God has a plan for your life. It is a good plan, but, I am sorry to say, God’s plan will probably disrupt your plan that you have for your own life. Let me put it more bluntly, if you seek to follow God, He will disrupt your life and lead you to places you never thought you would want to go. He will take you down pathways that you didn’t expect.
It’s actually an old, old story that runs throughout scripture. Noah never expected to build an ark. Abraham never expected to be called away from his homeland to travel to a land far, far away. Moses never expected to be called by God from a burning bush. Gideon never expected to be called from his farm to lead Israel’s army. Samuel never expected to be called by God as a boy to become a prophet. This thread runs all throughout the Old and New Testaments, and it runs square through our text from the book of Romans today.
Paul is working towards the closing of his letter to the church in Rome, and as he does so, he lays out what he would have liked to have done and what he now hopes to do. He says that he has been delayed in coming to visit the church in Rome because he had been spreading the Gospel throughout Asia Minor–establishing churches, converting the Gentiles, and making Christ known. He has wanted to come to Rome desperately, but he hadn’t made it yet. This is what he would like to have done. Now, he shares his hopes: verse 23 and 24, “23But now, with no further place for me in these regions, I desire, as I have for many years, to come to you 24when I go to Spain. For I do hope to see you on my journey and to be sent on by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a little while.” This is Paul’s plan. This is what Paul wants. He wants to go to Spain, and on his way to Spain, he wants to stop in Rome to enjoy their company for a while.
BUT...
But Paul’s plan is disrupted by God’s plan. Before Paul can make his plan happen, God has called him to another task. “25At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints; 26for Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. 27They were pleased to do this, and indeed they owe it to them; for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material things.”
Paul is taking an offering from the Gentile churches in Asia to the saints in Jerusalem who are in poverty. This is not exactly a risk-free endeavor. Remember, in those days, there was no such things as wire transfers. There were no such things as checks. Paul would have been carrying gold or silver coins along the way. He would have had to worry about bandits and brigands. He would have had to keep careful guard to make sure this money was not stolen. He was taking a risk to deliver these funds to Jerusalem.
But he knew that this was part of his calling as an apostle. He knew that he was called to facilitate generosity. He knew he was called to help these congregations stay in touch with each other and work together. He knew that he was called to build relationships between both Jew and Gentile. Bringing this offering would help do exactly that, and at this particular point and time, building those relationships was more important than traveling to Rome and then to Spain.
Remember, in the ancient world, Jews and Gentiles oftentimes did not get along. Before the start of Christianity, Jews and Gentiles kept separate. They did not associate with each other. Oftentimes, there was animosity between these two groups. Yet, Paul knows that through the Gospel, these two groups have now been brought together in Jesus Christ. In fact, the Gentiles now owe their salvation to the fact that the Messiah came through the Jewish people. Paul says that in this regard, the Gentiles owe the Jews a debt. The Gentiles are actually repaying part of this debt through this generosity.
Perhaps it is good to take a moment to think about this in light of the fact that today we celebrate the Women’s Thankoffering. This tradition “goes back to the 1800s or even earlier. Then, when it seemed that there was not enough money to carry out the work of the church, the women would take action. Gathering in groups called “cent” or
“mite” societies, each woman would set aside offerings at home throughout the year, in thanksgiving for blessings received. And on occasion, the women would come together as we do today, joining their offerings together to support ministry of many kinds.” (ELCA Thankoffering service)
This tradition is rooted and grounded in remembering what God has first done for us. It is rooted and grounded in the fact that Jesus canceled our debt of sin and offered his life in payment for our sins. Christian generosity flows from a heart that is deeply moved by Christ’s sacrifice. For a Christian, our financial plans are disrupted by God’s generosity toward us. When we understand the Gospel, we cannot help but respond in generous giving toward the church and toward the world. We cannot help but want to share with others our treasures. Jesus’ love poured out on the cross leads us to pour out our love upon others. Our offerings, the Women’s Thankoffering, the giving of the Gentiles toward the poor saints in Jerusalem are all examples of our love for God. We don’t give because we are required or compelled. We give because of a deep seated gratitude for what God has done for us.
