It is an undisputed fact that the majority of people in the United States believe in God or a higher power of some sorts. I believe the last figures I saw were roughly in the area of 87-90 percent. It’s really quite an astounding figure given the rapid advances in science and technology, and it is also quite interesting given that many scholars and pundits once believed that religious belief would eventually go the way of the dinosaur as science exerted itself as the true path to knowledge. But belief in God hasn’t gone the way of the dinosaur partially because science has run into its own limitations and partially because, I think, there is a deep seeded desire in humanity to long for our creator. One of these is provable; the other, not so much, but I will say that I am not the only person who thinks we have an innate longing for God. Folks who are much smarter than I have said as much.
But regardless of the why, there is the definite fact that most people believe in God; however, not everyone adheres to a religious belief. Not everyone belongs to a particular religion. Not everyone attends worship. Oftentimes a person’s faith remains highly individualistic and very private. Face it, when we walk around society, for the most part you cannot tell the difference between someone who believes and someone who doesn’t believe.
The reason for this, I think, is that we have defined faith as something we simply believe. It is a certain type of knowledge. I can intellectually come to the understanding that there is a God, but if that thought simply stays in my head, then it oftentimes doesn’t make much of a difference in my life. Recently, I have had several talks with a man who has struggled with whether or not God exists. After a couple of talks and presenting him with a book that I have found helpful, he agreed that the preponderance of the evidence points toward the existence of God. However, he told me bluntly, “It hasn’t seemed to make much of a difference in my life.”
I responded, “That’s because it’s all up in your head. It hasn’t gotten down into your heart yet.”
He then asked, “How does that happen?”
And that, my friends, is the ultimate question, isn’t it? That, my friends, is the difference between people who simply believe in God and people who actively worship God and live for God. For the two of these are not the same. One sees faith as an intellectual assertion and the other sees faith as a lived out relationship, and one of these is much, much more prevalent than the other. One of these is intellectual, and the other is transformational. So, how does one move from intellect to true transformation? I think our lesson from the book of Mark this morning gives us some insight.
This short snippet is actually jam packed with lessons of who Jesus is; what He is here to do; and the nature of what truly is transformative. It begins with the gospel writer telling us that Jesus has returned home to Capernaum. He is in a house, and the majority of the commentators I consulted believe this is Peter or Andrew’s house. Jesus has been preaching around the countryside, and is looking to rest. However, his message has proved popular, and soon a large crowd gathers around the house to hear Jesus proclaim the Word.
While most of us might think it impressive that Jesus draws such a large number of people, the crowd actually becomes a hindrance in this case. In fact, throughout the book of Mark, the crowd almost universally is a barrier to people trying to find healing from the Master. Mark Edwards picks up on this in his commentary with these brilliant words, “Being part of the crowd around Jesus is not the same as being a disciple of Jesus. The crowd stands and observes; disciples must commit themselves to action...” In this particular instance, the four men carrying their friend are acting as disciples, for they take drastic action to get their friend to Jesus. They climb up on the roof of the house and dig a hole through the roof.
Walter Wessel describes the house in this way, “In order to understand the action these verses describe, it is necessary to visualize the layout of a typical Palestinian peasant’s house. It was usually a small one-room structure with a flat roof. Access to the roof was by means of an outside stairway. The roof itself was usually made of wooden beams with thatch and compacted earth in order to shed the rain. Sometimes tiles were laid between the beams and the thatch and earth placed over them.”
So, these four men, carry their friend to the roof, remove the tiles, dig through the thatch and dirt, and make a way for their friend. They will stop at nothing to get their friend to Jesus. And there is no way possible that Jesus didn’t notice this. It is highly probable that dirt rained down upon His head as these men tore through the roof. He was showered with dirt and debris, and then the paralytic is lowered down and laid at his feet. Mark tells us that Jesus first observed the faith of these men.
Now, before we get into what Jesus does next, let me make the clear distinction of what faith means here. Faith is not an intellectual belief. It is much more than that. Faith here is something that compels action. It is something down deep within these men. It is something which leads them to place their ultimate trust, not in themselves; not in the scribes or the chief priests; not in doctors or healers; but in Jesus.
Again, Mark Edwards cuts through our feeble notions of intellectual faith when he writes the following, “If an opening to Jesus cannot be found, one must be made. That is a description of faith: it will remove any obstacle–even a roof if necessary–to get to Jesus. The first mention of faith in (the book of) Mark significantly links it with acting rather than with knowing or feeling. We know nothing of the beliefs of the four friends of the paralytic except that they take action, including circumventing crowds and removing roofs to ensure their charge is brought to Jesus. Faith is first and foremost not knowledge about Jesus but active trust that Jesus is sufficient for one’s deepest and most heartfelt needs.”
Faith is first and foremost not knowledge about Jesus but active trust that Jesus is sufficient for one’s deepest and most heartfelt needs.
Again, this ties directly to the remarks I made at the beginning of this sermon–this marks the difference between someone who believes there is a God and those who deeply trust God and walk with a true transformation in their lives. For oftentimes, those who believe in God do not put their trust in Him. It is human nature to trust in things that we can see and control. It is human nature to trust ourselves to achieve what we want and desire. We trust our knowledge, our checkbooks, our ability to work, our looks, our government, our doctors, our lawyers, our gender, our sexuality, our ethnicity, our heritage, in money, in possessions, in the church, in people, in science, in technology, and in a whole host of other things. But true faith recognizes these things as barriers. They actually prevent us from living our lives in radical trust in God. And the reason we seem to lack peace and assurance in our lives is that all of these other things we put our trust into will let us down. None of these things can fully satisfy us. None of these things is perfect. None of these things can ultimately be sufficient for our deepest and most heartfelt needs. So, again that begs the question: how can we move from depending upon ourselves; from depending on all those other things to a radical dependence upon God? Let’s continue with the story.
When Jesus sees the paralytic laying at His feet, He does something rather odd. He does NOT say, “Friend, I have compassion for you. Get up and walk.” No. Those aren’t the first words out of Jesus’ mouth. Instead, Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven.” Why would Jesus say this? It doesn’t seem like the man needs forgiveness. It seems like he needs healing. Why not jump straight to the healing?
I think it has something to do with the reaction of the scribes. Immediately after Jesus pronounces forgiveness, the scribes get angry. They say, “Who can forgive sins but God alone? This is blasphemy.”
The reason the scribes say this is because of the thread that runs strongly through the Old Testament; a thread that said: the reason a person becomes sick, paralyzed, or has anything bad happen to them is a result of that person’s sin. So, if a person did something wrong–broke a commandment, failed to offer a sacrifice, or what have you–then God would strike them with a malady. God would put that person under His curse. Because of this view, the scribes believed that the paralyzed man was under God’s curse. They believed he was suffering as a consequence of his sin. No man could remove that curse. No man could bring that kind of forgiveness. Only God could. Jesus is putting Himself as God’s spoke’s person, and that was completely and utterly disrespectful for a man to do.
But Jesus knew the hearts of the scribes, and He knew this was a teachable moment. Jesus turns to the scribes and asks, “Which is easier: to say your sins are forgiven or rise, take up your mat and walk?” In reality the easiest thing to say was, “Your sins are forgiven.” This actually could not be verified immediately. No one could tell if God had indeed forgiven a person’s sin, so it was easy to say but hard to verify. On the other hand, to say, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk,” was to take a troublesome risk. If you were to say this, it could not easily be verified. If you were to say this and the person were not able to walk, then you would revealed as a fraud. You would be shown to have no blessing or authorization of God. And in reality, neither of these things are easy at all. Both of these things are impossible for humans. But both are quite easy for God.
Jesus brings this straight forward to the crowd when He then says, “But so that you will know that the Son of Man has the authority to forgive sins on earth,” turning toward the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, take up your mat and go home.” And the man did. Jesus shows that He indeed has both the power of forgiveness and the power to heal. And everyone went away praising God and saying, “We have never seen anything like this.”
Now, what hadn’t the crowd seen before? What cause them to rejoice so much? From their perspective, they had never seen a man remove God’s curse from one who was afflicted. They had never seen a man remove God’s punishment from someone who had sinned. Such a thing was unheard of. Jesus became the one who forgave, cured, and restored to wholeness.
Let me quote William Lane here, “It was not [and is not] God’s intention that man should live with the pressure of death upon him. Sickness, disease and death are the consequence of the sinful condition of all men. Consequently every healing is a driving back of death and an invasion of the providence of sin. That is why it is appropriate for Jesus to proclaim the remission of sins....Jesus’ pronouncement of pardon is the recognition that man can be genuinely whole only when the breach occasioned by sin has been healed through God’s forgiveness of sins.”
Only can we be truly whole when the breach occasioned by sin has been healed through God’s forgiveness of sins. We will not find wholeness; we will not find peace; we will not find fulfillment until we understand how we have been forgiven of our sins. Our trust of God will not become a heart thing until we understand what Christ has done in removing the curse of sin through the cross. And this is not something we can accomplish on our own.
The paralytic could not come to Jesus on his own. His friends had to take him, but his friends could only get him so far. They could not heal his paralyzed legs. They could not forgive his sins. They could not restore his relationship with God or with his body. Only Jesus could. Only Jesus could make that happen, and they trusted Jesus to accomplish that. They did not trust themselves. And Jesus made it happen. Jesus removed the curse of sin and restored the paralytic to wholeness–body and soul. It was an act of sheer grace. What could not be accomplished by themselves; what could not be accomplished by any human being was accomplished by God and God alone.
Faith moves from being a head thing–an intellectual process–to a heart thing, to transformation when we put our trust in what Jesus has done and not what we do. It’s when we drive through anything and everything that seeks to keep us from Him. It’s when we acknowledge our sinfulness, our need for forgiveness, our need to be made whole that God will move us from our head into our heart–will show us the true level of His mercy–the true level of His love. When in our brokenness, we are laid at the feet of Jesus; when we hear Him say, “Your sins are forgiven.”; when we hear Him say, “Be made whole”; when we experience this sheer grace even before uttering a single word, this changes the way we look at the world; it changes our hearts; it changes our minds; it changes our actions.
Christianity says: your life will not be changed until you can begin to grasp the mystery of grace–the mystery of being loved while broken–the mystery of being loved when you don’t deserve it–the mystery of being forgiven by the God 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 you but to save you. Amen.
Showing posts with label Trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trust. Show all posts
Monday, August 8, 2016
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Listening to Jesus
As I thought about this week’s lesson in relationship to last week’s lesson, I began to wonder what kind of response Jesus would receive on our current social climate. I mean, if Jesus were to bring a great crowd together and say, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross and follow me. If anyone wants to save their life, they will lose it; and if anyone loses their life for my sake and the sake of the Gospel, they will find it. For what does it profit a man to gain the entire world but lose his soul? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels,” what do you think people would do?
Honestly, I think the reaction would be very, very diverse. People would have all sorts of reactions. You would have those who would hear what Jesus said and think He was crazy–they would scratch their heads in bewilderment because they have never been taught that denial of self is a manner of life. For many in our society have been taught to embrace themselves just the way they are, and there is a strong thread which runs through our society that says, “Do not do anything to crush another person’s ego. For the crushing of egos is the worst thing we can do to a person. Let people be free to express themselves and be who they consider themselves to be without fear.” Another group might hear Jesus’ words and believe they actually are accomplishing them in full. They will latch on and believe they indeed have denied themselves; they are carrying their crosses; they are following Jesus, and it is the rest of the world with the problem. Everyone else needs to become just like them or Jesus will be ashamed of those heathen and send them to hell. Others might hear Jesus and seek clarification from religious authorities. “What does this man mean?” they would ask. Then, depending upon how the religious leader interpreted the words, they might agree with Jesus or they might not. Again, others might simply look at Jesus and say, “That’s just your opinion. There are others who teach a very different understanding, and if this works for you, fine. It doesn’t work for me, so I will find someone who teaches me what I think works. Our current society and culture is so very diverse that the reactions to such a teaching would be just as diverse; just as messy, and no one would agree on the significance of that teaching.
I would like to submit to you this morning that it wasn’t all that different in the ancient world when Jesus actually made this proclamation. For you see, the Roman Empire was a very, very diverse place. Roads had been built throughout the empire making travel relatively easy for that time and place. People from various cultures were meeting and coming into contact regularly. Rome had established a wide list of accepted religions–generally one’s that didn’t cause sedition–embracing religious pluralism. As long as people submitted to Roman rule, things were okay.
