Why Would You Want to Move a Mountain?

Last Sunday, I preached on the first part of this passage from the book of Mark, and I emphasized how Jesus looked deep into the core of the fig tree and deep into the heart of the Temple system and found them to be rotten.  The fig tree should have been producing paggim, the Hebrew term for small figs that sprout even before the leaves.  It wasn’t.  Therefore, it was a bad tree.  Jesus cursed it because it was taking up valuable soil in the arid Middle-East.

Likewise, when Jesus entered into the Temple, He overturned tables and prevented the buying and selling because the chief priests and the scribes had allowed their greed and desire for the safety, security, and freedom that money could by override the purpose of the temple.  The chief priests and the scribes had turned the Courtyard of the Gentiles into a marketplace preventing the vast majority of the world’s people from being able to worship and pay their respects to the God of Israel.  As I quoted N.T. Wright last week, so I do again, “The Temple had been intended to symbolize God’s dwelling with Israel for the sake of the world; the way Jesus’ contemporaries had organized things, it had come to symbolize not God’s welcome to the nations but God’s exclusion of them.”

The next day, Jesus and His disciples pass by the fig tree that Jesus cursed the day before.  Peter takes note because the fig tree is withered from the root up.  Peter points this out to Jesus, and the symbolism is clear: when you are rotten at the core, you will wither and die.

And, of course, no one really likes to think that they are rotten at the core. We’d all like to believe we are good and gracious in our hearts.  But that is generally not the case.  Sure, we may be kind to others.  We may do a lot of good.  We may try to be moral and upright and worship regularly and give to charity, and the like. We may look very good on the outside, but what really counts is our heart’s motivation for doing the things we are doing.  It is our hearts that God is really interested.  It is our hearts that Jesus wishes to turn into temples of the Living God.  The fig tree looked good on the outside, but it wasn’t good after all.  The temple looked good on the outside, but it wasn’t good at all.  For the most part, we could say the same thing about our hearts.

Last week, I talked about the Powerball and how millions of people spent billions of dollars in search of the safety and security and freedom that money supposedly would buy, but money is just one of the things that we believe will give us such things.  In the exact same vein, I would like to now turn to politics.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to be pushing any candidate or ideology, but I want to show how politics and Powerball are related.  If you listen to the debates and the candidates’ speeches, there is a common thread that runs through them all: this is how I promise to keep you safe; this is how I promise to keep money in your pocket and get you jobs; this is how I promise to make this country a better place for you to live so that you don’t have to worry about the future.  Each candidate has a plan which basically seeks to secure these things in exchange for your vote, and while trying to appeal to your self-interest in this manner, each candidate also appeals to fear in trying to show how the other candidate will not keep you as safe, as secure, as wealthy, etc., etc.  Politicians appeal to the exact same things the Powerball appeals to.

And there are other things.  Whether it is the appeal of sexuality, the empowerment of possessions, the acquisition of knowledge, or what have you, the objects of desire are safety, security, and freedom.  We all crave these things at a very deep level.  And we put our trust in myriads of things thinking they will give us all these things.  Money demands our trust.  Politicians demand our trust.  Education demands our trust.  Science demands our trust. The economy demands our trust. Sex demands our trust.  Each promises fulfillment.  Each woos us continuously.  And if we pursue them as our deepest heart’s desire, we will end up dead.

Let’s turn to these final verses to see how this works.  For after Peter points out the withered fig tree to Jesus, a very interesting set of teachings come forth from Jesus’ mouth.  Jesus doesn’t make any straightforward appeal to the disciples to change their ways.  He doesn’t tell them, “You’d better not be like the fig tree or the people in the temple.”  Such commentary would make the disciples tremble in fear.  Instead, Jesus begins talking about prayer.  It seems out of place, but it is not.  Here’s why:

Jesus first says, “‘Have faith in God.  Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”

Now, let me first be clear about what it means when Jesus says, “Have faith in God.”  Jesus is not saying simply, “Believe in God.”  Faith indeed has a component of belief–thinking with your head that God exists, but faith is much, much deeper than that.  Faith is trusting in God with your entire being.  Here’s the difference I am trying to illustrate.  Let’s go back to politics for just a moment.  Think about the candidate you are NOT voting for.  Got that candidate in your head?  First question: do you believe that candidate exists?  Second question: do you trust him or her?  Do you see the difference?  Faith in God is not simply assenting that God exists.  Faith in God means you cast your vote in with God.  You trust that He will provide exactly as He says He will provide and do as He says He will do.  It has a tremendous impact on your entire life.

This is why Jesus follows up with the statement, “Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you.”  Think about this for just a moment.  If you trust in yourself to cast a mountain into the sea, what will happen?  First, off that mountain isn’t going very far, is it?  But, let’s get even more technical, because is it possible for you to begin shoveling one pile of dirt at a time and taking it to the sea?  Is it possible for you to remove one rock at a time and put it into the sea?  Of course it is.  How long would it take you?  Of course, it would depend upon the size of the mountain, but in all reality, you would probably die before you finished.  So, why not pay someone to move the mountain?  Imagine doing that.  Again, how much would it cost you?  How many years would you have to be enslaved to the dollar to have that mountain moved for you?  You would probably die before you could save or earn enough.  If you are trusting in yourself to have that mountain moved, you will not get it very far.  But if you trust in God, things are different.

But there is a catch here.  Jesus is very clear: if you do not doubt in your heart.  In other words, if you trust God with your entire heart, this can and will be done for you.  Let me ask you this question, do you trust God with your whole heart?  Be honest and truthful.  You know, I had several college professors and seminary professors who railed against pastors who told people that they needed to trust God and have total belief in God and they would be healed.  They said that when people were not healed, their trust in God would be damaged; therefore, we should never preach and tell people they needed to believe without doubt.  Well, I’m going to disagree with my professors.  I’m going to tell you that if you truly believed–again, in the sense of trusting–in God with your whole heart, whatever you asked would be given to you.  But before you go out and ask God to move a mountain or let you win the next Powerball, I’m going to confront you and ask you this–what reasons do you have for wanting to move that mountain or win that Powerball?  What are the motivations of your heart?  Are those motivations in line with trusting God?

Let me push this a little deeper with Jesus’ next comment because it is intimately related.  However, I’m going to offer up a little different translation that what you have from the New Revised Standard Version.  The original Greek would probably be better translated this way, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  Again, I want you to think about this from the aspect of trusting God rather than trusting in money or politicians or what have you.  For instance, if you believed that you already won the Powerball, would you go out and buy a ticket?  I’m waiting for the answer on that one. :-) If you believed that your political candidate already won, would you go around smearing the other one?  Of course, both of those questions are a bit superficial, so let’s dig down to the root causes that I outlined earlier: if you already believed that you had obtained safety, security, and freedom, how would that change your prayer?  How would that change your life?  If the Jewish authorities were trusting in God for their safety, security, and freedom to worship, would they have ever opened a marketplace in the courtyard of the Gentiles?  You know the answer.  If you were trusting in God for your livelihood, would you need to tell a mountain to move?  Would you need to buy a Powerball ticket?  Would you worry about which politician won the election?  Of course, you wouldn’t.  You would trust fully and completely in God, and you would know that He provides you with safety.  He provides you with security.  He provides you with freedom.  You have already received riches beyond your wildest dreams!

