Help Me To Forgive

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Good morning! Wherever you are this morning, you are watching this sermon on Sunday, September 13 (or shortly thereafter!). This date is significant, because it was exactly six months ago, on March 13, that we received notice that our schools and churches would be closing our buildings for at least two weeks. Clearly, we underestimated the ultimate duration of this pandemic. But here’s the thing, March 13 was a Friday. Friday the 13^th no less. And here we are on Sunday the 13^th. And today on Sunday the 13^th, as you watch this virtual church service, our leadership team is gathering for our trial run of in-person worship. In other today marks the beginning of our return to worshipping and gathering as God’s people and it’s been a journey from a Friday to a Sunday. A Friday to a Sunday.

That should sound familiar to us, because, of course, we are Christians because of another journey from a Friday to a Sunday. From Good Friday to Easter Sunday. From the cross to the empty tomb. From death to new and abundant life. From Friday to Sunday. 

Now we are, of course, a Sunday people. A resurrection people. A new creation people. But the reality is that in the course of this life, we often find ourselves on this journey from Friday to Sunday. It’s not a journey we take only once. It is the paradigm for our lives. Continually moving from death to life. From grief to hope. From the old life of sin to the new life of grace. We are continuing on the journey from Friday to Sunday.  Are you with me this morning? 

Because today I want to talk about one piece of that journey and that is forgiveness. At the heart of the Christian gospel is the promise that God has forgiven us in Christ, that we have been washed and made pure and made worthy to stand before Christ. We are part of God’s new creation. And because we are the recipients of God’s extravagant grace and forgiveness, we are called to extend that same forgiveness to others, even those who have hurt us, even those whom we might consider our enemies. 

In today’s gospel reading, Peter says, “Lord, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times.” Now, in the first century, it was common for rabbis to instruct their followers to forgive 3 times, which was based on a passage found in the prophet Amos. So, I can imagine Peter standing next Jesus thinking to himself, “The rabbis say we should forgive 3 times, the prophets say that we should forgive three times…so if I double that and add one, that’s seven…and seven is the biblical number of creation, the number of completion…and so Jesus is really going to love this answer!”

But Jesus just shakes his head and says, “Not seven times, but seventy seven times, which would have been considered a crazy, ridiculous, outrageous number of times to forgive.” In other words, Jesus is saying to Peter, this is not a matter of human calculations. This is about God’s generosity! God’s abundance! God’s extravagance!

To drive home his point, Jesus then tells a parable. In the parable, a servant owes his master, the king, 10,000 talents. Now 1 talent was the equivalent of about 15 years wages for a servant in the 1^st century…and so 10,000 talents would have been the total wages for a servant for approximately 150,000 years…nevertheless, the king forgives this debt. This forgiveness is extravagant and generous beyond measure.

And yet, the servant goes right back into the street and pulls out his ledger. He finds the first fellow servant who owes him a hundred bucks and throws him in prison. Even though he has just experienced generous, extravagant forgiveness, this guy falls right back into the pattern of judgment others based on human calculations. 

We do the same thing! We are the recipients of God’s extravagant grace and abundant forgiveness and then we still hold onto judgment, resentment, bitterness, and anger.

And so, the question is “why?” Why is it so hard to forgive? 

Well, think one of the reasons why it is so hard for us to forgive is that our culture has turned forgiveness into a feeling instead of action. And this fits the paradigm of our culture in which feelings are supposed to precede actions. One of the messages that we are confronted with all the time is “If it feels good, do it.” The implication is “if it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.” And anybody who has raised a teenager knows this is true. Because if you ask a teenager, “Why didn’t you finish your homework? Why didn’t you take out the trash? Why didn’t you clean up your room?” What’s one of the most common responses, “I didn’t feel like it.” We have bought into the lie that somehow feelings have to precede actions. 

But with forgive it is more often the case that our action results in feeling. In other words, it is the action of forgiveness that leads to feelings of compassion and kindness, not the other way around. 

One of my favorite stories is about Corie Ten Boom. She and her sister Betsie were prisoners at a concentration camp called Ravensbruck during WWII. Corie made it out alive. Betsie did not. Years later, Corie was speaking at a church in Munich and she shared about her experience during the war. After her talk, a balding man in a grey overcoat approached her and said, “That was a fine talk. You mentioned the camp at Ravenbruck, I was a guard there. But since that time I have become a Christian and I believe that God has forgiven me, but I need to hear those words from your lips. Will you forgive me?

