I continue to read from John 15. In today's appointed lesson, Jesus speaks of his relationship with the disciples. He says to them, "No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends." The use of the word should not conjure up images of some Buddy Jesus, rather it helps us to understand that Jesus invites us into a relationship which is two way. He isn't only looking for followers, he is looking for companions. Companions in making known the will and the promise of God.
"I chose you and appointed you," Jesus tells them, "that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide."
We are not equal to Jesus. But we are more than servants; we are friends.
Oswald Chambers writes, "It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we mistake panic for inspiration. That is why there are so few fellow workers with God and so many workers for Him. We would far rather work for God than believe in him."
It is humbling to think that God would entrust us with the message of salvation. It is essential that we take up this trust and bear fruit. It is Jesus' request that we work with him in bringing Easter into the lives of all those around us.
The Father has pruned us, making us fit for the work. The Son has chosen us, and instructed us on what we are to do. The Holy Spirit remains with us to guide us and to strengthen us. Are we not ready to be more than workers for God, but fellow workers with God?
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, April 27
We are so far separated from an agrarian society, that many of the Bible references are missed. In John's 15th chapter, Jesus speaks of himself as the vine, as the Father as the vinedresser, and of us as the branches. I wonder how much of this imagery we catch or comprehend.
The part which struck me this morning is the reference to those branches which don't produce fruit. They are "taken away." As for the branch that does bear fruit, these "he prunes." If you have had the opportunity to visit a vineyard, you probably noticed that the vines look rather stark. The best vineyards are those in which the pruning takes away all but the few, strongest branches.
The grapevine in my grandmother's back yard was this huge umbrella of branches. As a child I would crawl under the branches and look up at the bunches of grapes. This was my grandmother's vine. It produced grapes, but was seldom tended.
Imagine my shock, when my grandfather took cuttings from that vine and established a production style vineyard. The posts and wires held the vines and the branches. But there was no canopy of branches. Only the select few and those carefully pruned. When time came for harvest. It amazed me how large and delicious the grapes in the vineyard were, compared to those which has grown on my Grandmother's vine.
In yesterday's devotion I used the word, "Repent." Those of us who have always been a part of God's Church, seldom think of our need to repent. We are already in a right relationship with God, right? But if I take these musings on grape vines, and apply them to the concept of repentance, I might find ways in which the two intersect.
We are the branches. Branches remain forever in need of pruning. After each season, the vinedresser looks at the branches and cuts away that which holds back or limits. We might apply this to our lives by realizing that even our best attempts to follow Christ will fall short. We need, in season, to experience some pruning. We need to have removed from us that which restricts or limits us.
The vinedresser does this because of his love and care for the vines. It is not punishment; is the the means by which the branches reach their purpose.
Where are the needs for pruning in your life? And, when God comes to cut away that which is not helpful, can you be ready to receive the aid and let go of that which needs to be removed?
If we had the opportunity to join a vinedresser for a day of pruning, we would have ample opportunity to reflect on this. As it is, we will need to think it through, perhaps asking a trusted friend to aid us in the process.
The part which struck me this morning is the reference to those branches which don't produce fruit. They are "taken away." As for the branch that does bear fruit, these "he prunes." If you have had the opportunity to visit a vineyard, you probably noticed that the vines look rather stark. The best vineyards are those in which the pruning takes away all but the few, strongest branches.
The grapevine in my grandmother's back yard was this huge umbrella of branches. As a child I would crawl under the branches and look up at the bunches of grapes. This was my grandmother's vine. It produced grapes, but was seldom tended.
Imagine my shock, when my grandfather took cuttings from that vine and established a production style vineyard. The posts and wires held the vines and the branches. But there was no canopy of branches. Only the select few and those carefully pruned. When time came for harvest. It amazed me how large and delicious the grapes in the vineyard were, compared to those which has grown on my Grandmother's vine.
In yesterday's devotion I used the word, "Repent." Those of us who have always been a part of God's Church, seldom think of our need to repent. We are already in a right relationship with God, right? But if I take these musings on grape vines, and apply them to the concept of repentance, I might find ways in which the two intersect.
We are the branches. Branches remain forever in need of pruning. After each season, the vinedresser looks at the branches and cuts away that which holds back or limits. We might apply this to our lives by realizing that even our best attempts to follow Christ will fall short. We need, in season, to experience some pruning. We need to have removed from us that which restricts or limits us.
The vinedresser does this because of his love and care for the vines. It is not punishment; is the the means by which the branches reach their purpose.
Where are the needs for pruning in your life? And, when God comes to cut away that which is not helpful, can you be ready to receive the aid and let go of that which needs to be removed?
If we had the opportunity to join a vinedresser for a day of pruning, we would have ample opportunity to reflect on this. As it is, we will need to think it through, perhaps asking a trusted friend to aid us in the process.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, April 26
"How do we go on? Now that Jesus has been taken from us?"
If these words were not spoken, their question rang out in every action and thought of Jesus' earliest followers. They were worried, they were frightened, they were unsure where to turn for continued instruction.
Jesus had already told them where to turn; what to expect. In John 14 he has spoken of the days when he would no longer be among them. He has promised them, "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you."
It is the Holy Spirit who sets aside our fears, our concerns.
In Acts 2, when the people realize the horror of what they have done to Jesus, they ask, "What are we to do?" Peter tells them, "Repent, and be baptized... and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to know what we are to do.
The Resurrected Jesus will make several visits among his followers. The Resurrected Jesus sits at God's right hand and continues to intercede for us. The third person of the Trinity, that Holy Spirit, remains with us.
If these words were not spoken, their question rang out in every action and thought of Jesus' earliest followers. They were worried, they were frightened, they were unsure where to turn for continued instruction.
Jesus had already told them where to turn; what to expect. In John 14 he has spoken of the days when he would no longer be among them. He has promised them, "The Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to remembrance all that I have said to you."
It is the Holy Spirit who sets aside our fears, our concerns.
In Acts 2, when the people realize the horror of what they have done to Jesus, they ask, "What are we to do?" Peter tells them, "Repent, and be baptized... and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
It is the Holy Spirit who helps us to know what we are to do.
The Resurrected Jesus will make several visits among his followers. The Resurrected Jesus sits at God's right hand and continues to intercede for us. The third person of the Trinity, that Holy Spirit, remains with us.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Devotion - Monday, April 25
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
But for most of you, it is back to the books! And back to the books hard. This being the final week of classes, there is little time to savor the celebrations of yesterday. I fear that it may too quickly be "business as usual." For 40 days, we anticipated our arrival at the empty tomb; how many days will we remain there, contemplating what has happened and what it means for our lives? None. If the academic calendar has its way.
This year is weird. The Liturgical Calendar (based on the seasons of the moon) placed Easter very late. As a result, we are up against the end of the year, and graduation. The various calendars are cutting short our time to observe the joyous news of Easter morning.
While the way in which the calendars coincide is unique this year, what remains constant is the temptation to allow other schedules to direct our lives. There will always be demands and commitments and encouragements to set aside our faith journey for the sake of some other agenda. Having been defeated at the cross, the devil looks for other ways to separate us from God.
The early Church found ways to make sure that these attempts were not successful. A good example of that is Christmas. It is true - December 25 is not Jesus' birthday. That day was selected because the pagan world was celebrating the winter solstice. Christians joining in celebrating, but they celebrated the arrival of the Light of the World, while all those around them celebrated the crated light, rather than the creator.