Ah, but you and I sure don’t act that way, do we?  You and I sure don’t live that kind of life, do we?  We still worry and fret.  We still try to obtain money and worldly goods.  We buy guns to ensure our safety.  We get worked up about elections.  We complain about who gets richer and who gets poorer.  We are never satisfied.

Jesus concludes with a statement that seems even more unrelated than the previous two: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have something against someone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you.”  Why, all of a sudden, do we go from praying and believing we already have received to the thought of forgiveness?  Why does Jesus even insert this here?  What is this all about?

Now, we actually come to the crux of this teaching. We come to the crux of the lesson of the fig tree.  We come to the crux of Jesus’ actions in the temple.  Forgiveness is at the heart of why Jesus came to earth.

We are never satisfied because we do not trust God with our whole heart.  We become greedy because we do not trust God with our whole heart.  We become anxious about the future because we do not trust God with our whole heart.  And nothing we do will make us trust God more.  Let me say that again: nothing we do will make us trust God more.

Let me illustrate this with a story about my kids.  For the longest time, my kid would not jump into a swimming pool on their own.  They had to jump to me.  Each kid was the same.  They were afraid to go under the water.  They were afraid they wouldn’t pop up.  I would stand in the water and tell them, “Jump.”  And they wouldn’t jump.  They would look at the distance between the edge of the pool and me.  They would calculate whether or not they thought it was safe.  And if they figured it wasn’t, there was no amount of cajoling I could do.  There was no amount of reassurance I could give.  There was no amount of exhortation I could offer.  The kids wouldn’t jump until I moved toward them.  Until I broke down the distance between the two of us, the kid was going to stand at the edge of the pool wanting to come in, but too scared to actually commit.  I had to close the gap.  I had to show them I would catch them.  I had to help them know I would not drop them and they were safe leaping into my arms.  It actually cost me very little other than a bit of energy to do this, but imagine the gap between God and man.  Imagine the distance between the creator of the universe and His creation.  Imagine then that as we who are created look around the world and see the violence and hatred and animosity we have toward one another.  Imagine how we see an uncertain future.  Imagine how we see the fragility of life.  Imagine we see how quickly what we have can be taken.  And imagine God saying, “Just trust me.”  Do you know how difficult that really and truly is?  Do you know how it simply goes against nearly everything our hearts and minds actually tell us?  We would rather buy Powerball tickets.  We would rather put our trust in politicians. We would rather work to buy our happiness and joy.  It seems less fearful.  It’s easier to trust in ourselves and the things that we can see.

And so, our heavenly Father must look at us and say, “Why don’t they trust me?  Why don’t they see what I have given them?  Why do they not believe I will care for them?  Why are their hearts so far away?”  Our actions break our Father’s heart, so rather than compel us and punish us for not putting our trust in Him, He forgives us and then moves toward us.  He bridges the gap to earn our trust, to capture our hearts, not with a crown but with a cross.

For it is on that cross that true forgiveness is given.  It is on that cross where true trust is earned.  For Jesus, the God made flesh, laid down His life for you and me when we did not trust Him.  Jesus offered Himself as the true sacrificial lamb to take away our self-centeredness; our desire to trust in ourselves rather than in God.  He stretched out His arms and said, “Look at the lengths I will go for you to love you, to catch you, to bring you unto myself.  I will die for you, and those aren’t just words.  I really am dying for you.”

If someone goes to those kinds of lengths for you, what does that do to your heart?  If someone lays down His life for you with no questions asked, would you trust them?  Would you believe they will offer what they say they will offer?  Would your heart be captured by that kind of love?

When it is, your heart is indeed changed.  You still know that you are in this world.  You still know this world needs a lot of work.  You still know that you need money to live; that you need safety and security; that you want freedom, but you know also where it is truly found.  It’s found in Jesus.  Amen.

Off With His Head!!!

    Today, we get really real.

    Before we delve into our Gospel text from the book of Mark this morning, we need to see what immediately precedes it.  There is the rejection of Jesus and His teaching in His hometown of Nazareth–which I preached on last week.  Then the writer Mark records the following:

    7He [Jesus] called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

    This snippet sets the scene for our Gospel lesson for today–the beheading of John the Baptist.  It’s not pretty.  Not pretty at all.  For it is into this world that the disciples go out to preach.  It is this world that the disciples go forth to bring healing and cast out demons.  For certain, it was a world that was created good–it was created perfectly, but it is now a world that is fallen.  It is now a world that is depraved.  It is a world full of sin.

    There are many in today’s world that do not like to hear talk of sin and depravity. There are many who believe that people are inherently good and that if we just taught people the right things; if we just steered them into the right places; if we just built up their egos enough; if we just passed the right laws and statutes; then we wouldn’t have any sort of violence, hatred, bullying, or the like.  And then events like Charleston, South Carolina happen where a kid enters into a place of sanctuary and kills nine people gathered to worship and study.  We ask, “Is there no safe place?”  “How come racism isn’t extinguished even though we’ve had 50 years of non-discrimination laws?”  We clamor for more hate crime laws; more gun laws; more openness to those who are different from ourselves.  And we think such things will make a difference.  We think such legislation and cries will change the world.  We think they will end sin and depravity, but we are chasing fool’s gold.  Why would I paint such a bleak picture?

    Let’s enter into the text for today.  The picture there is very, very dark.  There is no good news to be had.  Word of the disciples’ preaching, teaching and healing reached the puppet ruler of Galilee: Herod, and Herod became concerned.  This wanna be king thought that John the Baptist had returned from the dead to haunt him.  This sets the stage for one of the most depraved scenes found in scripture.  It’s utterly dark.

    John the Baptist, of whom Jesus said, “No one greater than he has ever been born,” was locked up in Herod’s prison.  You see, John was a prophet.  John called people to repentance.  He was sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, and John took notes and named names.  John was fearless when it came to pointing out the sins of people and calling them to change their ways, and John didn’t shy back from those in power. 

    Herod had arranged a marriage to a neighboring ruler’s daughter, but at some point and time fell in love with his brother’s wife, Herodias.  Rather than obey the law and remain faithful, Herod sent his wife back home (severely angering the neighboring ruler) and stole his brother’s wife away.  John the Baptist called Herod on this egregious sin, “It is not lawful for you to be married to your brother’s wife!!”

    Now, most of the commentaries are quick to point out that John’s proclamation was very troublesome for Herod.  Not only did the proclamation anger Herodias, but it caused political problems.  It kept Herod’s divorce public and in front of the neighbors who eventually went to war with Herod!  To keep John quiet, Herod had him thrown in prison.  Herodias wanted John dead, but Herod wasn’t going to kill him.  Herod knew John was a prophet, and we are told that on a certain level, Herod enjoyed listening to him–even though Herod did not change his behavior. 

