Mark #5: Giving Glory to God

Today, we come to the fifth and final mark of the church and the individual Christian found in Romans chapter 15:1-6.  The church is called to do all things to the glory of God. Verse 6 reads, “So that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Okay, this sounds simple enough.  Give glory to God.  Do everything to the glory of God.  So, here’s the question what exactly is glory?  Have you ever stopped to think about it?  What does it mean to give glory to God?

Sure, we’ve all heard about giving glory to God.  We’ve sung about giving glory to God.  We’ve sung about God’s glory.

“Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”
“Angels from the realm’s of glory!”
“Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth.”
“All glory, laud and honor, to you Redeemer King!

You will notice that there’s a bit of a difference in terminology there.  You’ll notice that on one hand when we sing about giving glory to God, it’s essentially that we are giving God praise.  We are exalting God.  On the other hand, we see that glory is something that God already has.  God has glory.  We see His glory.  It can be a bit confusing.

So, let’s clear it up a little bit.  The word glory in the Bible–particularly in the New Testament comes from the Greek word, doxa.  This is where we get the title to the hymn we sing after we take up our offerings: the doxology.  That’s just a bit of trivia for you this morning.  But interestingly enough, the word doxa, denotes “divine and heavenly radiance” the “loftiness and majesty” of God, and even the “being of God.”  It highlights “divine honor”, “divine splendor”, “divine power”, and “visible divine radiance.” 

So, if this is the case.  If the word glory means “divine and heavenly radiance”, the “loftiness and majesty of God”, “divine honor”, “divine splendor”, “divine power,” and “visible divine radiance,” what does it mean that a church does everything for this?  What does it mean that we live our lives to give this to God?

Well, my brothers and sisters, fortunately, we do not have to turn to Google for help here.  In fact, I am quite sure that Google will lead us astray.  Fortunately, we have a word from God that helps us see what it means to give glory to God–the one who is already full of glory.

Let me read to you a portion of Exodus chapter 33 beginning in verse 18.  You see, Moses and God are having a conversation up on Mount Sinai.  They have talked long about a great many things, and Moses makes a request of God.  “18Moses said, ‘Show me your glory, I pray.’ 19And God said, ‘I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, “The Lord”; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But’, he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.’ 21And the Lord continued, ‘See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’”

So you see, my brothers and sisters, God’s glory is too much for us to comprehend.  God’s glory is too much for human eyes.  God’s splendor and majesty is too powerful for us to be able to look upon.  It is so overwhelming; it is so powerful; it is so beautiful; that were we to gaze upon it, we would die.  And so, Moses was not allowed to see the fullness of the glory of God–even though he deeply longed for it.  Moses was not allowed to look into the face of God.  God covered Moses’ face as He passed by.  So, Moses only got to get a glimpse of God’s glory.  Moses only got to see a smidgen of the overall beauty and majesty and power of God. But what effect did that have?

Well, we need to move on to chapter 34 of the book of Exodus.  We need to see what happened after Moses encountered God.  We need to see what happened after Moses got to see a glimpse of the glory of God.  Here we go, we begin in verse 29, “ Moses came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. 30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him. 31But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses spoke with them. 32Afterwards all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; 34but whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, 35the Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with him.”

Did you catch what was happening here?  Did you catch what was happening to Moses after he talked with God?  Did you catch what Moses was like once he had met God and encountered God’s glory? 

Moses shined.
Moses was radiant.
Moses was beautiful.

Not with his own light.  Not with his own power.  Not with his own beauty.  Not with his own glory.  No.  Moses was shining the glory of God, reflecting it to the people of Israel.  Think about that a minute.  After encountering God and God’s glory, Moses reflected that glory to the rest of the world.  This was not something that Moses did on his own.  This was not something Moses decided to do. Moses simply asked to see God’s glory, and after encountering just a smidgen of the glory of God, God made Moses shine!

Do you see the connection to the church?  Do you see the connection to you and your life?  We radiate the glory of God.  This what it means to give Him glory.  This is what it means to do everything to the glory of God.  Because we have encountered God.  Because we have seen the glory of God, we shine that into the world in everything that we do.

But this is kind of where we get into trouble.  This is kind of where we miss the mark.  Because oftentimes we tend to be more concerned about talking about ourselves than we are showing the glory of God.  Now, I know that statement isn’t the nicest statement to say in regards to churches and individual Christians.  Believe me, I am well aware that when I am pointing the finger out, there are three more pointing right back at me.  I’m as guilty as anything of that statement.  I know for most of my life, I’ve been more concerned with me and what I want.  I’ve been more concerned with growing a church so that I could get recognition.  I’ve been more concerned with attaining goals and status than I have been with showing forth Jesus.  Don’t think that I’m innocent in this.  I’ve been more than wrong.

And there are many churches that have fallen into this kind of stuff too.  We focus on the wrong things.  We focus on simply getting members to join our churches.  We focus on growing our programs.  We focus on making sure enough money is flowing into our offering plates.  We focus on our music and on our youth.  And while none of this is necessarily bad, where is God in the midst of this?  Where is our giving glory to God.  Are we going to give glory when our churches and our programs grow, or are we going to give glory to God first and then watch what happens when that glory is reflected into the world?

And this just makes sense.  I mean, when Jesus gathered his disciples on the hill outside of Jerusalem and was lifted up into heaven, he said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”

Now, what kind of disciples do you think Jesus wanted his followers to make? What kind of disciples do you think Jesus expects us to make?  Do you think he wanted us to make disciples of St. John Lutheran Church?  Do you think he wants us to make disciples of Pastor Haug?  Of Christa?  Of Ralph?  Of Rick, or Debbie, or James?  Do you think Jesus wants disciples of WELCA or Lutheran Men in Mission?  No!  He wants people to follow Him!  He wants people to have Him enthroned in their hearts!  This church can’t give people what Jesus can!  We can’t give people what Jesus can!  We can only point the way to Jesus so that they can fall in love with Him!

And so we give glory to God.  We help people encounter God.  And you may ask, “Where can I find God? Where can I encounter Him and His love? Where can I point people so that they can encounter Him?  Where can we encounter God so that we reflect His glory just like Moses reflected His glory?”

And the answer my brothers and sisters is this: there are many places we can eventually encounter God, but if you want to meet Him and come to see His great love, look no further than the cross.  Look no further than the place where the God of this universe took your sin upon Himself and died for you.  Look no further than to the place where He loved you when you were unlovable.  Look no further than the place where He hung and said, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.”  Look no further than the place where Jesus emptied Himself so that you and I may be filled.  Look no further than the place where “sorrow and love flowed mingled down.  Did ere such love and sorrow meet, or thorns compose so rich a crown.”

For you see, my brothers and sisters, when you gaze upon the face of the one who died for you in your brokenness; when you look into His eyes and see His disappointment in your sin but also the depths of His loved; when you have your heart touched by Him, oh, oh you see that Jesus is the most beautiful; most awe inspiring; most wonderful thing that you can ever behold.  You long for Him to reveal Himself to you.  You beg like Moses begged, “Lord, show me your glory!”  And He does.  Yes, He does.  And when He shows you His glory, then that glory shines off of you.  It reflects off of you, and it draws people to Him.  And then they will say, “There is no way we can account for what we see here other than to say that God’s hand is at work.  There is no way we can account for the love, respect, care, and compassion that we see at work here.  These things just don’t happen in the world.  There must be something else at work. There must be something else that has brought these things to fruition.  There must be a power that is real and greater than anything we have ever seen.  There must be a God.” (Keller) This is the mark of a Christian.  This is the mark of a church–that it gives glory to God so that others are drawn to Him.  Amen.

