On YouTube, there are a whole lot of videos titled “Fails.” They are kind of like America’s Funniest Home videos without commercials. One after another, you see people crashing skateboards, bicycles, and cars. One after another you see people diving into the water and belly flopping or landing on their backs. One after another you see people trying to do gymnastics and landing on their head, back, or belly. And oftentimes, you can see it coming. Oftentimes, you can see exactly where the video is headed, and you wonder, “Why in the world would people be doing this kind of stuff? Why in the world would they be putting themselves in a position to get hurt or even worse? Why doesn’t someone try to stop them?”
And I would like to ask you this morning, “Would it do any good to try to stop them? Even though you know the potential and likelihood of someone getting hurt doing such things, even though you see that the behavior could lead to destruction and pain; even though you know that it would be best to change course and walk away; do you think it would do much good to try and convince someone otherwise?”
I do not ask this question lightly because it is a question that I am oftentimes faced with, and I know it is a question that many folks are oftentimes faced with. And I know how frustrating it can be. Do you need an example?
I can’t tell you how many times I have watched the behavior of a bride and groom to be and thought, “This is not good.” The way these two act; the way they think about the future; the way they talk about relationship; it’s not good. They need to wait. They need to think about what they are doing. They need a cooling off period.” But there is no stopping what is happening–such folks are infatuated with one another, and there is nothing you can say or do that will prevent them from carrying on with their plans.
I can’t tell you how many families I have seen dealing with an alcoholic. They see the destructive and abusive behavior. They hold their loved one to account. They try to get rid of the alcohol. They try to reign the behavior in. “I DON’T HAVE A PROBLEM!” And the downward spiral continues damaging the whole family until everyone just goes into survivor mode.
Perhaps as a parent you have watched your kids making choices that are not in their best interests. And no matter how hard you push; no matter what discipline you institute; no matter how reasonably you try to explain things to them; they keep doing things that will hurt them in the long run.
And you get frustrated. You get angry. You get annoyed. And as time passes, you become exhausted; beat down; depressed. Eventually, you wonder if there is any point in fighting; any point in arguing; any point in caring. Is the struggle even worth it?
Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, sometimes in life we run into situations where it looks like no matter what we do or say, we don’t make any difference at all. It’s so easy to give up. It’s so easy to walk away. Help us today to see that we are not the only ones at work in such situations and that ultimately, we look to you to bring change not only in others, but especially in ourselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Today, we start chapter nine in the book of Romans. There is a definite break in the letter, so much so that some scholars have thought that chapters nine through eleven could easily be set on the margins–that these chapters are not really a part of the letter’s main argument or theme. For in the next three chapters, Paul turns his attention to the problem of Israel. God made specific promises to Israel throughout the Old Testament. Are these promises now null and void? The short answer is no.
But on a more practical level, I had some concerns about preaching through these three chapters. I mean, does this problem that Paul is dealing with have any relevance to our lives today? Does Paul’s wrestling with what God is going to do with Israel after the coming of Jesus have anything to say to our situation as Christians and the church today? This week, as I sat down in sermon preparation, I read through these three chapters, and I didn’t have to go too far for the answer.
In the opening verses of chapter nine, Paul is experiencing exactly the feelings and emotions that I began this sermon with. He is in anguish as he watches his countrymen–his kinfolk–travel down a path that leads to danger, destruction, and alienation from God. To show you his anguish, it actually might be better for us to handle these first five verses kind of in reverse.
You see, Paul loves his fellow Israelites. He know how God has acted in their past. He knows the promises that God has given through the years. He knows how God has worked to set the Israelites apart to bless them that they might be a blessing. In verses 4-5, Paul lays all of this out, “4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed for ever.” This is an impressive list of gifts that God has given. Each term deserves consideration and careful dissection. Unfortunately, we don’t have time to delve into each one and give it justice, so I am simply going to do one giant brush stroke–Paul lays out eight highly significant blessings that God has bestowed upon the Israelites–eight highly significant blessings that show just how much God cares for His people. And in Paul’s mind, these blessings; these manifestations of God’s love should have led them to see the inevitable conclusion: that God has sent Jesus to be the suffering servant; the Messiah; the Savior of the world. But, alas, Paul’s kinfolk have not come to see this. By and large they have rejected the Gospel. By and large they have not come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Most have flat out rejected this notion.
And it’s not that Paul hasn’t tried to reach them. When we read through the book of Acts, we see clearly that when Paul went into a city, he oftentimes started in the local synagogue–that is the place of Jewish worship. He would begin preaching the Gospel there, and more often than not, he was rejected. He was considered a blasphemer. He was cast out of the synagogue and sometimes shunned, verbally assaulted, beaten, and even stoned. His message simply was not accepted by his fellow Jews.
And it hurt Paul deeply. The first three verses of chapter nine testify to this, and these verses are almost beyond comprehension. “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit— 2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.” Paul begins by doubly emphasizing, in both a positive and negative fashion that he is telling the truth. It’s like swearing on the King James, New Revised Standard, New International Version, and English Standard Translation of the Bible all at the same time. Paul wants to leave no doubt that what he is saying is true. And what he says is astounding for someone who has just written what he has written in chapters 1-8.
Paul says: If it were possible, I would suffer eternal separation from Christ; I would suffer the torment of hell for eternity if it would bring my kindred–the people of Israel–to Jesus Christ. Stop and think about that for a moment. Stop and think about what Paul is saying in that statement. He is willing to give up his everlasting salvation; his everlasting place in heaven; his sure foundation and security in life and death–if it would bring his countrymen to faith in Jesus Christ.
Think about this on top of all the persecution and hatred he has received from preaching to his countrymen. Think about what Paul has just said given that he has been rejected time and again by his fellow Jews. Think about this in light of how many times he has had the authorities called on him; has been arrested; has been whipped and even stoned. He has suffered tremendously at the hands of his fellow Jews, and yet, despite this, there isn’t a hint of apathy. There isn’t a hint of resignation. There isn’t a hint of wanting to give up. The fire of the Gospel runs so deeply within him that he would even give up his own salvation to bring his fellow countrymen to faith in Jesus.
The fire of the Gospel runs so deep, that he would sacrifice what is most dear to him, so that his fellow Jews might find salvation in Jesus.
I look at Paul’s fire here, and am put to shame.
I mean, in a very real way, I am like Paul. I grieve that people don’t seem to come to belief and trust in Jesus in our culture. I grieve that the ELCA is a shrinking church. I grieve that our congregation is essentially a stagnant congregation within that larger church. I grieve that we don’t have pews filled with people who are wondering about the Christian faith and what kind of impact it might have in their lives. I grieve that it seems like more and more people are becoming irreligious or becoming Christian in name only instead of the deep down conviction and heart changing faith that Jesus
Himself calls us to. Oh, yes, I grieve these things deeply.
But, what am I willing to do about it? What am I willing to give up to change things? The answer shames me.
You see, I look at Paul’s fire here and see my own reluctance to give up anything precious to myself for the sake of the Gospel.
I look at Paul’s fire here and see how selfishly I guard my self and how I shy away from argument and trial and tribulation.
I look at Paul’s fire here and see how willingly I give up and become resigned that folks will not change.
I look at Paul’s willingness to give up his salvation for others and see how I get jealous when I have to give up my day off.
The Gospel does not consume my heart like it did Paul’s.
I would argue the Gospel does not consume most of our hearts’ like it did Paul’s.
I would argue we don’t have near the passion for bringing people to faith like Paul did. It’s easier to simply let things go. It’s easier to stay away from conflict. It’s easier just to do our own thing and let others do their own thing. It’s too easy to buy the modern day cliche, “It doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are kind to others.”
But the problem with that cliche is that even though we know we should be kind to one another, we aren’t. Even though we talk about being kind, we see what goes on in our nation. We see what goes on in the world. If people think they can get away with it: People lie. People cheat. People treat one another badly. I was reminded of this when I saw a video posted on Facebook of a baseball player intentionally missing third base to score. The desire to win; the desire to be ahead; the desire to put myself in front of others is simply too strong. As Christians, we know this. As Christians, we have had it all laid out in front of us by Paul in this letter to the Romans. We know that belief matters. We know that if you don’t have faith in the right things, the wrong actions will transpire. The power of sin–the power of self-love is too strong.
And it is the Gospel which takes us out of ourselves. It was the Gospel that took Paul out of himself. It was the Gospel which inspires us to sacrifice; to commit; to avoid depression; to give of our time, talent, and treasure for the sake of the world–for the sake of our kindred who do not believe.
For if we know that we are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God;
If we know that we deserve God’s wrath instead of His love because of our sinfulness;
If we know that instead of giving us wrath, God sent Jesus into the world to live the life that we should live and die the death that we deserved;
If we know that it should have been us on that cross instead of Jesus, and that He willingly took our place there;
If we know that Jesus did that of His own free will not because we deserved it, but precisely because we didn’t;
If we know that Jesus died there because He loved us even in our brokenness;
Our hearts of stone melt because of the love that has been poured out for us.
Our hearts become full of thankfulness and love for the One who gave Himself for us.
Our hearts deeply desire Him, and we long to live for Him.
Our hearts long to bring others to the saving grace and love poured out on the cross.
Our hearts burn to tell others the good news of Jesus, and we are willing to do so even at great cost to ourselves.
If you are like me and are not quite there yet, then we need to hear what Jesus has done for us over and over and over. We need to hear that God so loved us that He gave his only begotten Son so that all those who believe in him should not perish but have eternal life. We need to have the Gospel pounded into us so that our hearts become inflamed–so that our hearts burn with the desire to bring people to Jesus; so that our hearts desire to share the love of God with those who reject us time and time and time again; so that we never become apathetic or depressed because we know that it isn’t about us. It isn’t about us at all. Paul knew this. We need to know it. It’s all about Jesus. Let us tell the story of Jesus.
Let’s pray. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in us the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and we shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth. Renew our hearts by the power of the Gospel. Help us to remember what Jesus has done to redeem us, and may our hearts burn like Paul’s burned that we may sacrifice ourselves to bring others to the saving grace of Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paul. Show all posts
Monday, May 15, 2017
Monday, April 3, 2017
Expect to Suffer: Romans 8:18-25
Today we tackle one of the pervasive lies that has been spread about Christianity. It’s a lie that actually has great appeal, and there are many churches who have grown very, very large because of that lie. It’s a lie that captures the imagination because it feeds our need and desire to be safe, secure, and have control over our lives. It is the lie that says: if you become a Christian, then you will never suffer and you will only have blessing upon blessing in this life; things will always turn out great for you; you will find yourself healthy, wealthy, and with fantastic relationships. In a word: no. This message is not the message of Christianity. It incorporates part of the Christian message, but it misses the entire message, and it can have very negative effects.
Why would I say that? More than a few times I have counseled people who have held this particular understanding of Christianity. Their lives were going along swimmingly; fantastic. They were riding huge waves and enjoying life, but then a monkey wrench was thrown into their plans: maybe it was the loss of a job; maybe it was a diagnosis of cancer; maybe their spouse filed for divorce. Suddenly, their entire view of the faith came crashing down. Every time, the same questions are asked: Why is this happening? I thought I was doing everything right? I thought my faith was strong? Why is God allowing this to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer?
At this point, it is hard to undo what has been done to this person theologically. It’s hard to go back to the very beginning and deal with the problem that nearly every person on this planet has to deal with: the problem of suffering. It’s hard to look a person in the eye who expects God to protect them from suffering and tell them: when you become a Christian, you should not expect to avoid suffering. In fact, when you become a Christian, you should expect to suffer.