    All of this leads up to a feast that Herod throws celebrating his birthday.  Now, this might not sound too bad to us.  I mean, most of us here celebrate our birthday in some fashion–as parents, most of us work to make that day special for our children, and as we age–particularly as we get into advanced age, we really mark those milestone birthdays!  This is commonplace for us, but not so for the Jewish people.  Most Jews in that time did not celebrate birthdays–that was a Roman custom.  So, here we see Herod, who was supposed to be Jewish, embracing a cultural practice that was not his own.  Why?  Because he longed to be accepted by the Roman authorities.  He longed to be seen as a legitimate ruler.  He longed to be accepted by those in power.  He was willing to sacrifice his own cultural identity for another to have power.  And that’s not the worst thing we see in this text.  It gets worse.  Far worse.

    For Herod calls together all the movers and shakers from the region of Galilee.  Mark records that Herod invited, “his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee.”  This means he brought in all the higher ups; all the power players; all those with status and pull.  Herod surrounded himself with power and wealth because, again, this is who he wanted to impress.  This is who he wanted to be like.  Average folks were below him, and this gets him into a lot of trouble in just a little while.

    Okay.  The scene is set as we have Herod throwing a party with all the movers and shakers of the community.  They are dining on fine food.  They are drinking the finest wines.  They are very happy and reveling.  Nothing like a little bit of gluttony and drunkardness to highlight one’s day.  Remember, I said this scene reeked of depravity!  So, now, let’s throw in some child pornography.

    Herodias’ daughter Salome enters into the court.  She’s probably around 12 years old or so.  This is Herod’s adopted daughter by his illegal marriage and his niece by blood.  She comes in and does a lewd dance.  Think 12 year old striptease.  And no one stops her!  No one!!  Can you imagine that?  Can you imagine watching one of your relatives–a child–strip in front of a lot of older men?  Would you sit there yourself and enjoy what you were watching?  That’s exactly what Herod does, and he is so pleased with what he sees, he makes a promise to his niece.  “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you–up to half of my kingdom.”

    What a perverse thing to say and do!  Not only is this incestuous, Herod has nothing to give.  The “kingdom” he presides over isn’t his to begin with.  He is a puppet of Rome.  He can no more promise a part of his kingdom than he can promise to give her the moon.  Herod is drunk on power and wine and debauchery and sensuality, and he opens his big mouth and sticks his foot into it.  Then he swears an oath–a solemn promise that he will do as she asks. 

    Salome goes to Herodias and asks her mother, “What should I ask for?”  Herodias, at this moment, I am sure, smiles an evil smile.  “Ask for the head of John the Baptist.”  There is no hesitation in her answer.  There is no contemplation of wealth or jewels or fine clothing.  This is pre-meditated murder. 

    Salome returns to the banquet and lays out her request, “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”  Herod, doesn’t want to do this, but he is bound by his oath.  He would lose face amongst all those in power and prestige.  His hand forced, he sends the executioner to behead John the Baptist. 

    If there is any bit of good news in this text, it comes toward the end as the disciples of John show a bit of compassion and bravery as they come seeking their leader’s body to bury it.  That little bit of compassion, however, is overshadowed by the darkness we have just witnessed.  This scene reveals the worst of humanity: hatred, defying God’s commands, gluttony, drunkenness, child-pornography and exploitation, adultery, striving for power, neglecting the poor, turning one’s back on one’s culture and heritage, selling out to those in power, making promises one can’t keep, wanting to maintain status and privilege in the face of poor choices.  Oh, it has it all.  It is a trip into the heart of darkness.

    Into this world, Jesus sent his disciples.  But do you find it as fascinating as I that the disciples preaching and healing and casting out of demons did little to change this reality?  Do you find it as fascinating as I that John the Baptist’s proclamation and confrontation of sin did not do a blasted thing to change the reality of the world?   Do you find it fascinating that no matter how much work the disciples did nor how many times John the Baptist confronted Herod with the truth, nothing changed?  I find that extremely fascinating–and a bit alarming.  Why?

    Well, the conclusion that I draw from this, and not only me but plenty of others is, the proclamation of the law; trying to tell someone to do the right thing; urging people to be better people will not change the depths of human depravity.  Pointing out another person’s sinfulness will not bring them to repentance.  Why?

    I am going to attempt to bring this home in a way that could get me in a bit of trouble, but I believe is none-the-less necessary if we are truly going to understand the Gospel.  For you see, the reason telling people they are sinners and need to repent doesn’t work is the depravity we all have in all of our hearts.  None of us want to hear that we are sinful.  None of us want to hear that we are broken, depraved, or failures.  We want to think that we are just find just the way we are, and we want to think that it is always that other person out there who have the problems.  We look at Herod and Herodias and Salome and those gathered at the banquet and think, “Man, I am so glad I am not like them.  They really need to get their stuff together.”  Or, we look at Dylann Roof and think, “Man, that’s a sick kid.  I can’t believe he shot all those people in that church.  I can’t believe how racist he is.  He needs to get his stuff together.”  Or, “Man, those homosexuals out there, they are so depraved.  They really need to change the way they act.”  Or, “Those politicians up there in Washington are corrupt and need to be thrown out.”  It’s always someone out there.  It’s always someone else who needs to change. 

    But let me ask you this question: when is the last time you took a look deep into the recesses of your own heart?   When is the last time you took a trip to understand the motivations that drive you each and every day?  When is the last time you strove to understand who you are instead of looking at everyone else?

    I mean, ask yourself this question: do you sit at home in your retirement years thinking, “I am glad I don’t have to do anything anymore.  I am content to sit and watch the world go by.”?  If that runs through your head, have you decided to turn your back on others who are in need?  Have you not become self-centered?

    Ask yourself this question: Why do I sit in traffic on a long commute to my job becoming stressed out and angry?  Is it because I have to make ends meet or is it because I have a particular lifestyle that I want and I will forsake family, friends, church and other things because I need to maintain a certain amount of status?  Have you not become self-centered?

    Ask yourself this question: Why do you keep yourself so busy running all over creation involving yourself in all sorts of activities?  Do you have to do all these things?  Are you living for your children and grandchildren?  Are you trying to please everyone so that you don’t have to deal with conflict or disappointment?  And in trying to please everyone so that you do not have to deal with disappointment, have you not become self-centered?

    Why do you look at other people and think they have problems and not yourself?  Do you think you do a better job of living than they do?  Do you think you have placed yourself above them because of your behavior or status or ability to create wealth?  Does this not make you self-centered and self-righteous?

    You see, at the root of most of our problems as a nation and as a people and as a community and in our families is self-centeredness–the idea that my needs come first; that I should have my needs satisfied.  That people should do what I want them to do because I have it right.  Yes, this self-centeredness is at the heart of Herod and Herodias and Salome and those in attendance at the banquet.  It is also at the heart of Dylann Roof.  It is also in my heart as well. 

