This sermon was delivered at the First Presbyterian Chruch in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday January 28, 2007.
Jeremiah 1:4-10
Psalm 71:1-6
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
Luke 4:21-30
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
I ended last week’s sermon with a bit of a teaser. This is how it went:
“So, then, after reading from the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of the synagogue were fixed upon him. Then he began his interpretation of the text. He began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ How does the hometown crowd respond to this?”
Then I promised to finish my thoughts this week.
Well, I don’t know if you have been waiting with baited breath or not, but next week is now this week and it’s time to finish this scene. First, another look at last week’s reading from Luke.
Last week, because of the insight of the Wednesday night group, I described the reading as a job description. The first part of the job description is that Spirit is manifest in ministry. The Spirit fills our flesh with its nourishing power and with this filling comes the power and the joy and the glory of the Holy Spirit. Ministry follows only through the power of the Spirit.
Next is anointing, the setting apart for special service under divine direction.[1] By this divine direction, God anoints us through the power of the Spirit to do the work appointed to the body of Christ.
The third part is proclaiming the word of God to the marginalized. I used the example of the persecuted church in the time of Luke last week. But I needn’t have gone that far into the past. On May 24, 1995, Cuban police arrested Pastor Orson Vila at his home. Vila was the pastor of a 2,500 member house church in Camaguey. After a drumhead trial, he was sentenced to twenty-one months in prison.[2] He was charged with something to the effect of being subversive to the Cuban government. His crime was proclaiming the word of God to the marginalized.
The last direct lesson taken from the job description is that the Good News of God demands a response. It is not enough to hear and learn the word of God. Unless we respond to the word of God, then we never really heard it at all. Perhaps Paul says it best in 1Corinthians when he says exercising the spiritual gifts without love is like being a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
We then discerned the last part of the job description is that the gospel is not tied to one place. Jesus traveled throughout Palestine, and as he took the word with him, we are called to take his word with us.
So, the people had just heard Jesus run down this job description. They had just heard him take complete ownership of this mission. Last week, we even imagined what the reading would have sounded like if Jesus had placed special emphasis on the first person pronouns: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me…”
So how did they respond? The people loved it. Even if Jesus was being heavy on the first person pronouns, he was saying what they wanted to hear. The Jews were looking for their militant messiah, the one who would throw off the shackles of Roman rule. They were hoping and praying and waiting for this messiah. The people were so happy to hear what he said that they were amazed at his gracious words showing wisdom beyond his years and upbringing. They were very, very happy to hear these words of salvation.
So, the people loved the first part of the job description, but this is section of the Gospel is commonly known as “Rejected in Nazareth.” Now we get to what went so desperately wrong.
How did things go wrong? Easy, Jesus knew what the people wanted, and he told the truth instead. It may not be popular, it may not be what the people want to hear, but he told the truth. In my opinion, this is the biggest piece of the job description, tell the truth.[3]
What did the people want instead? When Jesus took the Gospel on the road; he showed signs and performed miracles along the way. He preached the Good News of the Gospel of the Lord and backed it up with signs of power that only the Lord can perform. And this is what the people wanted to see. Jesus knew, and he told the people what they were expecting in Luke 4:23. Jesus knew the people expected him to do the things that they heard he did at Capernaum here in his hometown.
Well, that wasn’t the message Jesus was sharing on this day. Yes, he realized that the people would think poorly of him. Yes, he realized the people had come for the show and they would not feel like they got their money’s worth. Yes, Jesus realized he would face the fate of the prophets before him—he would not be accepted in his hometown.
But this does not dissuade Jesus. His next words are the telling: “But I say to you in truth…” He knows he is not going to be popular, but he is going to tell the truth.
In Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer, C. S. Lewis tells his imaginary protégé, “[people] don’t go to church to be entertained. They go to use the service, or if you prefer, to enact it.”[4] I dare say in this case Lewis would be mistaken. It seems the people came for the show of word and deed. They wanted to hear the Good News and see the signs and miracles. So Jesus shares the word, a word they weren’t ready to hear.
In Luke 4:26, Jesus talks about Elijah and the widow of Zarephath. This scene comes from 1Kings 17:8-16 when during a long drought and famine, the Lord tells Elijah to find a particular widow. She is getting ready to prepare the last meal for her son and herself when Elijah promises her that the Lord will provide grain and oil until the day that the rain falls again on the earth. Jesus makes the point that there are many, many widows in need to choose from in Israel, yet the Lord sends Elijah to a Phoenician town between Sidon and Tyre.
Jesus then refers to the Syrian warrior Naaman who was cured of his leprosy by Elisha in 2Kings 5. There are many lepers in Israel who need healing, but only Naaman is cured by Elisha.
So what is it that makes these examples so unpalatable to the crowd in the synagogue? Jesus is making his points using Gentiles as recipients of God’s grace and mercy; and it has been this way since the time of the Old Testament Kings. Jesus is teaching his hometown that the Word of the Lord, the Good News, the Gospel, is shared with the others. The truth he shares is that the Lord’s truth and wisdom are often found in unconventional places. And this does not set well with the crowd.
Jesus has quickly gone from being the favorite son to pariah in a heartbeat. They were so upset, so furious that they drove him out of town, took him to the edge of a cliff intending to throw Jesus to his death. A fate Jesus somehow avoids.
In the time of the Gospel, the Jews were upset when Jesus tells a synagogue filled with God’s chosen people that God also chooses others. This of course highlights the split of the people of God: the Jews and the Christians. At the turn of the first millennia, the Christians split between the Churches of Rome and Constantinople: the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox. In 1517 the church splits again between the Roman Catholic Church and those who protest against it: thus the name Protestant. Will the church split again? Perhaps—probably even. If not now—then later. If not over the latest controversy—then the next one, or maybe the one after that.
This leaves us with the job description. As I said last week, when Jesus read the prophecy from the scroll of Isaiah, he read it as if it is his own job description, but it is our job description too. We are called to take the word of God with us into the world. We are filled with the Spirit to do the work of God in the world. We are anointed by the Spirit; set apart under divine direction. We are to take the word to those on the margins of society. This is our response—to take the word into the world. We are to tell the truth, even when it isn’t popular.
Is this difficult? Perhaps, but we have hope. Mirroring the call of Jeremiah, the Lord knows us even before we were formed in the womb. Before we were born we were consecrated, another way to say anointed, consecrated to do God’s work. When we fear that we are only—what ever limitation we place on ourselves—we are touched by the Lord, anointing us to do what is necessary.
As Jeremiah was given his marching orders, so too are we. The Lord tells Jeremiah that he is to go where he is sent, and speak as he is commanded. The Lord reaches out and touches each and every one of us with the words we are to speak. Paul experienced this in his ministry to the gentiles, and he gave the church in Corinth the ultimate set of guidelines for exercising the gifts and responsibility of ministry. Paul tells the church in Corinth to act in love.
Without love we are nothing. We may have the gifts of the Spirit of God, able to speak in the tongues of mortals and angels, but in the words of James Brown, without love we are “talking loud and saying nothing.”[5] We may have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and knowledge, we may have all faith—faith that can move mountains, but without love we are nothing. We can give all that we have away—even our very selves—but without love we gain nothing.
The love Paul speaks is not romantic attraction; instead it is a reflection of the love of God, a reflection we must show one another. This is a love which is patient and kind. This is a love which isn’t envious or boastful, arrogant or rude, self-seeking or irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in truth.
There we go again, back to the truth.
All of the things that we are, all of the things that we do, even the ways we use the gifts of the Spirit in service to the Lord, all these things will fade away. But love never ends. They will fade away because the best we can do is only like a grain of sand on a vast beach of God’s creation. But love never ends.
As the Lord appointed his Son Jesus the Christ to share the Good News with the world, we are called to share the Good News with the world. As this is his job description, it is ours. We will never be able to do this job as well as Jesus, but God knows that. God knows that better than we do. We must seek the truth. It will take us places that are neither familiar nor fashionable. The truth is hard; just as Jesus told the synagogue that they weren't everything they thought they were when they were expecting a pep talk and signs. We must share the truth, even when people don’t expect it or like it. We must use the gifts God gives us to do the work God has anointed us to do, sharing the truth of the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ in love.
[1] Bauer Danker Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament from BibleWorks
[2] McKeehan, Toby, Smith, Kevin, Tait, Michael, and White, Tom, Jesus Freaks. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Albury Publishing, 1999, pages 103-104.
[3] As a part of the Commencement Ceremony at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the President of the Seminary charges the graduates. This was the charge to my graduating class, “tell the truth.”
[4] Lewis, C. S. Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer. San Diego, Harcort, 1964. Emphasis from the text.
[5] Brown, James, Byrd, Bobby, “Talking Loud and Saying Nothing” 1972.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Job Description
This sermon was first delivered at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on January 19, 2007.