Paul reminds the church in Rome of this as an explanation of why this ministry is so important and why he will be delayed even further from visiting them. And then Paul asks for prayer. And I want you to notice something very peculiar about what Paul asks for. Paul asks for three things: 1) that he may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea. 2) That the offerings he is bringing from the Gentile churches might be acceptable to the Jewish saints in Jerusalem. And 3) That he might finally be able to make it to Rome and be refreshed by their company. Now, the reason I asked you to look at those prayer requests carefully is this: does it sound like there is a bit of uncertainty in Paul when he asks these things? I mean, why would you pray that you might be rescued from unbelievers? You pray this because there is a good possibility that you will be harmed by unbelievers! God’s plan is leading Paul into dangerous territory!!
Why would you pray that the offering that you are bringing be found acceptable by those who are receiving it? Well, because there is a chance that the offering might be rejected! This might sound far-fetched to us today, but in that time, it was not. Jews were not always open to accepting offerings that came from Gentiles. They might have been gotten by impure means. The coins might have been used at one time for temple sacrifices. The coins might be bearing the image and likeness of Caesar. These were all things that were unacceptable to Jews, and even though some Jews had converted to Christianity, these things were still roadblocks to many. There was a possibility that the Jews would reject the offering!!! God’s plan has some uncertainty in it!!
Finally, why would Paul pray that he might finally get to Rome and visit? Well, there was a possibility that it wouldn’t happen after all, that’s why!! As God’s plan continued to unfold for Paul; as the Spirit led Paul in his work, it could very well lead him away from Rome again! There was still much uncertainty in the air!!
What does this all mean for you and for me?
I think that oftentimes we believe that a life of faith brings absolute security and safety. I think that oftentimes we are led to believe that if I just pray enough; if I just believe enough; if I just give enough; then everything will work out according to the way I see it. Life will run smoothly. There will be no hiccups. There will be no detours. Everything will be good.
This is not what we see happening in the least in Scripture. This is not what we see happening in the least when we see what Paul reveals to us about his life in this text. In fact, we see quite a bit of uncertainty. We see quite a bit of wonder about what the future holds. We see potential pit falls. We see potential danger. We see that living out God’s plan–living with the Spirit leading us–takes us to places we might not want to go. It causes us to do things that we wouldn’t normally want to do. It causes us to take risks we normally wouldn’t want to take. Who would want to face persecution by unbelievers? Who would want to potentially have their ministry rejected? Who would want to think that they wouldn’t be able to travel to a place they wanted to go? We like to have certainty.
But in living a life of faith, there is no certainty in the journey. There is only certainty in the destination. Let me say that again. When living a life of faith, there is no certainty in the journey. There is only certainty in the destination. God has a plan. We don’t know what that plan is, but in the end it will be good. In fact, it will be more fantastic than we could ever imagine. And to hold firm to this, we need to hold firm to our trust in Jesus.
For in Jesus, we see that a life of faith does not always lead us to the best of times. In fact, in Jesus, we see a life that leads us to the cross. We see a life that leads to self-sacrifice. We see a life that leads to pain and even death. If we as Christians are molded into the image and likeness of Jesus, we can expect nothing less in our lives as well. We can expect nothing less than pain and sorrow and death in our lives as well.
But fortunately, the story does not end with death. The story ends with resurrection. The story ends with all evil being reversed. The story ends in triumph. The glory comes after the cross. The joy comes after the sorrow. The light shines after the darkness. The ending is good.
Paul trusted in that ending. For his final prayer lifts this up. “33The God of peace be with all of you. Amen.” The God of peace. Not peace in a calm, tranquil life. But peace in God. Peace in one’s heart. Peace in knowing that no matter what happens and befalls you; no matter that you are knocked away from your wishes and desires and outcomes; no matter that you face pain and sorrow and grief; that God is at work in our lives. God is at work to bring us to the fullness of faith. God is at work to bring transformation and joy. God is at work to bring His plan to fruition–a plan that wildly exceeds our greatest dreams–a plan to make us into His image and likeness. No matter what troubles befall you, rest your hope in Jesus. He has a plan for your life, and it is good. Amen.
