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Love.

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Old Testament Reading

            Lesson from the Prophets

Isaiah 7:10-16

Isaiah Gives Ahaz the Sign of Immanuel

10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 Then Isaiah[a] said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel.[b] 15 He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.

Footnotes

  • 7.13 Heb he
  • 7.14 That is, God is with us

New Testament Reading

Gospel Lesson

Matthew 1:18-25

The Birth of Jesus the Messiah

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah[a] took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 

“Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
    and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son,[b] and he named him Jesus.

Footnotes

  • 1.18 Or Jesus Christ
  • 1.25 Other ancient authorities read her firstborn son

Isaiah, the prophet.  Promising that “Immanuel” would come to us.  Immanuel, the word literally means God with us.  Now, God has always been with us, always, before time and before we were formed and life breathed into.  

But, we need stories, stories with power, with agency.  So, Isaiah says that a child will be born…and with some other wild stories about this child’s life around honey and curds.  But, a promise of a physical reminder that God is with us and will come to us in the flesh.

Our Gospel lesson follows upon this prophetic story from Isaiah, from the prophets.  It gives us an intimate picture of Mary becoming pregnant by God’s actions.  Joseph wants to honor Mary and decides to divorce her quietly.  In those days, being engaged was on the same understanding of being married.  But, an angelic being, a messenger of the Divine, comes to Joseph and calms him and tells him in a dream to stay with Mary, that she will give birth to a son and he will be “Immanuel”, God with us.  

Friends, when something new is about to happen, something that brings great change.  It can be disorienting, yet God sends messages all of the time reminding us that something deeper is happening.  We may not always see it, and it may be hard and challenging.  But, we can trust that something is happening.  New life and growth springs forth.  

As Meister Eckhart reminds us from the middle ages, Christmas, the birth of the Christ child, Immanuel, not only happens in our imagination around the winter solstice, but it happens every day and every moment.  Our only “sin” if you will, is to live lives of unawareness around this reality.  May we have our ears and eyes open to God being with us…showing us how to love…and may we experience that love of God’s Presence with us, in us, and around us!  May we experience peace, hope, joy, and love as we celebrate with amazing music today…and may we celebrate in our hearts and lives everyday!

Wait.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“Lord, make your home in the place you lead me. Take that place and fill it with your love. Make me at home wherever you lead me. May each place reflect a glory all your own.”

―Ray Simpson, 40 Prayers from Celtic Christianity

Matthew 11:2-11
Messengers from John the Baptist 

2 When John heard in prison what the Messiahwas doing, he sent word by hisdisciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for
another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepersare cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.” 

Jesus Praises John the Baptist 

7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someonedressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet?Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, 

‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
 who will prepare your way before you.’ 

11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 

John had been the voice crying out in the wilderness…he knew his voice was calling out the coming of the Messiah, the promised one. He was also waiting, earnestly. Not idly, he was in the business of calling people towards something…it was an active waiting…not anxious, but active. With all of that activity, he wasn’t able to slow down possibly…until he was put into prison. Then, the questions came. Jesus, are you the one?


John was the hinge piece between promise and fulfillment. But, even as Jesus came, even with all of the waiting with faith, questions, and even doubts…and even with all of the signs pointing towards Jesus…Jesus still didn’t seem to be what folks expected. They were disappointed maybe, still waiting to see who this Jesus was…but, for most, that didn’t become real until years after Jesus’ death even…folks had to stop, look, listen and allow themselves to die a bit. Then, they began to see that God was always with them, and physically before them through Jesus.


John was a prophet, Jesus’ words in this text about him being “less important” and John’s doubts and questions, put him squarely in the prophetic role. John didn’t have the privilege in his physical lifetime of experiencing Jesus in community and as the Messiah.
John was a prophet, pointing to Jesus.


As John waited and looked at Jesus, he might have been disappointed. Jesus seemingly broke the mold of what a messiah should look like. He didn’t play by all of the rules, he was a free spirit in many ways. John’s message had been a fiery one, a calling out and into metanoia, away from a life of unawareness. Jesus’ message was, and is, that God is for us, with us. Jesus is calling us towards something greater, to a deeper awareness, to being the people we created to be, loving and honoring and inclusive.


In the beginning of the passage, John talks about pointing towards the “deeds of a messiah”. In other words, not convinced at that moment that Jesus was the one. There were other messiahs as well. Messiah is simply a savior, or the promised one who will deliver. Islam refers to Jesus as a messiah, the promised one coming to give us words of prophetic value. Judaism is always looking for a messiah, someone to deliver them.

In our world, we have elections, we are also always looking for a messiah. We elect someone who makes promises of deliverance from something.  An earthly ruler.  Israel was wanting the same thing…and earthly ruler to deliver them from Roman oppression.

John wants to know, he’s been waiting, is Jesus the promised one, the Judaic messiah, or should John continue to wait for someone else.


John wanted a clear, explicit messiah.


So, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus these questions. Jesus’ response is from Isaiah, from prophecies. Jesus says to look at his physical activity, he has been healing, releasing folks from bondage, restoring them to community. In other words: Yes. But, not exactly what you’ve been waiting for, or what you thought. Jesus goes on to say that those who can see who Jesus is, those who do not stumble as John may have been, by who Jesus is with, how Jesus acts, but see Jesus and his way of loving as markings of the Messiah, of understanding their deliverance, would find joy in the midst of their lives. 

Then Jesus explains that John was a prophet, a herald, but still not fully seeing the implications of Jesus’ life and coming. He was still waiting.


John’s message pointed to Jesus, and it may not have been what people wanted to hear…they flocked to him, but were disappointed. John didn’t have a preaching style or message that made folks feel good. Folks went to John because they wanted a spectacle, they wanted to see a prophet. And, Jesus confirms that he was…but, he wasn’t someone who fit the mood of the times, his message, point- ing to Jesus, wasn’t exactly what people were looking for. John’s voice crying out in the wilderness wasn’t about giving folks what they wanted to hear, not about making folks feel good, but about God’s salvation that is hard to understand, it doesn’t deliver us from all of our problems, but it delivers us towards wholeness as we begin to understand that we are not alone in our darkness…and that we can overcome in our lives, even as we walk through dark times. 

