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.
Showing posts with label blind faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blind faith. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2015
Monday, January 5, 2015
Ah, to Have Seen...
How do you know your family’s history? I am not talking about your recent history–the history you have been a part of. I am talking about the history which predates you. I am talking about your great-grand parents; your great aunts and uncles; your ancestors who lived a hundred years or more ago. How do you know what they did? How do you know their stories? How do you know their personalities and the things that were important to them?
You were told. Plain and simple, someone shared those stories with you at some point and time in your life. This record was given to you either orally or in written form so that you now bear some of that history in the recesses of your mind, in your heart, or stored away on your bookshelf. These witnesses have given you something very, very valuable. But here is an interesting question for you to answer: could you prove the accuracy of the history that was given to you? Could you, prove to a complete stranger that your great, great, great grandfather crossed the Atlantic Ocean as a stowaway to escape the Crimea War? That he landed in Galveston and then migrated through Texas to settle near Seguin? What evidence could you provide to prove this story to be true? By the way, this is the story of one of my great, great, great grandfather’s. I use it as an example because it would be difficult if not impossible to prove it–at least by rigorous, historical standards.
In fact, much of what goes on in the world, we are unable to prove by rigorous historical standards. Much of what goes on in the world is not covered by newspapers or historians or scholars. Much of what goes on in the world escapes notice and is passed over in light of those events deemed much more important and newsworthy. In light of this, we are forced to answer the question: why do we believe things that we are unable to see? Why do we believe things happened even though we were not present for those things?
In a word: we trust those who shared those stories with us. We trust our sources. At some level, everyone must trust the truth of something that has not been seen: whether it is science, or history, or just chatting about the day with one’s spouse or significant other. We trust, dare I say, we have faith in the one who tells us of such events.
Such trust is an important topic for Christians to address, for we often get accused of believing without seeing. We often get accused of having blind faith–a dogged belief that has absolutely no evidence to back it up. I could not disagree more. Our faith indeed has a foundation–just like Simeon’s faith had a foundation.
Our Gospel lesson this morning has several different foci. We could focus our attention on Mary and Joseph’s intention to follow God’s laws and commands. We could focus our attention on Anna the prophetess and her faithfulness, and we could focus on Simeon and his faithful witness. This would be too long of a sermon, however, so I will focus on one of these things: Simeon.
We only know a little bit about Simeon. Some assume that he is an old man, but we don’t get that from the biblical record. We don’t know if he is a priest, a peasant, a craftsman, a farmer, a merchant, or any other occupation. We don’t know what social circles he mingles in or whether or not he has any status at all. All we know is that he is righteous and devout; he is seeking the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit has told him he would see the Messiah. This is all the text reveals to us. It’s not much, but it is important.
For Simeon is righteous and devout. This means he works diligently to be in right relationships with others and with God. Righteousness in the Greek can also be translated as justice which suggests he seeks to follow the command of loving one’s neighbor as one’s self. Devout means he seeks to maintain his relationship with God and follow God’s commands of worship and sacrifice and holiness. While maintaining these important things, Simeon also seeks the consolation of Israel–this means he is holding out hope for God’s promised restoration of the Kingdom. Simeon trusts, believes, has faith in the witness of the prophets who spoke long, long ago. Simeon does these things not because he has a blind faith. He is not doing all of these things because he is just being obedient expecting a reward at the end of all things. He is not a dog sitting up to get a treat for doing what was expected. No. There is no hint of reward–instead, there is hint that this is simply who Simeon is as a person. He trusts the witness of the prophets. He trusts the Torah which points to the things God intends. He believes these things are true and just. Therefore, he puts them into practice. And somewhere along the line–in his devotion, the Spirit spoke to him giving him a word of promise, “You will see the Messiah before you die.” Simeon knew the Spirit had spoken through the prophets of old. Would this promise come true? Would it be for him as it had been for the prophets?
