As a Child

    When I was younger, one of the television shows I enjoyed watching most was America’s Funniest Home Videos.  I think it is still on television; although I watch very little t.v. these days.  I do know that there are a couple of episodes on Netflix, and my son in particular enjoys watching the hilarious antics of people who submit their videos to the show.  I am often intrigued by the award part at the end.  As I ran through the memories of my watching of this show, I thought long and hard about who would oftentimes win the awards at the end.  For those of you who have watched and watch the show, what kind of videos usually take the prize?  Here’s my unscientific, personal answer: cute animals and kids.  The kids probably have the edge. 

    There is something about kids that captivates our hearts.  Even if you do not have children, when you see a bunch of kids gathering together and laughing and smiling, it does something to your heart.  When you see images of children who are hurting or who are sick, it captivates your imagination and causes deep down sympathy.  There is something about our deep sense of humanity that causes us to want to protect, care for, and dote on our children.  That’s one part of us, but you don’t think I’m going to make it that colorful, do you?

    For there is another part of us that absolutely gets annoyed with children.  Don’t think I’m being a kill-joy.  You know it’s true.  Kids are a disruption.  They get loud and obnoxious.  They get pushy and want their way.  They do not follow the spoken and unspoken rules that we have as adults.  They do not allow us to do the things we want to do and say the things we want to say, and they cry and whine and fuss and argue.  And we generally think that they are a generation of spoiled brats!  !  I think in every cultural period, people have worried about the youth of the day being, well, immature.  Consider a few of these quotes from folks who lived long ago:

        They [Young People] have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things -- and that means having exalted notions. They would always rather do noble deeds than useful ones: Their lives are regulated more by moral feeling than by reasoning -- all their mistakes are in the direction of doing things excessively and vehemently. They overdo everything -- they love too much, hate too much, and the same with everything else.  –Aristotle

    "The world is passing through troublous times. The young people of today think of nothing but themselves. They have no reverence for parents or old age. They are impatient of all restraint. They talk as if they knew everything, and what passes for wisdom with us is foolishness with them. As for the girls, they are forward, immodest and unladylike in speech, behavior and dress."  (From a sermon preached by Peter the Hermit in A.D. 1274)

    "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint".  (Hesiod, 8th century BC)

    At this point, you may be thinking that I am laying the groundwork to make a defense of our children and to encourage our children’s ministry here.  Rest assured, I am not.  I am not because the text we have before us from the Gospel of Mark is not about children.  Much like America’s Funniest Home Videos uses children to suck us in and watch their programming, Jesus uses children to teach His disciples an important lesson–a lesson about God’s kingdom.

    Let’s turn to the text.  People were bringing children to Jesus that He might touch them.  This was a common practice in the ancient world.  If people knew a holy person was in town–a priest or a rabbi or other such leader, they would often bring their children to receive a blessing.  Obviously, people had heard about Jesus being in the area, and they brought their kids.

    However, the disciples weren’t exactly receptive to these people.  They rebuked the folks who were bringing their kids.  The Greek word here for “rebuke” is epitimao, which is the exact same word that is used by Mark when Jesus rebukes the demons.  It is the same word that Mark used when Peter rebuked Jesus and when Jesus rebuked Peter back.  It is a very, very strong word that shows the disciples’ almost disdain for the parents who are bringing their kids.

    Jesus becomes indignant with the disciples.  Again, we have another strong Greek word.  Mark Edwards in his commentary says, “The word for “indignant” means “to arouse to anger” that is, to vent oneself in expressed displeasure rather than simply brooding about it.  The object of a person’s indignation reveals a great deal about that person.  Jesus’ displeasure here reveals his compassion and defense of the helpless, vulnerable, and powerless.”

    I agree with what Edwards says, but I think it goes much further than simply Jesus compassion toward the children.  There is more going on.  For if you remember a couple of weeks ago, Jesus had an encounter with His disciples about who was greatest.  The disciples had been arguing about who was greatest, and Jesus gave them an important illustration.  Let me read to you just a few short paragraphs before today’s text from Mark chapter 9, “Then He [Jesus] took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” 

    Let that sink in for just a minute or two.  “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes who?  And by welcoming JESUS, the One who sent Jesus is also welcomed!!!”  Jesus taught this explicitly to the disciples, and they are failing miserably.  They are failing to welcome not “one such child” but a whole host of children, and so they are rejecting Jesus and by virtue of rejecting Jesus, they are rejecting God the Father.  Is it any wonder Jesus is so indignant??!!!

    Jesus hammers His disciples, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs.”  We are not going to spend time on this statement because it is pretty self-explanatory.  However, the next statement is of utmost importance.

    Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.”

    This statement deserves a bit of time.  For it strikes, not at the hearts of kids, but at our hearts.  If you do not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, you will never enter it.  What does it mean to receive the kingdom of God as a little child.  Does it mean that we are to accept the kingdom of God just like we accept children?   Let’s first understand how children were viewed in ancient Israel.

    Almost all the commentaries agree on this point, and I’m going to go with the best quote on this one.  Again, from Mark Edwards:

    Ancient Jewish society...did not regard children with the same affection (as Western society).  Children, like women, derived their position in society primarily from their relationship to adult males.  Sons, to be sure, were regarded as a blessing from God, but largely because they insured the continuance of the family for another generation–and increased its workforce.  Childhood was typically regarded as an unavoidable interim between birth and adulthood, which a boy reached at age 13.  One will search Jewish and early Christian literature in vain for sympathy toward the young comparable to that shown by Jesus.

    Children were only seen as precious commodities–as those who could contribute in their later years toward the family’s well being.  They were seen as hands for the farm or retirement care.  Little children were a burden.  They only received their value and worth from their parents.  They knew they had no standing.  They knew they had only the value placed on them by their parents.  The majority of them were poor and disenfranchised.  Life was rough and tumble.  It was dog eat dog.  They were not fed first.  They had little or no toys.  They soon learned that everything they received was a gift.  And they learned gratitude.

    Why is this important?  William Lane had an interesting comment in his commentary, one that I think gives a partial answer.  Lane says, “Unlike adults, who do not want anything to be given to them, children are comparatively modest and unspoiled.”  Now, I would have to argue a bit with Dr. Lane.  I would qualify this statement and say that some adults want nothing given to them.  Some adults believe they must work for everything and refuse to accept any sort of free gift.  Some adults are too prideful to admit they need help and assistance.  Some adults want to work for everything they get.  Why?  Because it is their accomplishment; their work; they take great pride in their accomplishments because it is THEIR accomplishment.  Accomplishing much gives them a sense of value and worth, and if they take something without earning it, they feel shallow.

    Of course, this does not encompass all adults.  For we also know there are adults who expect things to be given to them.  There are adults who have a sense of entitlement.  There are adults who believe that they have a right to all sorts of goods and services without having to pay for them because they simply are.  They believe they deserve anything and everything that is given to them.  What is the result of such behavior? 

    The results from both ways are the same: a sense of self-righteousness.  One way says, “I have worked my way up.  I have accomplished all by my own, two hands, and I deserve to be rewarded for my efforts.”  The other way says, “I am good in and of myself, and I deserve to be rewarded for being me.”  Both of these paths are self-centered and self-serving.  One bases worth and value on work.  The other bases worth and value simply on being.  Neither leads to gratitude.  Neither leads to humility.  Both are self-aggrandizing, and you will not enter into the Kingdom of God if you are self-aggrandizing.  You will not enter into the Kingdom of God if you believe you deserve it.  You will enter the Kingdom of God if you realize that you do not deserve it, that you have not earned it, and that it is an undeserved gift given through and by God.

    This brings us right back to Jesus’ comment about children. Remember what I said earlier quoting Mark Edwards: children received their value only through their fathers.  Children received everything they had through their Father.  They realized they were totally dependent upon their Father for everything.  And these are little children!!  They have not reached the age where they become resentful–this is important.  In a conversation with one of my congregation members this week, I was informed that she was engaged in learning about children and how they act before they reach a certain age.  Before they become entangled in all of our problems as adults, they understand gratitude.  They understand sharing.  They understand compassion.  They understand that they receive everything from their parents and guardians.  They understand that everything is a gift, and they have a sense of gratitude and excitement about it.  Little children know their dependence upon their parents; know it is undeserved; and respond with thanksgiving.

    You will not receive the Kingdom of God unless you receive it as a child. 

    With gratitude.
    With humility.
    Without a sense of having earned it.
    Without believing you are entitled to it.