Corie Ten Boom recounts that moment standing in front of one of the people she hated the most. And she said I knew that I should forgive, but all she felt was anger, bitterness, and resentment. And so, she prayed. She prayed and said “Jesus help me. I can raise my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.” 

As she raised her hand, she felt a deep release inside of her. As her hand embrace the hand of the guard, she was able to say, “I forgive you with all my heart.” She raised her hand and God supplied the feeling.

My friends, we are on continual journey from Friday to Sunday. From death to life. From grief to hope. From the old life of sin to the new life of grace. And part of that journey is learning to forgive with all our heart. In the midst of a world that is gripped by pain and division and fear, we are called to be a people of healing, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It’s hard work. It’s work we will rarely feel like doing. But maybe we can all start  by simply raising our hand. 

Community Matters

Over fifty years ago, in 1966, a young priest was preparing to lead a gathering of clergy and leaders from around the church. This particular gathering was unique for two reasons. First, it was ecumenical, it was a gathering of leaders from all different denominations and affiliations. But secondly, this gathering was interracial, which in 1966 was a really big deal. And so, as this young priest was preparing for this gathering, he was looking for a song that would capture the essence of this unique opportunity to bring together people from different backgrounds, differences races, different cultures, different socio-economic situations. But he couldn’t find a song that was just the right fit, so the young priest picked up his guitar and wrote a song. That young priest was Fr. Peter Scholtes and the song was They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love.

It’s a song that captures the essence of what it means to live together as a Christian community. We are one in the Spirit. We will work with each other. We will guard each one’s dignity. We will walk side by side. This is powerful vision of life as a Christian community. But listen, we also have to be honest about the fact that being part of a community can be hard work. Whenever you have a group of people seeking to live out a common vision with a common purpose, there are bound to be complications! 

As one commentator put it, “Where two or three are gathered together, there will be politics…there will be differences of opinions. And given enough time, there will be hurt feelings and ruffled feathers, and damaged egos.”

Living in community is hard work because relationships are hard work. Relationships require risk-taking and truth-telling…they require vulnerability, accountability, patience, and forgiveness.

And yet, even though life together as a community is often fraught with challenges, it is precisely the image of community that defines what it means to be a follower of Jesus. In fact, almost every single writing of the New Testament was written for the encouragement and building up of community. Why? Because when you read the New Testament, you will find more than a few ruffled feathers and damaged egos. The New Testament writers knew first hand that life together as a Christian community is hard work. 

And nowhere is this more true than in today’s reading from the gospel of Matthew, in which Jesus is teaching his disciples about how to respond to conflict within the community. Now, unfortunately, this passage has often been read simply as a formula for church discipline. If someone is a causing problems…follow these 4 easy steps. 

I think this passage is about much more than conflict management. This passage describes some of the essential characteristics of what it means to be a Christian community. Jesus is teaching us what it means to live together as brothers and sisters. How we treat each other matters! To Jesus, the character of our life together as a community is a big deal.

And so, what Jesus is doing is exhorting his disciples to get real about the challenges of life together as a community. How we treat each other matters! How we deal with conflict matters! How we love and forgive each other matters! How we hold each other accountable as members of the body of Christ matters!

In 1939, on the eve of the second world war, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, wrote a small book simply entitled LIFE TOGETHER, in which he describes the nature of Christian community.  And in that book, Bonhoeffer essential describes what Jesus describes in Matthew 18. In his book, Bonhoeffer moves beyond all the niceties of being the church. He says it’s not enough just to get along when everyone is pious and on their best behavior. What matters is how we treat other when life is hard. What matters is how we treat other when we don’t agree. What matters is our ability to forgive and respond with grace when someone hurts us or offends us. It can be messy and challenging and frustrating. But how we treat each other matters to God! 

And it matters because we are all part of God’s mission. 

Jesus says, whatever you bind on earth, will be bound in heaven…and whatever you loose on earth with be loosed in heaven. In other words, as members of a spiritual community, we become participants in the work of and mission of God. Our actions become intimately connected with God’s actions. Jesus is saying that what we do on earth is actually reflected in heaven. Think about that for a moment!  The mission and ministry that we share together as a community is meant to be a reflection of who God is. How we live together as a community is meant to be a reflection of the essential characteristics of God – characteristics like forgiveness, patience, an vulnerability…risk-taking and truth-telling, all those things that are essential to authentic relationships and authentic community. 