On this particular day, the Spirit spoke to Simeon once again. Heeding it’s call, Simeon headed to the Temple. Was the journey blindly taken? I doubt it. He knew the promises included in the Law in the Prophets. He knew the Spirit had spoken before. He had a history. He had evidence. He had witnesses who had gone before, and all of them lined up. All of them pointed in this direction. He went to the temple and beheld Mary, Joseph, and their child Jesus. “This is the one!” Simeon must have said to himself. “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; 30 for my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”
Ah, what it would have been like to see such a thing. Wouldn’t it have been great to hold Jesus in our hands and look upon His face? Wouldn’t it have been great to be there to hear Him preach and teach? Wouldn’t it have been great to have had Him appear to us after His death and resurrection and tell us “Now, go and make disciples of all nations.”? Of course it would have. It would have been great to see such a thing. It would also be great if Jesus could do such a thing now. It would be great if He could come stand among us this morning and offer a word to each of us. It would be great for Him to suddenly appear and remind us why we worship; why we celebrate Christmas; why we seek to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Seeing would be believing, wouldn’t it? Seeing would convince your heart and your mind? Ah, but here is the crux of the issue: if Jesus did such a thing, and you went to tell others, would they believe you? Would they trust you? Would you be credible? And how would you react if people did not believe you when you told them what you had seen? Would their reaction cause doubts to arise within you, or would you proclaim all the more?
The earliest witnesses to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection faced tons of opposition. They faced tons of rejection. They had more than a few people scoff at their witness, but they didn’t stop. They didn’t quiet down. Something radical had happened in their lives. Something had changed them to their very core. They had encountered the risen Jesus, and their hearts and minds were at peace. They knew what God had done through Jesus, and they trusted in Jesus’ promise with their whole being. They had faith in Him, and so despite the opposition; despite what others did to them, they kept telling about what God had done. They persevered in living out this new faith. They worked to be trustworthy and honest and upright. They made no bones about their shortcomings and their brokenness. They were not afraid to share their frailties and failings. For Jesus did not accept them and love them because they were perfect. Jesus did not die for them because they were holy or just or righteous. Jesus did not call them because they were the religious elite; the smartest intellectuals; or the highest on the social totem pole. No. It was exactly the opposite. It was a radical departure from everything the world had taught and has taught since then. The first apostles knew the good news.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.
And Jesus accomplished this by dying when we were unlovable and then rising to new life to show us that our unlovable nature will be transformed. The disciples saw it. And they passed it on. To you and to me. They passed this history to us and have asked us to trust their witness. They want us to trust in Jesus like they trusted in Jesus so that our lives may be transformed.
I stand before you today as one whose life has been transformed by faith in Jesus. I stand before you today as one who has had his life turned upside down in a very good way because of understanding just what it means to have God enter into our world and die for us when we were unlovable. I stand before you today as one who still is not perfect; who has failed to be a perfect example of morality and justice; who still says the wrong things and does the wrong things; who has upset people even when I did not intend to; who at times is overcome with self-interest and selfish desire; and yet, despite all of this know that God is working in my life to transform me–to transform the way I view the world; to transform the way I love you and others. As the great hymn writer John Newton–who wrote Amazing Grace-- once said, “I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”
And I am what I am because God so loved the world that Jesus died for me while I was broken and there were those who were willing to pass this history down. There were those who trusted this promise who helped me trust this promise, and now I invite you to trust it as well. It will have the same effect on you. Amen.
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.
Monday, December 2, 2013
A Psychological Pillar
While traveling in Arkansas for the Thanksgiving holiday, I took my family to visit Bluff Dweller's Cavern in Noel, Missouri. I highly recommend the cavern for a family tour. It's not what I would call a spectacular cavern, but it is beautiful and very friendly on the legs and feet--a plus if you have younger children.
Among the things I found fascinating was the very last cavern room. Our guide pointed to a giant pillar which had been constructed in the middle of that room.
"That is a psychological pillar," she explained. "During the 1950's, when this cavern was designated a nuclear fallout shelter, the government wanted us to build that pillar in the middle of this room. It is not necessary. It doesn't hold anything up or bear any weight. The government folks believed people would be freaked out at the size of this room if there wasn't something in the middle seeming to hold up the ceiling."