    How can you cultivate this attitude?

    Did you catch my purposeful attempt to mislead you?  You will cultivate a sense of gratitude and humility if you believe you have received something without having earned it.  You will cultivate a sense of gratitude and humility if you understand that you have received something that you didn’t deserve.   Gratitude and humility comes by knowing you are gifted something without having done anything on your part.

    Christianity calls this sheer grace.  Christianity calls this the act of God on our behalf to bring salvation to us–not because we deserved it.  Far from it.  We didn’t.  In fact, it was our sinfulness that brought Jesus to the cross.  It was our lack of ability to accomplish the following of the Law that required justice to be served.  Someone out there might ask, “Well, what law did I break?”  Think about it for just a moment.  Think about the standards that you hold everyone else to.  Think about how you think everyone else should act in the world.  Do you live up to even your own standards?  I can almost guarantee you, you do not.  None of us do.  There is a universal law that every culture, every religion, and every philosophy holds, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Every culture has it.  Every culture breaks it.  Admit it–you do too.  And if you are judged by that standard, you must admit failure.

    Yet, justice must be served.  And rather than that justice falling upon you, God took on human flesh and allowed justice to be served upon Him.  He took the punishment you deserved because you failed to do unto others.  He stepped in to offer you the Kingdom when you didn’t deserve it.  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 by Him.

    By Him!
    By Him!

    Not by your actions and deeds.  Not by any sense of entitlement because you were an important person or being, but by sheer grace.

    No one has room to boast.
    No one has room to hold one’s head high.

    All are failures just as all are deeply loved.  Such a thing brings humility and gratitude–a child like faith.  A faith that comes when you remember what Jesus has done.

    Oh, the text isn’t quite finished.  There is one more verse.  “And Jesus took the little children up into His arms, laid His hands upon them, and He–again we see the weakness of translation, for Jesus doesn’t simply bless them–according to the Greek, He lavishes rich uber-blessing upon them.  Just as He lavishes such blessing upon you through the cross as He bears your sin.  May your heart be moved to gratitude and humility as you come to know the gift of His sheer grace.  Amen.

Why the Cross? Part 2

    Then Jesus said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ 45Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, 46and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day.

    Last Sunday, I delved into the question: Why?  Why was it necessary for the Messiah to suffer and then rise from the dead on the third day?  Why was the cross necessary?  I took quite a bit of time to focus on the aspect of sacrificial atonement and the cost Jesus bore to forgive our sins.  If you missed that sermon, it can be found on my blog.  I will be happy to give you the web address for that. 

    However, there is another aspect we must consider when it comes to the cross.  For there has been a long running criticism of those of us who preach that Jesus has given us our salvation–free to us, but costly to Him.  In the early Church, there were those who thought that proclaiming grace then gave no incentive to people to change their lives and live according to God’s will and purpose.  Centuries later, when Martin Luther, the namesake of the Lutheran church, called Christians back to the understanding of grace and the cross, there were even more calls that people would no longer seek to follow God’s commands.  I mean, if your salvation does not hinge upon your performance, then why even attempt?  Why change your life?  Why do things differently?

    The answer, we will see, is the cross, but let me start with this analogy.

    I want you to pretend that you have just reached the age where you can legally drive.  For much of your teenage years, you longed to be able to drive a car and experience the freedom of the road, but you wondered if you would ever be able to afford a car.  You wondered if your parents would ever be able to afford a car.

    On the day you came of age and completed your driver’s exam, a guy shows up on your doorstep.  He comes up to you and congratulates you on passing your exam, and then he hands you a set of keys.  They are the keys to a brand new car!  He says, “This car is yours.  We provide free cars to everyone here in this region.  Enjoy driving!”

    You are ecstatic!   You tell your folks you are going driving, and you head out.  You drive around and are exhilarated!  You pick up several of your friends.  Before long, you have the radio turned up as loud as it can go.  You are yelling back and forth at your friends.  You are on cloud nine.  Then your cell phone buzzes.  It’s a text.  You reach down to look at it.  You try texting back, and you run off the road.  You manage to slow down, but you still run into a tree.  The car is totaled.  Luckily, you and your friends are not injured, but your beautiful, new car is toast.  You cry.  You wonder if you will ever get another chance to drive.  A tow truck hauls your car away.

    You wake up the next morning sore and bruised, and you are surprised by a knock on the door.  You open it, and the same man who gave you the keys yesterday is there today.  He says, “I know you had an accident yesterday and your car was totaled.  You may be wondering if you can drive anymore.  I have good news.  You get another car.  I told you.  We provide free cars for the people of this region.”

    You are excited beyond belief.  This time, you are a bit more careful, but after several months, your cell phone buzzes again.  You check it again.  You wreck the car again.  You have a bit of grief again, but you wonder if you will get another car.

    Sure enough, you do.  You can’t believe this!  Even if you wreck your car, you are given another one.  So, you become fearless.  You begin to drive like the proverbial bat out of you-know-where.  You speed.  You run stop lights.  You take chances.  You have several more wrecks.  Doesn’t matter.  There will be a new car waiting in the morning.

    After one such wreck, earlier than usual, there is a knock on your door.  It’s not the car guy.  Instead, it’s someone else.  It’s someone driving an old, beat up car with all sorts of wear and tear.  You wonder to yourself why this guy just doesn’t run the car into a tree and get a new one.  He looks at you and says, “Bet you were expecting the car guy.  I always try to get in before him.  Come with me this morning.”

    You hesitate.  You don’t know this guy.  But he is reassuring and there is a certain air about him.  You trust him and climb in his old beat up vehicle.  He drives you beyond the outskirts of town.  You look out the cracked window and see a large factory up ahead.  The man drives the car right toward that factory.

    As you approach, however, you see something very strange.  There are myriads of cars out front of this factory–cars that look just like the one’s you’ve been given.  But the whole place is surrounded by fences with razor sharp wire at the top.  There appear to be watch towers with armed guards in them.  The man driving you has to go through several checkpoints just to get you in.  A helicopter hovers above, obviously watching for something.

    The man parks and leads you in.  He says, “You know, I was once like you.  I drove with a reckless abandon.  But then someone showed me what I am about to show you.  Have you ever wondered where your cars come from?”

    With that, the man leads you forward.  You walk into the factory, and you are stunned by what you see.  Huge assembly lines first catch your eye, but then your eyes move to the workers.  You are appalled!  The workers are all wearing filthy rags.  They look like they haven’t slept in weeks.  They barely seem able to stand and walk.  Supervisors constantly yell and scream at them to get busy.  When someone stumbles or falls, physical force is used to motivate them.  If someone is unable to get up, they are trampled upon, and someone else is forced to take their place.  You can hardly watch.

    The man then takes you to the lunch room.  You see the ragged clothed workers hurriedly eating a meal.  They are eating something that would make a billy goat puke.  “They only get 10 minutes before they are forced back to their work stations,” the man tells you.

    The man then motions you to follow.  You go to the workers’ homes–if you can call them that.  They look like jail cells.  There are meager foam mattresses on the floor which look only an inch thick or so.  Dilapidated tables and chairs litter the cells.  These workers are literally slaves.  And then it dawns on you!  The reason the region can afford to give you free cars is because of slave labor!   Your “free” care is bought with a great price!

    The car ride back to your home is a quiet one.  When you arrive, there in your drive way is a brand new car.  The man looks at you and says, “Now, what will you do?”

    What will you do indeed?  Will you continue to drive recklessly?  Will you continue to do things which would put the life of your car in jeopardy?   Would you even have a desire to drive that car ever again?  If you know the terrible price paid for you to have that “free” car, would you ever look at driving the same again?

    Of course you wouldn’t.  If you have even a smidgen of compassion in your heart, you couldn’t look at your car without seeing the faces and condition of those who built it.  You might never even drive again!  But why?  Why wouldn’t you drive?

    Because you would be acting out of guilt, and here is where the analogy breaks down when comparing to what Jesus accomplished on the cross.  Because Jesus was not being held against His will.  Jesus was not bound to the cross by any force natural or supernatural.  He could have walked away from it.  He could have called a legion of angels down to rescue Him from it.  He didn’t have to drink the cup.  That was what the Garden of Gethsemane was all about.  He prayed, “Father, if it is possible, take this cup from me, but nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done.”  Jesus could have walked away from His sacrificial death, but He didn’t.  He entered into it freely, willingly, but also with great terror and anguish.  He didn’t have to hang on that cross to save you, but He did because He loves you.