Now, let’s bring things down even further to Israel and what was happening amongst the Jews. The Jews themselves were broken down into different factions. There were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Zealots, the chief priests and the scribes. All of these constituted different veins of thought within the religion. Each had particular teachings, and the groups argued amongst themselves. Not only this: at the time Jesus spoke these words, it was the height of the Rabbinical tradition. What does that mean? Well, there were teachers, rabbis, who were teaching all throughout Israel. These men would gather students and teach those students their understanding of the Law. The rabbis taught very, very diverse things, and we actually have some of those teachings recorded in the Mishnah and Talmud–a body of Jewish literature interpreting the Jewish Bible. So, it was not uncommon for people to argue about scripture by saying, “Rabbi so and so said this, but Rabbi so and so said this. The Pharisees say this. The Sadducees say this.” and so on and so forth.
I hope that you can see at this point a very muddy puddle of understanding. I hope that you can see that things were not clear cut by any means when it came to understanding what religious faith and belief was all about. While there was indeed some general agreement about certain aspects of faith–as I said last time, those who believed that there was going to be a Messiah had three agreed upon points–there was no such thing as a broad overwhelming consensus. People were essentially free to choose the teaching that best meshed with their own understandings.
I think there were those among Jesus’ followers who might have thought to do just this thing. After Jesus told them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him, I can imagine they very much wondered if they were following the right Rabbi. After Jesus taught them that He must be handed over to the elders, chief priests, and the scribes, to suffer many things, to die, and on the third day rise, I can imagine them thinking they had hooked up with a crazy man. For it was unheard of that the Messiah would suffer. It was unheard of that there would be an individual resurrection apart from the final resurrection, and there were even many Jews who did not believe in a final resurrection! As one of my commentaries said, the disciples had no categories to even begin to make these things fit! And so, I think, there was an awful temptation to abandon Jesus and find someone who would make more sense–at least to their ears.
Which is where our lesson for today comes into play. Mark chapter 9 begins with the following teaching by Jesus, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Now, there are some who think that Jesus’ statement here is wrong because obviously, when we look around our world, we do not see the perfect kingdom of God established. We don’t see peace and harmony and a new heaven and a new earth. Jesus must have been mistaken because all of those who were around Him when He spoke these words are now dead. However, you’ve got to put this statement in context. You have to put it into the midst of what Mark is communicating to us, and Mark is setting us up to see a vision of that Kingdom–a vision that will take place on a high mountain, which is where we are taken.
Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the top of a high mountain, and when they get to the top, Jesus is radically changed before them. Jesus’ clothes become dazzling white–whiter than any sort of bleach. Imagine that advertising campaign–Clorox Bleach, not quite like Jesus, but pretty darn close! Following on the footsteps of Mark’s report that Jesus called Himself the “Son of Man” it is not a stretch to once again see that the Scriptures from Daniel are being fulfilled. As Craig Evans says in the Word Biblical Commentary, “Mark’s depiction of Jesus is also reminiscent of Daniel’s vision of the “Ancient of Days,” whose “clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool” (Dan 7:9) The one “like a son of man” approaches the Ancient of Days (i.e. God) and receives authority and kingdom. Perhaps in his transformation we should understand Jesus, as the “son of man” in the presence of the Ancient of Days, has taken on some of God’s characteristics (much as Moses’ face began to shine with God’s glory).”
We are then told that Moses and Elijah come and stand with Jesus. These are two momentous figures from the Old Testament. There is no shortage of disagreement about what they represent. For our purposes this morning, let’s just leave it at the place of an awestruck experience–the getting to see heroes of the faith. Peter is overwhelmed. He doesn’t know what to say because he is so awestruck, so he blurts out, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. Let us build three tabernacles. One for you. One for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Now, this statement isn’t as dumb as one might expect. It totally makes sense, but it is the wrong statement. You see, Peter was still transfixed upon Jesus as the powerful Messiah instead of the suffering servant. As William Lane says in his commentary, “Peter is anxious to find the fulfillment of the promised glory now, prior to the sufferings Jesus had announced as necessary.” Peter sees the three booths as God dwelling once again with the people of Israel with Moses, Elijah, and now Jesus. It makes sense, but it is the wrong thought.
And that thought is rebuked by the arrival of another party. We are told that a cloud envelopes the mountaintop. Let me read to you what Mark Edwards says about this because it is extremely helpful. “According to Mark, the cloud “enveloped” or overshadowed (Gk episkiazein) them. This verb occurs only rarely in the Greek Bible, but it is used in Exod. 40:35 to describe the cloud that filled the tabernacle with the glory of God and in 1 Kings 8:10-11 to describe the cloud filling Solomon’s temple...The cloud is the impregnating presence of God, symbolizing that in Jesus, even more than in the tabernacle of old, God dwells bodily with humanity.”
This affirmation that God dwells bodily with humanity is solidified with the statement from the cloud, “THIS IS MY SON, THE BELOVED, LISTEN TO HIM!” Suddenly, when the disciples looked around after this statement, they saw only Jesus. Twofold thing here: God affirms that the disciples should listen to Jesus. The absence of Moses and Elijah passes along the message: don’t listen to Moses. Don’t listen to Elijah. Listen to Jesus. The focus is on Jesus. The message issues forth from Jesus. The message is Jesus. Listen to Him! Period. Drop the mic and leave. Listen to Jesus.
Now, I could go further with this text and go through the remaining teaching by Jesus, but let me simply say two things before addressing what I started my sermon off with. First, Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone with a qualifier: until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. Jesus didn’t want Peter, James and John caught up in the moment proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah when they still didn’t understand fully what that meant. Peter already showed once again that he had no clue about the suffering servant and the cross. Jesus still needed to open their eyes. Secondly, Jesus then teaches them and clarifies Elijah’s role and links John the Baptist to Elijah. This is a teaching moment by Jesus, and I apologize for giving it only a cursory comment. However, we need to move on to some very weighty things–things of massive importance in our culture and society.
For the transfiguration of Jesus brings out two very important things that we have to grasp as the church. First, God’s instruction from the cloud. “Listen to Him!” Listen to Jesus. Keep your focus on Jesus. It almost pains me to say this to you, but I have to. When it comes to the Christian faith; when it comes to trying to figure out what things are all about, do not listen to me. I wish I didn’t have to say that, but it’s true. Don’t listen to me. Don’t listen to Joel Osteen or Ed Young. Don’t listen to the Pope or the Bishop. We are not the ones you are following. We are not the ones who understand God most fully. We are not the ones who understand Christianity most fully. We are all sinful, broken, people who are deeply affected by our own assumptions and biases. When we preach and teach, our own sinfulness clouds our ability to grasp and to proclaim the Law and the Gospel. It is my job, and the job of anyone who preaches and teaches to get you to Jesus. It is the job of the Church to proclaim Jesus and Him crucified. It is the job of the Church to say, “Listen to Jesus!”
Ah, but that raises another important point. How do I know what Jesus says? We don’t have clouds enveloping us with God’s voice telling us to listen to Jesus. We don’t have Jesus walking next to us bodily explaining Scripture to us and helping us understand the world around us. We don’t have the luxury of having Jesus videotaped or audiotaped. We have a book. A very old book. A book that we do not have any of the original copies of the text. A book that is written in two “dead” languages. A book that some say is embellished–that has undergone much editing and is more the stuff of legend than it is reality. How can we be certain Jesus said and did what is recorded in this book?
The question really is one of credibility. Do you trust the accounts written in the Bible? Do you trust the witnesses who first recorded what is included in Scripture, and do you trust the process of how things were handed down? You see, the Christian faith is a historical faith. It is built upon historical events. Historical events aren’t like scientific experiments. You cannot replicate them. You are literally forced to choose whether or not you believe the witness of those who report them. For instance, I can report to you this morning that Wednesday night, there was a small group of us who gathered to hear a presentation of what it was like to care for an aging parent given by James and Karen Tiner. Now, you weren’t there. You don’t know if it happened or not. You have my report. Am I trustworthy? That is the question. There were other witnesses to the event. You could talk to them as well. You have to judge if they are trustworthy. If things fit in a coherent picture, and they help explain why there were cars up here at the church on Wednesday, why the lights were on from 6 to about 8, and so on and so forth, you can conclude that, yes, I am a credible witness. Yes, this makes sense. Yes, indeed there was a group that met to hear a presentation by James and Karen Tiner. You didn’t scientifically prove it. You relied upon eyewitness testimony that you deemed credible.
There are some very good arguments that indeed present the Bible as such credible testimony. There are some very good historical reasons to accept the Bible as credible testimony like: the Bible is written closer to the events surrounding Jesus than is the histories we have written about Alexander the Great. Did you know that one? It’s true. There are others as well. I do not have time to go into them this morning, but the question still comes down to you this morning. Do you trust the witness of Scripture? Do you trust this witness that has been handed down to you through the generations?
And if you trust this witness, then you can indeed listen to Jesus. You can indeed hear His words. You can indeed know of His actions. You can indeed come to know Him and what He teaches. And you can know why you should listen to Him. In the myriads of voices that swirl around our culture, that try to tell you how to live and what to do, His voice will stand alone. His voice will carry more weight because as you come to know Him, you will see that His is the only voice who truly knows who you are. His is the only voice who truly knows deep down your true identity–all of the good things about you, and all of the bad. He alone knows the recess of your heart where your fear and anxiety and selfishness dwell. He knows your motives and motivations. He knows your flaws and failings, and He doesn’t let you try to hide them or escape them. He forces you to stand before Him fully known and fully vulnerable. And if you know yourself as you should, this should terrify you.
But instead of condemning you, He loves you. He stretches out His arms and dies for you when you don’t deserve it. He does not falsely tell you you are okay just the way you are. He doesn’t mandate that you change to satisfy Him. Instead, He dies for you and invites you to die to yourself. He invites you to take up your cross and meet Him at the place where He poured out Himself for you. He invites you to look at the cross where He showed the greatest love possible.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.
Jesus did not come into the world to condemn you, but to save you. And He did. On the cross. As he died for you. Certainly a good reason to listen to Him. Amen.
Honestly, I think the reaction would be very, very diverse. People would have all sorts of reactions. You would have those who would hear what Jesus said and think He was crazy–they would scratch their heads in bewilderment because they have never been taught that denial of self is a manner of life. For many in our society have been taught to embrace themselves just the way they are, and there is a strong thread which runs through our society that says, “Do not do anything to crush another person’s ego. For the crushing of egos is the worst thing we can do to a person. Let people be free to express themselves and be who they consider themselves to be without fear.” Another group might hear Jesus’ words and believe they actually are accomplishing them in full. They will latch on and believe they indeed have denied themselves; they are carrying their crosses; they are following Jesus, and it is the rest of the world with the problem. Everyone else needs to become just like them or Jesus will be ashamed of those heathen and send them to hell. Others might hear Jesus and seek clarification from religious authorities. “What does this man mean?” they would ask. Then, depending upon how the religious leader interpreted the words, they might agree with Jesus or they might not. Again, others might simply look at Jesus and say, “That’s just your opinion. There are others who teach a very different understanding, and if this works for you, fine. It doesn’t work for me, so I will find someone who teaches me what I think works. Our current society and culture is so very diverse that the reactions to such a teaching would be just as diverse; just as messy, and no one would agree on the significance of that teaching.
I would like to submit to you this morning that it wasn’t all that different in the ancient world when Jesus actually made this proclamation. For you see, the Roman Empire was a very, very diverse place. Roads had been built throughout the empire making travel relatively easy for that time and place. People from various cultures were meeting and coming into contact regularly. Rome had established a wide list of accepted religions–generally one’s that didn’t cause sedition–embracing religious pluralism. As long as people submitted to Roman rule, things were okay.
Now, let’s bring things down even further to Israel and what was happening amongst the Jews. The Jews themselves were broken down into different factions. There were the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Zealots, the chief priests and the scribes. All of these constituted different veins of thought within the religion. Each had particular teachings, and the groups argued amongst themselves. Not only this: at the time Jesus spoke these words, it was the height of the Rabbinical tradition. What does that mean? Well, there were teachers, rabbis, who were teaching all throughout Israel. These men would gather students and teach those students their understanding of the Law. The rabbis taught very, very diverse things, and we actually have some of those teachings recorded in the Mishnah and Talmud–a body of Jewish literature interpreting the Jewish Bible. So, it was not uncommon for people to argue about scripture by saying, “Rabbi so and so said this, but Rabbi so and so said this. The Pharisees say this. The Sadducees say this.” and so on and so forth.