Our actions are intimately connected to God’s actions. We are participants in the work and mission of God. And all of this takes right to the heart of the matter. The Christian community is a dwelling place for God. 

He says, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there among them.” The word that Jesus uses literally means, “to be in the middle.” Where two or three are gathered together, Jesus is there in the middle. Jesus is there among and, in the midst of the community. But, you know, our church architecture throughout history has primarily reinforced the idea that God is up front…God is where all the action is happening.  And I often wondered if that’s why Episcopalians tend to sit in the back; they simply don’t want to get too close. But Jesus say “I will be in the middle” of you. I will be in the midst of the community. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a Sunday morning, a Tuesday night, or a Thursday afternoon. It doesn’t matter whether your in a church, in your home, or gathered in a parking lot. The Christian community is a dwelling place for God.

Over 50 years ago Peter Scholtes wrote a song that describe the essence of what it means to be a Christian community formed and shaped by the Spirit and power of God. As he prepare to gather with Christians from all walks of life, from different backgrounds, differences races, different cultures, different socio-economic situations. He knew that how we treat other matters, because we are all part of God’s mission, and we know this because Jesus has chosen to dwell in the middle of it all. 

And so, this morning, as we look forward to the day when we can regather in this space as God’s spiritual community, may we strive to answer the call the Jesus to be a community where lives are changes,  a community characterized by risk-taking, truth-telling, patience, forgiveness, vulnerability, grace, and above all, LOVE. 

First-Person Faith

The story of the gospel in the New Testament is, of course, the story of Jesus. It’s the story of his life and ministry, his death and resurrection. We read the gospel stories precisely because we want to know the story of Jesus. But have you thought about the fact that the story of the gospel is also the story of the disciples? It’s the story of their journey of faith, the process of coming to the realization that Jesus actually is who he says he is. The gospel stories tell us a lot about Jesus, but they also tell us a lot about the disciples and how they were transformed from a small band of merchants and fishermen into a movement that would ultimately change the world.

And if there is one moment that encapsulates this transformational story of the disciples, that moment is what happens in today’s gospel reading from Matthew. Jesus and the disciples have been busy. They have traveling by land and sea. They have been ministering to the sick, proclaiming the kingdom, and having theological debates with religious leaders. To escape the busyness of ministry, Jesus and his disciples travel north to a city called Caesarea Philippi. This was a city named after the Emperor Tiberius Caesar as well as Philip, the son of King Herod the Great. In other words, this was an imperial city, a symbol of political and military power. It is here among the secular trappings of the ancient world that Jesus begins to question the disciples about his own identity and purpose.

He asks two very simple questions, but these two questions represent a quantum leap when it comes to the story of the disciples and their journey of faith.

The first question is “Who do people say that I am?” Jesus wants to know about the buzz on the street. What are people saying? What are people thinking? What are their opinions about his ministry so far? The disciples offer a variety of answers. Some say you might be John the Baptist, who was already dead by the way. Some say Elijah. Some say you might be one of the prophets. In other words, there are a diversity of opinions and guesses about who Jesus is. And I can picture Jesus just leaning back and stroking his beard as he listens to what he listens to what everyone else is saying about him

Then he turns to the disciples and asks second question – “Who do you say that I am?” You told what everybody else thinks. You’ve told me what all the “talking-heads” are saying about me. But what do you think? What do you believe? Who do you say that I am?

These two questions that Jesus poses to his disciples represent the movement from third-person information to first-person transformation. 

Jesus is challenges us disciples to understand that there is a difference between what other people say, what other people believe and our personal experience of Jesus in our lives. In other words, we’re not called to have third-person faith, a faith that is based on solely on the words and opinions of others. We are called to have a first-person experience of Jesus as the One who transforms and renews our lives and ultimately the world.

Now we witness this movement from third-person information to first-person transformation in our everyday lives.

For example, you can know a lot about cars and highways and parking lots, but you’re not a driver until you get behind the wheel.

You can know a lot about pools and diving boards and goggles, but you’re not a swimmer until you get into the water.

You can know a lot about plants and fertilizer and weed control, but you’re not a farmer or a gardener until you get your hands in the soil.

You can know a lot about the church and ministry and even the Bible, but you’re not a disciple until you choose to follow Jesus.