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
When I began to consider this piece of the Gospel, I was overwhelmed. There is so much stuff in this reading that I had no real idea what needed to be said. If you look in your bible, the heading over this section is often called something like “Jesus Rejected at Nazareth,” and as you can well see, there was no rejection in this section of our reading. When I began looking at this passage, I was thinking of history. I was thinking of the other passages we read today. I was thinking of the Isaiah passages Jesus refers to in verses 18 and 19. I was thinking of the passages we’ll read next week. I was stumped!
So as we begin today, I need to thank the “Listening for God” group that met last Wednesday night. For those of you who are curious about what we do on Wednesday nights, we sit together, read the Gospel reading for the coming Sunday, discuss it, and then we pray.
We begin with a prayer of illumination—just like we do on Sunday before reading scripture. We read the Gospel passage and then we mention words and phrases that catch our attention. After reading the Gospel passage again, we discuss the passage more deeply and broadly, often focusing on the words that caught our attention in the first reading. Then we read the Gospel for a third time and discuss how it is calling us to respond in the coming week. If you ever have the inkling to join us, it is really a lot of fun and we find some very interesting insights about scripture.
As we were discussing this passage, one of the group members took a look at verses 18 and 19 and said, “It's a job description.” Well, I had never thought of it that way and I don't mind saying I was intrigued. Honestly, I missed this tree because I was too busy looking at the forest. As Jesus is reading this passage, the assembly is hearing Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah. Jesus reads the prophet Isaiah like he is reading a job description to the assembly. It’s like he is reading his job description.
There are several parts of this job description.[1]
The first part is that Spirit is manifest in ministry. In the time of our Lord, they thought there to be two different and very specific states of existence, the flesh and the spirit.[2] The fleshly existence is more solid and the spiritual more fluid. The definition of the spirit is imprecise, as would be the definition of any fluid entity—especially one that is not of our world. So the Spirit is able to fill our solid flesh with its nourishing power. With this filling comes the power and the joy and the glory of the Holy Spirit.
The second part is anointing. To anoint someone is to set them apart for special service under divine direction.[3] We anoint the ill for healing. We anoint the baptized setting them apart. We pray for the anointing of the Spirit, especially for the officers of the church, particularly in our case the elders. Sometimes we anoint with oil. More often we lay hands as a symbol of the anointing of the community.
We have other words that mean something similar. Another word we use to say something is set apart for service to the Lord is to make something holy. It is also said when something is made holy it is sanctified. These lofty words and concepts mean one thing—anointing, making something or someone holy, and sanctifying are means of setting something aside for service under divine direction. And by this divine direction, it is above all that God anoints us through the power of the Spirit to do the work appointed to the body of Christ.
The third part is proclaiming the word of God to the marginalized. Here in Berryville, we are familiar with the Greek word that means “I proclaim.” Do you know what it is? It’s kerusso, the same as the t-shirt company.[4] When Marie and I came to town the first time, I loved the name of the company, because I love the power of this verb. One of the most important features of kerusso is that the content of the proclamation takes authority over the one making the proclamation. And the proclamation Jesus makes is to those on the margins. So when we read of freedom for the prisoners, we read of a church prosecuted in the time of Luke. When we read of recovery of sight to the blind we read of those who are blinded like Paul, that they may regain their sight as he did in Acts. When we read about release to the oppressed, we read of those on the margins of society, those who are tread down by events and circumstances. These are the ones who are ill who need healing. These are the ones who are poor who need food. These are the able who need work. These are the people who are shattered by society yet today need to hear the good news.
This leads us to an unavoidable conclusion. The Gospel, the Good News of God demands a response. And I mean demands. Sometimes that demand is made in the weakest of whispers, a voice that can only be heard in our silent moments of prayer and contemplation. Sometimes the demand is made in a loud voice that insists on being heard.
Here’s an example, The Lord makes demands on from Moses from a bush which burns but is not consumed by fire. Moses is commanded to go to Pharaoh and bring the people of the Lord, Israel, out of Egypt.[5] The most ironic part of this example is that people often speak of wanting or seeking their own “burning bush” experience. But nobody ever talks about having their own “confront Pharaoh” experience. Often we get caught up in the mode of the message instead of the message itself. The bush which burns but is not consumed by fire is impressive, but it is not the most important link in the chain. We respond to the Lord, we do as we are required, but we should never hold the experience above the message.
Does anyone wonder or worry about their ability to hear and respond to the Gospel? In the words of scripture, I say “Fear not!” It is human nature to wonder if we will be able to accomplish what the Lord has set us to do. But it is just as important to remember that the Lord does not call the equipped, but instead equips the called. We have been selected and because of our selection we have been gifted. Some say, “I am not like the heroes of the faith or Billy Graham or any other of the great shepherds of the church.” And that is true, we are not, but this is not to our shame. And this does not let us off of the hook from our responsibilities.
Our reading from Corinthians reminds us that we are all parts of the body of Christ, the very same body as the heroes of the faith, Billy Graham, or other great shepherds of the church. And if we are weaker parts, we are just as indispensable as the major organs. Yes, we may not be the heart, or the lungs, but without the smallest bones in the ear, we will never hear the cries of the poor. Without the many tendons and muscles in the hand, we cannot do the work God demands.
And as we are all called to different ministries for the same body, we must remember that we are equipped as we are anointed—as we are set aside for ministry. God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. No one is equipped to do all of these things, thanks be to God. But all of these gifts are given to the church for the work of the Lord.
While this pretty much takes care of Luke 4:18, there is one more thing we read in this passage that are important when the Spirit of the Lord comes.
When we read deeper in this section, we read that the gospel is not tied to one specific geographic location. By the time we read this piece of the Gospel, Jesus has all ready begun to make a name for himself in Judea proclaiming the good news of God. At a young age, he was the “boy-wonder” in the temple, impressing the old men with questions and wisdom beyond his years.[6] John the Baptist made a tremendous to-do about his coming and his place before Jesus was baptized.[7] And when he was baptized, the Spirit of God came upon him bodily like a dove and he heard “You are my son, the beloved. In you I am well pleased.”[8]
Jesus has made a reputation for himself in a relatively short time. To quote our reading, “He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.” He was beginning to become established in ministry. He was coming to his old stomping grounds, his home town, and the folks at home were proud to see him again.
So Jesus was in his hometown of Nazareth and, as was his custom on the Sabbath, he went to the synagogue. In the synagogue, it was customary that the men of the synagogue would read the scripture and give an interpretation.[9] Since Jesus was the hometown boy done good, the Rabbi was more than happy to offer him this honor.
By the way, this sort of welcome is not unusual for a seminarian who preaches at the home church for the first time after a year or so at seminary. Often after the first year of seminary, the candidate for ministry comes home for an annual evaluation with the Session and then with the Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry. This is a joyful time for the church and the seminarian. It’s a homecoming, often there is a celebration with luncheon and other events. Everybody asks how everything is going; this applies to the church and the seminarian. Everybody is catching up on time apart.
Often, the seminarian is invited to come and preach on the reading for the day. For some seminarians, it is a time to share their newly acquired heresies with the congregation. Whoops, did I say heresies? The seminarian is often exposed to many new ideas and concepts, some of which don’t always sit well with the folks at home. But at least there is precedent for this sort of behavior.
On Wednesday night, another of the “Listening for God” participants wondered how Jesus read the text from Isaiah. She asked us all to imagine Jesus reading from the Isaiah scroll with special emphasis on the first person pronouns, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me…” You get the idea. Imagine the response from the people in the pews: “Yeah, he’s the hometown boy, but isn’t he getting a little full of himself?”
So, then, after reading from the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of the synagogue were fixed upon him. Then he began his interpretation of the text. He says to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” How does the hometown crowd respond to this?
You know, this is a story better left finished next week.
[1] This is not an original thought, but I am unable to find the source reference. The source split the description into four sections, I have chosen more segments
[2] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. 2 page 540
[3] Bauer Danker Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament from BibleWorks
[4] The t-shirt company claims “kerusso” means “to proclaim” when it really means “I proclaim.”
[5] Exodus 3:10
[6] Luke 2:41-52
[7] Luke 3:1-21
[8] Luke 3:22
[9] Homiletics Magazine Online, http://homileticsholine.com/subscriber/pritner_friendly
_installment.asp?installment_id=2630. accessed January 9, 2007.
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
Psalm 19
1 Corinthians 12:12-31a
Luke 4:14-21
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
When I began to consider this piece of the Gospel, I was overwhelmed. There is so much stuff in this reading that I had no real idea what needed to be said. If you look in your bible, the heading over this section is often called something like “Jesus Rejected at Nazareth,” and as you can well see, there was no rejection in this section of our reading. When I began looking at this passage, I was thinking of history. I was thinking of the other passages we read today. I was thinking of the Isaiah passages Jesus refers to in verses 18 and 19. I was thinking of the passages we’ll read next week. I was stumped!
So as we begin today, I need to thank the “Listening for God” group that met last Wednesday night. For those of you who are curious about what we do on Wednesday nights, we sit together, read the Gospel reading for the coming Sunday, discuss it, and then we pray.
