Sermon: A Reluctant King

Lectionary: Year B, Proper 29, Reign of Christ
Gospel Text: John 18:33-37

What is a King?

When we hear the words “king” and “kingdom” what kinds of images form in our minds? Splendor, glory, wealth, power, authority, homage, ceremony, military might, violence, divine rights, grand palaces, royal balls, parties and banquets, state visits, alliances, marriages of convenience, romance, obedience from subjects, ownership of lands and people. Where do we get these images? Likely from television, movies, books, and school – and probably more or less in that order.

It’s probably safe to say that pretty much none of us have firsthand experience with monarchs and kingdoms. Even those who have lived in a nation that still maintains some kind of monarchy is unfamiliar with the kinds of monarchies under which the gospel writer of John wrote.

So how are we supposed to understand what it means for Jesus Christ to be our King? We have none to very little frame of reference in which to try to interpret how that is supposed to look like.

Kingdom in the Gospel of John

I have what might come as a bit of surprise to you: the Jesus depicted in the gospel of John might agree with us – that we humans have little reference in which to understand the kind of kingdom Jesus rules over.

Some of the other books in the New Testament and the Synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke – have a lot to say about the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God – which are synonymous – and about the rulership of God as King. The Synoptics have numerous parables in which Jesus compares the kingdom to something more familiar in this world.

But in the gospel of John, that language is curiously absent. In this gospel the kingdom is mentioned twice. First time is found in chapter 3, during Jesus’ nighttime discourse with Nicodemus, and the second time in today’s gospel reading where Pilate asks Jesus if he is a king. It is almost as if the Jesus in John is reluctant to identify as king. Or maybe not almost, but actually is reluctant. That to do so might result in misunderstandings about him and what he is about.

Jesus' Self-Identification

It isn’t as if Jesus is reluctant to identify himself in other ways. The gospel of John is known for the seven “I am” sayings of Jesus:

1. “I am the bread of life” – John 6:35, 41
2. “I am the light of the world” – John 8:12, 9:5
3. “I am the door of the sheep” – John 10:7, 9
4. “I am the good shepherd” – John 10:11, 14
5. “I am the resurrection and the life” – John 11:25
6. “I am the way, the truth and the life” – John 14:6
7. “I am the true vine” – John 15:1, 5

Notice however that nothing in these sayings comes close to Jesus identifying himself with kings and kingdoms. So here we are: Christ the King Sunday, discussing a passage where Jesus mentions his kingdom, in a gospel account where his kingdom is almost never mentioned. Is is possible to work out something meaningful from this apparent paradox?

An Imaginary Retelling

While puzzling over this, I wondered what Jesus might say if someone today asked him if he was a king. What follows is my imaginative reinterpretation of today’s reading.

Me: “Jesus, good to see you today. We are honoring you as our king today.”

Jesus: “Are you saying this because you are truly convinced and believe that I am your king? Or are you simply saying this because it is tradition, and because ‘Christ is King’ is something you’ve heard over and over in Sunday School, in sermons, in Bible studies, and more? Tell me, what do you know about kings and kingdoms?”

Me: “Well, a king is ruler over his kingdom. He has subjects and they obey him. The king has absolute power over his subjects and over his domain.”

Jesus: “So are you saying it’s about authority and power to enforce that authority?”

Me: “Well.. Now that you put it that way, I’m not so sure.”

Jesus: “The kingdoms of this world, or shall I say, the nations of this world, are indeed formed around authority and their ability to maintain control over that authority using various types of power: physical force, economic force, social hierarchies, and they use laws and traditions to do that. Indeed, if my kingdom originated in that foundation, I would employ those means to spread my kingdom. But my kingdom is not from here. My kingdom has very different foundations and principles.”

Me: “But you are a King, are you not?”

Jesus: “You say that I am a king. You want to place a label on the kind of power and authority I employ so that you can domesticate me and put me into a category you can feel comfortable with. But I’m not going to let you do that. Here is what I am:

"I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world.
I am the door for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the way, which is the truth and life.
I am the true vine.

"I came to expose the truth about two kinds of power. One unilaterally imposes itself onto others, with an ultimate threat of harm and death. The other invites everyone to share in its life-giving. The world is based on the former. My power is the latter. I came to condemn those who would lord power over others. I came to show that my power is power shared with all in community.

"My entire life is based on demonstrating the life-giving power through loving and caring relationships found in communion with one another. It is the only power stronger than fear and death. It is the only power strong enough to defeat the world. Everyone who accepts this listens to my voice and follow me.

I am the good shepherd. Follow me.
I am the door for the sheep. Enter my kingdom.
I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t get lost.
I am the bread of life. Your soul’s hunger will be met through me.
I am the true vine. Your soul’s thirst will be quenched through me.
I am the resurrection and the life. The world may drain you and even kill you, but your life is secure with me.
I am the way, the truth, and life. Follow me into true life.”

Saying that, Jesus takes leave and has me pondering, who is Jesus and what does it mean to proclaim him as king? For so long I’ve assumed the kingship of Jesus to be about his power and majesty that this conversation leaves me with more questions than answers.

Who and What is Jesus?

Immediately following  this morning’s section of the reading, Pilate asks his infamous question, “What is truth?”

In the history of Christian interpretation of this question, Pilate has been much maligned and ridiculed. It’s often been said that he was so impatient to get rid of Jesus that he wasn’t willing to take time to listen. That he had truth standing right before him, but he couldn’t see it because he was so blind to his fear and ambitions. Perhaps for Pilate truth was synonymous with raw factual data and nothing more, and Jesus’ idea of truth didn’t sound like truth. Or perhaps that Pilate was dismissing the whole idea that there could be truth that people agreed upon.