John was not only a prophet, but a herald greater than even Elijah, who was calling humanity into a deeper understanding of itself through the lens of Jesus, of God with us.
John’s message, John’s voice was from a different era, the last of the great prophets. Prophetic voices of change that are marked by a maturity in waiting for the right moments to be heard. Moments that are pregnant with new things coming forth. Giving definition and shape for things to come. These voices are also still in the wilderness, calling into the cultural constructs of things to come…and to wait and be ready for that change. 

Our question this morning: what are we waiting for? And, are we waiting with a sense of being able to truly receive what we’ve been promised? Advent is about waiting for the Messiah to come. What do we need to be delivered from? Are we afraid to listen to the voice calling outside of us towards a repentance, a changing of our hearts and minds? And, are we willing to wait with patience and receive the voice deep down within us calling us towards being the people God intends us to be? In other words, do we really want to live with deep agency in knowing that God is with us, or do we simply want to keep on waiting for something else? 

It is interesting to note that Jesus goes on to say in the next few verses that this generation doesn’t know what it wants…that it’s like children yelling at each other in the marketplaces, complaining about everything. John comes along with a message of metanoia with a simple lifestyle, not eating or drinking…Jesus comes along eating and drinking with a message of grace, acceptance, and God’s inclusiveness…people say John must have been demon possessed and Jesus likes to drink, and is friends with tax collectors and sinners.


Yet, more than words said by prophets and preachers, wisdom is born out of waiting and receiving with patience the actions of a prophet and of a Messiah.


May we experience “metanoia”, have a change of heart and mind…and may we laugh and dance with a God who loves us, who accepts us, and who includes us in communion with God’s Self and others. 

Voice.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“In each hour of my workday, make me aware, Spirit of Life, of the Eye that beholds me, the Hand that holds me, the Heart that loves me, the Presence that enfolds me.”

―Ray Simpson, Celtic Prayers for the Rhythm of Each Day

Matthew 3:1-12

The Proclamation of John the Baptist

3 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight.’”

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

7 But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit worthy of repentance. 9 Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Are you even impatient for something?  As a kid, I can remember the tough waiting for Christmas…and, I have to admit, it wasn’t waiting for Jesus to appear, but more so the toys under the tree.  Which, I know, is supposed to symbolize the gift of Jesus to humanity…but, not much in the thought patterns a 6 or 7 year old.  

But, even today, I can get impatient.  But its different than it was just a few years ago.  I used to want to move things, to get them done yesterday.  But, being at Westwood First, I’ve been able to rest more in who I am.  A sense of “re-membering”…becoming whole, being at peace if you will.  Don’t get me wrong though, I do love it when projects move forward and there is buy-in from others and a sense of unity, collaboration, and teamwork.  

I’ve come to realize over the years, that takes time and patience to move forward.  Which, again, has been something that I’ve been able to live more fully into at Westwood First  Which is a good thing.  And, waiting can produce character and other benefits.  

Advent is partially about waiting…and that doesn’t mean not finishing or moving something along.  There are markers, goals, and lists that can be checked off in moving towards the development of an idea or project.  

Our passage in Matthew finds John, the cousin of Jesus, waiting for the appearance of the Messiah, of the Son of Man.  John was looking forward to the day that Jesus would make his presence known as the promised one.  Really, before John was even on the scene, doing his thing of proclaiming Kingdom come and baptizing, the whole of Israel was hoping for the Messiah, their savior to come on to the scene and what the Messiah would do.

Hundreds of years before, in the book of Isaiah, this was said:

11 A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
    and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
    the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
    the spirit of counsel and might,
    the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

This passage goes on to say that this Messiah would have good news for the poor, the oppressed, and would give release to those held in bondage, in captivity.

John comes along and begins his ministry.  John practiced what he preaches.  He wasn’t afraid.  He wore clothes made of camel hair, which was unusual and probably not a fashionable thing to wear, for any period of history.  He also ate locusts.  That sounds kind of gross, but in Levitical law, that was an accepted thing to eat, they were plentiful apparently and high in protein and nutrients…yet, still, not something that was common.

It’s as if John was making a statement, I will live a simple life in order to make my message heard and simple as possible:  Repent, which again, is not translated correctly, the original Greek is “metanoia”, to have a change, or an enlarging, of heart and mind from the way you’ve always thought and lived.  Be baptized to symbolize that the old way of living is dead, be raised into new life in the way that God intended…living simply in love with others, especially those on the margins.  John also did his ministry outside of the temple, outside of institutional norms and processes.

And, the people came in droves to hear him and be baptized.  It’s as if they knew that they needed change.  Yes, they had hopes for a Messiah, they knew that John was pointing them towards someone to come…yet, they were also ready for a change.  A change that would include everyone, that would be both personal and communal.

Even the Pharisees and Sadducees came to hear John and to even be baptized.  John has some harsh words for them, calling them a brood of vipers.  Which, in that context meant that they were like serpents, feeling the flame of fire and trying to get away from it.  As I’ve said before, God’s love extends to all, even those on top of a religious and political system that oppresses folks and isn’t good for them.  

Now, God does call those systems into question…and God does separate the wheat from the chaff as the author goes on to say.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that the wicked folks will burn and the righteous folks live.  It means that actions done out of selfishness, need for control, anxiety…actions born of out of sin, out of missing the mark that God intends, will pass away, be consumed, forgotten.  But, righteous actions, actions done out of loving others, honoring one another, listening and not being condescending, but lifting others up.  Actions of inclusion and genuine friendship, those will produce good fruit and multiply and lead to real life.  

The religious leaders of that time felt like they had a birthright to live as they chose because of their identity as Children of Abraham, as descendants…and that God promised to bless Abraham’s descendants.  But, John is saying that’s not the case because they’ve forgotten the most important thing…it’s not about what you inherit, it’s what you do with the the inheritance, and the giver, how well you love.  

God’s wrath, or God’s desire for things to be in right relationship can bring an axe to cut down an unhealthy tree, in order for something new to grow.  And, yes, there will always be something new, and good, and bearing fruit to grow.