This is exactly what St. Paul was getting at when he ended his teaching on what it meant to be a child of God with these words, “...if, in fact, we suffer with Jesus so that we may also be glorified with him.” Paul is hearkening back to earlier in the book of Romans when he talks about Jesus as our representative. He is going back to the thought that when we are joined to Jesus in baptism, whatever happens to Jesus happens to us. Jesus died, therefore, we have died and we will die. Jesus was raised from the dead, therefore we have already experienced the resurrection and one day we will be raised from the dead. What Paul didn’t go into earlier in the book of Romans, he begins going into now: Jesus suffered, therefore, we also suffer. If what happened to Jesus happens to us, then we can expect suffering just like Jesus suffered.
This oftentimes raises an important question: why did Jesus have to suffer? There are actually two reasons, one that applies to us and one that doesn’t. We’ll take the one that doesn’t first. One reason Jesus suffered is for the redemption of the world. Jesus became the sacrifice of atonement to make us right with God. When he suffered on the cross, he had heaped upon him the sins of the world–your sin, my sin. He faced God’s punishment for those sins on our behalf, and he suffered for us. This is not the suffering we face. We face the second type of suffering–the suffering that comes by living in a world where the power of sin is still operative. Remember, sin is not just the things that we do. Sin is also a power that is unleashed and is working in the world. It is corrupting the world, and it is corrupting us. Jesus entered into the world, and sin did its best to corrupt him. Sin did its best to turn him away from the Father. Sin tried many and various things to corrupt him: it appealed to pride and power; it made Jesus face death; it brought persecution upon him; it confronted him with disease and demonic power; it unleashed the fury of nature; and Jesus faced it all. Jesus experienced the suffering that the power of sin has in the world. And if Jesus experienced this, we can expect it as well. Sin will unleash its power upon us to try and corrupt us and alienate us from our heavenly Father. We can expect to suffer.
And the question is: is it worth it? Is it worth going through this suffering? Is it worth it to deal with the headaches and heartaches? Is it worth facing disease and the death of our bodies? Is it worth having people make fun of us? Is it worth it to deal with the fallen nature of humanity and turn the other cheek? Is it worth it to stand on principle and face alienation?
Paul answers that question next: 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. When my children were younger and had to get their vaccination shots, Dawna and I promised them: if you hang in there and don’t fight, we will get you an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen. My kids dreaded those shots. They didn’t want the needles and the injections of the medicines that burned going in. But they knew there was something at the end that was better. They knew there was something they could look forward to. They knew that there was something great to be had if they made it through the pain. This was a very effective plan on Dawna’s and my part until our youngest came along and decided that he didn’t like ice cream. Thankfully, he liked french fries...
But I digress. Paul is essentially making the same point. He is saying: compare what you are going through now with the reality that will come later. What happens down the road; what happens when the glory of God is revealed will make these sufferings pale in comparison. When we enter into the fullness of the promises of God, everything that we have experienced will become clear. Everything that we have experienced will fade into a distant memory. We will look back and say, “Man, that wasn’t fun, but I get it now, and I wouldn’t trade it in the least because what I know now and experience now puts that into perspective.”
Paul then adds, that the entire creation is watching us and what God is doing in us as He redeems us: 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. You see, the creation is also infected by the power of sin. Creation is not what it was meant to be. I know that many people look at nature and see beauty and wonder and that “everything works in harmony.” Well, if harmony means that there is a constant battle for survival–that the rule of thumb is kill or die, then I guess nature is indeed a thing of beauty. Folks who think nature is just wonderful or beautiful are observing it from civilization and for only small glimpses. They are not seeing prey trying to avoid predators. They are not seeing plants raising their defenses against infestations. They are not seeing how everything in nature is simply trying to survive. And despite nature’s best efforts, things still die. Things still decay. This is not the way God intended nature to be. And in this snippet, Paul personifies nature. He indicates that nature has some sort of awareness and consciousness. He indicates like others who wrote Scripture before that nature is longing for redemption. And Paul says that nature is looking for the children of God to emerge. Nature is looking for us because it can then see that the process of redemption is underway. It can see that the battle it is currently engaged in will have an ending. Its suffering will one day end as well. There is something to look forward to.
This is probably why Paul turns to the next analogy: 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. I’ve never been through labor. I don’t want to go through labor. I watched Dawna go through it and then end up having an emergency C-section. No thanks. You ladies are wonders of God’s creation when it comes to birth. I didn’t have to go through it to see that labor pains suck. And if there weren’t some sort of pay-off in the end, I’m not sure anyone would ever endure them. If there weren’t a baby wrapped in warm cloths handed to you after all was said and done, no one would purposely endure them. But when your child is placed in your hands and you look at that child’s beauty and marvel at this new life, all that pain becomes worth it. All that agony fades into a distant memory. This is what was waited for. This is what was anticipated. Moaning and groaning is proper when going through the process, but when all is said and done...there is joy–pure, unadulterated joy. Paul says we are still in the labor process. The full redemption of our bodies and this world has not happened yet, but the process has begun. Our suffering is a part of that process, and Paul gives us the antidote to help us through it.
24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. You see, hope is the antidote. We know there is something at the end. We do not have it yet, but we know it is coming. We know that it is just around the corner. Dawna and I adopted a rather interesting method of giving our children birthday presents. Rather than go out and choose something for them, we take them to the store and allow them to choose their gift. As their birthdays approach, they become more and more excited. They generally know what they are going to pick out ahead of time. They generally know what gift they will choose, but they don’t have it yet. It’s not in their possession yet, and so they live in hope. They live in expectation. They live with growing excitement as each and every day brings them closer to their birthday. If they already had their present in hand; if they had already received it long before their birthday, they wouldn’t have the excitement. They wouldn’t have the hope. They wouldn’t have anything to look forward to. But because it is not in their possession yet, they have hope. They know it’s coming; they know our promise is secure; so they patiently and excitedly wait.
This is exactly what we do as Christians as well. We have a sure and lasting hope. We have a sure and lasting promise. We don’t have it yet. But it is coming. Each day draws us closer. Each day is one more step toward the full redemption of this world and our bodies. Each day brings us closer to the promised resurrection and fullness of joy of being in the presence of our Father, our Daddy as Paul reminded us last week. We long for it, but we are patient as we wait. We endure the sufferings of this world because we know there is more to come. And we look to the author and perfecter of our faith as we do so.
Jesus is extremely crucial to this whole process. In fact, it is Jesus death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that is in Paul’s mind as he writes these words. You cannot have the resurrection without the cross, and you cannot have the cross without the resurrection. They both go hand in hand. They both must be held in tension. Both provide the Christian with the answer as to whether or not suffering is worth it, and the answer is a resounding yes. The cross shows that God is not above our suffering; God is not removed from our suffering. God suffers with us and like us. God knows pain. God knows agony. God knows injustice and hatred. God knows what it is like to die. God has experienced it with us. Yes, God understands our suffering because He’s been through it himself. And if God didn’t prevent Himself from suffering, we should not be surprised when He doesn’t prevent us from suffering. There is more to the equation: there is resurrection. There is re-birth. There is renewal. The resurrection is the promised hope. It is what we can look forward to–a new body free of pain, injury, hunger, want; a new body that will never die; a new body that will experience the love and fulfillment of God.
We must not be fooled by anything that minimizes the cross or the resurrection. We must not be led astray into accepting any form of Christianity that promises that we will never suffer or that our hope is in something less than resurrection. We must not lead people astray and offer them false hope. When we become Christians, we will suffer. That is a given, but we can endure because we also know what is in store. We know that there is resurrection in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Why would I say that? More than a few times I have counseled people who have held this particular understanding of Christianity. Their lives were going along swimmingly; fantastic. They were riding huge waves and enjoying life, but then a monkey wrench was thrown into their plans: maybe it was the loss of a job; maybe it was a diagnosis of cancer; maybe their spouse filed for divorce. Suddenly, their entire view of the faith came crashing down. Every time, the same questions are asked: Why is this happening? I thought I was doing everything right? I thought my faith was strong? Why is God allowing this to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer?
At this point, it is hard to undo what has been done to this person theologically. It’s hard to go back to the very beginning and deal with the problem that nearly every person on this planet has to deal with: the problem of suffering. It’s hard to look a person in the eye who expects God to protect them from suffering and tell them: when you become a Christian, you should not expect to avoid suffering. In fact, when you become a Christian, you should expect to suffer.
This is exactly what St. Paul was getting at when he ended his teaching on what it meant to be a child of God with these words, “...if, in fact, we suffer with Jesus so that we may also be glorified with him.” Paul is hearkening back to earlier in the book of Romans when he talks about Jesus as our representative. He is going back to the thought that when we are joined to Jesus in baptism, whatever happens to Jesus happens to us. Jesus died, therefore, we have died and we will die. Jesus was raised from the dead, therefore we have already experienced the resurrection and one day we will be raised from the dead. What Paul didn’t go into earlier in the book of Romans, he begins going into now: Jesus suffered, therefore, we also suffer. If what happened to Jesus happens to us, then we can expect suffering just like Jesus suffered.
This oftentimes raises an important question: why did Jesus have to suffer? There are actually two reasons, one that applies to us and one that doesn’t. We’ll take the one that doesn’t first. One reason Jesus suffered is for the redemption of the world. Jesus became the sacrifice of atonement to make us right with God. When he suffered on the cross, he had heaped upon him the sins of the world–your sin, my sin. He faced God’s punishment for those sins on our behalf, and he suffered for us. This is not the suffering we face. We face the second type of suffering–the suffering that comes by living in a world where the power of sin is still operative. Remember, sin is not just the things that we do. Sin is also a power that is unleashed and is working in the world. It is corrupting the world, and it is corrupting us. Jesus entered into the world, and sin did its best to corrupt him. Sin did its best to turn him away from the Father. Sin tried many and various things to corrupt him: it appealed to pride and power; it made Jesus face death; it brought persecution upon him; it confronted him with disease and demonic power; it unleashed the fury of nature; and Jesus faced it all. Jesus experienced the suffering that the power of sin has in the world. And if Jesus experienced this, we can expect it as well. Sin will unleash its power upon us to try and corrupt us and alienate us from our heavenly Father. We can expect to suffer.
And the question is: is it worth it? Is it worth going through this suffering? Is it worth it to deal with the headaches and heartaches? Is it worth facing disease and the death of our bodies? Is it worth having people make fun of us? Is it worth it to deal with the fallen nature of humanity and turn the other cheek? Is it worth it to stand on principle and face alienation?
Paul answers that question next: 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. When my children were younger and had to get their vaccination shots, Dawna and I promised them: if you hang in there and don’t fight, we will get you an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen. My kids dreaded those shots. They didn’t want the needles and the injections of the medicines that burned going in. But they knew there was something at the end that was better. They knew there was something they could look forward to. They knew that there was something great to be had if they made it through the pain. This was a very effective plan on Dawna’s and my part until our youngest came along and decided that he didn’t like ice cream. Thankfully, he liked french fries...
But I digress. Paul is essentially making the same point. He is saying: compare what you are going through now with the reality that will come later. What happens down the road; what happens when the glory of God is revealed will make these sufferings pale in comparison. When we enter into the fullness of the promises of God, everything that we have experienced will become clear. Everything that we have experienced will fade into a distant memory. We will look back and say, “Man, that wasn’t fun, but I get it now, and I wouldn’t trade it in the least because what I know now and experience now puts that into perspective.”