I hope that you can see at this point a very muddy puddle of understanding. I hope that you can see that things were not clear cut by any means when it came to understanding what religious faith and belief was all about. While there was indeed some general agreement about certain aspects of faith–as I said last time, those who believed that there was going to be a Messiah had three agreed upon points–there was no such thing as a broad overwhelming consensus. People were essentially free to choose the teaching that best meshed with their own understandings.
I think there were those among Jesus’ followers who might have thought to do just this thing. After Jesus told them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him, I can imagine they very much wondered if they were following the right Rabbi. After Jesus taught them that He must be handed over to the elders, chief priests, and the scribes, to suffer many things, to die, and on the third day rise, I can imagine them thinking they had hooked up with a crazy man. For it was unheard of that the Messiah would suffer. It was unheard of that there would be an individual resurrection apart from the final resurrection, and there were even many Jews who did not believe in a final resurrection! As one of my commentaries said, the disciples had no categories to even begin to make these things fit! And so, I think, there was an awful temptation to abandon Jesus and find someone who would make more sense–at least to their ears.
Which is where our lesson for today comes into play. Mark chapter 9 begins with the following teaching by Jesus, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” Now, there are some who think that Jesus’ statement here is wrong because obviously, when we look around our world, we do not see the perfect kingdom of God established. We don’t see peace and harmony and a new heaven and a new earth. Jesus must have been mistaken because all of those who were around Him when He spoke these words are now dead. However, you’ve got to put this statement in context. You have to put it into the midst of what Mark is communicating to us, and Mark is setting us up to see a vision of that Kingdom–a vision that will take place on a high mountain, which is where we are taken.
Jesus takes Peter, James and John to the top of a high mountain, and when they get to the top, Jesus is radically changed before them. Jesus’ clothes become dazzling white–whiter than any sort of bleach. Imagine that advertising campaign–Clorox Bleach, not quite like Jesus, but pretty darn close! Following on the footsteps of Mark’s report that Jesus called Himself the “Son of Man” it is not a stretch to once again see that the Scriptures from Daniel are being fulfilled. As Craig Evans says in the Word Biblical Commentary, “Mark’s depiction of Jesus is also reminiscent of Daniel’s vision of the “Ancient of Days,” whose “clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool” (Dan 7:9) The one “like a son of man” approaches the Ancient of Days (i.e. God) and receives authority and kingdom. Perhaps in his transformation we should understand Jesus, as the “son of man” in the presence of the Ancient of Days, has taken on some of God’s characteristics (much as Moses’ face began to shine with God’s glory).”
We are then told that Moses and Elijah come and stand with Jesus. These are two momentous figures from the Old Testament. There is no shortage of disagreement about what they represent. For our purposes this morning, let’s just leave it at the place of an awestruck experience–the getting to see heroes of the faith. Peter is overwhelmed. He doesn’t know what to say because he is so awestruck, so he blurts out, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. Let us build three tabernacles. One for you. One for Moses, and one for Elijah.” Now, this statement isn’t as dumb as one might expect. It totally makes sense, but it is the wrong statement. You see, Peter was still transfixed upon Jesus as the powerful Messiah instead of the suffering servant. As William Lane says in his commentary, “Peter is anxious to find the fulfillment of the promised glory now, prior to the sufferings Jesus had announced as necessary.” Peter sees the three booths as God dwelling once again with the people of Israel with Moses, Elijah, and now Jesus. It makes sense, but it is the wrong thought.
And that thought is rebuked by the arrival of another party. We are told that a cloud envelopes the mountaintop. Let me read to you what Mark Edwards says about this because it is extremely helpful. “According to Mark, the cloud “enveloped” or overshadowed (Gk episkiazein) them. This verb occurs only rarely in the Greek Bible, but it is used in Exod. 40:35 to describe the cloud that filled the tabernacle with the glory of God and in 1 Kings 8:10-11 to describe the cloud filling Solomon’s temple...The cloud is the impregnating presence of God, symbolizing that in Jesus, even more than in the tabernacle of old, God dwells bodily with humanity.”
This affirmation that God dwells bodily with humanity is solidified with the statement from the cloud, “THIS IS MY SON, THE BELOVED, LISTEN TO HIM!” Suddenly, when the disciples looked around after this statement, they saw only Jesus. Twofold thing here: God affirms that the disciples should listen to Jesus. The absence of Moses and Elijah passes along the message: don’t listen to Moses. Don’t listen to Elijah. Listen to Jesus. The focus is on Jesus. The message issues forth from Jesus. The message is Jesus. Listen to Him! Period. Drop the mic and leave. Listen to Jesus.
Now, I could go further with this text and go through the remaining teaching by Jesus, but let me simply say two things before addressing what I started my sermon off with. First, Jesus tells the disciples not to tell anyone with a qualifier: until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. Jesus didn’t want Peter, James and John caught up in the moment proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah when they still didn’t understand fully what that meant. Peter already showed once again that he had no clue about the suffering servant and the cross. Jesus still needed to open their eyes. Secondly, Jesus then teaches them and clarifies Elijah’s role and links John the Baptist to Elijah. This is a teaching moment by Jesus, and I apologize for giving it only a cursory comment. However, we need to move on to some very weighty things–things of massive importance in our culture and society.
For the transfiguration of Jesus brings out two very important things that we have to grasp as the church. First, God’s instruction from the cloud. “Listen to Him!” Listen to Jesus. Keep your focus on Jesus. It almost pains me to say this to you, but I have to. When it comes to the Christian faith; when it comes to trying to figure out what things are all about, do not listen to me. I wish I didn’t have to say that, but it’s true. Don’t listen to me. Don’t listen to Joel Osteen or Ed Young. Don’t listen to the Pope or the Bishop. We are not the ones you are following. We are not the ones who understand God most fully. We are not the ones who understand Christianity most fully. We are all sinful, broken, people who are deeply affected by our own assumptions and biases. When we preach and teach, our own sinfulness clouds our ability to grasp and to proclaim the Law and the Gospel. It is my job, and the job of anyone who preaches and teaches to get you to Jesus. It is the job of the Church to proclaim Jesus and Him crucified. It is the job of the Church to say, “Listen to Jesus!”
Ah, but that raises another important point. How do I know what Jesus says? We don’t have clouds enveloping us with God’s voice telling us to listen to Jesus. We don’t have Jesus walking next to us bodily explaining Scripture to us and helping us understand the world around us. We don’t have the luxury of having Jesus videotaped or audiotaped. We have a book. A very old book. A book that we do not have any of the original copies of the text. A book that is written in two “dead” languages. A book that some say is embellished–that has undergone much editing and is more the stuff of legend than it is reality. How can we be certain Jesus said and did what is recorded in this book?
The question really is one of credibility. Do you trust the accounts written in the Bible? Do you trust the witnesses who first recorded what is included in Scripture, and do you trust the process of how things were handed down? You see, the Christian faith is a historical faith. It is built upon historical events. Historical events aren’t like scientific experiments. You cannot replicate them. You are literally forced to choose whether or not you believe the witness of those who report them. For instance, I can report to you this morning that Wednesday night, there was a small group of us who gathered to hear a presentation of what it was like to care for an aging parent given by James and Karen Tiner. Now, you weren’t there. You don’t know if it happened or not. You have my report. Am I trustworthy? That is the question. There were other witnesses to the event. You could talk to them as well. You have to judge if they are trustworthy. If things fit in a coherent picture, and they help explain why there were cars up here at the church on Wednesday, why the lights were on from 6 to about 8, and so on and so forth, you can conclude that, yes, I am a credible witness. Yes, this makes sense. Yes, indeed there was a group that met to hear a presentation by James and Karen Tiner. You didn’t scientifically prove it. You relied upon eyewitness testimony that you deemed credible.
There are some very good arguments that indeed present the Bible as such credible testimony. There are some very good historical reasons to accept the Bible as credible testimony like: the Bible is written closer to the events surrounding Jesus than is the histories we have written about Alexander the Great. Did you know that one? It’s true. There are others as well. I do not have time to go into them this morning, but the question still comes down to you this morning. Do you trust the witness of Scripture? Do you trust this witness that has been handed down to you through the generations?
And if you trust this witness, then you can indeed listen to Jesus. You can indeed hear His words. You can indeed know of His actions. You can indeed come to know Him and what He teaches. And you can know why you should listen to Him. In the myriads of voices that swirl around our culture, that try to tell you how to live and what to do, His voice will stand alone. His voice will carry more weight because as you come to know Him, you will see that His is the only voice who truly knows who you are. His is the only voice who truly knows deep down your true identity–all of the good things about you, and all of the bad. He alone knows the recess of your heart where your fear and anxiety and selfishness dwell. He knows your motives and motivations. He knows your flaws and failings, and He doesn’t let you try to hide them or escape them. He forces you to stand before Him fully known and fully vulnerable. And if you know yourself as you should, this should terrify you.
But instead of condemning you, He loves you. He stretches out His arms and dies for you when you don’t deserve it. He does not falsely tell you you are okay just the way you are. He doesn’t mandate that you change to satisfy Him. Instead, He dies for you and invites you to die to yourself. He invites you to take up your cross and meet Him at the place where He poured out Himself for you. He invites you to look at the cross where He showed the greatest love possible.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.
Jesus did not come into the world to condemn you, but to save you. And He did. On the cross. As he died for you. Certainly a good reason to listen to Him. Amen.
Monday, April 13, 2015
An Invitation to Trust
One of the things which has helped me grow in my Christian faith and understanding has been listening to debates between Christians and atheists on Youtube. Now, it’s not as bad as you might think. I mean, some of you might think sitting on a prickly pear cactus and eat raw tofu might be more enjoyable, and I understand that. But for yours truly, I truly learn a lot about my faith and the views of those who do not share my faith.
One interesting thing keeps popping up over and over and over in such debates, and it is a criticism of Christianity and belief in God in general. Many people have a problem with what is called “blind faith.” This is the idea that our beliefs and practices have no evidence to back them up. We simply believe without anything measurable to point to as a basis for that belief. The argument goes something like this: well, you don’t have any evidence to back up your belief, so why not believe in the tooth fairy or the giant spaghetti monster?
In reality, this criticism is a valid criticism–if, and it is a big if, faith were simply an intellectual assertion–kind of like a switch in the brain that you turn on and off. “Click” I believe in God. “Click” I don’t believe in God. Whether I turn the switch on or off has very little bearing on my life. And there are many believers who fit right into this category. There are many believers for whom faith in Jesus is simply a belief that indeed He is God; He died; He rose from the dead, and if I give intellectual assent to this, then I am saved. Furthermore, as many, many pastors have said, it is quite all right to have doubts about such things. It is quite all right to wrestle with the intellectual problem of God taking on flesh and living among us; performing miracles; dying; and then rising from the dead. Simply believing this as passed down throughout history is a difficult thing especially in light of the scientific evidence about how the world generally works. Having doubt is not a bad thing–or so we are told.
Again, what is being said here is true–if, and it’s a big if, faith is simply an intellectual matter that is all in our heads. If faith is simply a condition of our heads grasping something and believing it, then we have to deal with the criticism of blind faith and the idea that doubt is a good thing. However, this does make Jesus’ words today in the 20th Chapter of the book of John a bit problematic. For if I get up here and say, “It’s okay to doubt,” and then you hear Jesus tell Thomas, “Do not doubt but believe,” then you are left in a bit of a conundrum. Who do you trust? Do you trust what I say? Do you trust what Jesus commanded? Do you trust that the writer of the Gospel actually gives us the words of Jesus? Did the writer make this story up? All of these questions come to life and then snowball if faith is something that is purely intellectual; purely a head thing that has no evidence to back it up.
But I do not think faith is simply a head thing. I do not think faith is simply a matter of clicking a switch up in our brains which turns on and off. I think faith runs much deeper, and honestly, the translation of verse 27 leaves a lot to be desired. I think it should be translated in the following way: 27Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not distrust but trust.’ How does this change things, and how does it affect our lives? Hold onto your seats.
To get at this question, we need to take a quick trip through the Gospel of John to look at Thomas. Thomas gets a lot of attention in this text, and he is important; although the main focus of this text is not Thomas, but Jesus. We’ll get there shortly. But let’s take a look at Thomas for a few minutes as we see his history throughout the Gospel of John. We begin in Chapter 11 as Jesus tells His disciples He is going to Bethany after Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died. The last time Jesus was in Bethany, the crowds threatened to kill Him. The disciples know this, and they are afraid for Jesus. They are afraid Jesus will be killed. As His followers, they stand to suffer the same fate. Thomas bravely steps to the fore and says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Thomas definitely shows bravado here. He is willing to die with Jesus, but I am convinced that Thomas doesn’t quite understand who Jesus really is. Thomas doesn’t fully understand the extent of what Jesus is about and how this will really impact him.