Torn Apart and Put Back Together

I wrote this sermon on Tuesday morning of the week of Thanksgiving, and as I sat in my office, I reflected upon how my spirit felt torn by all the forces acting upon it this week.  I reflected upon how cultural forces were playing with my emotions and striving to exert power over me.  What do I mean?  Let me see if I can describe it to you, and let’s see if you can relate.

There was the ever present emotion of fear.  After the Paris bombings, the Mali hostage situation, the bombings in Lebanon, and other such events, the media has worked to tap into our deepest fears of having our family members or friends taken out by terrorists.  With repeated exposure to terrorist videos claiming that they will strike in our backyards and kill more people, there is a sense of fear that it could indeed happen.  I could lose my life.  I could see my family killed.  Am I safe anywhere?

And so I want to be safe.  I want my family to be safe.  I want protection.  And yet, because of my desire for safety, I have also a sense of guilt.  How so?  I see the images of Syrian refugees trying to escape their war-torn nation.  Mind you, ISIS has killed thousands of Muslims because they do not follow their way of Islam.  Thousands more are still threatened, and millions have left because they fear for their lives.  There are desperate men, women and children who are in need.  Who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and in prison.  Jesus is absolutely clear that when we serve ones such as these, we serve Him.  And yet, if we open our doors and serve and welcome, might we not invite terror into our backyards?  Will welcoming lessen our safety?  I feel guilty because I know we should help our neighbors in need, but I also want to be safe.

Oh, and I am just getting started.  Because it is the week of Thanksgiving.  It is the week we are supposed to stop and give thanks for the many blessings we have.  Most of us here this morning have a roof over our heads, food in our pantries, cars to drive, a few dollars in the bank, and clothes on our backs.  Because of this, we are wealthier than many in the world.  We have more than most in the world’s population.

And yet, I am inexplicably drawn to all the Black Friday ads.  I am inexplicably drawn to desire cheap goods and items.  I seem to have an insatiable desire for more.  Give thanks, absolutely, but the consumer driven; money-focused culture says, “You do not have enough.  Be thankful, but go get more.”

I want more, but then I am hit with Giving Tuesday which happens in a couple of days.  I get hit with solicitations from all these organizations that ask for my money.  The zoo.  The synod office.  My college.  My seminary.  Local charities.  National charities.  And I want to help. I want to give, but if I gave to every one of these things, I would be left with nothing.  How do I decide?  How do I avoid becoming paralyzed?  How do I give to one without feeling guilty about leaving another high and dry?

Oh, and I have yet to touch on the emotion of anger.  That one runs simmering beneath the surface.  It’s based in self-righteousness as I see greed running rampant and think about the news stories of people trampling each other to get stuff.  I get angry when friends on Facebook post things like, “If you vote for Donald Trump, unfriend me now because I no longer respect you as an intelligent and compassionate human being.”  I find the statement highly immature, and it angers me that friends would post it.  It angers me that two opposing forces in our society just can’t seem to get along, and each uncompromisingly points fingers, blames, and criticizes the other without looking at self. *Sigh.* And I realize that I am pointing the finger, blaming and criticizing as well.  I get angry with myself.

All of these things tear at my heart and soul, and not too long ago, I thought that the way to change things–the way to effectually bring about any sort of meaningful change of direction was to work my way up the ladder of society–to become more important–to become more influential–to gain status in the eyes of others so that people would listen to what I had to say; do what I told them to do; and make this world better because they believed I was right.  If I could just get enough power and status, then everything would be okay.  I wouldn’t have to be torn apart any longer.  I could have enough power to call the shots and no longer be bothered.

It’s not a fanciful dream.  In fact, I think most of us at some point buy into this train of thought.  I think in most of our lives, we think that the most effectual change we can bring is by rising the ranks, getting some power, and then exerting it for what we see as good.  Whether it’s monetary power or intellectual power, we want it; we crave it; our hearts thrive on it, and as we all vie for it, we trample on one another and tear each other apart.  If only there were another way...

Today, Jesus is leading His disciples to Jerusalem.  He is walking ahead of them, and as we look at the book of Mark, we know that Jesus is now focusing on His purpose–on His ultimate goal; a goal that will be revealed at the end of this snippet from the book of Mark.  But the disciples don’t know that goal yet.  The rest of the followers don’t know that goal yet.  They only know that Jesus is heading toward Jerusalem, and they are amazed and terrified.

There is no mystery to me why they are amazed and terrified.  They know that Jerusalem is the heart of power in ancient Israel.  They know that the Jewish religious authorities who have been seeking Jesus’ death are there.  They know that Rome’s procurator, Pontius Pilate is there.  They know the Messianic overtones of Jesus’ message, and if Jesus is heading that direction, things will be coming to a head shortly.  The Messiah is heading to claim His kingdom–indeed a cause for wonder and fear.

But Jesus reveals to His disciples that His kingdom will be attained in a much different manner than expected.  Jesus says, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”  I thought about what Jesus said here, and I thought about what comes next.  I thought of Jesus’ words about Jesus saying that he would be condemned, mocked, spit upon, flogged and killed.  I think that the disciples had very selective hearing.  I think that they only heard Jesus’ last few words–“after three days, he will rise again.”  I think the thought of Jesus being condemned, beaten, spit upon and killed was so foreign to the thought of the Jewish Messiah, that the disciples just couldn’t hear it.  They couldn’t grasp it.  They didn’t want to hear it–much like a guy sitting on the couch watching a football game never hears his wife yell out, “Take out the trash!”  All the guy on the couch can hear is, “Enjoy the game.  Do you need another beer?”  All the disciples could hear was, “The Messiah will rise again!”

This is the only explanation that I can come up with for what happens next when James and John come up to Jesus and say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”  As a parent, I shake my head at this request.  I mean, have you ever had a kid come up to you and say, “I’m going to ask you something, so just say, ‘Yes.’” My response is exactly what Jesus says, “What do you want?”  My kids are usually a little more persistent.  They usually say, “Daddy, just say yes.”  I say, “I don’t think so, not until you tell me what you want.”  James and John aren’t that persistent, they simply lay it out there.

‘Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.’

Let me stop right here and read to you what Mark Edwards says in his commentary about this exchange so far.  Edwards says, “Jesus asks the brothers, “What do you want me to do for you?”  The answer to that question, not only in the case of the Zebedee brothers but in ours as well, lays bare our true motives, revealing whether we seek our own glory or the glory of God.”

The real question here is whether James and John are seeking God’s glory or are seeking their own.  I mean, they acknowledge that Jesus is the King.  They acknowledge that He is the one at the center and on the throne.  This is a good thing.  We all should do this.  But there is no doubt that they want to be second and third in command.  Are they wanting Jesus to be first so that they can be second and third?  Are they wanting Jesus to rise to power so that they can get power themselves?  Do they only want Jesus to ascend because without Him they wouldn’t get anything at all?  Oh, these are some good questions because they delve to the heart of not only James’ and John’s motivations, but they delve to the bottom of our motivations as well.

