned to him as righteousness.’ For now we see the problem. All the evidence appears to show that God’s promise will not happen. Abraham was nearing a hundred years old. Paul says Abraham considered himself as good as dead. Sarah, his wife, was barren, and she was well past the age of child bearing. This would have given most anyone pause in trusting the promise that had been handed down to him. This would have given most people reason to laugh and disregard what had been spoken. The promise that was made surely would not happen because of advanced age. Most would have wavered or moved on.
But not Abraham. The God who could bring the dead to life and call into existence the things that could not exist could certainly bring Abraham’s body to life. God could certainly bring Sarah’s womb to life. Abraham held onto that promise. He held onto that trust. He believed that God would do as God said He would despite all the appearances to the contrary. When to all appearances, Abraham should have given up and put His trust elsewhere, Abraham doubled down and continued to put his trust in God. Despite what he was seeing in his body and Sarah’s body, Abraham gave glory to God; he worshiped God; he honored God; he thought about God and the encounter he had with God. These things strengthened him in his resolve to hold onto the promise. And Paul reminds us one more time, “Therefore his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness.”
And we do know that God followed through on His promise to Abraham. We know that Sarah conceived and bore a son. We know that God was faithful even when all looked lost. This is important to remember as we consider Paul’s final words of chapter four.
23Now the words, ‘it was reckoned to him’, were written not for his sake alone, 24but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification. Paul wraps the entire argument up into his final point. Genesis 15:6 was not just written for Abraham’s sake. It was not written just about Abraham. It was written for our sakes as well. The biblical history has been written to bring us to our own faith; our own belief; our own trust. For our righteousness is reckoned when we trust in Him who–brought the dead to life; trust in Him who called into existence the things that didn’t exist; trust in Him who raised Jesus from the dead.
And now, Paul reiterates the Gospel–the reason we put our trust in God; in Jesus–because Jesus was handed over to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Jesus secured our justification and our redemption not by any work of our own, but by His work. Jesus made us right with God through His actions and not our own. And now we trust His work instead of our own. We hold onto this promise despite the evidence we may see to the contrary. We mirror the faith of Abraham and have it reckoned to us as righteousness not because we believe without evidence but because we have had an encounter with God, and we hold onto His promises with an eternal hope.
What does this mean practically? Let me share an illustration and then a personal story. First the illustration: My kids used to be terrified when they first went out to my ranch in Rocksprings. Of course, being where Hill Country meets Brush Country, everything bites, stings, or pokes. This was not very inviting for my children. Whenever we walked or climbed the hill on my property, they would become extremely frightened. It was my job to reassure them. Over and over again, I would tell them, you will be okay. Everything is going to be fine. You will not get hurt. Even if you get pricked, we will take care of it. Follow in my footsteps, and everything will be okay. The kids had to learn from me. They had to trust me. They had to get enough confidence in me that all would be well. Despite the evidence that they saw around them–all the prickly, sticky things, they had to learn that I would not lead them astray. Now, my kids are all over the place because they have learned to navigate with confidence. They have learned to trust.
The life of faith is similar with God. We learn to trust Him and walk in His footsteps and listen to His voice. We believe we have encountered Him already and that His guidance is secure. As I said earlier, the question we have to answer from skeptics is, “How do you know you’ve really heard God?” First off, we must answer that we have a history of God speaking not only to us, but to others. Paul delves back into scriptures to show God’s consistency–how God spoke to Abraham and justified Abraham by faith. God will remain consistent, and we can rely on the revelation contained in scripture to guide us. Therefore, if we “hear” a voice say, “Go kill that person because they are different from you,” we can readily say, “Don’t think that’s God at all. God’s word in Jesus doesn’t tell us to do that!!” Consistency. The second way we know it was God that spoke is when the words come true. That’s the hard one.
I have heard God speak to me unambiguously twice in my life. The first was when I was called to be a pastor. The second time was shortly after we moved here to Cat Spring. I remember taking a shower late one evening getting ready for bed. I heard clearly the words, “You will have a child before the end of the year.” Dawna and I had been in the adoption process for nearly two years. We had had our hopes dashed a couple of times. The administrator of the adoption agency told us time and again that birth-mothers would see the picture of me as a pastor and close our book. We contemplated taking that picture out to increase our chances. We weren’t sure what to do. “You will have a child before the end of the year.” I still remember the day we got the call from the agency. “A birth mother has picked you.” We got the news in December–before the end of the year, we had a child. Now, Kiera was delivered in January, but she was ours before the end of the year. God’s voice. I’ve learned to trust it despite other appearances.