Why do I say that? Because of the next time we run into Thomas is in John chapter 14. In this chapter, Jesus has just told His disciples that He will be going away and that He will bring them to Himself. Jesus also says that the disciples know the way to the place He is going. Thomas then says, “We do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” So, Thomas goes from a willingness to die with Jesus to being confused. He doesn’t quite get Jesus at all. Jesus responds famously, “I am the way, and the Truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus, of course, is revealing that He is the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world by His life, death, and resurrection. Thomas doesn’t get that. He still has a certain expectation of Jesus. Thomas still believes that Jesus is going to do something vastly different. I think Thomas believes Jesus is going to be the Jewish Messiah who will come with power and might, but not the suffering servant who gives His life as a ransom for many.
This is why when we meet Thomas today, Thomas initially refuses to believe or trust the witness of his fellow disciples. Jesus had appeared to them in that locked room; breathed new life into them; and commissioned them to spread the news–to forgive sins. Thomas was not there at this initial gathering, so when he returned, the rest of the crew greeted him with the news, “We have seen the Lord.”
Thomas doesn’t believe them. He doesn’t trust their witness. We automatically ask, “Why?” Scripture is not explicit here. We don’t know the workings of Thomas’ brain at this point, but based upon our experience of Thomas in the book of John and what he said to the disciples and to Jesus in John 11 and John 14, I think Thomas refused to believe and refused to trust his colleagues because he knew it meant he would have to die. Hear me again on that one: if Jesus was risen from the dead, then it meant Thomas would have to die.
Please know, I am not talking about physical death. No. That would have been the easy way out. Physical death was something Thomas was willing to face earlier, but I don’t think he was ready to face the death that Jesus had talked about with His disciples before, “If anyone wants to save his life, he must lose it; and if anyone loses his life for my sake and the sake of the Gospel, he will save it.” This kind of death is much, much harder. This kind of death is traumatic. This kind of death means a radical shift in one’s worldview and understanding. If Jesus is raised from the dead, then I must give up everything I once thought would bring me happiness and joy. I must give up everything that I once thought that made me who I am. I must give up everything I once placed my trust in to bring me peace. I must give up everything I once wanted and desired; and I must put my trust in Jesus.
I don’t think Thomas wanted to die that kind of death. I don’t think Thomas wanted to give up his dream of a Messiah who would overthrow Israel’s enemies. I don’t think Thomas wanted to give up his dreams of power and authority. I don’t think Thomas wanted to give up his ideas of a Messiah who was powerful and mighty; a warrior of paramount who would bring about world peace–and, of course, the dominion of the kingdom of Israel of which he would be one of the twelve rulers. Thomas wanted all of this. This was his deepest heart’s desire. It was something he was willing to die for, and when he thought Jesus would give it to him, he was glad to follow Jesus to death. It’s why Thomas couldn’t understand Jesus’ comments about preparing the way to the Father. Thomas wasn’t thinking of such things. His heart and mind and trust were somewhere else.
But if Jesus was raised from the dead, those dreams must come to an end. Those desires must cease. His heart could no longer be captured by what Thomas wanted. If Jesus were raised from the dead, a radical new way of life was mandated; a way of life with Jesus at the center. And so, Thomas came up with a list of demands which could surely not be satisfied. “Unless I place my hands in His wounds, I will not trust.”
You know, there is a reason we quote Isaiah 53.5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” For Jesus came to Thomas. Jesus had Thomas touch his wounds, and by Jesus’ wounds, Thomas was healed. Thomas was put to death. When Jesus came to Thomas, all of those things Thomas thought were his dreams and desires left. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas cries out.
“Do not distrust, Thomas. Trust.” Thomas entire being was affected by his encounter with Jesus. Thomas entire soul was changed. It was not an intellectual switch in his brain that was thrown, but it was a change to his very core as he put his trust in the one who died and rose again.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet trust,” Jesus then says. There is no doubt as to whom this statement is directed. It is not directed to the disciples who are standing in that room. It is not directed at Thomas who has touched Jesus. It is directed at you and me. It is directed at all who will hear the message about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. It is an invitation to us to come and die–to walk away from all of those things that we once believed would bring us happiness; peace; satisfaction; and joy. It is an invitation to stop placing our trust in money; power; politics; science; sports; status; possessions; friends; family; co-workers; humanity; and ourselves. It is an invitation to put our trust solely and squarely in Jesus Christ and look to Him for our identity, for our hope, for our well-being, for meaning, for purpose, for peace, and for joy. It is an invitation to rethink our entire lives and our entire being–not just some intellectual assertion that Jesus is risen from the dead. It’s an invitation to make Jesus our deepest heart’s desire and proclaim Him our Lord and our God.
Why? You may ask. Why should I put my trust in Him instead of all of these other things? Why Jesus above material possessions or money or power or politics? Why Jesus over any other religion or philosophy? Why trust Jesus instead of trusting myself?
Let me start by going backward. Trust yourself? If you start believing your own press and thinking you have the ability to handle every situation in the world, then you have become your own god and will eventually end up like Narcissus. You will fall in love with yourself and end up consumed with yourself dying alone. If you put your trust in any other god, they will demand your total allegiance and punish you dearly when you mess up. If you trust in wealth, possessions, power and politics, they will demand everything of you and never give you enough to satisfy.
Only one God has dared die for you when you were undeserving. Only one God dared die for you when you rejected Him. Only one God dared to love you deeply when you refused to love Him. Only Jesus was willing to do this for you and demand nothing in return.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him!
And if Jesus was raised from the dead, then this is most certainly true. And when you put your trust in Him; when you put your trust in His saving actions, your life will be transformed. Not in the sense of material possessions or health or financial well being, but with a peace that passes understanding and with a joy that can never be taken from you. Today, Jesus invites you to trust Him. Not with some simple belief, but with your entire being. Let His wounds heal you that you may fall on your knees and say, “My Lord and my God.” Amen.
One interesting thing keeps popping up over and over and over in such debates, and it is a criticism of Christianity and belief in God in general. Many people have a problem with what is called “blind faith.” This is the idea that our beliefs and practices have no evidence to back them up. We simply believe without anything measurable to point to as a basis for that belief. The argument goes something like this: well, you don’t have any evidence to back up your belief, so why not believe in the tooth fairy or the giant spaghetti monster?
In reality, this criticism is a valid criticism–if, and it is a big if, faith were simply an intellectual assertion–kind of like a switch in the brain that you turn on and off. “Click” I believe in God. “Click” I don’t believe in God. Whether I turn the switch on or off has very little bearing on my life. And there are many believers who fit right into this category. There are many believers for whom faith in Jesus is simply a belief that indeed He is God; He died; He rose from the dead, and if I give intellectual assent to this, then I am saved. Furthermore, as many, many pastors have said, it is quite all right to have doubts about such things. It is quite all right to wrestle with the intellectual problem of God taking on flesh and living among us; performing miracles; dying; and then rising from the dead. Simply believing this as passed down throughout history is a difficult thing especially in light of the scientific evidence about how the world generally works. Having doubt is not a bad thing–or so we are told.
Again, what is being said here is true–if, and it’s a big if, faith is simply an intellectual matter that is all in our heads. If faith is simply a condition of our heads grasping something and believing it, then we have to deal with the criticism of blind faith and the idea that doubt is a good thing. However, this does make Jesus’ words today in the 20th Chapter of the book of John a bit problematic. For if I get up here and say, “It’s okay to doubt,” and then you hear Jesus tell Thomas, “Do not doubt but believe,” then you are left in a bit of a conundrum. Who do you trust? Do you trust what I say? Do you trust what Jesus commanded? Do you trust that the writer of the Gospel actually gives us the words of Jesus? Did the writer make this story up? All of these questions come to life and then snowball if faith is something that is purely intellectual; purely a head thing that has no evidence to back it up.
But I do not think faith is simply a head thing. I do not think faith is simply a matter of clicking a switch up in our brains which turns on and off. I think faith runs much deeper, and honestly, the translation of verse 27 leaves a lot to be desired. I think it should be translated in the following way: 27Then Jesus said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not distrust but trust.’ How does this change things, and how does it affect our lives? Hold onto your seats.
To get at this question, we need to take a quick trip through the Gospel of John to look at Thomas. Thomas gets a lot of attention in this text, and he is important; although the main focus of this text is not Thomas, but Jesus. We’ll get there shortly. But let’s take a look at Thomas for a few minutes as we see his history throughout the Gospel of John. We begin in Chapter 11 as Jesus tells His disciples He is going to Bethany after Jesus’ friend Lazarus has died. The last time Jesus was in Bethany, the crowds threatened to kill Him. The disciples know this, and they are afraid for Jesus. They are afraid Jesus will be killed. As His followers, they stand to suffer the same fate. Thomas bravely steps to the fore and says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Thomas definitely shows bravado here. He is willing to die with Jesus, but I am convinced that Thomas doesn’t quite understand who Jesus really is. Thomas doesn’t fully understand the extent of what Jesus is about and how this will really impact him.
Why do I say that? Because of the next time we run into Thomas is in John chapter 14. In this chapter, Jesus has just told His disciples that He will be going away and that He will bring them to Himself. Jesus also says that the disciples know the way to the place He is going. Thomas then says, “We do not know where you are going, how can we know the way?” So, Thomas goes from a willingness to die with Jesus to being confused. He doesn’t quite get Jesus at all. Jesus responds famously, “I am the way, and the Truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus, of course, is revealing that He is the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sins of the world by His life, death, and resurrection. Thomas doesn’t get that. He still has a certain expectation of Jesus. Thomas still believes that Jesus is going to do something vastly different. I think Thomas believes Jesus is going to be the Jewish Messiah who will come with power and might, but not the suffering servant who gives His life as a ransom for many.
This is why when we meet Thomas today, Thomas initially refuses to believe or trust the witness of his fellow disciples. Jesus had appeared to them in that locked room; breathed new life into them; and commissioned them to spread the news–to forgive sins. Thomas was not there at this initial gathering, so when he returned, the rest of the crew greeted him with the news, “We have seen the Lord.”
Thomas doesn’t believe them. He doesn’t trust their witness. We automatically ask, “Why?” Scripture is not explicit here. We don’t know the workings of Thomas’ brain at this point, but based upon our experience of Thomas in the book of John and what he said to the disciples and to Jesus in John 11 and John 14, I think Thomas refused to believe and refused to trust his colleagues because he knew it meant he would have to die. Hear me again on that one: if Jesus was risen from the dead, then it meant Thomas would have to die.
Please know, I am not talking about physical death. No. That would have been the easy way out. Physical death was something Thomas was willing to face earlier, but I don’t think he was ready to face the death that Jesus had talked about with His disciples before, “If anyone wants to save his life, he must lose it; and if anyone loses his life for my sake and the sake of the Gospel, he will save it.” This kind of death is much, much harder. This kind of death is traumatic. This kind of death means a radical shift in one’s worldview and understanding. If Jesus is raised from the dead, then I must give up everything I once thought would bring me happiness and joy. I must give up everything that I once thought that made me who I am. I must give up everything I once placed my trust in to bring me peace. I must give up everything I once wanted and desired; and I must put my trust in Jesus.
I don’t think Thomas wanted to die that kind of death. I don’t think Thomas wanted to give up his dream of a Messiah who would overthrow Israel’s enemies. I don’t think Thomas wanted to give up his dreams of power and authority. I don’t think Thomas wanted to give up his ideas of a Messiah who was powerful and mighty; a warrior of paramount who would bring about world peace–and, of course, the dominion of the kingdom of Israel of which he would be one of the twelve rulers. Thomas wanted all of this. This was his deepest heart’s desire. It was something he was willing to die for, and when he thought Jesus would give it to him, he was glad to follow Jesus to death. It’s why Thomas couldn’t understand Jesus’ comments about preparing the way to the Father. Thomas wasn’t thinking of such things. His heart and mind and trust were somewhere else.
But if Jesus was raised from the dead, those dreams must come to an end. Those desires must cease. His heart could no longer be captured by what Thomas wanted. If Jesus were raised from the dead, a radical new way of life was mandated; a way of life with Jesus at the center. And so, Thomas came up with a list of demands which could surely not be satisfied. “Unless I place my hands in His wounds, I will not trust.”