Mark indicates that the motivations are not completely pure.  Jesus initially responds by asking James and John, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”  Commentaries differ on exactly what the cup is and the baptism is.  All believe it is tied in some form and fashion to suffering–even death.  James and John apparently don’t get it and are rather brash in their response.  “We can,” they tell Jesus.

Jesus wryly responds, “Oh, you will.  Yes, you will drink that cup and be baptized with that baptism, but I can’t promise you any particular place.  That is only for my Father to decide.”  Once again, Jesus shows His humility in His role.  He knows that His Father decides such matters, and He graciously defers to the Father.

And here is why I think James’ and John’s motivations weren’t all that pure. When the rest of the disciples hear about what they asked, the disciples get very, very angry.  My guess is they got angry because James and John beat them to the punch.  James and John asked before they were able.  They wanted those positions.  They coveted them.  Jesus’ previous messages about the Kingdom of God were completely lost upon them.  Therefore, Jesus has to bring them back one more time.

“You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”

Jesus turns the world on its head.  Jesus teaches once again the great reversal of the Kingdom, and He does so by twisting the hearts of His followers.  He reveals to them their hypocrisy.  Jesus points them to the rulers of the Gentiles–in this case, it was Caesar.  The Jews had nothing but contempt for Caesar because Caesar believed himself to be divine.  The Jews ridiculed Caesar for claiming such power and prestige–yet, the disciples are trying to obtain that same power and prestige.  And they are trying to piggyback off of Jesus to get it!!  Think about that for a moment.  The disciples are trying to get power and prestige by using their relationship with Jesus!!  That’s about the highest form of dishonor one could give.  Again to quote Edwards, “How easily worship and discipleship are blended with self-interest; or worse, self-interest is masked as worship and discipleship.”

“How easily worship and discipleship are blended with self-interest; or worse, self-interest is masked as worship and discipleship.”

It is the story of our lives as well.  It is the story of all of our thoughts to climb the ladders of status, wealth, and privilege.  It is the story of what we wish to achieve.  “Let me achieve power, and I promise to set everything straight.  I promise to make people get along.  I promise to bring our enemies into submission.  I promise to make you safe and secure.  Let me have all this power, and I’ll make it happen.  I will follow you Jesus.  I will prove myself to you, Jesus.  Reward me, and I will then use that reward to do a lot of good.”

And Jesus sums it all up with His mission.  Jesus shows the alternative with His calling.  “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Walter Wessel in his commentary says the following:

Every part of verse 45 is important.  “Son of Man is the veiled messianic title Jesus often uses of himself.  “Did not come to be served but to serve” describes his incarnate life.  He did not come as a potentate whose every personal whim was to be catered to by groveling servants, but he came as a servant himself.  And his coming issued in giving “his life as a ransom for many.” ...The entire phrase “to give his life a ransom for many” emphasizes the substitutionary element in Jesus’ death.  He takes the place of many.  What should have happened to them happened to him instead.

It would take me quite a while to unpack the implications of this statement, so please know that in the next few minutes, you are getting the short stick.  But at least that short stick leads us straight to the cross.  For it is on the cross that Jesus drank a cup that the disciples could not drink.  He was baptized with a baptism the disciples could not be baptized with.  He drank the cup of the wrath of God as it was poured out–a cup that in the Old Testament was always poured out against those who had sinned.

But Jesus never sinned.  Jesus was never in bondage to sin as we are in bondage to all the things that tug on our hearts.  Jesus never was captive to fear and anger and anxiety or greed or the like.  Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live, and He freely gave Himself to take our place.  He paid the price for our redemption so that we might be free.

But how does Jesus payment of our ransom make us free?  How does Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross release us from all those things that I said grabbed my heart earlier?  Here is how.

I want you to think back to a time when you felt greatly loved.  I want you to think back to a moment when you felt that someone poured out themselves for you.  I want you to think about a time when you received a gift of love that you believed you didn’t deserve.  Remember what that did to you inside.  Remember what it did to your heart.  Did you feel any fear at that moment?  Did you feel any anger at that time?  Did you have any worry?  Did you feel any animosity toward anyone at all?  Did you want everyone to serve you?  No.  No you didn’t.  All you sensed was a tremendous love that freed you from all fear, anxiety, worry, anger, and the like.  And all you could think about was trying to love in response.  All you could think about was sharing that moment and thanking the one who showered you with such love.

When you focus on what Jesus did for you; when you understand that on the cross He was taking your place and paying the cost to set you free; when you understand His love, this is what begins to change your heart on a daily basis.  The powers of greed, status, wealth, and privilege begin to wane.  Fear begins to retreat, and a sense of fullness; well-being; love and adoration take its place.  You begin to love with humility and graciousness because of the God who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but to save the world.  And when you remember that Jesus came to save the world, when you trust in His promise, you are no longer torn apart.  You are made whole.  Amen.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

    Today we arrive at one of those teachings that makes some of us squirm.  Jesus teaches on divorce, and in reality on the topic of marriage.  This is a pertinent topic for our society and culture as only a few short months ago, the Supreme Court declared that gay couples have the right to marry in our nation.  This caused no shortage of angst amongst some folks, especially those of us who believe marriage is a relationship ordained by God between a man and a woman. 

    Critics of our position rightly pointed out that the Christian faith draws a sharp line about divorce, and they ask, “Well, if you Christians are so dead set against gay marriage, why aren’t you speaking out as loudly about divorce?”  Furthermore, those critics also pointed out that just as many Christians get divorced as any other particular religious or philosophical group.  So why, if this is the case–if we disregard or lessen this teaching on divorce–are we up in such arms about gay marriage?  Now, I am not going to argue about gay marriage this morning.  I want to deal with these legitimate questions that confronts us regarding divorce.  It confronts our hypocrisy regarding our faith, and it also gives us an avenue to confront the true issue behind why marriages break up.  Parts of the trip are not pleasant, but it is a trip that I think we are called to travel.

    For you see, the temptation for any preacher when this text appears is to soften Jesus’ words.  The temptation is to explain away what Jesus says to make everyone feel comfortable.  Why?  Well, you know why as do I.  In this room this morning, not a single one of us has escaped the reality of divorce.  Some of you have gone through a divorce and are remarried.  Some of you have loved ones who are near and dear to you who have divorced.  Some of you have good friends who have divorced as well.  You hear Jesus’ words, “Whoever divorces and remarried commits adultery,” and you say, “Is that really the case?  Am I...are my friends...are my parents really committing adultery?”  If you ask me that question directly, and I am afraid you will leave the church because of my answer, I, as a clergy, am often tempted to do what Dietrich Bonhoeffer says in his book The Cost of Discipleship.  Bonhoeffer criticizes the church and says that we are all to ready to justify the sin instead of proclaim the justification of the sinner.  Now, what does that mean.  Just this: there is bad news.  If you divorce and remarry, you are committing adultery.  But there is good news: you are forgiven.  There is no softening Jesus’ words.  He spoke them for a reason, and I hope that once you see what that reason is, you will understand.  Let’s turn to the text.

    We begin with the Pharisees coming to Jesus to trap him.  The Pharisees don’t like Jesus.  They want Him silenced.  They actually want Jesus dead.  This is obvious by the question they ask Him about divorce because of the location of the question.  Jesus and His disciples are in the region of Perea.  This was the region controlled by Herod Antipas.  What is significant about this?  Well, if you remember Mark chapter six, there was that “wonderful” story about John the Baptist being beheaded. Why was John beheaded?  Because John dared to criticize Herod Antipas because he stole his brother’s wife Herodias and they were living in an adulterous and incestuous relationship.  John angered Herod Antipas and especially Herodias, and she simply bided her time until she was able to have John killed.  By raising this issue in this territory, the Pharisees were hoping word would get to Herod Antipas about Jesus, and Herod would silence Jesus once and for all. 