I know I cannot convince anyone that I heard that voice. I know I don’t have an audio recording or anything like that. I know I can’t produce any evidence that this happened. You’ve got to trust my witness to you. You’ve got to trust me. And that can be a complicated thing because I’m human. I’m sinful. I can easily hurt you or say something that you don’t agree with.
And so we must realize something about our God–that He calls us into a new existence; He gives us a new status. God justifies sinners like me. Like you. God makes us right with Him through His Son because He loves us. And He sends us out to tell others what He has done–to tell others to put their trust in Him–to tell others to listen for His voice because His promises are certain; Will do as He said He will do. And the final evidence for this is the cross. The final evidence for this is the knowledge that God took on flesh to die for us despite our weakness; despite our flaws; despite our sin. He loved us; He loved the world enough to die for it. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it.
When it looks like all hope is lost. When it looks like the world around is falling apart. When it looks like good cannot win. The person of faith looks at the cross; looks at the God who died for the world; remembers He was raised, and then like Abraham, hopes against hope. We remember who God is, and we put our trust in Him. Amen.
Showing posts with label Abraham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abraham. Show all posts
Monday, December 5, 2016
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
What Happens when We Die?
I received the following email this past week:
Since the passing of my father recently the question of what happens when we die is ever on my mothers mind. I might add mine too. I have read a lot on it on the internet and the Bible and I must admit it can be overwhelming for a simple minded person like myself. I wanted to ask you if on your blog did you address the question and if so when. I tried looking in the archives but was unable to find one...After reading a lot of thoughts from other people and their reasoning I always came to the thought of what is Pastor Haug's thoughts.
Heady topic with lots of stuff out there.
Interestingly enough, this week's Living Lutheran: Ask a Pastor section was on this very topic. Answers there vary. Answers with a lot of pastors and professors vary.
Here's my short answer: we don't know exactly. That's the truth.
There's only been one person that I know of who experienced the fullness of death for three days and then returned, and He didn't do too much talking about what was going on when His body lay in the tomb.
Sure, there have been others who have had near death experiences. Some have tried to explain these experiences as the brain going into shut down mode and having a hyper-burst of activity. However, there are some experiences where the brain is completely shut down for days, and yet these experiences still occur. Some have recorded these experiences and sold them on the market. At the recommendation of church members, I have read both:
Heaven is for Real
Proof of Heaven
Both of these books are quite interesting and intriguing. Both have sold thousands of copies, but they are vastly different in what they convey about life after death. Vastly different.
So, what is true?
I don't know, but this is what I trust:
When I die, I believe I will go to be with God.
Yes, I know this doesn't exactly gel with St. Paul's understanding of death: that we fall asleep until the resurrection. But it does gel with other portions of scripture.
For instance, this Sunday's Gospel passage from the book of Luke. Jesus is asked a question about the resurrection by the Sadducees. Of course the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believe once a person is dead: that's it.
Yet, Jesus doesn't buy that train of thought. He answers them rather profoundly (bold emphasis mine):
27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ 34 Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ 39Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question.
"Now, He is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive."
This is quite the interesting statement, is it not? How can Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still be living? Their bones have surely decayed and returned to the dust long sense? How could they be considered living?
Jesus offers more insight when He gives the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” 25But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” 27He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” 29Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” 30He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’
While this indeed is a parable; it does tell us something of how Jesus viewed what happened after death.
#1. There is life after it.
#2. Some are taken to be with Abraham wherever he may be (With God?).
#3. Some head to torment.
#4. There is a separation between these two places that cannot be crossed.
Some might like to stop here, but Jesus certainly doesn't. Jesus, as Paul talks about the resurrection.
Some folks like to do an either/or. Either heaven and hell or resurrection to a new heaven and a new earth.
I like to combine them with the both/and. Some part of us goes on living--goes to be with God (or torment) as we await the last judgment. Then, on that day, we are reembodied at the resurrection.
Again, I don't know for sure. Haven't been on the other side to check. One thing is for sure: we'll all find out.
Since the passing of my father recently the question of what happens when we die is ever on my mothers mind. I might add mine too. I have read a lot on it on the internet and the Bible and I must admit it can be overwhelming for a simple minded person like myself. I wanted to ask you if on your blog did you address the question and if so when. I tried looking in the archives but was unable to find one...After reading a lot of thoughts from other people and their reasoning I always came to the thought of what is Pastor Haug's thoughts.
