Sermon: Are We Listening?

Lectionary: Advent 4(C)
Text: Luke 1:39-55

Visitation

Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Which means that at least for this hour, no matter what activities are going on outside of these walls, Christmas is still coming, but it isn’t quite here yet.

The signs of Christmas are everywhere, however. From the glittering lights to the window displays to the impossibly busy schedules and appointments to be kept, one cannot escape the anticipation of Christmas.

Another sign, especially in a household with children and grandchildren, may be the increasing count of gift-wrapped items under the tree. There are small boxes, medium boxes, large boxes, wrapped cylinders and awkwardly shaped items. With each additional item, the anticipation increases. Christmas is almost here, but not yet. We know Christmas is coming, but we must wait just a little while longer.

One of the key challenges I face, running a retail store, is finding boxes for odd shaped items – mostly pottery pieces. When we order and receive these items, we don’t receive them boxed individually. They come in shipping boxes, with boxes inside holding multiple pieces each. Then when a customer wants an item boxed and wrapped, we must sleuth out a box that is approximately the correct size and shape. Sometimes though, we end up having to build boxes from other boxes, or from larger sheets of cardboard that we cut apart and reassemble.

As I was thinking about today’s gospel text and the overall Lucan gospel from where it comes, I was struck by the irony of trying to fit gifts into boxes when the entire gospel message is about God not fitting into the boxes of human expectations of who God is.

On the other hand, putting gifts into boxes is a perfect metaphor of what humankind has been trying to do with God throughout history. We want a God who fits our understanding and expectations. We want a God that works according to our wishes and desires. We want a God who favors who we like and acts against those we don’t like. In short, we want a God we can control. We want a God that stays out of our lives until we need God to fix something. And then God can go back into the box.

(Cats love boxes, but even most cats can’t be forced into a box against their will.)[1]

Throughout most of history, human societies have had expectations about how God communicates to them. Humans developed systems and hierarchies of religions: religious traditions, ceremonies, rituals, and established roles to mediate deities’ communication to us and back.

In the opening chapter of Luke, we read about a priest named Zechariah. His pedigree is impeccable, traced back to Aaron, the original high priest of Israel. He is described as ministering to God at the temple, mediating between the people and God. If anyone should receive a message from God, it is Zechariah. And in fact, he does, but his response is that which doubts God’s power, and as a result is rendered unable to speak.

When the same messenger of God, Gabriel, announces an unanticipated and unexplainable pregnancy to Mary, she has questions, but she accepts that God can work outside of normal human experiences and even outside the normal laws of biology.

From the very beginning, the God found in our Bible often reverses human expectations. A younger child often becomes the one chosen to lead and carry on the promise of God’s blessings: among them, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David. While the society and literature is patriarchal, women are not always passive. Many feature prominently and there are several instances where they play a critical role in allowing the people to survive. This includes the Hebrew midwives in Egypt who saved their male infants, Miriam who saved Moses, the woman of Jericho who hid the spies, Deborah the judge and leader, Hannah who gave up her child Samuel to God, and Bathsheba who was the kingmaker for Solomon.

The gospel of Luke begins with a reversal. The expected communicator for God, Zechariah, is rendered speechless. Instead, prophecies and blessings are pronounced through the mouths of Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth is the first human individual (with help from her own unborn prophet John) to recognize Christ in Mary’s womb.

In response Mary’s opens her mouth to praise God. Whether or not she spoke the actual words of the Magnificat is debatable, but we can accept it as reflecting the kind of young woman Mary was. The Magnificat may have been composed following the pattern of Hannah’s song in 1 Samuel. Like Hannah, the mother of Samuel, Mary’s faith and strength of character reflected the attributes of the God they worshiped and served. While they were both humans and with all our shared weaknesses, they exhibited a unique steadfastness and determination to see justice worked out among their people. As a result, they were chosen by God to bear children that would go on to do great things. Samuel would go on to lead the Israelites and anoint their first two kings. And Jesus would become the Savior of all people.

But perhaps even Mary could not see how expansive and broad the gospel of Jesus Christ would be. The Magnificat ends with.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy,
⁵⁵ just as he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever. (Luke 1:54-55 CEB)

In the Magnificat, the promise of the Messiah, the Savior, is still found in a box limited to Israel and Abraham’s descendants. But when the Christmas story does come around, when Jesus’ birth is announced by angels to the shepherds, one of the angels says, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people.” (Luke 2:10)

In Luke’s gospel account, the first announcement of Jesus’ birth is not in royal chambers, not in the sanctum of the temple, not to nobles, not to priests, but to shepherds – laborers – in the fields. They were the first evangelists for and about Jesus. And the gospel they receive from the angel is not limited to just their tribe and nation. It is for all people: Jews certainly, but also for Romans and Greeks, for citizens and non-citizens, slaves and free, men and women, young and old.

God isn’t limited to communicating through what humans think are proper and established channels. God does indeed speak through priests and prophets, through pastors and theologians. God does speak through Christian churches and communities.

But what the Advent and Christmas stories tells us is that we should not try to place God in a box. Women were not the usual and expected spokespersons for God, but they are who God used to communicate the impending arrival of Jesus Christ. Shepherds were not expected to be apostles and evangelists, but that is who God used to announce Jesus’ birth.

Do we miss some of what God is trying to communicate to us because we limit the channels through which we hope to hear from God? We might, in theory, believe that God can speak outside of scripture, outside of pastors, outside of churches, and even outside of Christianity. But how open are we to hearing from outside the normal, established, and expected channels?

The gospel is a message that was first given to those in the margins, received by them, and spread by those in the margins. To tame, domesticate, and defang the subversive and dangerous power of self-sacrificing love, the established powers took the gospel and placed it into boxes that they could control. And so, it has continued to this present day.

Christians frequently speak about the impossibility of placing God in a box. Yet that is what we do, because that is what we want.

Churches have silenced women, and many still do. Churches frequently privilege the voices of those with wealth and status. Those on the margins are often “ministry targets” that are patronized, rather than voices that need to be heard.

Have we neutered the gospel by making it more comfortable for us? What do the voices in the margins say? Do we even know where to go to hear those voices? Can we listen without patronizing? Can we hear what God is speaking through communities and voices that are not like ours? Through voices that don’t belong to our tribe? Through voices that may not express the same faith, beliefs, or perhaps none at all?

We think we know what the gospel is. But do we really? If we haven’t taken the time to listen to those in the margins, to those who are victimized and oppressed, from those who aren’t like us, how can we be certain that what we think is the gospel is really the gospel to their ears?

During these final days of Advent and through the upcoming Christmas season, perhaps we should take to heart the saying, “Talk less, listen more.” Maybe we should take time to listen for the gospel found in unexpected places and spoken through nontraditional channels.

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[1] Random 3 a.m. thought, while working on this sermon with a cat sitting next to me.

Sermon: Joy and Judgment

Lectionary: Advent 3(C)
Texts: Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Philippians 4:4-7; Luke 3:7-18

John the Baptist preaching in the desert

During this season, we wish one another “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Holidays,” or if you are on the other side of the pond, “Happy Christmas.” It almost seems impolite during this period to feel and express anything other than gaiety and happiness.

But for Christians who walk through the season of Advent, we are reminded that there is much wrong in the world, even when stores put cheery songs on repeat, where sparkling decorations and lights line the windows and streets, where parties and merriment fill our calendars.

We are halfway through this journey through the season of Advent. And today we remember joy. The difference in the color of the candle reminds us that there is a moment that defies the sentiment of the rest of the season. Joy can be experienced when darkness sems ever pressing against us, when ever present despair threatens to suffocate, and when dark clouds seem to obscure our vision.