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 21, 2017
Monday, February 17, 2014
Singing in Harmony with God
I do not know if it is my age or if it is something else, but my tastes in music have changed. For the longest time, I thoroughly enjoyed it when a soloist would take the stage and belt out a particular piece of music. I thought this was the best singing had to offer. Perhaps it is singing in our gospel group that has changed my taste, but I now have a much, much higher appreciation for harmony. For some reason, music becomes more meaningful, more touching when several voices sing together and fill out the chord. Recently, I was introduced to Pentatonix an a capella group. They did a cover of Lourde’s “Royals”, and in my estimation, if you listened to Pentatonix, you’d wonder why their’s isn’t more popular. I think it’s 100 times better because of the harmony. So, what does all of this have to do with our lessons for this Sunday, especially that Gospel lesson from the 5th Chapter of the book of Matthew?
The core Gospel proclamation of Christianity is obvious. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” Further, this core proclamation occurred by pure grace. It happened without any action on our own part. Christ died for us while we were still sinners and completely unrepentant. For those of us who know this message at our deepest core, we also have come to know that no matter how hard we try–no matter what kind of new leaf we try to turn over, we cannot stop sinning. We know we still fall short of the glory of God. We are not perfect. Sometimes, it’s painfully obvious.
With this in mind, we hear Jesus tell us this morning, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Whoa! Wait a minute. What happened to grace? What happened to God’s unconditional love and mercy? What happened to Christ dying for us while we are still sinners?
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What’s going on here?
Let’s look at this within the context of ancient Israel. First, let’s recognize who the Scribes and Pharisees were. These were two Jewish groups who thrived during Second Temple Judaism. The Scribes were, of course, those who wrote on and interpreted the Law. They were held in very high esteem as those who were blessed by God as they wrestled with interpreting and living the Torah. The Pharisees are often Jesus’ main nemesis throughout the Gospel stories. The Pharisees longed and yearned for the coming Kingdom of God, and they had a very particular understanding of how that Kingdom would arrive. They believed that the Jewish people needed to be holy and pure so that the Kingdom would come. They believed that the Jewish people needed to be obedient to the purity code with all its various intricacies in order for God to take notice. Basically, the Pharisees believed if a person ate the right food, associated with the right people, washed hands in the right way and right times, tithed to the temple appropriately, offered the right sacrifices, and so on and so forth, then they would be seen by God as holy and righteous. Once they were seen by God to be holy and righteous, God would finally forgive Israel for its sins, drive off Israel’s enemies, and establish Israel as the world power and beacon of light and hope God promised Abraham it would be. When it came to keeping this code, the Pharisees were the supreme example of righteous living–at least as far as most of the populace was concerned.
So I am sure Jesus caused a few heads to be scratched when He said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” Is it possible to be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees?
Apparently so, because Jesus then begins laying out what it means to be truly righteous. #1. “You have heard it was said, ‘You shall not murder.’ but I say if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment.” Stop and think about that one for a minute. Anger must disappear. This is true righteousness.
#2. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ but I say if you even look at a woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery.” Stop and think about that one for a minute as well. Lust toward a person of the opposite sex must disappear. That is true righteousness.
#3. “It was also said, ‘You can give a woman a certificate of divorce.’ but I say if you divorce a woman except on the grounds of unchastity, you cause her to commit adultery. And if you marry a divorced woman, you commit adultery.” Pause once more to consider Jesus’ words. Life-long commitment is the only option. That is true righteousness.
#4. And last, at least for this little snippet of the Sermon of the Mount. “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ but I say, don’t swear at all. Let your word be yes, yes or no, no.” Reflect on that for just a second. How many of us accomplish that one? True righteousness makes no excuses, doesn’t try to be tactful, doesn’t try to explain one’s position or be nuanced about it. True righteousness says yes or no. No wiggle room. Period.
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. How is that possible? Jesus gives it to His disciples on the hill that day and to us without hesitation.
You see, the Scribes and Pharisees had all the externals going on. They were doing all the commands of Torah to keep themselves holy and pure. They were following the law, and from the outside, they looked squeaky clean. They looked like they were pure. They looked like they were holy. But in reality, they were a brand new Corvette Stingray with a flawless exterior with a rusty modified Fort Pinto engine underneath. The inside didn’t match the outside.
This was problematic, and for this reason Jesus made that intriguing comment in the middle of this teaching, “29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.”
