Blessed in God's Promises

Blessed in God’s Promises

Matthew 5:1-12
Sunday, January 30, 2011

SCRIPTURE STORY:

After Jesus called his first Disciples he went throughout Galilee. He taught in the synagogues and proclaimed the good news of God’s kingdom. He healed all manner of disease and sickness, and great crowds followed him. When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the side of a mountain and sat down. He began to teach them about God’s promises.

·         Blessed are you who don’t have it all together.

·         Blessed are you who ache because of how severely out of whack the world is.

·         Blessed are you who have run out of strength, ideas, will power, resolve, or energy.

·         Blessed are you who stumble, trip, and fall in the same place again and again and again.

·         Blessed are you who on a regular basis have a dark day in which despair seems to be a just one step behind you wherever you go.

·         Blessed are you, for God is with you, God is on your side, God meets you in that place.

(Rob Bell’s modern re-telling of the Beatitudes)

Let us pray…

Holy God, we are blessed in your promises and we come to you now, humbly, to receive your Word.

I pray that your words will be my words and that your thoughts will be our thoughts.

Guide us now in the hearing of the Gospel message.

In Jesus’ Holy Name…Amen

We’ve heard The Beatitudes before…

They may even be one of the most familiar passages in the New Testament…

They mark the beginning of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount…

We’ve read about them in Sunday school…

We’ve seen them in movies…

You have probable heard them preached a time or two…

The version you just heard is a little different from what you’re used to…

But, I want us to use this opportunity to look at this passage in a new way…

I want us to hear these words and try to imagine what they mean for us today…

The first thing we need to do is recognize who Jesus was speaking to…

The story tells us that Jesus had been travelling throughout the area…

He attracted crowds of sick, lame, paralyzed, and demon-possessed people…

He was followed by the sick, the troubled, and the down-and-out…

He healed them all…He ministered to all of them…

So, one thing we know for sure is that these same troubled and broken people were the ones gathered around him for this sermon…

That is important for us to remember…The broken, down-and-out regular folks – like us – gathered to listen to Jesus

It’s also important for us to understand that the word “blessed” should not be confused with the word “happy” we so often hear when this text is read…

Jesus isn’t talking to us about being happy here – about being in a good mood, or feeling good about our situation…

The word Jesus uses means: a fortunate state of life – experiencing God’s favor…

Jesus is revealing a new perspective here – a kingdom perspective…God’s perspective

It is this perspective I hope we can use today to re-visit the blessedness we find in God’s promise

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who are not only economically deprived, but who also stand before God with no illusions of self-righteousness or self-sufficiency.

They are favored in God’s kingdom.

Like all the Beatitudes, this is a huge reversal for the ancients…Only the rich and powerful enjoy favored status – the poor are not worthy; this is also why the idea of “poor in spirit” is important – the self-righteous are not the favored as they believe.

“Blessed are those who mourn…Blessed are those who grieve over sin and evil in this world; they will be consoled/comforted

Certainly, those who suffer personal grief find comfort in their faith and God’s promise.

More importantly, however, when we mourn the collective and corporate sin of which we are a part, we confess to God and acknowledge that we do not always do the things God expects of us as citizens of this world.

Whenever we have the courage to stand before God and take responsibility for our contribution to corporate sins of this world, God will comfort us.

“Blessed are the meek…Blessed are those who are lowly and powerless, those whose only hope is in God; they will find the hope God promises; they will inherit the earth

Jesus isn’t talking about weak or spineless people here; this isn’t for the faint of heart.

Jesus is talking about those who courageously follow him in spite of their lack of means or status in the community…These are people who face the giants from positions of powerlessness that are not of their own making.

The last shall be first…the first shall be last

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…Blessed are those who yearn for the final salvation that only God can bring; they will be filled with saving grace.

It’s a familiar image to think of longing for justice as “hunger”…

God sees those who truly seek justice and righteousness; who truly hunger and thirst and yearn for God’s will to prevail…

God promises to fill them one day.

“Blessed are the merciful…Blessed are those who avoid judgment and embrace forgiveness; they will be forgiven; they will receive mercy

The Bible tells us not judge or we will be judged…

Jesus says that God will forgive us just we forgive others…

If we are to enjoy God’s mercy, we must first demonstrate the mercy God demands of us.

“Blessed are the pure in heart…Blessed are those who are undivided in their loyalty to God; they will see God.

A “pure heart” is an undivided heart…No false gods; no misguided loyalties;
true devotion to God and God’s will…

Purity like that comes from avoiding anything in this world that distracts us from God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers…Blessed are those who work for the wholeness and well-being that God wills for our broken world; they are God’s children.

This isn’t just about diplomacy and non-violence; it’s also about helping to pick up the pieces of a world torn apart by human sin, in whatever form it manifests itself, and putting them back together – healing the wounds our sin causes.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake…Blessed are those who suffer because they serve God; they will be comforted.