Paul then adds, that the entire creation is watching us and what God is doing in us as He redeems us: 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. You see, the creation is also infected by the power of sin. Creation is not what it was meant to be. I know that many people look at nature and see beauty and wonder and that “everything works in harmony.” Well, if harmony means that there is a constant battle for survival–that the rule of thumb is kill or die, then I guess nature is indeed a thing of beauty. Folks who think nature is just wonderful or beautiful are observing it from civilization and for only small glimpses. They are not seeing prey trying to avoid predators. They are not seeing plants raising their defenses against infestations. They are not seeing how everything in nature is simply trying to survive. And despite nature’s best efforts, things still die. Things still decay. This is not the way God intended nature to be. And in this snippet, Paul personifies nature. He indicates that nature has some sort of awareness and consciousness. He indicates like others who wrote Scripture before that nature is longing for redemption. And Paul says that nature is looking for the children of God to emerge. Nature is looking for us because it can then see that the process of redemption is underway. It can see that the battle it is currently engaged in will have an ending. Its suffering will one day end as well. There is something to look forward to.
This is probably why Paul turns to the next analogy: 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. I’ve never been through labor. I don’t want to go through labor. I watched Dawna go through it and then end up having an emergency C-section. No thanks. You ladies are wonders of God’s creation when it comes to birth. I didn’t have to go through it to see that labor pains suck. And if there weren’t some sort of pay-off in the end, I’m not sure anyone would ever endure them. If there weren’t a baby wrapped in warm cloths handed to you after all was said and done, no one would purposely endure them. But when your child is placed in your hands and you look at that child’s beauty and marvel at this new life, all that pain becomes worth it. All that agony fades into a distant memory. This is what was waited for. This is what was anticipated. Moaning and groaning is proper when going through the process, but when all is said and done...there is joy–pure, unadulterated joy. Paul says we are still in the labor process. The full redemption of our bodies and this world has not happened yet, but the process has begun. Our suffering is a part of that process, and Paul gives us the antidote to help us through it.
24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. You see, hope is the antidote. We know there is something at the end. We do not have it yet, but we know it is coming. We know that it is just around the corner. Dawna and I adopted a rather interesting method of giving our children birthday presents. Rather than go out and choose something for them, we take them to the store and allow them to choose their gift. As their birthdays approach, they become more and more excited. They generally know what they are going to pick out ahead of time. They generally know what gift they will choose, but they don’t have it yet. It’s not in their possession yet, and so they live in hope. They live in expectation. They live with growing excitement as each and every day brings them closer to their birthday. If they already had their present in hand; if they had already received it long before their birthday, they wouldn’t have the excitement. They wouldn’t have the hope. They wouldn’t have anything to look forward to. But because it is not in their possession yet, they have hope. They know it’s coming; they know our promise is secure; so they patiently and excitedly wait.
This is exactly what we do as Christians as well. We have a sure and lasting hope. We have a sure and lasting promise. We don’t have it yet. But it is coming. Each day draws us closer. Each day is one more step toward the full redemption of this world and our bodies. Each day brings us closer to the promised resurrection and fullness of joy of being in the presence of our Father, our Daddy as Paul reminded us last week. We long for it, but we are patient as we wait. We endure the sufferings of this world because we know there is more to come. And we look to the author and perfecter of our faith as we do so.
Jesus is extremely crucial to this whole process. In fact, it is Jesus death on the cross and subsequent resurrection that is in Paul’s mind as he writes these words. You cannot have the resurrection without the cross, and you cannot have the cross without the resurrection. They both go hand in hand. They both must be held in tension. Both provide the Christian with the answer as to whether or not suffering is worth it, and the answer is a resounding yes. The cross shows that God is not above our suffering; God is not removed from our suffering. God suffers with us and like us. God knows pain. God knows agony. God knows injustice and hatred. God knows what it is like to die. God has experienced it with us. Yes, God understands our suffering because He’s been through it himself. And if God didn’t prevent Himself from suffering, we should not be surprised when He doesn’t prevent us from suffering. There is more to the equation: there is resurrection. There is re-birth. There is renewal. The resurrection is the promised hope. It is what we can look forward to–a new body free of pain, injury, hunger, want; a new body that will never die; a new body that will experience the love and fulfillment of God.
We must not be fooled by anything that minimizes the cross or the resurrection. We must not be led astray into accepting any form of Christianity that promises that we will never suffer or that our hope is in something less than resurrection. We must not lead people astray and offer them false hope. When we become Christians, we will suffer. That is a given, but we can endure because we also know what is in store. We know that there is resurrection in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Dead to the Law: Romans 7:1-6
Three older guys were sitting around talking about what would happen on the day of their funerals. They were contemplating the question: what would you like to have someone say while standing over your casket. The first thought for a bit and said, “I would like to have people say that I was such a devoted husband and father and that I left a lasting legacy of love of family with my kids.” The second thought a moment and said, “I want folks to talk about how kind and generous I was–how I was willing to remember those who were less fortunate and care for them with dignity.” The third man thought a moment and said, “That all sounds well and good. I want someone to stand over my casket and say, ‘Look! He’s moving!’”
The underlying message of course is, “I don’t want to die!” Death is not something we look forward to especially in our younger years, but I have known more than a hand full of people who have been ready to die–who wanted to die. I remember my grandfather who died of cancer one day coming home from radiation, feeling the effects of it burning his insides, and crying out, “Why is it so hard for a man to die?” Death would be a release for him. My other grandfather who lived to be 97 also was more than ready for death as his body no longer cooperated with him and he found it difficult to get around. Death once again would be a release. Whenever we have a birthday at our Senior Service, I usually joke and say, “I refuse to sing ‘and many more’ at the end of Happy Birthday, and believe it or not, more than a few are glad that I don’t. As bodies age and become more weary, some welcome death as freedom from what haunts and hurts them in life.
If you have experienced this with others or experience it with yourself, then you can grasp what St. Paul says as he begins chapter 7 of the book of Romans, “Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only during that person’s lifetime?” Paul may be referencing a well known saying in ancient Judaism that is very, very similar, “If a person is dead he is free from the Torah and the fulfilling of the Commandments.” When you die, the Law no longer has authority over you because, well, you are dead. Just like at the end of chapter six when Paul was saying that sin no longer has any power over you, he is now saying, neither does the law have any power over you. You are no longer bound by it.
Paul then uses an analogy from marriage to enhance his point. He says in verse 2, “Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. 3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.” Paul is helping us see how the law works and then how it is removed by death. A woman or man who is married is bound by the law, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” If a woman or man sees someone outside of the marriage, then he or she is committing adultery. However, if a spouse dies, then that person’s husband or wife is now free to meet and marry another person. They will not be considered an adulterer if they did that because death ended the marriage and the law no longer applied.
Paul then shows how this applies to his point regarding the life we have in Jesus Christ. Verse 4 In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. Now, the analogy isn’t perfect. The law didn’t die. We did. In the last chapter, Paul showed how that through our baptism, we mystically became linked to Jesus Christ so that whatever happened to him happens to us. Because Christ died on the cross, we also died. If we have died, then we are no longer under the law. The law has no effect on us. However, Paul also pointed out that just as Christ was raised, we too have been raised. We now live a resurrection life, and in that resurrection life, we have been freed so that we can bind ourselves to Jesus and bear fruit for God. This means we live for God. We seek God. We seek to honor and please God by doing His will.
And, of course, we find what God wants and desires when we read the law. We see that God wants us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We see that God wants us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him. We see that God wants us to follow the Ten Commandments. But why did we have to die to them. Why did we have to be free from being under them? This is the part that to many doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. So, Paul tries to explain that.
Verse 5 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. I don’t know how many of you have watched the movie Finding Nemo, but I thought of a scene in that movie when I read Paul’s words here. If you are a parent, this will resonate very deeply with you. There is a scene where Nemo, a young fish, goes to school, and his teacher takes the class to what is known as the drop off. Now, Nemo’s dad, Marlin hears about this and is none too thrilled. For Marlin, the drop off is where predators can easily come and take fish. Nemo’s mom was eaten near the drop off. Therefore, Marlin swims out to the drop off and tells Nemo that he's going to take him home from school. Nemo of course rebells and gets very, very upset. Nemo refuses to go with Marlin. So Marlin keeps giving him order after order after order. Nemo refuses to obey. Nemo even swims towards a boat. Marlin keeps saying get back here right now. Nemo refuses. Then Marlon says don't touch the boat. Nemo pauses a second, just a second, gives his dad that look every kid has given his or her parent, and then touches the boat. There was something deep within Nemo that was rebelling against the commands of his dad. There was something deep within Nemo that was refusing to do what he knew was right.
Paul says that the law actually generates this within us. The power of sin works so deeply that we come to desire the things we know we shouldn’t. The power of sin works so deeply that when we hear “Thou shalt not!” something in us says, “You can’t tell me what to do!” And so, our rebelliousness bears rotten fruit.
Ah, but if we are dead, then we are no longer under this influence. If we are dead, the law no longer can hold us captive. If we are dead we no longer bear this kind of fruit. And if we have been joined to Jesus, we are no longer slaves to the written code–the written law, but instead, we are now resurrected to new life in the Spirit. We are dead to the law and alive in Christ! Bound to Christ! Serving Christ!
And we fall in love with Him and what He has done. We remember how He poured out His life for us on the cross of Calvary. We remember that He served His Father who 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 might be saved through Him. Our heart is touched to the very core by this news of what God has done for us, so that we seek to please Him in all that we do. We live for Him. When you love someone, that’s what you do. Period.
Now, why is this important? Let me take a few minutes to show you why. In our culture today, there is a line of thinking when it comes to marriage that says, “You must find your soul mate.” What is encapsulated in that thought is that there is one person out there who will love you and cherish you–who will complete you and bring you happiness and joy. People search for such a person, and when you begin dating someone and falling in love with that other person, you actually experience such feelings. It’s a wonderful sensation, but those of us who have been married for quite some time know, it eventually fails. It disappears. When the realities of life catch up, and people discover that each person has wants, needs and desires that the other person can’t fulfill, oftentimes people get disappointed, angry, frustrated, and down on their marriages. When I don’t get the same kind of fulfillment I got early on in my marriage, I start thinking that I’ve missed my soul mate, and maybe I should look for another–so goes the thinking. Divorce attorneys make a killing off of this line of thought because it is inherently self-centered and selfish. It’s about getting what I want out of marriage, and if I don’t get it, I go find someplace else where I will.
There is a similar thing that happens when we seek salvation through following the law and its demands. Because, once again, we are seeking our own self-interest and our own desires. I want to go to heaven, so therefore, I’d better do the right things, be a good person, and stay out of trouble. But a couple of things happen. First off, we don’t reckon the power of sin, and even though we know what is right, even though we know the law says, “Thou shalt not...” we find ourselves wanting to do those things the law tells us not to do. We find ourselves slipping into breaking the law time and again. And so we do one of three things: one: we just stop trying and give in. This removes any sort of guilt from us. Two: we become depressed and anxious, knowing we never can do enough. Three: we convince ourselves that we are indeed following the law and it is only those people out there who have the problem, not us. In each of these things, we fail at accomplishing what was intended because we are acting with self-interest.
But, if we have died to our self; if we have experienced death with Jesus on the cross; if we find that we are saved by sheer grace–by nothing that we do but by all that Christ has done–then we approach things differently. We know that Jesus has poured Himself out for us. We know that He has loved us with an unimaginable love. We know that love will never fail us, so we fall in love with Him. We no longer live for ourselves, but we live for Him. We seek to please Him. And we know that He revealed to us the things that he delights in. We know that it brings Him joy when we love one another as He loved us. We know it brings Him joy. And this now affects all our other relationships.