Friends, hear this clearly, John is reminding us that Jesus is coming, that this Jesus will show us how to love and will love us no matter what.  This Love Incarnate will bring wholeness and peace that is real.  This what Jesus is brining is worth the wait, and while we are waiting, it’s a good thing to prepare by confessing our vulnerabilities and the ways that we have missed the mark of God’s loving intentions…and to prepare our hearts and minds to be receptive to God’s voice through Jesus in our lives.  

Something in us may need to die in order for us to hear God’s voice.  That also applies to us as a community.  God’s voice is rising up in us, what do we need to clear out of the way to hear what God is saying to us?  We cannot rest in our identity as part of the PCUSA or even as Christians, we have to ask ourselves what does it mean to receive grace and recognize what it means to live in Christ, and into our collective lives together as a church, as a part of the body of Christ.  

As we do that, may we be reminded that this Jesus gives us courage and voice to ask the hard questions, first with ourselves, then with each other.  This Jesus, in his life and even now, because we are his body, reminds us through the taking of the elements of communion that we about to share, we are bound together in him and that the Christ is speaking deeply in and through us through the power of God’s Spirit, God is present with us!

Awareness.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“God of life, you summon the day to dawn and call me to create with you. You are the Rock from which all earth is fashioned. You are the Food from which all souls are fed. You are the Force from which all power lines travel. You are the Source who is creation’s fountainhead. You are the Heart from which all hearts are beating. You are the Mind from which come thoughts and dreams. You are the Eye from which comes all my seeing. You are the Gift from whom all mercy streams. You are the Ache from which comes all my longing. You are the Pain in which I bear my grief. You are the Wind by which all souls go winging. You are the One from whom flows all my life.”

―Ray Simpson, Celtic Prayers for the Rhythm of Each Day

Matthew 24:36-44

The Necessity for Watchfulness

36 “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[but only the Father. 37 For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39 and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.

This has been simply an amazing week.  So much has happened.  Some of it challenging, yet I’m grateful for this growth.  I’m not sure what your week has been like, but my hope and prayer that as you come into this time, this morning, that you are able to be thankful…and that you are wide awake to the possibilities that surround you, and this congregation!

Our Gospel lesson this morning is from Matthew.  Jesus is preparing his disciples, his followers, and those that are listening to him, that the time is coming, and even already upon them, that the Son of Man, would be present with them.

During Jesus’ day, there was much anxiety.  Israel was an occupied land by the Roman Empire.  They were on edge from the whims of the most powerful force in the world at the time.  What’s more, the Roman Empire had enriched and empowered narcissistic rulers in Israel.  Things were on edge.  Yet, within that, persons were sensing that things were changing.  Their hope was for the Son of Man, the messiah to return soon and be a political ruler that would make things right.

What Jesus was saying is so much more.  The Greek phrase in this passage for the visitation or coming of the Son of Man, is “Parousia”.  It translates as the coming of the King, but it also translates as the Presence of God.  This is a theme throughout scripture, that the Kingdom of God is coming and we’ve talked quite a bit in the past about the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven are phrases that tell us that God’s Presence is with us, coming to us, in our midst and even in us.  

Now, Jesus wasn’t a political ruler…no, Jesus wasn’t interested in simply seeking earthly power or making things great for a few folks or through some sense of cultural collective ego that was looking for an external savior to drop from the heavens or anywhere else.  Jesus was about something much more, much deeper…Jesus was about bringing all of humanity together.  Not making everyone the same, actually celebrating our human diversity, while also bringing unity and a deep sense of communal love and connection.  Jesus, in his humanity, showed us how to love and how to work towards reconciliation and inclusion in his life.  After his death and resurrection, Jesus continues on to represent all of humanity.  Our passage this morning gave our spiritual fathers and mothers a couple of hundred years later a sense of our understanding of God’s Trinitarian nature.  In the first verse it talks about the Father knowing the time that the son of Man will be with us, that phrase denotes relationship between the father, and the son, and bears witness to that relational dynamic of three creating, redeeming, and sustaining through relationship and that Relationship’s flow in and through our lives.  

It also goes on to say that we don’t know when calamities or hardship fall upon us, we do live in anxious times. People are fearful in times of change and we can all become susceptible to extremes.  Regardless of who you vote for or how you identify your beliefs, and we all know this, there has been a deep sense of change happening all around us for years.  Yet, the fear of the unknown is real.  

The way of dealing with change in a productive way is the path of awareness.  We are called to be awake, to be sober to the realities around us and to be interested or curious without judgment as things unfold.  Discernment yes, but not judgment.   To cultivate a sense that God is coming to us and that God has come to us…that the Kingdom of God is here and we celebrate Advent, the coming of God’s physical presence through Jesus and God’s commitment to us throughout history in Jesus’ representation of humanity.  

There can be moments in our lives, whether through life events in our families or neighborhoods, or elections that remind us of the divisiveness and walls between us…but, we have also have moments that remind us that we are called to be together.  That we can trust in a deeper hope that leads to awareness.  

In this mornings passage, Noah is referenced.  He goes into the ark, into the storm, and after 40 days, the waters receded and Noah was reborn.  Life wasn’t perfect for Noah after this “rebirth”, he was messy, read the story.  But faith held him and he took a risk and he lived into a new era with a deeper sense of Presence.  

Last week we celebrated two baptisms.  In our baptism, which is a remembrance of Jesus’ baptism in which we all participate in and filled with symbolism.  We arise out of the waters, symbolizing our old lives being shed and being awakened to the deeper reality of God’s Presence, of God’s Kingdom in our midst and in us, to each other, and to the world through Jesus’ actions on our behalf and the relational flow from our 3 in 1 God.  

May we stay awake and aware to the realities of this world and in our lives, that we do face dark times in this world, as well as our own lives, we do experience anxiety and grief…we are not alone…we can overcome that which divides us and move towards real friendship with God and each other.  Yes, it is hard work, this work of awareness, of living in God’s Kingdom presence following the model of Jesus as we work out the practices of reconciliation and inclusion….of allowing ourselves to emerge and to grow towards an ever deepening maturity.  

As we close this morning, there is a great quote from a Hispanic theologian, Miguel Diaz, “As beloved triune community, God ‘dances’ to birth human communities torn by suffering, hatred, and division.”