Complicating this discussion of joy is another word that is usually seen as synonymous: happiness. Although superficially joy and happiness might appear to be the same thing and experienced in the same way, psychologists explain that there is a difference. Yes, they have similar properties, but there are significant differences. Cynthia Vinney, a psychologist writes in an article, “You can be happy but not joyous and vice versa.” (Vinney, 2024) In the same piece, she quotes several other psychologists.

“Joy is a deep primary emotion individuals experience when they feel truly connected in relationships, are in alignment with their values, and/or have a sense of meaning and purpose,” Lindsey Rae Ackerman, LMFT, vice president of Clinical Services at Clear Behavioral Health, explains. (Vinney, 2024)

A complex emotion, joy signals pleasure but can also come with “a combination of grief and gratitude,” says Daniel Boscaljon, PhD, cofounder of Alchemy of Love. “Joy is the ability to affirm the goodness of life even in the midst of sorrow.” (Vinney, 2024)

Conversely, happiness is “an emotional state that can occur through momentary experiences and is often dependent on external factors such as an achievement or gaining material satisfaction.” (Vinney, 2024)

The article continues to compare joy and happiness. Omitting further detail, the basic idea is that “happiness and joy are both pleasurable, but happiness is short-term, spontaneous, and tends to be linked to external factors. Joy is more long-term and tends to be linked to intrinsic factors.” (Vinney, 2024) Or in my words, happiness is mostly a reaction to what happens to you, whereas joy appears to be something you can choose and cultivate in your inner being.

Lending additional support to the concept that happiness is determined by outside factors is recent research into happiness. (Jade Wu, 2023) (Jennings, 2024) We have probably heard often a saying, “Money can’t buy happiness.” But the research shows that, in fact, there is a correlation between having money and self-reports of happiness. The usual caveats for research and statistics apply: correlation does not mean causation, it is based on self-reports, and the very definition of “happiness” is ambiguous.

Having covered some of the contemporary ideas about joy and happiness, we now turn to our scripture readings.

The Old Testament reading from Zephaniah is a conclusion to an oracle of judgment against Jerusalem. The portion we heard is where God promises to restore Israel and Jerusalem. In this restored community, false, violent, and boastful speech will be replaced by humility. Acts of selfishness and acts to gain and preserve power over others will be replaced by justice. The community rejoices because they no longer fear God’s judgment on their sins.

In our psalm reading from Isaiah, the lection omitted the first verse which once again alludes to God turning away from judgment against the nations, including Israel, and restoring Judah. The cause for God’s judgment against the nations is once again, injustice and oppression of the powerful against the vulnerable and powerless. An oracle about the “root of Jesse” arising to restore the nations is found immediately before the reading we heard. The result of God’s restoration of God’s community is joy, once more.

Our New Testament reading was from Philippians. This epistle is sometimes referred to as one of Paul’s prison epistles, since there is good consensus that Paul probably wrote this letter from a prison pit in Rome. This epistle exudes joy with nearly every verse. It is evidence that joy is something that cannot be diminished or destroyed by external circumstances. The writing is an exhortation to imitate Christ and Christ’s way of relating to and treating people. One of its messages seems to be that how you treat one another directly affects joy. When you are in right relationship with one another and with God, you grow joy. This message is really quite similar to what the Old Testament prophets spoke to their audiences.

And then we come to the gospel reading. The last verse included in our reading says, “With many other words John appealed to them, proclaiming good news to the people.” (Luke 3:18 CEB). The words John the Baptizer spoke to the people don’t really sound much like good news, but once we understand the context and patterns of prior prophetic oracles, we can understand how John’s words of judgment were seen and received as good news. John was preaching judgment as a necessary precursor to restoration of the community and its relationships with one another and with God.

As a related aside, I do think that John truly believed that judgment would look much like how earlier destruction and exiles of Israel occurred. Based on the categories of people that asked John, “What should we do?”, John believed all of humanity was under judgment – from those that had only a meager amount to call their own, to those who were taking advantage of their position of power and privilege, to those who through their official powers were abusing and oppressing other people – all were under God’s judgment.

But Jesus’ life and words showed the world something different about judgment. In the Gospel of John (not the Baptizer) chapter 3, we read the following,

¹⁷ God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son.

¹⁹ “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. ²⁰ All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. ²¹ Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God. (John 3:17-21)

What we find here is that God is not like Santa Claus in the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town. In that song are found words,

He's making a list and checking it twice
He's gonna find out who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness' sake

The God that Jesus came to show isn’t like that. Humanity does their own judging. We already know when things are right or wrong with one another in the community. (Paul, in Romans chapter 1, agrees with John.) Jesus sets the example and standard for how to relate to one another, how to think about fellow human beings, and how to treat one another in love. Being afraid of God and judgment is a natural consequence of consistently and intentionally living against Jesus’ standard.

Conversely, those who are following the leading and empowering of the Holy Spirit to live according to Christ’s pattern will naturally come to the light. There is no judgment against those who live in the light. Those who live in the light have nothing to hide. Communities that strive to live to Christ’s standard have nothing to be ashamed of. There is naturally no fear of being found out. There is no judgment and that leads to joy.

As I often do, I want to emphasize the collective and communal aspects of what we have heard so far.

John (the Baptizer) was not just speaking against individual wrongdoing, but also against collective sins. When he exhorts, “Whoever has two shirts must share with the one who has none, and whoever has food must do the same,” (Luke 3:11) he is speaking about our natural tendency to acquire and hoard. We fear that we might not have enough, so we try to ensure our own security by acquiring more than we need. When faced with needs of others, we excuse our not giving by thinking things like, “They don’t deserve it,” or, “I might need it more later,” or, “Someone else can help.” Self-preservation is a collective sin. It doesn’t matter how little or how much one has, it is a temptation that most of us succumb to.

When John says, “Collect no more than you are authorized to collect,” (Luke 3:13) he is speaking to the same tendency as before, but also to the temptation to take shortcuts, take advantage of loopholes, and bend rules to benefit oneself. We might excuse this with words like, “I work hard; I deserve it,” or, “No one will know,” or, “Everyone else is doing it.”

When John says, “Don’t cheat or harass anyone, and be satisfied with your pay,” (Luke 3:14) he is still speaking to the same human temptation to succumb to self-preservation, but also to self-aggrandizement. Those who have official powers can abuse the authority granted them to put others down and to belittle others to make oneself feel better about themselves. Same sort of excuses could be made to justify these actions. But additional excuses are also available, such as, “It’s legal,” or, “It’s not unlawful.”

When the entire community, a society, and a nation operates under principles of self-preservation, the ability to have and experience joy is diminished across the board. Conversely, when communities operate with compassion, love, and justice for all as their guiding principles, it increases the capacity for all to have joy.

The Season of Advent is one, a time for repentance. It is a time to look within, both individually and collectively, to return our vision toward Christ and to recommit ourselves to follow Christ more completely. But this is just not change in our philosophical or theological outlook, but a call to action. Can we be better at “letting go” of our desire for security and self-preservation? Can we be better at giving things away to those who are in need? Can we be better at doing what we can to change and reform systems that favor the already-wealthy, powerful and privileged? Can we be better at bringing justice to all and not favoring or disfavoring people based on their position in society?

When we work toward a more just community, society, and nation, we know that we are working toward bringing the good news, the gospel, to all. And in doing so, we know that there is no judgment against that. Whatever may be happening externally, joy and peace and hope infuses this kind of community.