I wonder today if we’ve been too quick to judge Pilate. What Jesus is saying about himself and how Jesus is projecting himself before Pilate defies all labels. Pilate is trying to place Jesus into a category that he is equipped to handle. He can handle a violent revolutionary. He can handle a confused person who claims to be a king. He can handle a person who denies all charges. But Jesus cannot be pigeonholed. Jesus does not volunteer a claim to king, yet he does not deny it. He does not deny the charges brought against him by his own people, yet he does not admit any guilt.

What would we do with someone like that? What do we do with people that makes us very uncomfortable? My first response is to try to get away from the situation as quickly as I can. And when I think that Pilate is doing just that, I think that maybe I shouldn’t be so hasty in judging his reaction because it well could have been mine.

Entering into Discomfort

Maybe the gospel of John is inviting us into the discomfort. In the kingdom of Jesus, there will be a variety of people, some that we are comfortable with, but also many that might cause us discomfort. When we claim Christ as our King, Jesus is not only our Lord but everyone in the kingdom is also our sisters and brothers. Jesus commanded his disciples to love one another, to be in communion fellowship with one another. And we know from our own earthly families that sometimes families can be quite uncomfortable. (Refrain from putting in a Thanksgiving dinner joke here. Oops!) Likewise, a spiritual community can also be uncomfortable at times. But if Jesus is the king, our shepherd, the way and life, then it is through the challenges of community building and sustaining that love can work its power to bring people together, in spite of differences and discomfort.

I think Jesus was reluctant to claim the title of King because it could so easily lead to misunderstanding and misinterpretation. It could easily lead to us forgetting the actual heart and power of Jesus and his kingdom.

When we proclaim Christ as King today, let us remember what kind of King we are proclaiming. We are proclaiming a King who shares his life-giving power of love through the community we see visibly today as the church. As members of that kingdom, each one of us shares in that power. We have the power to give true life to someone, today. May we honor our King by taking seriously the responsibility and power he has shared with us. May our words and deeds bring comfort and life to the discouraged, the hopeless, the rejected, the marginalized, those who the world would rather just not see, those that the world might just rather go away and even die. May we be willing to sacrifice our comforts to honor our King who gave us the example to follow.

Sermon: Salted for Fire

Lectionary Year B, Proper 21 (Gospel Reading: Mark 9:38-50)

Sermon texts

Mark 9:49-50

For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

Matthew 5:13

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

Luke 14:34-35a

Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away.

Introduction

Today’s reading is the second half of what began in last week’s. There, it was discovered that while traveling with Jesus, the disciples were arguing amongst themselves who was greatest. In response and rebuke, Jesus told them that those who seek to be first must be last and a servant. And then as an illustration, Jesus took a child and taught them that in serving those that society overlooks and views as unimportant that they are, in fact, welcoming Jesus himself. This sets up today’s passage.

The gospel reading for today covers quite a bit of ground as well. It began with what to do and not do when someone outside of my group is doing gospel work. And then it talked about stumbling blocks and little ones. Keying off the phrase “stumbling block” it then went on to suggest that if something was causing me to stumble, it would be better to amputate those body parts than to be lost for eternity. And then the keyword “fire” transitioned to a discussion of salt.

It is these last two verses about salt that I want to direct our attention for the rest of this time.

Salt Contexts

Present Day

When we hear “salt” we probably immediately think of the culinary uses of salt. Salt is an important component of much of our cooking and eating. It seasons foods and it enhances flavors. It is used in preservation of foods. A certain amount is necessary for life, but too much can be harmful.

There is a more technical definition of salt that is used in chemistry, but unless your work or interest requires it, that is a definition that rarely crosses most of our minds. For most of us, salt is intimately connected with food.

Thus when we read about salt in the Bible, we assume a culinary interpretation and use by those texts.

Ancient Near East

However, that may not be how the original audience heard these texts. Here is Mark 9:49-50 again:

For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

This is a rather puzzling text, particularly if we assume our present-day understanding and culinary assumptions about salt. Most historical interpretations have assumed these two verses contain three separate proverbs whose commonalities is tied through the word “salt.”

But in recent decades, cultural and historical research has shown another possible interpretation that brings coherence and better understanding to this puzzling text.

The first clue has to do with the kind of climate of the Ancient Near East and present-day Middle East. It is mostly arid – a desert. Water is scarce. People and tribes have fought over water rights. What do we know about culinary salt? It induces thirst. Historically, the people of these lands have not used much culinary salt to season their foods, but rather, relied on herbs and spices to season their foods.

The second clue has to do with the parallel passage found in Matthew 5:13, part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus taught:

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

The clue is found in the word “earth” which can also be translated “earth-oven.” Once again, because of the scarcity of water and soil nutrients, trees are uncommon. Grass and shrubs are far more common. But these kinds of vegetation don’t provide much in the way of fueling the fires of an oven.

 

So what did these desert populations do? They found that grazing animals naturally concentrates these plant fibers. It was the task of the women and children to gather these animal dung and form them into fuel. But dung by itself doesn’t burn well or evenly. Enter salt. Now this isn’t pure, refined table salt that we probably imagine, but crude salt consisting of various minerals salts and impurities. When the dung is mixed with this salt, the salt acts as a catalyst to help the dung patties burn evenly and hotter.

The third parallel passage in Luke 14 reads:

Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away…

The English word translated here “soil” is the same word as “earth” in Matthew, and by extension can also be read as “earth-oven.” In other words, the Lucan text strongly suggests that the use of salt found in all three parallel passages is indeed with the oven and its associated fuel, manure.

Slabs of the mineral-rich salt blocks were used to line the floor of the oven also. The manure patties would be placed upon them, adding more catalyst to aid in the burning process. But eventually the catalyst would be used up – i.e., the “saltiness” would be lost – and it would no longer be useful. At that point it would be removed and used to “pave” the road. Hence Matthew’s observation that it is “thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.”