    But Jesus is the ultimate master of debate.  He is the master at outwitting traps, and Jesus maneuvers perfectly as He answers the Pharisees’ question with a question.  “What does Moses command you?”

    Craig Evans in his commentary on this text says this, “For the Jewish people, at least for those who were Torah observant, appeal to the commandments of Moses was an appeal to the highest authority on any question.”  This is a master stroke by Jesus because Jesus is calling the Pharisees–who were staunch defenders of the commands of Moses, to delve into Scripture.  He is making them answer the question from their own source of authority.

    They reply, “Moses allows us to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss our wife.”  The Pharisees are absolutely accurate in this comment.  In Deuteronomy 24, permission is given for a husband to divorce his wife.  The text reads, “Suppose a man enters into marriage with a woman, but she does not please him because he finds something objectionable about her, and so he writes her a certificate of divorce, puts it in her hand, and sends her out of his house; she then leaves his house 2and goes off to become another man’s wife.”  There is more in this text, but I will not read the entire portion here.  It would get too long.  What I hope you can see is that in the Scriptures, there are grounds for divorce to take place.  The Pharisees knew this.  Jesus knew this. So why did they ask the question?

    Walter Wessel points this out in his commentary on this text, “The crucial words are “something indecent.”  What did that include?  The school of Shammai, the stricter of the schools, understood these words to mean something morally indecent, in particular, adultery.  The school of Hillel interpreted these words much more freely.  Just about anything in a wife that a husband did not find to his liking was suitable grounds for divorce.  Even if she burned his food!  So where did Jesus stand in this?  That was their question.”

    Jesus doesn’t get caught up in this debate, however.  Jesus drives much deeper.  Jesus takes the Pharisees back to the first principles–to the creation of humankind.  As Craig Evans once again says, “Jesus sidesteps these options and instead challenges the hermeneutical assumption that because something is “permitted” it is therefore according to the will of God.”  What is God’s will for marraige?

    Jesus quotes Genesis chapter 2, “6But from the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” 7“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.’ 

    Why is this text so significant?  It is because of the Jewish understanding of God.  God was seen as the ultimate being–a being who was whole, who was complete.  If you remember the story of man and woman and how they became partners, God said that it was not good for man to be alone.  Therefore, God began creating and bringing all the animals to man to find one who was suitable to be a partner.  None were found suitable, so God caused the man to fall asleep, took out one of man’s ribs, and formed woman.  Man was no longer whole.  Part of him was gone.  Woman was not whole because she was taken out of man.  Neither could be whole and complete in and of themselves.  It was only when they joined together–when they became one flesh, that they were once again whole and closer to God.  So, if a divorce occurs, it is not simply two complete individuals going their separate ways.  No.  There is a literal tearing of flesh.  There is a breaking of that which was once whole.  This wholeness does not come about by the actions of people, but it is something that God does.  Jesus points that out in His commentary.  “What God has joined together, let no one separate!”

    There is quite a bit of significance to this.  Mark Edwards says this in his commentary, “The greatest difference between Jesus and the rabbis, however, is this: by giving a husband principal control over his wife, the Jewish divorce policy made the man the lord of the marital relationship.  According to Jesus, however, it is neither man nor woman who controls marriage, but rather God, who is the Lord of marriage.: “what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

    The disciples were apparently perplexed about this teaching, so as was their custom, they asked Jesus about it later in private.  Jesus pulls no punches.  Jesus wastes no time.  Jesus teaches plainly and straightforwardly, “‘Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.’

    There is a lot to be said here, a lot.  But first, let’s quote Walter Wessel again because there is something happening in Jesus’ teaching that makes perfect sense to us, but would have been shocking in His day.  Wessel says, “Jesus did what the rabbis refused to do: he recognized that a man could commit adultery against his wife.  In rabbinic Judaism a woman by infidelity could commit adultery against her husband; and a man, by having sexual relations with another man’s wife, could commit adultery against him.  But a man could never commit adultery against his wife, no matter what he did.  Jesus, by putting the husband under the same moral obligation as the wife, raised the status and dignity of women.”  Jesus places a co-equal share on both men and women in marriage.  Jesus gives rights to women that they didn’t have in the Jewish culture.  It’s quite astounding.

    But that doesn’t get to the heart of the question that perhaps many of you have.  Is it really adultery?  Yes, it is.  Sorry, I’m not going to make you feel good about it.  I’m not going to soften Jesus’ teaching.  He isn’t beating around the bush, and neither will I.  But, I will tell you this.  Those of you who are divorced and remarried are the only adulterers in this room.  You see, I am standing here this morning guilty of committing adultery as well.  No. I am not, nor did I have an affair with someone, but none-the-less, I am guilty of adultery. 

    If you will permit me just a moment, I will read to you Matthew chapter 5 verses 27-28, “You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” 28But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  Yep, I am guilty.  I am also guilty of murder.  Again from Matthew chapter 5, “‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” 22But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire.”  Yep, I am guilty of that one too.

    And I’m not going to try to justify myself or soften these teachings either.  Christianity is not about justifying the sin.  Christianity is about justifying the sinner. What do I mean by that.

    Let me quote to you what N.T. Wright said about this passage from Mark on divorce.  Let me literally try to get at the heart of the matter in what Wright says:

    Jesus comment on the Mosaic permission is important as a clue to what he thought was going on in his own ministry.  ‘Moses gave you this rule because of your hardheartedness’; in other words, Israel in Moses’ day was not able to fulfill the creator’s intention, and needed laws that would reflect that second-best reality.  Hardheartedness, the inability (to use our version of the same metaphor) to have one’s heart in tune with to God’s best intention and plan, thwarted God’s longing that Israel should be the prototype of renewed humanity.  The problem was not with the ideal, nor with the law, but with the people: Israel was, when it all came down to it, just like everybody else.  Hardhearted.  Eager to take the precious gift of genuine humanness and exploit or abuse it.

    But this means that, for Jesus’ comment to make sense, he must be offering a cure for hardheartedness.  If he is now articulating a rigorous return to the standard of Genesis, to God’s original intention, he is either being hopelessly idealistic or he believes that the coming of the kingdom will bring about a way for hearts to be softened.

    The problem with divorce and adultery and murder and all sin is a hardness of heart.  It’s our selfish nature coming back to haunt us.  Divorce happens because one or both parties in marriage become self-serving and selfish.  The relationship becomes all about that person and fulfilling that person’s needs often to the detriment of their partner.  Selfishness consumes a person sometimes to the point where abuse takes place, and in such cases, I have even counseled people to get out of that marriage!!  God does not intend for you to be consumed by a selfish, abusive partner!! 

    But God does intend for hearts to be changed.  God does intend for marriages to last.  God does not desire divorce.  God wants marriages to last until death do us part, and in order for that to happen, something has to cure our hard-heartedness.

    Christianity proclaims that this something is the Gospel.  The Gospel softens our hearts because the Gospel says, “Jesus died for you when you didn’t deserve it.  Jesus died for you and took your place on the cross when you were Jesus’ enemy.  Jesus took punishment that you deserved and cried out that you may be forgiven.”