Ancient Christians and Jews knew slavery and persecution; they counted on God’s promises to redeem their suffering and bring them to eternal peace.

Modern victims of The Holocaust, genocide, and religious and ethnic cleansing know what suffering truly feels like; they too count on God’s promises of redemption and eternal peace.

Anyone who suffers because of their devotion to God is promised a place in God’s kingdom…forever.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account…”

Blessed are you when people talk against you, make up lies about you, and seek to bring evil against you because you serve God.

It seems that our culture has a way of holding God’s people up to ridicule;
of misunderstanding and misrepresenting what they do not have.

Maybe it is jealousy, or greed, or simply pettiness, but those who don’t share our belief prefer to make fun of it or try to destroy it.

A wise minister once told me that you can always tell when you are doing the right thing – Somebody will try to stop you.

Rejoice and be glad for God will welcome you into his kingdom
and your reward will be great!

We must resist the temptation to think of the Beatitudes as a Christian Philosophy of Life…

This is not a system designed to make us more successful and calm today…

Christianity is not a scheme to reduce stress, lose weight, advance your career,
or keep you healthy…

Christianity is a way of living based on the firm and sure hope that God’s future will be a time of mercy and not cruelty; a time when righteousness and peace will prevail.

The gospel is the counter-intuitive, joyous, exuberant news that Jesus has brought the unending, limitless, stunning love of God to even us.

It is radical good news that turns the ancient world upside down and challenges us to continue to seek healing and freedom in the broken world of the 21^st Century.

Blessed are those who live this life now, even when such a life seems foolish, for we will – in the end – be vindicated by God.

When God is in charge the world will be a very different place.

This is the gospel that calls even us “blessed” in the promises of God.

Amen.

What Are You Looking For?

“What Are You Looking For?”
John 1:29-42
Sunday, January 16, 2011

            In the entertainment industry we are moving into the annual “Award Season.” The Golden Globes, The Tony’s, The Emmy’s, The Oscar’s, and countless other award shows will soon compete for viewers as actors, directors, musicians, and comedians engage in an endless mutual admiration group hug…Have you ever listened to the way they introduce each other on these awards shows?

“Please welcome world-renowned singer, dancer, and actress…winner of three academy awards, two Emmy’s and the Nobel Prize for Pretty…the woman who single-handedly brought sequins back to Hollywood…Miss Sally Sweetwater!”

I mean, really, she’s just a presenter and it sounds like she cured the common cold!

It is funny sometimes the way we make introductions…

Your cousin the doctor becomes a cutting-edge surgeon…

Your son the teacher becomes a full professor…

Your sister who sings solo in the church choir becomes a brilliant musician

Sometimes we exaggerate just a little to make people sound as good as we can;
we tend to think that a person’s image is enhanced by the larger-than-life introduction and their identity is created through what they do.

The problem with this is that we sometimes rob a person of the freedom to be who they truly are as they try to live up to their introduction.

In some ways John the Baptist is like the Master of Ceremonies for our gospel story
this morning…

His role is to point us to Christ…to introduce Jesus and to help us get to know him
for who he truly is….

While the introduction may seem pretty big – “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; Son of God;” and so forth, there is no exaggeration here.

Let us pray…

May the words of my mouth and the mediations of our hearts be truly pleasing to you,
O Lord, we pray in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

The passage we read this morning is clearly divided into two distinct sections…

First we hear the testimony of John the Baptist identifying Jesus.

This testimony actually begins in verse 19 when the Jewish leaders confront John, asking him who he is…John tells them that he is not the Messiah, nor is he Elijah, nor is he the prophet.

He tells them that he is the “voice of one crying out in the wilderness…
Make straight the way of the Lord.”

He says that he is not worthy to even untie the sandals of the One who is yet to come.

Then, the next day, Jesus shows up and John points to him and identifies him as,
“the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

There are a couple of things we need to take away from this first section…

1.      John says he didn’t know Jesus; well, of course he knew him – they were cousins, they grew up together. What he’s telling us is that it wasn’t until the Holy Spirit appeared that John recognized Jesus for who he truly was. It is this recognition that enables John to testify with authority about who Jesus is.

2.      John distinctly uses the singular form of the word sin; he does not talk about the plural sins of the world – the many personal and corporate sins of humanity. The sin John refers to here is THE SIN of UNBELIEF. Jesus has come to take away the unbelief of the world…He has come to point people back toward God and to restore a right relationship with God.

The second section of this reading sets us up to be released from unbelief by helping us to identify Jesus Christ…

You see, our decision to be a disciple is inseparable from the decision we make about Jesus’ identity.

We must understand who Jesus is before we claim a relationship as Jesus’ disciple.