Re-reading Mark

In light of what you just heard, the Marcan text for today could be read like this:

For everyone will be salted for fire. (Unlike in Matthew, in Mark’s text we aren’t the salt. We’re the manure.)

Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it?

Have salt in yourselves (once more, we’re not the salt; we’re the manure and it seems we are being asked to do the dirty job of putting together the fuel), and be at peace with one another (so something about salt has the potential to be at odds with peace).

Lessons

Other than an interesting and new way of reading and understanding these gospel “salt” texts, why does it matter how we read it?

Empathy

We all read and listen through lenses of our own culture, history, and experience. Our default is to read the Bible that way. We read other books that way. We listen to other people’s story that way. We read and listen to news in that way. But as was demonstrated today, our assumptions can be quite off-track. In the case of the gospel salt passages, not much harm comes from assuming a culinary basis, and wonderful spiritual applications have been drawn from culinary saltiness. But what about other things that we see and hear?

One lesson is that it might do us good to check our assumptions and take the time to pause and try to understand what we see and hear from the perspective, history, and experiences of those that are most immediately impacted. This is otherwise known as empathy. We just might discover and learn a whole different world from what we’ve known, and one that is equally as valid as the ones we’ve grown up in.

We’re Not the Center of Attention

In the Sermon on the Mount, we were the salt. But in Mark’s text (and arguably, the more original reading), we are simply the manure into which salt is added.

Mark suggests that the Christian community doesn’t have anything inherently within itself that makes it different or special from any other human group. What makes the church different, special, and useful to the world is that it has a message of hope and a conviction of that hope. That conviction of hope is the salt, the catalyst, to spread the fire of the gospel to the rest of the earth – or the earth-oven, if you like.

It’s not about us. It’s about Christ.

Danger of Over-Zealousness

However, Mark also warns about a potential danger where conviction might turn into something harmful. Fire is useful when controlled, but when it gets too hot and out of control, it becomes dangerous. This section of Mark chapter 9 dealt with two of these dangers.

The first danger was found at the beginning of this section where the disciples were arguing about who was greatest. Self-aggrandizement can be a danger of uncontrolled conviction. The concepts of hope and faith can be turned into weapons against other people. A person can be so convinced of their version of faith and hope that they begin to see themselves as better than those who appear to have less.

A second danger was found at the beginning of today’s reading where the disciples sought to squelch someone outside of their group from assisting Jesus’ work. We might call this group self-aggrandizement. A group begins to believe so much in their interpretations and methods that they begin to see other groups as hostile and as enemies. We can become so convinced that our particular version of the communication of hope is the only right one. Our focus is no longer on Christ but on ourselves. What began as conviction becomes a weapon to protect the group and its methods. 

Conclusion

What Mark is teaching in this text is that Christians must have conviction of hope in Christ. This conviction has tremendous power to set people free. Genuine hope fuels more hope. But conviction turned inward toward self becomes a prison that leads to strife and stumbling blocks. And eventually the fire dies.

Mark’s exhortation to us is that we need to be confident in Christ and convinced of the hope found in him. But we also need to remember that our understandings are incomplete and fallible, and that God can work in ways extending beyond any single individual Christian or a single Christian group.

To be the fire is not our calling. Our job is to make sure that there is a steady supply of genuine hope among ourselves so that Christ shines forth. By our small, seemingly insignificants acts of taking care of one another, we sow hope. This is the salt that allows the gospel fire to burn and reach the world.

The question isn’t, “What great thing can I do for God someday?” but rather, “What word of encouragement or act of kindness on my part will make a difference in someone’s life today?”

---

References

Salt for the Earthen Oven Revisited
Salt, Light, and Dung... 
Of dung and salt and being a catalyst for the kingdom

Sermon: Together in Faith

Together in Faith

Ephesians 6:10-20

Lectionary Year B, Proper 16

Introduction

The lone hero, standing his ground against unending waves of foes coming at him, successfully battling every one of them: this is one of the most common archetypal motifs found in the history of humankind. These epics go back as far as the earliest civilizations and many ancient epics are retold in many ways in many stories today.

From action blockbusters of today, the successful science fiction movies, TV series, and books, to even the old television Westerns, the legends and mythologies of the lone hero make for great storytelling and for many authors and studios, money.

When we read and hear the passage about the armor of God from Ephesians chapter 6, our imaginations might naturally turn toward the staples of literature and movies with which we are familiar – the lone hero, facing impossible odds but successfully deflecting the many threats against her or him. We might imagine a superhero with their supernatural skills defending the world against cataclysmic threats.

It is easy to read the Ephesians text as an imperative being given to an individual Christian. The analogy certain uses the image of a single Roman soldier, putting on his armor and taking up a sword as he prepares to go into battle.

This text has been used to admonish individual Christians on the importance of individually putting on the armor of God as described, and that only through it can they stand up individually to the schemes of the devil and resist temptation and keep from sinning.

But, as you probably suspect where I’m heading with this, is the individual Christian and the battles he or she faces that primary concern of this passage?

Broad Message of Ephesians

Ephesians is written to a community of believers. Yes, a community is made up of individuals, but the concerns being addressed are those that face the community itself. One of the primary concerns has to do with the divide between Jews and Gentile believers who are now comprise this singular community. The part of the gospel that concerns this letter and its author is how Christ removed the boundaries of culture, ethnicity, and race so that peace might exist between groups that once were enemies. This mystery, or the secret, of the gospel and God’s plan for humankind is of foremost concern. It is in bringing together this diversity of individuals that the singular community becomes strong. A further elaboration of this secret of the gospel is that Christian journey and faith cannot be accomplished without this diversity that is brought to a community. Community is an inherent and necessary part of the Christian walk. There can be no Lone Ranger Christian going it alone. The mystery of the gospel is that each individual must depend on other members of the community.