As we celebrate many of the things of this past week, and all the weeks that preceded it and will come after this moment, may we know that life is filled with paradox, but life is also amazing and wonderful and filled with possibility and imagination.  That anxiety and fear are no match for love and grace.  And, may we enter into the dance of God, and be awake even in the face of things we may not understand or predict.  

Friends, keep your eyes and ears open, stay awake, be aware, and live in faith, and yes, HOPE, even as the night comes..and dance in God’s Presence that has come, is coming, and is here now.  

Unexpected.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“You are above me O God; You are beneath; You are in air; You are in earth; You are beside me; You are within.  O God of heaven, you have made your home on earth in the broken body of Creation.  Kindle within me a love for you in all things.”

―JP Newell

Colossians 1:11-20

11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from God’s glorious power, so that you may have all endurance and patience, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father,[a] who has enabled[b] you[c] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption,[d] the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, 16 for in[e] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[f] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God[g] was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Footnotes

  • 1.12 Other ancient authorities read God the Father or the God and Father
  • 1.12 Other ancient authorities read called
  • 1.12 Other ancient authorities read us
  • 1.14 Other ancient authorities add through his blood
  • 1.16 Or by
  • 1.17 Or by
  • 1.19 Gk lacks of God

Gospel Lesson

Luke 23:33-43 

33 When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus[a] there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.[[34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”]][b] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah[c] of God, the chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him,[d] “This is the King of the Jews.” 

39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding[e] him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah?[f] Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into[g] your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 

What does it mean to be saved? Has there ever been a time in your life where you’ve wanted to be saved? Maybe a social situation that you wanted to get out of? 

You’ve heard me say before, in my tradition growing up, I think I was saved at least 42 times!  Every time there was what we called an “altar call”, I would get caught up in the emotion of the moment and go forward.  I was so afraid of not being saved!  From what, at 58, I’m not exactly sure anymore.  Probably some sense of guilt, of loneliness, of whatever.  And, always looking for something to save that was distant, an external savior to take my problems away.  

Yet, over time, through so much of life, living into even the shadow sides of life…times of despair and even humiliation, something unexpected happened.  I began to see, and still seeing…although sometimes dimly, that God is bigger than some euphoric moment…a bigger God that doesn’t lay a guilt trip on you…a God so intimate that this God is already in and and around you in all things and all people….and a God who does not need to be appeased by a blood sacrifice.  

We’ve talked a lot about the Greek word “metanoia” which literally means having your mind enlarged. I’ve experienced “metanoia”, the Greek word in the Bible that is often mistranslated as “repentance”, my mind and heart, my life, has experienced unexpected growth…a deeper awareness.  

I have come to realize that the concept of “personal salvation” is not really mentioned in Scripture.  It simply isn’t a concept that God intended.  That’s a concept that early Christians would certainly not have understood, especially as folks in some “Christian” circles use it today, but it devolved over the centuries from folks wanting to find some sort of control over folks.  We have salvation, that is explicit throughout Scripture…the question is do we live in awareness of the good news of not only what God does in and through all of creation, but that God is IN all of creation, including us!  

This was unexpected in the way that I grew up.  

Our passage this morning from the gospel of Luke depicts humiliation as well as something unexpected. Only on a scale that I could never imagine. Crucifixion by the Romans was meant to be more about humiliation than pain even. The place of the Skulls in Jerusalem was picked by the Romans for crucifixion because it was visible for all to see. It is also referred to as Gahenna, a garbage dump that is outside of the city…Gahenna is often used as a reference to what we call “hell”.  To be nailed to a tree, lifted up, often for days, while folks walked by either throwing scorn and insults, or shielding their eyes away from the cruelty. 

Luke reminds us that the Romans and the Jewish authorities formed an alliance of convenience in order to maintain the system status quo. They viewed Jesus as a threat to their hold on power and to the way things have been that kept them on the top. They wanted to send a message. Even giving Jesus cheap wine with vinegar in it…not good wine fit for a king, but sour wine. It says that the Romans mocked Jesus. The term for mock in this passage denotes that the Romans thought of Jesus as less than human. 

We see that in the gospel lesson. Jesus is humiliated with the scandal of the cross. Yet, Jesus asks for God to forgive them, which is unexpected.  Usually, you’d think that a response would be one of anger or a desire for revenge, but Jesus greats violence with non-violence. They are telling Jesus, jeering at Jesus, to save him-self. Yet, Jesus has incredible agency and resolve to absorb and to suffer…to take on death in a scandalous way in order to show us a better and deeper way of living. The people that killed Jesus were telling him to look for salvation like any other king would, by force or violence. Jesus is responding to violence with an inner strength of love and non-violence. Which, ultimately brings salvation to them, and to all of us, as we live into becoming people of love, resolve, and our truest selves. 

Jesus responds to persons as they begin to move towards humility in unexpected ways. It seems like we often look for a savior to simply come in and swoop us out of a situation, but, more often than not, we experience growth, humility, and even salvation in the midst of a tragedy by simply recognizing God’s Presence and embracing the moments we are in…and seeking a deeper understanding… 

Jesus is crucified in between two thieves. One, wanting to be saved, but cannot recognize himself or his humiliation, nor his humanity as made in the image of God,….the other, recognizes where he is, knows his humiliation, names it, and sees in Jesus a Presence, the presence of God. And, Jesus follows up on God’s promise of being with us by reassuring him that they would be together in paradise that day. 

Friends, Jesus remembers us, all of us. Jesus is with us in all of life’s ups and downs. May we own where we are, we may be looking around for someone or something else to save us…but, may we follow the example of this gospel lesson and look deep inside, as well as deep inside of others as we build genuine friendships, and recognize that God is with us and God knows what we are going through…God does not give up on us, God brings us forgiveness, has given us salvation, God brings us God’s self. 

Today is the Reign of Christ Sunday.  This is not simply a king, the Christ encompasses all people, things, creation…it is the universal presence filled with promise and relationship.  This Christ, in all things, shows up in the most unexpected ways.  May we live in these times looking for the unexpected.  

Signs.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“May you recognize in your life the presence, power, and light of your soul. May you realize that you are never alone, that your soul in its brightness and belonging connects you intimately with the rhythm of the universe. May you have respect for your own individuality and difference.”

