Striving for Perfection

    As per the church-wide email I sent out this past week, I need your help this morning as we begin into this sermon.  I asked everyone to consider what a perfect congregation might look like.  What are its character traits?  What are the things it does?  If you would, please share some of your thoughts this morning.  Those of you who did not get this email, please, off the tops of your heads, share your thoughts about what character traits the “perfect” church has and what things such a church would do.

(Other notables from the first service responses: freedom to express one's view without judgement; people pray for each other [response from a 9 year old], people listen to the contributions of youth; outreach oriented; no quarreling)

    O.K. So, these are the character traits and actions that those of us who are gathered here this morning see in a perfect congregation.  There might be a few more that we could add, but let’s say that this indeed represents a perfect congregation.  Now, let me ask you this: if this represents a perfect congregation, are there such things as perfect congregations around?  Has there ever been a congregation which in actuality meets this vision?

    Did you say no?  I’d be flabbergasted if you said yes.  You and I know there is no such thing as a perfect church or a perfect congregation.  You and I know that sin pervades every aspect of our lives here on this planet and is inescapable.  You and I know perfection is an unattainable reality until we pass the threshold of death.  This is something we cognitively know.  And so I must ask, if we know that we cannot reach perfection, why do we have a vision of it?  Why does such a vision even exist?  I mean if we can’t attain it, why even bother to think about it?

    Last Sunday, our Gospel lesson began with these words from Matthew Chapter 5, Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus then shows what it means to be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees.  “You have heard it said to those of ancient times, you shall not murder.  But I tell you if you are angry with a brother or sister, you are liable to judgment...You have heard it said to those of ancient times you shall not commit adultery.  But I tell you if you look at a woman with lust in your heart you have committed adultery with her.  You have heard it said you may write a woman a certificate of divorce.  But I tell you if you divorce a woman you cause her to commit adultery and if you marry a woman who has been divorced you commit adultery.  You have heard it said do not swear falsely, but I say do not swear at all, by heaven, by earth, or by Jerusalem.  Let your word be yes, yes or no, no.  Anything else comes from the evil one.”

    Today, Jesus finishes out His sayings about true righteousness.  It doesn’t get any easier.  “You have heard it said an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth, but I say if someone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them your left also.  Give your shirt as well as your cloak.  Go the extra mile.  You have heard it said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I say love your enemy and bless those who persecute you so that you may be children of your Father in Heaven.  Be perfect even as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

    There you have it.  This is true righteousness.  Perfection.  Just as God is perfect, you be perfect as well.  This concludes Jesus’ vision of what it means to be truly righteous.  As I said last time, true righteousness consists of having one’s heart in complete and total alignment with God’s heart.  True righteousness is a heart condition for out of one’s heart comes anger and lust and failure to commit and fear of saying simply yes, yes or no, no.  Out of the heart comes the desire for revenge and retribution.  Out of the heart comes the desire to hate one’s enemy.  Only a changed heart can defeat such things.  Only a heart that is completely and totally oriented toward God and toward what is good can accomplish what Jesus says in this Sermon on the Mount.

    And as I said last Sunday, so I say again.  We cannot do it.  We cannot willingly make ourselves good.  There is a part of us which seeks our own self-interest.  There is a part of us which continually seeks to take care of our own selves and those closest to us at the expense of others.  There is a part of us which puts our own ego; our own righteousness over others and sees others as less than us.  This part is constantly in rebellion against God and is constantly unleashing all those things Jesus warns us against.

    You know this.  You see it all the time.  You participate in it.  We all do.  None of us can escape it.  So if this is the case...  If we know we continue to have these things come out of our hearts despite our best efforts...  If indeed our righteousness cannot ever exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees and then therefore we cannot ever enter the Kingdom of heaven...then what’s the point?  If we cannot achieve perfection, then why does Jesus set it as the goal?

    I think there are at least two very good reasons for this.  The first reason is one I have articulated before, and it comes from sports.  The record holder for the highest career batting average is held by Ty Cobb.  His career batting average was, get this .366.  This meant, he got a hit generally 1 out of every three times he came to bat.  Mind you, he didn’t hit a home run every time he came to the plate–even though that would be the ideal.  He didn’t get on base every time he came to the plate to bat–even that would have been awesome.  He didn’t even get on base half the time he came to bat.  36% of the time he came to bat, he got on base.  And he’s in the baseball Hall of Fame.  Can you imagine giving a child a pat on the back for making a 36 on a test?  Yet, that’s what folks did with Ty Cobb.  They applauded him for his efforts.

    Now, do you think Ty became disgusted with the way he played by batting .366 for his career?  Do you think he became disgusted with himself because he couldn’t hit a home run every time he came up to bat?  Do you think he thought of quitting baseball because he wasn’t able to get on base every time he went to the plate to face a pitcher?  No.  Of course he didn’t because there was always the chance to hit the home run.  There was always the chance of achieving a little piece of perfection.  There was the goal, dangling out there begging to be reached.  Generally, we can approach humankind in a couple of fashions.  We can set the bar low, and believe me, folks will reach it and then stop.  Or, we can set the bar high and just see how close people come to reaching it.  One of these ways will unlock greater potential.  One of them won’t.  I’ll let you decide.

    The other reason for setting perfection as a goal is a little different.  It isn’t about unleashing potential–it’s about keeping a person humble.  You see, if God is the only one who can be perfect, and perfection is the only way to achieve true righteousness–true holiness, then I can never be holy on my own.  I can never be righteous on my own.  I will never reach the pinnacle of perfection.   Every time I try to reach it, I will fail.  By my own efforts I can never achieve it.  If I realize this, where does this leave me?  Where do I end up if I know I cannot achieve what is required of me?  Well, I will probably give up.  If it is something I want badly enough, I will probably get depressed and angry.  I will probably shake my fist and have tears well up in my eyes because I cannot get what I desire so badly.  And then I resign myself to my failure.  At this point, and only at this point am I willing to acknowledge my need for help.  At this point, God usually reveals to us something wonderful:

    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 so that the world may be saved through Him.

    My achieving righteousness does not depend upon my work but on God’s work.  My holiness does not come about because I am superhumanly good, but it comes about because Christ is superhumanly good.  My salvation depends not on my righteousness but on Christ’s righteousness.  Only in my humility can I recognize this. 

    When perfection is the goal, when the bar is set high, we reach for it and are challenged by it.  When perfection is the goal, we are humbled by it and recognize our need for grace.  We may never be perfect people.  We may never be a perfect congregation, but we need that vision before us to challenge us, to humble us, and to help us live God’s Word daily. Amen.