We hear a laundry list of titles for Jesus as the characters in this story point to him…

Lamb of God        Son of God           Rabbi                     Messiah

One who ranks ahead of me because he was before me

One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit

The next few verses include:

Son of Joseph from Nazareth             One in whom there is no deceit

King of Israel        Son of Man

Think about other names or titles that we give to Jesus…

The Way                            The Truth                          The Life

Light of the World            Light in the Darkness        Word of God

Sinless man                       Redeemer                          Lord

Healer                                Comforter                         Savior

God with Us                     King of Glory                   King of Kings

Who is Jesus?

The images from the gospel suggest that the reality of God in Jesus goes beyond any label we can place on him…

Jesus’ own words suggest that he is more than we can ever imagine…

“What are you looking for?” he asks

The disciple’s response of “Where are you staying?” is better translated “Where do you stand? What are you about? Who are you?” These would-be disciples aren’t asking where Jesus lives, they are concerned with his substance – his identity.

Jesus tells them, “Come and see.” Come see for yourself who I am and what I’m about. This calling of the first disciples is a warm invitation to be in a relationship;
it is not a forceful command.

This thoughtful invitation suggests that we cannot know one another by names or titles; rather, we know one another by how we live.

As we get to know Jesus throughout the Gospels, the names and titles will be replaced, reformed, and redefined by Jesus’ words, his actions, and finally his death and resurrection.

The rich variety of Christological images we encounter in Scripture cautions us to keep our eyes open for new and surprising revelations of God.

The church sometimes acts as if it has answered the last question about Jesus’ identity and arrived at the definitive revelation…What about the continuing journey?

We need to be open to new images and new metaphors for understanding Jesus and his relationship with the faith community.

We cannot let orthodoxy and traditions stand in the way of fresh and vital calls to discipleship that reveal new dimensions of the identity of Jesus Christ and the boundlessness of God’s grace.

The list of titles for Jesus is open-ended…

“What are you looking for?” Jesus asks…

“Release from drug addiction,” comes the answer and Jesus is Healer.

“Help me forgive,” and Jesus is the One who Empowers.

“Show me how to do my best,” and Jesus is Guide.

“What are you looking for?” Jesus wants to know…

The message is clear – Jesus is whatever we are looking for;
he is everything we are looking for;
he is all we need.

The “call narratives” in the gospels help us to understand discipleship…

For Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the stories of Jesus calling his disciples are focused on the idea of following Jesus to be transformed; promising a change in the lives of the disciple.

For John, however, the call narratives are about Jesus – about knowing who Jesus really is, developing a relationship with Jesus, and then being able to introduce Jesus to others.

John wants us to see that our call to discipleship is wrapped up in our understanding of the true identity of Jesus Christ.

Ultimately, John wants us to know and to testify that Jesus is everything anyone needs.

“What are you looking for?”

No matter how you answer that question, Jesus says, “Come and see.”

Looking Back...Looking Forward

“Looking Back…Looking Forward”

Matthew 3:13-17
Sunday, January 9, 2011 – Baptism of Our Lord Sunday

Baptism is an act that looks back with gratitude on what God’s grace has already accomplished.

It is here and now an act of God’s grace.

It looks forward to what God’s grace will accomplish in the future.

As Baptism signifies the whole working of God’s grace – from the washing away of sin to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit – it represents the journey of an entire lifetime.

If a personal Christian commitment has been made – “believer’s baptism” – then the sacrament celebrates that commitment and God’s grace that made it possible.
“LOOKING BACK”

If a Christian commitment has not been made – infant baptism – then the sacrament anticipates that commitment, declares it to be necessary, and celebrates God’s grace that will make it possible.
“LOOKING FORWARD”

The story of Jesus’ baptism calls us to look back at and let go of things as we think they ought to be…And to look forward to how God sees things…

Jesus says: “It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”

This story draws us into a place where the church has never been quite comfortable…
a place where Jesus stands among sinners…
where he walks in the mud of the river bank with us…
and steps into the cleansing water beside us, whether he needs it or not.

Let us pray…

You have taken us by the hand, O God, and kept us for your own.

You know us better than we know ourselves.

Our doubts, our fears, our weaknesses are not hidden from your sight,
nor our strengths, our potentials, our joys.

May your Spirit work within us to spark and kindle our faith,
to guide our hearing of your Word today,
to give us courage and calm our fears,
and lead us to be your people, as your hands and your eyes in the world.

Amen.

If you look at the four gospels and how they each tell this story, you can’t help but see how uneasy the authors were.

Matthew’s version elaborates on Mark’s by adding that John tries to talk Jesus out of being baptized. 

Luke won’t even come right out and say that it was John who did the baptizing.

John’s gospel re-tells John the Baptizer’s testimony that he saw the Spirit descend like a dove upon Jesus, but he stops short of saying anything about Jesus himself being baptized.