Ephesians 1:9-12 reads:

9 God revealed his hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ.

And 2:14-16 and 20-22 read:

14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God…

20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. 22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.

And in 3:9-10:

9 God sent me to reveal the secret plan that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything. 10 God’s purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church.

The author of Ephesians writes about the former life of members of this community where they were driven by corruption, greed, and satisfying one’s own desires. This is the life that they have been delivered from. Instead, the new persons they are becoming is to practice selfless love, care, and compassion for one another. Those in Christ will not take advantage of another person. Those in Christ will understand that they cannot progress on their journey toward God without working to bring others on the same path.

The Armor of God

It is in this broad context that the armor of God metaphor is introduced as the conclusion to this letter. Thus, when this last part of the letter talks about “tricks of the devil” and “the gospel” we should understand these to refer to something in the earlier part of the letter and not something that might be correct in a broad sense, but not part of the letter specifically.

The concern is that some in the church at Ephesus might be tempted to revert to their old ways – self-seeking; divisions along racial, cultural, ethnic, and religious practice; to try to exclude some and go it alone or with a partial community.

The gospel is the good news of peace – the reconciliation and unity that Christ brought, and which God had planned for humanity since the beginning.

These are things that the world doesn’t understand and is often openly hostile to. It doesn’t require any searching to observe hate and division between races, cultures, ethnicities, and religions. Just opening a web browser to a news site quickly shows numerous instances of self-seeking and self-serving interests. Taking advantage of the vulnerable and weak is often seen as just good business practice in maximizing profits. To be a self-made person, who can handle everything alone is portrayed as an ideal. Conversely, to require others’ assistance is seen as a weakness.

This is the battle for which the armor of God equips us to fight. The Ephesians text mentions specific pieces of armor, but the specifics aren’t what is important. It’s what they represent together. The armor is truth and justice. It also includes the confidence of the completed work of Christ’s salvation for us. The purpose of the armor is to keep one’s spiritual condition safe while the gospel of peace is preached in this world. The weapon is God’s message of reconciliation and community.

The Shield of Faith

I left the shield of faith to the end because this is what triggered in my mind the thought that this armor metaphor isn’t about an individual Christian standing alone, but about the whole church working together. The shield mentioned here is a large body shield, crafted from two layers of wood and leather on the outside. The leather is soaked in water until it can extinguish flaming arrows that hit it. This shield would be too large and heavy to wield successfully in single combat. It was used by entire battalions to protect against the hundreds and thousands of flaming arrows shot toward them by an opposing army. The forward rank would set their shields on the ground, overlapping so that there would be no gap. The ranks behind them would raise their shields above them to create an impenetrable ceiling. Then they would advance slowly together toward the opposing army.

This is the picture that would have remained with the recipients of the letter to the Ephesians as its reading ended. The picture is one of standing their ground, but also of advancing together. The temptation of expediency and convenience must be resisted.

In Conclusion

Today’s text isn’t about a lone Christian standing their ground. It is about the necessity of a community of faith, standing together in faith that allows them to advance the gospel of peace. Working together, we can close the vulnerabilities and weaknesses that each individual possesses, and bound by the strength of God, present an impenetrable shield to extinguish the flaming arrows of the devil that are launched against us.

We would rather that these flaming arrows be obvious evils such as mocking, criticisms, and perhaps even persecution. But I think that they are more along the lines of complacency, desire for comfort, risk aversion, influence seeking, expediency, favoritism, and other such quiet and insidious, but quite acceptable evils.

As a community we must stand and advance together in faith. We must hold one another accountable to the highest ideals of truth and justice. We must let the gospel of peace and reconciliation in Jesus Christ be our guide and goal.

Christian faith is not a solo pursuit. It is a community effort. Let us come together and walk together in faith.

Sermon: A Portrait of Authentic Christian Ministry

A Portrait of Authentic Christian Ministry

Text: 2 Corinthians 6:3-13; c.f, 5:11-6:2, 7:2-4
Lectionary Year B, Proper 7

Just a Christian "Image Problem"?

What does "Christian" look like?

With increasing frequency, I cringe whenever Christian or Christianity is mentioned in the media. There are “pastors” who invoke divine will in securing a private jet for themselves. Racism and misogyny are found too often among those who self-identify as “Christians.” Domestic violence and sexual assault are being uncovered increasingly among those who for years have proclaimed “family values.” Church and denominations leaders are eager to secure civil powers and seemingly will compromise anything to retain their hold on authority and privilege.

The watching world sees Jesus and his teachings but cannot reconcile the public display of so much of what passes today for Christianity.

I think all of us here today would want to rise in protest, “But that’s not real Christianity!” Yet the reality is that some of the most prominent and vocal presence in modern Christianity only reinforces the notion that there is little to commend it. And all our arguing and protests seem to have little or no effect.

Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest who is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico frequently says, “The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.” So, what does “better” look like?

Paul and the Corinthian Church

We can find one possible answer in one of Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. In our Bibles it is found in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10. But first, a brief discussion of the context in which this passage is to be understood.

An ancient Corinthian ruin

The Corinthian church had many issues, among which was that it was divided along ethnic, racial, social, and class lines. They seemed to be drawn to power and privilege and a tendency to marginalize those who the larger society saw as outsiders. There seemed to be factions within the church, each with its favored apostle. Paul was not on any of their lists, apparently.

In the chapter 5 of 2 Corinthians, Paul describes his ministry to them: a ministry of reconciliation.