We begin with a prayer of illumination—just like we do on Sunday before reading scripture. We read the Gospel passage and then we mention words and phrases that catch our attention. After reading the Gospel passage again, we discuss the passage more deeply and broadly, often focusing on the words that caught our attention in the first reading. Then we read the Gospel for a third time and discuss how it is calling us to respond in the coming week. If you ever have the inkling to join us, it is really a lot of fun and we find some very interesting insights about scripture.
As we were discussing this passage, one of the group members took a look at verses 18 and 19 and said, “It's a job description.” Well, I had never thought of it that way and I don't mind saying I was intrigued. Honestly, I missed this tree because I was too busy looking at the forest. As Jesus is reading this passage, the assembly is hearing Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah. Jesus reads the prophet Isaiah like he is reading a job description to the assembly. It’s like he is reading his job description.
There are several parts of this job description.[1]
The first part is that Spirit is manifest in ministry. In the time of our Lord, they thought there to be two different and very specific states of existence, the flesh and the spirit.[2] The fleshly existence is more solid and the spiritual more fluid. The definition of the spirit is imprecise, as would be the definition of any fluid entity—especially one that is not of our world. So the Spirit is able to fill our solid flesh with its nourishing power. With this filling comes the power and the joy and the glory of the Holy Spirit.
The second part is anointing. To anoint someone is to set them apart for special service under divine direction.[3] We anoint the ill for healing. We anoint the baptized setting them apart. We pray for the anointing of the Spirit, especially for the officers of the church, particularly in our case the elders. Sometimes we anoint with oil. More often we lay hands as a symbol of the anointing of the community.
We have other words that mean something similar. Another word we use to say something is set apart for service to the Lord is to make something holy. It is also said when something is made holy it is sanctified. These lofty words and concepts mean one thing—anointing, making something or someone holy, and sanctifying are means of setting something aside for service under divine direction. And by this divine direction, it is above all that God anoints us through the power of the Spirit to do the work appointed to the body of Christ.
The third part is proclaiming the word of God to the marginalized. Here in Berryville, we are familiar with the Greek word that means “I proclaim.” Do you know what it is? It’s kerusso, the same as the t-shirt company.[4] When Marie and I came to town the first time, I loved the name of the company, because I love the power of this verb. One of the most important features of kerusso is that the content of the proclamation takes authority over the one making the proclamation. And the proclamation Jesus makes is to those on the margins. So when we read of freedom for the prisoners, we read of a church prosecuted in the time of Luke. When we read of recovery of sight to the blind we read of those who are blinded like Paul, that they may regain their sight as he did in Acts. When we read about release to the oppressed, we read of those on the margins of society, those who are tread down by events and circumstances. These are the ones who are ill who need healing. These are the ones who are poor who need food. These are the able who need work. These are the people who are shattered by society yet today need to hear the good news.
This leads us to an unavoidable conclusion. The Gospel, the Good News of God demands a response. And I mean demands. Sometimes that demand is made in the weakest of whispers, a voice that can only be heard in our silent moments of prayer and contemplation. Sometimes the demand is made in a loud voice that insists on being heard.
Here’s an example, The Lord makes demands on from Moses from a bush which burns but is not consumed by fire. Moses is commanded to go to Pharaoh and bring the people of the Lord, Israel, out of Egypt.[5] The most ironic part of this example is that people often speak of wanting or seeking their own “burning bush” experience. But nobody ever talks about having their own “confront Pharaoh” experience. Often we get caught up in the mode of the message instead of the message itself. The bush which burns but is not consumed by fire is impressive, but it is not the most important link in the chain. We respond to the Lord, we do as we are required, but we should never hold the experience above the message.
Does anyone wonder or worry about their ability to hear and respond to the Gospel? In the words of scripture, I say “Fear not!” It is human nature to wonder if we will be able to accomplish what the Lord has set us to do. But it is just as important to remember that the Lord does not call the equipped, but instead equips the called. We have been selected and because of our selection we have been gifted. Some say, “I am not like the heroes of the faith or Billy Graham or any other of the great shepherds of the church.” And that is true, we are not, but this is not to our shame. And this does not let us off of the hook from our responsibilities.
Our reading from Corinthians reminds us that we are all parts of the body of Christ, the very same body as the heroes of the faith, Billy Graham, or other great shepherds of the church. And if we are weaker parts, we are just as indispensable as the major organs. Yes, we may not be the heart, or the lungs, but without the smallest bones in the ear, we will never hear the cries of the poor. Without the many tendons and muscles in the hand, we cannot do the work God demands.
And as we are all called to different ministries for the same body, we must remember that we are equipped as we are anointed—as we are set aside for ministry. God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. No one is equipped to do all of these things, thanks be to God. But all of these gifts are given to the church for the work of the Lord.
While this pretty much takes care of Luke 4:18, there is one more thing we read in this passage that are important when the Spirit of the Lord comes.
When we read deeper in this section, we read that the gospel is not tied to one specific geographic location. By the time we read this piece of the Gospel, Jesus has all ready begun to make a name for himself in Judea proclaiming the good news of God. At a young age, he was the “boy-wonder” in the temple, impressing the old men with questions and wisdom beyond his years.[6] John the Baptist made a tremendous to-do about his coming and his place before Jesus was baptized.[7] And when he was baptized, the Spirit of God came upon him bodily like a dove and he heard “You are my son, the beloved. In you I am well pleased.”[8]
Jesus has made a reputation for himself in a relatively short time. To quote our reading, “He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.” He was beginning to become established in ministry. He was coming to his old stomping grounds, his home town, and the folks at home were proud to see him again.
So Jesus was in his hometown of Nazareth and, as was his custom on the Sabbath, he went to the synagogue. In the synagogue, it was customary that the men of the synagogue would read the scripture and give an interpretation.[9] Since Jesus was the hometown boy done good, the Rabbi was more than happy to offer him this honor.
By the way, this sort of welcome is not unusual for a seminarian who preaches at the home church for the first time after a year or so at seminary. Often after the first year of seminary, the candidate for ministry comes home for an annual evaluation with the Session and then with the Presbytery’s Committee on Preparation for Ministry. This is a joyful time for the church and the seminarian. It’s a homecoming, often there is a celebration with luncheon and other events. Everybody asks how everything is going; this applies to the church and the seminarian. Everybody is catching up on time apart.
Often, the seminarian is invited to come and preach on the reading for the day. For some seminarians, it is a time to share their newly acquired heresies with the congregation. Whoops, did I say heresies? The seminarian is often exposed to many new ideas and concepts, some of which don’t always sit well with the folks at home. But at least there is precedent for this sort of behavior.
On Wednesday night, another of the “Listening for God” participants wondered how Jesus read the text from Isaiah. She asked us all to imagine Jesus reading from the Isaiah scroll with special emphasis on the first person pronouns, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me…” You get the idea. Imagine the response from the people in the pews: “Yeah, he’s the hometown boy, but isn’t he getting a little full of himself?”
So, then, after reading from the scroll, Jesus gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of the synagogue were fixed upon him. Then he began his interpretation of the text. He says to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” How does the hometown crowd respond to this?
You know, this is a story better left finished next week.
[1] This is not an original thought, but I am unable to find the source reference. The source split the description into four sections, I have chosen more segments
[2] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. 2 page 540
[3] Bauer Danker Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament from BibleWorks
[4] The t-shirt company claims “kerusso” means “to proclaim” when it really means “I proclaim.”
[5] Exodus 3:10
[6] Luke 2:41-52
[7] Luke 3:1-21
[8] Luke 3:22
[9] Homiletics Magazine Online, http://homileticsholine.com/subscriber/pritner_friendly
_installment.asp?installment_id=2630. accessed January 9, 2007.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Gifts
This sermon was delivered on Sunday January 14, 2006 at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas.
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Ten years ago, about nine months before Marie and I got married, we were invited to the wedding of our friends, Nicole Hernandez and Greg Young.[1] Nicole was the Director of Student Activities and Greg was the Head Basketball Coach at the community college where I worked in Colorado. Marie asked me to be sure to find out where they were registered so that we could get them something nice. So I went down to Nicole’s office and asked where she was registered. She was in a hurry to get to a meeting so she said, “Oh, don’t worry, we have what we want and need,” and she was off. Well, it’s just plain rude to go to a wedding empty handed, we had to get something.
I had an idea, so I checked with Marie and we decided to do something a little different. Instead of getting china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl, we got them a Black and Decker VersaPak Drill. This was one of the first generation of cordless tools made for the home market. It had those removable rechargeable power cells that you could put into any number of different tools.
So imagine if you will… it’s a couple of weeks or so after the wedding, and Nicole and her sister and her mother and Greg were sitting around the house opening the presents. Greg was thrilled. For a guy, there was nothing like sitting around opening wedding presents because you never knew when you would get china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Then Nicole opened the drill. She knew what it was, of course, but she was surprised. After all, it wasn't china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Greg was overjoyed! Suddenly there was a gift for him! He could hardly wait for the batteries to charge so that he could begin to assemble the buffet cabinet. He was so happy, after a long afternoon of stuff for her; there was finally a gift for him.