For we no longer simply live for what we want and expect in those relationships. We no longer expect fulfillment from our spouse; or our government; or our church; or our friends; or our job. We know we get those things from Jesus. Therefore, we begin to delight in loving our friends and family to bring them joy; to bring them happiness; to bring them comfort and peace. Our delight comes from serving instead of getting. And we don’t get frustrated when our love is not given back to us like we think we deserve. Because we know that no one is perfect. We aren’t perfect. Our spouses aren’t perfect; our governments aren’t perfect; our jobs aren’t perfect; our churches aren’t perfect; our families aren’t perfect. The only perfect one is Jesus, and it is in Him that we live and move. And so we become forgiving because He forgave us. We become caring because He cared for us. We become loving because He loved us. This is what happens when we die to our selves with Jesus and then are raised to new life with Him and are joined to Him. This is what happens when you fall in love with Jesus. May our hearts do just that. Amen.
The underlying message of course is, “I don’t want to die!” Death is not something we look forward to especially in our younger years, but I have known more than a hand full of people who have been ready to die–who wanted to die. I remember my grandfather who died of cancer one day coming home from radiation, feeling the effects of it burning his insides, and crying out, “Why is it so hard for a man to die?” Death would be a release for him. My other grandfather who lived to be 97 also was more than ready for death as his body no longer cooperated with him and he found it difficult to get around. Death once again would be a release. Whenever we have a birthday at our Senior Service, I usually joke and say, “I refuse to sing ‘and many more’ at the end of Happy Birthday, and believe it or not, more than a few are glad that I don’t. As bodies age and become more weary, some welcome death as freedom from what haunts and hurts them in life.
If you have experienced this with others or experience it with yourself, then you can grasp what St. Paul says as he begins chapter 7 of the book of Romans, “Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only during that person’s lifetime?” Paul may be referencing a well known saying in ancient Judaism that is very, very similar, “If a person is dead he is free from the Torah and the fulfilling of the Commandments.” When you die, the Law no longer has authority over you because, well, you are dead. Just like at the end of chapter six when Paul was saying that sin no longer has any power over you, he is now saying, neither does the law have any power over you. You are no longer bound by it.
Paul then uses an analogy from marriage to enhance his point. He says in verse 2, “Thus a married woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives; but if her husband dies, she is discharged from the law concerning the husband. 3Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man, she is not an adulteress.” Paul is helping us see how the law works and then how it is removed by death. A woman or man who is married is bound by the law, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” If a woman or man sees someone outside of the marriage, then he or she is committing adultery. However, if a spouse dies, then that person’s husband or wife is now free to meet and marry another person. They will not be considered an adulterer if they did that because death ended the marriage and the law no longer applied.
Paul then shows how this applies to his point regarding the life we have in Jesus Christ. Verse 4 In the same way, my friends, you have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead in order that we may bear fruit for God. Now, the analogy isn’t perfect. The law didn’t die. We did. In the last chapter, Paul showed how that through our baptism, we mystically became linked to Jesus Christ so that whatever happened to him happens to us. Because Christ died on the cross, we also died. If we have died, then we are no longer under the law. The law has no effect on us. However, Paul also pointed out that just as Christ was raised, we too have been raised. We now live a resurrection life, and in that resurrection life, we have been freed so that we can bind ourselves to Jesus and bear fruit for God. This means we live for God. We seek God. We seek to honor and please God by doing His will.
And, of course, we find what God wants and desires when we read the law. We see that God wants us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. We see that God wants us to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with Him. We see that God wants us to follow the Ten Commandments. But why did we have to die to them. Why did we have to be free from being under them? This is the part that to many doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. So, Paul tries to explain that.
Verse 5 While we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. 6But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we are slaves not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit. I don’t know how many of you have watched the movie Finding Nemo, but I thought of a scene in that movie when I read Paul’s words here. If you are a parent, this will resonate very deeply with you. There is a scene where Nemo, a young fish, goes to school, and his teacher takes the class to what is known as the drop off. Now, Nemo’s dad, Marlin hears about this and is none too thrilled. For Marlin, the drop off is where predators can easily come and take fish. Nemo’s mom was eaten near the drop off. Therefore, Marlin swims out to the drop off and tells Nemo that he's going to take him home from school. Nemo of course rebells and gets very, very upset. Nemo refuses to go with Marlin. So Marlin keeps giving him order after order after order. Nemo refuses to obey. Nemo even swims towards a boat. Marlin keeps saying get back here right now. Nemo refuses. Then Marlon says don't touch the boat. Nemo pauses a second, just a second, gives his dad that look every kid has given his or her parent, and then touches the boat. There was something deep within Nemo that was rebelling against the commands of his dad. There was something deep within Nemo that was refusing to do what he knew was right.
Paul says that the law actually generates this within us. The power of sin works so deeply that we come to desire the things we know we shouldn’t. The power of sin works so deeply that when we hear “Thou shalt not!” something in us says, “You can’t tell me what to do!” And so, our rebelliousness bears rotten fruit.
Ah, but if we are dead, then we are no longer under this influence. If we are dead, the law no longer can hold us captive. If we are dead we no longer bear this kind of fruit. And if we have been joined to Jesus, we are no longer slaves to the written code–the written law, but instead, we are now resurrected to new life in the Spirit. We are dead to the law and alive in Christ! Bound to Christ! Serving Christ!
And we fall in love with Him and what He has done. We remember how He poured out His life for us on the cross of Calvary. We remember that He served His Father who 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 might be saved through Him. Our heart is touched to the very core by this news of what God has done for us, so that we seek to please Him in all that we do. We live for Him. When you love someone, that’s what you do. Period.
Now, why is this important? Let me take a few minutes to show you why. In our culture today, there is a line of thinking when it comes to marriage that says, “You must find your soul mate.” What is encapsulated in that thought is that there is one person out there who will love you and cherish you–who will complete you and bring you happiness and joy. People search for such a person, and when you begin dating someone and falling in love with that other person, you actually experience such feelings. It’s a wonderful sensation, but those of us who have been married for quite some time know, it eventually fails. It disappears. When the realities of life catch up, and people discover that each person has wants, needs and desires that the other person can’t fulfill, oftentimes people get disappointed, angry, frustrated, and down on their marriages. When I don’t get the same kind of fulfillment I got early on in my marriage, I start thinking that I’ve missed my soul mate, and maybe I should look for another–so goes the thinking. Divorce attorneys make a killing off of this line of thought because it is inherently self-centered and selfish. It’s about getting what I want out of marriage, and if I don’t get it, I go find someplace else where I will.
There is a similar thing that happens when we seek salvation through following the law and its demands. Because, once again, we are seeking our own self-interest and our own desires. I want to go to heaven, so therefore, I’d better do the right things, be a good person, and stay out of trouble. But a couple of things happen. First off, we don’t reckon the power of sin, and even though we know what is right, even though we know the law says, “Thou shalt not...” we find ourselves wanting to do those things the law tells us not to do. We find ourselves slipping into breaking the law time and again. And so we do one of three things: one: we just stop trying and give in. This removes any sort of guilt from us. Two: we become depressed and anxious, knowing we never can do enough. Three: we convince ourselves that we are indeed following the law and it is only those people out there who have the problem, not us. In each of these things, we fail at accomplishing what was intended because we are acting with self-interest.
But, if we have died to our self; if we have experienced death with Jesus on the cross; if we find that we are saved by sheer grace–by nothing that we do but by all that Christ has done–then we approach things differently. We know that Jesus has poured Himself out for us. We know that He has loved us with an unimaginable love. We know that love will never fail us, so we fall in love with Him. We no longer live for ourselves, but we live for Him. We seek to please Him. And we know that He revealed to us the things that he delights in. We know that it brings Him joy when we love one another as He loved us. We know it brings Him joy. And this now affects all our other relationships.
For we no longer simply live for what we want and expect in those relationships. We no longer expect fulfillment from our spouse; or our government; or our church; or our friends; or our job. We know we get those things from Jesus. Therefore, we begin to delight in loving our friends and family to bring them joy; to bring them happiness; to bring them comfort and peace. Our delight comes from serving instead of getting. And we don’t get frustrated when our love is not given back to us like we think we deserve. Because we know that no one is perfect. We aren’t perfect. Our spouses aren’t perfect; our governments aren’t perfect; our jobs aren’t perfect; our churches aren’t perfect; our families aren’t perfect. The only perfect one is Jesus, and it is in Him that we live and move. And so we become forgiving because He forgave us. We become caring because He cared for us. We become loving because He loved us. This is what happens when we die to our selves with Jesus and then are raised to new life with Him and are joined to Him. This is what happens when you fall in love with Jesus. May our hearts do just that. Amen.
Monday, November 28, 2016
God's Integrity: Romans 4:13-17
Don’t you hate it when people change the rules on you?
How’s this one for you. The phone rings. It’s a number that you don’t quite recognize, but it seems to have some similar numbers in it, so you answer. An excited voice on the other end of the line says, “You’ve won a free cruise!!!” Now, admittedly, I hang up right there. Nothing in this life is truly free. There’s always a catch, and in this case, if you hang in there, the catch becomes clear. After spending several minutes talking about white sandy beaches and glorious sunshine, you are asked to participate in a survey. You take the survey, and then, they ask you for your credit card number.
“Wait a second,” you think to yourself. “I thought this was supposed to be free?”
“It’s for taxes and port fees,” is the answer.
“So, it’s really not free, is it?”
No. It’s not. It’s a scam, but they wait until they get you on the hook before changing the rules. And, of course, when they change the rules, their initial promise is null and void. Free turns into some sort of payment on your behalf. Most of us consider such a practice to be just wrong.
And it is. It flies in the face of something most of us value: integrity and consistency. If you do not have integrity as a person or institution, people dismiss you; walk away from you; tune you out. If you are not consistent in what you produce or how you act, people will dismiss you; walk away from you; tune you out. It happens over and over and over again–in business, in politics, and in religion.
In fact, one of the greatest struggles that we in the church face is our inability to have integrity and consistency. We talk a good talk about loving our neighbor, serving everyone, being generous, believing in God and worshiping Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And yet, we don’t hesitate to demonize those who are on the other “side” of the political fence. We do hesitate in serving those we deem to be taking advantage of others. We tend to give God the leftovers in our budgets, and worship is something we tend to when we have nothing else to do on Sunday morning IF we are not too worn out from the week we just had. See how this demeans our integrity?
And those who are outside the church look at us, they see our lack of integrity and consistency, and they think, “Well, this faith stuff isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s not much change in their lives, is there?” And they dismiss us; walk away from us; and tune us out.
But, here is the thing, while it would be fantastic if we all suddenly became “Super Christians” and changed our behavior completely and totally so that we automatically worshiped every single Sunday, gave 10% of our income as offering without reservation, helped every single person we encountered, and accepted and loved everyone no matter what differences we had with them, that’s not going to happen. We are still a group of sinful people. We are still a group that embodies imperfection. We are still a group who will never have full integrity or consistency. Therefore, we need to realize this about ourselves. We need to be honest about ourselves. We need to have enough integrity to tell others about our imperfections and our inability to be consistent, and instead of pointing to ourselves–point to our God who is consistent and who does have the ultimate in integrity.
This is Paul’s point in this segment of chapter four of the book of Romans. It is an important point for him as he shows how it has always been God’s intention to save by grace through faith and not works of the law. God has integrity. God has consistency even when we don’t. Let’s delve into Paul’s argument.