In some ways, it is rather head shaking since the roof of that particular room had been holding up just fine for tens of thousands of years. However, there is no doubt that there are indeed people who need such psychological "pillars" in their lives--think Linus from the Peanuts comic strip.
Ideally, we mature and are able to one day come to the realization that those psychological pillars are unnecessary. We come to realize they are simply an unneeded crutch which has given us a sense of safety and security even though it doesn't hold up anything.
Some people have called religious faith such a psychological pillar.
I have come to appreciate the criticism, and if religion is a human construct, then, indeed, it is a psychological pillar.
But that is a big, if...a monumental assumption.
For those of us of a religious bent do not assume that religion is a human construct. We assume that God has brought us to believe in Him. Some neurosurgeons have even come to the conclusion that the brain is hardwired for belief in God. If the brain is indeed hardwired, then why? It would seem "evolution"--in my opinion guided evolution--has brought humankind to a place where we naturally and instinctively believe there is something beyond our physical universe. Would "evolution" produce such an unnecessary "crutch"? After all, if you study religion and how it has been practiced throughout the ages, you would see that it consumes precious time and resources which should be used for survival and reproduction--the main pillars of evolutionary theory. Surely, evolution would have naturally deselected this genetic wiring if it was unnecessary--at least in theory.
But it hasn't. It's still there. It certainly does not seem to be a human construct.
Perhaps indeed we are religiously wired to believe in God because there is a God. Perhaps religious wiring is God's way of helping us to see and understand there is a natural law of justice and right behavior so that we may better know how to deal with one another and the world around us. Perhaps our brains are wired in the manner for belief because this belief gives us a mechanism to overcome the selfish nature which resides in each and every human being. Perhaps religious belief is not a crutch but the very foundation of how we must live and move and have our being.
There are those who disagree. "A psychological pillar." "A crutch." This is religious faith for them.
However, please allow me to submit a philosophical truth or two. Philosophy is a human construct. So is science. Both of these arenas tend to see religion as a "psychological pillar" or "crutch" or "human construct." Why they don't seem to apply this truth to themselves is somewhat beyond me. So, what is good for the goose is indeed good for the gander. If these two items are human constructs, then are they psychological pillars? Are they crutches which are leaned upon to help folks cope with the reality of the world?
Of course they are. In fact, when one takes philosophy to its extreme (Nietzsche), there are no rules. There are no absolutes. There is complete relativism, and we are basically allowed to do whatever we want for there are no morals. Science leads us to the same place. Richard Dawkins even says so by concluding that at the very foundation of our species--there is no right, there is no wrong. We are simply dancing to the tune of our DNA.
These human constructs basically eradicate any foundation for morality, justice, or right behavior. They leave us absolute freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want, especially if we can avoid anyone with more power or authority than ourselves.
In a very real way, they remove any sort of remorse or guilt for any particular behavior committed. They remove any sort of real responsibility a person may have.
So, let's put this in perspective:
Among the things I found fascinating was the very last cavern room. Our guide pointed to a giant pillar which had been constructed in the middle of that room.
"That is a psychological pillar," she explained. "During the 1950's, when this cavern was designated a nuclear fallout shelter, the government wanted us to build that pillar in the middle of this room. It is not necessary. It doesn't hold anything up or bear any weight. The government folks believed people would be freaked out at the size of this room if there wasn't something in the middle seeming to hold up the ceiling."
In some ways, it is rather head shaking since the roof of that particular room had been holding up just fine for tens of thousands of years. However, there is no doubt that there are indeed people who need such psychological "pillars" in their lives--think Linus from the Peanuts comic strip.
Ideally, we mature and are able to one day come to the realization that those psychological pillars are unnecessary. We come to realize they are simply an unneeded crutch which has given us a sense of safety and security even though it doesn't hold up anything.
Some people have called religious faith such a psychological pillar.
I have come to appreciate the criticism, and if religion is a human construct, then, indeed, it is a psychological pillar.
But that is a big, if...a monumental assumption.