    You know as well as I do that whenever someone does something for you that you know that you don’t deserve, it cuts you to the core.  You know as well as I do that when someone gives you a gift or shows you compassion that you don’t deserve, it makes you feel both guilty and loved at the same time.  You know you don’t deserve it, so you feel guilty, but you also feel deeply loved and appreciated because someone did such a thing for you.  Take that instance in your life and multiply it on a cosmic scale.  Multiply it with the significance of eternal life on the line.  Add up all the times you were selfish and acted in your own self-interest and did all the things you wanted to do instead of acting for others, on behalf of others or simply doing the right thing.  Know that all that burden has been erased by the God who took on human flesh and sacrificed Himself for you because He loves you.

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

    This is what Jesus has accomplished for you.  This is the cure for the disease of hard heartedness.  And when this sinks down into the depths of your soul, you know it’s power.  You know its ability to keep you humble.  You know it softens your own heart. 

    Yes, you and I are living in sin.  We live in sin every day.  We are failures.  We are adulterers.  We are murderers.  We are broken, failures.  But we are loved with a love which surpasses all of these things.  Our sins are not justified, but we are justified sinners because of the cross of Christ.  Amen.

This is Most Certainly True

    We do not know how to wrestle with Truth.
   
Why would I say such a thing?
   
I am going to go back a few years to 9/11 when radical Islamists hijacked four airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentegon, and intended to crash into the capitol building.  Initially, we came together as a nation to recognize this attack against us, but then we began disagreeing, sometimes vehemently, on how to respond.  There was a particular struggle in how to handle religious ideology –especially in trying to deal with a religious sect that believed it had the absolute Truth and used that belief to justify the killing of innocent people.

    There were two basic responses to this.  Fortunately, most people know that both responses in and of themselves are inadequate, but we have yet to find a happy medium–if such a thing is even possible.  Why would I say that?  Let me begin to define the problem as I see it.

    As we began to delve into the psyche of those who hijacked the planes, we began to focus on their absolute certainty in their beliefs about God.  We reasoned, “If they wouldn’t have been so absolutely certain, they would have been more humble.  They would have known that flying those planes into those buildings was wrong.  All those people would not have been killed if religious nuts wouldn’t be so certain of their beliefs and try to force them on everyone else.” 

    And so, there has been a concerted effort among some to question anyone who has certainty in his or her religious convictions.  Certainty is the enemy in no uncertain terms, and if anyone espouses certainty, then that person is close minded, arrogant, a fanatic, exclusive, or whatever derogatory term you wish to apply.  Now, there are a couple of problems with these trains of thought.

    First is the premise.  Does certainty necessarily cause people to kill others?  Does believing in God with absolute conviction necessarily lead a person to commit atrocities?  The answer, of course, is no.  As Timothy Keller once reported in his book Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, “You never hear of an Amish terrorist.”  Why?  Because the Amish believe uncompromisingly that God commands them to be non-violent.  Their firm religious conviction leads them to be passivist.  So, it’s not religious certainty that leads someone to kill others in the name of faith, there must be something else.  We will get to that in just a moment.

    The second problem with a war on certainty is that it is logically impossible.  You may wonder what I mean by that.  Just this: the next time someone comes up to you and says, “We cannot be certain about anything.”  Ask them, “Are you certain about that?”  Do you see the problem?  Even if someone wants to narrow it down and say, “We can never be certain about any claims about religion.”  Well, you have just made a truth claim about religious belief.  How can you say with certainty that we can have no certainty?  The statement is self-defeating.  Everyone believes they know something.  Everyone has to have some sort of certainty in order to simply function.  It is a requirement.

   Thirdly, can you imagine anyone preaching a sermon with no certainty?  Can you imagine what it would be like for someone to get up in front of a group of people and basically say, "Well IF God exists--now, we don't know for sure.  Maybe there is a God, maybe there isn't.--then maybe that God is good.  Again, maybe God is evil, but perhaps God is love.  And IF that God is love, then maybe, just maybe that God wants us to care for each other, but we really don't know what that God wants if God even exists.  But it might be a good idea to care for each other anyway.  I can't tell you that for certain, but it might be a good idea."  Yeah, how many of you would stick around for that kind of sermon?  Certainty is necessary. Even in religious belief.

    But if certainty is necessary, then why did religious fanatics hijack planes and kill people?  Why do some “Christians” picket funerals of military personnel and cause extra grief for families?  Why do some people of religious persuasion have a holier-than-thou demeanor and look down their noses at others?

    It’s not because of certainty.  It’s because of self-righteousness.  It’s because they believe they are better than other people.  It’s because they believe they are able to follow the tenets of a particular religion, and they believe everyone else should be able to accomplish what they accomplish.  They believe their performance makes them righteous before God, and “if I can do it, everyone else should be doing it too.”  And if they are not doing it, “then they are of less value than myself.  They are destined to hell.  They deserve punishment.”  You see, it’s not certainty that leads to the demeaning and killing of others, it is self-righteousness. 

    And so, we have these two extremes: we have those who don’t want any certainty, and they are convinced that the world would be better if no one had any convictions; and we have those who are consumed with the certainty that they are righteous and everyone else needs to get with the program.  And the reality is, there are many of us who actually jump between these two poles depending upon the circumstances.  If we don’t like something that someone tries to tell us about faith, we are happy to say, “No one can be certain.”  However, if we want others to fall into line with our own train of thought, we will gladly say, “God is (fill in the blank)...”  In some ways, we are either too open, too closed, or we gladly jump between the two extremes to suit our own agendas.

    You may be wondering just what this has to do with our Gospel lesson from the seventh chapter of the book of Mark.  Perhaps it is time to turn to that now.

    Jesus has an encounter with a man who is deaf and who has a speech impediment.  Jesus is in the midst of a journey through Gentile territory when they– bring to Jesus a man who is deaf and “mogilalon.”  Now I know that sounded strange.  I gave you the Greek word for a speech impediment, because it is an important word.  It is only used once in the entire New Testament–right here by Mark.  And there is a very important reason Mark uses this particular word. 

    It is the same word used in Isaiah chapter 35:6.  I’m going to turn to Isaiah 35 now and read verses four to six to you so that you can see what is going on here.  “4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear!  Here is your God.  He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.  He will come and save you.’  5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the “mogilalos” the speechless sing for joy.”

    Mark is unequivocally tying Jesus encounter with this mogilalon to the promised coming of God in Isaiah 35.  Mark is showing us, once again, that this Jesus is the promised One–the promised Messiah–God Himself coming to earth.  And what Jesus does here to this deaf, mogilalon, speech impediment bound man is nothing short of amazing as He offers extreme compassion.

    First, Jesus takes the man aside.  I want you to contemplate this for just a moment as we remember what it would be like for this man given the culture he was in.  For you see, they didn’t have special places to care for those who were deaf and unable to speak in those days.  They didn’t have sign language.  They didn’t see people in such conditions as contributing members of society who had worth and value.  Most folks who were suffering from disabilities were outcasts; mocked; degraded; seen as burdens to the rest of people; contemptuous.  This guy could see, but he would never have been able to hear the insults thrown his way.  He would not be able to understand people’s contempt or hatred.  If he entered Jewish territory, there was then a whole other layer to contend with: for most of the Jewish religious authorities believed that if you suffered with such a malady, then you were under the curse of God. 