Wedding gifts can be a tricky thing. I love a bride who registers and hope that there is still something left on the list by the time we get to the store. The custom of wedding presents was important during Jesus time, maybe even more important than it is today because of the hospitality codes. Jesus had begun his ministry and had just commissioned his disciples. When you get down to brass tacks, an itinerant preacher who has just begun his ministry and commissioned his disciples was probably quite poor. Not bringing a gift did not seem to bother Jesus, it sure bothered his mother. Social graces and hospitality are motherly things to worry about. Anyway, the lack of wine left an opening for Jesus to provide a gift. After motherly prompting, the miracle happens, water becomes wine, and Jesus’ wedding gift is given not just to the wedding party, but to the world. Not just for that day, but for all time. The banquet master is the first to discover this gift. He declares to the groom that his fine taste in wine is a delight, even though he was wasting it on the late hour when no one would be able to appreciate it. It was the custom in that day to bring out the good wine first and when the guests could not tell the difference, bring out the lesser stuff. But anyway, it is a treat; a treat which will be enjoyed.
What strikes me in this passage is the role of the servants, the word we translate as deacon. The way the passage is written, the servants who drew the water into the pitchers, the ones who drew it for the banquet master, drew the liquid with consequences that extend far into the future. And so it is we still talk about “changing water to wine.” I wonder if they knew just how important what they were doing was? I wonder if they could have imagined that the one for whom they are drawing water was the Messiah? How could they?
Giving good gifts is important, and it is important for us that the Lord God is the giver of the greatest gifts. The Lord our God has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, and from them both come the Holy Spirit. This gift is followed by more gifts, the gifts of the Spirit mentioned here in 1Corinthians. And while there are many gifts, there is only one who gives them. There are many different types of service, but only one Lord. There are many different types of activities, but only one God who activates them. According to scripture, each of us is gifted, but there is only one gives such wondrous gifts. Yet the gifts God gives are not only the charismatic signs; the gift is in the work done with the gift as well.
If you remember the story from earlier, a Black and Decker drill is a petty good gift, but it wasn’t until it built the buffet that it begins to meet its potential. Wisdom is not just to be wise and saying, "I would have done that differently." So too the gift to prophesy isn’t just about the ability, it is about the prophecy that follows. Faith and healing are about more than just the ability, it is about the work the gifts require for the benefit of the church and the world.
In the next couple of weeks, we will ordain and install new Elders to the Session. When they are ordained, we will ask if they will fulfill their office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, guided by the confessions. We will then ask them if they will be faithful elders, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service sharing in government and discipline, serving in governing bodies of the church, trying to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ.[2] This is a high calling, and a desperately important one. Surely these new elders are gifted, the nominating committee prays about this during its discernment process. It is not a responsibility taken lightly.
It is tempting to say that there is no higher calling; it would certainly honor both the office and those who serve in it. But that isn't where the honor belongs. We must remember…all service is honored by God, and given to glorify God. So imagine taking these vows: professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, renouncing all evil, and declaring the intent to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church. These vows are weighty, important, and substantial. And these are the vows we accepted ourselves, or were accepted on our behalf, when we were baptized.[3] These are the same vows taken when joining this or any other PC (USA) Church.[4] Ordained ministry is a high calling, but we need to remember our first call is to be a Christian, professing Christ, renouncing evil, and working in the worship and mission of the church. There is no higher calling than this.
As foreboding as this sounds, here's the good news, all are gifted. Paul was writing to the church when he said each is gifted. He did not say the pastor is gifted. He did not say the ordained Elders are gifted. He said each is gifted as the Spirit chooses. And the gifts are given to the church for the common good.
About five months before we were married, Marie took me to Pier 1 and Target where we registered. When we went to the hardware section at Target and we registered for a Black and Decker VersaPak drill and VersaPak flash light. While I was looking at some other tools, she asked if I needed one of these. She was holding the VersaPak reciprocating saw. As I have told you before, I love watching “This Old House;” it's one of my favorite shows. And these guys cut things with reciprocating saws I only dream about.
They take down decks. They cut openings through interior and exterior walls. They cut timbers and plumbing. I once saw Master Carpenter Norm Abram demolish an old bump-out kitchen using just a reciprocating saw. I could imagine the damage I could do with one of those things. I looked at the saw and I looked at Marie and I said, "No, and if I ever tell you I need a reciprocating saw, then ask me a lot of questions." There is no good reason for me to have a saw like that. I can work a drill without causing harm, but I have no business with that saw. There are those of you here today that could use that saw, but not me. If we had given that saw to Greg and Nicole, it would have been used, but not to build a buffet. The Spiritual gifts are given this way too; the Spirit gives the church the necessary gifts. And they are given for an intended purpose. If misused, they are not effective. But when God gives a gift, the gift is perfect.
The Spirit then makes people capable of using the gift putting us in places to use the gifts. Not only are all gifted, but the Spirit prepares us, enables us to use those gifts. For some, this leads to ordained ministry, but for many it does not. If this seems difficult, don’t worry. If Jesus can change water to wine, imagine what he can do with us.
As a part of this church, I see people pray, and sing, and play. I have seen people serving at times of joy and times of grief. I have seen people work at Loaves and Fishes. I have seen people act with great compassion, and most of the time this isn’t done by active session members, it is done by members acting with might exercising the gifts of the spirit to fortify the church and to glorify God. The gifts are given to the entire church for the world by God for God’s glory.
Earlier I mentioned the servants at the banquet. While their roles seem quite limited, they were in direct service to Jesus, delivering the fruit of his first public miracle. Imagine the banquet master: Not only did he announce the miracle; he announced it to the groom with joy and bravado. But he makes the announcement with qualification; the gift will not be fully appreciated by those who receive it. This reigns true for us today. We receive gifts that we don't expect or don't recognize—and we aren't fully aware of what they are, or their value, or what to do with them. But Jesus accounts for this. He knew the wine would be perfect and he knew it would not be properly appreciated. And he gave, Jesus gave.
It reassures me that Jesus seemed reluctant to exercise his power. When his mother tells him there is no more wine, he asks, "What’s that to you and to me?" Then he tells his mother that it's not his time, not yet. Yet his mother persists, telling the servers to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Then he exercises the power and miracles happen. When we use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do so much more than we can without these gifts. We can do miracles. They may not even be noticed. They certainly may not be appreciated on earth, but when they are exercised, miracles happen for the glory of God, not just by the ordained, but from all members of the church. Not just for the church, but for all of creation. Just as the banquet master proclaimed this wine to be the best, we must glorify the name of the one who provides the wine, and all that the wine represents. The gifts are important, what we do with them is also important, and thanking the one who gives them is vital.
[1] I was given permission to share this story by Greg Young in 2004. Here’s to good friends!
[2] PC(USA) Book of Order, 2005-2007 edition, Governance Section G-14.0207.
[3] Ibid, Directory for Worship, W-3.3603.
[4] Ibid.
Isaiah 62:1-5
Psalm 36:5-10
1 Corinthians 12:1-11
John 2:1-11
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Ten years ago, about nine months before Marie and I got married, we were invited to the wedding of our friends, Nicole Hernandez and Greg Young.[1] Nicole was the Director of Student Activities and Greg was the Head Basketball Coach at the community college where I worked in Colorado. Marie asked me to be sure to find out where they were registered so that we could get them something nice. So I went down to Nicole’s office and asked where she was registered. She was in a hurry to get to a meeting so she said, “Oh, don’t worry, we have what we want and need,” and she was off. Well, it’s just plain rude to go to a wedding empty handed, we had to get something.
I had an idea, so I checked with Marie and we decided to do something a little different. Instead of getting china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl, we got them a Black and Decker VersaPak Drill. This was one of the first generation of cordless tools made for the home market. It had those removable rechargeable power cells that you could put into any number of different tools.
So imagine if you will… it’s a couple of weeks or so after the wedding, and Nicole and her sister and her mother and Greg were sitting around the house opening the presents. Greg was thrilled. For a guy, there was nothing like sitting around opening wedding presents because you never knew when you would get china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Then Nicole opened the drill. She knew what it was, of course, but she was surprised. After all, it wasn't china, or a setting of the silver, or some serving bowl. Greg was overjoyed! Suddenly there was a gift for him! He could hardly wait for the batteries to charge so that he could begin to assemble the buffet cabinet. He was so happy, after a long afternoon of stuff for her; there was finally a gift for him.