Heady topic with lots of stuff out there.
Interestingly enough, this week's Living Lutheran: Ask a Pastor section was on this very topic. Answers there vary. Answers with a lot of pastors and professors vary.
Here's my short answer: we don't know exactly. That's the truth.
There's only been one person that I know of who experienced the fullness of death for three days and then returned, and He didn't do too much talking about what was going on when His body lay in the tomb.
Sure, there have been others who have had near death experiences. Some have tried to explain these experiences as the brain going into shut down mode and having a hyper-burst of activity. However, there are some experiences where the brain is completely shut down for days, and yet these experiences still occur. Some have recorded these experiences and sold them on the market. At the recommendation of church members, I have read both:
Heaven is for Real
Proof of Heaven
Both of these books are quite interesting and intriguing. Both have sold thousands of copies, but they are vastly different in what they convey about life after death. Vastly different.
So, what is true?
I don't know, but this is what I trust:
When I die, I believe I will go to be with God.
Yes, I know this doesn't exactly gel with St. Paul's understanding of death: that we fall asleep until the resurrection. But it does gel with other portions of scripture.
For instance, this Sunday's Gospel passage from the book of Luke. Jesus is asked a question about the resurrection by the Sadducees. Of course the Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead. They believe once a person is dead: that's it.
Yet, Jesus doesn't buy that train of thought. He answers them rather profoundly (bold emphasis mine):
27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him 28and asked him a question, ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30then the second 31and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32Finally the woman also died. 33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.’ 34 Jesus said to them, ‘Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36Indeed they cannot die any more, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.’ 39Then some of the scribes answered, ‘Teacher, you have spoken well.’ 40For they no longer dared to ask him another question.
"Now, He is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to Him all of them are alive."
This is quite the interesting statement, is it not? How can Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still be living? Their bones have surely decayed and returned to the dust long sense? How could they be considered living?
Jesus offers more insight when He gives the parable of the rich man and Lazarus:
19 ‘There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.” 25But Abraham said, “Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.” 27He said, “Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.” 29Abraham replied, “They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.” 30He said, “No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” 31He said to him, “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” ’
While this indeed is a parable; it does tell us something of how Jesus viewed what happened after death.
#1. There is life after it.
#2. Some are taken to be with Abraham wherever he may be (With God?).
#3. Some head to torment.
#4. There is a separation between these two places that cannot be crossed.
Some might like to stop here, but Jesus certainly doesn't. Jesus, as Paul talks about the resurrection.
Some folks like to do an either/or. Either heaven and hell or resurrection to a new heaven and a new earth.
I like to combine them with the both/and. Some part of us goes on living--goes to be with God (or torment) as we await the last judgment. Then, on that day, we are reembodied at the resurrection.
Again, I don't know for sure. Haven't been on the other side to check. One thing is for sure: we'll all find out.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Go Ahead, Laugh
This morning as I read our Old Testament lesson from the book of Genesis, I was reminded of the following story I once heard:
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. 'Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt . When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army engineers build a pontoon bridge while the rear guard held off the approaching Egyptian army. Once the bridge was assembled, all the people walked across safely. When the Egyptian army started crossing the bridge, Moses radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge. All the Israelites were saved, and the Egyptian army was completely routed!'
'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother asked.
'Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!'
Go ahead and laugh, it’s quite alright to do so. Many studies have shown that laughter relives stress and helps with the body’s healing process. It also releases endorphins which make you feel good. Humor is quite a good thing. I mean, why do you think Joel Osteen begins every sermon he preaches with a joke? It gets people feeling good as endorphins surge through their bodies. Maybe that’s why Otto Reichardt brings me a stack full of jokes every time we have senior service. We need to laugh.
Which brings me to the next story. As a pastor, I’ve been privileged to offer prayers at many, many community functions. One of the recurring functions I go to is the Austin County Soil and Water Conservation Banquet of Champions. Philip Shackleford usually emcees the event, and twice, he’s used the podium to pull one on me. He’s used the same bit twice, but I still think it’s funny.
Phil began, “One day Pastor Haug was visiting in the homes of his parishioners.
At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out his card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.."
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, Pastor Haug found that his card had been returned. The Revelation passage had been scratched out and replaced with "Genesis 3:10", which reads, "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." The room cracked up!