    “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.”

    And when you arrive at the foot of that cross...
    When you see Jesus hanging there in pain...
    When you see the pierced hands...
    When you see the pierced feet...
    When you see the crown of thorns...
    When you see the blood flowing from the lashes...
    When you see Him cry out in despair, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”
    When you see Him die the death that you deserved to give you the gift of salvation that you didn’t deserve...
    When you see Him face abandonment from God so that you never have to...
    When you see Him pay the price for your freedom...

    Can you keep driving your life the same way?  Can you keep doing things recklessly without any thought to God or to others?  Can you willingly break God’s commands knowing what Jesus did for you?  Can you go through life seeking your own will instead of the will of the Father?

    When you arrive at the foot of the cross and you understand the size of the debt you owe; when you understand the nature of your separation from God; you understand that Jesus willingly paid the price to reconcile you unto God; when you see just what it cost Jesus to purchase your redemption; your heart changes.  You feel horribly bad, and then strangely accepted.  You feel like the dirtiest of worms, and then like the apple of God’s eye.  You feel worthless, and then extremely valuable.  And you know you can never look at the world the same again.  You can never look at another person with anger and contempt again.  You can never hate another person who is created in the image of God again.  You can never hate yourself again.  Your heart overflows with an abundance of love for what God has done for you, and with an incredible desire to share that love with others.

    If you never saw the great cost paid by Jesus, your heart would never change.  But because of His willing sacrifice, even the hardest heart is brought to its knees.  It is at the cross where such change occurs, and it is why the Messiah had to suffer and die.  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Can Our Actions Bring Us Closer to God?

This question stuck in my craw as I read through a blog post highlighted by Living Lutheran.

The post was titled: "Failing at our Lenten Disciplines."

Here are some pertinent quotes:

We have lived in the land of self-loathing long enough. Hopefully, we chose our Lenten disciplines because we wanted to become closer to God. We didn't choose them so that we'd have additional reasons to hate ourselves. - See more at: http://www.elca.org/Living-Lutheran/Blogs/2015/03/150305-Failing-at-our-Lenten-disciplines#sthash.aOdtyMkY.dpuf

We have lived in the land of self-loathing long enough.  Hopefully we chose our Lenten disciplines because we wanted to become closer to God.  We didn't choose them so that we'd have additional reason to hate ourselves.

Our failed Lenten discipline will bring us closer to God, as we try again, as we ask for help and guidance, as we try to be resolute again.

It is tempting to agree.  In fact, there is great danger in disagreeing. 

I mean, if we say that our actions do not have any merit in getting us closer to God, then what would be the point of praying, fasting, acts of service, kindness, Bible study, meditation, and the like?  If these things do not draw me closer to God, then why should I set aside any time, energy, and effort to engage in them? 

Surely when I pray, I draw myself closer to God.

Surely when I fast, I draw myself closer to God.

Surely when I engage in Bible study, I draw myself closer to God.

Surely when I act kind toward others, I draw myself closer to God.

Part of me says, "Yes."  But there is an important caveat to this, something that has actually plagued Christianity.  For if I am drawing myself closer to God with all these disciplines, and I feel like I am achieving such closeness, then why aren't others doing it too?  Why aren't others praying like I pray?  Why aren't others fasting like me?  Why aren't others studying the Bible like me?  Why aren't others being kind like me?  I am drawing closer to God every time I do these things.  Shouldn't others want to be close to God like I am close to God?

The idea that my actions are drawing me closer to God in this fashion leads to self-righteousness.

Bishop Eaton in her Lutheran Magazine article this month hits the proverbial nail on the head regarding this.  The money quote:

These practices serve to draw us closer to and make us more aware of the love of God shown through Jesus’ death and resurrection that justifies sinners, but they aren’t what justifies us.

These practices serve to draw us closer to...the love of God shown through Jesus' death and resurrection.

There is a subtle, but very, very important distinction between the blog on Living Lutheran and Bishop Eaton's statement.  Bishop Eaton grasps it.  Our actions do not draw us closer to God.  Our engagement in the disciplines of Lent or otherwise do not draw us closer to God--they draw us closer to the love of God as it was expressed in Jesus' death and resurrection.

These actions makes us aware that (excuse me for shouting):

GOD HAS ALREADY COME CLOSE TO US!!!!  GOD HAS ALREADY COME DOWN TO US!!!  GOD IS STILL WITH US AND HAS NEVER DEPARTED FROM US!!!

Now, I could cite a whole lot of Bible verses to back up this point, but I will refrain for now.  The point is this: our actions do not draw us closer to God, but they do make us aware of what God has already done.  They draw us closer to the knowledge of the grace and mercy poured out for us through Jesus.  They draw us into the mystery of God's great reconciliation project wherein we could not work our way to Him, but He worked His way to us at great cost to Himself.

So often, our disciplines fail for the very reason they are not focused upon Jesus.  They are not focused upon what He accomplished, but they are focused on our own desires and wants.  I desire to come closer to God.  I want to walk closer with God.  Two things: 1) If it is my self-driven desire instead of loving obedience and thankfulness, it will fail.  2) If I think I can achieve it because of my desire and because of my actions, I will fail. 

However if my desire comes not from me but from Jesus, I cannot tear myself away from it.  If I am engaging in a discipline because of obedience to Him and a response to what He has done, then I will happily engage and continue.  If I am aware of the great love of Jesus who is already close to me, and I know that in my prayer I am entering into that awareness that Christ is there beside me listening to my voice and speaking in return, I cannot wait to engage Him.  There is no amount of busy-ness that can ever tear me away.  (For all I know, the original author may have this intent, but it is unfortunately not expressed in her writing.)  

Thank you, Bishop Eaton for your powerful, strong statement.  May we all be drawn to the love of God in Jesus Christ who comes close to us.  May our actions ever make us more aware of His action on our behalf that we may live in the knowledge, hope, and abundant life that God is already with us!

We have lived in the land of self-loathing long enough. Hopefully, we chose our Lenten disciplines because we wanted to become closer to God. We didn't choose them so that we'd have additional reasons to hate ourselves. - See more at: http://www.elca.org/Living-Lutheran/Blogs/2015/03/150305-Failing-at-our-Lenten-disciplines#sthash.aOdtyMkY.dpuf

We have lived in the land of self-loathing long enough. Hopefully, we chose our Lenten disciplines because we wanted to become closer to God. We didn't choose them so that we'd have additional reasons to hate ourselves. - See more at: http://www.elca.org/Living-Lutheran/Blogs/2015/03/150305-Failing-at-our-Lenten-disciplines#sthash.aOdtyMkY.dpuf

A Terrible Struggle (for Yours Truly)

Never has it happened to me.

Never.

Whenever I take a vacation and attend worship, I never have wanted to preach.  I have always been content to sit in the pew, worship, and listen to the sermon without any desire to proclaim myself.  Sure, I've been a bit critical of sermons I have heard.  I don't think there is a pastor who doesn't listen to a sermon and think, "Well, I'd have done things just a little different."  It's a natural thing for us to do that, I think.

But until this past Sunday, I had never sat in the pew and said to myself, "I wish I were preaching today!!!"  I had always simply enjoyed my break.

But not last Sunday.  Not at all.  It was a  terrible struggle.  As I listened to the texts read in worship, I desired tremendously to proclaim them.  I wanted to expound upon them because they shouted the Gospel!  And I love proclaiming the Gospel.

For this blog's sake, I will only cover the Epistle taken from the 10th Chapter of the book of Romans.  In a week or so, I will actually be changing the Gospel text for the day so that I can preach on Jesus' walking on the water--that was the Gospel text assigned for this past Sunday.

But onto Romans.  Onto why I wanted desperately to preach!  St. Paul writes:

5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that ‘the person who does these things will live by them.’ 6But the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8But what does it say?  ‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

Paul's words struck me like they had never struck me before.  "Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that 'the person who does these things will live by them.'

The person who does the works of the law will live by them.  The person who obeys the law lives.  The person who does not obey the law dies.  It's a rather simple concept.  One that many are all too familiar with.  In fact, they are familiar with it because it is very prevalent in Christianity today. 

"Unless you live correctly, you will suffer God's wrath!"

This is the basic proclamation of many Christian churches today.  Whether they believe it to be so or not. 

Unless you adhere to the correct teachings of sexuality, you are doomed.
Unless you are committed to doing justice and serving the poor, God will frown upon you.
Unless you are pro-life, God views you as a murderer.
Unless you advocate for health care and welfare for the poor, God views you as a law breaker.