Verse 13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. Paul hearkens back to Genesis 15:6 with these words. Here is a refresher on that, “Abraham believed the Lord, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Paul points out once again that when God made Abraham righteous, it was centuries before the law was handed to Moses–430 years according to most Jewish rabbis at the time. Abraham’s righteousness was not dependent upon him following the Law. Abraham’s trust–his faith–in the promise of God made Abraham righteous. There was nothing else that accomplished that. Nothing. And Paul wants to make that abundantly clear. For if the rules have changed, then there are horrible implications
That is why Paul says, “If it is the adherents to the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.” Remember the free cruise story I began the sermon with? If suddenly you have to pay fees, the cruise isn’t free anymore. The promise of a free cruise is null and void. If righteousness is not tied to faith but is tied now to the following the law, then there is no need to trust in God–there is no need for faith. We now trust in ourselves to do what is needed to make ourselves right with God. We put our faith in our actions instead of God’s actions. Righteousness is no longer bestowed upon us, it is something earned. And the promise is void. How so? Well, if you don’t pay–if you don’t live up to the expectations, the promise evaporates. Again, returning to the “free cruise”, if you don’t pay the taxes and port fees, you don’t get the cruise. If you don’t follow God’s law, you don’t receive the inheritance. Plain and simple. And Paul has just dedicated most of chapters one, two, and three showing how people don’t and can’t follow God’s law!! If that is the case, the promise is void and God is proved to be inconsistent!! God is proved to have no integrity!! And this is a horrible thought to Paul–and it should be to us!!
Paul includes a little excursus next. It’s one verse that talks about the role of the Law. Many scholars wonder exactly why Paul included it because it breaks the train of his argument. I confess, I don’t know why it’s in there either, but it is something we should consider because it raises an interesting point. Verse 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. The Greek carries a little more nuance than the translation we have before us. It should probably read “For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.” Like in chapter three, Paul points out the role of the Law–it reveals our sin. The Law shows us those things that bring God’s blood to boil. The Law cannot save us–it can only condemn us. The Law cannot make us right with God–it can only show us where we have gone wrong with Him. But what if there is no law? What if God has not been explicit in what is right and wrong? Well, if there is no Law, there is no transgression. We might have sinned. We might have done something wrong, but we didn’t know it or realize that it was against God’s will. A transgression is an act that goes against God’s written or expressed command. If we know the Law; if we have God’s commands, and we break them, we are in much worse trouble than if we didn’t have the commands and we went wrong. I think that’s what Paul is probably getting at as he brings the argument back to Abraham and faith.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—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. If our righteousness depended upon following the Law, and we break the Law, then we have doomed ourselves and the promise is broken. However, if our righteousness rests on faith–on our trust in God and His integrity and consistency–then the promise does not come by our earning it; it does not come by our actions; it comes by grace–it comes as a gift from God and by God. And since it comes by grace, as a gift, then not only do the adherents of the Law who share the faith of Abraham claim the promise, then so do those who are outside the Law who have come to trust in God. They both have the faith–the trust of Abraham. They are both his decedents, and the promise God made–that He would make Abraham the father of many nations–is fulfilled!!! It is indeed free!! The rules haven’t changed. God indeed is consistent and full of integrity.
Now, before I delve into some of the implications, let me say that I am intentionally skipping the last part of verse 17 for this Sunday. As I studied this text and read through the commentaries, I think the last part of verse 17 actually is an introduction to what is happening in verse 18. We will see that next week. I am not going to neglect what Paul says about God at the end of that verse.
So, with that being said, let’s turn to the implications of what it means to say that God is consistent and that God has integrity.
I have had numerous encounters with people who have stopped going to church because they have had a falling out with a church member. “I used to go to church until so and so said this to me, and so I don’t go anymore.” “I won’t set foot in that church because so and so will be there. They broke a promise to me, and I don’t want to associate with them.” “I’ve stopped going to church because the pastor said something I disagree with.” What is at the heart of each of these statements? Here’s what: the people who were making these statements were putting their trust–their faith in people instead of in God. They believed that people should not let them down–especially church people.
And in a real way, they are right. We, of all people, shouldn’t let others down. We shouldn’t break promises. We shouldn’t harm others with our words and our deeds. We need to admit that we shouldn’t do those things. However, we should also admit and tell people that we will do those things because we are sinners. We should admit to people that they should not put their trust and hope in us. We should admit our limitations and our inability to live up to the people we are called to be. Too often, in our self-righteousness, we come across as goody-two-shoes; holier-than-thou instead of humble servants of Christ, and we need to own this and remember that we are sinners in need of redemption. We are sinners who too often fail to keep our promises.
But there is One who didn’t fail to keep His promises. There is One who set about to bring redemption to the world. There is One in whom we can trust in whom we should put our faith in and urge others to put their faith in as well. We should freely tell people, “Don’t put your trust in me. Don’t put your trust in the church. We will let you down because we are imperfect. We will let you down because we aren’t willing to die for you. There is only One who was willing to do that. There is only One who was willing to love us when we were unlovable and who loves you when you are unlovable. There is only One who gave Himself for the sake of the world. His name is Jesus.”
And rather than change the game; rather than change the rules, He remained consistent. Instead of making you pay the cost for redemption; instead of making you earn your way; He paid everything for you. He bore the entire payment on the cross as He poured out His life for you because He loved you. “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.” This is the lengths God will go to remain consistent and have integrity. It truly is worthy of our trust. Amen.
How’s this one for you. The phone rings. It’s a number that you don’t quite recognize, but it seems to have some similar numbers in it, so you answer. An excited voice on the other end of the line says, “You’ve won a free cruise!!!” Now, admittedly, I hang up right there. Nothing in this life is truly free. There’s always a catch, and in this case, if you hang in there, the catch becomes clear. After spending several minutes talking about white sandy beaches and glorious sunshine, you are asked to participate in a survey. You take the survey, and then, they ask you for your credit card number.
“Wait a second,” you think to yourself. “I thought this was supposed to be free?”
“It’s for taxes and port fees,” is the answer.
“So, it’s really not free, is it?”
No. It’s not. It’s a scam, but they wait until they get you on the hook before changing the rules. And, of course, when they change the rules, their initial promise is null and void. Free turns into some sort of payment on your behalf. Most of us consider such a practice to be just wrong.
And it is. It flies in the face of something most of us value: integrity and consistency. If you do not have integrity as a person or institution, people dismiss you; walk away from you; tune you out. If you are not consistent in what you produce or how you act, people will dismiss you; walk away from you; tune you out. It happens over and over and over again–in business, in politics, and in religion.
In fact, one of the greatest struggles that we in the church face is our inability to have integrity and consistency. We talk a good talk about loving our neighbor, serving everyone, being generous, believing in God and worshiping Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And yet, we don’t hesitate to demonize those who are on the other “side” of the political fence. We do hesitate in serving those we deem to be taking advantage of others. We tend to give God the leftovers in our budgets, and worship is something we tend to when we have nothing else to do on Sunday morning IF we are not too worn out from the week we just had. See how this demeans our integrity?
And those who are outside the church look at us, they see our lack of integrity and consistency, and they think, “Well, this faith stuff isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There’s not much change in their lives, is there?” And they dismiss us; walk away from us; and tune us out.
But, here is the thing, while it would be fantastic if we all suddenly became “Super Christians” and changed our behavior completely and totally so that we automatically worshiped every single Sunday, gave 10% of our income as offering without reservation, helped every single person we encountered, and accepted and loved everyone no matter what differences we had with them, that’s not going to happen. We are still a group of sinful people. We are still a group that embodies imperfection. We are still a group who will never have full integrity or consistency. Therefore, we need to realize this about ourselves. We need to be honest about ourselves. We need to have enough integrity to tell others about our imperfections and our inability to be consistent, and instead of pointing to ourselves–point to our God who is consistent and who does have the ultimate in integrity.
This is Paul’s point in this segment of chapter four of the book of Romans. It is an important point for him as he shows how it has always been God’s intention to save by grace through faith and not works of the law. God has integrity. God has consistency even when we don’t. Let’s delve into Paul’s argument.
Verse 13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. Paul hearkens back to Genesis 15:6 with these words. Here is a refresher on that, “Abraham believed the Lord, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.” Paul points out once again that when God made Abraham righteous, it was centuries before the law was handed to Moses–430 years according to most Jewish rabbis at the time. Abraham’s righteousness was not dependent upon him following the Law. Abraham’s trust–his faith–in the promise of God made Abraham righteous. There was nothing else that accomplished that. Nothing. And Paul wants to make that abundantly clear. For if the rules have changed, then there are horrible implications
That is why Paul says, “If it is the adherents to the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.” Remember the free cruise story I began the sermon with? If suddenly you have to pay fees, the cruise isn’t free anymore. The promise of a free cruise is null and void. If righteousness is not tied to faith but is tied now to the following the law, then there is no need to trust in God–there is no need for faith. We now trust in ourselves to do what is needed to make ourselves right with God. We put our faith in our actions instead of God’s actions. Righteousness is no longer bestowed upon us, it is something earned. And the promise is void. How so? Well, if you don’t pay–if you don’t live up to the expectations, the promise evaporates. Again, returning to the “free cruise”, if you don’t pay the taxes and port fees, you don’t get the cruise. If you don’t follow God’s law, you don’t receive the inheritance. Plain and simple. And Paul has just dedicated most of chapters one, two, and three showing how people don’t and can’t follow God’s law!! If that is the case, the promise is void and God is proved to be inconsistent!! God is proved to have no integrity!! And this is a horrible thought to Paul–and it should be to us!!
Paul includes a little excursus next. It’s one verse that talks about the role of the Law. Many scholars wonder exactly why Paul included it because it breaks the train of his argument. I confess, I don’t know why it’s in there either, but it is something we should consider because it raises an interesting point. Verse 15For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation. The Greek carries a little more nuance than the translation we have before us. It should probably read “For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.” Like in chapter three, Paul points out the role of the Law–it reveals our sin. The Law shows us those things that bring God’s blood to boil. The Law cannot save us–it can only condemn us. The Law cannot make us right with God–it can only show us where we have gone wrong with Him. But what if there is no law? What if God has not been explicit in what is right and wrong? Well, if there is no Law, there is no transgression. We might have sinned. We might have done something wrong, but we didn’t know it or realize that it was against God’s will. A transgression is an act that goes against God’s written or expressed command. If we know the Law; if we have God’s commands, and we break them, we are in much worse trouble than if we didn’t have the commands and we went wrong. I think that’s what Paul is probably getting at as he brings the argument back to Abraham and faith.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, 17as it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’)—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. If our righteousness depended upon following the Law, and we break the Law, then we have doomed ourselves and the promise is broken. However, if our righteousness rests on faith–on our trust in God and His integrity and consistency–then the promise does not come by our earning it; it does not come by our actions; it comes by grace–it comes as a gift from God and by God. And since it comes by grace, as a gift, then not only do the adherents of the Law who share the faith of Abraham claim the promise, then so do those who are outside the Law who have come to trust in God. They both have the faith–the trust of Abraham. They are both his decedents, and the promise God made–that He would make Abraham the father of many nations–is fulfilled!!! It is indeed free!! The rules haven’t changed. God indeed is consistent and full of integrity.
Now, before I delve into some of the implications, let me say that I am intentionally skipping the last part of verse 17 for this Sunday. As I studied this text and read through the commentaries, I think the last part of verse 17 actually is an introduction to what is happening in verse 18. We will see that next week. I am not going to neglect what Paul says about God at the end of that verse.