Unbeknownst to Phil, I had a come-back. I went up to the podium to pray, but before the prayer, I turned to the audience and said, “My turn.”
I then proceeded to tell the following story: You know, when I start working in a community, I go around a visit quite a bit, and on another one of those visits, I just so happened to be driving past Phil’s house. Now, there at his gate was a dead mule, so wanting to be neighborly, I drove up to his house, got out of my car, and knocked on the door. Phil answered, and I introduced myself. Then, I said, “I just wanted to tell you there’s a dead mule down by your gate.”
Phil looked at me and said, “Well, Reverend, I thought it was your job to bury the dead.”
Without missing a beat, I responded, “Yes sir, it is, but it is also my job to notify the next of kin.” Pandemonium ensued.
Go ahead. Laugh some more. Laughter is good for the soul. In fact, I would argue we need much more laughter in our society today. We need to allow ourselves to have a few deep, resonant belly laughs. Our society is way, way too serious. We take things so bloody seriously that our practical jokes are seen as dangerous. We need humor–it is vital.
Now, those of you who were listening carefully to our Old Testament lesson might be wondering why I am spending so much time telling you it is o.k. to laugh when laughter seems to be frowned upon in this text about Abraham and Sarah. I mean, let’s take another moment to look at this passage from Genesis.
The Lord comes to Abraham to visit, and Abraham busies himself preparing a feast for his guest. As was custom, they ate and held conversation. At the appropriate time, the Lord spoke these words to Abraham, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” Sarah overheard, and she laughed. Now, let’s take a moment to understand why.
Scripture tells us that Sarah had ceased to be after the matter of women because she was of advanced age. Now, I know there are children here this morning, so I won’t go into the exact detail, but let me say this: Sarah was ninety. Her body had ceased its natural functions which make it possible to have children. Is the picture clear? I hope so. Now, you know why she laughed. This had to be a joke. It was impossible for a woman of that age to conceive and have a child. The body no longer functioned in that manner. Laughter is possibly the only appropriate response.
Now, before I go any further, let’s take a moment to examine some of the more humorous things about this faith that we Christians share. I mean, the idea that a 90 year old woman could conceive and bear a child isn’t the most outlandish things we proclaim–not in the least.
I mean, stop a moment and think about some of the following claims from scripture and tell me if they aren’t worthy of a good chuckle:
● God appeared in a bush that was burning, but the fire did not consume the bush. Ever seen such a thing?
● God made the city walls of Jericho fall down because people shouted and trumpets were blown. Ever seen that happen?
● God made bread appear in the desert on the bare ground. Have you ever seen food appear out of thin air?
● Elijah called down fire from heaven which ignited a sacrifice which had been drowned in water–and the resulting fire was so hot, it melted the rock. Has anyone seen a fire like that?
O.K. let’s turn to the New Testament. Here are some more whoppers!
● We proclaim that the virgin Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and that Jesus had no earthly father. That’s not exactly how children get conceived is it?
● We say that Jesus walked on water. Have you done that?
● We say Jesus fed about 17,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Ever tried to do
something like that when unexpected guests show up? Been that successful?
● We say that Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried; but that He came back to life. Ever seen a dead person rise?
● We say that God is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three persons; one God. One God; three persons. Does that even make sense? Didn’t think so.
In fact, all of these things are quite laughable. If we try to understand them from a rational, scientific perspective, we would quite scoff at them and laugh a hearty, belly laugh.
But what if...
What if...
What if all those things were true. Just as it came to pass that Sarah indeed conceived and bore a son named Isaac.
Perhaps it is important to realize laughter is important–as long as we laugh at the right things. But the promises of God–those are no laughing matter. Those are real. Amen.
Nine-year-old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned in Sunday School. 'Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt . When he got to the Red Sea, he had his army engineers build a pontoon bridge while the rear guard held off the approaching Egyptian army. Once the bridge was assembled, all the people walked across safely. When the Egyptian army started crossing the bridge, Moses radioed headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge. All the Israelites were saved, and the Egyptian army was completely routed!'
'Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?' his Mother asked.
'Well, no, Mom. But, if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!'
Go ahead and laugh, it’s quite alright to do so. Many studies have shown that laughter relives stress and helps with the body’s healing process. It also releases endorphins which make you feel good. Humor is quite a good thing. I mean, why do you think Joel Osteen begins every sermon he preaches with a joke? It gets people feeling good as endorphins surge through their bodies. Maybe that’s why Otto Reichardt brings me a stack full of jokes every time we have senior service. We need to laugh.