Oh, I could go on and on and on. 

Sure, most churches and preachers will throw in a little nugget about how Jesus died to save us from sin--maybe--but in a heartbeat, they turn around and make salvation totally dependent upon our actions.

That's not the Gospel.  That's the Law.  Paul is making that distinction gloriously in these few verses from Romans 10.  Notice that Paul makes a clean break from this line of thought beginning in verse 6:

6BUT (emphasis mine) the righteousness that comes from faith says, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7‘or “Who will descend into the abyss?” ’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).

The righteousness that comes from faith doesn't focus on saying "Who will ascend into heaven?"  or "Who will descend into the abyss?"   Read that verse again.  And again.  And again.  And then ponder why it is that so much of the stuff we hear coming from pulpits does this very thing.  (Hey, I was pretty good at doing it myself in bygone years!!!)

For when we say in our heart "Who will ascend into heaven?" we bring Christ down.  What?
For when we say in our heart "Who will descend into the abyss?" we bring Christ up from the dead.  What?

Think about this.  When we ask ourselves such questions, how do we normally judge another? 

By their works.  By the things we view them doing or saying.  By their actions.

If a person gets to go to heaven because of their works, this brings Christ down.  He is no longer the exalted Savior.  He is simply a good teacher--an ethicist who revealed a form of morality.  His cross is not needed for salvation. 

If a person is assigned to hell/the abyss because of their actions, we bring Christ up from the dead.  I think Paul is referring to the teaching that Christ descended to the dead to proclaim the Gospel to those who had died.  (Ephesians 4)  There was no need for Christ to descend if we are judged according to our works for it is impossible to attain salvation through works.  There is no need for the Gospel to be proclaimed to those who were dead.  Their fate is sealed--as is ours.  If salvation comes through works.

The righteousness that comes from the Law might ask "Who ascends to heaven?" and "Who descends to the abyss?"  But the righteousness that comes from faith does not.  It says something quite different.

‘The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart’ 

The Word has convicted you.
The Word has changed you.
The Word has infused you and become a part of you.

The Gospel makes you see that you are incapable of following the Law.  The Gospel makes you see that you stand condemned by the Law.  The Gospel makes you see that if your salvation is up to you at any given point and time, you will never, ever attain it.  Never.  You know you cannot "ascend into heaven."  You know you would "descend into the abyss" were it not for God's saving action through Jesus Christ.  You know you are justified--looked at differently by God--in your heart, and so you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord!

It is the Gospel which brings you to this place.  Plain and simple. It is only the Gospel.

And that Gospel leads you to ask different questions.  You leave the judging up to God.  The former questions are irrelevant.  New ones are needed.

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 send the Son into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.

That news begs a different question: not who is ascending or descending, but rather who has heard?  Who hasn't heard?  Who needs to hear this wonderful news?  Who needs to hear that God's wrath has been satisfied?  Who needs to hear that their salvation is procured and that we are free from attaining our salvation through works of the Law?

Is it any wonder Paul concludes this snippet with the following words:

14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? ¹⁵And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ ¹⁶But not all have obeyed the good news;  for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ ¹⁷So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

Proclamation is at the heart of Christianity.  Proclamation about what God has done--not what we are supposed to do.  Those things naturally flow from a heart transformed by the Gospel--a Gospel which begs to be proclaimed to a world desperate to hear it.

And I struggled to sit and simply listen. 

No, Marcus. Jesus was God.

Because of Facebook, I was exposed to this blog post by Marcus Borg.  The content is disturbing on more than one level, not the least of which is the heresy of Arianism which he openly preaches.  It is also disturbing because there are many within my denomination who follow Dr. Borg ideologically and embrace his teaching as the doctrine to which the church should preach and teach.

Dr. Borg is an intelligent man.  He is well read and well versed in many things, but he is completely and utterly wrong in making many of his assertions in his attempt to make Christianity relevant (dare I say palatable) to a particular group of people.

Let's simply take the following assertion from his blog post:

1. Was Jesus God? No. Not even the New Testament says that. It speaks of him as the Word of God, the Son of God, the Messiah, and so forth, but never simply identifies him with or equates him with God. As John’s gospel puts it, he is the Word become flesh – that is, he reveals what can be seen of God in a finite human life. To say, “I believe Jesus was God” (as some Christians do, or think they are supposed to) goes beyond what the New Testament affirms and is thus more than biblical. He is the Word incarnate – not the disembodied Word.

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/marcusborg/2014/06/a-letter-about-jesus/#ixzz36F2KfAqf

Borg would do well to remember Christianity's assertion that Jesus is the God made flesh--God incarnate, but that's not his assertion.  Borg's assertion is that the New Testament does not speak of Jesus as God.  He is absolutely wrong on this point.  Absolutely wrong, and I go beyond the statements in the Gospel of John to state my case.

Let's take look at the book of Matthew as a frame of reference.  Most biblical scholars assert that Matthew was written by a Jewish-Christian for a Jewish-Christian audience.  This is important.  Why?

Oxford scholar Richard Bauckham has argued rather thoroughly and decisively in Jesus and the God of Israel: God Crucified and Other Studies on the New Testament's Christology of Divine Identity  that there was no middle ground for people of the Jewish faith.  God was God.  People were people.  There were no stages of holiness.  To worship anything or anyone other than God--the I am--was blasphemy and idolatry.  There are no instances, and I mean no instances of the worship of any intermediaries or "god like" people or objects.  Yet, the gospel writer Matthew includes three snippets:

And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ --Matthew 14:33

Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. --Matthew 28:9

When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. --Matthew 28:17

Remember, Jews absolutely, positively did not worship anyone or anything other than God.  Yet, they were worshiping Jesus.  Conclusion: Jesus is being shown unequivocally by Matthew to be God.

Yet, it doesn't stop there.  Matthew doubles down on the notion that Jesus is God on the Sermon on the Mount.  This is found in Matthew chapters 5 through 7.  There is a repetitive phrase spoken by Jesus over and over and over, "You have heard it said...but I say to you..."

Every time Jesus says, "You have heard it said..." He refers to Old Testament Law.  And who gave the Old Testament Law--according to Jewish tradition?  Don't think Moses.  Moses merely conveyed the Law which was given to Him by...God.  God spoke the Law.  God was the initiator of the Law, and Jesus has the audacity to say "You have heard it said...BUT I say to you..."  Jesus is giving Himself quite the high place, don't you think?  He is daring to place His teachings above God's teachings.  Any Jew would have walked away from Him in a heart beat because He dared to do this--unless that Jew believed Jesus to be God--the God made flesh--the God incarnate. 

It is vitally important to recognize that Jesus was God--and is testified as God throughout the New Testament.  Grace only works if Jesus is God.  For the doctrine of grace states that God reconciled the world unto Himself through the Son.  No human being could reconcile the world unto God--only God could.  

But the reading and listening to Borg that I have done does not center on this act of reconciliation.  Borg is consumed by what Christians are supposed to do.  For Borg, Christianity is not focused on what God has done, but is focused on what we do.  For Borg, it's all about our actions, not about grace.  

It is not surprising considering his particular bias, but what is surprising, at least in my estimation, is how many folks embrace what Borg teaches when it is contrary to the New Testament, to most Christian Scholarship, and to the entire, orthodox tradition of Christianity.  He is even lifted up and advertized in my own denomination as someone cutting edge and well worth reading.  *Sigh.*

How is it possible that a scholar who preaches false doctrine is held in such esteem?  When you figure that one out, please let me know.

It's Not About You: Sermon on Matthew 10:34-42

    There is a scene in the movie “The Avengers” where things are beginning to fall apart.  All of the heroes of the story have been drawn together because of a threat to earth, but they are unable to work together.  Huge egos find it difficult to cooperate, and this is illustrated almost perfectly during a particular scene when everyone starts throwing accusations and blame around at each other.  At one point, Captain America blames Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man.  Tony abruptly turns to Capatin America and says, “Since when did this become about me?”

    Captain America retorts, “Isn’t it always?”

    Isn’t it always?  In some ways, it is, or at least we like it to be.  We tend to want to know how things impact me.  How is a new law going to impact me?  How is construction on a road going to impact me?  Why do I care what is going on in other parts of the world if they don’t impact me?  How is a new business coming into the community going to impact me?  I could go on and on with this train of thought.  All too often, when it comes to discussing things, we place ourselves right in the middle of it as if we were the main consideration.