So, with that being said, let’s turn to the implications of what it means to say that God is consistent and that God has integrity.
I have had numerous encounters with people who have stopped going to church because they have had a falling out with a church member. “I used to go to church until so and so said this to me, and so I don’t go anymore.” “I won’t set foot in that church because so and so will be there. They broke a promise to me, and I don’t want to associate with them.” “I’ve stopped going to church because the pastor said something I disagree with.” What is at the heart of each of these statements? Here’s what: the people who were making these statements were putting their trust–their faith in people instead of in God. They believed that people should not let them down–especially church people.
And in a real way, they are right. We, of all people, shouldn’t let others down. We shouldn’t break promises. We shouldn’t harm others with our words and our deeds. We need to admit that we shouldn’t do those things. However, we should also admit and tell people that we will do those things because we are sinners. We should admit to people that they should not put their trust and hope in us. We should admit our limitations and our inability to live up to the people we are called to be. Too often, in our self-righteousness, we come across as goody-two-shoes; holier-than-thou instead of humble servants of Christ, and we need to own this and remember that we are sinners in need of redemption. We are sinners who too often fail to keep our promises.
But there is One who didn’t fail to keep His promises. There is One who set about to bring redemption to the world. There is One in whom we can trust in whom we should put our faith in and urge others to put their faith in as well. We should freely tell people, “Don’t put your trust in me. Don’t put your trust in the church. We will let you down because we are imperfect. We will let you down because we aren’t willing to die for you. There is only One who was willing to do that. There is only One who was willing to love us when we were unlovable and who loves you when you are unlovable. There is only One who gave Himself for the sake of the world. His name is Jesus.”
And rather than change the game; rather than change the rules, He remained consistent. Instead of making you pay the cost for redemption; instead of making you earn your way; He paid everything for you. He bore the entire payment on the cross as He poured out His life for you because He loved you. “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.” This is the lengths God will go to remain consistent and have integrity. It truly is worthy of our trust. Amen.
Monday, October 10, 2016
The Shame of Non-Christians who Are Better Christians: Romans 2:17-29
There is an old story that I have come across on numerous occasions. It is about a wise Teacher who was once invited to attend a banquet hosted by the King. The King just happened to be a good friend of the Teacher, and was looking forward to enjoying the company of his old friend.
On the day of the banquet, the Teacher arrived at the gate in his humble teaching attire. The guard stopped him and said, “No one is allowed into the banquet without a coat.”
The Teacher responded, “I am a good friend of the King, and he is expecting me. Here is my invitation.”
The guard replied, “My orders are from the King himself. You may not enter without a coat!”
The Teacher left, went home, and obtained a coat. The guard permitted him to enter this time, and the Teacher took his place next to his old friend the King.
When the meal was served, the Teacher began pouring his drink on the coat. He also stuffed all the food into the pockets of the coat. The other guests were deeply concerned with this behavior.
Finally, the King spoke up in embarrassment. “Why are you putting your meal all over your coat?”
The Teacher replied, “When I came to the gate the first time to enter the banquet, I was denied because I didn’t have on this coat. But when I put the coat on, I was allowed in. I can only deduce from this that I was not the real guest invited to this banquet, this coat was. Therefore, the coat should enjoy the meal.”
Now, normally, we use such a story to drive home the axiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Or we try to teach people the reality that a person is actually more than what they wear. These things are most certainly true, but for today, I want to use this story to lead us toward self-reflection. I would like for each and every one of us to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what kind of window dressings do we put on ourselves? And do those window dressings give us a sense of self-importance that we really do not deserve?
In the previous section of the book of Romans, Paul dealt with Jews who were counting on their knowledge of God’s Law–the Torah–the first five books of the Old Testament for salvation. They believed that simply knowing the Law was good enough to ensure God’s love and mercy. Paul showed that it was not knowing the Law that counted but the doing of the Law that was required, and Paul showed how even Gentiles followed the Law that God had instilled deep within them. Simply knowing the Law was not a mark of salvation.
Today, Paul has to deal with another Jewish myth: the myth that Jews had a particular status before God that would guarantee them salvation. Let’s turn to the text, and I will try to make things more clear. Paul writes, “17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God 18and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, 19and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24For, as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’
Paul begins with five assertions that Jews made about themselves based upon their relationship with God and their knowledge about God’s will, and all five of these things can be found in the Jewish literature dating to this time period. Paul is not putting up a strawman. The Jews actually believed these five things:
1. They were guides to the blind–to those who didn’t have God’s Law.
2. A light to those who were in darkness–to those who didn’t know God’s will.
3. A corrector of the foolish–using the Law to correct those who didn’t know better.
4. A teacher of children–considering themselves more mature than those who didn’t have God’s Law.
5. Having the embodiment of knowledge and Truth in God’s Law–as opposed the rest of the world who were grasping at straws.
Notice that Paul does not say that any of this is false. Paul does not criticize the Jewish belief that these things are true. No. Not in the least because in a very real way, all of this is indeed true. This was the responsibility of the Jewish people. They were to be all of these things, but the point Paul makes is–they have failed.
“You that teach others, will you not teach yourself,” Paul says. When you look in the mirror, do you find yourself doing the things that you tell others not to do? Are you the kind of person who says, “Do as I say not as I do?” This is what is behind all of Paul’s questions about stealing, adultery, robbing temples, and the like He is not accusing EVERYONE of doing such things, but he is using easily understood examples to point out the failure of the Jews to obey the totality of the Torah. And because of their failure to obey the Torah, to keep God first, they have failed in their calling to be a light to the world. When God made the covenant with Abraham, God specifically said, “You are blessed to be a blessing to the rest of the world.” The Jews had not been that blessing. Instead of blessing the world, they had sought to keep that blessing to themselves. They were abject failures.
And their failure has had dire consequences!!! Paul quotes Isaiah 52:5 to show the consequences of the Jewish failure to follow the Law, “The name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles because of you!” Your failure has actually led people away from God!
This is an all too common thing for the church in our society today. Over and over again, you will hear non-believers pointing out how our behavior does not match our words. You will hear over and over again how we are hypocrites–how we talk about loving one another and then fail to love. How we talk about the need to worship and then our constant skipping of church. How we talk of the sanctity of marriage and then have many, many divorces. How we talk about the sanctity of life and either support abortion or the death penalty. How we talk about feeding the hungry and then railing against government policies that do exactly that.
There is even the story of the man who was stopped at a light. The light turned green, and the car in front of him refused to budge. The man unleashed a string of curse words that would make a sailor blush. He made more than a few obscene hand gestures. He turned beet red with anger and frustration. All of which caught the attention of a passing police officer. The officer came up to the vehicle and asked for the driver’s license and registration. The man willingly gave it to the officer, and then asked, “Is there a problem, officer. Did I break the law?” The officer responded, “After looking at your license and registration, no. You didn’t.” “The man then asked, “Then why did you stop me?” The officer replied, “When I saw the way you were acting back there and then I saw the ‘Honk if you love Jesus!’ bumper sticker, I thought the car was stolen.”
It’s a laughable joke, but there is a deep reality to the situation because oftentimes we are hypocritical in our behavior as the church. We have not been a light on a hill. We have not followed the command of our leader, “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples–if you have love for one another.” And people have turned away from God because of it. People have left the church because of our behavior. People have defamed the name of God because we have failed to be who God has called us to be.
For anyone who claims to be a Christian, this is devastating news. This is a scathing rebuke. It should make us hang our heads in shame.
But Paul is not done. He pushes the rebuke even further. 25 Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.
Paul is merciless here. He is absolutely merciless. If there was a mark of Judaism that was revered, it was circumcision. It was personal. It was the sign of the covenant with Abraham. It physically marked a person as different from the rest of the world, and there were many Jewish rabbis who blatantly said, “If a person is circumcised, he is guaranteed salvation.” Paul says, “Um, no.”
In fact, Paul says, if you are circumcised and yet break God’s Law, you have essentially reversed your circumcision!! You are no longer a Jew!! This would not have simply raised a few eyebrows, it would have caused great consternation!! It would have caused an uprising!! This was sacrilege to a Jew!!
But Paul isn’t finished. Paul is going to drive the logic to its final conclusion. Real circumcision, Paul says, is a matter of the heart. Real circumcision is deep within a person, and if a Gentile follows the Law, then he is actually more of a Jew than a circumcised Jew who doesn’t follow the Law. And the one who follows the Law, even though he be uncircumcised receives praise from God.
Let me put this in modern terms. There are some atheists who put some Christians to shame when it comes to living a moral, upright life. There are some people of other faith traditions who are much more loving, kind, worshipful, and moral than some Christians. There are many Muslims who attend worship at Mosques much more regularly than Christians. The average Lutheran Christian in the U.S. considers himself or herself to worship regularly if he or she worships once a month. But half of all Muslims in the U.S. attend weekly worship. Think about that!!
Paul would say, “They are acting more Christian than you are!!!”
This is scathing for us to hear. And shameful. The idea that there are people of other faiths who worship more regularly than Christians; who treat others with more kindness and compassion; who are more generous; who are working for justice and peace; who have a deeper faith in their god than we do in ours is abhorrent. It should never, ever happen. Yet, it does.
I told you as we entered into these chapters that we would get to the point where we were so angry with Paul that we didn’t want anything more to do with God or we would find ourselves broken-hearted ready to hear the Gospel. In a very real way, this is the deepest rebuke Paul can offer those who believe. We are forced to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Do we simply wear the coat of Christianity, or is it something that resides deep within our hearts? Is our Christian faith simply an external thing–a part of our identity that can be discarded as we choose; or is it who we are–the core of our being? Is our Christianity something we wear thinking it will get us access to the final party without it really affecting our personhood?”
These are tough questions. They demand deep, personal reflection. They can be very humbling indeed. And they can prepare our hearts to help us hear the Gospel. That Gospel is just around the corner. Hang in there. We will hear it before long. Amen.
On the day of the banquet, the Teacher arrived at the gate in his humble teaching attire. The guard stopped him and said, “No one is allowed into the banquet without a coat.”
The Teacher responded, “I am a good friend of the King, and he is expecting me. Here is my invitation.”
The guard replied, “My orders are from the King himself. You may not enter without a coat!”
The Teacher left, went home, and obtained a coat. The guard permitted him to enter this time, and the Teacher took his place next to his old friend the King.
When the meal was served, the Teacher began pouring his drink on the coat. He also stuffed all the food into the pockets of the coat. The other guests were deeply concerned with this behavior.
Finally, the King spoke up in embarrassment. “Why are you putting your meal all over your coat?”
The Teacher replied, “When I came to the gate the first time to enter the banquet, I was denied because I didn’t have on this coat. But when I put the coat on, I was allowed in. I can only deduce from this that I was not the real guest invited to this banquet, this coat was. Therefore, the coat should enjoy the meal.”
Now, normally, we use such a story to drive home the axiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Or we try to teach people the reality that a person is actually more than what they wear. These things are most certainly true, but for today, I want to use this story to lead us toward self-reflection. I would like for each and every one of us to look at ourselves in the mirror and ask ourselves what kind of window dressings do we put on ourselves? And do those window dressings give us a sense of self-importance that we really do not deserve?
In the previous section of the book of Romans, Paul dealt with Jews who were counting on their knowledge of God’s Law–the Torah–the first five books of the Old Testament for salvation. They believed that simply knowing the Law was good enough to ensure God’s love and mercy. Paul showed that it was not knowing the Law that counted but the doing of the Law that was required, and Paul showed how even Gentiles followed the Law that God had instilled deep within them. Simply knowing the Law was not a mark of salvation.