Singing in Harmony with God

    I do not know if it is my age or if it is something else, but my tastes in music have changed.  For the longest time, I thoroughly enjoyed it when a soloist would take the stage and belt out a particular piece of music.  I thought this was the best singing had to offer.  Perhaps it is singing in our gospel group that has changed my taste, but I now have a much, much higher appreciation for harmony.  For some reason, music becomes more meaningful, more touching when several voices sing together and fill out the chord.  Recently, I was introduced to Pentatonix an a capella group.  They did a cover of Lourde’s “Royals”, and in my estimation, if you listened to Pentatonix, you’d wonder why their’s isn’t more popular.  I think it’s 100 times better because of the harmony.  So, what does all of this have to do with our lessons for this Sunday, especially that Gospel lesson from the 5th Chapter of the book of Matthew?

    The core Gospel proclamation of Christianity is obvious.  John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”  Further, this core proclamation occurred by pure grace.  It happened without any action on our own part.  Christ died for us while we were still sinners and completely unrepentant.  For those of us who know this message at our deepest core, we also have come to know that no matter how hard we try–no matter what kind of new leaf we try to turn over, we cannot stop sinning.  We know we still fall short of the glory of God.  We are not perfect.  Sometimes, it’s painfully obvious.

    With this in mind, we hear Jesus tell us this morning, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

    Whoa!  Wait a minute.  What happened to grace?  What happened to God’s unconditional love and mercy?  What happened to Christ dying for us while we are still sinners? 

    Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.  What’s going on here?

    Let’s look at this within the context of ancient Israel.  First, let’s recognize who the Scribes and Pharisees were.  These were two Jewish groups who thrived during Second Temple Judaism.  The Scribes were, of course, those who wrote on and interpreted the Law.  They were held in very high esteem as those who were blessed by God as they wrestled with interpreting and living the Torah.  The Pharisees are often Jesus’ main nemesis throughout the Gospel stories.  The Pharisees longed and yearned for the coming Kingdom of God, and they had a very particular understanding of how that Kingdom would arrive.  They believed that the Jewish people needed to be holy and pure so that the Kingdom would come.  They believed that the Jewish people needed to be obedient to the purity code with all its various intricacies in order for God to take notice.  Basically, the Pharisees believed if a person ate the right food, associated with the right people, washed hands in the right way and right times, tithed to the temple appropriately, offered the right sacrifices, and so on and so forth, then they would be seen by God as holy and righteous.  Once they were seen by God to be holy and righteous, God would finally forgive Israel for its sins, drive off Israel’s enemies, and establish Israel as the world power and beacon of light and hope God promised Abraham it would be.  When it came to keeping this code, the Pharisees were the supreme example of righteous living–at least as far as most of the populace was concerned.

    So I am sure Jesus caused a few heads to be scratched when He said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.”  Is it possible to be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees?

    Apparently so, because Jesus then begins laying out what it means to be truly righteous.  #1. “You have heard it was said, ‘You shall not murder.’ but I say if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment.”  Stop and think about that one for a minute.  Anger must disappear.  This is true righteousness.

    #2. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ but I say if you even look at a woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery.”  Stop and think about that one for a minute as well.  Lust toward a person of the opposite sex must disappear.  That is true righteousness.

    #3. “It was also said, ‘You can give a woman a certificate of divorce.’ but I say if you divorce a woman except on the grounds of unchastity, you cause her to commit adultery.  And if you marry a divorced woman, you commit adultery.”  Pause once more to consider Jesus’ words.  Life-long commitment is the only option.  That is true righteousness.

    #4.  And last, at least for this little snippet of the Sermon of the Mount.  “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ but I say, don’t swear at all.  Let your word be yes, yes or no, no.”  Reflect on that for just a second.  How many of us accomplish that one?  True righteousness makes no excuses, doesn’t try to be tactful, doesn’t try to explain one’s position or be nuanced about it.  True righteousness says yes or no.  No wiggle room.  Period.

    Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  How is that possible?  Jesus gives it to His disciples on the hill that day and to us without hesitation. 

    You see, the Scribes and Pharisees had all the externals going on.  They were doing all the commands of Torah to keep themselves holy and pure.  They were following the law, and from the outside, they looked squeaky clean.  They looked like they were pure.  They looked like they were holy.  But in reality, they were a brand new Corvette Stingray with a flawless exterior with a rusty modified Fort Pinto engine underneath.  The inside didn’t match the outside.

    This was problematic, and for this reason Jesus made that intriguing comment in the middle of this teaching, “29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.”

    Now, when you first hear this, you might think Jesus was being literal.  Go cut your hand off if it causes you to sin.  Go pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin.  But everyone would have recognized what Jesus was really getting at.  A HAND DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO SIN.  AN EYE DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO SIN.  Where does sin come from?  Where does anger come from?  Where does lust come from?  Where does a lack of commitment come from?  Where does the fear of being straightforward and honest come from? 

    It comes from the heart.  Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.  How is this possible?  Well, the Scribes and the Pharisees weren’t righteous.  They had the externals, but their internals weren’t so good.  Their hearts weren’t oriented toward God.  Their hearts were oriented toward themselves.  For, by God, you know that everything revolves around me.  If I do the right things; if I say the right things; if I follow the commandments the right way; if I believe the right things and tell everyone I love Jesus; if I come to church every Sunday of the month; if I put the right amount of money in the offering plate; if I do all these things and more, then I have a claim on God.  He has to listen to me!  He has to give me what I ask for!  He has to unleash the Kingdom of God.  He has to grant me health, wealth, and security.  I hope you catch the sarcasm here.

    So often, we think the externals save us.  We think the externals bring about the kingdom of God.  We think the things we do make us holy and righteousness.  But we can and do a lot of good things for the wrong reasons.  And Jesus calls us on it.

    If your heart isn’t in line with God, then you will never enter the kingdom of God.  Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.

    So, get your hearts in place!  Make your hearts right!  Turn them toward God! 

    If it were only so easy!

    Me telling you to do that this morning is equivalent to me telling you, “You have a blockage in your heart, give yourself a bypass.”  Do you think you are capable of doing such a thing?

    St. Paul writes in the seventh chapter of Romans, “I know the good that I am supposed to do, but I cannot do it...Wretched man that I am!  Who will save me from this body of sin?”

    Paul knew he suffered from a heart condition.  We suffer from that same condition?  Who will save us from this body of sin?  Who will save us?

    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all 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 so that the world may be saved through Him.”

    You see, by Jesus’ death and resurrection and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit into the world, God works to turn our hearts toward Him.  Through the Word become flesh, God acts in you and me to pound our hearts into submission and orient them toward Him and His love.  God enters into our very being to stomp out anger and lust and lack of commitment and selfishness and fear.  God lives within us as our hearts are convicted by the power of the Gospel.  And when our hearts are convicted by the Gospel, they beat in line with God’s heart.  They begin to sing–not a solo by any means, but they sing in harmony with God.  They join the chorus of God’s own song for the world which says, “I love you.  I died for you.  You are my child!”

    Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Because of Jesus, your righteousness does exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, not because it is your own but because it is based on Jesus’ righteousness.  Jesus died for you that your heart may be turned toward Him.  And when your heart is singing with Gods, then you are truly Living God’s Word Daily.  Amen.

I Decided to Know Nothing Except Christ Crucified

    St. Paul writes, “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. 4My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.”

    Most of my life and in most of my time as an ordained minister, I have tried to do the exact opposite of what St. Paul says in these opening words of the second chapter of 1 Corinthians.  I hate to admit this.  I really do.  I hate to admit that for most of my career, I have tried diligently to learn as much as I can and then show how learned I am.  I have tried using lofty words of wisdom in my sermons, on my blog, in Bible study, and in conversation.  I have oftentimes been convinced that such lofty words of wisdom will convince many in today’s society of the reasonableness of Christianity.  I have oftentimes been convinced that Christianity has all the answers to all the questions that exist and that if I just learn them and articulate them, well, then I can have a tremendous impact in the lives of others.  I have oftentimes been convinced that our churches simply need to get with the right train of theological thought–the right train of wisdom, and then all will be well. 

    I don’t think I am alone in what I have done and to some extent continue to do.  It’s the way the world works.  I mean, just browse through the comments section on any particular political article.  Jump onto an internet message board and read through any particularly controversial thread.  Look at what stands out when people engage in dialogue about such subjects.  Well, first filter through the comments which are simply baseless attacks.  Then, read the more serious ones.  See what they do.  Time and again, they list: point by point; reason by reason why their “side” is correct.  Time and again, they will provide links to studies, articles, and citations to bolster their particular point of view.  Time and again, they will show statistics and numbers to prove their particular position.  All of the facts must be shown, and once the facts are presented, then one shouldn’t be able to argue with my position.  After all, I am right!  I have the facts on my side.  I have thoroughly researched this issue, and by God, I know what I am talking about.

    Oftentimes, the rebuttals are swift, and one of my favorite ones is, “So, you have a degree in whatever subject matter is at hand, I suppose?  You are a climate scientist, a social scientist, a biologist, a biblical scholar, a doctor, a political science major, a lawyer, or what have you.  The rebuttal is that unless you have studied the subject matter and have a degree in it, then you are not qualified to speak with any kind of authority on the matter.

    It’s part and parcel in the way the world works.  We love appealing to our experts.  We love appealing to those who have numerous letters behind their names.  Of course, if certain experts disagree with us, then we will find other experts, but hey, that’s the game, isn’t it?  Lofty titles.  Large degrees.  Plenty of status.  That’s what awes people into believing what you have to say. 

    I am reminded at this point of a joke I love to tell.  It’s about a church congregation president who decided to call on several members who hadn’t been in church for some time.  He goes to see Farmer Joe. 

    Farmer Joe is out in the field chopping cotton.  Bob parks his car down in the turning row and walks up to Joe.

    “Hey Joe! How’ve you been?”

    “Aiiight,” Joe replies.

    Bob continues, “Haven’t seen you in church in a while, Joe.  Thought you might like to come back.”

    Joe wipes the sweat off his brow, spits in the dirt and says, “Well, why should I come back to church?”

    Bob says, “Joe, you have got to come and hear the new preacher we got!  He’s fantastic!”

    Joe slowly says, “Well, what makes this here preacher so special?”

    Bob replies enthusiastically, “Joe, he’s got a B.S. an M.S. and a PhD!”

    Joe shakes his head and says, “Well, that settles it.  I ain’t a comin’ to church as long as that preacher’s there.”

    Bob is taken aback.  He can hardly believe his ears.  “W-w-w-why?” he stammers.

    Joe spits in the dirt and says, “Well, we all know what B.S. is.  M.S. is just more of the same.  And PhD is piled high and deep.”

    Don’t laugh too hard now.  I personally have a master’s degree.

    But there is something to be said here.  There is something to be said regarding those who try to proclaim the message of God based in wisdom and lofty words.  There is something to be said about those who claim to have special knowledge of God and how God operates.  There is something to be said for those like myself and others who have tried time and again to use knowledge and reason and other such things to talk about God–to try and convince everyone that we’ve got it down pat when it comes to knowing and understanding God and His ways.

    And that something is not necessarily pretty.  You see Paul was onto something when he proclaimed the Gospel to the Gentiles. “I didn’t come with words of wisdom.  I chose only to know Christ crucified that your faith may not rest on worldly wisdom but on the power of God.”

    You see, Paul knew it wasn’t what he knew that counted.  Paul knew it wasn’t about what he had accomplished.  Paul knew his resume wasn’t the important part of the equation.  Paul knew very well that it wasn’t about anything he had done that mattered.  If people were resting their faith on what Paul had done, there would be problems.  But if they rested their faith on what God had done, well, then that was quite a different story.  And now we must ask: what has God done?

    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 that the world may be saved through Him.

    On the cross, Jesus died–God died–to reconcile the world unto Himself.  God died to pay the price of forgiveness–to take away our shame, our guilt, our debt to Him.  It was on the cross that the world’s redemption took place.  “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. 2For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.”

    I am beginning to change, my brothers and sisters.  I am trying to leave behind this notion that I must be filled with lofty wisdom and knowledge and understanding.  I am trying to leave behind the notion that I have to be super-knowledgeable about Christianity, the Bible, all sorts of theology.  I am working to focus on the main thing: Christ crucified and the grace that flows from the cross.  It’s all about that grace.  It’s all about what God has done.  None of us need a degree to proclaim it.  All of us can do it, and when we do, we live God’s Word daily.  Amen.

Religion Versus Grace

    When I was in first grade, I didn’t have any of my closest friends in my homeroom class.  This made life particularly difficult at lunch since I didn’t have anyone really to cut up with and talk to at the lunch table.  I longed for a friend to share that time with.  I don’t know if Jimmy picked up on my desires or if it was something else, but one day, as he sat across from me, he said, “Kevin, I will be your friend...if...if you give me your dessert.”

    You see, when I was in first grade, I wasn’t necessarily enthusiastic about eating in the cafeteria too often.  My mom fixed me a lunch most of the time.  There was always a sandwich and some chips, and for dessert, I usually had one of the several varieties of Little Debbie snack cakes.  For the early months of first grade, this was usually enough to satisfy my hunger easily, and to begin with, I felt like I could spare the calories.  I wanted a friend, badly, so I gave up my dessert.