The passage from Philippians continues,

⁸ From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. ⁹ Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9)

We cultivate joy by becoming more Christlike – through activities of love, compassion, and justice. When we are doing this as individuals and as faith communities, no matter what the world throws at us, together with Paul we can live joy-filled lives no matter what circumstances we face.

References

Jade Wu, P. (2023, November 10). Can Money Really Buy Happiness? Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-savvy-psychologist/202106/can-money-really-buy-happiness

Jennings, J. (2024, February 12). Does Money Buy Happiness? Actually, Yes. Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnjennings/2024/02/12/money-buys-happiness-after-all/

Vinney, C. (2024, October 30). Experts Reveal the One Key Difference Between Joy and Happiness. Retrieved from Very Well Mind: https://www.verywellmind.com/joy-vs-happiness-8724682

 

 

 

Sermon: Hope in Darkness

Lectionary: Advent 1(C)
Texts: Jeremiah 33:14-16; Luke 21:25-36

I recently saw someone observe that Thanksgiving should be moved to October, when Canada has their holiday of the same name. Why? It could help spread out the number of preparations and activities that too often collide together. We might get a bit more breathing room. Instead of many folks traveling twice with only a few short weeks between, it could ease the burden of travel.

Some might object that, “Well, Thanksgiving isn’t a real holiday.” And it often does seem that way. I’m old enough to recall that even in my own lifetime, Thanksgiving was treated as a proper holiday, even by major retailers. We would get newspapers stuffed with Thanksgiving sales.

But no more. First, who gets the massive Sunday newspapers with inches-high stack of ads? And businesses, especially conglomerates and big boxes, realized that Christmas is a much more effective motivator for people to open their wallets and take out plastic to tap and swipe. Thanksgiving has become a day of gorging and watching football (okay, I don’t watch, but I hear many do). And then it’s off to continue the frantic preparation for Christmas with Black Friday sales.

But enter Advent. The Season of Advent. It is not just a day. Not just a short extended weekend holiday. It is a season.

I grew up in the part of the Christian world that had no idea what Advent was. After Thanksgiving, it was suddenly Christmas. We would immediately switch to Christmas songs (which did include Advent songs, but we didn’t know that). Sermons were often a series on various Christmas topics.

In recent years, churches like I grew up in have learned that there are these four weeks called Advent, but frequently they are still treated more like a countdown to Christmas (like Advent calendars with treats inside), instead of what the Advent season is intended to convey.

Some of you know this about me, but others probably don’t. And that is, one of my hobbies is tabletop role-playing games, where a group of people come together and basically play a version of grown-up imagine and pretend.

Now, it might seem almost trite, but I think one way of better understanding and experiencing Advent is to imagine and pretend that we don’t know about Christmas. It hasn’t happened yet. On this first Sunday of Advent, the texts we read tell us that things in the world are not going so well. We have promises that they won’t go on forever, but we don’t know when God will appear. We live in the in-between time. What are we doing?

In this season between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it is too easy to skip over the difficulties of life and what is happening around the world, in this nation, in our communities, and in our families, and jump straight ahead to the miracle of Christmas. However, the season of Advent tells us to pause, wait, and think. It invites us in to take on the roles of those whose tomorrow is uncertain, who face food and housing insecurities, who might be unsure of their status with governing authorities, and who might be fearful of having their families torn apart by circumstances and policies outside of their control. We are invited to contemplate their fears and longing and empathize with them.

For most of us here, who live in relative comfort and security, I don’t think we fully understand what anticipation and hope for a better future means. I don’t think we fully appreciate what deliverance from this life means. For most of us, the status quo is not that bad. As we experience the Advent season, we are invited to imagine a life and an entire community that is uncertain, uncomfortable, and fearful. We are invited to read Advent texts. Do they offer something different than what we normally hear? Can we hear hope, deliverance, salvation, and assurance differently?

Hope, deliverance, salvation, and assurance are not merely spiritual longings. They are not primarily about individuals. It is not primarily about me, an individual person, being saved so that someday I can go to heaven. It is about what is happening in the larger community and the world.

On this first Sunday of Advent, our text includes,

²⁵ … On the earth, there will be dismay among nations in their confusion over the roaring of the sea and surging waves. ²⁶ The planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken, causing people to faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world. (Luke 21:25-26 CEB)

We don’t commonly hear or use the word “foreboding”. Its definitions include “an omen, prediction, or presentiment especially of coming evil,” “a feeling that something very bad is going to happen soon,” and “a sense of evil to come.” This is the kind of time into which Advent speaks most clearly.

The reading continues, however,

²⁷ Then they will see the Human One coming on a cloud with power and great splendor. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to happen, stand up straight and raise your heads, because your redemption is near.” (Luke 21:27-28)

Verse 27 is often interpreted as the Second Coming event. But verse 28 indicates that whatever the Human One’s (or Son of Man’s) coming is, is still a sign for the future, a portent. Redemption is near, but it is not yet.

Jesus continues with a parable,

²⁹ … “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. ³¹ In the same way, when you see these things happening, you know that God’s kingdom is near. ³² I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until everything has happened. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away. (Luke 21:29-33)

The season of Advent is a look back to Jesus’ time here on earth during the first century CE. It is also a look forward to Jesus’ anticipated return to earth at an unknown time in the future.

The readers and hearers of Jesus’ words in Luke would have thought most of it to have been fulfilled by the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 CE. The remaining piece would have been the return of Jesus, which they fully expected to occur in their lifetime. Yet here we are two-thousand years from that time.

The reading from Luke concluded with the following words from Jesus:

³⁴ “Take care that your hearts aren’t dulled by drinking parties, drunkenness, and the anxieties of day-to-day life. Don’t let that day fall upon you unexpectedly, ³⁵ like a trap. It will come upon everyone who lives on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ Stay alert at all times, praying that you are strong enough to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand before the Human One.” (Luke 21:34-36)

The exhortation here is to remain alert and be prepared for Jesus to return.

Returning to my growing up years, one of the central theological themes driven home was “to be ready” and “be prepared.” Implied and emphasized, again, was for me as an individual to be personally ready through a personal relationship with Jesus. The repetition and emphasis gave rise to the sense that because the message was repeated, it must be difficult to get ready and remain prepared. An unspoken fear was always present with the question, “I am really prepared?” I’m sure invoking fear was not the intent, but that was what I experienced.

Now though, I realize that these words of Jesus were never directed to an individual person, but to a community of the faithful. There is something about having others to rely on, others to help keep watch, others to pick another up when one falls, that is heartening and hopeful. Being ready and prepared is not a solo effort; it is a team undertaking. I think that the modern idea of salvation as a solely individual decision, consumed with one’s personal relationship to Jesus, is a distortion of the good news of the kingdom of God. What I see in the Christian scriptures is salvation and life in Christ as teamwork, not an individual undertaking.

Therefore, Jesus speaks to his community. His admonition to his community is, one, to not become so comfortable with how the world carries on that we become dulled to the hope that is found in him. And two, conversely, don’t become so anxious about what is happening in the world that we lose hope that is fond in him. Together as a community, we can help one another remain alert yet not anxious.

Returning to the experience of role-playing games, when playing the game, it is often a bad idea to run off and try to face challenges alone. A few bad dice rolls and your character could fall, die, or experience some other bad thing from which they cannot return. But having other members of the group around you means they can resuscitate you, they can help take the hits so you aren’t taking all of them alone, they can fill in your weak areas with their strengths, they can take watch while you take some needed rest, and so on. It makes survival and achieving success much more likely.