    We like to do that with faith and belief as well.  I remember vividly going through seminary and hearing over and over and over again, “We need to make the Christian faith relevant to what is going on in the world today.”  As we discussed this statement, it became more and more clear that what was really being said was, “We need to show how the Christian faith affects people in the midst of their daily lives or they won’t see any use for it.”  Do you hear one of the underlying things in this statement?  There is an assumption that the Christian faith must be found useful to a person or to a group in order for it to be relevant.  I remember a colleague once quipping to me, “So what are you going to offer folks to get them interested in Christianity?”  The assumption here is that we need to show that Christianity works–that it is necessary for someone’s life or that it will improve someone’s life.  The assumption is that people are the object of the Christian faith and that the Christian faith is all about people.  Taken to its smallest component, Christianity becomes all about me and how it affects me and how it works for me.

    It’s the wrong assumption.  Why would I say that?

    Well, let’s start by looking at our Gospel lesson this morning.  Let’s look at this text as if this text were all about us–the focus was our lives.  Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to bring peace but a sword.”  If we just stopped there, you might have a few folks whose eyebrows are raised.  Those who want peace will turn Jesus off right here. Those who like to fight will be saying, “Preach on brother!”  Immediately, we get division.  Immediately we have some folks thinking, “Christianity is not for me!” while others say, “Tell me more.”  That’s just the first line.

    Jesus goes on, “For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.  37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  Now, for those who do not have great relationships with their family members, Jesus sort of gives them justification for keeping their distance from their families.  They might rejoice and say, “This Jesus is great!”  However, if there are those of us who have great relationships with our families, Jesus’ words aren’t exactly comforting.  We might say, “Jesus, I love my wife and my kids tremendously.  I cannot choose between them and you.  I cannot follow you.”  If Christianity is all about me, then if something in Christianity affects me poorly, I walk away from Christianity.

    But let’s keep going and head to the last few verses.  “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  41Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”  If Christianity is all about me, well, then if I seek to follow it, I have to get pretty worked up about this particular teaching as well.  I have to ask myself, “How do I welcome Jesus?  How do I welcome a prophet?  How do I welcome a righteous person?  How can I make sure to give a cup of cold water to the least of these so that I obtain my rewards and do not lose them?”

    For you see, if Christianity is all about me, then I am using it to receive rewards.  I am using Christianity as a means to an end.  I am trying to make my life better, do the things that bring about my happiness, my joy, my peace.  I am using Christianity to get the rewards and avoid the punishments.  I am embracing Christianity because it works for me, and if Christianity stops working, then I can disregard it and stop adhering to it.  After all, it’s all about me.

    In my estimation, and in the estimation of many others, this is not why Christianity is to be followed.  Christianity is not to be followed because it works, it is to be followed because it is true.  And Christianity is not followed because it is about me; rather Christianity is to be followed because it is about Jesus.  And it is through Jesus, and through Jesus alone that I finally find peace, joy, happiness and meaning.  I cannot get those things as long as I am the focus.  They only come when Jesus is at the center–when Jesus is the focus. 

    This is an important thing to remember because all of Scripture is colored by what Jesus has done.  “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 not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through Him.”  Remember, this was done not because we were exceptionally good people–not because we were righteous people–but while we were still sinners.  While we were still unlovable, Christ came and died for us, and this shifts the focus from what we have to do to what Christ has done.  Knowing this, let’s now take another look at what Jesus says in our Gospel lesson today.

    “Do not think that I have come to bring peace but a sword.  For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.  37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  Looking at this from the perspective of what Christ has done for us, it makes more sense for oftentimes, our family members become the center of our lives.  We seek to make our family members happy.  We seek their approval.  We want them to love us, and we will oftentimes do anything and everything we can to stay in their good graces.  When Jesus becomes the center of our lives, we don’t stop loving our families–not in the least.  We continue to love them, but we no longer seek their approval. We no longer try to make them happy as if that is our sole responsibility in life.  When this happens, someone gets upset.  Not us, but those who once were the only focus of our attention.  Division takes place, but not because we want it–it’s because we are no longer giving the attention we once were.  Yet, we don’t stop loving our family.  In fact, we grow to love them even more because we know that Christ died for us when we were unlovable, and because of what He did, we know we can love our parents, spouses, our in-laws, and our children when they are unlovable.  When Jesus is the center of our lives, there is division, but we are moved with love despite this.

    Moving on further down.  “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.  Whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.  Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”  Remember, this isn’t about you and what you have to do.  Remember, it’s about Jesus.  Whoever welcomes Jesus welcomes the one who sent Him–God the Father.  Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet receives a prophet’s reward.  Let me ask you: who is the ultimate prophet?  Who do we name as prophet, priest, and king?  Jesus.  Whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous.  Who is the only person who has ever been totally righteous?  Is it you or me or any purely human being who has ever lived?  No.  None is completely righteous before God except Jesus.  The reward of the prophet is the reward Jesus came to bestow freely.  The reward of the righteous is the reward Jesus came to bestow freely.  And that reward can never be taken away from you.  God loves you too much to take it from you. 

    How do I know this?  He sent Jesus to be the prophet, the righteous person that we were supposed to be.  Jesus lived the life we were supposed to live and has given us that merit.  Furthermore, Jesus received the punishment we should have been given.  He died the death we deserved so that we no longer have to live in fear of punishment.  We now know that because of Jesus we have life forever.  We have satisfaction.  We have peace.  We have joy.  All because of Jesus.  It’s all about Jesus.  Amen.

Filling in the Blind Spot (Sermon on the Man Born Blind John 9)

    I want to begin this morning by doing something a little different.  In your bulletin this morning on the insert, you will see something quite strange.  On one side, you have all the announcements and stuff, but on the other, you simply have the letter “X” toward one of the ends.  I’d like for you to take that piece of paper and look at the side with the “X” on it.  Hold it out in front of your face at arm’s length with the “X” either on the right or on the left hand side.  Close the eye opposite the “X” so that the X remains on the side with your opened eye.  Now, stare at the center of the page and slowly move the paper toward your face.  Keep staring at the center and move the paper toward you until you see the X disappear.  If you didn’t quite get it, keep practicing.  Eventually, it will happen to you.  The X will be gone, and all you will see is the blank piece of paper.

    What I have just done for you is illustrate something we all have in common.  We all have a blind spot.  Yes, you heard it correctly.  Everyone has a blind spot on each eye.  Furthermore, did you notice that when you were looking at the paper, only the X disappeared?  Did you notice that there wasn’t a hole in your vision?  Do you know why?  Your brain fills in the blanks.  Yes, that’s right.  That wonderful organ laying between your ears literally fills in the blanks and puts into place what it is expecting to see.  Now, you can believe me or not, but if you don’t I suggest you do a bit of research.  Google the blind spot.  Look it up on Youtube.  Talk to your optometrist.  It’s there.  I promise you.  And it is quite startling for those of us who have believed all along that our vision is totally reliable.  But that’s not necessarily true.  You aren’t necessarily seeing what you thought you were seeing.  Your brain is constantly filling in the blanks.

    I think we need to process this reality for just a moment.  I mean, the implications of this can be a bit disconcerting.  What is reality?  What is the nature of reality if our brains are constantly filling in the blanks?  What is the nature of truth?  Can we ever believe that we have the full picture of things if we all have a blind spot?  These are tough questions.  Tough questions indeed.

    And there are many who believe the answer is no.  Many people say, “Well, everyone has a piece of the truth, but no one grasps the whole truth.”  That’s a fashionable thing to say in this day and age.  Usually, they refer to a well-known parable to illustrate this thought.  It’s the parable of the blind men and the elephant.  Perhaps you have heard it before.

    A group of blind men encounter an elephant.  Each wants to figure out what the elephant “looks” like, and so each begins to feel a particular part of the beast.  After each touches a part of the elephant, the blind men hold a conference and argue about what the elephant “looks” like.

    The first argues the beast is like a hose.  He felt the trunk.

    The second argues the elephant is like a spear.  He felt the tip of the tusk.

    The next argues the animal is like a brick wall.  He felt the torso.

    The next argues the beast is like a tree stump.  He felt the leg.

    The last guy argues the elephant is like a rope.  He grabbed the tail.

    The men argue and argue and argue, each convinced he has the truth of what the animal looks like, but none have the total picture.  Each is right.  And each is wrong.  Oftentimes at this point, someone will say this is the way religious people are.  Each religion has a part of the truth–each religion gets some things right about the nature of God, but none grasps the whole truth.