Now, when you first hear this, you might think Jesus was being literal. Go cut your hand off if it causes you to sin. Go pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin. But everyone would have recognized what Jesus was really getting at. A HAND DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO SIN. AN EYE DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO SIN. Where does sin come from? Where does anger come from? Where does lust come from? Where does a lack of commitment come from? Where does the fear of being straightforward and honest come from?
It comes from the heart. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God. How is this possible? Well, the Scribes and the Pharisees weren’t righteous. They had the externals, but their internals weren’t so good. Their hearts weren’t oriented toward God. Their hearts were oriented toward themselves. For, by God, you know that everything revolves around me. If I do the right things; if I say the right things; if I follow the commandments the right way; if I believe the right things and tell everyone I love Jesus; if I come to church every Sunday of the month; if I put the right amount of money in the offering plate; if I do all these things and more, then I have a claim on God. He has to listen to me! He has to give me what I ask for! He has to unleash the Kingdom of God. He has to grant me health, wealth, and security. I hope you catch the sarcasm here.
So often, we think the externals save us. We think the externals bring about the kingdom of God. We think the things we do make us holy and righteousness. But we can and do a lot of good things for the wrong reasons. And Jesus calls us on it.
If your heart isn’t in line with God, then you will never enter the kingdom of God. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.
So, get your hearts in place! Make your hearts right! Turn them toward God!
If it were only so easy!
Me telling you to do that this morning is equivalent to me telling you, “You have a blockage in your heart, give yourself a bypass.” Do you think you are capable of doing such a thing?
St. Paul writes in the seventh chapter of Romans, “I know the good that I am supposed to do, but I cannot do it...Wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of sin?”
Paul knew he suffered from a heart condition. We suffer from that same condition? Who will save us from this body of sin? Who will save us?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.”
You see, by Jesus’ death and resurrection and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit into the world, God works to turn our hearts toward Him. Through the Word become flesh, God acts in you and me to pound our hearts into submission and orient them toward Him and His love. God enters into our very being to stomp out anger and lust and lack of commitment and selfishness and fear. God lives within us as our hearts are convicted by the power of the Gospel. And when our hearts are convicted by the Gospel, they beat in line with God’s heart. They begin to sing–not a solo by any means, but they sing in harmony with God. They join the chorus of God’s own song for the world which says, “I love you. I died for you. You are my child!”
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Because of Jesus, your righteousness does exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, not because it is your own but because it is based on Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus died for you that your heart may be turned toward Him. And when your heart is singing with Gods, then you are truly Living God’s Word Daily. Amen.
The core Gospel proclamation of Christianity is obvious. John 3:16-17 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him may not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” Further, this core proclamation occurred by pure grace. It happened without any action on our own part. Christ died for us while we were still sinners and completely unrepentant. For those of us who know this message at our deepest core, we also have come to know that no matter how hard we try–no matter what kind of new leaf we try to turn over, we cannot stop sinning. We know we still fall short of the glory of God. We are not perfect. Sometimes, it’s painfully obvious.
With this in mind, we hear Jesus tell us this morning, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Whoa! Wait a minute. What happened to grace? What happened to God’s unconditional love and mercy? What happened to Christ dying for us while we are still sinners?
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. What’s going on here?
Let’s look at this within the context of ancient Israel. First, let’s recognize who the Scribes and Pharisees were. These were two Jewish groups who thrived during Second Temple Judaism. The Scribes were, of course, those who wrote on and interpreted the Law. They were held in very high esteem as those who were blessed by God as they wrestled with interpreting and living the Torah. The Pharisees are often Jesus’ main nemesis throughout the Gospel stories. The Pharisees longed and yearned for the coming Kingdom of God, and they had a very particular understanding of how that Kingdom would arrive. They believed that the Jewish people needed to be holy and pure so that the Kingdom would come. They believed that the Jewish people needed to be obedient to the purity code with all its various intricacies in order for God to take notice. Basically, the Pharisees believed if a person ate the right food, associated with the right people, washed hands in the right way and right times, tithed to the temple appropriately, offered the right sacrifices, and so on and so forth, then they would be seen by God as holy and righteous. Once they were seen by God to be holy and righteous, God would finally forgive Israel for its sins, drive off Israel’s enemies, and establish Israel as the world power and beacon of light and hope God promised Abraham it would be. When it came to keeping this code, the Pharisees were the supreme example of righteous living–at least as far as most of the populace was concerned.