I will be on campus today, along with the rest of you. I will go back to my routines and fall into step with the rhythm of the academic year. But I will continue to hear the rousing chorus of yesterday's choir, and I will see in each unfolding blossom a reminder of the new life which has come to the world as a result of my Savior's resurrection.
I invite you to join me.
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
But for most of you, it is back to the books! And back to the books hard. This being the final week of classes, there is little time to savor the celebrations of yesterday. I fear that it may too quickly be "business as usual." For 40 days, we anticipated our arrival at the empty tomb; how many days will we remain there, contemplating what has happened and what it means for our lives? None. If the academic calendar has its way.
This year is weird. The Liturgical Calendar (based on the seasons of the moon) placed Easter very late. As a result, we are up against the end of the year, and graduation. The various calendars are cutting short our time to observe the joyous news of Easter morning.
While the way in which the calendars coincide is unique this year, what remains constant is the temptation to allow other schedules to direct our lives. There will always be demands and commitments and encouragements to set aside our faith journey for the sake of some other agenda. Having been defeated at the cross, the devil looks for other ways to separate us from God.
The early Church found ways to make sure that these attempts were not successful. A good example of that is Christmas. It is true - December 25 is not Jesus' birthday. That day was selected because the pagan world was celebrating the winter solstice. Christians joining in celebrating, but they celebrated the arrival of the Light of the World, while all those around them celebrated the crated light, rather than the creator.
I will be on campus today, along with the rest of you. I will go back to my routines and fall into step with the rhythm of the academic year. But I will continue to hear the rousing chorus of yesterday's choir, and I will see in each unfolding blossom a reminder of the new life which has come to the world as a result of my Savior's resurrection.
I invite you to join me.
Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Sermon - Easter Sunrise
April 24, 2011
Matthew 28:1-10
A few years ago I said something to my colleagues. I told them how much I loved the Easter Sunrise Service, that I ready didn’t mind getting up extra early on Easter morning, in order to gather outside for worship.
That is what I said to the other pastors at University Lutheran. And ever since I spoke those words, whenever the issue comes up as to who is to preach at the sunrise service, I am reminded of what I said. It is not that Larry and Danielle look for reasons not to be the preacher. I think it has more to do with testing me, to see if I really do enjoy Easter Sunrise enough to not only get up at this hour, but be ready to preach. Nor do I think they are trying to shame me or poke fun at me. It has more to do with an underlying doubt that anyone would really “enjoy” getting up this early and be ready to take a role in worship.
I do enjoy Easter Sunrise services. Unlike any other worship service, they carry me back to the roots of my faith; they affirm for me the certainty of the Resurrection. There – I have said it again. And as many of you who choose to do so can remind me that I said it. And, should there come an Easter morning when you don’t see me at this early morning gathering, you are more than welcome to call me and ask me why my actions displayed such a flagrant disregard for my words.
Saying something doesn’t make that something true. Truth stands on its own. But speaking the truth commits us to the truth and forms a covenant between us and the truth which we have spoken.
Twice, in this morning’s Gospel lesson, the witnesses are told, “Go and tell.”
“Go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead.”
These instructions are more than filler. They do more than expand the reading. They are the verses which complete the Easter morning story.
The story isn’t over until the witnesses “Go and tell.”
There is no way to miss the importance of this – they are given these instructions twice. First, by the Angel whose appearance was like "lightning, and … clothing white as snow". It is in Matthew’s account that witnesses see the arrival of this angel. Other accounts simply tell us that they found the stone rolled away from the entrance. In Matthew, they are present when the earthquake occurs and the stone is rolled away. The angel arrives, rolls away the stone, sits on it and says to them, “Go and tell.”
The second time these instructions are given, it is Jesus himself who speaks. The witnesses have departed from the empty tomb. As they are going in order to tell, Jesus intercepts their path. Forgetting for the moment their mission, they take hold of him. I think we can all imagine the firmness of that grip. Can’t we understand how forcefully they would cling to him.
That is what we are most tempted to do – isn’t it? Forget our mission and cling to Jesus. Set aside the instructions to “Go and Tell,” and just remain there, clinging to Christ.
And we can be sure that Jesus felt the urgency of their arms as they embraced the one whom they loved. He had to have been able to sense the desperation within their hearts as they held on for all they were worth. But he won’t let them hold on. He instructs them, “Go and tell.”
“Telling” isn’t what makes the Resurrection true. The Resurrection stands on its own. But speaking of its truth commits us to the truth and forms a covenant between us and the truth which we have spoken.
“Go,” and “Tell.”
Jesus once again proves that he is wiser than the average joe when he insists that the witnesses to the Resurrection cease their clinging to his resurrected presence. Instead he insists that they busy themselves with the task of telling others.
Telling others of the Resurrection doesn’t make the Resurrection true. The truth of the Resurrection stands on its own. But speaking of this truth to others has a way of committing us to the truth and forms a bond between us and the truth of which we have spoken.
There are many reasons why I love Easter Sunrise Services, but one of them is as simple as the location. It is outside; in a public place; without the all the trappings of a pipe organ or padded pews. There is a rawness about proclaiming the Gospel in the open square. There is a reminder that Jesus’ Resurrection is more than a secret to be shared among members of The Club, it is the Good News the world needs to hear. Jesus’ resurrection accomplishes all it was intended to accomplish when the faithful raise the strain of triumphant gladness.
“Telling” isn’t what makes the Resurrection true. The Resurrection stands on its own. But speaking of its truth commits us to the truth and forms a covenant between us and the truth which we have spoken.
Amen.
Matthew 28:1-10
A few years ago I said something to my colleagues. I told them how much I loved the Easter Sunrise Service, that I ready didn’t mind getting up extra early on Easter morning, in order to gather outside for worship.
That is what I said to the other pastors at University Lutheran. And ever since I spoke those words, whenever the issue comes up as to who is to preach at the sunrise service, I am reminded of what I said. It is not that Larry and Danielle look for reasons not to be the preacher. I think it has more to do with testing me, to see if I really do enjoy Easter Sunrise enough to not only get up at this hour, but be ready to preach. Nor do I think they are trying to shame me or poke fun at me. It has more to do with an underlying doubt that anyone would really “enjoy” getting up this early and be ready to take a role in worship.
I do enjoy Easter Sunrise services. Unlike any other worship service, they carry me back to the roots of my faith; they affirm for me the certainty of the Resurrection. There – I have said it again. And as many of you who choose to do so can remind me that I said it. And, should there come an Easter morning when you don’t see me at this early morning gathering, you are more than welcome to call me and ask me why my actions displayed such a flagrant disregard for my words.
Saying something doesn’t make that something true. Truth stands on its own. But speaking the truth commits us to the truth and forms a covenant between us and the truth which we have spoken.
Twice, in this morning’s Gospel lesson, the witnesses are told, “Go and tell.”
“Go quickly and tell his disciples, “He has been raised from the dead.”
These instructions are more than filler. They do more than expand the reading. They are the verses which complete the Easter morning story.
The story isn’t over until the witnesses “Go and tell.”
There is no way to miss the importance of this – they are given these instructions twice. First, by the Angel whose appearance was like "lightning, and … clothing white as snow". It is in Matthew’s account that witnesses see the arrival of this angel. Other accounts simply tell us that they found the stone rolled away from the entrance. In Matthew, they are present when the earthquake occurs and the stone is rolled away. The angel arrives, rolls away the stone, sits on it and says to them, “Go and tell.”
The second time these instructions are given, it is Jesus himself who speaks. The witnesses have departed from the empty tomb. As they are going in order to tell, Jesus intercepts their path. Forgetting for the moment their mission, they take hold of him. I think we can all imagine the firmness of that grip. Can’t we understand how forcefully they would cling to him.