    Each day, I’d give Jimmy my dessert, and each day he’d proclaim his friendship of me.  But then there came a day...  Yes, then there came a day when my stomach cried out in hunger.  I was a growing boy, and I had played to my heart’s content at recess, and I wanted to eat my dessert.  “Jimmy, I am really, really hungry today.  I really, really want to eat my dessert.”

    “But then I won’t be your friend.”

    “But I’m hungry.”

    “I won’t be your friend.”

    I thought for just a few moments.  I desperately wanted a friend, but I was hungry.  As I thought, I also came to the conclusion that I was tired of giving Jimmy my desserts. 

    “I’m going to eat my dessert.”

    “I’m not your friend.”

    And so it is with much of life.  For the most part, if we want to receive anything, we have to pay a price for it.  If we want a particular item in the store, we have to pay money.  If we want a good paying job, we have to pay to go to school or spend years climbing the corporate ladder.  If we want to be respected by others, we have to accumulate wealth or wisdom.  If we want to be loved, we have to show love to another.  There always seems to be strings attached–with a price tag–for things and for relationships.  Some even extend this particular aspect of human life to our relationship with God.

    The thinking goes, “If I want God to love me, then I have to be obedient to Him.  If I want to get God’s attention, then I have to do the things He commands me to do.”  This is what is at the heart of what many people in our society today consider religion.  If I am obedient, then I will get the blessings. 

    If I believe enough in God and trust God enough, He will bring me wealth.

    If I pray a certain amount each day, my sickness will be healed.

    If I put enough in the offering plate, the Lord will multiply it 10 fold.

    If I work hard enough for justice, the Kingdom of God will come to earth.

    If I use my prophetic voice and speak against wealth and privilege, then people will see how radical faith is and flock to church.

    If we do the right things, then we will experience the blessings.  Do you see how this supposedly works?

    In many congregations today, our first lesson will be read, and many will pick up on the final verse read.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this verse repeated by colleagues who are focused almost completely on the concept of justice, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8 This is what the Lord requires of us, and we have to do it!  All the focus and attention will go here, and many will begin proclaiming their vision of what it means to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.  Many will talk about feeding the hungry, combating systemic poverty and racism, and treating others with kindness and respect.

    These are not bad things in and of themselves.  In fact, these things are indeed part of the Christian walk.  These are things we are called to do, but because our society today is so biblically illiterate, they come to think that this is what faith is all about–they come to think faith is about what we do, and they miss something so precious, so central, so important to what it means to be a believer in God and a follower of Jesus Christ.

    So much attention will be drawn to Micah 6:8 that Micah 6:3-5 will oftentimes be overlooked.  “O my people, what have I done to you?  In what have I wearied you? Answer me!  4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.  5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

    What is going on here?  Why are these verses so important?  They show us God’s actions toward Israel.
They show us what God has done for the people:

    1. He delivered them from Egypt and the house of slavery.

    2. God sent them leaders who gave them law and order.

    3. God delivered them from King Balak when Balak ordered Balaam to curse them.  God appeared to Balaam and prevented this from happening. 

    4. God gave them the land from Shittim to Gilgal and helped them conquer it, aiding Israel against their enemies.

    In each of these instances, God blessed His people.  God freed them, supported them, guided them, and established them.  God showered His blessings down upon them time and time again, and it is only after the blessings that the words are uttered, “what then does God require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” 

    The blessings come first, obedience follows.

    That is the tremendous difference between religion and grace.  Religion says, “Do this and you will be blessed.  Be obedient, and you will receive blessings.”  Grace says, “You are accepted, now do this.  You are blessed, then be obedient.”  Religion requires someone to work toward God and emphasizes our actions.  Grace celebrates what God has done and then asks for a response to what God has done. 

    And what has God done?  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 so that the world may be saved through Him.

    The grace and mercy of God was poured out for all of us on the cross where Jesus hung and died to redeem us from our sin.  On that cross, God paid the price for healing broken relationships, and three days later, God showed us the promise of eternal life.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has opened the kingdom of Heaven to all who are brought to faith by His Spirit.  God has revealed and given His blessings to each and every one of us, and He didn’t even ask for even as much as our dessert before giving it to us. 

    These are the blessings of God showered down each and every one of us.  Grace.  Pure and simple.  And how will we respond?  Will we seek obedience?  Is God’s mercy and grace and sacrifice enough to cause us to seek to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God?   Sure.  At least it should be.  And it is definitely a part of how we Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.

The Foolishness of Grace

    St. Paul says, “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

    When I was young, I stumbled upon Greek and Norse mythology.  I loved it.  I was enamored with the stories about the gods who lived on Mount Olympus or in Asgard.  I read about the exploits of Zeus, Hera, Ares, Hermes, and all the other Greek gods.  I loved the tales of the demi-gods Theseus, Perseus, Hercules, and others.  Their uncommon strength and power made me imagine that I too was stronger than others and capable of doing heroic things.  I’d imagine myself taking on 12 tasks that required all my great strength or battling mythic monsters.

    Or, I’d imagine myself wielding Mjolnir, the mythical hammer of Thor.  I’d imagine myself fighting frost giants and soaring into the air sending lightning bolts into my enemies.  I’d imagine having to deal with the mischievousness of Loki or overseeing all of the realms as did Odin.  These stories fascinated me.  Why?

    Because of the power these gods wielded.  They were powerful.  Nothing seemingly could defeat them.  They conquered in battle.  They had their way with less powerful beings.  In fact, the idea of a god taking on human flesh was not unique to Christianity.  The Greeks had myths about such things happening long, long before the faith called Christianity or the birth of Christ.

    But there is an important difference between Greek mythology and Christianity–a very important difference.  Nowhere in Greek mythology does a god come to earth in self-sacrificial terms.  Nowhere in Greek mythology or Norse mythology does a god come to earth to offer himself or herself for the sake of others.  In almost every case the gods come down to partake of something they desire for themselves; never do they come down for the sake of the world.  And they certainly do not die for the world.  The gods of Greek and Norse mythology are all about power; rarely do they ever come to serve, and they certainly do not die for us.

    This is one of the reasons the message about the cross was seen as absolute foolishness.  No one would believe that God would come to earth and die.  No one.  The Greeks had their myths, and their gods didn’t die.  The Jews believed in an Almighty God who was one; who was immortal; who was beyond the earth; who was all powerful; and that God would not die either.  It was humankind who had to work hard to earn the favor of God.  We had to strive to do the right things or face God’s wrath.  That was the way things worked.  It was the way things had always worked.  To claim anything else was utter foolishness.