Which brings me to the next story. As a pastor, I’ve been privileged to offer prayers at many, many community functions. One of the recurring functions I go to is the Austin County Soil and Water Conservation Banquet of Champions. Philip Shackleford usually emcees the event, and twice, he’s used the podium to pull one on me. He’s used the same bit twice, but I still think it’s funny.
Phil began, “One day Pastor Haug was visiting in the homes of his parishioners.
At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out his card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.."
When the offering was processed the following Sunday, Pastor Haug found that his card had been returned. The Revelation passage had been scratched out and replaced with "Genesis 3:10", which reads, "And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." The room cracked up!
Unbeknownst to Phil, I had a come-back. I went up to the podium to pray, but before the prayer, I turned to the audience and said, “My turn.”
I then proceeded to tell the following story: You know, when I start working in a community, I go around a visit quite a bit, and on another one of those visits, I just so happened to be driving past Phil’s house. Now, there at his gate was a dead mule, so wanting to be neighborly, I drove up to his house, got out of my car, and knocked on the door. Phil answered, and I introduced myself. Then, I said, “I just wanted to tell you there’s a dead mule down by your gate.”
Phil looked at me and said, “Well, Reverend, I thought it was your job to bury the dead.”
Without missing a beat, I responded, “Yes sir, it is, but it is also my job to notify the next of kin.” Pandemonium ensued.
Go ahead. Laugh some more. Laughter is good for the soul. In fact, I would argue we need much more laughter in our society today. We need to allow ourselves to have a few deep, resonant belly laughs. Our society is way, way too serious. We take things so bloody seriously that our practical jokes are seen as dangerous. We need humor–it is vital.
Now, those of you who were listening carefully to our Old Testament lesson might be wondering why I am spending so much time telling you it is o.k. to laugh when laughter seems to be frowned upon in this text about Abraham and Sarah. I mean, let’s take another moment to look at this passage from Genesis.
The Lord comes to Abraham to visit, and Abraham busies himself preparing a feast for his guest. As was custom, they ate and held conversation. At the appropriate time, the Lord spoke these words to Abraham, “I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.” Sarah overheard, and she laughed. Now, let’s take a moment to understand why.
Scripture tells us that Sarah had ceased to be after the matter of women because she was of advanced age. Now, I know there are children here this morning, so I won’t go into the exact detail, but let me say this: Sarah was ninety. Her body had ceased its natural functions which make it possible to have children. Is the picture clear? I hope so. Now, you know why she laughed. This had to be a joke. It was impossible for a woman of that age to conceive and have a child. The body no longer functioned in that manner. Laughter is possibly the only appropriate response.
Now, before I go any further, let’s take a moment to examine some of the more humorous things about this faith that we Christians share. I mean, the idea that a 90 year old woman could conceive and bear a child isn’t the most outlandish things we proclaim–not in the least.
I mean, stop a moment and think about some of the following claims from scripture and tell me if they aren’t worthy of a good chuckle:
● God appeared in a bush that was burning, but the fire did not consume the bush. Ever seen such a thing?
● God made the city walls of Jericho fall down because people shouted and trumpets were blown. Ever seen that happen?
● God made bread appear in the desert on the bare ground. Have you ever seen food appear out of thin air?
● Elijah called down fire from heaven which ignited a sacrifice which had been drowned in water–and the resulting fire was so hot, it melted the rock. Has anyone seen a fire like that?
O.K. let’s turn to the New Testament. Here are some more whoppers!
● We proclaim that the virgin Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit and that Jesus had no earthly father. That’s not exactly how children get conceived is it?
● We say that Jesus walked on water. Have you done that?
● We say Jesus fed about 17,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. Ever tried to do
something like that when unexpected guests show up? Been that successful?
● We say that Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried; but that He came back to life. Ever seen a dead person rise?
● We say that God is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Three persons; one God. One God; three persons. Does that even make sense? Didn’t think so.
In fact, all of these things are quite laughable. If we try to understand them from a rational, scientific perspective, we would quite scoff at them and laugh a hearty, belly laugh.
But what if...
What if...
What if all those things were true. Just as it came to pass that Sarah indeed conceived and bore a son named Isaac.
Perhaps it is important to realize laughter is important–as long as we laugh at the right things. But the promises of God–those are no laughing matter. Those are real. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)