That is what we are most tempted to do – isn’t it? Forget our mission and cling to Jesus. Set aside the instructions to “Go and Tell,” and just remain there, clinging to Christ.
And we can be sure that Jesus felt the urgency of their arms as they embraced the one whom they loved. He had to have been able to sense the desperation within their hearts as they held on for all they were worth. But he won’t let them hold on. He instructs them, “Go and tell.”
“Telling” isn’t what makes the Resurrection true. The Resurrection stands on its own. But speaking of its truth commits us to the truth and forms a covenant between us and the truth which we have spoken.
“Go,” and “Tell.”
Jesus once again proves that he is wiser than the average joe when he insists that the witnesses to the Resurrection cease their clinging to his resurrected presence. Instead he insists that they busy themselves with the task of telling others.
Telling others of the Resurrection doesn’t make the Resurrection true. The truth of the Resurrection stands on its own. But speaking of this truth to others has a way of committing us to the truth and forms a bond between us and the truth of which we have spoken.
There are many reasons why I love Easter Sunrise Services, but one of them is as simple as the location. It is outside; in a public place; without the all the trappings of a pipe organ or padded pews. There is a rawness about proclaiming the Gospel in the open square. There is a reminder that Jesus’ Resurrection is more than a secret to be shared among members of The Club, it is the Good News the world needs to hear. Jesus’ resurrection accomplishes all it was intended to accomplish when the faithful raise the strain of triumphant gladness.
“Telling” isn’t what makes the Resurrection true. The Resurrection stands on its own. But speaking of its truth commits us to the truth and forms a covenant between us and the truth which we have spoken.
Amen.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Devotion - Maundy Thursday
There are some phrases which roll too easily off our tongues. The sayings (instructions) of Jesus have in too many instances become catch phrases, easily repeated without grasping what they are saying.
I thought of this as we were announcing the liturgy for this day. The traditional liturgy for Maundy Thursday includes the washing of feet. The service begins with confession and absolution, moves to washing of feet, then Holy Communion, and finally the stripping of the alter.
"In that order?" I was asked. "It seems you might want to do the dirty part later, so as to have clean hands for the Communion."
It is a liturgy which raises eyebrows. It is a service which always has at least one negative comment.
And yet, no one ever responds negatively to the lesson appointed for Maundy Thursday. Jesus says, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you are to love one another." Washing the disciples' feet is the way Jesus made real his love for them.
Sometimes we minimize the offense of the washing service by speaking of the historical necessities of feet washing. In Jesus' day even more were open toed shoes. Or, the walked everywhere and their feet were dusty. I don't know that it was all that different in Jesus' day than our own. Washing feet is dirty business. It is a lowly service. It is an act one does if you are serious about loving, as Christ has loved.
The objection is to the act; the words we accept without question. Either we don't understand the words, or we are fooling ourselves.
Love one another. As Christ has loved us, so also we are to love one another. It is a difficult thing to do. It is the "commandment" which gives Maundy Thursday its name.
I thought of this as we were announcing the liturgy for this day. The traditional liturgy for Maundy Thursday includes the washing of feet. The service begins with confession and absolution, moves to washing of feet, then Holy Communion, and finally the stripping of the alter.
"In that order?" I was asked. "It seems you might want to do the dirty part later, so as to have clean hands for the Communion."
It is a liturgy which raises eyebrows. It is a service which always has at least one negative comment.
And yet, no one ever responds negatively to the lesson appointed for Maundy Thursday. Jesus says, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so also you are to love one another." Washing the disciples' feet is the way Jesus made real his love for them.
Sometimes we minimize the offense of the washing service by speaking of the historical necessities of feet washing. In Jesus' day even more were open toed shoes. Or, the walked everywhere and their feet were dusty. I don't know that it was all that different in Jesus' day than our own. Washing feet is dirty business. It is a lowly service. It is an act one does if you are serious about loving, as Christ has loved.
The objection is to the act; the words we accept without question. Either we don't understand the words, or we are fooling ourselves.
Love one another. As Christ has loved us, so also we are to love one another. It is a difficult thing to do. It is the "commandment" which gives Maundy Thursday its name.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, April 20
Some misunderstand confession. They think of it as being beaten down or brought low by God. It is anything but. Confession is the opportunity to come clean, it is a chance to be honest - with God, but also with ourselves. There is an art to confession, and as with most art it takes dedication and diligence.
We began our Lenten Season with an elongated confession on Ash Wednesday. You should already be thinking, "Elongated confession, but no absolution!" Maundy Thursday (tomorrow) is the opportunity to hear that word of forgiveness. And you will hear it. Before moving to that absolution, there will be one more opportunity for confession. Shorter than Ash Wednesday, this confession is one in which we provide the instances of transgressions. After all, we have had thirty-eight days to identify our sins.
This morning's reading in my devotional guide prompted me to consider additional areas where sin might be hiding in my life. I share it with you as a way of aiding you in your continued efforts to be honest with yourself, with your companions, with your God.
It is from Ditlev Gothard Monrad, a 19th century Danish Statesman and writer.
"It is very important that we are without pretense when we come before God's countenance. All adornment, all excuses, must be cast aside. We must not give ourselves out as anything other than we are. Wares often pass in trade under false names in order to win easier sale; but it is still more common that the human heart houses cravings to which it gives false names in order to justify love for the. Deceit is called cleverness; greed is called concern for spouse and children; hatred and anger are called zeal for truth and justice. No sinful desire is found in the human heart that does not sail under a false flag and steal a name that does not belong to it. It is a great step forward when we are able to give the right name to all that lives within us. It is one of the blessings of prayer that it calls upon us for serious self-examination and brings into the light of God's countenance that which steals around in our souls, half conscious, part truth, part falsehood. Everything that lives within us should be laid bare in prayer."
We began our Lenten Season with an elongated confession on Ash Wednesday. You should already be thinking, "Elongated confession, but no absolution!" Maundy Thursday (tomorrow) is the opportunity to hear that word of forgiveness. And you will hear it. Before moving to that absolution, there will be one more opportunity for confession. Shorter than Ash Wednesday, this confession is one in which we provide the instances of transgressions. After all, we have had thirty-eight days to identify our sins.
This morning's reading in my devotional guide prompted me to consider additional areas where sin might be hiding in my life. I share it with you as a way of aiding you in your continued efforts to be honest with yourself, with your companions, with your God.
It is from Ditlev Gothard Monrad, a 19th century Danish Statesman and writer.
"It is very important that we are without pretense when we come before God's countenance. All adornment, all excuses, must be cast aside. We must not give ourselves out as anything other than we are. Wares often pass in trade under false names in order to win easier sale; but it is still more common that the human heart houses cravings to which it gives false names in order to justify love for the. Deceit is called cleverness; greed is called concern for spouse and children; hatred and anger are called zeal for truth and justice. No sinful desire is found in the human heart that does not sail under a false flag and steal a name that does not belong to it. It is a great step forward when we are able to give the right name to all that lives within us. It is one of the blessings of prayer that it calls upon us for serious self-examination and brings into the light of God's countenance that which steals around in our souls, half conscious, part truth, part falsehood. Everything that lives within us should be laid bare in prayer."
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, April 19
This morning's Gospel is from John 12:20-26. It informs us that among those who had come to worship were some Greeks. They ask to see Jesus. When Jesus hears of this, he (in the style of John's Gospel) responds to this occurrence with a statement of what all this means. The desire of the Greeks to see him signals for him that "The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified."