Paul appeals to the Corinthian church to not look at outward appearances and accomplishments but to the motivations of the heart: “We are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us so that you could answer those who take pride in superficial appearance, and not in what is in the heart.” (5:12b)

Paul writes that Christ died for all – not just some favored few – and adds how Christ followers ought to live: “He died for the sake of all so that those who are alive should live not for themselves but for the one who died for them and was raised.” (5:15)

Paul writes how Christians are to view one another with a brand-new perspective: “So then, from this point on we won’t recognize people by human standards. Even though we used to know Christ by human standards, that isn’t how we know him now. So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!” (5:16-17)

Paul begs the Corinthians to set aside their differences and be reconciled in Christ: “We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!” God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God.” (5:20b-21)

Paul's Ministry Credentials

It is in this context that Paul writes what we find in the first part of chapter 6. It can be read as a listing of his credentials describing why he should be accepted by the Corinthians as a genuine minister of Christ.

³ We don’t give anyone any reason to be offended about anything so that our ministry won’t be criticized. ⁴ Instead, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in every way. We did this with our great endurance through problems, disasters, and stressful situations. ⁵ We went through beatings, imprisonments, and riots. We experienced hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. ⁶ We displayed purity, knowledge, patience, and generosity. We served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, ⁷ telling the truth, and God’s power. We carried the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left hand. ⁸ We were treated with honor and dishonor and with verbal abuse and good evaluation. We were seen as both fake and real, ⁹ as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, ¹⁰ as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything.

Paul writes that “we don’t give anyone any reason be offended about anything so that our ministry won’t be criticized,” yet in the very next sentences he describes how people turned against him. So, what does he mean? Based on what follows, it appears that Paul is saying that he has done nothing to attempt to secure for himself power, privilege, wealth, or attempted self-promotion. He has disavowed any kind of self-aggrandizement.

The examples he follows with shows the very opposite of the kind of “success” that the world expects. There is nothing easy about genuine Christian ministry. Paul doesn’t say that he went seeking problems, disasters, beatings, and imprisonments, but the result of his ministry was that sometimes these things happened. Persecution is not a sign of genuine ministry, but persecution is also not a disqualifier. I think that is an important distinction to point out since I’ve heard from time to time how persecution is either necessary for genuine ministry, or that encountering persecution means a Christian is on the right track. Neither of these is what Paul writes. What he does imply is that ease of life and prosperity is not what the Christian life guarantees. This is in contradiction to perhaps what some of the Corinthians expected and what some Christians today proclaim.

Paul lists four uncompromising characteristics for himself as a Christian and a minister.

First, purity. This should not be confused with doctrinal purity, but a purity of character. Synonyms that could be used include integrity and honesty.

Second, knowledge. For Paul, having accurate knowledge, as far as it was possible, was an important part of Christian ministry. In a time when Christians are sometimes accused of being anti-science or placing theological belief over demonstrable facts, it is important to know where Paul would likely stand on this issue today.

Third, patience. This can be read as not rushing too quickly to judgment, and willing to suffer wrongs without seeking retaliation and revenge. It is a lesson that Christians continually need to learn and practice, including those of us here today. Christians are too often known for their quick condemnation against others rather than their openness to listening and hearing the stories that need to be heard.

Fourth, generosity. Other translations use kindness. The Greek dictionary shows that the word used here is derived from another word that can mean useful. In other words, Christian ministry has practical usefulness. It is not merely theoretical theology, or just waiting to be taken up to heaven. Our Christian ministry must be of benefit to the world in practical ways, or it isn’t good news, the gospel.

The next four items reinforce and amplify what Paul has already described and adds the divine source of power: “We served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, telling the truth, and God’s power.” Perhaps in reading between the lines, it might be said that if any other source of power is involved in ministry, love and truth end up compromised. Paul’s ministry had no objective to secure any kind of power from civil authorities, from other Christians, or for himself. As important and valuable as denominations and church governance is, they are ultimately secondary to the Holy Spirit and to God. When a denomination or church authority becomes the proxy for God’s authority, they are on a dangerous path. When popularity or size of ministry is seen as a sign of God’s favor, the ministry is treading on dangerous ground. A large, popular ministry is not an indicator of God’s favor. On the other hand, a small church or ministry does not follow that God’s favor isn’t with them.

Paul continues, “We carried the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left hand.” The word “righteousness” carries theological connotations often involving personal virtue and possibly sinlessness. A better way of understanding righteousness is to see it as being in proper alignment with God’s priorities. Seen in this way, how we treat one another becomes vitally important, even more so than having correct doctrines or attempting to uphold and even enforce what we believe is correct theology. Remember that all of this is being written in the context of the ministry of reconciliation, of bringing dissenting factions back together in Christ.

Paul ends his C.V. with a list of paradoxes and contradictions: “We were treated with honor and dishonor and with verbal abuse and good evaluation. We were seen as both fake and real, as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything.” This is additional evidence that external appearances and response do not signify the genuineness or success of Christian ministry. It is also a warning to expect the complete gamut of responses to our ministry.

Becoming an Authentic Christian

Christian history is littered with the unfortunate results of individuals and groups who become enamored with power: associating with power, acquiring power, and then hanging on to power.

Genuine Christian community seeks to give away power. It seeks to empower the disenfranchised. It seeks to raise up the wounded and welcome the outcast.

Genuine Christian ministry “reverses the traditional categories of power and weakness according to the model of Christ” [Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 3] whose death, death which traditionally is seen as ultimate defeat, turned out to be God’s ultimate power of victory over death. Christians who follow Christ’s pattern of letting go of their own power to serve others, are showing the ultimate source of power in God through the Holy Spirit.

Genuine Christian ministry has authority precisely because it doesn’t attempt to seek it.

Considering how Paul has evaluated his own ministry and those of his close associates, how would he evaluate Christian ministries today? Using the standards noted this morning, how should we judge ourselves?