You know, there is a reason we quote Isaiah 53.5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.” For Jesus came to Thomas. Jesus had Thomas touch his wounds, and by Jesus’ wounds, Thomas was healed. Thomas was put to death. When Jesus came to Thomas, all of those things Thomas thought were his dreams and desires left. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas cries out.
“Do not distrust, Thomas. Trust.” Thomas entire being was affected by his encounter with Jesus. Thomas entire soul was changed. It was not an intellectual switch in his brain that was thrown, but it was a change to his very core as he put his trust in the one who died and rose again.
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet trust,” Jesus then says. There is no doubt as to whom this statement is directed. It is not directed to the disciples who are standing in that room. It is not directed at Thomas who has touched Jesus. It is directed at you and me. It is directed at all who will hear the message about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. It is an invitation to us to come and die–to walk away from all of those things that we once believed would bring us happiness; peace; satisfaction; and joy. It is an invitation to stop placing our trust in money; power; politics; science; sports; status; possessions; friends; family; co-workers; humanity; and ourselves. It is an invitation to put our trust solely and squarely in Jesus Christ and look to Him for our identity, for our hope, for our well-being, for meaning, for purpose, for peace, and for joy. It is an invitation to rethink our entire lives and our entire being–not just some intellectual assertion that Jesus is risen from the dead. It’s an invitation to make Jesus our deepest heart’s desire and proclaim Him our Lord and our God.
Why? You may ask. Why should I put my trust in Him instead of all of these other things? Why Jesus above material possessions or money or power or politics? Why Jesus over any other religion or philosophy? Why trust Jesus instead of trusting myself?
Let me start by going backward. Trust yourself? If you start believing your own press and thinking you have the ability to handle every situation in the world, then you have become your own god and will eventually end up like Narcissus. You will fall in love with yourself and end up consumed with yourself dying alone. If you put your trust in any other god, they will demand your total allegiance and punish you dearly when you mess up. If you trust in wealth, possessions, power and politics, they will demand everything of you and never give you enough to satisfy.
Only one God has dared die for you when you were undeserving. Only one God dared die for you when you rejected Him. Only one God dared to love you deeply when you refused to love Him. Only Jesus was willing to do this for you and demand nothing in return.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him!
And if Jesus was raised from the dead, then this is most certainly true. And when you put your trust in Him; when you put your trust in His saving actions, your life will be transformed. Not in the sense of material possessions or health or financial well being, but with a peace that passes understanding and with a joy that can never be taken from you. Today, Jesus invites you to trust Him. Not with some simple belief, but with your entire being. Let His wounds heal you that you may fall on your knees and say, “My Lord and my God.” Amen.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
I Have No Freakin' Clue
For the last 10 years, I have wondered in my monthly newsletter article, “What is God Calling Us to Do and Be? For 10 years every month I’ve tried to answer that question. But I’m going to be bluntly honest now: I don’t have a clue anymore.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I do know there are certain ways we are supposed to act as people of God. I know there are certain things God expects out of His people. Any one of us can plainly read about these things by picking up a Bible, reading what Jesus says, reading what Paul writes in his letters, and browsing through all the other writings. There are plenty of things we are supposed to be doing. There are plenty of ways we are supposed to be acting.
But we don’t. We just don’t.
And it’s not that we just don’t. It’s also because we can’t. We cannot do all the things we are supposed to do. We cannot be the type of people God wants us to be. If we could, there would be no need for grace. There would be no need for the cross. There would have been no need for Jesus to come and reconcile the world unto God.
But, we need grace. We need the cross. We need Jesus. We are completely and totally dependent upon God for our salvation because we can’t go out and accomplish it by ourselves.
Which now makes things a little interesting. If we realize we are totally and completely reliant upon God for our salvation–what do we have to do? What do we have to be? Where is God calling us?
Who really knows the mind of God?
Then why did you spend so many years trying to answer the question, pastor?
Well, I thought I could. I thought I could grasp the answers. I was arrogant enough to think I could get it; I could understand it; I could brazenly give forth the answers. But I can’t. I realize that now. I have no freaking clue.
So where does that leave me? Where does that leave us?
Well, I won’t speak for you. I have to let you decide what that means in your own life and in the life of this congregation, but I know what it means for me now: simply trusting in God.
In many ways, I feel like Abram when God first called him (Genesis 12). God said, “Go to a land that I will show you. I will bless you so that you will be a blessing and the whole world will be blessed through you.”
Abram didn’t know where he would go. He had no idea what the future held. All he knew was God’s call. All he knew was God’s promise. He left all behind and trusted God. The future took many twists and turns, but we know that God kept His promise.
This is my last column under the heading “What is God Calling Us to Do and Be?” I have no idea anymore. I won’t pretend to know God’s plan. He doesn’t necessarily want us to. He wants us to trust in Him and be satisfied with that. Here’s to a mysterious future; a time of adventure; a time of being blessed to be a blessing.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I do know there are certain ways we are supposed to act as people of God. I know there are certain things God expects out of His people. Any one of us can plainly read about these things by picking up a Bible, reading what Jesus says, reading what Paul writes in his letters, and browsing through all the other writings. There are plenty of things we are supposed to be doing. There are plenty of ways we are supposed to be acting.
But we don’t. We just don’t.
And it’s not that we just don’t. It’s also because we can’t. We cannot do all the things we are supposed to do. We cannot be the type of people God wants us to be. If we could, there would be no need for grace. There would be no need for the cross. There would have been no need for Jesus to come and reconcile the world unto God.
But, we need grace. We need the cross. We need Jesus. We are completely and totally dependent upon God for our salvation because we can’t go out and accomplish it by ourselves.
Which now makes things a little interesting. If we realize we are totally and completely reliant upon God for our salvation–what do we have to do? What do we have to be? Where is God calling us?
Who really knows the mind of God?
Then why did you spend so many years trying to answer the question, pastor?
Well, I thought I could. I thought I could grasp the answers. I was arrogant enough to think I could get it; I could understand it; I could brazenly give forth the answers. But I can’t. I realize that now. I have no freaking clue.
So where does that leave me? Where does that leave us?
Well, I won’t speak for you. I have to let you decide what that means in your own life and in the life of this congregation, but I know what it means for me now: simply trusting in God.
In many ways, I feel like Abram when God first called him (Genesis 12). God said, “Go to a land that I will show you. I will bless you so that you will be a blessing and the whole world will be blessed through you.”
Abram didn’t know where he would go. He had no idea what the future held. All he knew was God’s call. All he knew was God’s promise. He left all behind and trusted God. The future took many twists and turns, but we know that God kept His promise.
This is my last column under the heading “What is God Calling Us to Do and Be?” I have no idea anymore. I won’t pretend to know God’s plan. He doesn’t necessarily want us to. He wants us to trust in Him and be satisfied with that. Here’s to a mysterious future; a time of adventure; a time of being blessed to be a blessing.
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
A Lesson in Trust and Evangelism: A Sermon on Doubting Thomas
Years ago, my dad and I were discussing the fact that the Sunday after Easter was one of the worst attended in most congregations--obviously this isn't the case here this morning! :-) Most folks show up on Easter and then say, "Well, I'm good for the next six weeks." But that wasn't good enough for my dad and I, and as we talked dad recognized the fact that every Sunday after Easter, the Gospel lesson is always "Doubting Thomas." Dad reasoned, "No wonder folks don't want to come to church the next Sunday. They go from hearing that Jesus is risen from the dead to doubting." There might be something to be said for that.
However, the more I have preached on our Gospel lesson in my years of preaching, the more I have come to appreciate this text. There are so many layers of rich material to probe and learn from. Like a many faceted, beautiful diamond, this text reveals more and more as you read and look at it. This morning, I would like to approach this text from the standpoint of evangelism and where any one of us at any given moment might fit given the circumstances.
First off, the text begins with the disciples huddled in a room for fear of the Jews. Actually, if we were a little more honest with the Greek, we would probably make the word fear a little stronger. We would probably use the word, “terrified.” The disciples were terrified; scared; dazed and confused. I think it interesting to note a couple of points. First, they had already discovered the empty tomb at this point. Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved had been there and seen it. Secondly, they had heard the report of Mary Magdalene who had seen the resurrected Jesus. But despite these two things: the empty tomb, and Mary’s report, they were not filled with rejoicing. They were not filled with hope. They were not filled with excitement and abundant joy. They were huddled in fear. Why?
Well, if Mary’s report were true, that Jesus was actually alive and resurrected, then their whole view of life would be turned upside down. It could no longer be business as usual. They couldn’t just return to their semi-normal lives that they had before encountering Jesus. They couldn’t go back to being fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, or what have you. Their entire lives would be changed. Their response to this was expected: fear.
Why do I say the response is expected? Well, think about how many of our lives function. Think about how comfortable we tend to get in our lives. Sure, we may be busy. We may be stretched thin. We may feel unfulfilled, dissatisfied, hungry for something more than we are getting now, but we are reluctant to change. We are reluctant to say no to all the things we are pursuing. Why? Why can’t or won’t we change? We are afraid. We know that the moment we begin saying no to the pursuits we have engaged in, we will face anger, we will face retribution, we will face the loss of our investments of time and energy and money. We will face the loss of the small feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment that we currently receive. And even though these small feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment only leave us wanting more, we dread the thought that even this will be taken away. And so we fear change. We fear walking away, even though we too have heard the good news. We have heard Jesus is alive. We have heard that when Jesus is the center of our hearts and the pursuit of our lives, we will be at peace; we will be filled. When Jesus is the end goal of that which we seek, all things will be added. We have heard this, but we too sit in fear and trembling. We too sit in terror, not for fear of the Jews, but for fear of having our total world turned upside down. The thought of taking that risk is simply too unbearable.
But then Jesus enters. Into the midst of that locked room; into the midst of that group of terrified people, Jesus arrives. He stands before them and says, “Peace be with you.” He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit, as the Father has sent me, so I send you. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” When the disciples were incapable of overcoming their fears, Jesus came to them. Jesus instructed them. Jesus put them at peace. Can Jesus do the same for you who are terrified? Can Jesus enter into your life at an unexpected moment and change your heart? Absolutely. Do you expect Him to? That is another question totally, but one worth asking yourself, I think.
Of course, this encounter changed the disciples. They went from terrified to peaceful, joyful, and satisfied. Their lives now had meaning and purpose. They were to spread the news of Jesus Christ, and who do you think they would first tell? Who do you think they would first run to with the news of Jesus’ appearance? Of course, you know, at least by the story–they would go to one of their closest friends; one who saw Jesus’ miracles; one who at one point was willing to die for Jesus: Thomas. For some reason or another, Thomas wasn’t with the rest of the disciples when Jesus appeared, and I am sure those who saw Jesus believed that Thomas would accept their testimony. Boy, were they wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. Thomas would not accept their witness. Thomas would not accept what they saw. He doubted.
At this point, I want to stop for just a moment and make it clear about what Thomas doubted. I mean, think about this for just a moment. Who did Thomas doubt? Did He doubt Jesus? Did Thomas doubt the existence of God? Thomas doubted the resurrection, of course, but he also doubted his friends. He doubted those whom he had lived with, walked with, talked with, ate with, and bonded with over the years. He doubted those who were witnessing to him about what happened to Jesus and what they had seen.
I think this is such an important lesson for those of us who have found ourselves transformed by Christ’s presence in our lives. I mean, when we have been captured by the grace of God; when we know that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life; when we know that God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it; when these things are held deeply in conviction by us, we share that news. We want others to know down deep what it means to have Christ as the center of our lives. We want others to know the inexpressible peace, joy, and satisfaction this brings. But we too are often met with skepticism. We too are often met with doubt. And the temptation is to keep hammering and hammering and hammering away. The temptation is to keep bugging and bugging and bugging others until they either walk away or give into our rambling just to shut us up. But this does not bring anyone to faith. It didn’t bring Thomas to faith. Once again, Jesus steps into the picture.
Jesus appears to the disciples once again, and rather than chide Thomas from the get go, Jesus goes straight to him. Jesus tells Thomas, “Hey buddy, look, put your finger here in these nail marks. Touch my side.” Jesus comes to Thomas and brings him to faith. It is only then that Jesus chides Thomas. It is only then when Jesus says, “Do not doubt. Believe.” Of course, we must ask, “Doubt what?” Is Jesus saying we shouldn’t have doubts about the resurrection? Is Jesus saying we shouldn’t have doubts about God? Is Jesus saying we must have absolute conviction in our hearts and that any fleeting thought to the contrary is sinful? I don’t believe so.