What triggers this? For Jesus?
Remember that in Matthew's Gospel the birth stories include a visit from the wise men from the East. These non-Jews are a sign and a symbol that Jesus' birth has significance for the whole of the creation, not merely for those who are of his clan or his congregation of faith.
Similarly, here, we find an acknowledgment that Jesus' message is finding a foothold in the lives of all of God's children. Jesus' time has come.
I am preparing a sermon for Easter sunrise service. I realize few of you will be there, so there is no harm in using a bit of that outline in this devotion. All too often we have allowed the Easter story to become a private message. We have let it turn into our little secret, the event which molds our hearts and directs our thinking. All too often we forget that the Easter message is a proclamation. That it is what it is intended to be when it is shouted out.
Jesus knows that he has completed the will of his Father when those who would have been strangers to the way of God seek him to desire more of what it is that he comes to make known. We do the will of God when we share the Good News of Jesus with those who have become separated form God and God's hope for their lives.
Be careful - this is not an invitation to join in some condemnation of undesirable behaviors. It is not a call to blast "heathens" and frighten them with warnings of Hell. It is a commitment to telling God's children, particularly those who are languishing, that they are loved and cared for and that God would not give up on them or forsake them. It is for them that Jesus came into the world and it for them that Jesus endures the cross.
The hour has come. Glorify God in your actions; make God known in your words.
What triggers this? For Jesus?
Remember that in Matthew's Gospel the birth stories include a visit from the wise men from the East. These non-Jews are a sign and a symbol that Jesus' birth has significance for the whole of the creation, not merely for those who are of his clan or his congregation of faith.
Similarly, here, we find an acknowledgment that Jesus' message is finding a foothold in the lives of all of God's children. Jesus' time has come.
I am preparing a sermon for Easter sunrise service. I realize few of you will be there, so there is no harm in using a bit of that outline in this devotion. All too often we have allowed the Easter story to become a private message. We have let it turn into our little secret, the event which molds our hearts and directs our thinking. All too often we forget that the Easter message is a proclamation. That it is what it is intended to be when it is shouted out.
Jesus knows that he has completed the will of his Father when those who would have been strangers to the way of God seek him to desire more of what it is that he comes to make known. We do the will of God when we share the Good News of Jesus with those who have become separated form God and God's hope for their lives.
Be careful - this is not an invitation to join in some condemnation of undesirable behaviors. It is not a call to blast "heathens" and frighten them with warnings of Hell. It is a commitment to telling God's children, particularly those who are languishing, that they are loved and cared for and that God would not give up on them or forsake them. It is for them that Jesus came into the world and it for them that Jesus endures the cross.
The hour has come. Glorify God in your actions; make God known in your words.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Devotion - Monday, April 18
If someone were to ask you, "What week is this?" you are likely to respond, "Next to the last week of classes." This is crunch time. This is the week when so many projects are due and the last round of exams are given. The Orchestra Concert last night was but one of the events this week which drew so many away from events planned at the Church. During these next six days, there will be other choices made - "Do I devote myself to my studies or do I come to Church?"
The parents and alums reading this, might add their own agendas. It is that time of the year when yard work and gardens fill our afternoons and early evenings. Having just past "tax day," there are accounting and bookkeeping tasks which were set aside that need to be picked back up.
There is another notation for this week - the one which unites those who are on the email list of a Christian minister. It is Holy Week. I know that you know this, and probably thought it as you read the opening two paragraphs. We don't "forget" that it is Holy Week, but all those other agendas make it difficult for us to make Holy Week our top priority. There are so many other calendars operating in our lives that we are torn to observe the religious one.
After all, God is forgiving, right? God will understand. Our professors have deadlines. (Professors reading this - we understand that you have academic committees and without your dedication to academic standards the Universities accreditation would disappear - so we don't blame you for those deadlines.) There are greater (immediate) consequences to failing to honor the calendar imposed by our work or our studies than to allow the Liturgical Calendar to slip.
It is not as simple as asking, "Which is more important?" They are all important. The thought with which I would leave you this morning is to remember that they are all important. Do your work. Complete your projects. But also turn your attention to the events which make this week "Holy," and give attention to the acts of God which set us free and bring us salvation.
You face a busy week. God's message, this week and every week, is a desire to take as much of that burden off you as He can. God's message, this week and every week, is an invitation to avoid loosing yourself in the immediate while forsaking that which is eternal.
It is the next to the last week of classes. It is Holy Week. Somewhere, somehow, allow those two to come into harmony with one another.
The parents and alums reading this, might add their own agendas. It is that time of the year when yard work and gardens fill our afternoons and early evenings. Having just past "tax day," there are accounting and bookkeeping tasks which were set aside that need to be picked back up.
There is another notation for this week - the one which unites those who are on the email list of a Christian minister. It is Holy Week. I know that you know this, and probably thought it as you read the opening two paragraphs. We don't "forget" that it is Holy Week, but all those other agendas make it difficult for us to make Holy Week our top priority. There are so many other calendars operating in our lives that we are torn to observe the religious one.
After all, God is forgiving, right? God will understand. Our professors have deadlines. (Professors reading this - we understand that you have academic committees and without your dedication to academic standards the Universities accreditation would disappear - so we don't blame you for those deadlines.) There are greater (immediate) consequences to failing to honor the calendar imposed by our work or our studies than to allow the Liturgical Calendar to slip.
It is not as simple as asking, "Which is more important?" They are all important. The thought with which I would leave you this morning is to remember that they are all important. Do your work. Complete your projects. But also turn your attention to the events which make this week "Holy," and give attention to the acts of God which set us free and bring us salvation.
You face a busy week. God's message, this week and every week, is a desire to take as much of that burden off you as He can. God's message, this week and every week, is an invitation to avoid loosing yourself in the immediate while forsaking that which is eternal.
It is the next to the last week of classes. It is Holy Week. Somewhere, somehow, allow those two to come into harmony with one another.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Devotion - Thursday, April 14
I thoroughly enjoyed last night's Seder Observance. Dr. Peter Cohen (advisor to CU's Hillel) lead us through the order and educated us on the various parts of the Passover Meal. I came home, remembering some of the responses and thinking about the message of the service.
There is one part which speaks of the "Four types of children." The order makes sure to recognize the typical responses to a long and involved religious observance. This attention is to make sure that all of the children, regardless of their "type," are involved in the observance and take away from it an understanding of what is being observed.
What is being observed is God's liberation.
We, in the Christian communities, tend to think of liberation in terms of liberation from sin and death. Jesus surely saves us from these. But the Seder reminds us that God saves us from other dangers, too. Jesus was Jewish. He had observed Passover (and Seder meals) for his whole life. When he spoke of being set free from sin and death, was he not speaking of this as the last and final enemy to be subjected to God? Or was he really intending to say that this is the only freedom which concerns God?
A modern Seder ends with a pledge to remember those who have been denied their basic human rights. It recalls all those caught up in cycles of oppression. And whether they share our religious views or not, we know that God does not want them to suffer or be overlooked.
All too often Christianity has become a religion of our hearts and ceased to be a religion which motivates our feet and hands. I don't think that is what Jesus intended. Certainly it is not the message the children leaving last night's Seder would have received.
There is one part which speaks of the "Four types of children." The order makes sure to recognize the typical responses to a long and involved religious observance. This attention is to make sure that all of the children, regardless of their "type," are involved in the observance and take away from it an understanding of what is being observed.