    The argument sounds good on paper.  It seems to grasp the nature of reality.  It seems to level the playing field when it comes to religious pluralism and doesn’t allow anyone to have any sort of superiority when it comes to beliefs.  Right?

    Well, wrong, actually.  I mean, this parable only works if someone else can see the whole elephant.  No one knows the blind guys are both right and wrong unless he can see the whole beast himself.  In other words, how can you say that these folks are all blind unless you yourself can see?  How can you say that everyone has a part of the truth but no one has the whole truth unless you yourself know the whole truth?  Either you have the whole truth or your are just as blind as everyone else.  Which is it?

    I’ve just shown you through a simple illustration, we all have a blind spot.  So guess what the reality is?  We are all blind.  We are all grasping at reality.  Who really knows what the truth is?  Who really knows who God is?

    This would pose a massive problem for us IF, and I want to emphasize that IF for a second, IF we as humans had to try and discover God all on our own.  IF we had to work our way up to God and try to discover the nature of God using our own devises, we would never, ever arrive at any sort of understanding of the Truth.  We would never, ever come to understand who God is and how God cares for us.  We would never be able to grasp the total reality as our brains would keep filling in the blanks putting stuff in that we want to be there instead of what is actually there.  If it were all up to us, this would be the case.

    Fortunately, it is not completely and totally up to us.  Fortunately, there is a solution to this problem.  Since we could not discover the nature of God on our own.  Since we could not grasp the reality of God because we are blind, God came to us to reveal Himself to us.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that all those who believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that the world may be saved through Him.”  Jesus Christ entered the world to help us see.

    Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the 9th chapter of the book of John.  The story begins with a man who was born blind.  The disciples look at this guy and say, “Jesus, who sinned that this man was born blind?  Did he sin or did his parents sin?”

    Remember, at this time, the prominent belief was that if you had some sort of malady, God was punishing you for your sin.  This belief is still strong in some folks today because it is all about works-righteousness.  If you aren’t doing the right things, God will punish you.  If you are doing the right things, God will reward you.  Jesus wasn’t about the works-righteousness narrative.  Jesus operated and still operates by grace.  The disciples haven’t gotten there yet, so Jesus uses this as a teachable moment.

    Jesus responds, “Neither this guy nor his parents sinned, but his blindness is there as an opportunity to show God’s might.”   This is a radical statement.  Illness?  Disability?  Pain?  Suffering?  As opportunity to show God’s might?  Yep.  As Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.”  That’s what grace is.  God’s light breaking into the darkness.

    Jesus places mud on the man’s eyes and then tells him to go wash in the pool of Siloam.  The man does, and low and behold, he can see.

    You would think that this would be an occasion for great celebration and joy.  You would think that people would take note and go crazy that someone had experienced such a miraculous healing.  But they do not.  They become skeptical.  You know, there are those who say that ancient people were ignorant and believed in miracles because they didn’t know anything about the laws of nature and physics.  I submit to you exhibit A that they actually did.  People didn’t fall on their knees praising God and celebrating when they saw this guy now able to see.  They were terribly skeptical and started asking all kinds of questions.  Is this really the guy who couldn’t see or is it someone else?  If this is really you, who made your eyes open?  Question after question after question.

    And the guy is dumbfounded.  I mean, really, he’s dumbfounded.  He couldn’t see and now he can, and everyone is asking him 20 questions.  He knows the guy who healed him was Jesus, but he’s never seen Jesus.  He hasn’t seen anyone until this point.  There is no way he would recognize Jesus at all.  All he knows is that Jesus healed him.

    This fact actually gets him into more trouble.  The religious leaders catch wind of what has happened.  Jesus is a threat to these religious leaders.  Jesus is breaking through their facade of works-righteousness.  Jesus is telling folks they don’t have to earn favor from God but that God loves them–even sinners.  When your power is threatened, you react.  The scribes and Pharisees do just this and question the man who was healed, and then the man’s parents, and then the man once more.  You can go through and read this for yourself again if you like later.  What is interesting to me is how they blatantly refuse to see what is right in front of their faces.  Do you remember when I said that everyone had blind spots?

    The Pharisees rant and rave and even say they don’t know where Jesus comes from.  They are blinded by their own position, and in an interesting twist, the guy who was once blind strives to help them see.  “32Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

    And what was the Pharisees’ response?  They cast him out.  They threw him out of the synagogue and forbid him to worship with them any longer.  So, let’s look at this for just a second again.  When the blind guy has an encounter with Jesus, Jesus heals him.  And what happens?  Everyone is skeptical of him.  He is questioned thoroughly by the religious authorities, and he is excommunicated.  So much for your life becoming perfect when you have an encounter with Jesus.

    And the guy may have thought just that until his eyes were opened a second time.  The man who was once blind has one more encounter with Jesus.   35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’ 36He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ 37Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ 38He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshiped him. 39Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.”

    Grace does that.  God in human flesh does that.  When the Word became flesh, the nature of God became known.  God revealed Himself to us.  The truth either opens your eyes, or it makes you want to purposely close them.  You will either embrace the truth and enter into the peace that it gives, or you will go to war with it choosing to remain in your blindness.  But thankfully, because it is all about grace, the truth will not fight against you.  It will wait patiently for you embracing you though you may not embrace it. 

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now am found
Twas blind, but now I see.  Amen.

Changing Your Assumptions

Many of us who lead in congregations have common things we struggle against.  One of the more insidious struggles is dealing with those who choose other activities over worship on Sunday mornings.  More and more this has become common.

It's not only sporting events (as I confronted in my last couple of posts).  There are many, many other things.  Weekend get aways dominate some people's lives.  There is the desire to escape the daily grind and play as hard during the weekend as one works during the week.  There is the thought that in sitting out in nature one can "commune with God" and "be just as spiritual" as if one were sitting in church worshiping.  There is the thought that "Sunday is my only day to sleep in and rest," so I don't do anything on Sunday mornings.  These are just a few of the things many clergy see happening but feel powerless to confront or change.

My buddy and I talked about this just the other day as we carpooled together heading to a class we both take. 

"I really let folks have it in my newsletter article," he said to me.

I understood exactly where he was coming from as he spoke about folks in his congregation who purposely avoided worship on Sunday morning. 

"I told them that at worship, we encounter God in the Word and Sacraments.  I told them that through worship and hearing that Word, we grow into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.  I told them that you don't get such things out in nature or in the ball field or by watching stuff on television at home.  I told them that it is through worship; through confession; through hearing sermons; through taking Holy Communion that our faith is made deeper and stronger."

"I agree," I replied, "but you are making an assumption."

"What's that?" my friend asked.

"You are assuming they want to grow in their faith.  You are assuming their hearts are oriented toward God and that they want a deeper and stronger relationship with Jesus," I said.

A momentary pause. 

"You are right," he said.  "I am."

"Take away that assumption and think about how it changes your preaching and what you write in your newsletter," I said.

"That would change things a lot."

Yes.  It would, and I told my buddy then that this is where I am at in my ministry now.  I have made the assumption for years that everyone who becomes a part of a congregation wants to grow deeper and stronger in their faith.  I have made the assumption that their hearts and minds were oriented toward Jesus and that they longed for a deeper sense of God's mercy and grace.  I made the assumption I simply needed to remind them of their responsibility to be at worship and to do what Christ calls us to do.

Growing up I was always told not to assume anything because it makes an "ASS" out of "U" and "ME."

What if there are those who indeed want to grow stronger in their faith in Jesus but there are many more whose hearts and minds are not oriented toward God?  What if there are indeed those in the church who know that it is in worship that we encounter the living God, but there are just as many others (probably a whole lot more) who do not realize this?  How does one go about orienting their hearts toward God?  How does one go about changing their minds?

I think I've learned a hard, hard lesson.

You can't.  I can't.  There is no possible way of bringing such folks around.  There is no technique to use.  There is no program to initiate.  There is no technology which will manage it.

There is only one thing that can orientate a person's heart and mind toward God.

God Himself.

"No one says 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." St. Paul once wrote.  (1 Corinthians)

And one comes to belief in Jesus by hearing the Word--the Word of grace--the Word of the gospel.  And not the social gospel.  Not the prosperity gospel.  Not the self-righteousness gospel.  Those are not the gospel.

I am speaking of the gospel that St. Paul waxed eloquently on and said, "There is no other gospel!"  The gospel of Christ crucified and resurrected. 