Advent does lead to Christmas. And it leads to the return of Christ. Advent is a time of preparation. Yes, we can prepare to celebrate Christmas. But it is also a time when we as a community of believers take stock of the spiritual path we are on. It is time to review how we are doing together to manifest the kingdom of God among the community in which we live. Are we hopeful people? Do our actions reveal our hope? Do we express concerns about what is happening around us without succumbing to anxiety? Do we act upon these concerns, bringing people into the kingdom of God, and be a beacon of hope in the world?

The season of Advent is not just a countdown to Christmas. It is a time for us to be reminded that the world is not how things are supposed to be. The world is not the kingdom of God and never will be. The time is coming when the world will be recreated into something new. But we live in the in-between time. As a community, we prepare for that new kingdom by practicing what it will, at least partially, look like when the kingdom principles are lived out among us. In this in-between time we look forward to the kingdom by living hope. We live justice. We live righteousness. Not to be saved, but because we are already saved, delivered, and redeemed. We live a life that is both alert and awake to the realities of this world, yet not succumbing to anxiety and fear.

At the beginning of today’s worship, we lit the candle of hope. I believe that the light of hope is not a solitary flicker, but one that is meant to spread to all who are in community, as we walk the way of Christ together and encourage one another. We do not travel the journey of redemption and salvation as solo travelers. We do this in community with fellow travelers on the same journey.

May we be people of hope. May hope be not just spiritual aspiration, but a way of life that is seen by all around us. May that be the attraction to the kingdom and to Jesus Christ.

Sermon: Against the Powers of this World

Lectionary: Proper 29(B), Reign of Christ
Text: Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37

Christ and Pilate (17c. Flemish)

Jesus is often interpreted as being apolitical, avoiding taking sides in matters of civic debate. One might even point to today’s reading from John’s gospel as such an example – Jesus stepped around being identified as a political individual.

But a careful reading shows that Jesus does take a position. Yes, the position Jesus takes is neither for nor against Rome, at least in the usual sense, but he takes a third position that goes beyond normal human assumptions of politics and rule. I would even identify as Jesus being anti-political in his response. Jesus does not claim to be the king of the Jews. Thus, he is not specifically for the Jews, and therefore, he is not against Rome. But Jesus claims a kingdom. Therefore, he is simultaneously against all human systems of nations, states, rulers, and forms of governance. The kingdom of God is, in one sense, not in competition with human rule, but in simultaneously, completely against it.

As followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, those of us who claim to be Christians should have the same perspective on human systems of authority and rule that Jesus had. While we must live in the present world, we cannot hold and declare allegiance to any human ruler, state, or nation. If we seriously live out this principle, I suspect we will be looked upon with suspicion and could quite possibly experience some form of persecution. But most of us, me included, prefer a more comfortable and stable life and so we make compromises. We need to be reminded of Jesus’ words that his followers must “take up their cross daily” and “lose their lives” (Luke 9:23-24).

The last book of our Bible, which we call Revelation, was written to Christian communities that were tired of being looked upon with suspicion, experiencing difficulties in getting along with the rest of Roman society, their neighbors, and possibly experiencing persecution sometimes. The main accusation that is directed against these churches is that they have compromised. John, the Revelator, reveals to the Christian communities what is going on, both visible and unseen, and exhorts them to return to full, undivided allegiance to Jesus Christ and to him alone.

The gospel account of John does not have much to say about the description of the kingdom of God. However, the other gospel accounts contain descriptions, many which are couched in the language of parables. A summary of God’s kingdom from these texts is that it arrives quietly, subtly, and slowly; it is not accompanied by huge proclamations, power, might, or conquering; and it is most easily found and entered by those who in this world, are powerless, weak, humble, persecuted, marginalized, oppressed, victimized, abused. The entire concept of power is turned upside down in God’s kingdom: the servants are kings, the poor are wealthy, there is no hierarchy of power, those who give up their lives gain it, those who sought no recognition or reward receive them.

When some modern Christians envision Christ’s return and reign in power, they picture a conquering king, slaying his enemies and using a type of military power and might to destroy all who oppose him. There is a blood bath where power and authority are imposed, and fear is driven into any who might be wavering. Christ reigns with absolute authority that none dare question.

It is my emphatic belief that this is not the correct picture of Christ’s reign as king.

The reign of Christ in his kingdom is for him to serve all who are there. Power and authority are not imposed onto his subjects. Power is not used to coerce or intimidate. Authority is not used to invoke fear. The only power Christ has is the persuasive power of infinite love.

In the gospels, Jesus tells his hearers that the kingdom of God is already among them, and therefore also among us. Like the parable of the mustard seed, it may only be a sprout, but it has the potential to grow. But It can only grow when we are fully committed to the kingdom and Christ’s way of persuasive love. We cannot advance Christ’s work and grow his kingdom by employing the methods and tactics of this world. We should be cautious and skeptical about blindly adopting practices that might be successful in business, government, and other organizations. We need to ask the question, “What kind of power dynamics is assumed and promoted by this practice?”

As much as we might wish to see our church grow and the way of Christ embraced more broadly, Revelation offers yet another sobering insight: nothing that is formed by this world, governments and businesses, certainly, but yes, even churches, will never be transformed into the kingdom of God. Babylon, Revelation’s code for abusive power, is within all human-originated structures.

What all this tells me is that the kingdom of God cannot be identified by physical boundaries. It does not have visible boundaries. None of us can state for certain who is in and out. It is not limited to those who have and profess “correct” beliefs. It is far broader and more inclusive than any of us can possibly imagine.

That isn’t to say there is no boundary. The inhabitants of God’s kingdom, the New Jerusalem, must be protected from harm. Therefore, any who seek to use and abuse others are excluded from the New Jerusalem. Those who seek to have power over another are excluded.

Where does this leave us, we who live in the in-between, already in God’s kingdom yet still physically living in this world?

First it should give us hope. When we don’t see the world becoming more just and equitable, we don’t need to lose hope because we know that this world’s systems will never be transformed into the kingdom of God.

The flip side of this is a warning. We should not place our hope for a better future in this world’s systems. Christianity cannot be imposed into the world’s systems to turn them into a part of the kingdom of God. “Christianizing” power systems cannot transform them into God’s kingdom. In fact, doing this is very much the definition of Babylon.

This isn’t to say that we should give up on making this world a better place. We can and should do what we can to effect governance and policies that are more just and equitable, create a world that is more humane and livable, reduce fear and violence, and improve human relationships and acceptance of one another. We do this while cognizant that this will not transform the present world into the kingdom of God. Thus, we do not lose hope when our efforts seem so meager against a storm of opposition. But like Jesus, we bring compassion and relief wherever we are able.

On this Christ the King Sunday, we are reminded of what Jesus said.

“My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.” (John 18:36 CEB)

Take everything you know about how earthly kings, prime ministers, and presidents wield power. Turn that upside down. A powerless individual, at least in our eyes. That is Jesus Christ the King. He relinquished power and allowed himself to be crucified. That is our calling to follow Jesus as his disciples.

Take everything you know about the most powerful nations and empires and how they managed and maintained their power: the Roman Empire, the British Empire, the many other European colonizing powers, Japan, Russia, China, and yes the United States. Turn that upside down. Powerless nations and empires that wouldn’t last many days. Yet that is how the kingdom of God works: by giving away power so that more can be served and receive the benefits of the kingdom.

We must resist the temptation to see God’s kingdom and Christ’s reign as they are like what we know about kingdoms and kings. Doing so only increases our compromise into Babylon.

I suggest that like Jesus, we become anti-political against the powers of this world.