What is being observed is God's liberation.
We, in the Christian communities, tend to think of liberation in terms of liberation from sin and death. Jesus surely saves us from these. But the Seder reminds us that God saves us from other dangers, too. Jesus was Jewish. He had observed Passover (and Seder meals) for his whole life. When he spoke of being set free from sin and death, was he not speaking of this as the last and final enemy to be subjected to God? Or was he really intending to say that this is the only freedom which concerns God?
A modern Seder ends with a pledge to remember those who have been denied their basic human rights. It recalls all those caught up in cycles of oppression. And whether they share our religious views or not, we know that God does not want them to suffer or be overlooked.
All too often Christianity has become a religion of our hearts and ceased to be a religion which motivates our feet and hands. I don't think that is what Jesus intended. Certainly it is not the message the children leaving last night's Seder would have received.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, April 13
One of the mistaken notions this season of the Church year ought to debunk is the thought that Jesus died by accident. I don't mean that those who hung him on the cross thought the result would be anything other than death. That part was no accident - they knew what they were doing and they were not going to fail.
The suggestion of an "accident" enters when we start to say things like, "If they had really known who Jesus was, they would not have condemned him to die." Or, "If Pilot had understood Jesus was talking about religion he would have left him alone."
Jesus' death is no accident.
The players in the story knew what he was saying. They understood who he was telling them he was. They merely wanted no part of it.
The religious establishment knew that Jesus was concerned about faith and conviction - not with building temples. The Roman authorities could see that Jesus was asking for a pledge of allegiance to God, not to some flag or national identity. The people realized (after he enters Jerusalem) that he was not going to allow them to come out to hear a great sermon, be healed of their disease, only to return to their homes and go back to living life as they wanted.
Jesus' death is no accident.
John 10:18 reads: "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."
Jesus' death is no accident. He dies because no one wanted to hear his constant reminder that most of the time we hold onto life and treat it as our private possession while living fully means offering that life to God, and to God's purpose, and to God's children. It is (according to Jesus anyway) in laying down our life that we take up the life God hopes for us.
The suggestion of an "accident" enters when we start to say things like, "If they had really known who Jesus was, they would not have condemned him to die." Or, "If Pilot had understood Jesus was talking about religion he would have left him alone."
Jesus' death is no accident.
The players in the story knew what he was saying. They understood who he was telling them he was. They merely wanted no part of it.
The religious establishment knew that Jesus was concerned about faith and conviction - not with building temples. The Roman authorities could see that Jesus was asking for a pledge of allegiance to God, not to some flag or national identity. The people realized (after he enters Jerusalem) that he was not going to allow them to come out to hear a great sermon, be healed of their disease, only to return to their homes and go back to living life as they wanted.
Jesus' death is no accident.
John 10:18 reads: "For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."
Jesus' death is no accident. He dies because no one wanted to hear his constant reminder that most of the time we hold onto life and treat it as our private possession while living fully means offering that life to God, and to God's purpose, and to God's children. It is (according to Jesus anyway) in laying down our life that we take up the life God hopes for us.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, April 12
Those of you reviewing math theories are likely to encounter the name Blaise Pascal. It is a name which often appears in the devotional book which I read each morning. Pascal did his work in the 17th Century. Among his writings were these words:
"The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.
"It is the heart which experiences God... This then is faith, God felt by the hear, not by reason...
"Faith is the gift of God; do not believe that we said it was a gift of reasoning. Other religions do not say this of their faith. They only give reasoning in order to arrive at it, and yet it does not bring them to it...
"The knowledge of God is very far from the love of Him.
"We know truth not only by reason, but also by the heart and it is in this last way that we know first principles, such as space, time, motion, number, as sure as any of those we get from reasoning. And reason must trust these intuitions of the heart.... And it is as useless and absurd for reason to demand from the heart proofs of her first principles, before admitting them, as it could be for the heart to demand from reason an intuition of all demonstrated principles before accepting them. This inability out, then, to serve only to humble reason, which would judge all."
"The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know.
"It is the heart which experiences God... This then is faith, God felt by the hear, not by reason...
"Faith is the gift of God; do not believe that we said it was a gift of reasoning. Other religions do not say this of their faith. They only give reasoning in order to arrive at it, and yet it does not bring them to it...
"The knowledge of God is very far from the love of Him.
"We know truth not only by reason, but also by the heart and it is in this last way that we know first principles, such as space, time, motion, number, as sure as any of those we get from reasoning. And reason must trust these intuitions of the heart.... And it is as useless and absurd for reason to demand from the heart proofs of her first principles, before admitting them, as it could be for the heart to demand from reason an intuition of all demonstrated principles before accepting them. This inability out, then, to serve only to humble reason, which would judge all."
Monday, April 11, 2011
Devotion - Monday, April 11
The Gospel text for the Fifth (and final) Sunday in Lent is the resurrection of Lazarus. There are several places in this story where we are encouraged to look forward to the events of Easter.
The one I would like to pick up on this morning is Jesus' delay in going to see about Lazarus.
When told that Lazarus is ill, Jesus does not immediately drop everything and go running. He has other work to do. He goes about that work for several days. Then, he is the one who announces that Lazarus has died.
This is not a point which had been missed by the sisters of Lazarus. They remind him, "If you had been here Lazarus would not have died."
It is not that Jesus doesn't care. Within this story is the verse every contestant at a Bible verse competition loves the most. It is that short verse, "Jesus wept." He cares about Lazarus; he simply didn't make preventing Lazarus' death the most important event.
Doing the work of God, is the work which remains important. Making known God's love and grace, is the task which comes first in Jesus' life.
Death is always feared. Death is to be avoided. But in this story we are reminded that Death is not the worse of possible events. Far worse would be to loose touch with God's grace or God's hope for our lives. Christ comes among those who are sick and ill; Christ becomes one with those who are facing death and assures that not even death will be able to separate us from the love of God.
The one I would like to pick up on this morning is Jesus' delay in going to see about Lazarus.
When told that Lazarus is ill, Jesus does not immediately drop everything and go running. He has other work to do. He goes about that work for several days. Then, he is the one who announces that Lazarus has died.
This is not a point which had been missed by the sisters of Lazarus. They remind him, "If you had been here Lazarus would not have died."
It is not that Jesus doesn't care. Within this story is the verse every contestant at a Bible verse competition loves the most. It is that short verse, "Jesus wept." He cares about Lazarus; he simply didn't make preventing Lazarus' death the most important event.
Doing the work of God, is the work which remains important. Making known God's love and grace, is the task which comes first in Jesus' life.
Death is always feared. Death is to be avoided. But in this story we are reminded that Death is not the worse of possible events. Far worse would be to loose touch with God's grace or God's hope for our lives. Christ comes among those who are sick and ill; Christ becomes one with those who are facing death and assures that not even death will be able to separate us from the love of God.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Devotion - Thursday, April 7
In Jeremiah 22, the prophet warns of God's anger against the kings. He writes: "Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing, and does not give him his wages."
As a result of all this, Jeremiah warns, "With the burial of an ass he shall be buried, dragged and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem."
Modern readers of Jeremiah dismiss his words. One path is to read them as a warning to Jeremiah. Another is to assume that his abuses were greater than any we might commit. As a result, modern day prophets who re-speak Jeremiah's words are often criticized and ridiculed. It doesn't take them long to learn to keep silent.
As a result, injustice creeps into our system. Over time it gains speed and momentum.
I am often congratulated for the work I do with Habitat for Humanity. "What a great thing - to build those houses and establish homes." But when I share the stories of the homeowners, of their hard work at jobs most of us would never take, the smiles disappear.