    I’ve shared my story with you how I finally came to realize that at the bottom of my heart was the desire for recognition and power and prestige.  I wanted to be a pastor that all other pastors looked up to.  I wanted to be known as the guy who took a little church in Cat Spring, TX and turned it into a mega-church.  I wanted people to ask me how I did it and clamor for my advice and buy my books and ask me to come speak at their gatherings.  Oh, yes, I wanted all of these things very deeply, and I was willing to use you to get there.  I wanted you to carry me, and when you didn’t cooperate with me, I would get angry with you.  Of course, I would disguise all of this in churchy language, and I never considered that I was doing anything wrong; but oh how wrong I was.  Oh how misguided I was.  Oh how selfish I was.  And no amount of people looking at me and telling me I was wrong was going to change me.  No one pointing out how I should be doing things was going to make me see my own depravity.  No.  I had to come to see my brokenness.  I had to come to see my sinfulness.  I had to come to see that I needed not another set of rules but a Savior.  Only then could my heart be changed.

    That change was brought about by several things, but perhaps the most important piece came as I was healing after burning out.  I was visiting my grandfather who was 94 at the time.  I was asking him about his ministry as a pastor and if he ever experienced burnout.  He shared with me story after story of things he had done, and then he said the following words, “I didn’t accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but the Lord and I are on very good terms.”

    Those words burned into my brain in an instant because they confronted me with my own selfishness.  I wanted to accomplish much in the eyes of the world, but those things are not important.  The most important thing my grandfather said in his twilight was, “The Lord and I are on very good terms.”  That’s really the only thing that matters.  That’s the only thing that is lasting and eternal.  And how in the world are the Lord and my grandfather on very good terms?  How in the world are the Lord and I on very good terms?  How in the world are you and the Lord on very good terms?

    Not because of anything that you did.  Not because of anything my grandfather did.  Certainly not because of anything I did.  But because of what Jesus did.  “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.

    You see, Jesus was much more than a law giver.  Certainly He emphasized that we should love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and then love our neighbor as ourselves.  But He knew that simply telling us to do that wouldn’t change our hearts.  It would not reach into the darkness.  Something else had to do that, so Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live.  He loved God with all His heart, and He loved His neighbor as Himself.  Then, Jesus died the death we deserved.  Because of our self-centeredness, we do not put God first.  We do not put our neighbor first.  We live for ourselves–and when we live for ourselves, God says, “I will let you live for yourself for eternity, and you will never be satisfied!”  That, my friends is hell!  But rather than allow us to experience that, Jesus took that upon Himself.  He experienced that Hell for us so that we would not have to.  He then clothed us with His righteousness so that we can enter into the presence of God–not just when we die, but right here and now. 

    We no longer have to seek status in the eyes of the world.  We no longer have to seek wealth or sex or busyness to fill us.  We have a God who willingly dies for us when we do not deserve it. We have a God who makes our joy complete as we seek Him.  When we look to that light and place our trust in that light, our hearts of stone are broken.  Darkness begins to disappear, and we are transformed.  And as we share that light, the world is transformed as well–not because of what we do but because of what Christ has done.  Thanks be to God!!  Amen.

Babel Undone

    There is a short little snippet toward the very beginning of the Bible that I think takes on some significance today as we celebrate the day of Pentecost.  Now, if you were raised in the church, you probably know this story, but if you are new to Christianity or have not been at Sunday school, you probably haven’t heard it–at least you haven’t heard this story here.  To my recollection, I have never preached on this story nor seen it appear in the biblical texts appointed for Sunday morning.  What story am I talking about?  The story of the tower of Babel.

    This short piece is found in Genesis chapter 11 right after the great flood.  All of humanity is gathered on the plain of Shinar–not to be confused with Shiner, there is no beer in this story.  On this plain, humanity hatches a plan.  They begin to make bricks and mortar.  They revel in their creative ability.  And then they say, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth.”  I want you to carefully consider what humanity is saying in this.  It’s important.  For we see humanity completely consumed with itself.  A tower with its top in the heavens signifies a desire to supplant God.  Making a name for ourselves shows the desire for worldly fame and popularity.  Prevention of being scattered across the face of the earth shows a desire for self-preservation and isolationism.  All of these things are centered upon one’s self and the desires to act independently of God–the same sin which got Adam and Eve cast out of the Garden of Eden.

    God looks upon this self-centeredness.  He sees a future where humanity forges its own ways and own desires.  He sees a return to the days before the flood where humanity became completely wicked and self-centered, and God acts.  “Come let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”  This, God accomplished.  The building stopped.  Division ruled the day because no one could understand another, and people went their own way. 

    And we still cannot understand one another today.  We are still dealing with the consequences of self-centered hearts today.  More on this in a moment because I want to continue to set the stage for what happens on Pentecost.

    After the events at Babel, people went their own way, but God also knew the consequences of abandoning the world.  When He abandoned the world and let it go to its own devices after the Garden of Eden, the world turned to evil.  Self-interest became the rule of the day and everyone did what was right in his or her own eyes.  God promised to never destroy the world again by flood, so He needed a way to interact with the world.  He needed a way to show the world how to live with Him and with one another.  Therefore, He began that process by working through individuals.  He picked people to be His mediators.

    You may ask, “Why did God choose to pick mediators?  Why didn’t God simply interact with each and every one of us individually?  Wasn’t that within His power?”

    Certainly, it was.  But, there was a problem with this: the problem of sin.  For you see, God is holy and just.  God is perfect and blameless.  Imperfection and brokenness cannot stand in His sight.  His anger at sin would burn very, very hot against us were we to stand in His presence without being cleansed of that sin.  God could not engage the world on a one on one basis unless this sin were cleansed.

    Therefore, God began engaging the world through mediators–people He chose to bless that they may be a blessing to others.  God communicated with such people in many and various ways.  Interestingly enough, as you read through the biblical narrative, one of the ways God manifested Himself was through fire.  We read about Moses kneeling at a burning bush that even though it was aflame, it was not consumed.  We read about a giant pillar of fire that led the people of Israel through the desert–the very presence of God leading His people.  We read about this pillar of fire changing into a pillar of cloud, and this pillar resting in the tabernacle–the place of worship for the Israelites before the temple was built.  In every case, however, not everyone was allowed to come close to the fire.  Not everyone was allowed to come near the place where God rested in the tabernacle or the temple.  God worked through those who purified themselves or were purified by God Himself.  Anyone who came in direct contact with God died–because of their sin; because of their self-centeredness; because their hearts were tuned to themselves instead of tuned to God; because they sought the blessings of God but not God Himself.

    Let’s fast forward to the events recorded in our second lesson this morning from Acts chapter 2.  Let’s take a look at the imagery of this text and see how Scripture brings us full circle.  The disciples are gathered together, and as they are sitting and praying, a loud sound, like the rush of a mighty wind, happens upon them.  The lesson says divided tongues of flame rested upon each of them.  The English doesn’t quite capture what the ancient Greek captures.  For the Greek paints this image of a single pillar of fire–what does that imagery conjure up?–breaking apart and dividing and then resting upon each of the disciples.  Anyone with ties to the Old Testament got this visual.  Anyone who remembered the presence of God in the burning bush and pillar of fire understood what was going on.  No longer was there any intermediary between God and man.  No longer was a mediator necessary.  God now descended upon the disciples and dwelt within them!