Sermon: The Eyes and Heart of Jesus

"Widow's Mite" by Tissot, James, 1836-1902

Lectionary: Proper 27(B)

Texts: 1 Kings 17:8-16; Psalm 146; Mark 12:38-44

Our gospel reading describes a widow who comes to the temple to place a couple of small copper or brass coins into a box whose contents would be added to the temple treasury. Some commentaries describe this box as having been made to accentuate the sounds of the coins as they dropped into the box. It would be difficult to not notice coins being dropped into the box. And even a small amount would not escape notice. For the woman to drop in so few coins could bring about looks of scorn and derision, and she likely would have felt shame and embarrassment.

Perhaps she tried to conceal her identity as she gave, or to do it as quietly as possible. That is possible, but the text omits any mention of how she arrived and how she gave. I think that she would have tried to not draw attention, but the fact that Jesus noticed and that he pointed it out to the disciples would likely mean that they saw and heard the widow.

This story is frequently offered as examples of what faithful discipleship looks like. It is also used as an example of faithful and sacrificial giving to God. I think they are valid interpretations, but like I often do, I propose a different interpretation that I think better fits the context of the surrounding texts.

The text immediately preceding the story of the widow and her coins is words of Jesus giving warning about the legal experts of his time. Jesus says, “Watch out for the legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They want to be greeted with honor in the markets. They long for places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. They are the ones who cheat widows out of their homes, and to show off they say long prayers. They will be judged most harshly.” (Mark 12:38-40 CEB)

The individuals Jesus is warning against are the national leaders. They are legal and political leaders. They have high positions – they expect to be honored wherever they go. They dress accordingly so that they can be recognized. They are also religiously pious and go out of their way to declare their piety. Yet they are also avaricious and callous. Using their legal maneuvers, some of them may have found widows to be easy pickings. Jesus condemns those who flaunt their piety yet use their legal expertise to line their pockets with widows’ properties.

It is with this background that the rich, quite possibly an example of the legal experts Jesus warned against, appear at the temple. And the widow, perhaps one whose house had been lost to such a legal expert, also enters the scene. The rich give. The widow also gives. But the law does not require the widow to give. Rather, the law demands that orphans and widows be taken care of.

This scene is not primarily about giving, but about the failure of the rich to live up to the very law which they claim to piously follow.

The widow is not required to give, but she gives anyway. Why? Is it because of her faithfulness to God? Perhaps. But another perspective suggests that the teachings of these legal experts may be in play. Piety, regardless of wealth or social standing, was important to ancient people. Giving to God was a legitimate component of a pious life. It may be that giving was so emphasized that the poor felt obligated to give, even when they could not afford to do so.

It should be noted that the text does not have Jesus praising or condemning the widow’s act. Jesus simply sees and makes some factual comments. He does not provide an evaluation. Therefore, I think it is best to treat this as an observation and not turn it into an exemplary act.

When we continue to read past this story into the next couple of verses, the non-evaluation approach seems more appropriate.

“​As Jesus left the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What awesome stones and buildings!”

Jesus responded, “Do you see these enormous buildings? Not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished.” (Mark 13:1-2)

We do not know precisely when Mark’s text was written. Many place it before the destruction of Jerusalem. In which case these words of Jesus could be seen as prophecy about the future. Or it could be that by the time Mark’s text was being put together, the writing was on the wall regarding Jerusalem’s future.

Another possibility is that Jesus’ words are recalling Hebrew history, where Solomon’s temple was destroyed. A key reason for the destruction of the first temple was also because the nation’s leaders failed to provide justice and care to the widows and orphans. According to Jesus, the future of a nation that fails to take care of its most vulnerable is judgment and destruction.

In our reading from the Hebrew scriptures, 1 Kings 17, we read about another widow. This widow is said to be from Zarephath, near Sidon. Elijah came to her during an extended drought, to receive food and water from her. She, too, was on her last meager bit of sustenance, and she too, gave what she had, first to Elijah who was a representative of God.

This could be seen as another story about faithfulness to God through giving. And this could be a lens through which the story of the widow at the temple could be interpreted.

But once more, there is another way of interpreting the story of the widow of Zarephath. And this one comes straight from Jesus. In Luke 4, as Jesus begins his public ministry, he returns to Nazareth and declares his mission statement.

¹⁶ Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been raised. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue as he normally did and stood up to read. ¹⁷ The synagogue assistant gave him the scroll from the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to liberate the oppressed,

¹⁹ and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

²⁰ He rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the synagogue assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the synagogue was fixed on him. ²¹ He began to explain to them, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled just as you heard it.”

²² Everyone was raving about Jesus, so impressed were they by the gracious words flowing from his lips. They said, “This is Joseph’s son, isn’t it?”

²³ Then Jesus said to them, “Undoubtedly, you will quote this saying to me: ‘Doctor, heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we’ve heard you did in Capernaum.’” ²⁴ He said, “I assure you that no prophet is welcome in the prophet’s hometown. ²⁵ And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah’s time, when it didn’t rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. (Luke 4:16-26)

First point to note is that Jesus’ mission is to be good news to the poor, the prisoners, to the blind, and the oppressed. What is missing is any notion of acquiring power, conquering, and ruling.

Second, when the people of his hometown expressed doubt about Jesus, Jesus’ response included a mention of the widow of Zarephath. Jesus does not say anything about the widow’s sacrificial giving. Rather, the point here seems to be about who God chose to work through to provide his prophet, Elijah, with support and sustenance. The point is also about who Jesus is sent to offer the gospel.

It wasn’t Elijah’s own people, the Israelites. It was, instead, a foreigner, a Canaanite. It was not someone who had the proper religious identity or beliefs. The widow was not a follower of Isarel’s God. But Elijah’s God, the God of Israel, chose a Canaanite, who worshiped some other god, to care for Elijah.

The same could and should be said of our God. Our God is not limited to working with and for those who profess the right name and those who claim to possess proper beliefs. Our God is not limited by race, ethnicity, language, culture or borders. God will choose to work with whomever is open and receptive to the mission of love and compassion for others. On the other hand, those who falsely claim piety to be seen and to gain human approval “will be judged most harshly”, in Jesus’ own words.

I see echoes between then and now in the depictions of human powers found in the Bible and what we see in our present day. We read about Jesus observing these powers at play in his time. We read what God values and desires to see among people. We, as the church, and therefore an embodiment of Christ in the world, have an obligation and responsibility to continue to see the world as Jesus saw it and to continue his mission of bringing justice and restoration to all peoples.

In closing and as our prayer, I will recite Psalm 146, which I see as an appropriate summary for today’s message.

¹ Praise the LORD!
Let my whole being praise the LORD!
² I will praise the LORD with all my life;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
³ Don’t trust leaders;
don’t trust any human beings—
there’s no saving help with them!
⁴ Their breath leaves them,
then they go back to the ground.
On that very same day, their plans die too.
⁵ The person whose help is the God of Jacob—
the person whose hope rests on the LORD their God—
is truly happy!
⁶ God: the maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
God: who is faithful forever,
⁷ who gives justice to people who are oppressed,
who gives bread to people who are starving!
The LORD: who frees prisoners.
⁸ The LORD: who makes the blind see.
The LORD: who straightens up those who are bent low.
The LORD: who loves the righteous.
⁹ The LORD: who protects immigrants,
who helps orphans and widows,
but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!
¹⁰ The LORD will rule forever!
Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!
Praise the LORD!

Sermon: Struggling with Hope

Lectionary: Proper 25(B)
Texts: Jeremiah 31:7-9; Psalm 126; Hebrews 7:23-28

A Prophetic Word of Hope

The Southern kingdom of Israel, Judah, was steadily falling to the Babylonian armies. With each defeat, the victors would send a selection of the defeated populace to Babylon as captives. Those who had little value to the Babylonians were left to eke out a meager existence while tending to the land where they were left.