Wedding gifts can be a tricky thing. I love a bride who registers and hope that there is still something left on the list by the time we get to the store. The custom of wedding presents was important during Jesus time, maybe even more important than it is today because of the hospitality codes. Jesus had begun his ministry and had just commissioned his disciples. When you get down to brass tacks, an itinerant preacher who has just begun his ministry and commissioned his disciples was probably quite poor. Not bringing a gift did not seem to bother Jesus, it sure bothered his mother. Social graces and hospitality are motherly things to worry about. Anyway, the lack of wine left an opening for Jesus to provide a gift. After motherly prompting, the miracle happens, water becomes wine, and Jesus’ wedding gift is given not just to the wedding party, but to the world. Not just for that day, but for all time. The banquet master is the first to discover this gift. He declares to the groom that his fine taste in wine is a delight, even though he was wasting it on the late hour when no one would be able to appreciate it. It was the custom in that day to bring out the good wine first and when the guests could not tell the difference, bring out the lesser stuff. But anyway, it is a treat; a treat which will be enjoyed.
What strikes me in this passage is the role of the servants, the word we translate as deacon. The way the passage is written, the servants who drew the water into the pitchers, the ones who drew it for the banquet master, drew the liquid with consequences that extend far into the future. And so it is we still talk about “changing water to wine.” I wonder if they knew just how important what they were doing was? I wonder if they could have imagined that the one for whom they are drawing water was the Messiah? How could they?
Giving good gifts is important, and it is important for us that the Lord God is the giver of the greatest gifts. The Lord our God has given us his Son, Jesus Christ, and from them both come the Holy Spirit. This gift is followed by more gifts, the gifts of the Spirit mentioned here in 1Corinthians. And while there are many gifts, there is only one who gives them. There are many different types of service, but only one Lord. There are many different types of activities, but only one God who activates them. According to scripture, each of us is gifted, but there is only one gives such wondrous gifts. Yet the gifts God gives are not only the charismatic signs; the gift is in the work done with the gift as well.
If you remember the story from earlier, a Black and Decker drill is a petty good gift, but it wasn’t until it built the buffet that it begins to meet its potential. Wisdom is not just to be wise and saying, "I would have done that differently." So too the gift to prophesy isn’t just about the ability, it is about the prophecy that follows. Faith and healing are about more than just the ability, it is about the work the gifts require for the benefit of the church and the world.
In the next couple of weeks, we will ordain and install new Elders to the Session. When they are ordained, we will ask if they will fulfill their office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, guided by the confessions. We will then ask them if they will be faithful elders, watching over the people, providing for their worship, nurture, and service sharing in government and discipline, serving in governing bodies of the church, trying to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ.[2] This is a high calling, and a desperately important one. Surely these new elders are gifted, the nominating committee prays about this during its discernment process. It is not a responsibility taken lightly.
It is tempting to say that there is no higher calling; it would certainly honor both the office and those who serve in it. But that isn't where the honor belongs. We must remember…all service is honored by God, and given to glorify God. So imagine taking these vows: professing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, renouncing all evil, and declaring the intent to participate actively and responsibly in the worship and mission of the church. These vows are weighty, important, and substantial. And these are the vows we accepted ourselves, or were accepted on our behalf, when we were baptized.[3] These are the same vows taken when joining this or any other PC (USA) Church.[4] Ordained ministry is a high calling, but we need to remember our first call is to be a Christian, professing Christ, renouncing evil, and working in the worship and mission of the church. There is no higher calling than this.
As foreboding as this sounds, here's the good news, all are gifted. Paul was writing to the church when he said each is gifted. He did not say the pastor is gifted. He did not say the ordained Elders are gifted. He said each is gifted as the Spirit chooses. And the gifts are given to the church for the common good.
About five months before we were married, Marie took me to Pier 1 and Target where we registered. When we went to the hardware section at Target and we registered for a Black and Decker VersaPak drill and VersaPak flash light. While I was looking at some other tools, she asked if I needed one of these. She was holding the VersaPak reciprocating saw. As I have told you before, I love watching “This Old House;” it's one of my favorite shows. And these guys cut things with reciprocating saws I only dream about.
They take down decks. They cut openings through interior and exterior walls. They cut timbers and plumbing. I once saw Master Carpenter Norm Abram demolish an old bump-out kitchen using just a reciprocating saw. I could imagine the damage I could do with one of those things. I looked at the saw and I looked at Marie and I said, "No, and if I ever tell you I need a reciprocating saw, then ask me a lot of questions." There is no good reason for me to have a saw like that. I can work a drill without causing harm, but I have no business with that saw. There are those of you here today that could use that saw, but not me. If we had given that saw to Greg and Nicole, it would have been used, but not to build a buffet. The Spiritual gifts are given this way too; the Spirit gives the church the necessary gifts. And they are given for an intended purpose. If misused, they are not effective. But when God gives a gift, the gift is perfect.
The Spirit then makes people capable of using the gift putting us in places to use the gifts. Not only are all gifted, but the Spirit prepares us, enables us to use those gifts. For some, this leads to ordained ministry, but for many it does not. If this seems difficult, don’t worry. If Jesus can change water to wine, imagine what he can do with us.
As a part of this church, I see people pray, and sing, and play. I have seen people serving at times of joy and times of grief. I have seen people work at Loaves and Fishes. I have seen people act with great compassion, and most of the time this isn’t done by active session members, it is done by members acting with might exercising the gifts of the spirit to fortify the church and to glorify God. The gifts are given to the entire church for the world by God for God’s glory.
Earlier I mentioned the servants at the banquet. While their roles seem quite limited, they were in direct service to Jesus, delivering the fruit of his first public miracle. Imagine the banquet master: Not only did he announce the miracle; he announced it to the groom with joy and bravado. But he makes the announcement with qualification; the gift will not be fully appreciated by those who receive it. This reigns true for us today. We receive gifts that we don't expect or don't recognize—and we aren't fully aware of what they are, or their value, or what to do with them. But Jesus accounts for this. He knew the wine would be perfect and he knew it would not be properly appreciated. And he gave, Jesus gave.
It reassures me that Jesus seemed reluctant to exercise his power. When his mother tells him there is no more wine, he asks, "What’s that to you and to me?" Then he tells his mother that it's not his time, not yet. Yet his mother persists, telling the servers to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Then he exercises the power and miracles happen. When we use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are able to do so much more than we can without these gifts. We can do miracles. They may not even be noticed. They certainly may not be appreciated on earth, but when they are exercised, miracles happen for the glory of God, not just by the ordained, but from all members of the church. Not just for the church, but for all of creation. Just as the banquet master proclaimed this wine to be the best, we must glorify the name of the one who provides the wine, and all that the wine represents. The gifts are important, what we do with them is also important, and thanking the one who gives them is vital.
[1] I was given permission to share this story by Greg Young in 2004. Here’s to good friends!
[2] PC(USA) Book of Order, 2005-2007 edition, Governance Section G-14.0207.
[3] Ibid, Directory for Worship, W-3.3603.
[4] Ibid.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
Hearing Voices
This sermon was delivered at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on Sunday January 7, 2007.
Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-17, 22-23
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
I want to share an old bumper sticker with you this morning, but it’s just wrong, yet there is a part of me that laughs at this. There is an old bumper sticker that says, “I do what the voices in my Rice Krispies tell me to do.” Yeah, certainly not politically correct. But I do not bring this up to make light of mental illness. The son of one of Marie’s dearest friends suffers from schizophrenia. The tragedy of mental illness has caused in her friend much distress. His torment, and the torment shared by their family is far more devastating than the snap, crackle, and pop of breakfast cereal. They are constantly in Marie’s prayers. But I do mention this to open the door to our readings today.
Each of our readings today deals with hearing a voice, the voice of the Lord. Three deal directly with the voice and the other deals with a source of the voice. So let’s consider the voice of the Lord.
In our Call to Worship this morning, Psalm 29, the voice of the Lord is defined seven ways. The voice of the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. The voice of the Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calf and Sirion skip like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes out flames of fire—or in other translations flashes of lightening. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. And finally, the voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl stripping the forest bare. The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice and because of its power everyone and everything in the temple say “Glory.”
There are some things happening here that is lost on we who are not from the time of King David. The first is that this psalm lists seven images of the voice of the Lord. In ancient times, the number seven represented completion and perfection. There are many examples of this. The first creation account in Genesis lists seven days of creation.[1] One of the versions of the Ark story has Noah bringing seven pairs of each clean creature onto the ark.[2] Revelation is loaded with sevens including the seven churches, seven stars, seven lamp stands, seven bowls and seven plagues.
Considering all of the attributes of the Lord’s voice that could be described, the psalmist intentionally stops at seven to represent perfection in the Lord’s voice.
Another piece of ancient history lost to us is worship of the god Baal. Baal is represented as, among other things, a weather god. One image of Baal is a man casting a lightning bolt upon the earth.[3] Baal is a powerful god worshipped by the Canaanites. And the Old Testament is filled with times Israel turned from the Lord and turned to Baal worship.
But our psalm tells us the Lord is more than just a weather god. The Lord can do all of the things Baal can do, and do them in sevenfold perfection. On top of that, the Lord can do so much more than Baal could ever hope or imagine.
So our psalm tells us several things about the voice of the Lord. First and foremost, the voice of the Lord is perfect—in sevenfold perfection. Second, our Lord is more powerful than Baal, and all of the other gods.