    Oh, and there is more.  When the Spirit of God descended upon the disciples, they went outside.  A crowd had gathered because they too heard the wind.  The apostles began to speak, and when they spoke, all understood them.  Take a moment to let that sink in.  Everyone who was there–people gathered from all over the known world–understood what the disciples were saying!  It’s as if the tower of Babel never happened!   Something had changed.  Something had happened to allow God to dwell within each of us.  Something had happened to unleash understanding and reconciliation–to bring humanity back into one group; one family.  What?  What had changed?

    If we were to read through the entirety of Acts chapter 2 we would see exactly what that was.  We would understand what unleashed this new reality where God was now with in and in His people.  We would understand why the divisions were now being healed.  For Peter, the leader of the apostles stood up and after he talked about the prophecy foretold by Joel, Peter began to tell everyone about Jesus.  You see, Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit, is about each and every one of us receiving power to proclaim and point to Jesus who reconciled the world unto God; who became the atoning sacrifice for sin; who paved the way for God to live among and in us; and who brings reconciliation and understanding to the world.

    I would argue that the main problem with the world today is not a lack of laws.  The main problem with the world today is not that we don’t know what to do.  For heaven’s sake, most people know what they should do.  Most people know they should do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Most people know that we should be compassionate and caring.  Most people know we should directly deal with one another instead of talking about each other behind our backs.  Most of us know we should be generous.  Most of us know we should work for peace and justice.  We know what we should do, but we don’t do it.  Why?

    Because our hearts are still dealing with selfishness; self-centeredness; and self-preservation.  Why do we lie?  Because at the moment we lie, something more important than God has captured our hearts.  Perhaps we don’t want our reputation damaged.  Perhaps we are afraid of punishment.  Perhaps we fear for our own life.  In all of these cases, some thing has displaced God as the most important thing in our heart.  Why do treat one another with hatred and contempt?  Again, something more important than God has captured our heart’s imagination.  When I treat another with hatred and contempt, I generally think I am better than that other person.  I think I do a better job of living and making my way.  I rest confident in my own laurels and abilities and think of myself instead of God.  Why is there poverty particularly in light of the fact that there are plenty of resources to go around?  There is poverty because our hearts are captured by wealth, possessions, and fear–fear that we won’t have enough in the future.  Instead of focusing on God and God’s abundance, we focus on the scarcity that might take place.  I could go on, but for brevity’s sake, I will not.  If need be, I will be happy to speak to you later about it, but I think I can safely say at the root of all of humanity’s relational problems is self-centeredness; self-preservation, and selfishness.

    So, what is the cure to such a thing?  What changes a heart?  Laws might change behaviors, but only because of a threat of punishment.  When we follow rules because we fear punishment, we are still acting in our own self interest and with selfishness.  We are still focused on ourselves, and biblically are still in our sin!!!    Only a complete change of heart gets us where we need to be, and if I say, “I will change my own heart so that I can be sinless,” guess what?  You are still acting in self interest.  A changed heart must find its initiation for change outside of itself. 

    That agent of change, Christianity proclaims, is Jesus.  Jesus is God who took on flesh, who lived the life we should live, who died the death that we deserved, and who was raised to eternal life that we might be reconciled to God.  Jesus did everything that we should do.  He loved His neighbor as Himself.  He fed the hungry.  He healed the sick.  He gave money away and lived in poverty.  He was perfect and blameless, and He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice and payment for our sin.  He became the perfect mediator on our behalf enduring God’s wrath for us because He loves us.

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.

    And once we understand this news.  Once it weasels its way into our hearts.  Once we understand the extent of our brokenness and the great cost Jesus paid on the cross, our hearts begin to change.  We no longer seek ourselves.  We no longer seek wealth and status and privilege as ultimate things.  We no longer seek peace and justice as ultimate things.  We seek God.  We desire God.  We hunger and thirst for Him.  And just as He descended upon the disciples at Pentecost, He descends upon us and lives in us and through us.  And when He lives in us and through us, we recognize that He desires to live and be in all people.  So we, like Peter stand and proclaim.  We tell of the mighty acts of Jesus.  We argue and exhort and urge people to trust in Jesus.  We feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty.  We care for their physical needs so that their pain and suffering do not hinder their reception of the message.  We seek to understand others and be reconciled to them so that there is no barrier between us when we tell them about Jesus.  We do this because of what has been done for us.  Because Jesus died for us, God is with us.

    Let us pray.  Heavenly Father, on this day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.  A gift that was only made possible by Jesus’ death on the cross.  May we realize that you now live with us and in us.  May we realize you desire to live with and in everyone on earth.  May the Gospel change our hearts that we may proclaim Jesus and be reconciled to one another that You may receive glory.  Amen.

A Deep Struggle

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: ¹⁰‘Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. ¹²I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.” ¹³But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.’  Luke 18:9-14

It is a deep struggle to live by grace.  A deep struggle.

As I move through this Holy Week, several things are on my mind, and they have weighed heavily:

1. I received a phone call from a local nursing home.  The activity director was, as kindly as she could possibly do it, ask me to give up part of my afternoon on Easter to lead a worship service for the residents.  Another congregation scheduled to lead worship canceled on her.  "I know it's short notice, but..." 

"I will do it," I responded.

This is not the first Easter this has happened.  Once before this same congregation had canceled on this same nursing home.  The last time it happened, I was asked again.  I remember the occasion vividly as I was lovingly and gently reminded of my calling.

You see, I was quite angry last go round.  I was quite angry that the other congregation canceled.  I was quite angry about giving up my time.  I was quite upset that I felt obligated to go and preach.  There was quite a bit of righteous indignation on my part.  My heart was not exactly in the right spot because it was all about me.

And then one of my congregation members came up to me to visit.  I told her about my impending afternoon.  She smiled at me, and she said, "Someone needs to tell those people the good news, especially on Easter."

I was floored at that moment.  I won't say that my anger completely left or that I proclaimed the Good News of Jesus' resurrection out of a joyful heart that afternoon, but I did (and do) realize the Absolute Truth of my congregation member's words.  "Someone needs to tell those people the good news, especially on Easter."  Especially since many cannot get to church.  Especially since many have indeed spent their lives worshiping.  Especially since many of their families cannot bring them to worship.  They need to hear the Gospel!  They need to hear that Christ is risen!

There was no hesitation this year when I was asked.  "They need to hear the Good News.  I will do it."  I am looking forward to it, this time with joy.

But there is still a smidgen or more of anger toward that other congregation.  There is still a bit of righteous indignation.  Am I like that Pharisee pounding his chest and saying, "Thank God I am not like that tax collector."?  Perhaps I am, and it is not good.  Not good in the least.  For I have no room to boast like that.  I have no room to think that I am doing better or my congregation is doing better.  I am not.  We are not.  It's hard not to get angry.  It's hard not to be in contempt.  It's hard not to be self-righteous.  This morning on my walk, I asked God for forgiveness, for I sorely need it.

2. A friend posted a link on Facebook to a prominent blog by Mark Sandlin.  Without going into all the details, I will let you know that I disagree most vehemently with Mr. Sandlin.  It's not the first time. 