Our first reading, taken from Jeremiah, was written sometime during this portion of Judah’s history. It is part of an oracle of hope, given by God, to the people who were experiencing the destruction and desolation of their land.

For ancient societies, there were two things that were vitally important: land and their gods. For the Israelites, the land was slowly being taken from them, and their God appeared powerless to prevent it. The future would have appeared utterly bleak and hopeless.

Into this void, God spoke through prophets, including Jeremiah. God told the people that their actions had caused this, and that they would suffer consequences, but they would not be completely abandoned and forgotten. God affirms that, after some time, God would work to bring the people back to their land.

A Hymn of Hope

The reading from the Psalms seems to have been composed after the return from exile, when at least some of the people have returned to their land and Jerusalem had seen some reconstruction.

There is joy at the return and what God has done for them. Yet there is a sense that they are still facing an uncertain future. There is still a call from the people to God to continue to improve their condition and petitions that their work toward reconstruction and restoration will not be in vain.

A Sermon of Hope

Early Christians Losing Hope

Now we jump ahead many centuries and arrive somewhere between the mid and late first century in the Common Era. It’s now been a few to several decades since the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

This new sect of Judaism, because that’s what it was, was establishing communities around the major centers of the Roman empire. They had a sense of urgency, because Jesus was returning soon to finish what had been started.

But then, the years passed. Many of the disciples who had been closest with Jesus and had been the founders of this movement had died in one manner or another. There were sporadic conflicts with the Romans. There were ongoing differences with other forms of Judaism. The expectations and hope for the future return of Jesus and the establishment of the kingdom of God had not yet come to pass. The light began to dim and fade away.

At least for some of these followers of Jesus, it seemed easier to drift away and avoid any kind of conflict. For others, returning to practice more of the accepted traditions of Judaism would allow them to exist more peaceably with other Jews and the Romans would recognize them as licit Jews, practicing a state-approved form of religion.

It is to this situation to which someone speaks a sermon that we now have in the Christian scriptures as the book of Hebrews.

Unknown Provenance of Hebrews

Some English Bible translations might include “The Epistle (or Letter) to” the Hebrews in the title, but the best scholarly consensus is that this work does not contain any literary features that would mark it as a letter. Furthermore, “Hebrews” itself was added by an editor due to the very Jewish content of the work. No one knows who might have given the sermon nor the specific audience that would have heard it first.

You might have heard the idea that this work was written by Paul. But virtually no contemporary biblical scholar accepts Pauline authorship. Even in the early church, its authorship was anonymous. If one were to try to assign authorship, a couple leading candidates today include Apollos and Priscilla, with some circumstantial, but strong evidence pointing toward Priscilla.

The early church, despite its lack of strong provenance and authorship, found the sermon valuable that it was included in the collection of works that would eventually become the Christian canon.

The Hope in Hebrews

The thrust of the sermon is that Jesus is the ultimate messenger, better than prophets and even angelic messengers. Jesus is better than human priests, because, where human priests must offer regular sacrifice for their sins and they die, Jesus is without sin and he is a priest forever. Whereas human priests perform their duties in a sanctuary that is only a shadow, Jesus is the ultimate high priest who performs his duties in heaven, which is the perfect sanctuary, in the very presence of God.

If this work we call Hebrews was originally presented prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, it would have been intended to encourage the audience to remain faithful to the way of Christ, not the way mediated by human priests. The themes in Hebrews highlight the superiority of Christ over all other ways of approaching God.

If the work was presented after the fall of Jerusalem, it could have been spoken or written as a way of explaining why the Temple fell and how one might now look upon the priestly ministry that was part of being a Jew. It would have provided hope to the Christ-following sect of Jews that the real high priest and temple were no longer to be found on earth, but in heaven.

Both potential explanations offer reasons for why the early church found Hebrews valuable. It offers one of the most distinctive and precise Christologies found in scripture. It explains the superiority of Christ over all other powers and entities. And it explains why worship and religious service is better when they are not tied down to a specific location, such as a temple.

Caution When Interpreting Hebrews

But the interpretive history of Hebrews also contains dark moments. Because its basic argument is “Jesus is better than everything else,” it has led to the idea that Christianity replaces Judaism, and therefore, it can lead to the idea Jews are not as good as Christians. And then you can see how that reasoning can further lead to very dark places.

To prevent that kind of dark logic, we need to understand a few things about Hebrews.

First, it addressed an audience who were already long-time followers of Christ. It was not a message to a general audience nor one that was trying to persuade non-Christians of the superiority of Christianity. It was meant to persuade already-Christians that they should endure and hold on, and not give up hope in Christ.

Second, when the situation is dire, as it may have been with the Hebrews audience, stronger language and what could be seen as divisive language might be employed to exhort the listener. Outside of religious settings, we can see this tactic employed in other areas. An example might be a business CEO who uses strong rhetoric to motivate and inspire employees to go after the competition, or to reassure them that their products are superior.

A final point to consider is that whoever was the original speaker or author of this sermon probably had no idea it would be recorded to be read for the next two millennia. If they were aware that it would become part of a permanent collection, and had they known that it might be misinterpreted and misused, they might have used different words.

Returning to the three readings for today, each of them has hope as the thread that runs through them. For one, it is clinging to a word of hope when facing what appears to be literal existential threats. For another, it is experiencing improvements, yet still hoping for more. And for another, it is staying true to hope when expectations have not been met and the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.

Struggling to Apprehend Hope

I really struggle with the idea of hope, because it can easily devolve into wishful thinking or naïve optimism. On the other hand, hope in God can likewise be difficult. How does one hope in a being or the being’s words when that being is seemingly absent from the world’s affairs? When we observe the disasters and cataclysms, both natural and human-caused, when we see the strife and violence and death that is everywhere, and evil seems to reign, and God is absent… can we have hope in what God has claimed?

I wish I could give you an answer to these deep questions. I wish I could have even a start of an answer for myself. But these are questions that have troubled theologians and philosophers for a very long time with no definitive answers.

Christ’s Example; Our Actions to Invite Hope

Instead, what I want to direct your thoughts to is back to Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ, through his life, ministry, and death, demonstrated what God is like. Jesus exemplified God’s love so that we humans could comprehend it.

Jesus’ own ministry was not grand or that far reaching. What he did was do and say things that uplifted people that he encountered in his daily life and travels about a limited geography.  Jesus didn’t offer grand answers to philosophical questions. But he saw every individual as a valuable person, created in God’s image. Jesus built a small community around him to continue his methods of offering hope and love.

Maybe that’s what it means to have hope and share hope. Maybe hope is found in doing things that matter to our neighbors. Maybe hope is knowing that we matter to someone. Maybe hope is knowing that our very presence has value. And maybe to love someone is to help them learn to accept that they too, have value and that they matter to us.

God says that we are loved and valued, but if we are the body of Christ, then doesn’t it make sense that how we love and value those among us might be the way we communally experience the hope of the kingdom of God as it grows among us?

Sermon: The Kingdom of God and Children

Lectionary: Proper 22(B) 
Text: Mark 10:2-16

Jesus Welcomes the Children

Rather than speaking specifically on the text that was read, I will be reading extended selections from Mark 8:31 through 10:45 today. Today’s reading is a part of this extended section. The reading selections will be broken up with some comments after each.

This section of Mark’s account is this gospel’s narrative of Jesus’ final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, where Jesus will be crucified. As such, the Passion is the background and the foundation on which this entire section is to be interpreted.