So I am sure Jesus caused a few heads to be scratched when He said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.” Is it possible to be more righteous than the scribes and the Pharisees?
Apparently so, because Jesus then begins laying out what it means to be truly righteous. #1. “You have heard it was said, ‘You shall not murder.’ but I say if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment.” Stop and think about that one for a minute. Anger must disappear. This is true righteousness.
#2. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ but I say if you even look at a woman with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery.” Stop and think about that one for a minute as well. Lust toward a person of the opposite sex must disappear. That is true righteousness.
#3. “It was also said, ‘You can give a woman a certificate of divorce.’ but I say if you divorce a woman except on the grounds of unchastity, you cause her to commit adultery. And if you marry a divorced woman, you commit adultery.” Pause once more to consider Jesus’ words. Life-long commitment is the only option. That is true righteousness.
#4. And last, at least for this little snippet of the Sermon of the Mount. “You have heard it said, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ but I say, don’t swear at all. Let your word be yes, yes or no, no.” Reflect on that for just a second. How many of us accomplish that one? True righteousness makes no excuses, doesn’t try to be tactful, doesn’t try to explain one’s position or be nuanced about it. True righteousness says yes or no. No wiggle room. Period.
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. How is that possible? Jesus gives it to His disciples on the hill that day and to us without hesitation.
You see, the Scribes and Pharisees had all the externals going on. They were doing all the commands of Torah to keep themselves holy and pure. They were following the law, and from the outside, they looked squeaky clean. They looked like they were pure. They looked like they were holy. But in reality, they were a brand new Corvette Stingray with a flawless exterior with a rusty modified Fort Pinto engine underneath. The inside didn’t match the outside.
This was problematic, and for this reason Jesus made that intriguing comment in the middle of this teaching, “29If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.”
Now, when you first hear this, you might think Jesus was being literal. Go cut your hand off if it causes you to sin. Go pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin. But everyone would have recognized what Jesus was really getting at. A HAND DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO SIN. AN EYE DOES NOT CAUSE YOU TO SIN. Where does sin come from? Where does anger come from? Where does lust come from? Where does a lack of commitment come from? Where does the fear of being straightforward and honest come from?
It comes from the heart. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God. How is this possible? Well, the Scribes and the Pharisees weren’t righteous. They had the externals, but their internals weren’t so good. Their hearts weren’t oriented toward God. Their hearts were oriented toward themselves. For, by God, you know that everything revolves around me. If I do the right things; if I say the right things; if I follow the commandments the right way; if I believe the right things and tell everyone I love Jesus; if I come to church every Sunday of the month; if I put the right amount of money in the offering plate; if I do all these things and more, then I have a claim on God. He has to listen to me! He has to give me what I ask for! He has to unleash the Kingdom of God. He has to grant me health, wealth, and security. I hope you catch the sarcasm here.
So often, we think the externals save us. We think the externals bring about the kingdom of God. We think the things we do make us holy and righteousness. But we can and do a lot of good things for the wrong reasons. And Jesus calls us on it.
If your heart isn’t in line with God, then you will never enter the kingdom of God. Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of God.
So, get your hearts in place! Make your hearts right! Turn them toward God!
If it were only so easy!
Me telling you to do that this morning is equivalent to me telling you, “You have a blockage in your heart, give yourself a bypass.” Do you think you are capable of doing such a thing?
St. Paul writes in the seventh chapter of Romans, “I know the good that I am supposed to do, but I cannot do it...Wretched man that I am! Who will save me from this body of sin?”
Paul knew he suffered from a heart condition. We suffer from that same condition? Who will save us from this body of sin? Who will save us?
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but so that the world may be saved through Him.”
You see, by Jesus’ death and resurrection and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit into the world, God works to turn our hearts toward Him. Through the Word become flesh, God acts in you and me to pound our hearts into submission and orient them toward Him and His love. God enters into our very being to stomp out anger and lust and lack of commitment and selfishness and fear. God lives within us as our hearts are convicted by the power of the Gospel. And when our hearts are convicted by the Gospel, they beat in line with God’s heart. They begin to sing–not a solo by any means, but they sing in harmony with God. They join the chorus of God’s own song for the world which says, “I love you. I died for you. You are my child!”
Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Because of Jesus, your righteousness does exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, not because it is your own but because it is based on Jesus’ righteousness. Jesus died for you that your heart may be turned toward Him. And when your heart is singing with Gods, then you are truly Living God’s Word Daily. Amen.
Monday, September 30, 2013
True Rejoicing
Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, "My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50."
The second boy says, "That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100."
The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"
I like this joke for a couple of reasons. First, it’s clean. Enough said about that. Second, it’s about a boy unashamedly proud of his father’s profession–a father who just happened to be a pastor, like me. Third, it’s a classic example of the games of one-upmanship we all like to play at some point and time in our lives.
I mean, I don’t know what it is about our species, but when it comes to telling stories about the things that we have experienced, someone always seems to have a story that one-ups everyone else. Maybe you’ve run into such a person before. They’ve always got to have the last word or the tallest tale.
I remember sitting down and talking to a couple of our members over a game of cards. They were talking about a guy who had at least one such tall tale. Apparently, there had been some scattered showers around Cat Spring, and folks were commenting about how it seemed like the rain just seemed to hit a certain spot and then just shut off. This one particular gentleman–I wish I could remember the name, said something to the effect of, “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. The other day, I was riding in my cart holding my shot gun when such a rain shower hit. After the storm was done, one barrel was completely dry, and the other barrel was full of water.” I’m not sure anyone could top that one.
Neither do I think anyone could top Jesus as He one-ups the disciples in our Gospel lesson this morning. And, He teaches them an important lesson to boot. Let’s set the scene.
As Jesus’ ministry was taking off, He wanted to get the word out about God’s Kingdom. He brought together 70 of His followers, and He sent them out to proclaim the message of God. Here were Jesus’ exact instructions in fact, “‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11“Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” 12I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”
That’s the background. The 70 went out and did what Jesus instructed them to do, and in today’s Gospel reading, we get the results. It’s like sitting down at a corporate meeting and asking them, “So how did the venture go?”
The disciples respond with absolute enthusiasm! ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’
Now, this is no small feat for those disciples, particularly in Jesus’ day. For, you see, most folks had a particular worldview. They believed the events on earth were directly related to events in heaven. Up in heaven, there was a tremendous battle being waged between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Events on earth oftentimes mirrored the events in heaven. When evil was winning a hand or two, evil things happened to people on earth. When good was winning in heaven, good things happened on earth.
When the disciples were giving their reports, they were convinced there were some very good things happening up in heaven. They were convinced the cosmic battle was going well, and that they were on the winning side. If the forces of darkness were being defeated down here on earth, surely the cosmic battle was being won and handily.
Jesus says a quite interesting thing at this point. Scholars have wrestled with this saying for quite some time. “I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.” Oftentimes, one will ask, “Did Jesus really see such a thing?”
My answer is no. I don’t think so. In fact, I think Jesus is being quite sarcastic. I mean, if you take a look at our second lesson for today, John, the writer of Revelation, talks about the culmination of the final battle. During that final battle, the Enemy, the Serpent, the Great Deceiver is finally thrown out of heaven and down to earth. Mind you, John is writing many years after Jesus’ walked the earth. So, in effect, Jesus didn’t see Satan fall from heaven. The battle was still ongoing. Jesus knew this which is the first reason I think Jesus is being sarcastic. The second reason is that I believe He was using such rhetoric to set His disciples straight.
“See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.” This is what the disciples are all excited about, and what does Jesus think of it? See how He starts the next statement? “Nevertheless.” That’s the word Jesus uses. Nevertheless. Jesus is drawing a stark contrast between what the disciples are excited about and what Jesus thinks is more important. Hence, sarcasm to begin with. Finishing out what Jesus says, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus one-ups them with that which is truly important. Sure, it’s nice to win a battle in the cosmic war between good and evil. Sure, it’s nice to have the spirits submit to you in the name of Jesus. Sure, it’s nice to accomplish something nice for a change, but these things, while important, pale in comparison to knowing your name is written in heaven. These things pale in comparison to knowing that you are a child of God. These things pale in comparison compared to knowing that you have a place reserved for you in eternity with all the saints who have gone before.