For those of us of a religious bent do not assume that religion is a human construct. We assume that God has brought us to believe in Him. Some neurosurgeons have even come to the conclusion that the brain is hardwired for belief in God. If the brain is indeed hardwired, then why? It would seem "evolution"--in my opinion guided evolution--has brought humankind to a place where we naturally and instinctively believe there is something beyond our physical universe. Would "evolution" produce such an unnecessary "crutch"? After all, if you study religion and how it has been practiced throughout the ages, you would see that it consumes precious time and resources which should be used for survival and reproduction--the main pillars of evolutionary theory. Surely, evolution would have naturally deselected this genetic wiring if it was unnecessary--at least in theory.
But it hasn't. It's still there. It certainly does not seem to be a human construct.
Perhaps indeed we are religiously wired to believe in God because there is a God. Perhaps religious wiring is God's way of helping us to see and understand there is a natural law of justice and right behavior so that we may better know how to deal with one another and the world around us. Perhaps our brains are wired in the manner for belief because this belief gives us a mechanism to overcome the selfish nature which resides in each and every human being. Perhaps religious belief is not a crutch but the very foundation of how we must live and move and have our being.
There are those who disagree. "A psychological pillar." "A crutch." This is religious faith for them.
However, please allow me to submit a philosophical truth or two. Philosophy is a human construct. So is science. Both of these arenas tend to see religion as a "psychological pillar" or "crutch" or "human construct." Why they don't seem to apply this truth to themselves is somewhat beyond me. So, what is good for the goose is indeed good for the gander. If these two items are human constructs, then are they psychological pillars? Are they crutches which are leaned upon to help folks cope with the reality of the world?
Of course they are. In fact, when one takes philosophy to its extreme (Nietzsche), there are no rules. There are no absolutes. There is complete relativism, and we are basically allowed to do whatever we want for there are no morals. Science leads us to the same place. Richard Dawkins even says so by concluding that at the very foundation of our species--there is no right, there is no wrong. We are simply dancing to the tune of our DNA.
These human constructs basically eradicate any foundation for morality, justice, or right behavior. They leave us absolute freedom to do whatever we want, whenever we want, especially if we can avoid anyone with more power or authority than ourselves.
In a very real way, they remove any sort of remorse or guilt for any particular behavior committed. They remove any sort of real responsibility a person may have.
So, let's put this in perspective:
- A human construct
- Which removes any universal values
- Which allows almost complete freedom
- Which removes any sort of guilt
- Which removes any sort of foundation for responsibility
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Becoming Child-like
The more I have contemplated Jesus' teaching on becoming like a child, the more I am convinced of the Church's need to embrace it more fully.
I know some may disagree.
"Are you saying we need to be immature?"
"Are you saying we should accept things without question?"
"Are you saying we should just have a blind faith?"
Do you really know children?
Perhaps this is a bit strange for my readers to hear, but I do not just parent my children, I study them. Yes, I study them. I watch what they do; how they interact with the world; how they act with one another. Here are some things I think I have learned.
Immaturity: I am not suggesting that we adults should be immature. Lord knows, there is enough immaturity in society today. Just a cursory read of the news shows this unequivocally. There is a time to grow up and take responsibility. But taking responsibility does not mean leaving behind some very important things that I believe adults need: a sense of humor, a sense of playfulness, a bit of a mischievous streak, a willingness to laugh even at the simplest things.
Children are playful. They turn all sorts of things into games. They use their imaginations--at least they do if you are willing to force them to turn off their games and televisions. They can instantly go from doing schoolwork to playing in a matter of seconds.
Why is it that we as adults oftentimes have to plan our fun? Why is it that we have to schedule our down times? When is the last time you played at work? When is the last time you enjoyed a belly laugh for no reason? I don't think such things are immature.
Accepting without question: I haven't met a child like this. Nearly every kid I've come across rebels. Nearly every kid I come across and have given a command has either told me, "No." or "I don't want to." or has said, "O.K." but then gone and done the opposite. Children don't accept things without question. Even at an early state they begin forming their own minds and opinions about things. This is not a bad thing, but it must be tempered with a respect for authority and obedience to the authority's wishes--especially when the authority is acting in a just manner.