We are called to move from third-person information to first-person transformation.

The problem, of course, is that there is a lot of third-person information available. We live in the age of information. You can Google just about anything. You can watch a YouTube video on almost any subject you can imagine. You can click on every video that pops up on your Facebook page. We are surrounded by third-person information – what other people say! But third-person information is not what changes our lives.

Now I’m saying we don’t need each other, and we don’t learn from each other. Of course, we do. Information is important. Learning is important. Study is important. But information is not the goal. The goal is transformation. The goal is to be transformed more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus himself.

During this pandemic, I have had people email me or send me messages to tell me that their faith has actually grown over the past several months. Despite all of the challenges. Despite being separated from our buildings. Despite being cut off from many of the things they usually depend on to support their spiritual life. Despite all of those things, they are reporting that their faith has actually grown and become stronger.

Now, there are probably a number of factors behind these reports. But my hunch is that when all the outward and visible structures that usually support our faith are stripped away, when all the third-person information is removed, when we can no longer lean on what everybody else says or thinks, we come face to face to with our first-person faith. We have to wrestle with what we believe and why we believe. When everything around us is changing, we come to know more clearly what doesn’t change.

Jesus gathered his disciples in the middle of the cosmopolitan city of Caesarea Philippi and said, “Who do people say that I am?” What’s the scoop? What kind of third-person information to you have? To that initial question, there was a diversity of responses.

But then came the second question. “Who do you say that I am?” What’s your first-person experience? And to that question, there was only one response. “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!”

And so, my friends, where are you in this story? Where are you on your spiritual journey? Do you have a third-person faith or first-person faith? Or maybe somewhere in between?

We are all on this journey together. And we are all at different point on the journey. But at some point, we all come face to face with the same question Jesus asked his first disciples nearly two thousand years ago. During these strange times when there is so much change and uncertainty, may you and I have ears to hear the voice Jesus asking each one us – “Who do you say that I am?

The Woman who Taught the Teacher

I’ve been noticing lately that many of our contemporary images of Jesus emphasize the characteristics and attributes of Jesus that we like. For example, over the past several years, there has been a surplus of made-for-TV movies about the Bible and the life of Jesus. And almost invariably, Jesus is depicted as a pretty nice guy. He’s polite and calm; he’s compassionate and gentle. He’s the kind of guy that you want to have living down the street. And of course, that’s what we’re going to put on TV, because that’s the Jesus we like – Jesus as our shepherd, our teacher, and our friend.

But that’s not exactly the Jesus that we encounter in this morning’s gospel reading. In this morning’s reading from Matthew, we find Jesus in the region of Tyre and Sidon, which is about 35 miles northwest from the region of Galilee. This is Gentile territory and, of course, the Gentiles are considered unclean and therefore outside the boundaries of the people of God. In fact, when Jesus commissioned his disciples earlier in Matthews’s gospel, he told them not to go among the gentiles.

Yet, here Jesus isin the region of Tyre and Sidon among the Gentiles.And he is almost immediately confronted by a woman, a Canaanite woman. The Canaanites, of course, are the ancient enemy of the Israelites. But this Canaanite woman has a daughter who is being tormented by a demonic spirit and she cries out for mercy, begging Jesus to heal her daughter.

Now in nearly every other healing story, Jesus responds almost immediately with compassion and some sort of action. But in today’s gospel reading, Jesus doesn’t answer her at all.  And when he finally does react, Jesus responds to the Canaanite woman with what seems to be a rather harsh and dismissive comment. He says, “I was sent only for the lost sheep of Israel. It would not be fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

How can we make sense of this harsh response from Jesus? How do we account for his words that seem downright callous and rude?

Some have suggested that maybe Jesus is just having a bad day! It’s been a long journey from Galilee. Jesus is tired and hungry. And the Canaanite woman just catches him at a bad time.

Some have suggested that Jesus is testing the Canaanite woman. He wants to test the depth of her faith and her willingness to persevere. So, according to this interpretation, the remarks of Jesus are said sort of as a tease with a smile on his face.

Still others have suggested that the word for dog in this passage can actually be translated as “puppy,” so perhaps this comment from Jesus simply refers to a domestic reality (small children and their puppies) and therefore it’s not meant as a derogatory statement.