But this lesson takes us into a corollary lesson, a lesson well known in antiquity which doesn’t find much favor in our time. There are other gods. Today we don’t particularly think of weather gods or such. But there are people and things which are ascribed so much glory that they are revered and worshipped like gods. People do sometimes tend to pray at the temple of money or power or celebrity or fame or esteem or any one of a million other things. To paraphrase scripture, we cannot love the Lord and our stuff. The love of the Lord must precede all we are, all we do, and all we have. We are to love the Lord who according to the Psalm is mighty, powerful, and perfect in sevenfold witness.
The prophet Isaiah heard the word of the Lord spoken to him, and he was required to pass along the message to the ruling elite. In this passage, we read of the Lord who affirms for the nation that it is he who has redeemed Israel. It is the Lord who is with us as we pass through the waters. The Lord is with us when we walk through the fires. We are precious in the sight of the Lord, and because of this, we should fear nothing.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is a difference between fearing nothing and having nothing to fear. I do not think we have nothing to fear. A quick survey of the daily news gives each and every one of us something to fear. But the Lord promises, these things cannot prevail against the faithful. The Lord is the source of our confidence, nothing else can stand against the tide of our sin sick world.
Another lesson we take from Isaiah is that it is the Lord who created us. We are more than a simple collection or random atoms or a people created for the amusement of a higher power or as a proof to some biochemical—mathematical scheme. We are created by the Lord who loves us and cares for us. This love and care is the second lesson from Isaiah. The Lord loves us and cares for us as we walk through the waters and the fires.
There is another lesson to take from Isaiah. We are to be obedient. We are to listen to the Lord and follow. Isaiah reminds us everyone who is called by the name of the Lord is not to withhold anything. Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth, after all, we were created by the Lord for the Glory of the Lord. Hearing the voice of the Lord and following is a heady vocation, but it is the one we were created for.
Luke gives us another hearing of the voice of the Lord. Now, there is something that we can assume from the scripture which isn’t implicitly said. We can assume John the Baptist has heard the voice of the Lord because of what he knows. John knows he is not the one who is to come. He is the one to make straight the way for the Lord. John knows of the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire and that the two are different. He also knows which he is to bring and which will come from the one greater than he. From hearing the voice of the Lord, John is attentive and obedient.
The most wonderful lesson taught by the voice from heaven follows in Luke’s gospel, Jesus the Christ is the Son of God. Luke’s gospel gives us the image of the Holy Spirit descending bodily like a dove and the voice from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is in relationship with God as a son is related to his father. The Spirit of God descends and gives an anointing touch to the Son of God. This relationship is given to us in this beautiful image.
But there is one more relationship Luke gives his readers. Our reading ends with, “[Jesus] was the son (as was thought) of Joseph, the son of Eli.” Now, Luke could have belabored the point of this by telling us who was emperor or governor like at the beginning of John’s ministry in chapter three, instead we hear of Jesus’ earthly father and grandfather.
Jesus is the anointed, the appointed, the Christ, the Messiah. Known to people, Jesus is the son of a man, the son of Joseph, son of Eli. He has come into this world fully human and fully divine. In his baptism, he identifies with our condition and need for redemption. In his baptism, his heavenly father gives his approval. The voice from heaven declares being well pleased with Jesus, fully human and fully divine.
Our lesson here is that the Lord values relationships. Who we are is based on whom we belong to, who we serve, who we love. Relationships are what is important.
The psalmist tells us the Lord is mighty. Isaiah tells us we belong to the Lord, and the Lord will keep us safe from the waters and the fire. Luke tells us that while John baptizes in water, it is the Son of God comes in power and baptizes us in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Finally, Acts teaches us that until we come into the fullness of the Lord, God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are not in full relationship with the Lord.
So there it is, the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty. The voice of the Lord is perfect. The voice of the Lord causes everyone and everything in his temple to say “Glory.” The Lord is more powerful than any god of antiquity or of today. The voice of the Lord reassures us. The voice tells us that we are protected from the dangers of water and fire. The voice tells us we are precious in the Lord’s sight. The voice tells John he will baptize in water; and the voice tells John one will come who will baptize in Spirit and fire. The voice of the Lord tells us not to fear. The voice of the Lord calls us into relationship, a relationship we enter into through the waters of our baptism and the fire of the Holy Spirit.
The voice of the Lord is all around us. We must pay attention, we need to listen. Only when we listen can we respond. So let us listen, let us listen to the voice of the Lord together. Study the voice in scripture. Study it in prayer. Study it in work. Study it in relationships with the Lord and with one another. But do not be afraid, the voice of the Lord is not the voice of mental illness. Be discerning, because not every snap, crackle, or pop is the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord is all around us. Listen to the voice of the Lord and let everyone and everything say “Glory.”
[1] Genesis 1:1-2:3
[2] Genesis 7:2
[3] Craigie, Peter C., Word Biblical Commentary [computer file] : Psalms 1-50 / Peter C. Craigie; David A. Hubbard, Glenn W. Baker, John D. Watts and Ralph P. Martin editors.—electronic ed.—Dallas : Word, Incorporated, 1998.
Isaiah 43:1-7
Psalm 29
Acts 8:14-17
Luke 3:15-17, 22-23
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
I want to share an old bumper sticker with you this morning, but it’s just wrong, yet there is a part of me that laughs at this. There is an old bumper sticker that says, “I do what the voices in my Rice Krispies tell me to do.” Yeah, certainly not politically correct. But I do not bring this up to make light of mental illness. The son of one of Marie’s dearest friends suffers from schizophrenia. The tragedy of mental illness has caused in her friend much distress. His torment, and the torment shared by their family is far more devastating than the snap, crackle, and pop of breakfast cereal. They are constantly in Marie’s prayers. But I do mention this to open the door to our readings today.
Each of our readings today deals with hearing a voice, the voice of the Lord. Three deal directly with the voice and the other deals with a source of the voice. So let’s consider the voice of the Lord.
In our Call to Worship this morning, Psalm 29, the voice of the Lord is defined seven ways. The voice of the Lord thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. The voice of the Lord makes Lebanon skip like a calf and Sirion skip like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes out flames of fire—or in other translations flashes of lightening. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness. And finally, the voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl stripping the forest bare. The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice and because of its power everyone and everything in the temple say “Glory.”
There are some things happening here that is lost on we who are not from the time of King David. The first is that this psalm lists seven images of the voice of the Lord. In ancient times, the number seven represented completion and perfection. There are many examples of this. The first creation account in Genesis lists seven days of creation.[1] One of the versions of the Ark story has Noah bringing seven pairs of each clean creature onto the ark.[2] Revelation is loaded with sevens including the seven churches, seven stars, seven lamp stands, seven bowls and seven plagues.
Considering all of the attributes of the Lord’s voice that could be described, the psalmist intentionally stops at seven to represent perfection in the Lord’s voice.
Another piece of ancient history lost to us is worship of the god Baal. Baal is represented as, among other things, a weather god. One image of Baal is a man casting a lightning bolt upon the earth.[3] Baal is a powerful god worshipped by the Canaanites. And the Old Testament is filled with times Israel turned from the Lord and turned to Baal worship.
But our psalm tells us the Lord is more than just a weather god. The Lord can do all of the things Baal can do, and do them in sevenfold perfection. On top of that, the Lord can do so much more than Baal could ever hope or imagine.
So our psalm tells us several things about the voice of the Lord. First and foremost, the voice of the Lord is perfect—in sevenfold perfection. Second, our Lord is more powerful than Baal, and all of the other gods.
But this lesson takes us into a corollary lesson, a lesson well known in antiquity which doesn’t find much favor in our time. There are other gods. Today we don’t particularly think of weather gods or such. But there are people and things which are ascribed so much glory that they are revered and worshipped like gods. People do sometimes tend to pray at the temple of money or power or celebrity or fame or esteem or any one of a million other things. To paraphrase scripture, we cannot love the Lord and our stuff. The love of the Lord must precede all we are, all we do, and all we have. We are to love the Lord who according to the Psalm is mighty, powerful, and perfect in sevenfold witness.
The prophet Isaiah heard the word of the Lord spoken to him, and he was required to pass along the message to the ruling elite. In this passage, we read of the Lord who affirms for the nation that it is he who has redeemed Israel. It is the Lord who is with us as we pass through the waters. The Lord is with us when we walk through the fires. We are precious in the sight of the Lord, and because of this, we should fear nothing.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is a difference between fearing nothing and having nothing to fear. I do not think we have nothing to fear. A quick survey of the daily news gives each and every one of us something to fear. But the Lord promises, these things cannot prevail against the faithful. The Lord is the source of our confidence, nothing else can stand against the tide of our sin sick world.
Another lesson we take from Isaiah is that it is the Lord who created us. We are more than a simple collection or random atoms or a people created for the amusement of a higher power or as a proof to some biochemical—mathematical scheme. We are created by the Lord who loves us and cares for us. This love and care is the second lesson from Isaiah. The Lord loves us and cares for us as we walk through the waters and the fires.