In our day and age, all sorts of authorities try to tell us what we should and should not believe. I am one such authority. I do try to tell people what to and not to believe. However, I am willing to argue and offer reasons for my belief, and I am also willing to give you space to accept or reject what I have to say. You can tell me, "No." Yet, if you decide to become a Lutheran Christian and member of my congregation, when it comes to matters of theological doctrine, you are also submitting to obedience. So, if I were to confront you in a particular sin in accordance with Matthew 18, you would have to be obedient and repent. Yet, you also have the ability to check and make sure I am on the right track. If I am wrong in my assessment, you can and should question me. Perhaps I am being unjust.
Kids question authority. We should too. Yet, kids must be obedient. We must too.
Blind faith: Nearly every kid I know has insatiable curiosity. They ask questions. All the time. And they don't necessarily accept every answer you tell them. Oftentimes an answer begets another question.
Is this the sign of blind faith? Hardly.
How many of us as adults are insatiable in our curiosity? How many of us continue to ask life's hard questions even after college or grad school? I'd submit that many of us are quite content to bask in what we have learned and engage in activities that do not stretch our minds. Kids don't have this problem. They want to learn. They engage in learning. Not always book learning, mind you, but the world is an open book to them, and they want to know about it. I think as adults we need to do likewise.
I am sure there will be more thoughts on this as time passes, but enough for now.
I know some may disagree.
"Are you saying we need to be immature?"
"Are you saying we should accept things without question?"
"Are you saying we should just have a blind faith?"
Do you really know children?
Perhaps this is a bit strange for my readers to hear, but I do not just parent my children, I study them. Yes, I study them. I watch what they do; how they interact with the world; how they act with one another. Here are some things I think I have learned.
Immaturity: I am not suggesting that we adults should be immature. Lord knows, there is enough immaturity in society today. Just a cursory read of the news shows this unequivocally. There is a time to grow up and take responsibility. But taking responsibility does not mean leaving behind some very important things that I believe adults need: a sense of humor, a sense of playfulness, a bit of a mischievous streak, a willingness to laugh even at the simplest things.
Children are playful. They turn all sorts of things into games. They use their imaginations--at least they do if you are willing to force them to turn off their games and televisions. They can instantly go from doing schoolwork to playing in a matter of seconds.
Why is it that we as adults oftentimes have to plan our fun? Why is it that we have to schedule our down times? When is the last time you played at work? When is the last time you enjoyed a belly laugh for no reason? I don't think such things are immature.
Accepting without question: I haven't met a child like this. Nearly every kid I've come across rebels. Nearly every kid I come across and have given a command has either told me, "No." or "I don't want to." or has said, "O.K." but then gone and done the opposite. Children don't accept things without question. Even at an early state they begin forming their own minds and opinions about things. This is not a bad thing, but it must be tempered with a respect for authority and obedience to the authority's wishes--especially when the authority is acting in a just manner.
In our day and age, all sorts of authorities try to tell us what we should and should not believe. I am one such authority. I do try to tell people what to and not to believe. However, I am willing to argue and offer reasons for my belief, and I am also willing to give you space to accept or reject what I have to say. You can tell me, "No." Yet, if you decide to become a Lutheran Christian and member of my congregation, when it comes to matters of theological doctrine, you are also submitting to obedience. So, if I were to confront you in a particular sin in accordance with Matthew 18, you would have to be obedient and repent. Yet, you also have the ability to check and make sure I am on the right track. If I am wrong in my assessment, you can and should question me. Perhaps I am being unjust.
Kids question authority. We should too. Yet, kids must be obedient. We must too.
Blind faith: Nearly every kid I know has insatiable curiosity. They ask questions. All the time. And they don't necessarily accept every answer you tell them. Oftentimes an answer begets another question.
Is this the sign of blind faith? Hardly.
How many of us as adults are insatiable in our curiosity? How many of us continue to ask life's hard questions even after college or grad school? I'd submit that many of us are quite content to bask in what we have learned and engage in activities that do not stretch our minds. Kids don't have this problem. They want to learn. They engage in learning. Not always book learning, mind you, but the world is an open book to them, and they want to know about it. I think as adults we need to do likewise.
I am sure there will be more thoughts on this as time passes, but enough for now.
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