    I mean, who in the world would ever think that God would take on flesh?  Who would ever think that God would take on mortality?  Who would ever think that God would impose upon Himself such limitations?  How dare anyone thing that God could catch a cold?  Or have to feed Himself?  Or have to have parents who cared for Him as an infant changing His diapers?  Who would dare to think that God would suffer from heat exhaustion, or hunger, or thirst?  Who would dare to claim that God suffered pain or sadness?  Such things were almost beyond human comprehension.

    And it would be utter foolishness to claim that God would die.  God doesn’t die.  God is immortal.  God is all powerful and all knowing.  Such a being is beyond death–beyond the limits of our physical capability or incapability. 

    Push that a little further and try to grasp the idea that God would die so that humankind might live.  Now, we’ve entered into a whole new realm.  This idea is so far-fetched, it’s quite amazing.  But is it?

    Just this last week, I was asked by one of my children, “Dad, why did God die?”  Yeah, try answering that question for a five year old. 

    I responded, “Let's pretend for a minute.  Let's say that Daddy told you not to drink Dr. Pepper and play with his Kindle at the same time.  But, one day, you decided to do that."

    "I'd NEVER do that!"

    "I know, but let's pretend.  Let's pretend that you did anyway, and you spilled Dr. Pepper on my Kindle. 
The Kindle got broke and wouldn't work anymore.  Could you fix it?"

    "No."

    "Who would buy me a new one, then?"

    "I would."

    "Do you have any money to do that?  Could you buy it for me?"

    "No.  I couldn't."

    "But someone has to pay for it?  Who else could pay for it?"

    "You could."

    "That's right.  I could, and I would.  But I would still have to pay for it.  If something gets broken, it has to be fixed, and somebody has to pay for it.  If you can't pay for it, I can, and I can forgive you.  That's what God did on the cross."

    "How?”

    "Adam and Eve broke the relationship with God."

    "How'd they do that?"

    "They didn't listen to God, and they didn't trust God."

    "Oh."

    "And when they didn't listen to God and trust God, it allowed all the bad stuff to happen in the world.  It allowed death; it allowed pain; it allowed sickness.  It was bad.  And the punishment had to fit the crime.  Adam and Eve couldn't fix it.  We can't fix it.  Adam and Eve couldn't pay for it.  We can't pay for it.  So, who had to pay for it?"

    "God."

    "That's right.  God."

    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 so that the world may be saved through Him.

    And here’s the icing on the cake.  God died and doesn’t demand that we change.  God died for you and me and then says, “I have shown you how much I love you.  I have prepared a place for you.  Now, it’s up to you how you choose to live your life.  You can continue to do the same things you did before.  You can continue to rebel against me and seek your own self-interest above the interest of your neighbor.  Or, you can spend the rest of your life in thanksgiving for what I have done and seeking to love me and love your neighbor as you love yourself.”

    What foolishness!

    Imagine God saying such a thing!  I mean, in our society today, we know how it really works.  We have to pass laws restricting people.  We have to come up with all sorts of punishments to make sure people fear breaking the law.  If you step out of line, well, then you will face the consequences.  Keep people in fear, and they will toe the line.  Force them to care for one another.  Force them to pay to take care of the poor.  Force them to buy certain cars and light bulbs.  Force them to respect their neighbor’s property.  Keep them fear-full.  It’s the only way to make change happen.

    You certainly cannot allow them freedom.  You certainly cannot love them first and expect them to change because of that love.  You can’t expect them to change because someone would be willing to serve them and love them first.  That is utter and complete foolishness...

    ...to those who are perishing.  But for those of us who have experienced the grace of God; for those of us who know the message of the cross; for those of us who know Christ died for us and freed us from the wrath of God; this is how we Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.

The Kingdom of Heaven and Violence

    There is a fascinating line in our Gospel lesson today.  Matthew 11:12 reads, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”  During our staff meeting this week, we read this gospel lesson, and many of us were struck by this particular verse.  Why?

    Well, we are not exactly used to seeing the kingdom of heaven and violence butted up against each other.  During this time of preparation for the arrival of our Savior, we dream about peace on earth and goodwill toward men.  Last Sunday, our choir sang a cantata entitled, “And On Earth Peace.”  We hear Jesus say to those of us who follow Him, “My peace I leave with you.”  Indeed, for many of us the term “kingdom of heaven” conjures up a time of peace without conflict or strife.  And yet, here Jesus says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”  What on earth is going on here?

    I think we need to put this into a little bit of context so that we might be able to understand it better.  And, we are going to have to dig a little deeper than the texts which are printed in our bulletin.

    I’d like to ask you a moment to turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 10.  Let’s do a fast walk through this chapter as we see what leads up to those words about the kingdom of heaven and violence.

    In Matthew 10, verses 1 through 15, Jesus calls the twelve disciples and sends them out to proclaim the gospel, giving them authority over demons and illness.  He gives them instructions on what to do and how to go about doing it.  In verses 16 through 23, Jesus tells His disciples what they can expect, and some of it is not too pretty.  “See I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves...they will had you over to councils and flog you...you will be dragged before kings and governors because of me...”  Preaching the gospel will not be a walk in the park.  Tough things will happen to you when you follow me, Jesus says.  Yet, a word of hope in verse 26 and following, “So have no fear of them...Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell...every hair on your head is counted.  Do not be afraid.”

    And here is an interesting little snippet beginning in verse 34, “34 ‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.  37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

    Jesus finishes with a few words about welcoming and who will not lose any sort of reward.  Throughout this chapter, Jesus talks about the proclamation of and the breaking in of God’s kingdom, and the results of what happens when His disciples bring it.  Not all of it is pretty.  In fact, the proclamation of the Gospel oftentimes stirs up a hornet’s nest, and people react–sometimes violently.  “You will be dragged before the councils and flogged in the synagogues...”

    Our appointed text for the day comes next, and John, who was sent to prepare the way for Jesus is a bit confused.  He’s sitting in prison because he dared to speak an unkind word about Herod.  He hears all the stuff about Jesus, but he also knows he is suffering because of his proclamation.  We can speculate about all the reasons John sends his disciples to ask Jesus if Jesus is the Messiah, but given the context of what comes before and what follows, let me suggest John is wondering why Jesus isn’t getting him out of jail.

    If the kingdom of heaven is arriving, and Jesus is the promised Messiah, why isn’t Jesus exercising power and authority to bring release to all the prisoners?  John certainly is a prisoner.  Perhaps John is asking, “Haven’t I been faithful?  Haven’t I proclaimed the coming of the Word?  Haven’t I done that which I am supposed to do?  If Jesus is the one coming to free us, why am I still here, in prison, suffering?  Shouldn’t I be free?”

    Jesus tells John’s followers, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.”  Jesus unequivocally tells John, “Your wait is over.  I am performing the things the expected Messiah is to perform.”