One of the advantages to following the Lectionary is that I don't get to pick the verses I read. So this morning, when I was directed to turn to Jeremiah, it was not of my choosing. I would have chosen to read something different. I would have chosen to read words of comfort or assurance. What I read were words which challenge my assumptions.
If it is righteousness that I seek, I must ask questions of justice.
As a result of all this, Jeremiah warns, "With the burial of an ass he shall be buried, dragged and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem."
Modern readers of Jeremiah dismiss his words. One path is to read them as a warning to Jeremiah. Another is to assume that his abuses were greater than any we might commit. As a result, modern day prophets who re-speak Jeremiah's words are often criticized and ridiculed. It doesn't take them long to learn to keep silent.
As a result, injustice creeps into our system. Over time it gains speed and momentum.
I am often congratulated for the work I do with Habitat for Humanity. "What a great thing - to build those houses and establish homes." But when I share the stories of the homeowners, of their hard work at jobs most of us would never take, the smiles disappear.
One of the advantages to following the Lectionary is that I don't get to pick the verses I read. So this morning, when I was directed to turn to Jeremiah, it was not of my choosing. I would have chosen to read something different. I would have chosen to read words of comfort or assurance. What I read were words which challenge my assumptions.
If it is righteousness that I seek, I must ask questions of justice.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Devotion - Wednesday, April 6
Writing in the fourth century, Ephraem expressed his faith journey with these words: "Grant me to see my own errors, and not to judge my neighbor." Would that all our prayers contained such insight.
It is much easier to see transgression in others. We are inclined to judge more harshly those errors which we seldom commit. We avoid discussions of those sins which lie close at hand. When was the last time you heard a sermon on the sin of gluttony?
The season of Lent is a time to examine ourselves and identify those parts of our life which are not being lived in accordance to God's Word. It is a time to examine all of our life - not merely the parts that we are accustomed to setting out front and showing off on Sunday morning.
To his disciples Jesus once said, "Judge not, lest you also be judged." One teacher reminded me that all of are inclined to judge; Jesus reminds us to use the same standard in judging ourselves as we would use to judge others.
Look, with charity, upon the actions of others. Ask, in your prayers, that God might expose to you where it is that you need to clean up your own act.
It is much easier to see transgression in others. We are inclined to judge more harshly those errors which we seldom commit. We avoid discussions of those sins which lie close at hand. When was the last time you heard a sermon on the sin of gluttony?
The season of Lent is a time to examine ourselves and identify those parts of our life which are not being lived in accordance to God's Word. It is a time to examine all of our life - not merely the parts that we are accustomed to setting out front and showing off on Sunday morning.
To his disciples Jesus once said, "Judge not, lest you also be judged." One teacher reminded me that all of are inclined to judge; Jesus reminds us to use the same standard in judging ourselves as we would use to judge others.
Look, with charity, upon the actions of others. Ask, in your prayers, that God might expose to you where it is that you need to clean up your own act.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Devotion - Tuesday, April 5
Romans 7:13-25 is a sobering section of Paul's letter. Here he uses lines which have the potential to confuse us; he shares statements which describe us perfectly.
He writes, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."
Paul speaks of a war within himself. At his core he wills what is right; but in his members he sees another law at work. He knows what he ought to do, but he does not find himself consistently doing it.
All of this is couched in his discussion of "The Law." He says that there is one law in effect with regard to his intentions; another law which directs his actions. "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
Perhaps you can relate to Paul's struggle. I know that I can. And like him I become disgusted with myself that I simply can't seem to do what it is that I know I ought to do. But words once spoken can never be retraced; actions will be interpreted by the one who observes them.
Paul's solution to the problem is Christ. Christ is the one who will deliver him. Christ is the one who can deliver me, and you.
The law requires that I do things right. The law insists that I not transgress. Christ invites me to begin with an acknowledgment of that which I find myself incapable of doing. Christ promises to respond to this confession with forgiveness.
It is not an excuse for continuing to do evil and it is not a get-out-of-jail card I can use whenever I want. But it is the assurance that if I place my confidence in Christ I have an escape clause. I have a way of acknowledging that it is not my intention to do harm nor is it my desire to cause unrest. It is an opening encounter in which there is the expressed hope that whatever transpires, it will be interpreted in light of the one who completes what we find to be beyond our reach.
I will forever fail to do what I really intend to do. For this, we express remorse. And we ask that we might be forgiven, in the name of the one who came to offer forgiveness to us all.
He writes, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do."
Paul speaks of a war within himself. At his core he wills what is right; but in his members he sees another law at work. He knows what he ought to do, but he does not find himself consistently doing it.
All of this is couched in his discussion of "The Law." He says that there is one law in effect with regard to his intentions; another law which directs his actions. "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
Perhaps you can relate to Paul's struggle. I know that I can. And like him I become disgusted with myself that I simply can't seem to do what it is that I know I ought to do. But words once spoken can never be retraced; actions will be interpreted by the one who observes them.
Paul's solution to the problem is Christ. Christ is the one who will deliver him. Christ is the one who can deliver me, and you.
The law requires that I do things right. The law insists that I not transgress. Christ invites me to begin with an acknowledgment of that which I find myself incapable of doing. Christ promises to respond to this confession with forgiveness.
It is not an excuse for continuing to do evil and it is not a get-out-of-jail card I can use whenever I want. But it is the assurance that if I place my confidence in Christ I have an escape clause. I have a way of acknowledging that it is not my intention to do harm nor is it my desire to cause unrest. It is an opening encounter in which there is the expressed hope that whatever transpires, it will be interpreted in light of the one who completes what we find to be beyond our reach.
I will forever fail to do what I really intend to do. For this, we express remorse. And we ask that we might be forgiven, in the name of the one who came to offer forgiveness to us all.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Devotion - Monday, April 4
We are beginning the fourth week of Lent. The events of Holy Week are drawing ever closer. There was a line in yesterday's opening hymn which reminds us that "the sheep rise against their shepherd." The crowds which seem to always be around Jesus will cease to sing Alleluias and call for his crucifixion.
This morning I was reading John 6:1-15. It is John's account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Near the end, we have this notation: "Perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountains by himself."
Jesus wanted no part of their kingdom; he has in mind the Kingdom of God. He knows that the kingdom they have in mind is self-serving; later he will confront them with whether they came to him to hear the Good News or because they ate their fill of the loaves.
"The crowd" in the biblical story is us. The crowd is what we tend to be. Jesus has compassion on this crowd. He heals their diseases and he feeds them. There is this continual hope that they will come to see. But in so many ways they do not. They come, when there are loaves and fish to be shared. But when the time comes for true change, they turn from Jesus and call for his death.
Life lived as a follower of Jesus is the best of all possible lives. It overflows with grace and abundance. Sharing in the life of Christ, we are united with God and assured that God is united with us. It is a life lived with a purpose. That purpose is to share the Good News and to invite others into this way of living. There is abundance for all - which creates the opportunity for a greedy person to slip in and begin to hoard. When this happens, the community which seeks to live as Jesus begins to crumble. After time, hoarding seems normal and everyone starts to do it.
One spin to put upon the shift between the mood of the crowd in John 6 and the mood on Good Friday is to think of it as the result of hoarders tipping the balance. Rather than receiving what it is that Jesus came to offer, they begin to seek fulfillment for their own desires. They wanted a King of their own making.
Jesus would have no part of this. Their disappointment turns to frustration and their frustration turns to hatred and their hatred leads to murder.