But I was and am very curious about how well the theology Mr. Sandlin promotes is accepted in my own denomination and in my own synod.  I asked for feedback on our syond's Facebook page.  The commentary was intriguing as I found a great many of my colleagues wrestling with the idea of why Jesus had to die on the cross. 

I am a proponent of the sacrificial atonement understanding of the crucifixion/resurrection.  This understanding of the cross permeates through the New Testament writings. 

It is Matthean.
It is Markan.
It is Johannine.
It is Pauline.
It is deeply ingrained in the book of Hebrews.
It is Petrine.

The idea of Jesus' atoning sacrifice on the cross seems, in a very real way, to tie all of the biblical witness together.  From Genesis 1 to Revelation 21, the entirety can be understood with extreme clarity by looking through the lens of the cross: that Jesus lived the life we should have lived, that He died the death that we deserved; He placed his perfect righteousness upon us that we may stand before God as accepted failures--blameless though we have sinned.  This is the reason we are justified by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.  Many of us who are Protestant can recite that particular verse from memory.  Yet, what follows?  What did Paul add right away?  These words: ²⁵whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. (Romans 3:25).

As I wrestled with Sandlin's article and the responses given by my colleagues, my heart ached.  For it seemed as if we lost the centrality of that which gave us our core identity as a church--the Theology of the Cross; God's great act of salvation.  And once again, the wellspring of contempt and anger began to rise.  The wellspring of self-righteousness that "I've got it and you don't" began rearing its ugly head.

Ah, but I have no room to boast.  For I have spent the bulk of my ordained ministry failing to proclaim the Gospel.  I have spent the bulk of my ordained ministry failing to point to Jesus.  I have spent the bulk of my ordained ministry thinking Christianity was mainly about me and my actions and the actions of those who call themselves Christian instead of mainly about Jesus and His actions.  I am one, like Paul, untimely born.  I do not deserve to wear the collar or the stole.  How can I be contemptuous?  Because my heart isn't there yet.  My heart still has the Old Adam trying to pull it away from Jesus.  I asked for even more forgiveness.

For grace does not allow contempt.  Grace does not allow self-righteousness.  Grace shows definitively and demonstratively that all have sinned.  All have no right to claim moral superiority.  All have missed the mark.  All have corrupted and warped hearts.  No one is exempt.  Even those who proclaim the Gospel and know the Gospel and have a relationship with Jesus.  This is why we need a Savior.

This is why Jesus had to die.  We cannot escape being in bondage to our sin.  Someone has to free us.  Someone has to make things right.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ.

In one way, it makes things so much easier.  I do not have to worry about justifying myself.  I do not have to worry about fulfilling the Law.  But it also makes things much harder--it means I must love those who are different from me in understanding and practice.  It means I must look at them as accepted failures as I am an accepted failure.  It means I cannot be contemptuous or self-righteous even if I believe I am right.  Indeed, it is a deep struggle.

Have mercy upon me, O Lord, a sinner!

Amen.

The Importance of Shared Context

Monday night, I sent my youth director a text.  "Missing you...," it said.

My youth director sent me a text back, "Are you texting the right person?"

She informed me that she believed I had really messed up.  She wondered just how it was possible for me to have sent such a thing to her.  Obviously, this sort of text was meant for my wife.  How could I possibly get the names totally and completely confused--my wife's name starts with D.  My youth director's with C.

I responded, "Yes.  Sitting around council missing my youth director."

I won't print her response here, but she did inform me she was on her way.

She had a rough day and had forgotten that we had council meeting.  Being the farthest thing from her mind, my initial text had caught her off guard.  It seemed strange, indeed, misplaced.  However, with a shared context, the meaning became very, very clear.  It was not misplaced.  It was not inappropriate.  It was the right words to the right person.

Too often, such misunderstandings govern our relationships with others.  Too often, the lack of a shared contextual understanding lead to all sorts of problems and arguments.  Fortunately, my youth director was willing to respond and ask.  Once we had a common ground of understanding one another, all became clear.

Unfortunately, many do not take the time to seek shared contextual understanding.  Many base their positions and understandings of another and that other's commentary solely on their own experience and contextual background.  This oftentimes leads to major conflict.

And it's not enough just to tell everyone, "You need to get a larger perspective on life.  You need to travel the world more and come in contact with others.  You need to get an education and have your mind broadened."

Why do I say this is not enough?

For the simple reason that I have come across more than a few souls who have a larger perspective on life; they have traveled the world; they have an education, and they are extremely contemptuous toward those who do not have that experience.  More than a few with such a broad perspective call those without such experiences, "narrow minded", "ignorant", and "myopic."  But in their name calling, are they not disregarding the experiences of others, no matter how small those experiences might be?  Of course they are.  They are projecting their own experience upon another even though it is broader.

Which leads me to ask: what then is the problem and is there a solution?

I think the problem is a very old one: self-centeredness.  It's the idea that my experience, my thought, my view of reality is the only one that counts.  It's the only one that is True.  It's the only one that reveals the reality of the way the world really works.

Postmodern thinkers point to this and say, "Therefore, there is no objective reality.  We are all governed by our perspectives.  No one perspective can contain reality and is always warped."

There is something to be said about the second two conclusions, but not the first.  The fact that each person has a different perspective on reality does not mean there is no objective reality.  For if there is no objective reality, then we cannot call things "right" and "wrong."  We cannot call someone "selfish" or "narrow minded" or "ignorant" or "myopic."  You have no basis to judge, and in the end, the only thing that makes something "right" is whether or not the surrounding culture considers it "right."  This is not a good path to be on.

And very, very few people actually walk it--at least with consistency.  Very, very few people walk a path of relativism.  The vast majority of people live as though there are objective truths in the world and that we can know them.  The vast majority of people believe and try to practice the concepts of justice and fairness.  They believe and practice the idea there is a right and a wrong thing to do.

But if this is the case, then why can't we seem to get along better?  Why can't we seem to bring about peace?  And justice?  And harmony?

We are too self-centered.  We tend to be more than happy to work for justice as long as we don't have to give anything up.  We are more than happy to work for fairness as long as it doesn't affect what I have.  We are more than happy to call for society to change as long as it is the other person who is changing and not myself.  My context is still the right one--after all.

And we are right back to where we began.

So, how does one break out of the contextual shell without giving up on the idea of Truth?  How does one welcome the opportunity to learn about another's context and become closer to the Truth?

I would make my case here for the Gospel.  For the Christian Gospel says that you are a broken individual.  You are self-centered.  You are myopic.  You think the world should bow down to your experience.  You would like to be God.

This is not something to be celebrated, by the way.  The consequences of someone believing this about himself is not good.  Such a person does not play well with others.  :-)

The Gospel confronts this attitude and calls it sin.  It calls it rebellion against God.  It calls this attitude a failure.  You are a failure.  Sometimes, it takes people a while to become convinced of this, but there is much more evidence that could be provided.  Once you realize you are a failure, it devastates you.  It brings you low.

And if you stopped here, you might become a bit depressed.

However, the Gospel tells you that in the midst of your failure, Jesus died on your behalf.  He lived as you should live, and He died the death you deserved.  Someone who is willing to die for you shows you that you are worth something.