Today, Paul has to deal with another Jewish myth: the myth that Jews had a particular status before God that would guarantee them salvation. Let’s turn to the text, and I will try to make things more clear. Paul writes, “17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast of your relation to God 18and know his will and determine what is best because you are instructed in the law, 19and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth, 21you, then, that teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You that forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You that abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You that boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24For, as it is written, ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.’
Paul begins with five assertions that Jews made about themselves based upon their relationship with God and their knowledge about God’s will, and all five of these things can be found in the Jewish literature dating to this time period. Paul is not putting up a strawman. The Jews actually believed these five things:
1. They were guides to the blind–to those who didn’t have God’s Law.
2. A light to those who were in darkness–to those who didn’t know God’s will.
3. A corrector of the foolish–using the Law to correct those who didn’t know better.
4. A teacher of children–considering themselves more mature than those who didn’t have God’s Law.
5. Having the embodiment of knowledge and Truth in God’s Law–as opposed the rest of the world who were grasping at straws.
Notice that Paul does not say that any of this is false. Paul does not criticize the Jewish belief that these things are true. No. Not in the least because in a very real way, all of this is indeed true. This was the responsibility of the Jewish people. They were to be all of these things, but the point Paul makes is–they have failed.
“You that teach others, will you not teach yourself,” Paul says. When you look in the mirror, do you find yourself doing the things that you tell others not to do? Are you the kind of person who says, “Do as I say not as I do?” This is what is behind all of Paul’s questions about stealing, adultery, robbing temples, and the like He is not accusing EVERYONE of doing such things, but he is using easily understood examples to point out the failure of the Jews to obey the totality of the Torah. And because of their failure to obey the Torah, to keep God first, they have failed in their calling to be a light to the world. When God made the covenant with Abraham, God specifically said, “You are blessed to be a blessing to the rest of the world.” The Jews had not been that blessing. Instead of blessing the world, they had sought to keep that blessing to themselves. They were abject failures.
And their failure has had dire consequences!!! Paul quotes Isaiah 52:5 to show the consequences of the Jewish failure to follow the Law, “The name of God is blasphemed amongst the Gentiles because of you!” Your failure has actually led people away from God!
This is an all too common thing for the church in our society today. Over and over again, you will hear non-believers pointing out how our behavior does not match our words. You will hear over and over again how we are hypocrites–how we talk about loving one another and then fail to love. How we talk about the need to worship and then our constant skipping of church. How we talk of the sanctity of marriage and then have many, many divorces. How we talk about the sanctity of life and either support abortion or the death penalty. How we talk about feeding the hungry and then railing against government policies that do exactly that.
There is even the story of the man who was stopped at a light. The light turned green, and the car in front of him refused to budge. The man unleashed a string of curse words that would make a sailor blush. He made more than a few obscene hand gestures. He turned beet red with anger and frustration. All of which caught the attention of a passing police officer. The officer came up to the vehicle and asked for the driver’s license and registration. The man willingly gave it to the officer, and then asked, “Is there a problem, officer. Did I break the law?” The officer responded, “After looking at your license and registration, no. You didn’t.” “The man then asked, “Then why did you stop me?” The officer replied, “When I saw the way you were acting back there and then I saw the ‘Honk if you love Jesus!’ bumper sticker, I thought the car was stolen.”
It’s a laughable joke, but there is a deep reality to the situation because oftentimes we are hypocritical in our behavior as the church. We have not been a light on a hill. We have not followed the command of our leader, “by this everyone will know that you are my disciples–if you have love for one another.” And people have turned away from God because of it. People have left the church because of our behavior. People have defamed the name of God because we have failed to be who God has called us to be.
For anyone who claims to be a Christian, this is devastating news. This is a scathing rebuke. It should make us hang our heads in shame.
But Paul is not done. He pushes the rebuke even further. 25 Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. 26So, if those who are uncircumcised keep the requirements of the law, will not their uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? 27Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you that have the written code and circumcision but break the law. 28For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.
Paul is merciless here. He is absolutely merciless. If there was a mark of Judaism that was revered, it was circumcision. It was personal. It was the sign of the covenant with Abraham. It physically marked a person as different from the rest of the world, and there were many Jewish rabbis who blatantly said, “If a person is circumcised, he is guaranteed salvation.” Paul says, “Um, no.”
In fact, Paul says, if you are circumcised and yet break God’s Law, you have essentially reversed your circumcision!! You are no longer a Jew!! This would not have simply raised a few eyebrows, it would have caused great consternation!! It would have caused an uprising!! This was sacrilege to a Jew!!
But Paul isn’t finished. Paul is going to drive the logic to its final conclusion. Real circumcision, Paul says, is a matter of the heart. Real circumcision is deep within a person, and if a Gentile follows the Law, then he is actually more of a Jew than a circumcised Jew who doesn’t follow the Law. And the one who follows the Law, even though he be uncircumcised receives praise from God.
Let me put this in modern terms. There are some atheists who put some Christians to shame when it comes to living a moral, upright life. There are some people of other faith traditions who are much more loving, kind, worshipful, and moral than some Christians. There are many Muslims who attend worship at Mosques much more regularly than Christians. The average Lutheran Christian in the U.S. considers himself or herself to worship regularly if he or she worships once a month. But half of all Muslims in the U.S. attend weekly worship. Think about that!!
Paul would say, “They are acting more Christian than you are!!!”
This is scathing for us to hear. And shameful. The idea that there are people of other faiths who worship more regularly than Christians; who treat others with more kindness and compassion; who are more generous; who are working for justice and peace; who have a deeper faith in their god than we do in ours is abhorrent. It should never, ever happen. Yet, it does.
I told you as we entered into these chapters that we would get to the point where we were so angry with Paul that we didn’t want anything more to do with God or we would find ourselves broken-hearted ready to hear the Gospel. In a very real way, this is the deepest rebuke Paul can offer those who believe. We are forced to look in the mirror and ask ourselves, “Do we simply wear the coat of Christianity, or is it something that resides deep within our hearts? Is our Christian faith simply an external thing–a part of our identity that can be discarded as we choose; or is it who we are–the core of our being? Is our Christianity something we wear thinking it will get us access to the final party without it really affecting our personhood?”
These are tough questions. They demand deep, personal reflection. They can be very humbling indeed. And they can prepare our hearts to help us hear the Gospel. That Gospel is just around the corner. Hang in there. We will hear it before long. Amen.
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.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Cliques in Church
A respected member of my congregation approached me a week or so ago. "Pastor," he said, "You need to say something or do a sermon about cliques."
I waited for further explanation.
"I've spoke to two people recently about coming to church. Both of them said the same thing. They both said they won't come to church because of the cliques in the church. Something needs to be done about that."
Perhaps so, but I am now a veteran when it comes to handling church dynamics. I've seen how more often than not, when you try to address something, the exact opposite happens. Harp on people for not coming to church, and church attendance drops. Harp on people for not giving enough or telling them to tithe 10% of their income, and offerings drop. Tell them they need to come to Sunday School, and they don't. Reverse psychology should be the order of the day, but if you go with the intent of trying to change things by doing the opposite, might you get figured out by doing that too? Isn't that a bit manipulative? Probably.
And that rightly leads to stagnation and a fear of even trying to address the issue. That's not good either.
So, the question is: how does one address the issue of cliques without trying to offer a mandate or tell everyone how they should act knowing they are liable to do the exact opposite?
Perhaps what follows is a feeble attempt:
I believe cliques are a part of the way the world and nature works. I think they are inescapable. I mean it. Kids form cliques in pre-school and school without any sort of guidance or compulsion. They just do it. In the animal kingdom, cliques are formed in most species. Fish swim in schools. Cattle gather in herds. Lions in prides, etc. etc. Each has its own hierarchy and social structure. Most become closed and only open up on special occasions.
These groups form for various reasons: protection, cooperation, feeding, and even socialization. In my estimation, this means cliques are neither good or bad, they just are.
Even in the church, we have our cliques. I think we'd like to pretend they don't exist, but they are there regardless. You have the women's group. The quilters. Men in mission. Youth group. Choir. Adult Bible study, and so on. These groups are organized based upon some commonality shared by all group members--gender, age, interest, ability. It's how we organize ourselves. Again, neither good or bad; cliques just are.
As I see it, the problem is not with cliques in and of themselves. It is when cliques become self-important, refuse to cooperate with others, and become closed that they become a problem.
St. Paul's analogy in 1 Corinthians 12 is instrumental in my opinion:
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
Paul does not encourage everyone to be alike. Far from it. In fact, Paul encourages the Church to honor it's differences, but with a very important caveat:
We are all one body.
Let that sink in for a moment. We are all one body. If various body parts begin warring against one another, really bad things happen. We actually know what that is called: cancer. With cancer, a group of cells thinks they are more important than the rest. They quit doing their job. They go rogue. They begin monopolizing resources. They begin feeding off the rest of the body. Eventually, if left unchecked, they kill the body.
In the Church, there is an antidote for such things--remembering who the head of the Church is and what He has called us to do. Remember, Paul is explicit in who he says the head of the Church is:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. --Colossians 1:15-18
To give this a very, local spin: St. John Lutheran Church of Cat Spring is actually ruled and governed by our head: Jesus Christ. We believe He has given us a vision and a mission: To Live God's Word Daily specifically by Actively reaching out as a strong Christian influence in our community by showing God's love through kindness, caring, and involvement with others inside and outside our community of faith.
All of our various parts theoretically should revolve around the Head and His instructions to us. Theoretically, everything we do should keep these things in mind. All of our various ministries and parts revolved around this vision and mission. If we should lose sight of this, then we face a war between the cliques. We face cliques vying for power and influence. Each clique's ministry becomes more important than the overall mission.
If you need evidence of this, look at our current political situation. Most representatives of our nation are there not to work for the good of their country, but for the good of their constituents. They are trying to get a piece of the pie for their district, their state, their area of representation instead of looking out for the good of the entire country. This leads to division and strife, something we are all too familiar with by reading our news papers and news feeds.
Should the Church reflect society or Christ? Should the Church represent what is going on in society, or should it represent what is going on in heaven where all are focused on God and His reign? The answer to me seems pretty obvious.
I personally do not believe cliques are necessarily a problem in any congregation, church, or community. It's how we organize, but it is my sincere hope that any clique that is within the congregation of St. John or any other congregation or denomination recognizes its vision and mission and works for the betterment of our congregation, denomination, and its fulfillment of the Christian mission in society.
I waited for further explanation.
"I've spoke to two people recently about coming to church. Both of them said the same thing. They both said they won't come to church because of the cliques in the church. Something needs to be done about that."
Perhaps so, but I am now a veteran when it comes to handling church dynamics. I've seen how more often than not, when you try to address something, the exact opposite happens. Harp on people for not coming to church, and church attendance drops. Harp on people for not giving enough or telling them to tithe 10% of their income, and offerings drop. Tell them they need to come to Sunday School, and they don't. Reverse psychology should be the order of the day, but if you go with the intent of trying to change things by doing the opposite, might you get figured out by doing that too? Isn't that a bit manipulative? Probably.
And that rightly leads to stagnation and a fear of even trying to address the issue. That's not good either.
So, the question is: how does one address the issue of cliques without trying to offer a mandate or tell everyone how they should act knowing they are liable to do the exact opposite?