The mood of the crowd changes quickly. Only a few remain faithful throughout. It takes perseverance to remain firm. Forty days is too short a time to be fully prepared.
This morning I was reading John 6:1-15. It is John's account of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Near the end, we have this notation: "Perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountains by himself."
Jesus wanted no part of their kingdom; he has in mind the Kingdom of God. He knows that the kingdom they have in mind is self-serving; later he will confront them with whether they came to him to hear the Good News or because they ate their fill of the loaves.
"The crowd" in the biblical story is us. The crowd is what we tend to be. Jesus has compassion on this crowd. He heals their diseases and he feeds them. There is this continual hope that they will come to see. But in so many ways they do not. They come, when there are loaves and fish to be shared. But when the time comes for true change, they turn from Jesus and call for his death.
Life lived as a follower of Jesus is the best of all possible lives. It overflows with grace and abundance. Sharing in the life of Christ, we are united with God and assured that God is united with us. It is a life lived with a purpose. That purpose is to share the Good News and to invite others into this way of living. There is abundance for all - which creates the opportunity for a greedy person to slip in and begin to hoard. When this happens, the community which seeks to live as Jesus begins to crumble. After time, hoarding seems normal and everyone starts to do it.
One spin to put upon the shift between the mood of the crowd in John 6 and the mood on Good Friday is to think of it as the result of hoarders tipping the balance. Rather than receiving what it is that Jesus came to offer, they begin to seek fulfillment for their own desires. They wanted a King of their own making.
Jesus would have no part of this. Their disappointment turns to frustration and their frustration turns to hatred and their hatred leads to murder.
The mood of the crowd changes quickly. Only a few remain faithful throughout. It takes perseverance to remain firm. Forty days is too short a time to be fully prepared.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Sermon - April 3, 2011
Fourth Sunday in Lent - Year A
John 9:1-41
Incurable Blindness
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
I realized that with the length of the gospel lesson, I ought to remind you how it began. This whole story unfolds as a result of Jesus’ encounter with the man born blind. It all happens as a result of the disciples questioning Jesus as to whose sin caused this thing to occur. The opening encounter reminds us that this is not a miracle story - it is a lesson on the nature of sin.
I remember preaching on this text in the past, in this congregation. And I remember getting a reaction to what my notes on this text claim. This encounter is about sin. And in order to make sure that understand this is what it is about, John has Jesus engage in questionable activities; activities which many of his initial readers would have considered “sinful.” Earlier, I simply said that Jesus commits a few sins himself. The complaint I got was that his actions were not really “sins,” merely actions that some distorted religious teacher labeled as “sin.”
Whatever spin you want to put on it, what Jesus does do is transgress the laws of Moses in three ways.
First, there is the clay. Jesus didn’t reach down and scoop up some mud from the river bank - he made it himself. The laws of Moses forbid any work on Sunday. The Rabbinic code lists thirty-nine categories of work explicitly forbidden. Kneading is one of them. Jesus is guilty of transgressing the law. He commits what the religious leaders of his day would have considered a “sin.” Exodus 35:2 says anyone who works on the Sabbath is to be put to death.
His second transgression arises from the products from which he made the clay. The liquid with which he combined the dirt was his own spit. Leviticus, chapter: 15, verse: 8 (CEV) reads “If you are spit on by the man, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.” These two transgressions were committed, in order to bring about a healing. The healing itself is Jesus’ third infraction.
Rabbinical Law does allow one to heal on the Sabbath - but only if a life was in danger. This man was inconvenienced - but his life was not being threatened by his blindness. Jesus commits his third transgression of the laws of Moses by healing one who’s live was not in danger.
Three misdeeds; three transgressions against the book of commandments. This is not a miracle story - it is a lesson on the nature of sin.
In this story, the disciples speak our part. They set the whole thing in motion by trying to figure out what evil action lead to the suffering which they now see. Like too many of us, they believe that bad things happen as a result of some evil deed. “What have I done to deserve this?” is a common cry offered by those who suffer. Other expressions of the same sentiment are found in “What goes around comes around.” or “You shall reap what you sow”. There is the ever popular “She got what she had coming.”
When bad things happen, we try to find some preceding cause, some action which leads to the reaction. We believe that bad things don’t just happen, they happen as a result of some other action.
Now, the case of a man who is born blind presents a particularly troublesome case. What can be said to have lead to this suffering? Is it possible that he committed some sin while still in his mother’s womb? Or did some sin on the part of his parents lead to their having to watch their child grow up without sight? The case of a man who is born blind presents a particularly troublesome case. Who do you blame? Who is responsible? What sin had been committed?
There is a story I like to tell to illustrate this point. Again, it is a story some of you are likely to have heard before. Allow me to repeat it, sharing it for the first time with some of you and reminding others of its horrific ending. It happened as I was serving as the “Chaplain for the day” at Rowan Memorial Hospital, in Salisbury, NC. A thirteen month-old child had been admitted to the pediatrics floor. I was summoned and informed that death would come within a matter of hours. The child had been sick from her birth. She had a liver disorder that was poisoning her whole system. As horrible as it was to see this child suffer, the horror was associated with a story that I slowly coxed out of the mother. She was herself only a child - an unwed teenage mother. Some of her high school classmates had cornered her one day and told her that the child was ill as a result of her promiscuity. They insisted that God’s punishment for her sin would be having to watch as her baby died.
“Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” I can understand why Jesus broke a few laws. When confronted with someone who is utterly convinced that everything bad thing which happens happens as a result of some prior misdeed on our part, the first commandments I am inclined to break are those associated with un-godly utterances.
In this encounter, confronted with those who were hell-bent on finding some justification for the injury to this young man, Jesus finds a way to position himself among those who are being looked upon as being on the wrong side of the morality code. He allows his actions to speak. He is verbal response shows tremendous restraint. He says to them, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”
He tries to tell his disciples that they should stop thinking in terms of ‘tit for tat’. God doesn’t interact way. And just to prove it, Jesus goes on and commits a few sins of his own. He whips up a batch of clay; making use of his unclean spit; and heals this man of a non life threatening disorder. “If sin results in suffering,” Jesus seems to be saying, “then where is my punishment?”
There were those around who wanted to see him punished. The Pharisees and the keepers of the book of laws interrogate everyone they can find, trying to assign guilt. First, they try to say that a switch has occurred. That the one who sees is not the same as the one who had been born blind. When that doesn’t work, they try to get the man to find fault with Jesus. They condemn Jesus saying, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Next, they move to the parents, asking them whether this child of theirs had indeed been born blind. Finally, they bring the man back in and insist that he join them in their condemnation of Jesus.
“He is a sinner!” They say. “How can he be of God?” It was too much for them to accept. They could not understand how someone could be of God, and yet act in clear violation of the Law of Moses. It is troublesome question, isn’t it?
Running throughout the story, there is a delightful play on sight and what sight means. Sight - with the eyes - is juxtaposed with spiritual seeing. The man who is born blind cannot see, but in the middle verses, he is the one who does sees Jesus as who he really is. In this man’s second encounter with the Pharisees, he becomes the teacher. He says to them, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he (Jesus) comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
The man without sight is the one who sees. The blind man sees what they cannot.
This is not a miracle story - it is a lesson on the nature of sin.
As the story is coming to a close, the Pharisees come to Jesus and ask him, “Surely we are not blind, are we? Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
The first character in the story is born blind. But, his inability to see did not prevent him from recognizing Christ. The other characters in the story have full vision, but their blindness of heart prevents them from accepting God’s Messiah. The man who was born blind is healed; those who refuse to see remain in their sin.