You are a failure, but you are accepted.

This, theoretically, brings you to a place of humility--not too high; not too low.  Not feeling self-important, but neither depressed.  Not thinking you are perfect or your context is all important, but acknowledging it is limited and that others have such limited perspectives--and that one can grow by interacting with others; including those we perceive as "ignorant", "myopic", and "narrow minded."  For we realize we are narrow minded, ignorant, and myopic as well.  We don't share their experience, and when we interact, we expand our experiences and have a shared context.  And, of course, when we have a shared context and a shared understanding, we have much better odds of understanding one another and living together in harmony.

The Gospel may not be the only way one arrives at this conclusion; however, I am convinced it gives us the best ground and foundation for doing this.

What Can Be Taken Away From Someone Who Has Nothing?

    Well, today we have a very interesting parable before us.  For nearly a year, I have been laser focused on the Gospel: the early proclamation of the earliest disciples and the early church which said, “You have been saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.  You did nothing to accomplish this.  It was done for you by Jesus as He satisfied the wrath of God by facing it on the cross.”  I have repeatedly inserted John 3:16-17 in every sermon since last November, and now we have before us a parable which seems to indicate the Gospel is not enough.

    For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world might be saved through Him.  (That’s the Gospel.)  And God bestows upon His people immeasurable gifts, but if they do not use those gifts, then they will be cast into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!  Or so the Parable of the Talents seems to indicate.  This teaching of Jesus has been used ad nauseum as a stewardship text for as long as I can remember.  I have used it as a stewardship text.  I’ve also used it as a text to promote risk taking in our daily lives and as a congregation.  Maybe I was wrong.  Because if this text is about stewardship and a failure to use our gifts as we should; and if this text indicates our salvation is dependent upon how we use the gifts given to us by God, then we are all in a lot of trouble.  None of us use our gifts as we should.  None of us.  Furthermore, if indeed this text indicates that our judgement will be based upon the use of our gifts, then why does Matthew even bother to head to the cross?  Every other world religion and philosophy judges a person based upon his or her works.  Is Christianity just like every other religion after all? 

    Hardly.  In fact, as I studied this parable this week and listened to numerous sermons and consulted several commentaries, there were some things that started jumping out at me–things that I had never considered before or tried to reconcile.  Why?  Well, because I was stuck in dealing with the interpretations I had been hearing all my life.  I was stuck in hearing all the chatter about what we were supposed to do as Christians.  I was stuck in hearing this parable as a commentary about what we were supposed to do instead of leading us and pointing us to what God has already done.  And so, this morning, I would like to share with you some of the insights I came upon as I studied this parable.  I’d like to perhaps help you see it in a different light, and then take us to its application–all the while being faithful to the certainty that Christianity is not primarily focused on what we do, but on what God has already done through Jesus Christ.

    And so we turn to this parable.  It begins innocently enough.  A very, very wealthy man decides to go on a journey, and he summons his slaves.  He entrusts his property to his slaves according to each slave’s ability. 

    Let’s stop here for just a moment.  Let’s make sure we understand a few important details.  First, the men the man summoned are slaves.  They are not servants.  They are not hired help.  In the ancient world, slavery was an acceptable practice, and oftentimes a person sold himself into slavery.  Why?  Well, there was no such thing as bankruptcy protection in those days.  If you found yourself deep in debt, you had to come up with the money somehow.  To pay off the debt, you would sell yourself into slavery and gradually work your way out of debt.  Slavery was not a life-long proposition, but it was a tool to pay off one’s debt.  Slaves were also appropriated in military conquest.  They also had the capability to work toward their freedom in such cases, and it is important to note that ethnicity was not a governing factor in such slavery.  There were slaves taken from all over the world, of every tribe and color.  So, at this point, do not associate the kind of slavery in this parable with the kind of slavery that happened in the history of our nation.  They were two different things.

    And yet, these men were still slaves.  They were indebted to and completely dependent upon the master.  He governed their lives and had control over them.  As such, as slaves, they had nothing.  Let that sink in a moment.  The master allowed them to use his property, but the slaves had nothing themselves.   Even in this story, the talents which are given to the slaves are not the property of the slaves!  They are the property of the master!  Are we clear so far?  I hope so.

    Each slave is gifted differently.  They have differing ability, so the master entrusts his wealth according to the slaves’ ability.  To one the master gives five talents.  To another two.  And to the last, one.  The master is shrewd in his dealing, minimizing his risk. 

    However, the master is still risking a lot!  A talent was a measure of weight.  The talent could be silver or gold, and it was worth 15 year’s wages.  You mathematical types are probably already calculating.  If it were silver, you are talking about a million dollars.  If you are talking about gold, you are talking about a whole lot more.  So, in effect, the master is entrusting these three slaves with millions upon millions of dollars, and then he walks away.  He leaves. 

    The next part of the parable is straight forward.  Two of the slaves go out and begin working with their master’s money.  They invest it.  They trade with it.  They put it to work, and each doubles what he was entrusted with.  The third slave goes, digs a hole in the ground, and buries the talent.

    Now, before we deal with the master’s return, let’s talk about how reasonable it was for the third guy to bury the money in a hole.  The guy is obviously playing it safe–some might argue too safe.  In our day and age we would argue that at least he should have put it in the bank, maybe in a CD and accumulated a bit of interest.  We will see that the master even makes this argument later.  However, we need to remember that during this time in history, there was no such thing as the FDIC.  There were no checks and balances on banks.  Investing in them was no certainty of keeping one’s money safe.  The banks invested in caravans and other such things which could be wiped out, and then one’s money would be gone.  Those who wanted to retain their money–wanted to keep it safe–did exactly what this third slave did: they buried it.  It was the only way to ensure that one’s money would not be lost.  So, the guy is simply doing what every other very wealthy person would do–keep things safe.

    Now, after a long time, the master returns.  He comes to settle accounts.  He calls the first slave, and the slave says, “Master, you gave me five talents.  I’ve earned five more.  You now have ten talents.”

    The master is overjoyed.  He says, “Well done good and faithful slave.  You have been trustworthy in a few things.  I will put you over many things.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

    Let’s stop here for just a moment because in a sermon by D.A. Carson, I heard something I had never considered.  Listen to what the master says again, “You have been trustworthy in a few things...”  A few things?  This slave was given millions of dollars!!!  A few things???  The master considers millions upon millions of dollars a few things!!!  This speaks perhaps both to the wealth of the master AND the master’s view of money.  Millions of dollars are considered small fry to him.  Think about that.  Secondly, D.A. Carson points out, the idea of a master inviting a slave to enter into his joy is unreal.  A slave’s purpose is not to share in the joy of his or her master.  A slave’s purpose is to serve the master.  Period.  The slave is responsible for bringing his or her master joy, not entering into it.  This says something rather profound about the master as well.  This master is generous enough to bring a slave up to his level of joy.  Quite an astonishing thing, don’t you think?

    And the master doesn’t just do this to the one slave.  He also does it for the second slave who accomplished the feat of doubling the master’s initial entrustment.  “Well done good and faithful slave.  You have been trustworthy in a few things.  I will put you in charge of many things.  Enter into the joy of your master.”