Perhaps what follows is a feeble attempt:
I believe cliques are a part of the way the world and nature works. I think they are inescapable. I mean it. Kids form cliques in pre-school and school without any sort of guidance or compulsion. They just do it. In the animal kingdom, cliques are formed in most species. Fish swim in schools. Cattle gather in herds. Lions in prides, etc. etc. Each has its own hierarchy and social structure. Most become closed and only open up on special occasions.
These groups form for various reasons: protection, cooperation, feeding, and even socialization. In my estimation, this means cliques are neither good or bad, they just are.
Even in the church, we have our cliques. I think we'd like to pretend they don't exist, but they are there regardless. You have the women's group. The quilters. Men in mission. Youth group. Choir. Adult Bible study, and so on. These groups are organized based upon some commonality shared by all group members--gender, age, interest, ability. It's how we organize ourselves. Again, neither good or bad; cliques just are.
As I see it, the problem is not with cliques in and of themselves. It is when cliques become self-important, refuse to cooperate with others, and become closed that they become a problem.
St. Paul's analogy in 1 Corinthians 12 is instrumental in my opinion:
12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many members, yet one body. 21The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ 22On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; 24whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, 25that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. 26If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.
Paul does not encourage everyone to be alike. Far from it. In fact, Paul encourages the Church to honor it's differences, but with a very important caveat:
We are all one body.
Let that sink in for a moment. We are all one body. If various body parts begin warring against one another, really bad things happen. We actually know what that is called: cancer. With cancer, a group of cells thinks they are more important than the rest. They quit doing their job. They go rogue. They begin monopolizing resources. They begin feeding off the rest of the body. Eventually, if left unchecked, they kill the body.
In the Church, there is an antidote for such things--remembering who the head of the Church is and what He has called us to do. Remember, Paul is explicit in who he says the head of the Church is:
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. --Colossians 1:15-18
To give this a very, local spin: St. John Lutheran Church of Cat Spring is actually ruled and governed by our head: Jesus Christ. We believe He has given us a vision and a mission: To Live God's Word Daily specifically by Actively reaching out as a strong Christian influence in our community by showing God's love through kindness, caring, and involvement with others inside and outside our community of faith.
All of our various parts theoretically should revolve around the Head and His instructions to us. Theoretically, everything we do should keep these things in mind. All of our various ministries and parts revolved around this vision and mission. If we should lose sight of this, then we face a war between the cliques. We face cliques vying for power and influence. Each clique's ministry becomes more important than the overall mission.
If you need evidence of this, look at our current political situation. Most representatives of our nation are there not to work for the good of their country, but for the good of their constituents. They are trying to get a piece of the pie for their district, their state, their area of representation instead of looking out for the good of the entire country. This leads to division and strife, something we are all too familiar with by reading our news papers and news feeds.
Should the Church reflect society or Christ? Should the Church represent what is going on in society, or should it represent what is going on in heaven where all are focused on God and His reign? The answer to me seems pretty obvious.
I personally do not believe cliques are necessarily a problem in any congregation, church, or community. It's how we organize, but it is my sincere hope that any clique that is within the congregation of St. John or any other congregation or denomination recognizes its vision and mission and works for the betterment of our congregation, denomination, and its fulfillment of the Christian mission in society.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Passing On the Faith
Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.
A number of years ago, I stumbled on a recording of me singing that song when I was just a little tyke. I might have been three or four years old; I don’t know for sure, but I do know that someone taught me that song. Someone helped me learn those precious words that even now are burned into my heart, and I need absolutely no music to sing them by. Just like another song learned long ago.
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Again, as I sing that song, my mind takes me back in time to sitting in the old parsonage in my home congregation. Our Sunday School group met in what once was the living room, and Mrs. Kepler would lead our opening singing and playing the piano. Actually, I was a little afraid of Mrs. Kepler. She was an imposing figure, and when I was little, this intimidated me. But as I grew, those fears abated, and now I realize those songs of faith that still reside within me because she was willing to play and sing with us little kids: This Little Light of Mine, Kumbaya, If I Were a Butterfly, and others.’
If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.
And if I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.
And if I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you Father for making me, me.
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.
And I just thank you Father for making me, me.
And I remember growing in faith through Vacation Bible School. In those days, you didn’t have fancy snacks or anything. We got one cookie and a little cup of Kool Aid, and we thought we were doing great. We’d play games outside, and do arts and crafts, but eternally burned into my memory was the march. At a certain time during the morning, the previously mentioned Mrs. Kepler would head to the piano. We children were given little drums, bells, triangles, and sticks. Mrs. Kepler would strike up “Onward Christian Soldiers,” and we would march around the building, making as much noise as we possibly could. I think this is one of those reasons I still love that hymn even if at the time I could not possibly have remembered the lyrics.
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.
With the cross of Jesus, going on before.
Christ the royal Master, leads against the foe.
Forward into battle, see his banners go.
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.
With the cross of Jesus, going on before.
And as I grew there were other people who influenced my life of faith–who taught me about the greatness of God and depending only on Him. There was the day my grandfather was meeting with an extension agent about spraying his cotton for an infestation. They debated about when to spray. Grandpa figured it was going to rain soon, and if they sprayed and it rained, it would wash the poison off, and his crop would be decimated. If he delayed too long, the insects would destroy the crop. It was a troubling situation. The agent finally looked and grandpa and said, “Do you have crop insurance?”
Grandpa, without a moment’s hesitation said, “No. If the Good Lord wants me to have a crop, I will have a crop!”
That was the final answer, and the extension agent simply looked dumbfounded. And then and there, a young teen saw what true conviction really was.
I also saw that conviction in what for me was a very scary moment. We were painting the exterior of our house, and my dad had climbed a ladder to paint around where the electrical wires entered the house. He proceeded to scare the living daylights out of me by telling me the danger he could face if he slipped and accidentally touched the wires. Of course, I was in no mood to hear such talk. I didn’t even want to consider the possibility of my dad dying. But dad talked about it with such a matter of factness. There was no evading the conversation.
And as dad stood atop that ladder, painting around the electrical wires, talking about death, he said, “Kevin, that is one song I want sung at my funeral. “What a Friend we Have in Jesus.” I know dad said some more after that, but I don’t remember those words. Those have long sense gone away, but the assurance my dad had with his faith remains to this day.
What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.
Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.
As you can probably see, my faith formation took place over many years and was influenced by many people. It continues to be formed and molded to this day and influenced by others. While the Holy Spirit indeed brings us to faith, we are instructed in that faith in our relationships with one another. St. Paul illustrates this beautifully in our second lesson this morning from 2 Timothy: 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline 8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace.
Timothy had a long history of faithful relatives: his grandmother and his mother. Paul appeals to that history as he seeks to strengthen Timothy in his own faith as Timothy becomes a follower and proclaimer of Jesus Christ.
Today, we as a congregation, celebrate the installation of our own youth and family director: Christa Klar. She comes to help us do what Paul is doing to Timothy. She comes to help us do what my relatives and church members did to me. She comes to help us pass down our faith to another generation so that they may reach out with the good news of Jesus Christ. She comes to help us rekindle the gift of God that is within each and every one of you.
May God grant her grace and strength in this task, and may God grant the rest of us courage and a willingness to have our faith rekindled that we may gladly work in this endeavor as well. Amen.
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The Bible tells me so.
A number of years ago, I stumbled on a recording of me singing that song when I was just a little tyke. I might have been three or four years old; I don’t know for sure, but I do know that someone taught me that song. Someone helped me learn those precious words that even now are burned into my heart, and I need absolutely no music to sing them by. Just like another song learned long ago.
Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.
Again, as I sing that song, my mind takes me back in time to sitting in the old parsonage in my home congregation. Our Sunday School group met in what once was the living room, and Mrs. Kepler would lead our opening singing and playing the piano. Actually, I was a little afraid of Mrs. Kepler. She was an imposing figure, and when I was little, this intimidated me. But as I grew, those fears abated, and now I realize those songs of faith that still reside within me because she was willing to play and sing with us little kids: This Little Light of Mine, Kumbaya, If I Were a Butterfly, and others.’
If I were a butterfly, I’d thank you Lord for giving me wings.
And if I were a robin in a tree, I’d thank you Lord that I could sing.
And if I were a fish in the sea, I’d wiggle my tail and I’d giggle with glee
But I just thank you Father for making me, me.
For you gave me a heart and you gave me a smile.
You gave me Jesus and you made me your child.
And I just thank you Father for making me, me.
And I remember growing in faith through Vacation Bible School. In those days, you didn’t have fancy snacks or anything. We got one cookie and a little cup of Kool Aid, and we thought we were doing great. We’d play games outside, and do arts and crafts, but eternally burned into my memory was the march. At a certain time during the morning, the previously mentioned Mrs. Kepler would head to the piano. We children were given little drums, bells, triangles, and sticks. Mrs. Kepler would strike up “Onward Christian Soldiers,” and we would march around the building, making as much noise as we possibly could. I think this is one of those reasons I still love that hymn even if at the time I could not possibly have remembered the lyrics.
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.
With the cross of Jesus, going on before.
Christ the royal Master, leads against the foe.
Forward into battle, see his banners go.
Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.
With the cross of Jesus, going on before.
And as I grew there were other people who influenced my life of faith–who taught me about the greatness of God and depending only on Him. There was the day my grandfather was meeting with an extension agent about spraying his cotton for an infestation. They debated about when to spray. Grandpa figured it was going to rain soon, and if they sprayed and it rained, it would wash the poison off, and his crop would be decimated. If he delayed too long, the insects would destroy the crop. It was a troubling situation. The agent finally looked and grandpa and said, “Do you have crop insurance?”
Grandpa, without a moment’s hesitation said, “No. If the Good Lord wants me to have a crop, I will have a crop!”
That was the final answer, and the extension agent simply looked dumbfounded. And then and there, a young teen saw what true conviction really was.
I also saw that conviction in what for me was a very scary moment. We were painting the exterior of our house, and my dad had climbed a ladder to paint around where the electrical wires entered the house. He proceeded to scare the living daylights out of me by telling me the danger he could face if he slipped and accidentally touched the wires. Of course, I was in no mood to hear such talk. I didn’t even want to consider the possibility of my dad dying. But dad talked about it with such a matter of factness. There was no evading the conversation.
And as dad stood atop that ladder, painting around the electrical wires, talking about death, he said, “Kevin, that is one song I want sung at my funeral. “What a Friend we Have in Jesus.” I know dad said some more after that, but I don’t remember those words. Those have long sense gone away, but the assurance my dad had with his faith remains to this day.
What a friend we have in Jesus. All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.
Oh what peace we often forfeit. Oh what needless pain we bear.
All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.
As you can probably see, my faith formation took place over many years and was influenced by many people. It continues to be formed and molded to this day and influenced by others. While the Holy Spirit indeed brings us to faith, we are instructed in that faith in our relationships with one another. St. Paul illustrates this beautifully in our second lesson this morning from 2 Timothy: 5I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. 6For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; 7for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline 8 Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, 9who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace.
Timothy had a long history of faithful relatives: his grandmother and his mother. Paul appeals to that history as he seeks to strengthen Timothy in his own faith as Timothy becomes a follower and proclaimer of Jesus Christ.
Today, we as a congregation, celebrate the installation of our own youth and family director: Christa Klar. She comes to help us do what Paul is doing to Timothy. She comes to help us do what my relatives and church members did to me. She comes to help us pass down our faith to another generation so that they may reach out with the good news of Jesus Christ. She comes to help us rekindle the gift of God that is within each and every one of you.
May God grant her grace and strength in this task, and may God grant the rest of us courage and a willingness to have our faith rekindled that we may gladly work in this endeavor as well. Amen.
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