There is another lesson to take from Isaiah. We are to be obedient. We are to listen to the Lord and follow. Isaiah reminds us everyone who is called by the name of the Lord is not to withhold anything. Bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth, after all, we were created by the Lord for the Glory of the Lord. Hearing the voice of the Lord and following is a heady vocation, but it is the one we were created for.
Luke gives us another hearing of the voice of the Lord. Now, there is something that we can assume from the scripture which isn’t implicitly said. We can assume John the Baptist has heard the voice of the Lord because of what he knows. John knows he is not the one who is to come. He is the one to make straight the way for the Lord. John knows of the baptism of water and the baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire and that the two are different. He also knows which he is to bring and which will come from the one greater than he. From hearing the voice of the Lord, John is attentive and obedient.
The most wonderful lesson taught by the voice from heaven follows in Luke’s gospel, Jesus the Christ is the Son of God. Luke’s gospel gives us the image of the Holy Spirit descending bodily like a dove and the voice from heaven saying “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is in relationship with God as a son is related to his father. The Spirit of God descends and gives an anointing touch to the Son of God. This relationship is given to us in this beautiful image.
But there is one more relationship Luke gives his readers. Our reading ends with, “[Jesus] was the son (as was thought) of Joseph, the son of Eli.” Now, Luke could have belabored the point of this by telling us who was emperor or governor like at the beginning of John’s ministry in chapter three, instead we hear of Jesus’ earthly father and grandfather.
Jesus is the anointed, the appointed, the Christ, the Messiah. Known to people, Jesus is the son of a man, the son of Joseph, son of Eli. He has come into this world fully human and fully divine. In his baptism, he identifies with our condition and need for redemption. In his baptism, his heavenly father gives his approval. The voice from heaven declares being well pleased with Jesus, fully human and fully divine.
Our lesson here is that the Lord values relationships. Who we are is based on whom we belong to, who we serve, who we love. Relationships are what is important.
The psalmist tells us the Lord is mighty. Isaiah tells us we belong to the Lord, and the Lord will keep us safe from the waters and the fire. Luke tells us that while John baptizes in water, it is the Son of God comes in power and baptizes us in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Finally, Acts teaches us that until we come into the fullness of the Lord, God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are not in full relationship with the Lord.
So there it is, the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord is powerful and full of majesty. The voice of the Lord is perfect. The voice of the Lord causes everyone and everything in his temple to say “Glory.” The Lord is more powerful than any god of antiquity or of today. The voice of the Lord reassures us. The voice tells us that we are protected from the dangers of water and fire. The voice tells us we are precious in the Lord’s sight. The voice tells John he will baptize in water; and the voice tells John one will come who will baptize in Spirit and fire. The voice of the Lord tells us not to fear. The voice of the Lord calls us into relationship, a relationship we enter into through the waters of our baptism and the fire of the Holy Spirit.
The voice of the Lord is all around us. We must pay attention, we need to listen. Only when we listen can we respond. So let us listen, let us listen to the voice of the Lord together. Study the voice in scripture. Study it in prayer. Study it in work. Study it in relationships with the Lord and with one another. But do not be afraid, the voice of the Lord is not the voice of mental illness. Be discerning, because not every snap, crackle, or pop is the voice of the Lord. The voice of the Lord is all around us. Listen to the voice of the Lord and let everyone and everything say “Glory.”
[1] Genesis 1:1-2:3
[2] Genesis 7:2
[3] Craigie, Peter C., Word Biblical Commentary [computer file] : Psalms 1-50 / Peter C. Craigie; David A. Hubbard, Glenn W. Baker, John D. Watts and Ralph P. Martin editors.—electronic ed.—Dallas : Word, Incorporated, 1998.
Monday, January 01, 2007
New Clothes
This sermon was delivered at the First Presbyterian Church in Berryville, Arkansas on December 31, 2006.
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
For some, it may well be impossible to read today’s gospel reading without thinking about the film “Home Alone.” Home Alone is a 1990 comedy film by John Hughes starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to France for a Christmas vacation. The scene of Kevin being left behind in suburban Chicago is seemingly inspired by this tale from Luke’s gospel.
In the movie, as the McCallister family hurries into a shuttle van waiting to take them to the airport, an annoying neighbor child piles into the shuttle with the McCallister’s spouting on about his family’s vacation plans.[1] When it comes time for mom, Kate McCallister, to count heads on the van, she mistakenly counts the neighbor child as her son Kevin. Since the parents are sitting in first class of the plane and the kids in coach, this mistake is not caught until well after the family is in the air.
Whoops, Kevin is home alone and the family is on the way to Paris.
Jesus’ case shares this same separation within the family as the clan leaves Jerusalem to return home. As the clan leaves, while there is no head count, presumably each parent thinks the young Jesus is with the other. While there is no annoying neighbor child being mistaken for Jesus, I can just imagine the scene of the family setting up camp after a full day of travel when Mary and Joseph look at each other and say, “I thought he was with you!”
Whoops, Jesus is alone in Jerusalem and the family is on the way to Nazareth.
If you are going to lift plot lines, you ought to take from the best.
So like Mom getting back home to Chicago to find Kevin, Mary and Joseph are in Jerusalem three days before find Jesus. This is a total of five days after counting two days of travel. They finally find him in the temple. And when Mary and Joseph arrive, they were in shock. He is not alone; he is with the teachers of the law where all who heard him were amazed at his understanding, his questions, and his answers. When his parents find him, is Jesus received with relief? Well, of a sort. “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” (Does this sound familiar to any of you parents?) He is received by relief overwhelmed by a scolding.
If I am not mistaken, Kevin got the same reaction from Mom when she finally found him home alone and safe.
We even leave the gospel scene with Jesus being obedient to his parents, treasured by his mother, and increasing in wisdom. Kevin receives a similar response from his movie parents and family; at least until brother Buzz discovers Kevin has trashed his room…and of course until the sequels.
It is glorious that there are changes Mary’s perception of Jesus. This child of her womb, the tiny baby that was born in a stable, liturgically just one week ago, is growing up. He is about to become a man, a son of the law in the eyes of the synagogue and temple. But he obviously is no ordinary little boy and he is his mother’s treasure, increasing in wisdom and in favor. He is changing before the eyes of his clan, and no one sees this like his mother. No one ever sees this like a mother does.
This theme is explored in the Old Testament by Hannah and her son Samuel, a story of a young boy changing in the eyes of his parents and the whole community while he serves the temple. And again, no one ever sees the changes in a son like his mother.
The experience of looking for new clothes is different for everyone. As for me, I am a “search and destroy” shopper. When I go shopping, generally I know what I am looking for. I go to the store, I find what I want, I try it on, I make a decision, and I buy it or leave it. Yes, if it needs a fitting I will wait for the pins to go into the cuffs. But I’m not the guy who thrives on the experience of shopping. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that whole shopping experience, but it really isn’t my cup of tea.
Some people love to look over every rack. Some look for a specific piece of clothing or something in a particular color or style. Some look through everything looking for a good price. For others, it is the thrill of the hunt—finding new and different things. This style of hunter is more of a pursuer than a “search and destroyer.” The joy of the pursuit is that you never know what you are going to find. The search and destroy method saves time, but on the other hand the spontaneity just isn’t there.
Our reading from Samuel is a reading about new clothes. Of course, there is very little shopping in the days of the temple at Shiloh. So every year, at the time of the Passover, when the nation came to the temple to celebrate, Samuel’s mother Hannah brought his a new linen robe. In the day, it would take about a year to create such a garment, so on top of the Passover; this was a special time and a special celebration for their family. It was also a time to visit the son, the one dedicated to the Lord.
Eli, the old priest of the temple, would come and bless Elkanah and Hannah. He would give them a report on Samuel’s progress in the temple. And he would affirm his evaluation by saying “May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord.”
As Jesus grew in wisdom and in divine and human favor, so too did Samuel centuries earlier.
Tonight, in Orlando, there is a New Year’s Eve party sponsored by the Arkansas Alumni Association in conjunction with all of the activities for the Capital One Bowl tomorrow. Believe me, I remember from seven years ago the party held in Dallas before the Cotton Bowl 2000. Everyone will celebrate the New Year and all things Razorback. Then tomorrow, these same folks will pile into busses and cars from the hotel and head to the Florida Citrus Bowl as your Hogs face the Badgers of the University of Wisconsin. Just ask any football crazy alum of the university, it’s a special time, a time to celebrate.
And I say if you can celebrate in Florida, so much the better. In my opinion it sure beats spending the night in Boise on the blue “Smurf Turf” at the Humanitarian, er…the MPC Computers Bowl.
For us, both as people and as Christians, this is a special time of year, a time of celebration. We have taken the long journey through Advent. We have celebrated Christmas with word and song. And now, on this the first Sunday after Christmas, we prepare to celebrate the New Year. New Year’s Eve is not a Christian holiday of course; it has no spot in the liturgical calendar, but it is important in our society.