―John O’Donohue, Anam Cara.

Luke 21:5-19

The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

Signs and Persecutions

7 They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’[a] and, ‘The time is near!’[b] Do not go after them.

9 “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; 11 there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, 15 for I will give you words[c] and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Sign, sign

Everywhere a sign

Blockin’ out the scenery

Breakin’ my mind

Do this, don’t do that

Can’t you read the sign?

  • Five Man Electric Band

Signs, there are signs all around us aren’t there…foretelling a future…what’s going to happen…we live in a world that is constantly searching for answers in the future, aren’t we?   We want to know what the future is.

We find Jesus in this morning’s text telling us signs that are foretelling the future.  Now, he’s obviously giving a metaphor…the temple’s stones aren’t being taken down literally.  Although, a few years after Jesus’ death they were taken down by the Romans.

Jesus is saying that they system of the Temple, the way things have been, is going to change.  Something else is going to take its place.  Instead of a place to worship like the temple, Jesus is calling his followers back to what God intended, for all to live in relationship.  In oneness.

Yet, the listeners are fixated on the temple imagery and wonder when it will happen.  “What are the signs of when this will happen?” 

The setting is right before Jesus and the disciples have their last supper.  Jesus is teaching in the temple and telling folks that they should recognize the signs all around them.  That there is distress in the nations, a foreboding of what is to come and to be on the look-out for the Son of Man, the Messiah.

It’s interesting that not much has changed since Jesus gave those words.  In Jesus’ time there were protests, Roman oppression and rule, unjust systems and folks rising up to challenge them, and wars, always wars.  

Today, if you only watch the news for 5 minutes, you hear about the same things.  Different actors, but still the same.

Not only are their signs of the times that tell us that something isn’t right in the world, but we see signs in our own lives:  conflicts with others, a deep sense of distrust, a desire to win rather than work together towards good goals, a deep sense of anxiety and fear within culture and within ourselves.  We not only see signs of distress in culture, but in our lives.  I often talk with folks that are dealing with panic attacks, anxiety disorders, and situational as well as chronic depression.  

These are all signs that can lead one towards despair and even confusion.  What’s going on here?  We may wonder.  But, Jesus has other words for us, that when we sense some of the things I just mentioned, there is a deeper promise that God has made to us.  We are not alone and that God has come, is here, and will come for us.  

When we read this passage of Luke, we can respond in several ways:  one is fear, the other is faith, or that deeper trust.  Do we trust that God will keep God’s promises and that we can life expectantly and with joy, hope, peace, and love in the midst of uncertainty?  

Rather than looking at the events around us with fear and anxiety, we can live with confidence, curiosity, and courage.  A Greek word that is used often to describe God’s Presence is Parousia.  It means literally presence, arrival, or visit.  God’s Kingdom is upon us, God’s Presence.  As we often say, that “kingdom” presence is within us, and in our midst.  The question for us is do we see the signs of God’s Presence in our lives?

Do we sense that something new is emerging within our lives and do we live in expectation of this newness being made known?  Do we get wrapped up in the anxiety and emotion of external issues that arise around us or are we able to take a deep breath and sense that something good may arise out of whatever situation that we are facing eventually?  Or, better yet, we may not see anything good come out of some situations, but do we have a sense that we can sit with whatever is happening and know that we are not alone and that we can share whatever is happening with others and with God?

I believe that cultivating this sense of Presence is key for our lives.  We can see signs that strengthen our faith in God and in others if we can live our lives acknowledging the Presence of God around us.  As we listen to ourselves, others, and attempt to look at even familiar things with a sense of God’s presence in everything, we can catch those glimpses of God that can move us towards growth.

Imagination and energy are emerging as we live in these uncertain times, which is bringing so much unexpected growth!  And, our faith, our deeper trust, is becoming alive. 

Luke is calling us out to have faith that we may never understand, but we can live into or apprehend, we can’t prove it.  But, it is a faith that keeps us alert, keeps us living expectantly.  We are called to be open to God’s breaking into our lives in the most unexpected ways.  God is giving us signs all of the time.  We can be stubborn or attempt to control what signs God may be giving us, we can be resistant to God’s Presence out of fear and a desire to cling to what we know.  Or, we can see, that, just like the seasons give us clues that change is upon us, that God’s Presence in our lives has arrived, is arriving, and will arrive.  We can see that as we stay alert and practice listening or noticing the signs of God’s activity, that we can have lives filled with meaning, purpose, and even gratitude in the midst of all of the craziness that we experience within us and around us.

Living.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

“God of life, you summon the day to dawn and call me to create with you. You are the Rock from which all earth is fashioned. You are the Food from which all souls are fed. You are the Force from which all power lines travel. You are the Source who is creation’s fountainhead. You are the Heart from which all hearts are beating. You are the Mind from which come thoughts and dreams. You are the Eye from which comes all my seeing. You are the Gift from whom all mercy streams. You are the Ache from which comes all my longing. You are the Pain in which I bear my grief. You are the Wind by which all souls go winging. You are the One from whom flows all my life.”

―Ray Simpson, Celtic Prayers for the Rhythm of Each Day

Luke 20:27-38

The Question about the Resurrection

27 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him28 and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man[a] shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30 then the second31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”

34 Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.37 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”

Footnotes:

  1. Luke 20:28 Gk his brother

When I was a freshman in high school, I used to love getting into debates with my older sister who was a senior at the time. My sister is brilliant, she was in the highest academic school in Louisville, where we grew up, made straight “A’s” and went to the University of Louisville on a full academic scholarship that I think ended up paying her to go to school. So, when we got into a debate, I would look for those moments, you know, the “gotcha” moment. Now, we had some good debates on politics, religion, family life, etc. But, the one debate that would get heated was which was a better school? The university of Louisville, or Kentucky? 

One day, I had the gotcha with her as we were having a rather heated “dialogue” on the two schools…my sister, Beckie, got so frustrated with me, she picked up a chair and threw it at me…luckily, she wasn’t a good shot and missed me, but she did hit the door next to me pretty hard…there was a big hole in it…can’t hide that. 

When mom and dad got home…you can guess who got into trouble.  My sister are I fine together these days…not much debate on UK or UL. Much deeper things…

But, it was a moment back in our teenage years of wanting to win.  