    John’s followers go away.  We have no record of whether or not John accepts Jesus’ words to be true.  We have no idea whether or not this satisfied John as he sat there in that cold prison eventually beheaded because of a woman’s jealousy. 

    What we do know is that Jesus has some strong words to say about John.  “Truly I tell you among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  If this is the case, then why is he in prison?

    “12From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

    Hope you are still following along with me, because skip down just a few verses, and let’s round out the context, “18For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon”; 19the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

    Jesus points out something very, very true in this statement.  Both He and John are messengers about the kingdom of heaven.  Both of them are polar opposites.  John was the wild prophet out in the wilderness “neither eating or drinking,” and those intent on discrediting John said, “He has a demon.”  Jesus, is the opposite.  Jesus eats and drinks, and those seeking to discredit Him say, “Look, a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax-collectors and sinners!”

    “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

    This statement very much reminds me of the scene in “A Few Good Men” when Jack Nicholas’ character screams at the top of his lungs, “You want the truth?  You can’t handle the truth!”

    You want the kingdom of heaven?  You can’t handle the kingdom of heaven!

    Herod tried to silence it and it’s arrival by imprisoning John the Baptist.

    Humanity tried to silence it by crucifying Jesus.

    There are those who still try to silence it today.

    Last week, I got my hair cut, and a very interesting exchange took place in the barber shop.  We managed to get on the topic of heaven and hell, and one of the barbers there said, “I don’t agree with those pastors and priests who visit a guy who is on death row after that guy has murdered or raped.  They listen to that guy and then come out and say, ‘He is forgiven.’  I don’t think so.  I was taught that if you are a good person and you do the right things, then you are going to heaven.  If you don’t and you do something like that, then you are going to hell.  I think those guys are in hell.”

    I responded, "I think there is a difference between God's forgiveness and the necessity for justice."

    "I don't think so," was the reply.

    "And so, is Moses in hell?  Because he committed murder."

    Silence for a moment.  Then a half-hearted joke, "Maybe he should be."

    "Don't mess with a pastor who knows the Bible.  God operates differently than we do.  God offers forgiveness."

    It's called grace.  The kingdom of heaven isn’t primarily about peace.  When it arrives in its fullness, it will be.  But in this time, the kingdom of heaven is primarily about grace.  It’s about God’s reconciliation of the world unto Himself through Jesus Christ.

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.

    Many don’t like that.  Many don’t want grace to reign.  Many want to make it about what we do or don’t do.  Many want to make salvation contingent upon our work, but it is not.  It’s about Jesus’ work.  People wanted to silence Him then.  Some want to silence us now.

    But what do we do with grace?  Do we allow violence to continue to reign over and above the kingdom of heaven?  Do we allow our voices to become silent because of fear?  Not if we have experienced the grace of God.  Not if we have experienced the love of Christ poured out for us on the cross.  Once we have experienced this in our inner most being, we simply cannot be silent.  We have to spread the news.  We have to tell the world what God has done, is doing, and will do.  Go and tell what you hear and see.  For this is what it means to live God’s Word daily.  Amen.

Who Wouldn't Want to Prepare?

    My brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I both know the world is not at all like what our first lesson from the book of Isaiah describes.  The world is far from the reality the prophet spoke about long, long ago.  Take another listen to his words, and then reflect on just how far away we are from this sort of reality:

    The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.  9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.    –Isaiah 11:5-9

    To this day, these things are not happening.  To this day, there is still war and strife and death.  To this day, something must die in order for something else to live.  To this day the earth still rebels against God and His knowledge–it is far from full of this.  Indeed, our world remains broken and battered by the reality of sin, and just one glimpse of reality can set us on edge.  One glimpse about the way things really are can lead us to a state of frustration and depression.  Just a cursory read of the news shows this.  The headlines tell us of greed, power grabs, destruction by natural disaster, rising poverty, government debt, people forced to give up what they are pleased with, and so on and so forth.  This is the world we live in, and it can be overwhelming.

    It can be so overwhelming that the promise of God set forth by the prophet can be lost.  The promise of God can be forgotten.  The promise of God can indeed be seen as an empty promise–false hope to hold onto in the midst of all our pain and suffering.  Indeed, there are those who say that religion is simply a crutch that many hold onto to deal with the reality of brokenness in our world.

    God knows how easily we can fall into such despair.  God knows how easy it is for His creation to lose sight of His promise and His Word.  God knows that we humans function on a different reality of time than He does.  For us, thousands of years is an eternity.  For God thousands of years are a fleeting moment.  It’s easy to lose sight of this in the midst of this world.

    Knowing this, God realized we needed something to hold onto.  God realized we needed something concrete to grasp whenever hope starts to fade.  God knows we need more than a promise to hold onto.  In the old days, a handshake solidified a deal, but today, we need lawyers and legal documents to make sure we are covered.  One would think that God’s Word would be enough, but the history of God’s people shows us differently.  Scripture shows us how even the people of God who witnessed God’s miraculous deeds soon forgot them in the midst of their trials and tribulations.  We need something more to hold onto. 

    And God understood this.  God realized we needed assurances.  God realized something more than a vision was needed so that we had evidence of God’s intent to make all things right.  And God provided that evidence.  God took on flesh and lived among us.

    “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 not to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him.”

    Jesus Christ entered this broken world.  Jesus Christ, God in flesh, entered into this reality and began the process of redemption.  Sure, He performed miracles.  Sure, He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the hungry, and proclaimed God’s Kingdom.  There is no doubt about these things.  But these things were simply leading up to the grand finale–the reconciliation of humankind unto God. 

    This, of course, took place on the cross.  Sometimes, it’s hard to let this sink in.  Sometimes, it’s hard to remember what that cross represents.  That cross represents all that is wrong with this world.  That cross represents pain, suffering, brokenness, blood, injustice, selfishness, greed, depression, illness, and death.  That cross does not today carry the same connotation it did 2000 years ago.  Today, we see redemption.  Long ago, it meant death.  And that is exactly what happened to Jesus upon that cross.  He was murdered.  He suffered.  He bled.  He felt abandonment.  It was not a glorious experience at all.  But it was necessary.  For in reality, it was us who should have been hanging on that cross.  It was us who deserved punishment and death for our failure to measure up to God’s standards.  We deserved to be hanging there for our participation in and failure to fix this broken world.  Yet, instead of letting us take our deserved punishment, God intervened and Himself died.

    This is a powerful statement of God’s love for us.  There is no doubt about that.  But the story is not yet done.  For remember the promise of Isaiah?  Remember the vision Isaiah tells us–a vision that came from God? 