New Years Eve is a time when we take stock of the year gone by, with an eye to what’s next to come. It is a time when people resolve to make changes for the new year. People set goals; some even make plans to achieve these goals.
It is a time when we as Christians need to take stock of what we have, who we are, and who is responsible for these glorious gifts. As Samuel, we received the gift of a new robe in the waters of our baptism. In the waters of our baptism, we are clothed in Christ. In our baptism, we oblige ourselves to God the father in the same way Jesus obligated himself to both his heavenly father and his earthly parents.
In the waters of our baptism, we are covered in a newness of life. The world of our old life is washed away. When washed, we are fully reconciled to Christ. We are free to fully trust that we belong to God. Dressed in the robe of Christ, we are to free our minds, hearts and souls to be truly free in this world to be ministers of His reconciliation. But it is only in this sacramental relationship that we can accomplish this, otherwise we fall back into our self doubt and self rejection.[2]
This is where we must begin when we make our New Year’s Resolutions. We must begin with our relationship with the Almighty. We begin with our baptism into the body of Christ. We are to be clothed as Samuel was in this robe of white, this robe which represents our membership with the baptized.
We are to wear this robe as Jesus wore his. Jesus wears his faith in the water of his baptism. We are nourished in his faith by the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper. And as Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, so too can we increase in his wisdom. Nourished in the sacraments, we will increase in divine and human favor.
No, I am not telling you that we will become Jesus, but our call, our vocation, is to become more Christ-like. And this is a noble and worthy goal. It is truly the only one that matters. It is how we participate as ministers in Christ’s work of reconciliation.
Some shop through may stores looking for the one robe that fits best, others find it first off of the rack. We do not need to shop. We are given new clothes in the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Let us put on Christ and follow him into the world.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/ accessed December 31, 2006.
[2] Nouwen, Henri, Bread for the Journey, A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith, December 26, 2006 entry.
1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
For some, it may well be impossible to read today’s gospel reading without thinking about the film “Home Alone.” Home Alone is a 1990 comedy film by John Hughes starring Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister, an eight-year-old who is mistakenly left behind when his family flies to France for a Christmas vacation. The scene of Kevin being left behind in suburban Chicago is seemingly inspired by this tale from Luke’s gospel.
In the movie, as the McCallister family hurries into a shuttle van waiting to take them to the airport, an annoying neighbor child piles into the shuttle with the McCallister’s spouting on about his family’s vacation plans.[1] When it comes time for mom, Kate McCallister, to count heads on the van, she mistakenly counts the neighbor child as her son Kevin. Since the parents are sitting in first class of the plane and the kids in coach, this mistake is not caught until well after the family is in the air.
Whoops, Kevin is home alone and the family is on the way to Paris.
Jesus’ case shares this same separation within the family as the clan leaves Jerusalem to return home. As the clan leaves, while there is no head count, presumably each parent thinks the young Jesus is with the other. While there is no annoying neighbor child being mistaken for Jesus, I can just imagine the scene of the family setting up camp after a full day of travel when Mary and Joseph look at each other and say, “I thought he was with you!”
Whoops, Jesus is alone in Jerusalem and the family is on the way to Nazareth.
If you are going to lift plot lines, you ought to take from the best.
So like Mom getting back home to Chicago to find Kevin, Mary and Joseph are in Jerusalem three days before find Jesus. This is a total of five days after counting two days of travel. They finally find him in the temple. And when Mary and Joseph arrive, they were in shock. He is not alone; he is with the teachers of the law where all who heard him were amazed at his understanding, his questions, and his answers. When his parents find him, is Jesus received with relief? Well, of a sort. “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” (Does this sound familiar to any of you parents?) He is received by relief overwhelmed by a scolding.
If I am not mistaken, Kevin got the same reaction from Mom when she finally found him home alone and safe.
We even leave the gospel scene with Jesus being obedient to his parents, treasured by his mother, and increasing in wisdom. Kevin receives a similar response from his movie parents and family; at least until brother Buzz discovers Kevin has trashed his room…and of course until the sequels.
It is glorious that there are changes Mary’s perception of Jesus. This child of her womb, the tiny baby that was born in a stable, liturgically just one week ago, is growing up. He is about to become a man, a son of the law in the eyes of the synagogue and temple. But he obviously is no ordinary little boy and he is his mother’s treasure, increasing in wisdom and in favor. He is changing before the eyes of his clan, and no one sees this like his mother. No one ever sees this like a mother does.
This theme is explored in the Old Testament by Hannah and her son Samuel, a story of a young boy changing in the eyes of his parents and the whole community while he serves the temple. And again, no one ever sees the changes in a son like his mother.
The experience of looking for new clothes is different for everyone. As for me, I am a “search and destroy” shopper. When I go shopping, generally I know what I am looking for. I go to the store, I find what I want, I try it on, I make a decision, and I buy it or leave it. Yes, if it needs a fitting I will wait for the pins to go into the cuffs. But I’m not the guy who thrives on the experience of shopping. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that whole shopping experience, but it really isn’t my cup of tea.
Some people love to look over every rack. Some look for a specific piece of clothing or something in a particular color or style. Some look through everything looking for a good price. For others, it is the thrill of the hunt—finding new and different things. This style of hunter is more of a pursuer than a “search and destroyer.” The joy of the pursuit is that you never know what you are going to find. The search and destroy method saves time, but on the other hand the spontaneity just isn’t there.
Our reading from Samuel is a reading about new clothes. Of course, there is very little shopping in the days of the temple at Shiloh. So every year, at the time of the Passover, when the nation came to the temple to celebrate, Samuel’s mother Hannah brought his a new linen robe. In the day, it would take about a year to create such a garment, so on top of the Passover; this was a special time and a special celebration for their family. It was also a time to visit the son, the one dedicated to the Lord.
Eli, the old priest of the temple, would come and bless Elkanah and Hannah. He would give them a report on Samuel’s progress in the temple. And he would affirm his evaluation by saying “May the Lord repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the Lord.”
As Jesus grew in wisdom and in divine and human favor, so too did Samuel centuries earlier.
Tonight, in Orlando, there is a New Year’s Eve party sponsored by the Arkansas Alumni Association in conjunction with all of the activities for the Capital One Bowl tomorrow. Believe me, I remember from seven years ago the party held in Dallas before the Cotton Bowl 2000. Everyone will celebrate the New Year and all things Razorback. Then tomorrow, these same folks will pile into busses and cars from the hotel and head to the Florida Citrus Bowl as your Hogs face the Badgers of the University of Wisconsin. Just ask any football crazy alum of the university, it’s a special time, a time to celebrate.
And I say if you can celebrate in Florida, so much the better. In my opinion it sure beats spending the night in Boise on the blue “Smurf Turf” at the Humanitarian, er…the MPC Computers Bowl.
For us, both as people and as Christians, this is a special time of year, a time of celebration. We have taken the long journey through Advent. We have celebrated Christmas with word and song. And now, on this the first Sunday after Christmas, we prepare to celebrate the New Year. New Year’s Eve is not a Christian holiday of course; it has no spot in the liturgical calendar, but it is important in our society.
New Years Eve is a time when we take stock of the year gone by, with an eye to what’s next to come. It is a time when people resolve to make changes for the new year. People set goals; some even make plans to achieve these goals.
It is a time when we as Christians need to take stock of what we have, who we are, and who is responsible for these glorious gifts. As Samuel, we received the gift of a new robe in the waters of our baptism. In the waters of our baptism, we are clothed in Christ. In our baptism, we oblige ourselves to God the father in the same way Jesus obligated himself to both his heavenly father and his earthly parents.
In the waters of our baptism, we are covered in a newness of life. The world of our old life is washed away. When washed, we are fully reconciled to Christ. We are free to fully trust that we belong to God. Dressed in the robe of Christ, we are to free our minds, hearts and souls to be truly free in this world to be ministers of His reconciliation. But it is only in this sacramental relationship that we can accomplish this, otherwise we fall back into our self doubt and self rejection.[2]
This is where we must begin when we make our New Year’s Resolutions. We must begin with our relationship with the Almighty. We begin with our baptism into the body of Christ. We are to be clothed as Samuel was in this robe of white, this robe which represents our membership with the baptized.
We are to wear this robe as Jesus wore his. Jesus wears his faith in the water of his baptism. We are nourished in his faith by the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper. And as Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, so too can we increase in his wisdom. Nourished in the sacraments, we will increase in divine and human favor.
No, I am not telling you that we will become Jesus, but our call, our vocation, is to become more Christ-like. And this is a noble and worthy goal. It is truly the only one that matters. It is how we participate as ministers in Christ’s work of reconciliation.
Some shop through may stores looking for the one robe that fits best, others find it first off of the rack. We do not need to shop. We are given new clothes in the person and the work of Jesus Christ. Let us put on Christ and follow him into the world.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Alone, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/ accessed December 31, 2006.
[2] Nouwen, Henri, Bread for the Journey, A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith, December 26, 2006 entry.
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