This is an odd story in our gospel lesson…it’s about marriage, and in the first century, they had traditions that we don’t understand.  And, there’s some deeper going on, the Sadducees are trying to win an argument, much like my sister and I were trying to do those many years ago.

And, I have to admit, my first thought in reading this passage reminds me of the scene of the marriage ceremony from the moving “Princess Bride”.  

So, our message this morning is about marriage…or “twu wuv”.  Let’s dig deeper.

Our gospel story this morning is about this group of folks called the Sadducees.  They understood the law of the day well, they were also a part of the power structure of that day.  They came to Jesus with a question about marriage…but, they really were not interested in a conversation about marriage.  They wanted to debate, to work towards a “gotcha” moment with Jesus.  The Sadducees, along with the religious leaders, the Pharisees, sat on top of the proverbial social order.  They had it made.  Along comes Jesus making all sorts of statements, interpreting things differently, having a different take on the temple and its future, talking about relationships over institutional preservation…saying things like the Kingdom of God is here, in our midst.  

So, the Sadducees did just that, they presented Jesus with an issue to try and trip him up.  They were devout Jews, but they were also rational thinkers and didn’t believe in the resurrection.  They believed that when you died, you died.

The Sadducees brought up this issue of a woman marrying someone, then her husband dying without a son, marrying his brother, then the same thing happening several times, but still without a son.  She would die eventually without an heir, therefore, with Jewish custom of that day, she would not have a strong identity.  Because she had no children, no one could make claim…so, in the resurrection, whose wife would she be?  This was a patriarchal society, and even this question has undertones of 1st century sexism and unhealthy patriarchy.  But, they were trying to trick Jesus into either denying the resurrection, or making a social statement about marriage.

Jesus, gives a wonderful answer.  It’s interesting to note the tone as well.  Jesus is being treated in a very condescending way, he’s also being pushed into an argument that he doesn’t really care to win or lose…that’s not Jesus’ way…winning or losing.  Jesus is more interested in people and authentic friendships, Kingdom living….real living than some philosophical question about marriage in the resurrection.  

Jesus knows that this question isn’t about marriage…it’s about power, control, and the Sadducees wanting to prove their worth by trying to get Jesus in a gotcha moment.  

Who was going to be married to who in heaven wasn’t an issue…marriage is a gift in this life to be shared equally between folks, but even the question of would there be marriage in heaven is moot.  In the resurrection, there is only pure relationship, real life, and it’s not hierarchal or sexist.  It’s interesting to note that he mentions casually that no one is “given” away in the resurrection…thus a simple statement that takes away the patriarchal system of giving women away at the time.

He goes on to paint a picture that in the resurrection, one is with God and with others in perfect, loving unity.  That’s the way of the Kingdom, that’s where we want to live and find our being, now and in the future.

They were using a trap, but Jesus steps over it.  He also quotes from Moses at the burning bush.  When Moses asks God what his name is, Moses responds by saying that he is the God of Jacob, of Isaiah, etc.  The God of the living, not the dead.  

Friends, how is this applicable to us today?  Well, my hope is that you see many things in this passage in Jesus’ actions to not get caught up in trying to prove yourself through winning arguments…which is a good reminder in this endless election season.  But, to also see that God calls us to be alive, truly alive.  We do experience death…not only physical death, but relational death with others, and even within ourselves.  We see this often in how we treat others or are treated by others in ways where we try to somehow “win” rather than simply love and work towards unity or true friendship.  Yet, there is a better way.  As Jesus followers, we are called to love as Jesus loved, to practice true love if you will.  How did Jesus love so well?  Because he allowed himself to die to himself and others…daily, and at the end of his life…knowing that love always wins and leads to resurrection.  A new and fresh start.  We spend so much time living the way we’ve always lived or thinking and acting at how we always have, but God calls us to follow the way of Jesus and to die to ourselves in order to have resurrection and to truly find ourselves.  

Our church is experiencing resurrection…I see it, glimpses of it all of the time…we are having lots of good discussions around here, and in the midst of those, we are moving towards new life as we let go of winning and let God move and dance in our friendships with each other and with others in our neighborhoods and families.  

We are invited to live into this resurrection life daily…we are all one body. 

Zach.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

A Celtic Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you,
Deep peace of the flowing air to you,
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you,
Deep peace of the shining stars to you,
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
May the road rise to meet you;
May the wind be always at your back;
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
May the rains fall softly upon your fields.
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of God’s hand.

Luke 19:1-10

Jesus and Zacchaeus

19 He entered Jericho and was passing through it. 2 A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way.5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 7 All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” 8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.”9 Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

“Zaachaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he…”

I grew up listening to that song in Sunday school.  It’s ingrained in my brainwaves.  Our Gospel reading this morning, Luke 19:1-10, is about the story of Zaacheaus.  And, I think we can find ourselves in this story.  I know I can…there are times in my life when I’ve been curious, when I’ve wanted to see what’s going on…and have found myself being discovered, or discovering something about myself.  

The writer of Luke wants its readers to see someone who is on the journey towards seeing themselves in a different way through the generosity of God.  By showing God’s love for those on the margins of society, the writer shows Jesus as being very generous and that invokes a response of gratitude.

Throughout Luke, there is a central theme on “seeking and saving the lost” in preceding stories before today’s passage.  Jesus’ perspective on what it means to be “in” or “out” is fundamentally different from what society at that time believed which is evident in the crowd’s “grumbling” about Jesus’ desire to stay with Zach who was considered a “sinner” and thus one who was ostracized to a certain degree in that society. Oftentimes in the church today, we can relate as we are called to love those on the margins and to call out, in love, those in power and on the “inside”.  

Luke’s gospel has been referred to as the “Gospel of the Outcast”.  Each time Jesus encounters someone marginalized, he sees something more in them than the culture of that time…he sees someone made in the image of God and created for relationship.  