    So, Jesus, God incarnate, takes this man aside–away from the crowd and gives him His full attention.  Imagine being a Jew who was hearing this story.  Here is a man who would be seen under God’s curse standing before God with a private audience.  What was God going to do with this cursed individual?  What was God going to do with this man who was an outcast; on the fringes; who was looked down upon and seen as contemptuous?

    As we read through the text, we might think that Jesus is a bit gross, but as I heard in more than one sermon this past week, Jesus is doing something quite amazing.  He is communicating with this deaf, tongue tied man in his own form of sign language.  Jesus puts His fingers in the man’s ears as if to say, “I know your ears do not work.”  Jesus spits on the man’s tongue. “I know your tongue is tied.”  Jesus looks us to heaven.  “God knows your bondage.”  Jesus sighs deeply.  “I am praying to God.”  Then Jesus says, “Ephphatha” which in Aramaic means, “be opened.”  I am sure the man saw Jesus’ lips move.  He had no idea what Jesus said, but he could not mistake the meaning of the word for immediately after Jesus’ lips moved, the man’s ears were opened, and the chains fell off his tongue.  That’s the imagery Mark uses.  The man’s ears were opened and the chains fell off his tongue.  Mark’s imagery here is beautiful.  Jesus reaches out to one who was shunned.  Jesus brings him into a special place alone.  Jesus communicates with the man and shows the man He understands his problems, and Jesus heals the man and restores him to community.

    Jesus’ healing causes quite the stir, but Jesus’ response is quite intriguing.  Jesus tells everyone keep things quiet.  Don’t talk about what I have done.  But the crowd, the man who was just healed kept talking.  Jesus said, “Hush!”  Everyone talked louder.  They proclaimed, “He has done everything well!!”  Jesus said, “Quiet!!” to no avail.  Why would Jesus tell them to hush?  Why would He tell everyone to keep it under wraps?

    The best answer I came across was this: Jesus didn’t want everyone focused on Him simply being a miracle worker.  Jesus didn’t want everyone to think that He was simply here to take away people’s pain and suffering.  Jesus didn’t want everyone just to see Him as the fixer upper of a person’s personal life.  No.  Jesus was much more than that.  Jesus was not here simply to fix all of our problems and make our lives perfect.  Jesus was not here to give us a comfortable position in all that we encountered.  Jesus was about restoration.  Jesus was about mending the relationship between humankind and God–a relationship broken by our hardened hearts, our self-righteous behavior, and our desire to submit ourselves to no authority but our own.  Jesus did not come to simply open ears and tongues, but open hearts to redemption.

    And so we return to the problems of self-righteousness and uncertainty.  We return to them because these are both ways of hardened hearts.  These are both ways of selfish behavior.  I become self-righteous when I think I can follow all of the commands of God–particularly the one’s I like.  I impose those beliefs on others because they should do what I do and be like me.  Oh, but if I am confronted by another’s beliefs in God or in what they think I should do, I will respond, “No one can know for certain God’s will or mind.”  At the heart of this problem is a hardened heart–a closed heart–a heart that is closed in on itself. 

    How does Jesus open such a heart?  How does Jesus change such a heart?  What language does He speak to us to help us see our problem?

    First, He speaks by living the life we were supposed to live.  He reveals to us our own failure to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength.  Jesus reveals to us our inability to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Jesus does all these things well.  He does them perfectly.  He shows us the depths of our own sin.  Just like last week with the Syrophonecian woman, Jesus challenges us and shows us we deserve nothing for our selfish behavior.  Jesus becomes perfectly righteous, putting us all to shame.

    And then, revealing to us that He knows our condition–He knows our selfishness; He knows our shame; He knows our separation from God–He understands our inability to reconcile ourselves unto God, it is He who stretches out His hands and allows nails to be placed in them.  He sheds His precious blood as He hangs from the cross.  He looks heavenward and with a deep breath cries aloud, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!”  In that moment, Jesus experienced the wrath and separation from God that you and I were meant to feel.  He experienced God’s silence as He suffered.  He bore the weight of our sin when we least deserved it.  He poured out His love while we were sinners restoring us to God.

    And because of Jesus’ actions, we have complete certainty about two things: number one we are sinful and unrighteous on our own.  We cannot look down our nose at anyone because we all fall short of the glory of God.  We cannot look at another with contempt and hatred because we deserve contempt and hatred.  We cannot kill another for a lack of believing because we lacked faith and trust in God ourselves as we trusted in our own works.  This should make us hang our heads in shame.  But that leads us to the second thing we can be certain about: that God loves us more than we can imagine.  For the Author and creator of the universe was willing to die on our behalf.  He was willing to die for us when we least deserved it.  He was willing to give of Himself to pay for our transgressions. 

    And when you hold onto these two certainties. When you hold them in dynamic tension: that you are undeserving and loved; when you are a failure yet accepted, then your heart is opened too.  Not because of what you do, but because of sheer grace.  A grace rooted in the Gospel:

    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.  This is most certainly true.  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.

The Seed Grows

    Let me begin this morning by setting the stage for what is happening in our Gospel lesson from the book of Mark.  I have said before that I believe Mark is a brilliant writer and story teller and that he places things in his gospel for a particular reason.  Such is the case with our lesson today.  Just prior to this account of Jesus’ calming the wind and waves, Jesus was teaching people from this boat as they gathered to hear Him preach.  Jesus said the following:

    ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’  30 He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’  Mark then informs us that Jesus taught the crowd with such parables, but when He and His disciples were alone, Jesus would teach them in more detail.  After informing us of this, Mark delves straight into a demonstration of Jesus’ power, but I would like to argue this morning this is less a demonstration about Jesus’ power and more about who He is.

    Mark begins by telling us that Jesus tells His disciples that they need to go across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  The phrasing of Mark here indicates that they did not stop for provision.  They did not go ashore to stretch their legs.  They didn’t take too much time to check the weather.  They took Jesus “just as He was.”  Other boats were with them as they began their trek across the waters.

    Now, for a little bit of detail about the Sea of Galilee.  It’s a body of water that rests over 600 feet below sea level.  It is thirteen miles long and eight miles wide.  It has a mountain range on one side, and it is prone to sudden and violent storms.  You see, winds oftentimes rush down the mountainsides and wreck havoc on boaters even today.  There is very much precedent for the kind of storm Jesus and His disciples were to experience, but we will get to this in just a moment.  For now, we need to turn our attention to Jesus Himself. 

    For, you see, in this little snippet, we get a very real sense of the human side of Jesus.  For it is the only time in the whole Bible we hear of Jesus sleeping.  He had spent the entire day teaching; healing; forgiving sins and the like.  Perhaps some of you here this morning have worked so hard that you could not keep your eyes open.  Perhaps some of you have engaged in activities to the point where you crash out and you wake up unbelieving that you have slept so long and so hard.  Perhaps some of you have been so tired that you fell asleep at two or three in the afternoon and then suddenly woke the next morning realizing you have slept for thirteen, fourteen, or even fifteen hours.  This is the kind of tired Jesus is experiencing.  He is wiped out.  Completely and totally.  How wiped out is He?  Mark gives us the details.