Why would Jesus emphasize such a thing? Why would Jesus steal the disciples’ thunder? Why wouldn’t He allow them to just revel in the moment and celebrate their accomplishments?
I think the reason is clear. These skirmishes are just that: skirmishes. These battles might have been won, but in the future, the battles might not go so well. In the future, there will be times of loss. There will be times when the forces of evil will seem overwhelming and all powerful. There will be times when for the sake of the Gospel these same disciples will face torture, persecution, hatred, loneliness, and even death. And what will they say at those times? Where will their belief and faith rest? Will they still be rejoicing, or will they cower in fear?
For those who know that their names are written in the book of life, there is no fear. For those who know that their names are written in the book of heaven, there is no anxiety. For those who know that their names are known by God, there is the realization that even though the worst may happen, God will ultimately bring about a positive outcome. Even though we die, we will live. That is the promise.
As modern disciples of Jesus, most of us know both the thrill of accomplishment and the agony of defeat. Most of us know happiness and sadness. Most of us have felt total elation at some point as well as overwhelming grief. We know the ups and downs of life. We know there are wins and losses. There is no shame celebrating those wins. It’s nice to have them, but they are not the sum and substance of our lives. They are not what gives us inspiration. They are not the reasons we hold onto our faith and call ourselves Christian.
Some preachers believe these things indeed are a result of becoming a Christian. They proclaim that when we become followers of Jesus and just have enough faith, then everything will be great in our lives--we will have health, wealth, and happiness. Most of you here this morning know this isn't always the case. Most of you here this morning know the reality of life. Most of you know the pain of loss, the agony of having cancer or having a loved one who has cancer, the sorrow in having a family torn apart by divorce, and all other manners of hurt. Some of you have been mocked and teased and made to feel down and low. If your faith rested on all the good things in life, what would have happened to it when you ran into all of these things? Where do you think your faith in God would have ended up?
This is why Jesus one ups us today as well. He does not wish for us to have our faith rest on the idea that good things happen to us because we believe in Him and have been given the power of the Holy Spirit. For to live God’s Word daily means we know these things pale in comparison to the fact that God loves us, God calls us, God works on us to transform us into His likeness, and God has our names written in heaven. Knowing this gives us tremendous strength to face both the good and the bad in this world. Amen.
The second boy says, "That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100."
The third boy says, "I got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!"
I like this joke for a couple of reasons. First, it’s clean. Enough said about that. Second, it’s about a boy unashamedly proud of his father’s profession–a father who just happened to be a pastor, like me. Third, it’s a classic example of the games of one-upmanship we all like to play at some point and time in our lives.
I mean, I don’t know what it is about our species, but when it comes to telling stories about the things that we have experienced, someone always seems to have a story that one-ups everyone else. Maybe you’ve run into such a person before. They’ve always got to have the last word or the tallest tale.
I remember sitting down and talking to a couple of our members over a game of cards. They were talking about a guy who had at least one such tall tale. Apparently, there had been some scattered showers around Cat Spring, and folks were commenting about how it seemed like the rain just seemed to hit a certain spot and then just shut off. This one particular gentleman–I wish I could remember the name, said something to the effect of, “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. The other day, I was riding in my cart holding my shot gun when such a rain shower hit. After the storm was done, one barrel was completely dry, and the other barrel was full of water.” I’m not sure anyone could top that one.
Neither do I think anyone could top Jesus as He one-ups the disciples in our Gospel lesson this morning. And, He teaches them an important lesson to boot. Let’s set the scene.
As Jesus’ ministry was taking off, He wanted to get the word out about God’s Kingdom. He brought together 70 of His followers, and He sent them out to proclaim the message of God. Here were Jesus’ exact instructions in fact, “‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11“Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” 12I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.”
That’s the background. The 70 went out and did what Jesus instructed them to do, and in today’s Gospel reading, we get the results. It’s like sitting down at a corporate meeting and asking them, “So how did the venture go?”
The disciples respond with absolute enthusiasm! ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’
Now, this is no small feat for those disciples, particularly in Jesus’ day. For, you see, most folks had a particular worldview. They believed the events on earth were directly related to events in heaven. Up in heaven, there was a tremendous battle being waged between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Events on earth oftentimes mirrored the events in heaven. When evil was winning a hand or two, evil things happened to people on earth. When good was winning in heaven, good things happened on earth.