Is our ministry one of reconciliation, of bringing together diverse individuals and groups together for a common cause in Christ?

Is our focus on building up our “brand,” or are we most concerned about properly representing God to the world?

What is our relationship with sources of power? Are we placing preservation of our entities over authenticity and truth? Are we tempted to compromise authentic Christianity so that we can grow and maintain an audience?

The Corinthians apparently had difficulty accepting Paul and his Christian ministry because it upended so much of traditional ideas about successful ministry. So, he closes this part of the letter with an appeal:

“Corinthians, we have spoken openly to you, and our hearts are wide open. There are no limits to the affection that we feel for you. You are the ones who placed boundaries on your affection for us. But as a fair trade—I’m talking to you like you are children—open your hearts wide too… Make room in your hearts for us. We didn’t do anything wrong to anyone. We didn’t ruin anyone. We didn’t take advantage of anyone. I’m not saying this to make you feel guilty. I’ve already said that you are in our hearts so that we die and live together with you. I have every confidence in you. I’m terribly proud of you. I’m filled with encouragement. I’m overwhelmed with happiness while in the middle of our problems.” (6:11-13; 7:2-4 [skipping a large portion because it is not seen as part of the original letter])

So much of Christian ministry through history, including today, is consciously or not, based on a “power over” attitude. From missions to church hierarchies, it isn’t difficult to find control over others as a key component. But this easily leads to manipulations and abuses, and is frankly, unchristian.

We rightly should speak out against bad forms of Christianity. But it is more important to be the kind of authentic Christian and Christian community that Paul described in his letter to the Corinthians.

“The best criticism of the bad is the practice of the better.”

May we have the courage to practice a better, more generous, more loving, more inclusive Christianity.

Sermon: Love is Courage

Sermon: Love is Courage

Lectionary: Year B, Easter 5

Text: 1 John 4:7-21

“Love” is a word that, in English, is applied in numerous ways.

• We “love” our spouses and significant others
• We “love” our families
• We “love” people that have made significant contributions to our lives
• We “love” our preferences for food
• We “love” sport teams
• We “love” our hobbies
• We “love” kinds of music

And the list goes on.

We use “love” as a noun and a verb and modified into adjectives and adverbs. (Ooh… I can see some people having flashbacks to elementary school!)

“Love” is frequently used as a stronger form of “like.” In these cases, what we love, we mean that we like immensely.

But what does it mean to “love God?” And what does it mean to “love like God loves us?”

Is loving God the same thing as religious piety? Weekly attendance at services, giving to the church, volunteering for church activities, personal prayer time, regular reading of the Bible, witnessing and evangelizing to others – do these count as loving God? What about having a set of beliefs and practices? Or avoiding certain practices? Do these count as loving God?

Piety, beliefs, and correct practice do not count as loving God. The gospel has numerous instances recorded where Jesus spoke out against mere piety toward God. Here are two passages from the gospel according to Matthew.

Matthew 7:21-23

21 “Not everybody who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will get into the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 On the Judgment Day, many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name and expel demons in your name and do lots of miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I’ll tell them, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you people who do wrong.’

Matthew 23:23-24

23 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You give to God a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, but you forget about the more important matters of the Law: justice, peace, and faith. You ought to give a tenth but without forgetting about those more important matters. 24 You blind guides! You filter out an ant but swallow a camel.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that even very spiritual activities and faith itself is not the same as love.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

1 If I speak in tongues of human beings and of angels but I don’t have love, I’m a clanging gong or a clashing cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all the mysteries and everything else, and if I have such complete faith that I can move mountains but I don’t have love, I’m nothing. 3 If I give away everything that I have and hand over my own body to feel good about what I’ve done but I don’t have love, I receive no benefit whatsoever.

We heard from 1 John this morning. I want to focus on one particular sentence within that reading:

1 John 4:18

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect [or mature] love drives out fear, because fear expects punishment. The person who is afraid has not been made perfect [or mature] in love.

I want to look at love (noun) as courage and love (verb) as courage in action.

Strictly, the text refers specifically to fearing some kind of divine punishment, but in the larger picture, it can refer to any kind of misplaced fear.

Hate is often seen as the opposite of love. But perhaps hate should be seen as a symptom of fear, and fear is the real opposite of love. Think about it like this: people don’t hate something or someone for no reason. People hate because, among other reasons, they dislike something, have had bad experiences with it, think it can hurt or harm them, or it challenges their way of thinking or their way of life.

The result of fear is hate. Hate can manifest in any number of ways. An obvious one is literal violence against the object of hate. But it can also manifest in thinking badly about this thing or person, spreading false rumors, ignoring and giving a cold shoulder, undermining what they are doing, and other passive-aggressive behaviors.

Fear leads to actions that try to protect one’s own self. Fear builds barriers. Fear draws boundaries. Fear seeks to draw clear lines between what is in and what is out. Fear seeks out certainties in beliefs and belonging. Fear wants to clearly define what I think is right versus what I think is wrong.

This is not love. Love is courage. Courage to venture beyond boundaries of comfort. Courage to tear down barriers that others have erected as “proper.” Courage to accept ambiguities. Courage to engage with beliefs and ideas that cause us discomfort. Courage to risk being wrong. Courage to see things and people outside of our traditional and comfortable spheres on their own terms. Courage to take a stand against those who attempt to instill irrational fear.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says this:

Matthew 5:43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, You must love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you 45 so that you will be acting as children of your Father who is in heaven. He makes the sun rise on both the evil and the good and sends rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love only those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing? Don’t even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore, just as your heavenly Father is complete in showing love to everyone, so also you must be complete.

Paul describes what love is in the continuation of what I read earlier:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

4 Love is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, 5 it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, 6 it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. 7 Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things.