However, none of these interpretations can really be supported by the text of Matthew’s gospel. And so, this morning I would like to suggest that perhaps…just maybe…this encounter with the Canaanite woman is a moment of transformation for Jesus himself. Perhaps this is a moment when the teacher is being taught. Perhaps this is a moment  that marks a dramatic transition in the earthly ministry of Jesus.

Perhaps this is a moment when we clearly see the full humanity of Jesus.  We already know that Jesus is divine. Over the past few Sundays, Jesus has been doing some pretty amazing things. Walking on water. Calming the storm. Feeding over 5,000 people with a few pieces of bread and fish. There can be no doubt that Jesus clearly has authority and power as the fully divine Son of God. And yet, today as Jesus encounters a woman crying out for mercy, perhaps we see a very human Jesus struggling to come to grips with the expansiveness of his own mission.

If you think about it, this is the first time Jesus has ventured this far into Gentile territory. In the first century context, Tyre and Sidon are a long way from Galilee. And in this new Gentile world, Jesus is confronted with a new reality. Jesus in confronted firsthand with the reality that the expansiveness of God’s grace and the wideness of God’s mercy go far beyond human imagination and expectations.

In the kingdom of God, there are no boundaries or walls.

In many ways, Jesus is experiencing first-hand what he has been teaching about back in Galilee. Remember, Jesus said the kingdom of God is like a sower who goes out and spreads seed all around and without explanation, the seeds grow and flourish and no one knows how. He said the kingdom of God is like a mustard plant, remember the weed that takes over everything around it. Jesus has already been teaching about the all encompassing nature of God’s kingdom, he has been teaching about the wideness of God’s grace and mercy and healing power. But now that reality has face – a Canaanite woman pleading for the healing of her daughter.

In response to the seeming insensitive and rude remark from Jesus, the woman replies, “Yes, Lord…but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She gets it.  This Canaanite woman is a more astute theologian than any of the disciples! She sees the expansiveness of the God’s kingdom. She sees the wideness of God’s grace and mercy. And so, even though she only asks for a few crumbs of grace, Jesus responds with abundance and fully restores her daughter.

So, what does this story say to you and me today?

Well, I think first and foremost, this story reminds you and me that we are the Canannite woman. We are the recipients of God’s surprising, outrageous grace. If you have been hanging for the Episcopal Church for a while, you may remember a time when we prayed a prayer called the Prayer of Humble Access every Sunday. In that prayer, we confess, “O merciful Lord…we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy.”

We are not worthy of the crumbs and yet God has given us the whole banquet!

We are the recipients of the God’s boundless grace.

But the story of the Canaanite woman is also a story that should challenge us. It should challenge us to look at where we have put up boundaries and walls. It should challenge us to examine the ways we have excluded people who are not like us. Ultimately, this story should challenge us to repent of our human tendency to try to constrain the awesome power and expansiveness of the Kingdom of God.

For Jesus, his encounter with the Canaanite woman enlarged his understanding of God’s mission in the world and he came to face to face with the reality of the expansiveness of God’s grace and the wideness of his mercy. May the same be true for us.

Into the Chaos

One of the wonderful blessings of living in South Florida is the fact that we are surrounded by water. When I leave my house, I don’t have to travel very far before I cross a bridge and see the vast beauty of the water around us. Some of you watching this sermon this morning may be able to look out your window and see water just a short distance from your home.

Now most of the time, we take the presence of water for granted. The water is a source of tranquility and peacefulness. To be near the water (or better yet in a boat on the water) is an experience of refreshment and renewal. But when a hurricane or tropical storm is approaching our region, all of a sudden, the water becomes a threat. The water becomes a potential source of destruction and devastation.

If we could back in time, what we would discover is that the potential danger associated with water was even more significant thousands of years ago, long before GPS and sonar and radar, before all the modern technology we use to mitigate the threat of water. In the ancient world, to venture out into the water was to enter into the unknown. To venture out into the water meant that you would be alone and cut off from everything back on the land.

The water was dark.

The water was dangerous.

The water was deadly.

In the ancient world, water was a symbol of chaos! It was a symbol of the messiness and our lives. It was a symbol of all the things that are dangerous and threatening and uncertain in our world.

So, in today’s gospel reading when Jesus is walking on the water, he is not just showing off. He is not just doing his Messiah thing and throwing in an extra miracle just because he can. Something profound is happening, Because, by entering into the water, into the wind and waves, Jesus is entering into the chaos, into the messiness and craziness of our world. And then think about this. By walking ON the water, Jesus is transcending that chaos. He is doing more than just defying the laws of physics. Jesus is overcoming the all that is dangerous and threatening and uncertain in our world.