Remember what Thomas doubted. Remember who Thomas doubted. He doubted the testimony of others. He doubted that they had actually seen Jesus. He didn’t trust anyone else, and he only relied upon himself.
In my estimation, there is a two-fold lesson here. The first lesson has to do with those of us who truly want to engage others with this faith we have received. We simply cannot bring someone else to faith through argument; through coercion; or bribe. Faith comes from Christ Himself, and we can only plant the seeds and be patient. We do not need to be frustrated when our efforts at evangelism fall upon ears that seem deaf. We must do our work and then wait for Christ to do His. This is a very, very important lesson.
The second lesson I think we must learn has to do with trust. “Do not doubt, but believe.” There is an element of trusting God that is implicit in this statement, but given the circumstances of this story, I think there is also an element of trusting one another. There is also an element of Jesus saying, “Trust one another’s testimony about how God is working in your life. Trust one another when you share your stories about how I have worked in your life.” This sometimes is hard. This sometimes is extremely difficult because we oftentimes doubt one another. There is so much in the world these days which purposely seeks to divide us and cause us to distrust each other. We also know that there is an element of selfishness which drives us. How can I know that you aren’t trying to take advantage of me? How do I know you are believable and not just trying to manipulate me? These are good questions. Tough questions. Questions which I think we must wrestle with together.
And that is where I think I will begin to end this sermon–by asking you what it means to develop trust. How does a group of people come to trust one another? How does a group of people let down their guards and become vulnerable enough to listen to one another? How does a group of people find some sort of common bond so that they can share stories and testimony about how God has worked in each other’s lives? Have we come to the point in our society where such a thing is forbidden? Have we come to a point in society where we can keep people at a digital distance so that we never, ever have to truly engage another’s spirit as we communicate? Why is it now so hard to get a group of people to really sit down and talk after worship? Why don’t we strive very hard to establish deep, lasting relationships with someone outside of our comfort zone? Maybe Jesus has a lot of work to do on each and every one of us. Maybe we all are somewhat huddled in fear for fear of being hurt. How long before Jesus appears to us to give us peace?
Well, the good news is that the grave is empty. Jesus is alive, and His Spirit is present right here and right now. He does not want you to feel alone and isolated. He does not want you to sit in fear and doubt. He has shown His love for you on the cross and has shown you the hope you will experience in the resurrection. And He has given you a community to connect to. I don’t care what society says being connected means. True relationships are not built digitally. They are built upon human flesh and blood. They are built upon trust. Can you trust each other here this morning? You may find it difficult, but think of this: Jesus trusts you, doesn’t He? Jesus trusts you enough to give you His story, trusts you enough to share that story and pass it on to others, and trusts you enough to give you the Holy Spirit as your comfort and guide along the way. Do not doubt, believe. Jesus comes to you. He will come to others. Just be patient. This is the lesson of evangelism. Amen.
However, the more I have preached on our Gospel lesson in my years of preaching, the more I have come to appreciate this text. There are so many layers of rich material to probe and learn from. Like a many faceted, beautiful diamond, this text reveals more and more as you read and look at it. This morning, I would like to approach this text from the standpoint of evangelism and where any one of us at any given moment might fit given the circumstances.
First off, the text begins with the disciples huddled in a room for fear of the Jews. Actually, if we were a little more honest with the Greek, we would probably make the word fear a little stronger. We would probably use the word, “terrified.” The disciples were terrified; scared; dazed and confused. I think it interesting to note a couple of points. First, they had already discovered the empty tomb at this point. Peter and the disciple whom Jesus loved had been there and seen it. Secondly, they had heard the report of Mary Magdalene who had seen the resurrected Jesus. But despite these two things: the empty tomb, and Mary’s report, they were not filled with rejoicing. They were not filled with hope. They were not filled with excitement and abundant joy. They were huddled in fear. Why?
Well, if Mary’s report were true, that Jesus was actually alive and resurrected, then their whole view of life would be turned upside down. It could no longer be business as usual. They couldn’t just return to their semi-normal lives that they had before encountering Jesus. They couldn’t go back to being fishermen, tax collectors, zealots, or what have you. Their entire lives would be changed. Their response to this was expected: fear.
Why do I say the response is expected? Well, think about how many of our lives function. Think about how comfortable we tend to get in our lives. Sure, we may be busy. We may be stretched thin. We may feel unfulfilled, dissatisfied, hungry for something more than we are getting now, but we are reluctant to change. We are reluctant to say no to all the things we are pursuing. Why? Why can’t or won’t we change? We are afraid. We know that the moment we begin saying no to the pursuits we have engaged in, we will face anger, we will face retribution, we will face the loss of our investments of time and energy and money. We will face the loss of the small feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment that we currently receive. And even though these small feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment only leave us wanting more, we dread the thought that even this will be taken away. And so we fear change. We fear walking away, even though we too have heard the good news. We have heard Jesus is alive. We have heard that when Jesus is the center of our hearts and the pursuit of our lives, we will be at peace; we will be filled. When Jesus is the end goal of that which we seek, all things will be added. We have heard this, but we too sit in fear and trembling. We too sit in terror, not for fear of the Jews, but for fear of having our total world turned upside down. The thought of taking that risk is simply too unbearable.
But then Jesus enters. Into the midst of that locked room; into the midst of that group of terrified people, Jesus arrives. He stands before them and says, “Peace be with you.” He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit, as the Father has sent me, so I send you. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” When the disciples were incapable of overcoming their fears, Jesus came to them. Jesus instructed them. Jesus put them at peace. Can Jesus do the same for you who are terrified? Can Jesus enter into your life at an unexpected moment and change your heart? Absolutely. Do you expect Him to? That is another question totally, but one worth asking yourself, I think.
Of course, this encounter changed the disciples. They went from terrified to peaceful, joyful, and satisfied. Their lives now had meaning and purpose. They were to spread the news of Jesus Christ, and who do you think they would first tell? Who do you think they would first run to with the news of Jesus’ appearance? Of course, you know, at least by the story–they would go to one of their closest friends; one who saw Jesus’ miracles; one who at one point was willing to die for Jesus: Thomas. For some reason or another, Thomas wasn’t with the rest of the disciples when Jesus appeared, and I am sure those who saw Jesus believed that Thomas would accept their testimony. Boy, were they wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. Thomas would not accept their witness. Thomas would not accept what they saw. He doubted.
At this point, I want to stop for just a moment and make it clear about what Thomas doubted. I mean, think about this for just a moment. Who did Thomas doubt? Did He doubt Jesus? Did Thomas doubt the existence of God? Thomas doubted the resurrection, of course, but he also doubted his friends. He doubted those whom he had lived with, walked with, talked with, ate with, and bonded with over the years. He doubted those who were witnessing to him about what happened to Jesus and what they had seen.
I think this is such an important lesson for those of us who have found ourselves transformed by Christ’s presence in our lives. I mean, when we have been captured by the grace of God; when we know that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life; when we know that God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save it; when these things are held deeply in conviction by us, we share that news. We want others to know down deep what it means to have Christ as the center of our lives. We want others to know the inexpressible peace, joy, and satisfaction this brings. But we too are often met with skepticism. We too are often met with doubt. And the temptation is to keep hammering and hammering and hammering away. The temptation is to keep bugging and bugging and bugging others until they either walk away or give into our rambling just to shut us up. But this does not bring anyone to faith. It didn’t bring Thomas to faith. Once again, Jesus steps into the picture.
Jesus appears to the disciples once again, and rather than chide Thomas from the get go, Jesus goes straight to him. Jesus tells Thomas, “Hey buddy, look, put your finger here in these nail marks. Touch my side.” Jesus comes to Thomas and brings him to faith. It is only then that Jesus chides Thomas. It is only then when Jesus says, “Do not doubt. Believe.” Of course, we must ask, “Doubt what?” Is Jesus saying we shouldn’t have doubts about the resurrection? Is Jesus saying we shouldn’t have doubts about God? Is Jesus saying we must have absolute conviction in our hearts and that any fleeting thought to the contrary is sinful? I don’t believe so.
Remember what Thomas doubted. Remember who Thomas doubted. He doubted the testimony of others. He doubted that they had actually seen Jesus. He didn’t trust anyone else, and he only relied upon himself.
In my estimation, there is a two-fold lesson here. The first lesson has to do with those of us who truly want to engage others with this faith we have received. We simply cannot bring someone else to faith through argument; through coercion; or bribe. Faith comes from Christ Himself, and we can only plant the seeds and be patient. We do not need to be frustrated when our efforts at evangelism fall upon ears that seem deaf. We must do our work and then wait for Christ to do His. This is a very, very important lesson.
The second lesson I think we must learn has to do with trust. “Do not doubt, but believe.” There is an element of trusting God that is implicit in this statement, but given the circumstances of this story, I think there is also an element of trusting one another. There is also an element of Jesus saying, “Trust one another’s testimony about how God is working in your life. Trust one another when you share your stories about how I have worked in your life.” This sometimes is hard. This sometimes is extremely difficult because we oftentimes doubt one another. There is so much in the world these days which purposely seeks to divide us and cause us to distrust each other. We also know that there is an element of selfishness which drives us. How can I know that you aren’t trying to take advantage of me? How do I know you are believable and not just trying to manipulate me? These are good questions. Tough questions. Questions which I think we must wrestle with together.
And that is where I think I will begin to end this sermon–by asking you what it means to develop trust. How does a group of people come to trust one another? How does a group of people let down their guards and become vulnerable enough to listen to one another? How does a group of people find some sort of common bond so that they can share stories and testimony about how God has worked in each other’s lives? Have we come to the point in our society where such a thing is forbidden? Have we come to a point in society where we can keep people at a digital distance so that we never, ever have to truly engage another’s spirit as we communicate? Why is it now so hard to get a group of people to really sit down and talk after worship? Why don’t we strive very hard to establish deep, lasting relationships with someone outside of our comfort zone? Maybe Jesus has a lot of work to do on each and every one of us. Maybe we all are somewhat huddled in fear for fear of being hurt. How long before Jesus appears to us to give us peace?
Well, the good news is that the grave is empty. Jesus is alive, and His Spirit is present right here and right now. He does not want you to feel alone and isolated. He does not want you to sit in fear and doubt. He has shown His love for you on the cross and has shown you the hope you will experience in the resurrection. And He has given you a community to connect to. I don’t care what society says being connected means. True relationships are not built digitally. They are built upon human flesh and blood. They are built upon trust. Can you trust each other here this morning? You may find it difficult, but think of this: Jesus trusts you, doesn’t He? Jesus trusts you enough to give you His story, trusts you enough to share that story and pass it on to others, and trusts you enough to give you the Holy Spirit as your comfort and guide along the way. Do not doubt, believe. Jesus comes to you. He will come to others. Just be patient. This is the lesson of evangelism. Amen.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
I Know they are Trying to Help, but...
The subject line stood out in the church email inbox:
Winter Weather Threatening Weekly Contributions?
Now, admittedly, I live in Texas. Winter weather does not often pose a problem for weekly services. I've never had to cancel church because of an ice storm or being snowed in. I understand this is problematic for other parts of the country in which I live. Yet, I am all too aware of how weather does affect church attendance.
Late last year, we had copious amounts of rainfall one Sunday morning, and we only had 55 people show up for worship on that Sunday. Given that there were flash flood warnings in abundance, it's understandable. Yet, inclement weather isn't the only hindrance for church attendance. Beautiful weather often is as well. I mean, who wants to spend a Sunday morning cooped up indoors when the sun is shining, the breeze is slightly blowing, the temps are in the 70's, and there are numerous ponds stocked with fish beckoning--or, it is only a short drive from the coast?
The reality is: people have choices. They have choices as to whether or not the come to church. They have choices in how they choose to contribute. Never mind that; however, there is a solution to the problem:
Bad weather often means low turnouts and reduced offerings. If weekly contributions are attendance dependent, break free in 2014 with electronic giving solutions from ... Services.
For all your donation needs, there's a...solution.
I know this company is trying to help. I understand that very well. I understand their desire to make sure non-profit organizations--churches--have a steady stream of cash flow. I understand there are churches who live paycheck to paycheck--or offering to offering to provide the correct terminology.
But I am still uncomfortable with the marketing behind this.
You see, I like to think that I trust the folks who are members of my congregation.
I like to think that I trust them to take care of the financial obligations of this church.
I like to think that I trust them to give to the Lord's work because they are cheerful givers.