If I was speaking each Sunday from September through October, this survey of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem would be divided among seven Sundays. There are repetitions of key thematic elements that occur in this narrative, that is difficult to see when only focusing on a single Sunday’s lectionary reading. To highlight those repetitions and gain insight into this gospel’s key themes, I am taking a 30,000 feet overview of the text today.

The text I read is from the Common English Bible translation.

8:31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One^[a] must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” ³² He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. ³³ Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.”

As Jesus begins his journey toward Jerusalem, we see several major thematic elements highlighted. These include his crucifixion and resurrection, the dichotomy between the ways of God’s kingdom vs. the ways of worldly power, and how there is misunderstandings even among those of Jesus’ inner circle. Perhaps there are lessons for present-day Christians among these themes.

The next story is Jesus’ transfiguration.

9:2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, ³ and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white.

The glory of Jesus and his identity is confirmed by a voice from heaven. The disciples see the glory and they, especially Peter, are convinced this is the kingdom of God. But the vision fades and they return to the world as it is. Once more, is there a lesson for us here?

As Jesus and three disciples descend the mountain and return to among the people, they are immediately thrown into a tense situation.

9:14 When Jesus, Peter, James, and John approached the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them and l egal experts arguing with them. ¹⁵ Suddenly the whole crowd caught sight of Jesus. They ran to greet him, overcome with excitement. ¹⁶ Jesus asked them, “What are you arguing about?”

¹⁷ Someone from the crowd responded, “Teacher, I brought my son to you, since he has a spirit that doesn’t allow him to speak. ¹⁸ Wherever it overpowers him, it throws him into a fit. He foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and stiffens up. So I spoke to your disciples to see if they could throw it out, but they couldn’t.”

9:25 Noticing that the crowd had surged together, Jesus spoke harshly to the unclean spirit, “Mute and deaf spirit, I command you to come out of him and never enter him again.” ²⁶ After screaming and shaking the boy horribly, the spirit came out. The boy seemed to be dead; in fact, several people said that he had died. ²⁷ But Jesus took his hand, lifted him up, and he arose.

For some unstated reason, the legal experts are arguing with the disciples that remained below. Perhaps they were pointing out the ineffectiveness of the disciples in treating the boy’s condition. Here we see the thematic element of conflict between Jesus, his works, and those who see Jesus as a threat to traditional forms of order and power.

We also see arise the thematic element of a child and what children represent. Here we witness the boy as an innocent victim, the cause of his condition is unstated and frankly, it shouldn’t matter. The child is oppressed, and Jesus restores him to wholeness.

Continuing, Jesus reaffirms the reason for his journey to Jerusalem. It is to demonstrate that the ways of human power is opposed to God’s kingdom.

9:30 From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. ³¹ This was because he was teaching his disciples, “The Human One^[e] will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed he will rise up.”

9:33 They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” ³⁴ They didn’t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. ³⁵ He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all.” ³⁶ Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, ³⁷ “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn’t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me.”

And we see repeated themes. The disciples are arguing about power in the kingdom. And we see the theme of the child. The kingdom of God turns upside down the human notions of power. Our understanding and practice of power is “power over.” Those who have the most power wield control over others or use the promise and delegation of power to keep underlings in their thrall. But in the kingdom of God power is earned by serving, by letting go of the need to control, and by being hospitable with no expectations of reciprocity.

The next set of texts were read last week. Here are a couple of verses to remind us.

9:38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.”

9:42 “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and to be thrown into the lake.

The disciples want to control Jesus’ power. They want exclusive use of it. Jesus tells them that is not how God’s power works. And once more is raised the theme of children, or “little ones” here – those who have no power in the worldly sense. They are the ones who are most valuable to the kingdom of God.

Next we come to today’s reading. Here are a few verses to remind us of the reading.

10:2 Some Pharisees came and, trying to test him, they asked, “Does the Law allow a man to divorce his wife?”

10:13 People were bringing children to Jesus so that he would bless them. But the disciples scolded them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he grew angry and said to them, “Allow the children to come to me. Don’t forbid them, because God’s kingdom belongs to people like these children. ¹⁵ I assure you that whoever doesn’t welcome God’s kingdom like a child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then he hugged the children and blessed them.

There is plenty of interesting details about the test that was posed to Jesus, but for now, the key point is that the questioners are asking Jesus to take sides in the ongoing debate between two or more groups at that time. Jesus refuses to do so and takes a third position by appealing to God’s original intention for loving relationships.

And again, the theme is brought up of children who exemplify the kind of individuals that will inherit the kingdom of God.

This is followed by the story of a man (sometimes identified as the rich ruler) who questions Jesus.

10:17 As Jesus continued down the road, a man ran up, knelt before him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to obtain eternal life?”

¹⁸ Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except the one God. ¹⁹ You know the commandments: Don’t commit murder. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t steal. Don’t give false testimony. Don’t cheat. Honor your father and mother.”^[k]

²⁰ “Teacher,” he responded, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy.”

In Mark’s account, the questioner appears to be asking sincerely. Other gospel accounts turn him into a negative foil. There is much that could be said about each writer’s agenda and editing, but we will leave that for another time.

This is the first time reading this story where the man’s response, “I’ve kept all of these things since I was a boy,” struck me as fitting in with the broader theme of adults vs. children in this extended section. Jesus tells the man that he must give away his possessions, and the man’s response is to walk away in dismay because he is wealthy.

When I read this, what drew my attention was an unspoken question, “What happened to that child-like innocence where wealth didn’t matter to you? What only mattered was pleasing God.” And perhaps that is another lesson and question that we need to ask of ourselves as well.

The disciples are confused and dismayed. In response,

10:29 Jesus said, “I assure you that anyone who has left house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, or farms because of me and because of the good news ³⁰ will receive one hundred times as much now in this life—houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and farms (with harassment)—and in the coming age, eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last. And many who are last will be first.”

Again we see the theme of the reversal of conventional (human) ideas of power.

As their journey continues, Jesus repeats the foundational theme of his death and resurrection.

10:32 Jesus and his disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus in the lead. The disciples were amazed while the others following behind were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he told them what was about to happen to him. ³³ “Look!” he said. “We’re going up to Jerusalem. The Human One^[l] will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. ³⁴ They will ridicule him, spit on him, torture him, and kill him. After three days, he will rise up.”

The theme of confusion continues. The disciples still don’t understand.

10:35 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³⁷ They said, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.”

³⁸ Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink the cup I drink or receive the baptism I receive?”

³⁹ “We can,” they answered.

Jesus said, “You will drink the cup I drink and receive the baptism I receive, ⁴⁰ but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.”

⁴¹ Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with James and John. ⁴² Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the ones who are considered the rulers by the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. ⁴³ But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. ⁴⁴ Whoever wants to be first among you will be the slave of all, ⁴⁵ for the Human One^[e] didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”

Following the world’s ideas of power – striving for it, acquiring it, and maintaining it – is diametrically opposed to God’s kingdom. It was human quest for power and control that led to humans murdering God.

If we want to live, to have life, and to be free, we must forsake the ways of worldly power and embrace serving and to empower others to live free from the clutches of the temptations of worldly power and wealth. We must become as vulnerable and powerless as children.

Christians, churches, and religious organizations are not immune to the appeal of worldly power. It doesn’t take, but a brief survey of the political structures around us, to see that.

Can we resist the temptation to utilize power for ourselves and to advance our own agendas through means of control, manipulation, and threats? Can we learn to rise above the methods of this world? And can we then be examples and witnesses of what it means to be fully whole and human? Through our service to those that the world often discards – the “little ones” and the “children” in the eyes of this world’s powers – can we restore dignity, agency, and hope to them? Are we prepared and willing to live out God’s kingdom in our world?