Zacchaeus ran to the front of the crowd in Luke 19:4 and climbed a tree in order to see Jesus.  Was this because he was short or because he wanted others to notice him?  What was his stature in the community?  There is a “larger” narrative here than Zacchaeus’ physical size. In this passage, the Greek word for “stature” comes from “mikro” which means “small”.  In the NSRV this is translated as Zacchaeus being a small man or short.  It could it also mean that he was simply not well regarded in the community and was not looked upon with respect.  He was a chief tax collector, his job was to collect money owed to the government and he was “wealthy” as he collected more money that was required…and those around him resented him for that.  Yet, Jesus saw something deeper in Zach, his humanity and called it out.  

In verse 9, Jesus identifies Zacchaeus as a “son of Abraham” and that “salvation has come to this house”.  The Greek word for salvation in Luke 19:9 is defined in this verse as meaning salvation in the NSRV, it could also mean “preservation”.  It could also be referring to Jesus as being salvation.  The point is that he saw Jesus as Lord in 19:8 and Jesus saw him as a “son of Abraham” and he is somehow “saved” now.  This passage reverses the societal order and gives Zacchaeus validation as a “clean” member of the community. 

Zacchaeus, “with joy” welcomes him into his house as he asked to do.  Not only does he recognize that Jesus is Lord with words, he responds to Jesus’ request to come to his house with action. This joy and desire to act faithfully leads him to give away half of his possessions to the poor and to repay any he may have wronged in Luke 19:8, well beyond what was required by Jewish law. God sees faithfulness in an entirely different way than simply following all of the laws.  Faith has to be genuine and based on God’s generosity to us and his coming to us, not us to him.  Jesus sees a deeper faith in Zaachaeus on that day…a curiosity that led Zach to a deeper trust.

Recognizing God’s generosity as Jesus sees Zacchaeus brings a fundamental change, transformation, in the way Zacchaeus sees himself and how others may see him.   

Friends, on that day in Zacchaeus’ life, he died to his old self and was raised up into the beginnings of his new “self”.  It’s fitting to know that this transformation happens throughout life.  We all have the invitation to die to our selves at some point in order for new life to begin.  As we remember those that have died in the flesh, may we remember that their Essence, their souls, are in the Resurrection, the new birth of Christ within and all around us.  It is fitting that we remember these folks and then baptize dear Blakelee, remembering that that the cycle of life, death, and rebirth are a part of all of us…and that just as Blakelee’s baptism symbolizes humanity’s dying, being put under the water, that all of us also rise up with Christ out of the water into new life.  It’s an unending cycle…may we live in awareness of it, be awakened to it, just as Zacchaeus was.  

Humbled.

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.

God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.

God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.

(Ancient Celtic oral traditions – Carmina Gadelica)

Luke 18:9-14

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

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

A couple of years, I made a bold statement about preaching.  We were talking about belief and practice at our college/young adult gathering that we had when I was pastoring at Immanuel in Clifton.  I quoted an author that I have enjoyed reading over the years is George MacDonald.  He was a children’s, theology, and fiction writer in the late 1800’s from Scotland.  He once said that God isn’t interested in our theological doctrines, but in our obedience, or awareness, to or of God and how we honor others.

Specifically, George MacDonald says “to hold to a doctrine or an opinion with the intellect alone is not to believe it.  A person’s real belief is that which a person lives by.”  George MacDonald goes on to say that believing in an opinion about God is one thing, but trusting and being in a deep and abiding relationship with the one true and very good God that resides within and all around us is another.  

It seems as if God is more concerned about a person’s heart and mind being changed and growing that whether that person believed in the right things about God.  Relationship trumps dogma in other words.

So, I said, I might not preach another sermon on dogma or doctrine or man-made opinions about God.  It seems that in today’s preaching world, we try to give out feel good talks rather than prophetic words that Jesus said and lived out.  Words that cut to the bone of the corrupt system of injustice in the socio-religious-political world of Jesus’ day and what is STILL happening in our day.

Yes, today, things haven’t changed much.  Even though, in today’s thinking, we often want (and should) separate these things, but in Jesus’ day, society, religion, and politics were all intertwined.  And, even in our attempts to separate them today, they are still a part of a system that must be questioned and reformed, just as Jesus set out to do and has given us that same charge to live in Christ.

In our gospel lesson, Jesus is continuing this journey towards Jerusalem and is in the middle of a series of dialogues on prayer.  Jesus doesn’t seem to be too discerning of his audience.  He’s talking about the religious leaders again, the Pharisees, but also his disciples, folks following him and the folks in the crowd.  This is a message for us today as we often find ourselves in the place of the Pharisees as disciples or followers of Jesus…or we find ourselves as the other person in this story, the toll collector, or the sinner, the one seen as outside the religious boundaries that we have created.

The religious leader, and the non-religious toll collector…a person that was often looked down upon because he collected a tax and often took a cut for himself are both near or in the temple courtyards in this story.  Both of them are separated though from each other and from the others gathered there to pray.  The temple was set aside for prayers, but over the generations, there had emerged separate places of prayer for Jews, Gentiles, foreigners, men, women, etc.  All sorts of boundaries and walls created.  Yet, the Pharisee felt like he was living in a right way, had no need for forgiveness at the time, and was thinking God that he wasn’t like others…rouges, adulterers, etc. even the toll collector that he singles out.  Now, it’s good for him to give thanks, and it’s good for him to pray, but it’s not so good for him place himself above others.  He even goes on to say that he tithes 10%  and fasts twice a week.  Again, good things to do, but they denote a certain sense of entitlement.  If I do the right things, go through the religious motions, then God will be pleased with me and I am honored and can feel good about myself.

What’s missing?  An awareness of God, himself also, and certainly God’s love for everyone…and humility.  God is not interested in how well put together we think we are, but God is interested in how we have eyes and ears to see and hear our need to be connected to ourselves, others through God…to recognize God’s love and forgiveness for us.

In contrast, we see the toll collector…again standing off, not because he feels like he’s better than others, but because he knows that he has missed the mark, that he has sinned.  It doesn’t say with what, but maybe we can assume it’s because he’s gotten rich off of others…but, he’s beating his chest, crying out to God…asking God for mercy.  The definition of prayer really is about pleading to God…putting yourself in the midst of God’s flow and desperately wanting to place yourself before God.  That takes a risk.  Some of my most impressionable times in prayer have been when emotion and my full being are involved…when I’m yelling or pleading with God…placing myself in the midst of a vulnerable space.  