Near the end of his ministry, Jesus describes the kinds of actions taken by those who are his genuine followers:

Matthew 25:31-46

31 “Now when the Human One [Son of Man] comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left.

34 “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. 35 I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. 36 I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’

37 “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? 38 When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

40 “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ 45 Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ 46 And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.”

Courage is love in action. Love does not merely believe it is good to care for the needs of others, especially those whom society has marginalized and oppressed. Yes, it’s good to give to alleviate needs. But love goes beyond mere giving. Love is courage in action to accept into our family those whom society has marginalized, oppressed and judged unworthy. Love is courage in action to not only meet their needs, but to elevate them and restore their full human dignity and their place in God’s family. Love is courage in action to combat the powers, structures, and systems that dehumanize and oppress people.

Easter is the proof that love is more powerful than fear. Easter is the promise that courageous love can bring resurrection to people today. Easter is the preview of God’s kingdom fully restored.

How do we keep Easter and the power of resurrection in us day in and day out? Our gospel reading and the text from 1 John tells us that we are to abide or remain in God. And how do we do that?

1 John 4:10-11, 16b, 20-21

10 This is love: it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.

11 Dear friends, if God loved us this way, we also ought to love each other.

16b God is love, and those who remain in love remain in God and God remains in them…

20 If anyone says, I love God, and hates a brother or sister, he is a liar, because the person who doesn’t love a brother or sister who can be seen can’t love God, who can’t be seen. 21 This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also.

It is easier to think about these things in the abstract, or to apply it to people and places “over there.” But what about here in Petersburg? In this very community?

Are there people we avoid? People that we feel uncomfortable around? People that think differently from us, or have different values? Are there people we fear in this community? (I need to add a caveat that there are legitimate cases, such as abuse, where for genuine reasons it is necessary to place boundaries and avoid interactions.)

Have we allowed fear to overrule love? In what ways can we become more courageous and bring the power of resurrection and restoration to the lives of people in our community?

Perhaps there are relationships that have been diminished or broken because of something that happened in the past. Perhaps within this very congregation. Courageous love can mend those relationships. But love that merely hypothesizes and keeps to one’s self is not really love. Genuine love always acts.

Love is a process. Maturity doesn’t happen overnight. But it does require practice. Our capacity to love increases as we take steps to risk consequences that may arise from offering genuine love.

The source of such love is infinite. We, in our human thinking, might consider love to be a zero-sum game. But God showed otherwise. Remain in God’s abundance of love and we will have the courage to love as God loves. All who choose to allow God’s love into their lives will bear the fruit of love.

Loving God necessarily means loving people. To love God is to love one another. To love God is to love those that, in human ways of thinking, are difficult to love or even unlovable. To love God is to love is to love those that your circle may frown upon, or even society as a whole might discourage. To love God is to see the spark of the goodness of God’s creation in all created beings and seek to bring that out in one another.

Love is courage. Love is courage to be a part of the resurrection story each day.

Sermon: Old vs. New Covenant

Lectionary: Year B, Lent 5
Text: Jeremiah 33:31-34

Old and New Testaments

The Christian Bible is commonly divided into two major sections: the Old and New Testaments. The word “testament” comes from the Latin testamentum meaning “a will” and in Christian usage can also be traced back to the Greek word diathēkē meaning “covenant.” Literally, then, the Christian Bible identifies the two parts as the Old and New Covenants.

That there are two things termed Old and New implies that there are two things that are somehow different. In Christianity, the change that happens in the new is the introduction of Jesus Christ. In some of the Christian circles I’ve been a part of and grew up in, the Old Covenant is frequently synonymous with the Covenant of Law, founded at the giving of the Hebrew Law at Sinai. The New Covenant is frequently identified as the Covenant of Grace which was initiated at Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection.

This notion of a covenant of law and a covenant of grace isn’t wrong but it is not a complete picture. And the traditional explanations of how law and grace are related to the covenants, at least how I’ve commonly understood them, may not be entirely accurate.

We heard the reading from Jeremiah 31:31-34 a few minutes ago. This is the longest continuous text in the Hebrew Scriptures that is found in the Christian Scripture (Hebrews 8:8-12). Individual verses and shorter phrases are also found scattered throughout the New Testament. The New Testament authors must have seen something in these ancient words from Jeremiah that resonated with their new experience in the light of Jesus.

Observations and Questions

As I read Jeremiah, I observed a few things.

First, the initiator of the old and new covenants is the same: it is God and this God does not change between the two.

Second, the content of the covenant is the same: it is still something about God’s instructions and God’s relationship with the other party to the covenant.

Third, the reason a new covenant is necessary is not because God changed or because the contents of the covenant changed, but because the people broke the first one.

The passage also raised some intriguing questions:

First, what then, changed between the old and the new covenants?

Second, if the new covenant, where the instructions are inside the people and written on their hearts, is better than the first covenant, why didn’t God do that from the beginning?

Third, if everyone supposedly knows God in their hearts then why all the contradictions about God and how do we decide what is right or wrong about our knowledge of God?

If I dealt with each of these points individually, we might be here for quite a long time. Rather, I think that by taking a step back and looking at the broader picture and context, I will be able to address multiple points simultaneously.

The Covenant at Sinai

The first stop we will make is at Sinai, with the Hebrews just coming out of Egypt with Moses as their leader and prophet. And then we will jump forward to how the author of the letter to the Hebrews, many years after Jesus left the earth, explains the significance of Jesus in the new covenant.

I think we are all familiar with the basic story of the giving of the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, at Sinai. The Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, reach Sinai and there, God speaks the Commandments, and Moses receives a copy on tablets of stone. But that isn't the entire story. There are a few interesting details about this story in the book of Exodus that are relevant to this morning’s message.