    A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.  2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.  He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.  5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins.  6 The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.  7 The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.  9 They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious. –Isaiah 11:1-10

    This could not come to pass if the God incarnate suffered and died and that was the end.  This could not be the true vision of the hope to come if the cross were the end.  If suffering; if injustice; if despair; if punishment; if death were the end, then there is no real hope.  God died.  We are reconciled unto Him, but is there more?

    The answer came three days later.  Three dark days passed, but then the ground was shaken, the angels rolled the stone away, and Christ rose from the dead.  St. Paul made no bones about what this meant, “20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. 21For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; 22for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. 23But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.”

    Christ is God’s handshake.  Christ is God’s assurance that the promise of Isaiah is real.  Christ is God’s way of showing us the fulfillment of the promise has begun, and we have something to hold onto in the midst of this world.

    But more than that, for we do not simply hold onto the promise as if it were something only to be treasured by ourselves.  For we know that around us is a world that is indeed hurting.  We know that around us is a world that is broken and suffering in ways both big and small.  We know that around us is a world in need of good news.

    And we also know the foolishness of trying to make the world perfect.  We know it is an impossibility on our part; yet we also know we cannot remain idle.  We have been touched deeply by the promises of God, and so we work to prepare the way for Christ’s return.  For who wouldn’t want to do this?  Who wouldn’t want to prepare for the time of ultimate peace and justice?  Who wouldn’t want to prepare for the time when all people can join with one another at the marriage feast of the Lamb?  The vision is glorious!

    And how do we prepare?  How do we get ready for this vision?  By trying to implement as much of it as we can in our daily lives right here and right now.  By showing God’s love through kindness and caring and involvement with others both inside and outside our community of faith.  For this is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.

This is the King

    There are essentially two types of kings throughout history. There are those kings who believe they are above everyone else.  They believe their servants and their subjects are there solely to give them honor and praise and fund their opulent lifestyles.  These kings demand total obedience and if such obedience is not given, then brute force is often the rule used to enforce a king’s command.  History is replete with such rulers.  On the other end of the spectrum are those kings who also demand obedience; however, their approach is vastly different.  Instead of thinking themselves better than their subjects, these kings work for the well being of their subjects and their realm.  They work to improve the lot of the kingdom so that everyone finds a measure of happiness and contentment in what they do.  These kings know that their subjects will loyally follow them if their king protects and cares for them.  Many of these rulers throughout history are lifted up as the ideal models of leadership.  Mind you, these two poles represent extremes in kingly leadership, and there are those who fall all along this spectrum.

    I find it rather fascinating that throughout history, no matter what kind of king you have, there is always someone ready to seize the throne.  There is always someone who is ready to topple the king.  Be it a good king or a bad king, someone always wants the power.  Someone else always wants control.  Someone always is ready to put themselves on the throne to call the shots.  And there have been numerous ways invented to topple a regime.  Assassination.  Military coup.  Peasant revolt.  Most of the actions taken to remove a king are bloody, violent, and cause great upheaval.

    These are important points to remember as we think about the history of kings in the world.  They help us understand the dynamics at play when it comes to leadership and power and the reality of this world that our Lord Jesus Christ entered into as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

    Today is Christ the King Sunday.  It is the last Sunday of the church year.  It is the Sunday where the Church celebrates Jesus as the King of the Universe who came and who will come again in power and glory.  We longingly await that day, for then God’s Kingdom will be fully established, and God’s beneficial reign will once and for all demolish evil and suffering and death.  It is something we truly look forward to and set our hopes on.

    And it is with fascination that on this Chris the King Sunday, we turn to our Gospel lesson which does not show Jesus throned in glory.  It does not show Him triumphant.  It does not show Him crowned with power and honor and might.  It does not show Him surrounded by scores of angels and apostles and martyrs bowing before Him.  No.  Not at all.  Our Gospel lesson takes us to the point of utter humiliation.  Our Gospel lesson takes us to the point of utter defeat.  It takes us to the point of utter suffering and death.  Our Gospel lesson takes us right to the cross where a sign hung above Jesus which said, “This is the King of the Jews.”

    That sign was meant to be an insult.  That sign was meant to convey a warning to everyone who proposed to think of themselves as a king.  The roman procurator Pontius Pilate hung that sign there in effect saying, “If you want to be the king of the Jews, we, the Romans will decide who gets to be king.  Any other attempts at kinghood will land you in the same place as this man.” 

    For, you see, my brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus made enemies with His proclamation that the Kingdom of God was at hand. Jesus made enemies with his teaching that He and the Father were one.  Jesus managed to make the principalities and powers very, very twitchy with the things He said, taught, and did.

    Jesus managed to get under the Jewish religious leaders’ skin with His proclamation that He was the Son of God and that He and the Father were one.  The Jewish faith did not allow for any such proclamation.  Not at all.  The first commandment was very clear, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, you shall have no other gods before me.”   God was one and one alone.  Sure, one day God would send the anointed one–the Messiah–to return and establish Israel to its former glory.  Just about everyone hoped for the Messiah’s coming, but no one expected a carpenter from Nazareth to fulfill that hope.  No one expected an itinerant rabbi who gathered a bunch of marginal fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, and farmers to restore the Kingdom of Israel.  No one expected a person like Jesus to handle such things.

    Until Jesus started healing the sick, raising the dead, and feeding multitudes.  Until Jesus started forgiving people of their sins and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand.  Until Jesus started performing deeds and wonders not seen since Elijah and Elisha.  “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  The common folks realized something wonderful was at hand.  The religious authorities knew their positions of power were threatened.  This self-appointed anointed one must be disposed of, and they knew they could accuse Him of blasphemy–a charge worthy of death.

    The Romans felt the same way.  They were in charge of Israel.  They had their puppet-king in Herod.  They tried to keep the peace as best as possible; however that was no easy task in Judea.  The Jews were always seemingly ready to revolt.  They needed just a slight excuse to try to cast off those who were ruling over them.  Their belief in a messiah–a deliverer who would send the Romans back to Rome kept tensions on an edge.  And now, here was a man proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand–not the kingdom of Caesar.  Here was a man proclaiming to be the Messiah–the anointed One–the Son of God.  A king?  This could indeed send the people into revolt.  In order to squash such a rebellion, you cut off the head.  Jesus, the leader, must die.

    Little did these two opposing forces know, they were playing right into Jesus’ hands.  For Jesus was not simply concerned with the kingdom of Israel.  Jesus’ kingdom was much, much larger.  Jesus’ kingdom consisted of the entire world.  It was the world that Jesus had in mind; for He was there to reconcile the world unto God. 