Now when the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, they are understandably freaked out. They think they are seeing a ghost, but Jesus says, “Don’t be afraid, it’s me.” And Peter, always the spokesperson for the group, replies. And he says, “Lord, if it is really you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Notice what Peter does not say.

Peter doesn’t say, “Lord, if it is really you, then calm the wind and the waves.” That will come later.

Peter doesn’t say, “Lord, if it is really you, then get over here and get into the boat with us.” That will come later.

Peter doesn’t say, “Lord, if it is really you, then let us worship you and fall down at your feet. That will come later.

In this moment, what Peter does say is “Lord, if it is really you, then let me be where you are.” Even if that means leaving the safety and security of the boat. Even if that means stepping out into the chaos of the water. Jesus, I want to be where you are! And Jesus responds with one word, “Come!” It’s the invitation that Jesus has been issuing since the beginning of his ministry. Come. Come and follow me. Come and see. Come and be where I am.

So, Peter leaves the safety and security of the boat. Peter enters into the chaos. And for a few brief moments, he is able to walk on the water. For a few brief moments, he is able to overcome the chaos. But then the wind and waves rise up around him and he cries out for Jesus to save him. Jesus grabs Peter by the arm and lifts him up. And I can almost hear Jesus saying to Peter, “I’ve got you!”

You know, the more I read this story, the more convinced I am that Peter beginning to sink is not a failure on his part. Not at all. Peter was the one who was willing to say, “Lord, let me come where you are.” Peter was willing to leave the safety and security of the boat. Peter was willing to enter into the chaos. But once he stepped out, he quickly discovered he couldn’t walk that walk alone. He needed Jesus.

You know, the story doesn’t tell us how Jesus and Peter got back to the boat, but it seems to me they must have walked together. And remember at this point in the story, the storm is still raging. It’s only after walking through the wind and waves together, and only after they get back into the boat, that the wind stops blowing.

This morning, I wonder if you and I are willing to be like Peter. Are we willing to say, “Lord, if it is really you, command me to come to you?” I want to be where you are. No matter what. Even if that means leaving the safety and security of the boat. Even if that means entering the chaos of this crazy world. Even if that means taking a risk. Lord, I want to be where you are!

My friends, this story reminds us that Jesus has already entered into and overcome the chaos of this world and messiness of our lives. He was already walked through the wind and the waves. And he calls to you and me and simply says, “Come.” Don’t be afraid.

This story reminds us Jesus is God with us. Even in the chaos. Even in the wind and waves. Even in the darkness. He is there. No matter what. And he reaches forth his hand and says, “I’ve got you!” “You’re safe.”

My friends, we are living in some crazy times. We are witnessing what certainly seems like chaos in so many dimensions of our world. We are feeling the wind and waves of change and unrest. I don’t know what challenges and obstacles you are facing today, but Jesus is right there in the middle of the storm, and he is calling to you and me, “Come!”

“I’ve got you”

“Do not be afraid. “

“You are mine.”

So, be encouraged today. Even in the midst of the storm. Be encouraged. Even in the midst of the chaos and craziness of this world. My prayer for you today is that you will feel the presence of Jesus with, lifting you up, keeping you safe, and walking with you right in the middle of the storm.

The Invasive Kingdom of God

One of the basic needs that we have as human beings is the need for a sense of control, a sense of stability and certainty in our lives. This need for control is not something that is reserved only for those in certain professions or those with specific personality types. But rather, what science is telling us is that all of us, to some degree or another, are hard wired to need a certain amount of stability and certainty and control in our lives. Therefore, when we feel that our lives are out of control, when we feel stability and certainty slipping away, we naturally experience stress, we grow anxious, and we become increasingly fearful about the future.

Our need for control is especially strong when we feel threatened or when we perceive that something we value may be taken away from us. And so, as we look at the world around us, a world of rapid and significant change, a world in which those things that we once thought were stable and secure are now slipping away, is it any wonder that we see an explosion of fear and anxiety? In the midst of such significant change and uncertainty, what happens is that the part of our brain that needs stability and certainty kicks into high gear and says to us, “You need to control this!”

But when it comes to the Kingdom of God, God’s mode of operation, it appears that things are quite different. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus gives us an image of God’s kingdom that is the exact opposite of control.

Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs.” Have you ever wondered why Jesus chose the mustard seed for this parable? There are actually smaller seeds and larger shrubs than the mustard plant. And if Jesus were simply making the point that in the kingdom of God small things grow into big things, he could have used any seed from any plant to illustrate that point, because all plants start small and grow big. So why the mustard seed?

There are some who have suggested that perhaps Jesus chose the mustard plant because, in the middle-east region, the mustard plant is widely recognized as a wild, aggressive, invasive plant that is almost impossible to control. Once the mustard plant takes root in your field, it quickly becomes unmanageable and is extremely difficult to get rid of. Perhaps if Jesus were telling this parable in Southeast Florida, he might compare the Kingdom of God to the Brazilian Pepper Tree!  It’s aggressive, invasive, and out of our control!  Once it takes root, it begins to grow and take over everything that surrounds it!

Now on the one hand, this might be a bit unsettling. For those of us who want stability and certainty and control, the image of the Kingdom of God as a wild, aggressive, invasive shrub that takes over everything around it might make us just slightly uncomfortable. because it means that God’s purposes and God’s plans can’t be contained within our religious boundaries. God’s plan and purpose are always bigger and more aggressive and crazier than what our minds can conceive. Once the kingdom of God takes root, it begins to grow and take over everything around it. This means that every Sunday when we pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven, we had better watch out! That is actually a dangerous prayer. We are petitioning for God’s kingdom to take over and take control of our lives!

Weeds Among the Wheat

As a young boy, I spent my summers in upstate New York on the shores of Lake Ontario. My grandparents owned a cottage on the lake, but they also owned a home in the city of Oswego. Behind their small yellow house in the city, my grandfather tended to his extensive garden. Every year, he would plant tomatoes, peppers, carrots, and cucumbers, but his specialty was strawberries. It’s important to note that my grandfather was fairly meticulous when it came to the care of his garden.

Now most of my summers days were spent swimming in lake Ontario or exploring the woods and swamps along the shore of the lake. However, at least once or twice every year, my grandfather would utter the words that would make any ten-year-old boy’s heart sink: “It’s time to weed the garden.” After unsuccessfully protesting to my mother, my grandfather and I would climb into his blue Chevy Caprice Classic and drive back into the city. We would put on our work clothes, grab our gardening tools, and get to work. The process began by hoeing and working the large open areas around the plants. Next we would dig out the larger, more stubborn weeds, with a hand trowel. Finally, especially around the delicate root systems of the strawberry plants, I would find myself on my hands and knees carefully removing each weed. When it came to caring for his garden, my grandfather’s vision was clear: no weeds left behind!

But it seems that Jesus has a slightly different approach!

This morning our gospel reading presents yet another parable about the sowing of seeds. In this parable, the sower has sown good seed in his field, and yet during the night an enemy comes and sows weeds in the same field. The Greek word that is translated weeds actually refers to a small seed that looks very much like a grain of wheat. When these seeds begin to grow, the young plants are almost indistinguishable from the stalks of wheat. Only when both the weeds and wheat are fully grown and the grain begins to appear, can you tell the difference between the two plants.

And so, in our parable, the servants who are working the fields don’t notice the presence of the weeds until they have grown significantly and their roots systems are fully developed. When they finally detect the weeds, the servants inform their master of the situation and they assume that the proper response will be to get out into the fields as quickly as possible and pull out these invasive plants. I can hear the declaration of my grandfather in the background: it’s time to weed the garden! And the vision of the servants is clear: no weeds left behind! 

But then comes the surprising twist in the story.

The Generous Sower

On those occasions when I am unable to sleep at night, I sometimes find myself sitting in our family room recliner, aimlessly surfing through the channels on my television. If you have ever been awake between the hours of about one and three o’clock in the morning, then you will know that there is not much on TV during those hours, except, of course, the dreaded infomercial. It seems that no matter how silly the concept or how bad the acting, there are times when I am drawn into the “infomercial vortex” and I am unable to change the channel – I mean, who doesn’t want to hear about the cutting precision of Ginsu knives? Or the newest non-stick fry pan technology? I am personally intrigued by the infomercials that market the latest advances in hair rejuvenation!