When the disciples were giving their reports, they were convinced there were some very good things happening up in heaven. They were convinced the cosmic battle was going well, and that they were on the winning side. If the forces of darkness were being defeated down here on earth, surely the cosmic battle was being won and handily.
Jesus says a quite interesting thing at this point. Scholars have wrestled with this saying for quite some time. “I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.” Oftentimes, one will ask, “Did Jesus really see such a thing?”
My answer is no. I don’t think so. In fact, I think Jesus is being quite sarcastic. I mean, if you take a look at our second lesson for today, John, the writer of Revelation, talks about the culmination of the final battle. During that final battle, the Enemy, the Serpent, the Great Deceiver is finally thrown out of heaven and down to earth. Mind you, John is writing many years after Jesus’ walked the earth. So, in effect, Jesus didn’t see Satan fall from heaven. The battle was still ongoing. Jesus knew this which is the first reason I think Jesus is being sarcastic. The second reason is that I believe He was using such rhetoric to set His disciples straight.
“See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you.” This is what the disciples are all excited about, and what does Jesus think of it? See how He starts the next statement? “Nevertheless.” That’s the word Jesus uses. Nevertheless. Jesus is drawing a stark contrast between what the disciples are excited about and what Jesus thinks is more important. Hence, sarcasm to begin with. Finishing out what Jesus says, “Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Jesus one-ups them with that which is truly important. Sure, it’s nice to win a battle in the cosmic war between good and evil. Sure, it’s nice to have the spirits submit to you in the name of Jesus. Sure, it’s nice to accomplish something nice for a change, but these things, while important, pale in comparison to knowing your name is written in heaven. These things pale in comparison to knowing that you are a child of God. These things pale in comparison compared to knowing that you have a place reserved for you in eternity with all the saints who have gone before.
Why would Jesus emphasize such a thing? Why would Jesus steal the disciples’ thunder? Why wouldn’t He allow them to just revel in the moment and celebrate their accomplishments?
I think the reason is clear. These skirmishes are just that: skirmishes. These battles might have been won, but in the future, the battles might not go so well. In the future, there will be times of loss. There will be times when the forces of evil will seem overwhelming and all powerful. There will be times when for the sake of the Gospel these same disciples will face torture, persecution, hatred, loneliness, and even death. And what will they say at those times? Where will their belief and faith rest? Will they still be rejoicing, or will they cower in fear?
For those who know that their names are written in the book of life, there is no fear. For those who know that their names are written in the book of heaven, there is no anxiety. For those who know that their names are known by God, there is the realization that even though the worst may happen, God will ultimately bring about a positive outcome. Even though we die, we will live. That is the promise.
As modern disciples of Jesus, most of us know both the thrill of accomplishment and the agony of defeat. Most of us know happiness and sadness. Most of us have felt total elation at some point as well as overwhelming grief. We know the ups and downs of life. We know there are wins and losses. There is no shame celebrating those wins. It’s nice to have them, but they are not the sum and substance of our lives. They are not what gives us inspiration. They are not the reasons we hold onto our faith and call ourselves Christian.
Some preachers believe these things indeed are a result of becoming a Christian. They proclaim that when we become followers of Jesus and just have enough faith, then everything will be great in our lives--we will have health, wealth, and happiness. Most of you here this morning know this isn't always the case. Most of you here this morning know the reality of life. Most of you know the pain of loss, the agony of having cancer or having a loved one who has cancer, the sorrow in having a family torn apart by divorce, and all other manners of hurt. Some of you have been mocked and teased and made to feel down and low. If your faith rested on all the good things in life, what would have happened to it when you ran into all of these things? Where do you think your faith in God would have ended up?
This is why Jesus one ups us today as well. He does not wish for us to have our faith rest on the idea that good things happen to us because we believe in Him and have been given the power of the Holy Spirit. For to live God’s Word daily means we know these things pale in comparison to the fact that God loves us, God calls us, God works on us to transform us into His likeness, and God has our names written in heaven. Knowing this gives us tremendous strength to face both the good and the bad in this world. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)