Only this changes hearts and minds.  Only this.

If you wondered why John 3:16-17 (the gospel in a nut shell) has appeared so often in my sermons, now you know.  I've changed my assumptions.  We'll just see what happens next.

No, Dammit, That's Not How God Works!

It's four hours I will not soon forget.

The County Sheriff is a member of my congregation, and he asked me to visit a local family who suffered a tragic loss.  In a small community like the one I am a part of, when tragedy strikes, everyone is affected.  When that tragedy involves horrific death and suspected murder, folks get sent reeling--especially in a place where "that kind of stuff doesn't happen."

As the pastor of the only congregation within a radius of 11 miles, essentially, I am the community pastor--not just the pastor of St. John Lutheran Church.  Sure, not everyone in the community is a member of my congregation, but I serve this community, and we are charged with reaching out into this community to deal with its needs.

The Sheriff sensed a need, and he asked me to go.

I went.

Making cold calls to a stranger's home is not the most comfortable thing in the world.  You never really know how you will be welcomed--or not welcomed for that matter.  Fortunately, the folks in this case were very receptive.  They had many within our community reach out to them during their time of trial.  At first, I was just one more in a long line.

But I am a pastor.  In times like these, whether or not I like it, I represent God.  I'm a messenger.  That can make a big difference.

Working through grief is an exhaustive process.  Working through anger and frustration and pain is an exhausting process, but you have to stick with it.  You can't just spend 15 minutes, tell folks we're thinking of you, offer further assistance if they need it, say a quick prayer and walk out the door thinking you've really dealt with things.  To really make any kind of impact, you've got to stay.

And I did.  The process was overwhelming at times, but there was a lot to work through.

The family was not only dealing with the grief of losing their loved one, but there was more.  Much, much more.  This death was not the only tragedy experienced.  A son/grandson had died while drinking and driving.  Years before rape had happened.  All of these wounds were touched by the tragic events of a few nights before.  Accumulated guilt, anger, sadness, and frustration bubbled--no, erupted--while I was there.

It didn't bother me to be a part of such an event.  Sometimes, the doctor has to lance the boil to get the infection out.  Only then, can healing salve be administered.

"I've spent the last two years angry with God.  I've cussed Him.  I was told He made my son die so that I would get my life straight.  Is that right?"

I hate it when folks say such things.

Don't get me wrong.  I know where it comes from.  I know in the Older Testament, there are numerous occasions of God punishing people for their sins.  There are numerous instances of death and despair and illness falling upon folks who disobeyed God's commands.  David had his son die.  The Israelites had serpents sent among them to bite them.  The ground opened up and swallowed those who sought to lead a rebellion against Moses.  And so on and so forth.  In the Newer Book, there is even a scene of God's vengeance poured out against Ananias and Sapphira.  One can create this image of God who punishes us for our sins and indeed sends us messages of death so that we get our lives straight.  I understand folks who make sense out of tragedy by saying such things, but this is not the narrative revealed through Jesus Christ.

"No," I replied.  "God didn't kill your son to get your attention so that you would become a better person.  God doesn't operate that way anymore."

Oh, the conversation wound around more and more.

"We are no longer under the discipline of the Law.  Mind you, the Law is still in effect, but we are no longer under its discipline."

"God was not responsible for your son's death.  The reason your son is dead is he drank, drove into oncoming traffic and hit an 18 wheeler."

"So, he's responsible for his own death?"

"It may sound harsh to say it, but yes.  I have to tell the truth.  Just like God is not responsible for your sister's death.  The person who killed her is."

"God does not make us suffer so that we 'get our lives together.'  God does not say, 'Get your stuff together or else you will go to hell.'  God says, 'I love you.  I died for you.  Now, become obedient to me.'  God's love always comes first.  He loves you now.  He always has."

"Thank you.  For the last two years, I've hated God."

"I bet you have.  But He's never hated you."

Enough said.

I am Judas

Yeah.  I took one of those cute Facebook quizzes.  Which disciple of Jesus are you?  What did I get?  Judas Iscariot.  A pastor gets Judas Iscariot.  Wonder how long it will be before I get asked to tender my resignation?

Here was the caption underneath the pic:

Black sheep, loner, ne’er-do-well, rebel… You’re the kind of person who’s never really fit in with the crowd and you’re okay with that. You do your own thing and live by your own rules. (Also, people don’t really seem to trust you for some reason. You might want to work on that.)

Black sheep?  Maybe.

Loner.  Definitely.

Ne'er-do-well.  Not so much.

Rebel.  Probably.

"You're the kind of person who's never really fit in with the crowd and you're okay with that?"  To a tee.

"You do your own thing and live by your own rules."  Kind of.

"People don't really seem to trust you."  Not so sure.  It seems like most of my congregation members do, but do I really know what is going on deep within the recesses of their brains?

Jokes aside, and I know this is a pithy quiz, but I am Judas.

How could I say such a thing?  Why not a Peter: a leader in the Church?  Why not a Matthew?  Or a Bartholomew?  Or a Thomas?  Why say you ARE Judas?

I'd like to think of myself more highly.  I really would.  I'd like to think of myself as one of the others who wasn't stealing from the community purse; or coming up with holy reasons for something (selling a bunch of perfume) when I am really self motivated (so I can have the profit); or who didn't betray the Lord for 30 pieces of silver.  I'd like to think that I'm better than that.  I'd like to think I would never, ever do such a thing.

But I betray Jesus each and every day.

Every time I sin in thought, word and deed, I crucify Christ once again.  And the Lord knows, I sin.  The Lord knows I like looking after myself.  The Lord knows I rebel against (not only those who want me to conform and toe any particular denominational party line) Him in the deepest recesses of my heart.  The Lord knows I oftentimes trust money over Him.  The Lord knows I want to come across as looking holy.

Yeah.  I am Judas.  Not proud of it, but I am.

And the question is: is there any hope for one such as I?  Is there hope for one scarred by sin, by selfishness, by rebellion?

I take great comfort in knowing that Jesus died for me while I was and still am a sinner.  I take great comfort in knowing His grace is sufficient for even me.  I take great comfort in the fact He who began a good work in me is not through just yet. 

I've got a long way to go.  Maybe one day I'll graduate up to Thaddeus or someone similar.

Love Thy _____________ Neighbor

Perhaps you have seen the viral pic going around Facebook:

I don't disagree with the pic at all.

It's true.

I mean, Jesus didn't put any qualifications on His definition of neighbor.

So, why do so many Christians seemingly come across as intolerant and nasty toward their neighbors?

I've heard several basic reasons:

1. "I am showing them love by helping them see how sinful they are and how much they need to repent.  They must be convicted by the Law!"

2. "They must be repentant first.  They receive God's love when they repent.  (And, then I will love them once they repent.)"

3. "It is not loving to allow someone to continue to live in sin.  They must be confronted."

I'd like to offer another reason. 


The shirt is quoting Jesus who quoted a part of Leviticus 19:18, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Love your neighbor AS YOURSELF.

Some might argue that Christians who aren't loving one's neighbor are guilty of loving one's self too much.  I won't belabor that point because sin is often seen as a curving in toward one's self.  So why would Jesus quote Leviticus 19:18 then?  If loving one's self leads to curving in towards one's self, why quote it?

I think there is a profound difference between a narcissistic love of self (sin) and a love of self because one is loved purely by the grace of God.

Let me try and explain as best as I can.

If I believe I am saved by my works--works/righteousness, then I build my own ego up.  I am repentant.  I put God first in my life.  I strive to love the Lord my God with all my heart and soul and mind and strength.  I have to do this, so everyone else has to do what I do!  If they don't do the things I do, then they aren't doing it right!

If I am saved purely by the grace of God, my ego is shattered.  I cannot follow Christ's commands.  I cannot fulfill the Law.  I cannot be righteous.  Only Christ's righteousness can save me.  Only Christ's death can atone for my failure.  I can't love my neighbor because I am unlovable.

And it is in the midst of my being unlovable that God acts and has acted.  "For God so loved the world..."

When I realize Christ has died for me in my unrighteousness--that He died for me when I was unlovable, I find compassion.  I realize my deep need for Him to save me, and I realize that my neighbor has that same need.  I realize that it wasn't the Law that brought me to faith but Christ's compassion.  I realize that I am still broken and in need of healing--a healing only Christ can bring.  I am broken.  My neighbor is broken.  Christ loves me.  Christ loves my neighbor.  Christ loves me in my brokenness.  I can love me in my brokenness and realize God can still use my brokenness to accomplish His purposes.  I do not need to grovel on the ground like a worm--for God's grace has been bestowed upon me.  No longer am I narcissistic, but I marvel that God has redeemed me, and I have confidence in God's grace.  This confidence allows me to love myself in humility.