It sometimes seems as if there is an endless barrage of questions regarding this action or that. Folks want to know whether this is a sin or whether that is a transgression. It is easier to follow a religious tradition which asks little of us beyond living up to a moral code. Even when that moral code is extremely rigid and demanding - at least we know exactly what is expected of us. Jesus understood that no code of ethics was ever going to set us free. We can only be the children God hopes we will become when as we set aside the moral codes and enter into a faith-filled relationship with God.
For many, sin consists of breaking the rules or transgressing the law. For Jesus, sin is linked with an unwillingness to accept him and an inability to emulate God’s compassion.
“Who sinned?” ... Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” In him, and through his story, we are encouraged to see that God’s commandment is for us to be made whole; God’s law demands that eyes be opened and that hearts be softened.
Amen.
John 9:1-41
Incurable Blindness
As Jesus walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
I realized that with the length of the gospel lesson, I ought to remind you how it began. This whole story unfolds as a result of Jesus’ encounter with the man born blind. It all happens as a result of the disciples questioning Jesus as to whose sin caused this thing to occur. The opening encounter reminds us that this is not a miracle story - it is a lesson on the nature of sin.
I remember preaching on this text in the past, in this congregation. And I remember getting a reaction to what my notes on this text claim. This encounter is about sin. And in order to make sure that understand this is what it is about, John has Jesus engage in questionable activities; activities which many of his initial readers would have considered “sinful.” Earlier, I simply said that Jesus commits a few sins himself. The complaint I got was that his actions were not really “sins,” merely actions that some distorted religious teacher labeled as “sin.”
Whatever spin you want to put on it, what Jesus does do is transgress the laws of Moses in three ways.
First, there is the clay. Jesus didn’t reach down and scoop up some mud from the river bank - he made it himself. The laws of Moses forbid any work on Sunday. The Rabbinic code lists thirty-nine categories of work explicitly forbidden. Kneading is one of them. Jesus is guilty of transgressing the law. He commits what the religious leaders of his day would have considered a “sin.” Exodus 35:2 says anyone who works on the Sabbath is to be put to death.
His second transgression arises from the products from which he made the clay. The liquid with which he combined the dirt was his own spit. Leviticus, chapter: 15, verse: 8 (CEV) reads “If you are spit on by the man, you must wash your clothes and take a bath, but you still remain unclean until evening.” These two transgressions were committed, in order to bring about a healing. The healing itself is Jesus’ third infraction.
Rabbinical Law does allow one to heal on the Sabbath - but only if a life was in danger. This man was inconvenienced - but his life was not being threatened by his blindness. Jesus commits his third transgression of the laws of Moses by healing one who’s live was not in danger.
Three misdeeds; three transgressions against the book of commandments. This is not a miracle story - it is a lesson on the nature of sin.
In this story, the disciples speak our part. They set the whole thing in motion by trying to figure out what evil action lead to the suffering which they now see. Like too many of us, they believe that bad things happen as a result of some evil deed. “What have I done to deserve this?” is a common cry offered by those who suffer. Other expressions of the same sentiment are found in “What goes around comes around.” or “You shall reap what you sow”. There is the ever popular “She got what she had coming.”
When bad things happen, we try to find some preceding cause, some action which leads to the reaction. We believe that bad things don’t just happen, they happen as a result of some other action.
Now, the case of a man who is born blind presents a particularly troublesome case. What can be said to have lead to this suffering? Is it possible that he committed some sin while still in his mother’s womb? Or did some sin on the part of his parents lead to their having to watch their child grow up without sight? The case of a man who is born blind presents a particularly troublesome case. Who do you blame? Who is responsible? What sin had been committed?
There is a story I like to tell to illustrate this point. Again, it is a story some of you are likely to have heard before. Allow me to repeat it, sharing it for the first time with some of you and reminding others of its horrific ending. It happened as I was serving as the “Chaplain for the day” at Rowan Memorial Hospital, in Salisbury, NC. A thirteen month-old child had been admitted to the pediatrics floor. I was summoned and informed that death would come within a matter of hours. The child had been sick from her birth. She had a liver disorder that was poisoning her whole system. As horrible as it was to see this child suffer, the horror was associated with a story that I slowly coxed out of the mother. She was herself only a child - an unwed teenage mother. Some of her high school classmates had cornered her one day and told her that the child was ill as a result of her promiscuity. They insisted that God’s punishment for her sin would be having to watch as her baby died.
“Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” I can understand why Jesus broke a few laws. When confronted with someone who is utterly convinced that everything bad thing which happens happens as a result of some prior misdeed on our part, the first commandments I am inclined to break are those associated with un-godly utterances.
In this encounter, confronted with those who were hell-bent on finding some justification for the injury to this young man, Jesus finds a way to position himself among those who are being looked upon as being on the wrong side of the morality code. He allows his actions to speak. He is verbal response shows tremendous restraint. He says to them, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”
He tries to tell his disciples that they should stop thinking in terms of ‘tit for tat’. God doesn’t interact way. And just to prove it, Jesus goes on and commits a few sins of his own. He whips up a batch of clay; making use of his unclean spit; and heals this man of a non life threatening disorder. “If sin results in suffering,” Jesus seems to be saying, “then where is my punishment?”
There were those around who wanted to see him punished. The Pharisees and the keepers of the book of laws interrogate everyone they can find, trying to assign guilt. First, they try to say that a switch has occurred. That the one who sees is not the same as the one who had been born blind. When that doesn’t work, they try to get the man to find fault with Jesus. They condemn Jesus saying, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” Next, they move to the parents, asking them whether this child of theirs had indeed been born blind. Finally, they bring the man back in and insist that he join them in their condemnation of Jesus.
“He is a sinner!” They say. “How can he be of God?” It was too much for them to accept. They could not understand how someone could be of God, and yet act in clear violation of the Law of Moses. It is troublesome question, isn’t it?
Running throughout the story, there is a delightful play on sight and what sight means. Sight - with the eyes - is juxtaposed with spiritual seeing. The man who is born blind cannot see, but in the middle verses, he is the one who does sees Jesus as who he really is. In this man’s second encounter with the Pharisees, he becomes the teacher. He says to them, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he (Jesus) comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
The man without sight is the one who sees. The blind man sees what they cannot.
This is not a miracle story - it is a lesson on the nature of sin.
As the story is coming to a close, the Pharisees come to Jesus and ask him, “Surely we are not blind, are we? Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
The first character in the story is born blind. But, his inability to see did not prevent him from recognizing Christ. The other characters in the story have full vision, but their blindness of heart prevents them from accepting God’s Messiah. The man who was born blind is healed; those who refuse to see remain in their sin.
It sometimes seems as if there is an endless barrage of questions regarding this action or that. Folks want to know whether this is a sin or whether that is a transgression. It is easier to follow a religious tradition which asks little of us beyond living up to a moral code. Even when that moral code is extremely rigid and demanding - at least we know exactly what is expected of us. Jesus understood that no code of ethics was ever going to set us free. We can only be the children God hopes we will become when as we set aside the moral codes and enter into a faith-filled relationship with God.
For many, sin consists of breaking the rules or transgressing the law. For Jesus, sin is linked with an unwillingness to accept him and an inability to emulate God’s compassion.
“Who sinned?” ... Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him.” In him, and through his story, we are encouraged to see that God’s commandment is for us to be made whole; God’s law demands that eyes be opened and that hearts be softened.
Amen.
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