I like to think that I trust them to make up their giving if they miss a Sunday or two or three because of absence.
My dad had an uncanny way of teaching me about the role of church; the role of clergy; dealing with offerings and all that sort of jazz. First off, he made no bones about clergy being ordinary people. "They put their pants on the same way we do," Dad would say. But then, he'd go further, "Pastors should just preach the Gospel and then shut up."
Preach the Gospel and then shut up.
I thought I understood dad's comment then, but I think I was wrong because I hadn't begun to grasp the reality of the Gospel. I think I understand it better now.
Preach the Gospel! Preach what God has done through Jesus Christ. Choose to focus on Christ crucified! Proclaim the goodness of God and His grace! Let the Gospel fall on the ears of people. Let the Holy Spirit change their hearts and minds. Don't focus on the Law and telling people what to do. Let the love of God penetrate their hearts and bring them to the fullness of faith. You are just the messenger. God does the real work.
I think I get that. It's awful hard to put that into practice. I mean, if you see worship attendance slipping and offerings going down and people getting anxious; it's really easy to slip into platitudes. It's really easy to slip into searching for solutions. It's really easy to email companies and say, "Yes!! Help me ensure this church's revenues don't slip!" It's easy to check out the giving statements of individuals and families within the church and make a few phone calls to people who aren't giving what you think they should give. It's really easy to focus on the instructions the Bible gives to tithe; to pass the plate; to give to everyone who begs.
It's a lot more difficult to preach the Gospel, shut up, and then allow God to go to work on people. It's a lot harder to trust them to do the right thing when you are looking at fewer people in pews and less offering in the plate.
But if this faith is about our relationship with God and then our relationships with others...
Then trust is very, very important.
I know they are trying to help, but I'm going to go with trusting my congregation. I'm confident they will do the right thing.
Winter Weather Threatening Weekly Contributions?
Now, admittedly, I live in Texas. Winter weather does not often pose a problem for weekly services. I've never had to cancel church because of an ice storm or being snowed in. I understand this is problematic for other parts of the country in which I live. Yet, I am all too aware of how weather does affect church attendance.
Late last year, we had copious amounts of rainfall one Sunday morning, and we only had 55 people show up for worship on that Sunday. Given that there were flash flood warnings in abundance, it's understandable. Yet, inclement weather isn't the only hindrance for church attendance. Beautiful weather often is as well. I mean, who wants to spend a Sunday morning cooped up indoors when the sun is shining, the breeze is slightly blowing, the temps are in the 70's, and there are numerous ponds stocked with fish beckoning--or, it is only a short drive from the coast?
The reality is: people have choices. They have choices as to whether or not the come to church. They have choices in how they choose to contribute. Never mind that; however, there is a solution to the problem:
Bad weather often means low turnouts and reduced offerings. If weekly contributions are attendance dependent, break free in 2014 with electronic giving solutions from ... Services.
Consistent donations—no matter what the weather
Recurring contributions don't stay home when bad weather strikes. When your members start giving electronically, their contributions will continue exactly as scheduled.For all your donation needs, there's a...solution.
I know this company is trying to help. I understand that very well. I understand their desire to make sure non-profit organizations--churches--have a steady stream of cash flow. I understand there are churches who live paycheck to paycheck--or offering to offering to provide the correct terminology.
But I am still uncomfortable with the marketing behind this.
You see, I like to think that I trust the folks who are members of my congregation.
I like to think that I trust them to take care of the financial obligations of this church.
I like to think that I trust them to give to the Lord's work because they are cheerful givers.
I like to think that I trust them to make up their giving if they miss a Sunday or two or three because of absence.
My dad had an uncanny way of teaching me about the role of church; the role of clergy; dealing with offerings and all that sort of jazz. First off, he made no bones about clergy being ordinary people. "They put their pants on the same way we do," Dad would say. But then, he'd go further, "Pastors should just preach the Gospel and then shut up."
Preach the Gospel and then shut up.
I thought I understood dad's comment then, but I think I was wrong because I hadn't begun to grasp the reality of the Gospel. I think I understand it better now.
Preach the Gospel! Preach what God has done through Jesus Christ. Choose to focus on Christ crucified! Proclaim the goodness of God and His grace! Let the Gospel fall on the ears of people. Let the Holy Spirit change their hearts and minds. Don't focus on the Law and telling people what to do. Let the love of God penetrate their hearts and bring them to the fullness of faith. You are just the messenger. God does the real work.
I think I get that. It's awful hard to put that into practice. I mean, if you see worship attendance slipping and offerings going down and people getting anxious; it's really easy to slip into platitudes. It's really easy to slip into searching for solutions. It's really easy to email companies and say, "Yes!! Help me ensure this church's revenues don't slip!" It's easy to check out the giving statements of individuals and families within the church and make a few phone calls to people who aren't giving what you think they should give. It's really easy to focus on the instructions the Bible gives to tithe; to pass the plate; to give to everyone who begs.
It's a lot more difficult to preach the Gospel, shut up, and then allow God to go to work on people. It's a lot harder to trust them to do the right thing when you are looking at fewer people in pews and less offering in the plate.
But if this faith is about our relationship with God and then our relationships with others...
Then trust is very, very important.
I know they are trying to help, but I'm going to go with trusting my congregation. I'm confident they will do the right thing.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The Monster isn't so Bad
How many of you here this morning have ever read “The Monster at the End of this Book?” I think we have at least a couple of copies of this book at my house. It’s based upon the Sesame Street character Grover. Grover is a furry, lovable monster who is quite full of drama. I used to love him as a kid because every once in a while, he’d become Super Grover and fly through the air. But that is beside the point.
For those few of you who might not be familiar with this kids’ book, Grover starts off by saying, “What, what did that say? On the cover? Did that say there would be a monster at the end of this book? Oh no. That’s terrible. I am so afraid of monsters!” As the book goes on, Grover begs the reader not to turn the page. He nails the pages together. He builds brick walls. No matter what happens, the pages keep getting turned.
At last, we get to the page just before the end. Grover pleads and pleads and pleads. “The next page is the end of the book, and there is a monster at the end of this book. I am so afraid of monsters. Please don’t turn the page. Please. Please. Please. Please.” Grover is sorely afraid.
Most of the children I have read this book to in my life love this story. In many ways they resonate with it. What child isn’t afraid of monsters? I mean, I don’t care how hard we as parents try, eventually our kids are exposed to those things which go bump in the night. Whether or not it’s Scooby Doo or Twilight or some other such fiction, sooner or later they learn about vampires, werewolves, blobs, ghosts, and goblins. Sooner or later they have nightmares about such things, and we as parents have to comfort them and tell them, “These things are imaginary. There’s no such things as monsters.”
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, as they get older, kids grow out of such beliefs in monsters, ghouls and goblins. But the interesting thing that I have found, is that even as we grow up and put those fears aside, we do not stop being afraid. In fact, in many ways, our fears just leap from one particular thing to another. And I have come to think that as a nation, as a society, we suffer from an incredible amount of fear.
What are we afraid of? Let’s start the list:
One of the main items of fear since September 11, 2001 is terrorism. To stave off any sort of terrorist attack, we’ve battened down the hatches at airports. We’ve created the NSA. We’ve allowed spying on citizens lives in cyberspace and in reality. We’ve killed suspected terrorists and their children without trial or evidence that they have indeed committed an act of terror. And there is more that such agencies and the government would like to do to keep us safe.
There are many who are extremely afraid of crime. There is a heightened sense of fear as one reads the news stories about school shootings, inner city gang violence, and the beatings/killings of innocent people who are just going about their daily lives. Depending upon which side of the political aisle you sit on, you believe the answer either has to do with more government power or making people take personal responsibility.
We are afraid of losing our health. Talk to anyone who is having to deal with the recurring nightmare of dealing with a major injury or cancer or an extended hospitalization. They will flat out tell you how much of a headache they get from dealing with the whole medical industry. They will tell you they wonder how it is possible for anyone who is poor to pay for healthcare. They will tell you how much it costs them to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. They will tell you the frustration in dealing with medications and their side effects. So, we throw ourselves into all sorts of exercise routines and diets. We are told to eat organically and locally even though it costs quite a bit to do this.
We are afraid of losing our money and income. Whether it’s by losing our jobs or by having the government increase taxes or by the oil and gas companies increasing the cost of gasoline, we are afraid of not having enough money to live on. We are afraid of having to cut back on what kind of lifestyle we live in. We are afraid to be more generous with the money we have and make just in case we might need it in the future.
We are afraid of the weather. Whether it’s the threat of climate change or the threat of drought or the threat of hurricanes or tornados, we are flat out scared of the weather. It’s unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try to control it. We’ve got to change our behavior so that the climate changes and we won’t have more rain, less rain, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, or what have you. Think about that for a minute–the suggestion we can actually control the weather.
Oh, and I think I’m just touching the tip of the ice berg. I think there are more than a few more fears and concerns I could throw out there. I haven’t even dealt with the fears we as parents face when dealing with our children. Will they do well in school? Will they run with the right crowd? Will they end up making good decisions? Will they end up like Miley Cyrus?
Fear after fear after fear pounds us. News story after news story raises our anxiety. Television commercial after television commercial scares us and then promises a product witch will offer salvation. Documentary after documentary appears telling us that food isn’t safe to eat, water isn’t safe to drink, our cars aren’t safe to drive, and our homes are full of toxins.
Is it any wonder people in our society tend to be more and more isolated? More and more inward focused? More and more depressed? More and more unwilling to simply engage and talk to each other? It’s much safer to text or email or perhaps call someone instead of having a real, live, sit down conversation. After all, that other person might get angry with something you say or challenge a point of view you hold and realize one more fear: the fear of conflict.
And it would be fortunate if we could come to church and find some comfort. It would be nice to come to church to hear a word from God which would cut through the fear and anxiety and help us to walk through the world with confidence. But all too often, we hear the opposite–or we hear claims of falsehood. We either arrive to have the hell scared into us so that we may believe to avoid the pitfalls of the eternal fire. Or we arrive to have our awareness raised about some other problem we cannot possibly hope to solve. Or we arrive to have a preacher tell us if we just believe enough, our best days are ahead of us and God will provide us with wealth, health and prosperity.
Alas, oftentimes, we leave the confines of these four walls beaten down even further thinking we are somehow inadequate because we do not measure up to God’s standards. We are sinful. We are part of sinful structures. We don’t have enough faith to attain prosperity and the perfect life.
Is there a word of hope for us? Is there a word that actually speaks to our situation? Is there a word which acknowledges the reality of fear and anxiety; acknowledges our inability to overcome it and change ourselves and the world; and yet offers us hope? Is there such a word?
Take a listen to this word; a word given by the writer of Hebrews. See if it hits you where you live: 3Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’
What can anyone or anything do to me? We know how we are called to live. We know not everyone accepts this way of life. We know we may suffer along the way, but we know how it all ends. We know the page will turn.
When the final page of “There’s a Monster at the End of This Book” is reached, Grover looks around and says, “Well, what do you know? This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me. I, lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book. I told you and told you there was nothing to worry about.”
For those of us who are Christian, the end of the book is God and His Kingdom. The end of the book is resurrection. The end of the book is hope. Therefore, we can live God’s Word daily by saying with confidence: the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Amen.
For those few of you who might not be familiar with this kids’ book, Grover starts off by saying, “What, what did that say? On the cover? Did that say there would be a monster at the end of this book? Oh no. That’s terrible. I am so afraid of monsters!” As the book goes on, Grover begs the reader not to turn the page. He nails the pages together. He builds brick walls. No matter what happens, the pages keep getting turned.
At last, we get to the page just before the end. Grover pleads and pleads and pleads. “The next page is the end of the book, and there is a monster at the end of this book. I am so afraid of monsters. Please don’t turn the page. Please. Please. Please. Please.” Grover is sorely afraid.
Most of the children I have read this book to in my life love this story. In many ways they resonate with it. What child isn’t afraid of monsters? I mean, I don’t care how hard we as parents try, eventually our kids are exposed to those things which go bump in the night. Whether or not it’s Scooby Doo or Twilight or some other such fiction, sooner or later they learn about vampires, werewolves, blobs, ghosts, and goblins. Sooner or later they have nightmares about such things, and we as parents have to comfort them and tell them, “These things are imaginary. There’s no such things as monsters.”