    You see, one of those sudden storms that I spoke of earlier hits the disciples as they are crossing the Sea of Galilee.  It’s not a little storm.  Not in the least.  Mark records that the boat is being swamped!  This means the waves are breaking over the top of the boat and soaking everyone inside it.  Now, this fishing boat was approximately 26 feet long.  It could hold about 15 people.  They did not have any sort of cover on it.  There was no below deck or anything of the sort.  Jesus is lying in the front of the boat on a cushion.  He is exposed to the weather.  He is having waves crash over Him, and He is not waking up.  Think about that.  When is the last time you were splashed by water while you were sleeping and you didn’t wake up?  Probably never.  Yet, Jesus is so tired.  He is so desperately weary, that He doesn’t wake up.

    And this ticks off the disciples.  Yes, you heard me correctly, this ticks off the disciples.  You see, the disciples know they are in trouble.  This is no small detail according to Mark.  I mean, we know that several of the disciples are experienced fishermen.  They have been in boats all of their lives.  They know how to handle these boats backward and forward.  They know all the tricks of the trade.  They know how to survive.  And even these disciples are afraid.  Even these disciples know that if something doesn’t occur to change what is going on around them, they will die.  At least they have the sense to go to Jesus.

    But they approach Jesus in rather brutish fashion.  “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  Let me quote to you one of the commentaries I consulted this week regarding this statement.  “Matthew 8:25 softens the reproach to a prayer, and Luke 8:24 to a plea for help.  The rudeness of Mark’s wording reflects the way frustrated and desperate people speak and is probably a verbatim reminiscence of the disciples’ response in the crisis.”  It’s telling that later writers–who probably consulted the book of Mark–softened this particular rebuke of the disciples’. 

    It’s not surprising, however.  Remember how I said earlier, this story is not so much about the disciples as it is about Jesus.  And the disciples had been around Jesus.  They had seen Him heal the sick.  They had seen Him cast out demons.  They had seen Him perform amazing acts of power and release people from trials and tribulations.  He had done all this stuff for complete strangers, and now, the very people who Jesus Himself had called to be His followers were in grave danger.  The very people Jesus had entrusted to the explanation of the parables and His teachings were in very real danger of drowning and dying.  And what was Jesus doing?  How was Jesus facing this terrible storm?  By sleeping.  This just wasn’t right.  Something had to be done.  “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

    How many times do we find ourselves just like those disciples?  How many times do we find ourselves looking heavenward and saying, “Don’t you care?”  We look around this world and see people who reap blessing upon blessing.  We look around and see people who do not go to church; who do not pray; who do not study the Bible; we see these folks reap benefits.  They seem to capture special blessings of God; but those of us who are involved in church and who strive to do the right things get caught up in storms.  I know many of those storms you face: whether it is grief at losing a loved one; whether it is battling cancer or dealing with a loved one who has serious disease; whether it is struggling with a relationship that has gone south; whether it is facing a shortage of money in your household; these are just some of the storms we all face, and our temptation is to look to God and say, “Don’t you care?  Are you asleep?  We are dying here?  Won’t you do anything?”

    And Jesus, after awaking rebukes the wind and the waves.  He says, “Peace, be still,” and there is a dead calm.  Now, mind you, when winds die down after a storm, the waves still beat back and forth until their energy is used up.  Both wind and wave do not normally cease at once, yet this is exactly what Mark tells us happens.  And it causes a great amount of awe to fall upon the disciples–an awe that is rammed home by Jesus’ words to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

    That question at the end is a bit of a rhetorical one because Jesus has just shown who He is.  How so?  I would like to take you back in time–way back in time–to the very beginning of time.  Hear now the words of Genesis chapter one: In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

    I am not going to read any further because the scene becomes repetitive.  Over and over God speaks into existence the world.  By the command of His voice, all things come into being.  By the command of His voice, the chaos of water and wind and darkness is transformed into the order of creation, and now, Jesus standing in a fishing boat with a command of His voice stills the chaos of water and wind in the midst of the darkness once again.  Who is this?  This is God incarnate.  This is the One who is fully divine and fully human; who becomes so tired that He sleeps through crashing waves and who is so powerful that He stills the storm with a few words.  This is Jesus, our Lord and our Savior who is unleashing the Kingdom of God–a Kingdom that began small, the tiniest of seeds that is now growing into a huge bush.

    But, wait, you might say.  I see what Mark is trying to convey in this story, but what does this have to do with me?  What does this have to do with the storms in my life?  Let me ask you the same questions Jesus asked His disciples: “Why are you so afraid?  Do you still have such little faith?”  Or, do you have such little trust? which is probably a better interpretation       

    Why would I say such a thing?  Why would I seem so callous to your inquiry?  Let me ask you this–Do you not realize what Jesus has promised you?  Do you not realize what Jesus came to the earth to accomplish?

    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, the storms you face in life are hard.  They are rough, but they are nothing compared to the storm you would face without Christ.  For we are all in the same boat as far as our relationship with God.  We all fall short.  We all miss the mark.  We all act in selfishness and self-centeredness.  I am no better than you.  You are no better than me.  We are no better than the guy who walked into the AME Church in South Carolina and massacred church goers.  We desire to be in charge and in control, and deep down, we know we do not even measure up to the standards to which we hold others.  We are tremendous hypocrites.  Deep down, I think we all know this, and if there is a Judge over the universe, we know that if we were to ever appear before Him, we would stand condemned.  We would face the ultimate storm of that Judge’s wrath.

    And we would face that wrath if it were not for the one who faced that storm for us.  We would face the horrible prospect of the wrath of God if it were not for the God incarnate, Jesus Christ, who faced that wrath in our stead–who upon the cross cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?!” as He felt that storm.  But after facing it–after going through the storm of death and God’s wrath, He was raised to new life.  He was resurrected as the first fruit of a new creation–of a new heaven and earth; of a new Kingdom–a Kingdom that you and I have been invited to join through the blood of Jesus.  When we place our trust in Jesus and what He accomplished on the cross, we know our ultimate destination, and we have little to fear.

    If you trust that you are traveling with Jesus, then whatever storms assail you, you can rest assured–He has been there.  He has faced the ultimate storm.  He loves you and will never desert you.  As Martin Luther wrote in his famous hymn, “Were they to take our house, goods, honor, child or spouse.  Though life be wrenched away, they cannot win the day.  The Kingdom is ours forever!”  That kingdom begins like a mustard seed deep within your heart, and it grows as you place more and more of your trust in it.  And when you realize that Jesus is the incarnate God who died to save you when you were still a sinner, you will have peace in your storms.  Amen. 

Pat Robertson, Texas Floods, and the Why Question

Okay,  I know Pat Robertson really didn't say he was stuck in a quandary trying to figure out why God sent flooding to my home state.  Snopes is a wonderful tool to help wade through some of the garbage which surfaces on the www.   But Robertson and others have, in their history, made comments about natural disasters and God's wrath being administered through those disasters.  There are those who both cheer and jeer such pronouncements, and with good reason.

At the heart of such matters is the question of why such disasters happen.  From a atheistic perspective, the question is irrelevant.  Such flooding is simply part of the way the world works.  There is no rhyme or reason for the randomness.  It just happens.  Deal with it.  Cope with it.  Get over it.  If you lost loved ones or property, grieve--we will help you get back on your feet, but don't ask about any greater purpose or reason behind such matters.  There is none.  This answer is satisfactory for some.

For people of faith, the rejection of a "why" answer is not satisfactory.  We wrestle with the nature of such events.  We want to know if there is a purpose behind them. We want to know whether or not hope springs eternal.  For in the atheist answer, you have resolved the problem of suffering, but you have removed hope.  What hope is there for those who lost loved ones in this flooding?  What hope is there for those who have lost everything to flood damage--who believed they needed no insurance because they were high enough above the flood plain?  Those seeking hope want and need answers.