Exodus 20:18-21 (CEB)

18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the horn, and the mountain smoking, the people shook with fear and stood at a distance. 19 They said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we’ll listen. But don’t let God speak to us, or we’ll die.”

20 Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, because God has come only to test you and to make sure you are always in awe of God so that you don’t sin.” 21 The people stood at a distance while Moses approached the thick darkness in which God was present.

Notice what just happened. God has spoken directly to the people, but they did not want God speaking directly with them. God first attempted to establish a direct relationship with all the people, but the people rejected it. Instead, they asked for a mediator to communicate to them on behalf of God. They asked Moses to be the intermediary, and Moses accepted the role.

A few chapters later in Exodus, another interesting narrative is found.

Exodus 24:1-3, 9-12

Covenant at Sinai
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders, and worship from a distance. 2 Only Moses may come near to the Lord. The others shouldn’t come near, while the people shouldn’t come up with him at all.”

3 Moses came and told the people all the Lord’s words and all the case laws. All the people answered in unison, “Everything that the Lord has said we will do.” ...

Covenant meal with God
9 Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy elders of Israel went up, 10 and they saw Israel’s God. Under God’s feet there was what looked like a floor of lapis-lazuli tiles, dazzlingly pure like the sky. 11 God didn’t harm the Israelite leaders, though they looked at God, and they ate and drank.

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there. I’ll give you the stone tablets with the instructions and the commandments that I’ve written in order to teach them.”

We see how Moses becomes the mediator, carrying messages from God to the people, and the people’s response back to God. We see God communicating to Moses and giving him instructions and commandments to take back to the people. We also see in these texts that Moses is the primary mediator, but there will be others who also are part of a system of carrying messages between God and the people. A system of religion and accompanying services and sacrifices was established to help mediate and God to the people. This was codified into a set of laws.

To summarize this first part then: God wanted a direct relationship with the people. The people rejected that arrangement. Moses became the mediator between God and people. God codified how mediators and mediation of God’s nature and will to the people would function. This is the Old Covenant. Yes, there is a strong presence of law, but the foundational reason for the covenant is God’s desire to have a relationship with humankind and love them, and for the people to respond back in love.

The rest of the Old Testament is a story about the failure of the people to live up to the covenant. Priests and prophets came and went. Some tried and were marginally successful, but none succeeded fully. Many were downright antithetical to God’s nature.

The New Covenant

Jump forward a millennium or so to the letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament.

Hebrews 1:1-4
The Son is God’s ultimate messenger

1 In the past, God spoke through the prophets to our ancestors in many times and many ways. 2 In these final days, though, he spoke to us through a Son. God made his Son the heir of everything and created the world through him. 3 The Son is the light of God’s glory and the imprint of God’s being. He maintains everything with his powerful message. After he carried out the cleansing of people from their sins, he sat down at the right side of the highest majesty. 4 And the Son became so much greater than the other messengers, such as angels, that he received a more important title than theirs.

Hebrews 9:15

Christ’s death and the new covenant

15 This is why he’s the mediator of a new covenant (which is a will): so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance on the basis of his death. His death occurred to set them free from the offenses committed under the first covenant.

The problem with the Old Covenant wasn’t the originator – God – or its contents – God’s desire to have a relationship with humankind. The problem with the Old Covenant was that all of its mediators were flawed. It was what the people wanted, but in a way, it was broken from its very inception. It was God accommodating the people’s desires, because God does not force his way. He allowed the people to try out their way until they were more ready to hear from God directly.

When that time came, God sent Jesus Christ to be the final and perfect mediator. Final and perfect because Jesus is God incarnate showing to the world who God is and what God is like. Jesus’ relationships with his family, friends, strangers, and even enemies is how God relates to people. Nothing more can be said or shown beyond what Jesus demonstrated.

The originator and content of the New Covenant are the same as the Old: God originates it and it is God’s invitation to us to be in fellowship and relationship with God.

So why is it often equated with or spoken of as the Covenant of Grace? It has to do with the very last part of Jeremiah’s passage: “I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sins.”

Forgiveness of sins is not for God’s benefit, but for ours. God’s love for us is not contingent on God’s forgiveness of us or on our confession or repentance.

But guilt is a powerful force. Perhaps one of the most powerful and destructive in terms of relationships. We need to know that God forgives. A God who initiates the offer of forgiveness, regardless of offenses committed, is a God of grace. Not only does God forgive, but God does not keep a record, an accounting, of sins. We don’t have to work our way to a certain level before God wants to have a relationship with us. Every single person stands on the same level with God, and God wants to be a positive part of every single person’s life. That is grace.

Was there no grace in the Old Covenant? There certainly was. The very preamble of the Ten Commandments shows God’s grace in initiating the deliverance of God’s people out of slavery. The very fact that God initiated a covenant shows that God’s grace remains the same throughout eternity.

The difference is Jesus, the only perfect mediator and revelation of God. When Jesus was lifted and crucified, he still offered forgiveness to those who mocked him, to those who tortured him, and to those who nailed him to the cross. There was no hint of anger or desire to seek revenge in Jesus’ words and actions on the cross. This is how God responds to sin. God’s grace, mercy, and forgiveness were fully demonstrated through Jesus at the cross. This is the vital lesson of the cross. This is what the body and blood of Jesus means.

When Jesus asks us to love our neighbors and enemies, to only seek to do good for others: that is the heart of the gospel. That is the heart of the covenant. Both old and new. The eternal covenant. 

Benediction

I close now with the benediction found at the closing of the letter to the Hebrews:

Hebrews 13:20-25

20 May the God of peace,
who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep,
our Lord Jesus,
from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant,

21 equip you with every good thing to do his will,
by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory forever and always. Amen.