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Hopefully, as they get older, kids grow out of such beliefs in monsters, ghouls and goblins. But the interesting thing that I have found, is that even as we grow up and put those fears aside, we do not stop being afraid. In fact, in many ways, our fears just leap from one particular thing to another. And I have come to think that as a nation, as a society, we suffer from an incredible amount of fear.
What are we afraid of? Let’s start the list:
One of the main items of fear since September 11, 2001 is terrorism. To stave off any sort of terrorist attack, we’ve battened down the hatches at airports. We’ve created the NSA. We’ve allowed spying on citizens lives in cyberspace and in reality. We’ve killed suspected terrorists and their children without trial or evidence that they have indeed committed an act of terror. And there is more that such agencies and the government would like to do to keep us safe.
There are many who are extremely afraid of crime. There is a heightened sense of fear as one reads the news stories about school shootings, inner city gang violence, and the beatings/killings of innocent people who are just going about their daily lives. Depending upon which side of the political aisle you sit on, you believe the answer either has to do with more government power or making people take personal responsibility.
We are afraid of losing our health. Talk to anyone who is having to deal with the recurring nightmare of dealing with a major injury or cancer or an extended hospitalization. They will flat out tell you how much of a headache they get from dealing with the whole medical industry. They will tell you they wonder how it is possible for anyone who is poor to pay for healthcare. They will tell you how much it costs them to regain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. They will tell you the frustration in dealing with medications and their side effects. So, we throw ourselves into all sorts of exercise routines and diets. We are told to eat organically and locally even though it costs quite a bit to do this.
We are afraid of losing our money and income. Whether it’s by losing our jobs or by having the government increase taxes or by the oil and gas companies increasing the cost of gasoline, we are afraid of not having enough money to live on. We are afraid of having to cut back on what kind of lifestyle we live in. We are afraid to be more generous with the money we have and make just in case we might need it in the future.
We are afraid of the weather. Whether it’s the threat of climate change or the threat of drought or the threat of hurricanes or tornados, we are flat out scared of the weather. It’s unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean we won’t try to control it. We’ve got to change our behavior so that the climate changes and we won’t have more rain, less rain, more hurricanes, more tornadoes, or what have you. Think about that for a minute–the suggestion we can actually control the weather.
Oh, and I think I’m just touching the tip of the ice berg. I think there are more than a few more fears and concerns I could throw out there. I haven’t even dealt with the fears we as parents face when dealing with our children. Will they do well in school? Will they run with the right crowd? Will they end up making good decisions? Will they end up like Miley Cyrus?
Fear after fear after fear pounds us. News story after news story raises our anxiety. Television commercial after television commercial scares us and then promises a product witch will offer salvation. Documentary after documentary appears telling us that food isn’t safe to eat, water isn’t safe to drink, our cars aren’t safe to drive, and our homes are full of toxins.
Is it any wonder people in our society tend to be more and more isolated? More and more inward focused? More and more depressed? More and more unwilling to simply engage and talk to each other? It’s much safer to text or email or perhaps call someone instead of having a real, live, sit down conversation. After all, that other person might get angry with something you say or challenge a point of view you hold and realize one more fear: the fear of conflict.
And it would be fortunate if we could come to church and find some comfort. It would be nice to come to church to hear a word from God which would cut through the fear and anxiety and help us to walk through the world with confidence. But all too often, we hear the opposite–or we hear claims of falsehood. We either arrive to have the hell scared into us so that we may believe to avoid the pitfalls of the eternal fire. Or we arrive to have our awareness raised about some other problem we cannot possibly hope to solve. Or we arrive to have a preacher tell us if we just believe enough, our best days are ahead of us and God will provide us with wealth, health and prosperity.
Alas, oftentimes, we leave the confines of these four walls beaten down even further thinking we are somehow inadequate because we do not measure up to God’s standards. We are sinful. We are part of sinful structures. We don’t have enough faith to attain prosperity and the perfect life.
Is there a word of hope for us? Is there a word that actually speaks to our situation? Is there a word which acknowledges the reality of fear and anxiety; acknowledges our inability to overcome it and change ourselves and the world; and yet offers us hope? Is there such a word?
Take a listen to this word; a word given by the writer of Hebrews. See if it hits you where you live: 3Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. 4Let marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. 5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ 6So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?’
What can anyone or anything do to me? We know how we are called to live. We know not everyone accepts this way of life. We know we may suffer along the way, but we know how it all ends. We know the page will turn.
When the final page of “There’s a Monster at the End of This Book” is reached, Grover looks around and says, “Well, what do you know? This is the end of the book, and the only one here is me. I, lovable, furry old Grover am the monster at the end of this book. I told you and told you there was nothing to worry about.”
For those of us who are Christian, the end of the book is God and His Kingdom. The end of the book is resurrection. The end of the book is hope. Therefore, we can live God’s Word daily by saying with confidence: the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Amen.
Monday, August 5, 2013
What's Your Retirement Plan?
The other day, I received my pension statement, and for the first time in a long time, I actually smiled when reading it. After the stock market drop in 2008, it was not fun receiving these pieces of paper. In fact, looking at them caused me to believe I would never have the opportunity to retire. But, since at least the stock market has rebounded-the rest of the economy is a little more questionable-so has my pension fund. But does that mean I haven’t stopped worrying about my retirement? No. Not at all.
Like millions of Americans, and probably like those of you who are still working, I am concerned about what will happen to me when I either decide or am unable to work any longer. I hope to have enough packed away so that I can enjoy the golden years without concern or worry. I hope to obtain enough wealth to be able to say to myself, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” Do you have such a retirement plan?
Perhaps you already see where this is headed. Perhaps you recognized that I quoted a portion of our Gospel lesson in my opening statements, and perhaps you recognize what our Gospel lesson ends with.
Jesus tells a parable about a man who is very much like those of us who slave and save for retirement. Of course, he obtained the lion’s share of his wealth by a stroke of fortune. He was a farmer, and those of you who have worked the land know how tedious being a farmer can be. You know the ups and downs and how oftentimes there are years where you barely break even, sometimes go in the hole, and rarely, but enough times to give you hope, you have a crop that is above and beyond fantastic. We call those crops a bumper crop. Well, the farmer in Jesus’ story has an uber-bumper crop. I mean it’s an absolutely fantastic crop–perhaps along the lines of getting four bales to an acre on dry land cotton farming or having every single cow drop two healthy calves in a single year. We are not talking breaking even on expenses. We are talking major, major profit.
And, perhaps, just perhaps, after many years of just breaking even or going in the hole and barely making it by, the farmer now has the opportunity to relax. All those years of toil and trouble have now paid off. He can indeed enjoy life: relax, eat, drink and be merry. He feels as if he has earned it. I am sure many of Jesus’ hearers would have felt a bit of kindred for the man in the story. After all, many of them were farmers and ranchers and fishermen and those who worked the land. This story would have resonated with them deeply.
Ah, but then, Jesus throws the curve. He continues, “20But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’”
I am sure this would have left folks scratching their heads and pondering things for a few moments. And I hope it makes us ponder such things as well. And now, I am going to share some of my pondering as someone who is a lot like that farmer.
You see, I am pretty conservative when it comes to my finances. I pinch my pennies pretty tightly. My family and I do not go on regular, extensive, expensive vacations. We usually spend that time visiting with family and friends. We do not own the newest vehicles or latest electronic gadgets. We shop for the grocery store brand items all the time. Most of the time, I reason to myself, “I’ve got to save for my children’s education and for my retirement.” Splurging is difficult.
But then I think to myself, “What am I teaching my children about faith? What am I teaching them about life? And what happens if something should happen to me?”
For you see, Jesus hits me like a ton of bricks this morning. He raises the reality of life. We never know when our time is up. We could be slaving away and working and setting aside all we can, and then suddenly a brain aneurysm makes us drop dead. We could work our tails off, spending 70 hours a week at work only to be suddenly diagnosed with cancer. All too often, I have witnessed people who save and claw for retirement suddenly hit with illness and troubles once they quit working, and they all share the same thing with me at that point. “Pastor,” they say, “the golden years ain’t so golden.”
So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.
So I find myself pondering what it means to be rich toward God. Does that mean I should stop saving for retirement? Does that mean I should throw caution to the wind and just enjoy life right now with no thought of the future? Does that mean I should focus on making myself happy and my family happy?
That’s the trouble sometimes with only reading a portion of the Bible at church on Sunday mornings. Sometimes we cover only the ground the people of the Revised Common Lectionary want us to cover. But, we are not limited to what we have printed in the bulletin. God’s Word is right before us in the pews, and to end this sermon, I would like to ask you to pull out those Bibles. Please turn in them to Luke chapter 12 because I think it is important to read what Jesus says immediately following this story about the rich fool. It’s on page _________.
Let’s begin reading at verse 22:
22 He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What does it mean to be rich in God? The answer is plain as day, “Strive first for His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” Learn it. Live it. Seek it. Have no fear. Amen.
Like millions of Americans, and probably like those of you who are still working, I am concerned about what will happen to me when I either decide or am unable to work any longer. I hope to have enough packed away so that I can enjoy the golden years without concern or worry. I hope to obtain enough wealth to be able to say to myself, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, and be merry.” Do you have such a retirement plan?
Perhaps you already see where this is headed. Perhaps you recognized that I quoted a portion of our Gospel lesson in my opening statements, and perhaps you recognize what our Gospel lesson ends with.
Jesus tells a parable about a man who is very much like those of us who slave and save for retirement. Of course, he obtained the lion’s share of his wealth by a stroke of fortune. He was a farmer, and those of you who have worked the land know how tedious being a farmer can be. You know the ups and downs and how oftentimes there are years where you barely break even, sometimes go in the hole, and rarely, but enough times to give you hope, you have a crop that is above and beyond fantastic. We call those crops a bumper crop. Well, the farmer in Jesus’ story has an uber-bumper crop. I mean it’s an absolutely fantastic crop–perhaps along the lines of getting four bales to an acre on dry land cotton farming or having every single cow drop two healthy calves in a single year. We are not talking breaking even on expenses. We are talking major, major profit.
And, perhaps, just perhaps, after many years of just breaking even or going in the hole and barely making it by, the farmer now has the opportunity to relax. All those years of toil and trouble have now paid off. He can indeed enjoy life: relax, eat, drink and be merry. He feels as if he has earned it. I am sure many of Jesus’ hearers would have felt a bit of kindred for the man in the story. After all, many of them were farmers and ranchers and fishermen and those who worked the land. This story would have resonated with them deeply.
Ah, but then, Jesus throws the curve. He continues, “20But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’”
I am sure this would have left folks scratching their heads and pondering things for a few moments. And I hope it makes us ponder such things as well. And now, I am going to share some of my pondering as someone who is a lot like that farmer.
You see, I am pretty conservative when it comes to my finances. I pinch my pennies pretty tightly. My family and I do not go on regular, extensive, expensive vacations. We usually spend that time visiting with family and friends. We do not own the newest vehicles or latest electronic gadgets. We shop for the grocery store brand items all the time. Most of the time, I reason to myself, “I’ve got to save for my children’s education and for my retirement.” Splurging is difficult.
But then I think to myself, “What am I teaching my children about faith? What am I teaching them about life? And what happens if something should happen to me?”
For you see, Jesus hits me like a ton of bricks this morning. He raises the reality of life. We never know when our time is up. We could be slaving away and working and setting aside all we can, and then suddenly a brain aneurysm makes us drop dead. We could work our tails off, spending 70 hours a week at work only to be suddenly diagnosed with cancer. All too often, I have witnessed people who save and claw for retirement suddenly hit with illness and troubles once they quit working, and they all share the same thing with me at that point. “Pastor,” they say, “the golden years ain’t so golden.”
So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.
So I find myself pondering what it means to be rich toward God. Does that mean I should stop saving for retirement? Does that mean I should throw caution to the wind and just enjoy life right now with no thought of the future? Does that mean I should focus on making myself happy and my family happy?
That’s the trouble sometimes with only reading a portion of the Bible at church on Sunday mornings. Sometimes we cover only the ground the people of the Revised Common Lectionary want us to cover. But, we are not limited to what we have printed in the bulletin. God’s Word is right before us in the pews, and to end this sermon, I would like to ask you to pull out those Bibles. Please turn in them to Luke chapter 12 because I think it is important to read what Jesus says immediately following this story about the rich fool. It’s on page _________.
Let’s begin reading at verse 22:
22 He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! 25And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? 26If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? 27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 28But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! 29And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. 30For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32 ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
What does it mean to be rich in God? The answer is plain as day, “Strive first for His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.” Learn it. Live it. Seek it. Have no fear. Amen.
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