Narcissistic, self-righteous love is not capable of loving one's neighbor. 

Love of a self that has undergone transformation through the grace of God is.

In my estimation, there is too much of the first kind of love, and a great need for the second.

For the Sake of Others or Why I now Have the Rugged Look

There is a very fine line between doing something because you cherish and need others to like you and doing something for others because they like what you do.

Please read that statement very carefully.  It's important, I think.

Late last year, my family and I went on vacation and enjoyed a wonderful trip to Arkansas to visit my grandfather.  Now, when I take a break, I break.  I relax in as many ways as possible including leaving my razor at home.

For most of my life, I have been clean shaven.  A few times I have worn a goatee.  Once I grew a patchy beard because of a Halloween costume.  Rarely have I gone long with any sort of facial hair.  Generally, it gets itchy, and I don't like trying to maintain it.  It's easier just to shave it all off.

Ah, but as vacation ended, the girls in my house all had something to say about Daddy's (and not to be left out) and Hubby's scraggy look.

"Daddy," my girls said, "Don't shave!!!"  They like the tickles when Daddy kisses them goodnight.

My wife likes them for other reasons.  Apparently, they add a piece of attractiveness to her.  I'm very cool with that.

The only person who didn't like the whiskers was Junior.  I don't blame him, but he was outnumbered.

I kind of liked the look as well, and it kept me from having to shave.  I decided to keep the scruffy look--in part because the ladies of my household loved it.

Now, I certainly didn't need their approval to keep the whiskers.  I didn't need their affirmation to go with the scruffy look.  It's not my satisfaction that is important.  I didn't need my ego stroked, but it does give me great joy to see the smiles on the faces of the ladies in my family.  I didn't adopt the scruffy look for my sake, but I adopted it for their sake.

Same with a new hat I purchased recently.  My wife likes Indiana Jones--it's a child of the '80's thing.  Right after Christmas, my family and I were in Bass Pro Shop.  I saw a hat that closely resembled Indiana Jones' hat.  I tried it on.  I showed my wife.  She gave me one of those looks.  I said, "I have a new hat."

I didn't need the hat.

I didn't want the hat.

I never would have bought the hat.

But, it gave my wife pleasure.

I love my wife.

It is my desire as her husband to do things that please her--not for my sake, but for her sake.

Jesus said, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

Treat others as you would have them treat you.

I want others to treat me and do things for me because they know it is something I like, not because they feel some sort of obligation to make me happy; not because they need me to like them; not because they want my approval.

I believe this is a grace-full approach.  Works-righteousness tries to earn anothers' approval by doing things for that person.  Grace does things for another simply for the sake of the other whether approval is gained or not.

That's why I am now sporting a scruffy look and wearing a rumpled up hat.

And I'm cool with that.

Religion Versus Grace

    When I was in first grade, I didn’t have any of my closest friends in my homeroom class.  This made life particularly difficult at lunch since I didn’t have anyone really to cut up with and talk to at the lunch table.  I longed for a friend to share that time with.  I don’t know if Jimmy picked up on my desires or if it was something else, but one day, as he sat across from me, he said, “Kevin, I will be your friend...if...if you give me your dessert.”

    You see, when I was in first grade, I wasn’t necessarily enthusiastic about eating in the cafeteria too often.  My mom fixed me a lunch most of the time.  There was always a sandwich and some chips, and for dessert, I usually had one of the several varieties of Little Debbie snack cakes.  For the early months of first grade, this was usually enough to satisfy my hunger easily, and to begin with, I felt like I could spare the calories.  I wanted a friend, badly, so I gave up my dessert.

    Each day, I’d give Jimmy my dessert, and each day he’d proclaim his friendship of me.  But then there came a day...  Yes, then there came a day when my stomach cried out in hunger.  I was a growing boy, and I had played to my heart’s content at recess, and I wanted to eat my dessert.  “Jimmy, I am really, really hungry today.  I really, really want to eat my dessert.”

    “But then I won’t be your friend.”

    “But I’m hungry.”

    “I won’t be your friend.”

    I thought for just a few moments.  I desperately wanted a friend, but I was hungry.  As I thought, I also came to the conclusion that I was tired of giving Jimmy my desserts. 

    “I’m going to eat my dessert.”

    “I’m not your friend.”

    And so it is with much of life.  For the most part, if we want to receive anything, we have to pay a price for it.  If we want a particular item in the store, we have to pay money.  If we want a good paying job, we have to pay to go to school or spend years climbing the corporate ladder.  If we want to be respected by others, we have to accumulate wealth or wisdom.  If we want to be loved, we have to show love to another.  There always seems to be strings attached–with a price tag–for things and for relationships.  Some even extend this particular aspect of human life to our relationship with God.

    The thinking goes, “If I want God to love me, then I have to be obedient to Him.  If I want to get God’s attention, then I have to do the things He commands me to do.”  This is what is at the heart of what many people in our society today consider religion.  If I am obedient, then I will get the blessings. 

    If I believe enough in God and trust God enough, He will bring me wealth.

    If I pray a certain amount each day, my sickness will be healed.

    If I put enough in the offering plate, the Lord will multiply it 10 fold.

    If I work hard enough for justice, the Kingdom of God will come to earth.

    If I use my prophetic voice and speak against wealth and privilege, then people will see how radical faith is and flock to church.

    If we do the right things, then we will experience the blessings.  Do you see how this supposedly works?

    In many congregations today, our first lesson will be read, and many will pick up on the final verse read.  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this verse repeated by colleagues who are focused almost completely on the concept of justice, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah 6:8 This is what the Lord requires of us, and we have to do it!  All the focus and attention will go here, and many will begin proclaiming their vision of what it means to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.  Many will talk about feeding the hungry, combating systemic poverty and racism, and treating others with kindness and respect.

    These are not bad things in and of themselves.  In fact, these things are indeed part of the Christian walk.  These are things we are called to do, but because our society today is so biblically illiterate, they come to think that this is what faith is all about–they come to think faith is about what we do, and they miss something so precious, so central, so important to what it means to be a believer in God and a follower of Jesus Christ.

    So much attention will be drawn to Micah 6:8 that Micah 6:3-5 will oftentimes be overlooked.  “O my people, what have I done to you?  In what have I wearied you? Answer me!  4 For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery; and I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.  5 O my people, remember now what King Balak of Moab devised, what Balaam son of Beor answered him, and what happened from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the saving acts of the Lord.”

    What is going on here?  Why are these verses so important?  They show us God’s actions toward Israel.
They show us what God has done for the people:

    1. He delivered them from Egypt and the house of slavery.

    2. God sent them leaders who gave them law and order.

    3. God delivered them from King Balak when Balak ordered Balaam to curse them.  God appeared to Balaam and prevented this from happening. 

    4. God gave them the land from Shittim to Gilgal and helped them conquer it, aiding Israel against their enemies.

    In each of these instances, God blessed His people.  God freed them, supported them, guided them, and established them.  God showered His blessings down upon them time and time again, and it is only after the blessings that the words are uttered, “what then does God require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” 

    The blessings come first, obedience follows.

    That is the tremendous difference between religion and grace.  Religion says, “Do this and you will be blessed.  Be obedient, and you will receive blessings.”  Grace says, “You are accepted, now do this.  You are blessed, then be obedient.”  Religion requires someone to work toward God and emphasizes our actions.  Grace celebrates what God has done and then asks for a response to what God has done. 

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

    The grace and mercy of God was poured out for all of us on the cross where Jesus hung and died to redeem us from our sin.  On that cross, God paid the price for healing broken relationships, and three days later, God showed us the promise of eternal life.  Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has opened the kingdom of Heaven to all who are brought to faith by His Spirit.  God has revealed and given His blessings to each and every one of us, and He didn’t even ask for even as much as our dessert before giving it to us. 

    These are the blessings of God showered down each and every one of us.  Grace.  Pure and simple.  And how will we respond?  Will we seek obedience?  Is God’s mercy and grace and sacrifice enough to cause us to seek to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God?   Sure.  At least it should be.  And it is definitely a part of how we Live God’s Word Daily.  Amen.