They are not always easy to find.

The Punishment Answer

Robertson and others have used the punishment answer in regards to natural disasters numerous times.  The idea is that society in general or some people in particular have committed grievous sin, and God is extending His wrath upon society with such disaster.

This answer is not without precedent.  In fact, it is found in Scripture on numerous occasion.  The great flood recorded in the Bible is one instance of divine punishment upon the evil of humanity.  An earthquake swallowing up a great deal many Israelites for betraying the covenant is another instance.  Venomous serpents in the desert is another.  In all occasions, God punishes sin by natural occurrences.

This does raise a bit of a quandary for those of us who believe God is a God of love.  Why would God punish people in such a manner--even "innocent" women and children?  Sometimes, the response leaves one scratching one's head.  "That's the God of the Old Testament, not the God of the New Testament."  (That argument was rejected by the early Church long ago and was deemed heresy.)  "God didn't really do those things.  Those things just happened, and the bibilcal writers just theologized the event."  (Well, you could do that to every single event in Scripture then.  That would make the Bible just a bunch of human events that people projected onto God.  Hello Freud.)

Punishment is a very effective tool for changing behavior.  Just ask any parent.  We use it all the time.  "If you don't stop hitting your brother, you will get a spanking!"  "If you don't clean your room, you will lose your ipod."  "If you do not eat your food, you will not be allowed to go outside and play."  And so on and so forth.  The threat of punishment, and the subsequent follow through is still used by the legal system today.  This is why we have speed limit signs, anti-discriminatory laws, and the like.  There are behaviors which must be curbed.

Throughout the Old Testament, God effectively uses punishment to change the behaviors of people who are failing to follow His commands and live according to His will and His way.  When people commit idolatry: God punishes.  When people fail to live justly, God punishes.  When people abuse the poor and downtrodden, God punishes.  God cannot stand the sight of sin, and to get people back on the right path, He sent punishment.

One can effectively argue that with each and every disaster, natural and otherwise, that God is punishing society and individuals for their sin.  For no one is innocent. 

There are those who might dispute that last comment, but I would like to remind you of the biblical nature of sin.  Sin is not simply the things that we do--it goes beyond that.  It is the condition of the human heart, and the human heart is naturally turned toward itself.  It naturally seeks self-preservation.  It naturally seeks self-gain.  It naturally seeks its own self-interests.  As Nietzsche once put it: we all seek our own will to power.  In this light, no one can escape guilt.  As the reformer Martin Luther put it: we are in bondage to sin.  It is the condition of our hearts.  Therefore, God is justified in punishing such sin.

The Problem with Punishment

But there is a problem with simply punishing.  For while punishment changes behavior, it does not change hearts.  What do I mean by that?

Whenever the threat of punishment disappears, people go right back to doing whatever it was they were doing to begin with.  Kids will wreck havoc when parents go away because the threat is gone.  Their fear is gone.  Therefore, they push through boundaries thinking they will not get caught.  Behavioral change was only temporary.  It was not lasting. 

On the other hand, if someone loves and respects the ruling authorities, then following the rules is a joy.  Following the law is a delight.  Why?  Because one knows that in following the rules, one is bringing delight to one's superiors. 

But how do you get another person to love you?  How do you get another person to see how much you care for them?

Jesus gave us the ultimate answer to that one, "No one has greater life than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends."  Jesus wasn't the first one to say that.  Others had said it before, but this was the first time in history when God took on human flesh and not only said such a thing, but did it.  Every other time the gods came down to earth, it was to wreck destruction and mayhem or because they were interested in satisfying some sort of perverse desire.  Jesus took on flesh to die--not only for His friends but for His enemies as well.  No greater love has ever been shown.

The Cross

And, of course, that death took place on a cross.  It was the worst sort of death.  The Romans had perfected the art of killing someone so that a person not only died but died without dignity and in massive amounts of pain.  This was the death that Jesus experienced--the same Jesus who did not deserve to die; who was completely and utterly innocent; whose heart was perfectly attuned to His Father's will. 

There is a bastardized understanding of Christianity that flows around the world these days.  It's the proclamation that if one just believes in Jesus and seeks to follow Him and has enough faith, then one will experience healing of every sort.  One will be completely whole in finances, health, and relationships.  God will grant victory in bank accounts, bedrooms, social relationships, and hospitals if one simply begins believing.

The cross destroys such ideology.  Jesus' lived the perfect life, and He was crucified.  The earliest disciples--who saw Jesus raised from the dead, met their demise in persecution, suffering, exile, and imprisonment.  Christianity does not promise a life without suffering, but it does offer eternal hope.  It offers consolation when suffering occurs.  It offers the knowledge that when the worst happens, God will have the last say.

The Resurrection

For the cross was not the end of the story.  Three days later, Jesus rose from the dead and proclaimed that all who trust in His work will share with Him in this resurrection.  Two things are important: the work of Jesus and the future hope.

The Work of Jesus

The cross for Christians is not only the result of humanity's worst.  It is not simply a man being hanged because He dared challenge the power structures of the day.  Jesus certainly did that; however there was more to it; much more.

In the context of the Jewish sacrificial system, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice--the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world.  Theological jargon, I know, but let's try and break it down a little.  Mind you, there have been books written about this.  I'm trying to get it done in a blog post. 

Whenever sin occurred, one had to justify oneself toward God.  Atonement had to be made.  This isn't as foreign as it might seem to us living so far removed from the situation.  How so?  Well, whenever someone wrongs you, you demand justice.  You demand recompense.  You demand that things be made right.  Whenever you pay for goods, and those goods do not meet specifications, you demand your money back or that the goods be fixed.  Things must be made right.  In relationships, if you are hurt by another person, you demand an apology.  You demand that the person fix the pain caused. 

Yet, if you forgive another person, you bear the cost of that forgiveness.  You bear the cost of the broken goods.  You bear the pain of broken relationships.  On the cross, Jesus bore the cost of our brokenness with God.  He bore the cost of our hearts being focused on ourselves.  He bore the cost of our actions that break God's laws and commands.  He took the punishment so that we do not have to fear it, and instead of fearing God's wrath, we can look toward God's love and promise.

The Future Hope

Being assured of God's love and freed from worry about His wrath, we can now live lives honoring God.  We can be free of fear of death and destruction.  We know Who holds our future, and our lives are built upon Him.

The reformer Martin Luther summarized this in one of the stanzas to the hymn "A Mighty Fortress:"

Were they to take our house,
Goods, honor, child, or spouse,
Though life be swept away,
They cannot win the day,
The Kingdom's ours forever.

Wrapped up in this verse is the knowledge that suffering will occur.  There is the knowledge that it is not God who brings such suffering upon us.  We still don't have the answer for that; however, just because we don't have the answer to "why", we are free to ask the question, and we are free to know what the ultimate solution will be.  We are free to know the ultimate and final say will be a new heaven and a new earth where all bad things will be undone.  This is the promise of the cross and the resurrection. 

As flood victims are striving to put their lives together, the outpouring of support and love will do wonders to bring healing.  It is my hope that well intentioned people will not try to solve the why question, but instead will point to the God who suffers with and then turns mourning into dancing--the God who took suffering upon Himself and then transformed death into life.