    Remember what I said earlier about the difference between two types of kings?  Remember how one believed he was to be lifted up by the people and the other was a servant of the people looking out for their best interest?  Which category do you think fits Jesus?  That’s what the call a rhetorical question.  We know the answer.  Jesus is a good king.  Jesus is the king who looks out for the best interest of His subjects.  Jesus wants them to have life and have it abundantly.

    But how can they do that when they are separated from God?  How can they do that when their sin keeps them apart from the one who can truly offer them life, peace, love, joy, happiness, and fruitfulness?  How can they have such life when grief, sorrow, suffering, and hate prevent them from knowing the One who created them and looks after them?

    Jesus knew He had a job to do.  He must reconcile the world to God.  He must take everything that separates us from God and conquer it.  He must defeat suffering, evil, sin, and death.  And so, Jesus gathered it all up into himself.  Jesus took everything that separates us from God into His own being. 
    •    Every evil thought.
    •    Every evil deed.
    •    Every word of anger or spite.
    •    Every act of bullying.
    •    Every tear shed in hopelessness.
    •    Every tear shed in grief.
    •    Every broken heart.
    •    Every disease and illness.
    •    Every cancerous tumor.
    •    Every sense of abandonment and failure.
    •    Everything that has, does, and will ever put a wall between us and God.
These things, Jesus carried with Him.  Justice must be served.  A good king knows this, but rather than punish His people, Jesus allowed Himself to take the punishment.  And the punishment must fit the crime.  All of that pain and suffering; all of that illness and hopelessness; all of those tears and hurts; and even death must be reckoned with.   And the punishment was the cross–a horrible death sentence.  Why?  Because a good king is willing to die for His people to bring them life and life abundant.  Jesus died that you may live.

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him.

    Look to the cross, my brothers and sisters.  Here is the King.  Here is the one who dies for you and for me.  Here is the one who offers Himself so that we may live.  Let us live in obedience to Him for what He has done for us.  For that is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.

We Are God's Children, Now!

    I don’t know how many of you have seen the Broadway musical and motion picture, "My Fair Lady." It is based on George Bernard Shaw’s play, "Pygmalion." It is about a brilliant professor, Henry Higgins, who transforms a humble flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into an elegant English lady. In the midst of her brilliant transformation, Eliza falls in love with Henry Higgins, but he treats her only with disdain.

    Towards the end of the play, she expresses her complaint to their mutual friend, Colonel Pickering: "You see," she says, "Really and truly apart from the things anyone can pick up (the dressing and the proper way of speaking, and so on), the difference between a lady and a flower girl is not in how she behaves, but how she is treated. I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always treats me as a flower girl, and always will; but I know I can be a lady to you, because you always treat me as a lady, and always will."

    Think about this story for just a minute as we consider the fact that today we celebrate All Saints Day in the life of the Church.  It is the day in the Church year where we remember the saints–those who have gone onto eternal glory and those who are among us now who have profoundly impacted our lives–particularly our lives of faith. 

    For many, when the term saint is mentioned, they think about a person who has exceptional morals or who had done extraordinary things.  They think about a Mother Teresa, a Pope John Paul II, a Peter, a Paul, a miracle worker, a person who volunteers all of their spare time to help out at soup kitchens, food pantries, or other charitable organizations.  Rarely do we think of the person sitting right next to us as a saint.  No.  We know too much about that person.  We know too much about his or her past.  We know what he or she does on the weekends or how he or she treated us with just a touch of anger at some point and time in our lives.  We know how they don’t keep their lawns perfectly manicured; how they spend money frivolously; how they could do so much more to help others but they choose not to.  No, that person couldn’t possibly be a saint.  She is just a simple flower girl, never a lady: or, in Christian terms, that person is a sinner not a saint.

    One might think that with such an attitude, these folks would think more highly of themselves than they should.  One might think that those with such an attitude would consider themselves above the people they think about.  However, I would submit to you this morning, they probably don’t.  They probably look in the mirror and say, “I am no saint either.  I do not do enough good things.  I am no Mother Teresa.  I am no St. John.  I am no St. Francis of Assissi.  I’m not the most horrible person in the world, but neither am I so great.  I get angry.  I get frustrated.  I say things I shouldn’t say.  I do things I shouldn’t do.  I know my limitations and my imperfections all too well.  I am no saint.  I am a sinner.”  I am just a simple flower girl, but I really am not a lady to return to the opening illustration..

    This is where we get with either/or thinking.  This is where we get when we start thinking in terms which are not necessarily Christian.  For the orthodox Christian faith proclaims that we are not either a sinner or a saint.  The orthodox Christian faith proclaims that we are both a sinner AND a saint.  Consider that very, very carefully, and then consider its implications.

    And as you consider it, listen once more to the words of 1 John.  Words that we heard earlier this morning: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.”

    John holds up this balance very well.  We are children of God NOW.  Not later.  Not when we are finally brought to perfection.  We belong to Him NOW.  Yet, we have not reached perfection.  We have not been fully purified.  That will take place slowly and surely in a process called sanctification.  We are in the process of being transformed into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.  God has claimed us NOW, but we are not there yet.

    And that raises and interesting question for me: how am I then called to treat others?  How am I called to look at them?  What am I called to emphasize about them, and how am I supposed to relate to them?  As simple flower girls?  As ladies–going back to the original story? 

    Let me try to shed some light on this question with another story.  It is a story I have told before, but it bears repeating again and again and again.

    Back in the mountains of Tennessee, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?  Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'

    He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid
going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. 'When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. Little Ben had heard good things about this preacher how he was kind and non-judgmental.  He heard that he was compassionate and full of the Spirit.

    Before long, Ben decided he wanted to check this preacher out.  He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your daddy?'  Ben liked the things he heard in that church.  He liked hearing about a God who loved and forgave.  In fact, on one particular Sunday, Ben was so caught up in the message that he forgot to slip out early.  Before he knew what was happening he got caught up in the crowd.

    Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?'

    The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church
looking at him.  This was the question everyone was dying to receive an answer for.  Ben expected harsh words, condemnation.  But something very different happened.

    This new preacher looked deeply into Ben’s eyes.  With a great big grin, the preacher said, “Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now, You are a child of God.”   With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, “Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.”

    Perhaps I should tell you that little boy went on to become the governor of Tennessee.  Perhaps that is relevant to the story.  Perhaps it is not.  Perhaps what is most important was the way the preacher thought to look at Ben.  Whereas many could only see him as an illegitimate son of an unwed mother, this pastor saw him as a child of God–and worthy of love, respect, care, concern, and compassion.

    Each of you are worthy of such things as well.  Each of you have been adopted in the waters of baptism and have been claimed as God’s children now.  No, you are not perfect, but God’s not done with you yet.  He loves you dearly.  He wants you to know that, and He hopes that you will treat one another with the same love He gives you.  For that is what it means to Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.