Most scholars agree that all this embarrassment about telling the story probably means that the story is true…You see, if someone tells you a story that isn’t in his best interest to tell, it’s probably the truth.

And the story of Jesus being baptized like every other sinner wasn’t exactly the kind of story that inspires confidence in this new movement and inspires others to join.

Try putting it into today’s context…

If Jesus had listened to his public relations people, he probably would have been a friend to sinners, a loving helper to the lost, but he would never have risked being mistaken for one them by acting like one of them and standing in line to have his sins washed away…

His handlers would never have let him be baptized like one of the regular folk.

He might have stood on the shore offering words of encouragement.

He might offer his hand to help those struggling to get out of the water weighed down by their wet tunics.

He might even step in to give John a break with the dunking.

But getting down and dirty with the real people would get him on the cover of every rag mag in the supermarket check-out line…It would ruin his reputation.

Who is going to believe that he was there because he cared about everyone and refused to separate himself from them?

Gossip being what it is, who’s not going to think that maybe this Jesus had at least a few teenie weenie things to get off his conscience before he sets off to change the world?

The campaign geeks would never allow Jesus to be mistaken for one of these poor schmucks he’s come to save…

I mean, you see the problem here don’t you? Sure, God loves sinners, but WE, I mean He, doesn’t want to be mistaken for one of them…Guilt by association and all.

AH, now maybe you really see the problem and why the church has always been so uncomfortable with the story of Jesus’ baptism.

“We spend a lot of time in the Christian church talking about God’s love for sinners, but we sure go to a lot of trouble not to be mistaken for one of them.”[1]

We’re all about welcoming the lost and the lonely and broken, as long as it’s clear that we’re found, popular, and healed.

Here’s the thing…Jesus – our leader, our example, our Lord – doesn’t seem to care very much about all that.

“In him, God’s being-with-us included God’s being in the river with us, in the flesh with us, in the sorrow of repentance and the joy of new life with us. So what if he didn’t have anything of his own to be sorry about?”[2]

When we come to the altar to pray and confess our sins, it is not just our personal sins that concern us…

We kneel before God and lament all the things we, as a people, have done and have failed to do; all the ways we have turned from God; all the times we have run away from God’s love; the times we have been afraid to be changed by God…

We repent for ourselves, for each other, and for our world.

Likewise, when we come to celebrate new life, we don’t do it for ourselves alone…

We shout alleluia on behalf of all those who have discovered hope and healing in the midst of despair and brokenness…

We shout for joy as light is shined into another’s darkness or life is found at the edge of death…

When we baptize here at the altar, we celebrate for the one and for the all of the church; we rejoice with the whole Body of Christ.

“Nothing we do here is a private matter between us and God…

Like Jesus in the river, this is something we do in union – in communion – with all humankind.”[3]

·       “Will you let the Spirit use you as prophets to the powers that be?”

·         “Will you be living witnesses to the gospel, individually and together, wherever you are, and in all that you do?”

These are just two of the questions we will answer together in a few moments as we re-affirm our Baptismal Covenant.

Whenever we baptize someone, whether an infant or an adult, we begin with the Baptismal Covenant.

We say it with them, we celebrate with them,
so that we all remember what is expected of us:
to believe in God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
to take our places at God’s table and grow strong on His food;
to never give up on ourselves or on each other;
to proclaim the good news that God has come among us in the flesh

“Then we invite the newcomers to step into the river with Jesus, so that their beings are wrapped up with all other human beings: the well ones and the hurt ones, the brave ones and the weak ones, the successful ones and the ones who cannot seem to get anything right.”[4]

You see, if you look back you’ll realize that you and all the rest of us did the same thing…

Whether we were carried up here in our mother’s arms or we walked down the aisle in answer to a call, we all climbed into the River of Life with Jesus and all of his flawed kinfolk.

There’s no chance that we’ll be mistaken for one of those sinner people –
We are one of them – and Thanks be to God, just like them,
we can look forward to a life spent splashing around in the water with Jesus!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…Amen

---

[1] Taylor, Barbara Brown, Home By Another Way, A Cowley Publications Book published by Rowan & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1999. Page 35.

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid, page 36.

Politics As Usual...

I am completely offended, although not particularly surprised, that the Freshman Class of Republican legislators in Washington are holding their first high-dollar re-election fund raising event BEFORE they even go to work for their first term in office. The $2,500 per person party features LeAnn Rimes as the entertainer and wallows in high amounts of alcohol and lavish food at the fashionable W Hotel. The party is tonight and these people don't take office until tomorrow. They are running for re-election BEFORE they prove they can even find their way from their office to the House Chamber. What are they thinking?

This takes real gall and it only proves to me that it really doesn't matter what political party you come from - all politicians are crooks! Republicans - Tea Partiers - Democrats - Independents - Liberatrians...None of you are worth the powder it takes to blow you up!!