This man recognizes God.  He’s not interested in an opinion about God, he’s placing himself squarely in the midst of a very powerful, but loving God.  Now, we don’t know what happens next with this man.  Love from God is interesting.  It’s with us, but we may not always get what we think we want, or when we do, it may not be exactly as we intended.  But, we understand as Richard Rohr states in his book the Divine Dance that “God is the ultimate Participant – in everything – both the good and the painful.”

As we move through life, as we let go and live in awareness and as we cultivate being open as best we can to the the Divine presence of God in everyone and everything that we encounter daily, we can begin to live in a Trinitarian understanding of God.  A God who isn’t distant from us at all, but is dancing, crying, laughing, loving, and holding us together.  A God who created us out the relational energy of being 3 in 1, who saved us out of that same relational energy, and who sustains us out of the flow of that relational energy…holds us closer than we can ever realize and shapes and molds us into a community of humility of faith.  

In the book of Colossians, we are reminded that everything was created and finds it’s being in God…and later, in chapter 3, that all is in God, and God is in all.  We can’t create without one another, we can’t distance ourselves as the Pharisee did, we can’t pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and go it alone, we have to pray for humility to see God in everyone and everything.  Nor, can we allow our sins to keep us away from knowing that we have a God who is merciful, we must be like the toll collector, to wander into that risky place of vulnerability and confession, and plead for mercy.  In so doing, we can know that we are justified through Christ’s humanity and divinity that flows all around us.  

Listen.

/ jonesyuk / Leave a comment

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.

God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.

God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.

(Ancient Celtic oral traditions – Carmina Gadelica)

Luke 16:19-31

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.[a] The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.[b]24 He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27 He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30 He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’31 He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Footnotes:

  1. Luke 16:22 Gk to Abraham’s bosom
  2. Luke 16:23 Gk in his bosom

Sermon Manuscript:

How many times do you drive by or walk by a homeless person and wonder about their life?  What’s their background?  What are they thinking?  How did they get to this place in life?  We all have those kinds of thoughts and we all develop certain ideas or stereotypes in order to categorize and somehow reconcile with ourselves that we may or may not have to react to them.

Yet, they are humans, they are our brothers and sisters.  I’m reminded of that every time we have someone walking into the church asking for a handout.  

Now, there are ways we can help them beyond simple handouts.  There are some resources in our city that can help.  But, they best thing we can do, and I try to remind myself of this, is to look folks in the eyes, to connect with them, not dismiss them so quickly.    And, listen as best as I can.  

Now, I know there are a lot of stories, and having worked with homeless folks as a Social Work major and in several projects over the years, I’ve heard many of the same stories.  Yet, these are still people that God values and are image bearers of the Divine, as we all are.

In our gospel story, there is a homeless man, a beggar, Lazarus.  He was crippled and left at the gate of a wealthy man’s house to beg every day.  It’s interesting to note that Lazarus is named, but the wealthy man is not.  The author of this story is saying that Jesus thinks that this poor man is important and known by God.  The wealthy man is extremely rich…richer than most, had banquets daily, wore purple, which is a mark of wealth and very expense clothes.

Lazarus was so down the social ladder and in dire straights, that even dogs came to lick his sores…not to bring him comfort, but in this story, to add insult to injury.  He was helpless.

The beggar dies, as does the wealthy man.  In Hades, the afterlife as depicted in this story.  The wealthy man is in torment….he sees that Lazarus is there, and he’s with Abraham, the founder of Israel.  He asks for Abraham to comfort him…and, even in his death, still looking past Lazarus…talking to Abraham, because he was important in his mind.  

He asks for pity, for simply a drop of water.  Yet Abraham says no, and asks him to remember that Lazarus was with his lifetime and he never reached out to help Lazarus.  And that now Lazarus is comforted, and Abraham is not.

So, the wealthy man is still clueless, and asks Abraham to send Lazarus to his family to warn him…still thinking highly of himself, and not Lazarus.

Abraham again replies no, they’ve had Moses and the prophets, that’s enough.

They need to listen to what they’ve been taught…and, even if someone comes back from the dead, even then they won’t listen.  

This man, the wealthy man, was probably a decent person in his life, he just didn’t listen, didn’t have time or need to live “awake” to the realities right outside of his door.   

He was comfortable.  But, even though he had heard the prophets, knew the stories, he didn’t move to action in his life of being friends with the poor or trying to comfort them on include them.  

In Hades, the afterlife, it’s important to know that God’s presence is still there, it’s everywhere.  As it says in Psalm 139, there’s nowhere we can go to escape God’s presence.  

CS Lewis talks about this in the Great Divorce, a wonderful fictional book I’d encourage everyone to read.  Folks when they die, ride a bus to heaven…yet, many of them settle for hell, a small crack in heaven that they make bigger…they can ride the bus back into heaven…yes, they could have a second chance in hell even, by why would they change if they lived their lives a certain way, it’s harder in hell…so, they stay there…and maybe that is hell, being stuck in a certain way of living or understanding that keeps us from experiencing the wide expanse of God’s grace and joy in life with God and others in deep relational community.  

The wealthy man is tormented by the heat, but Lazarus, who is there also, is not tormented, on the contrary, he’s feeling the warmth of God’s love.  He spent his life in poverty and crippled, yet not complaining and experienced God’s grace in humility.  

Friends, we have the gift of the life we’ve been given.  We can love those around us, everyone, as best we can.  We must though ask God to wake us towards others around us.  If we want to experience spiritual growth, which is ultimately an understanding of God’s radically inclusive and graceful love for us and others that moves us towards being the humans that God created us to be, then we must be willing to be present with those we share space with, whenever we share space with them…loving them where they are.  

This parable, like many in Luke that we’ve read, reminds us that we have barriers in our world that can cause relational disconnect or fragmented lives.  Barriers like wealth inequality that prevents us from seeing the other.  It’s not wrong to be wealthy, but the way of Jesus and the scriptural trajectory leads us towards a better understanding that we can’t let having money or not having money prevent us from sharing life with each other, and that we are called to work towards hospitality and caring for folks.

This morning, let’s ask ourselves how we can see beyond the safety of the walls we’ve built around us to those right outside those walls…and go to them, be with them, and remove whatever separates us from ourselves, others, and God.