    Now, the third slave comes forward.  The exchange is quite different: “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; 25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” 26But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. 28So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 30As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

    I want to approach this snippet a little differently.  We see what the slave says, and we see the master’s reaction.  Everything seems to hinge upon what the slave has done, but I want to look at this carefully.  I want you to look at it carefully and begin asking the question that I asked myself as I read this.  What can be taken away from a slave who has nothing?  “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

    Interestingly enough, as I listened to another sermon, it was pointed out that this is not the first time Matthew has used this particular phrase.  Matthew also used this phrase in chapter 13.  I had to look it up.

    Matthew 13 actually begins with the parable of the sower.  The parable where the sower casts seed all over the place.  It falls on rocky ground.  It falls among weeds.  It falls among the path.  It falls upon the good soil.  Only the good soil produces fruit.  After Jesus tells the parable, the disciples ask, “Why do you speak in parables?”  Jesus says, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” 

    Let’s come back to the parable of the talents.  Remember the slave’s initial response?  “I knew you were a harsh man reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed.”  We are told that the seed in the parable of the sower is the word of the kingdom of God.  Is God the only one who sows that seed?  Is Jesus the only sower of the Word?  No.  Absolutely not.  Yet, is God the only one who reaps?  Is Jesus the one who comes and gathers the fruit?  Absolutely.  Do you see the connection?

    And what is given?  The secrets to the kingdom of heaven.  What is the secret to the kingdom of heaven?  Well, if we understand the Gospel, we know that the secret of heaven is that Jesus has come into the world as the Messiah to reconcile the world unto God.  We know that Jesus has come to be the spotless lamb of God to be the perfect sacrifice of atonement satisfying the wrath of God because we could not do this.  Jesus’ action has revealed to us that we are now free to respond to the acts of God without fear of punishment.  We do not have to act out of our own self interest to please an angry God.  We are free to seek the will of God instead of trying to save our own skin.  This is the reality of the Gospel.  This is why God sent Jesus into the world.  For God so loved the world...

    But what about that slave?  Whose interest was he seeking?  “I knew you were a harsh man...so I was afraid.  I hid your talent.  What you have is yours.”  The slave was afraid.  Afraid of what?  The master’s wrath.  The master’s anger.  The slave didn’t want to endure it.  He didn’t want to face it.  He played it safe because he was seeking his own self interest!  He didn’t care about the master; he cared only for himself!  He was trying to save his own skin.

    And what was the master’s response?  Well, he wasn’t happy about it at all.  Which leads us to that final question: what can be taken away from someone who has nothing?  Obviously, the slave has nothing–nothing in the way of material possessions, but he does have something even more precious.  He has a relationship with the master.  The master who provides for him; who feeds him; who shelters him.  Because of his self-interest and his self-centeredness, the master takes even this away from him and casts him out into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

    I have said before in sermons that hell is separation from God, and the way we end up in hell is not by doing all the wrong things, but by seeking something other than God.  When our hearts are captured by our own self interests and our desire to save ourselves, then God will allow us to seek that from eternity.  We will end up separated from Him, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  But if our hearts are captured by the Gospel–when we know that salvation has already been accomplished on our behalf, our hearts are changed.  We are freed from our self interest in trying to satisfy God; we are freed from fear; and we are captured by the desire to seek the master’s goodness and expand the master’s kingdom instead of our own.  Indeed, this parable takes us right to this place–it takes us squarely to the foot of the cross where we can look upon what Jesus did; lose our fear; and then act with reckless abandon as we too seek to expand the Master’s kingdom by spreading His word.   Amen.

Having a God Complex

On a message board frequented by yours truly, I was accused a couple of times (by the same poster) of having a "God complex."

It would be easy to vociferously deny such a charge.  I think most of us readily would.  But, instead of denial, perhaps it might be worthwhile to think such a charge through.

First, let's ask: what is a "God complex?"

Googling the term brings up some interesting definitions.  Apparently, there is no one settled definition:

This website defines it as Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited.

The FreeDictionary:  A popular term for a personality flaw commonly seen in physicians, especially surgeons, who perceive themselves as omniscient—i.e., God-like—and thus treat others as mere mortals.

Definitions: God complex--A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of error or failure, even in the face of complex or intractable problems or difficult or impossible tasks, or may regard personal opinions as unquestionably correct. The individual may disregard the rules of society and require special consideration or privileges. God complex is not a clinical term or diagnosable disorder, and does not appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The first person to use the term god-complex was Ernest Jones His description, at least in the contents page of Essays in Applied Psycho-Analysis describe the God Complex as belief that one is a god

Wikipedia cites the Definitions.net definition.

It's intriguing to think about these definitions and perhaps put them together in some sort of fashion.  I will do this to formulate my own definition of a "God complex."

Definition: An unshakable belief that one knows how the world operates and should operate, and that others who do not share the same thoughts are unintelligent, ignorant, and contemptible.

How's that for a working definition?  If you do not agree with this definition, then the rest of this post probably will not make much sense.  I invite you to offer your own definitions in the comments section.

For those of you still reading, I now invite you to ponder the accusation as I will.  Do I have a "God complex?"  Do I believe that I know everything and how everything should work.  Do I hold others in contempt when they do not share my view of the world?

Immediately, most of us, including myself respond, "Absolutely not!  I do not know everything.  I profess my ignorance!"

(Yet, do you say this because deep down you know this to be true, or do you say this because you know it is the right answer that one must speak in public?)

Despite my initial rebuke of the accusation, I must also give myself pause.  For do I not oftentimes believe I have the answer to what ails the world?  Do I not believe I have the correct interpretation of data?  Do I not believe if everyone else simply did as I did and thought as I thought, then the world would be a better place to live?

Be honest with yourself.  Brutally honest.

How many of us are guilty of doing exactly these things?  How many of us would like to write a prescription for the world and have it followed to a tee?  How many of us become angry or upset when others refuse to consider our prescription or point of view?

No one that I know escapes doing this.  No one.  

Do I have a "God complex?"  I most certainly do.  I would argue every one of us does, and our self-righteousness is deadly to our relationships, to our society, to the world.

The Christian view of humanity starts with the notion that each and every one of us are trapped by this innate selfishness--this innate desire to be God ourselves.

It was not the action of eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden which was the Original Sin.  Rather, it was the desire to be "like God," and not in a good kind of way.  Being "like God" in our ability to love unconditionally, forgive when spit upon, be creative, and so on is a good thing.  But wanting to be "like God" and function as the be all and end all is not.  It is the latter which gets us into mounds of trouble and has gotten us in trouble for generation after generation after generation.

But is there a way out of such behavior?  Is there a way for us to escape our "God complexes?"

Not if you aren't willing to see that you have one.  Not if you aren't willing to see that you try to place yourself as God and tell everyone what to do.  Not if you aren't willing to acknowledge that you at some level believe you know what is best and believe everyone else should be just like you.

Only when you are willing to acknowledge this and believe that it is wrongheaded--and that you are broken in this selfish desire are you ready to hear the message of grace.

And that is another lengthy post.