Sermon: To Be Human

Heart of the World

Lectionary: Year B, Proper 17

Text: Song of Solomon 2:8-13

Introduction

If your experience is anything like mine, your recollection might be quite hazy (if there is if any at all) of the last time you heard a sermon on text from the Song of Solomon. It’s not too difficult to put together sermons on stories and parables. Sermons on clearly didactic texts are usually quite straightforward.

But wisdom literature? Because that’s what the Song is. And within the genre of wisdom literature, the Song is all poetry. Poetry that doesn’t contain any kind of explicit instruction. The book of Proverbs contains plenty of instruction. Even many of the poetry in Psalms has theological direction that can be discerned.

But the Song? Like the book of Esther, there is no mention of God. There is no theological direction to the poetry. Yes, both Jews and Christians have interpreted the Song as allegory. For the Jews, it can be interpreted as God’s relationship with Israel. For Christians who have built upon the Jewish allegorical foundation, the Song is an allegory of Christ and Christ’s bride, the Church.

Other interpreters approach it historically and suggest that the Song is describing King Solomon’s relationship with one of his wives, perhaps his first or the one he actually loved; rather than most of harem which were mostly motivated to seal alliances and political objectives. However, there is only weak circumstantial evidence to support the assertion that the Song relates to Solomon.

But these are later interpretations. Some scholars suggest that the allegorical interpretations were developed to justify the inclusion of the Song in the biblical canon.

Because at the core, the Song is a description of human love. Modern scholars are generally of the opinion that due to similarities with other such poetry of the time, the Song originated as a piece of secular romantic poetry that somehow (perhaps due to a wealthy patron) was included in scripture.

Now, what do we do with this information?

Opinions About Inspiration

One of the first things that comes to mind is the question on the nature of inspiration and inspired writings.

There is a spectrum of how Christians think divine inspiration worked and works as it pertains to scripture. Here is how I think about scripture and its relation to divine inspiration.

At one end, there are those that believe that every word (at least in its original composition) was inspired by God. Moving along the spectrum, there are those who don’t believe in the literal, verbal inspiration of scripture, but believe that every individual who wrote the text was inspired by God. This is sometimes referred to as “thought inspiration.” Moving further along the spectrum, there are those who believe that even if the texts themselves aren’t the result of close divine revelation, the process of editing and collecting the writings to form the canon(s) we have today was inspired by God. At the end of the spectrum, are those who value scripture as inspired, but the inspiration is not inherent in the text but rather, inspiration is received as individuals and communities read the text together and seek divine guidance to understand what it might mean in the present moment.

In my own experience, there was a shift in how I understood the nature of scripture and inspiration. In the belief system that I grew up in, we never accepted literal, verbal inspiration and inerrancy of scripture. I grew up where we believed that all the authors were inspired.

But as I learned and understood more about how the text of the Bible came to be, how they were edited and compiled, how nearly every book of the Bible has authorial or redactor agendas, it became increasingly difficult to accept overall divine inspiration in the writing of the text.

While I can accept that there might be inspiration at work in the writing of small sections, I no longer hold to the idea that there is any kind of inherent inspiration found in the actual text of scripture.

In case you have never heard it before, there is what is sometimes referred to as a high view vs. a low view of scripture. The so-called “high view” asserts that the text itself is inspired. What is intended as the pejorative “low-view” is a rejection of the high-view.

Anyway, if a person doesn’t accept that the words of scripture are inherently inspired, what value does scripture have? And here is where I think that the inclusion of the Song in the Bible offers us an alternative response.

Humanity and Shared Experience

I noted earlier that the current scholarly opinion is that the Song was most likely originated as an anonymous secular love poetry. We might think that this is just an anomaly, but there are other textual pieces found in the Hebrew scriptures which are also seen as originating in texts of other people around them. Even when we venture into the New Testament, we find examples where the text quotes verbatim from Greek and Roman texts, or the texts contain allusions to Greek and Roman philosophical thought.

The incorporation of secular texts and thoughts in scripture does not invalidate its usefulness or devalue it. On the contrary, I think that it allows scripture to be more relatable and as a consequence, more useful and valuable. Scripture offers us, readers that are removed from the text by thousand of miles and thousands of years, a window into peoples who had vastly different experiences in some ways, yet struggled with the same big questions that we still ask: What is the meaning of life? Is there an ultimate power, and if so, what is this power like? Why is there good and evil? What happens after we die? And so on.

Scripture is the record of people wrestling with these metaphysical questions. The answers that people find are rooted in their time and place. Some of the big brushstrokes may hold true over time and space, but we should be careful in how we take and interpret specific responses. All interpretations have a context, and that context includes history and culture.

The value of scripture is that it helps us understand that we, as humans, have always wrestled with similar questions. It also helps us see that the responses to those questions have been developed in community. Scripture is not a lone-wolf exercise, either in its formation or in its interpretation. Scripture has value because it forms a foundation and a starting point for community discussion and debate into the questions and nature of ultimate things.

Just as sermons today might bring in quotes from books and movies, talk about popular music and artists, and how they are part of our experience and how they might help explain to us and to help us experience a touch of what we think upon as ultimate reality. Ancient authors, editors, and audience did the same sort of thing with the materials they had on hand.

To Be Fully Human

The Song touches on the meaning and experience of human love. The experience, the passion, the playfulness, the mystery, and the discovery found in romantic and erotic love between two humans is nearly entirely absent from the Bible, except in the Song. There were enough individuals in ancient history that found value in the Song to preserve it through inclusion in the canon. Romantic love, eros and sexual intimacy were seen as part of what makes humans human, to make sure it was part of the sacred collection of texts.

Once we accept the goodness of romance and passion in our human relationships, we can ask what that means about God who placed those things in us and called them “good.” We can begin to explore how the scripture texts describing God as a lover might mean. We might gain better sense into how much passion God feels toward creation. When we speak of Jesus as God become fully human, we cannot exclude portions of the human experience simply because they are theologically inconvenient or uncomfortable. God sees humanity to be so full of wonder and value that God became one of us. We must never devalue ourselves or anyone else.

Finally, we should not reject allegorical interpretations either. They shouldn’t be asserted as the only “correct” interpretation, but neither should be rejected. It was in community that allegorical interpretations were formed and they form a part of our shared history.

Let me conclude by reading the rest of chapter 2 of the Song. Here the woman continues to quote her lover, before resuming first-person voice in the final two verses.

¹⁴ My dove—in the rock crevices,
hidden in the cliff face—
let me catch sight of you;
let me hear your voice!
The sound of your voice is sweet,
and the sight of you is lovely.”
¹⁵ Catch foxes for us—
those little foxes
that spoil vineyards,
now that our vineyards are in bloom!
¹⁶ I belong to my lover and he belongs to me—
the one grazing among the lilies.
¹⁷ Before the day breeze blows
and the shadows flee,
turn about, my love; be like a gazelle
or a young stag
upon the jagged mountains. (Song of Songs 2:14-17 CEB)

A celebration of human love and what it means to be human. That is the Song.

In the name of God who composed the Song,

In the name of God who sang the Song,

And in the name of God who accompanies our Singing…

References

Bartlett, D. L., & Taylor, B. B. (2008). Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 4 (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary). Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Dunn, J. D., & Rogerson, J. W. (2003). Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

McDaniel, S. (2017, Marh 9). Greek Writers Quoted in the New Testament. Retrieved from Tales of Times Forgotten: Making the Distant Past Relevant to the Present Day: https://talesoftimesforgotten.com/2017/03/09/greek-writers-quoted-in-the-new-testament/