What I have discovered is that regardless of what product is being marketed, every infomercial has at least three things in common. First, the offer is only good for a limited time. Secondly, every item being sold can be purchased for one or more installments of $19.95! And thirdly, almost every infomercial ends with the disclaimer “Actual results may vary.” It’s the same product, the same packaging, the same price – but when it comes to using the product in the context of real life, “Actual results may vary!”

Now you’re probably wondering how in the world infomercials could possibly relate to the gospel reading for this morning!

In today’s gospel reading from Matthew, Jesus tells a parable about a sower who went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some the seed fell on the path that been trampled on and beaten down, some the seed fell into the rocks, some of the seed fell into the weeds, and only a certain percentage of seed fell into rich, fertile, soil, and only that small percentage took root and produced an abundant harvest. It’s same seed. It’s the same sower. The problem is the inconsistency of the soil.

Jesus goes on to explain that the seed represents “the word of the kingdom” and the various soil conditions represent the various “ spiritual conditions” found within the human heart. Despite the fact we’re dealing with the same seed, which is the word of God, and the same sower, who is Jesus – the problem remains the inconsistency of the soil of our lives.

And so, if I might paraphrase Jesus for a moment, he seems to be saying is that when it comes to the transformative effect of the word of God in the context of real life, actual results may vary!

We see this in our lives, don’t we? We see inconsistencies among different people. Some believe, some don’t. Some seem to be strong in their faith, while others struggle and perhaps even walk away from their faith. The inconsistency of the soil conditions in today’s parable can be interpreted to represent different categories of people.

However, we also experience inconsistency within ourselves. The condition of the soil of our hearts can change depending on the circumstances of our lives. There are times when the soil of our hearts is like the hard surface of the pavement; nothing is getting through! Perhaps because of anger or bitterness of unforgiveness, our hearts become hardened and the seeds of God’s word just seem to bounce off. There are other times when the soil of our hearts of like is the rocky ground; there’s no depth. Things might look okay to those on the outside looking in, but the reality is there is root system supporting you and things are withering up inside. At other times, the soil of our hearts might be full of thorns and weeds. These are the times when life is so cluttered and confusing that when the seeds of God’s word do fall into our lives, there’s not enough light and space and nutrients available for them to grow and produce fruit. Of course, hopefully, there are those moments when the soil of hearts is rich and fertile and our life with God seems to be growing and producing abundant fruit. Throughout our lives, we experience all of these soil conditions and more. In fact, there are times when I feel like I go through all of these conditions in a single day.

When it comes to the condition of the soil of our hearts, we experience inconsistency. When it comes to the transformative effect of the word of God in the context of the messiness of real life, we quickly discover that actual results may vary!

But I have some good news for us this morning! The central message of this parable is not just about the inconsistency of the soil. We are already know what its like to experience the rocks and thorns and weeds of this life. We don’t need a parable to remind us our human condition! That’s not really good news!

The good news of this parable is that in stark contrast to the inconsistency of the soil is the generosity of the sower.

True Spiritual Rest

For a long time, if someone was asked the question, “How are you?” the standard response would be “Fine!” No matter what the circumstances. No matter what was really going on in that person’s life. The polite and socially acceptable response to the question “How are you?” was “Fine!” But several years ago there was a shift. And more and more people, when asked the question, “How are you?” would answer “Busy!” There was actually article published in a national periodical entitled “Busy is the new Fine!” What happened was that we no longer hid behind the wall of denial –“Everything’s okay, I’m fine!” Instead, we started hiding behind what I call the myth of productivity – “If a person is being productive and they are busy and active … then they must be doing okay!”  So, we shifted from “I’m fine!” to “I’m busy!”

But then not that long ago, an addendum was added to the response, “I’m busy!” And that addendum was “I’m tired!” So, now if someone is asked the question “How are you doing?” more often than not the response will be “I’m busy…and I’m tired!” In most people’s experience there is a correlation between being busy and being tired.

And then along came this global pandemic! And for first few months, many people saw their activity levels dramatically reduced. They were working from home. Stores were closed. Concerts were cancelled. Trips were postponed. Many people suddenly found themselves far less busy. But you know what? Over that past few months, if someone was asked the question “How are you?” they likely no longer said, “I’m busy,” but they still said, “I’m tired.”

All of a sudden, there was no longer a correlation between being busy and being tired. So, what we must be experiencing is a different kind of tired. I was listening to a preacher a few weeks ago who was exploring this very topic, and he said people are “tired on the inside.”

We’re tired on the inside! There is an emotional and spiritual fatigue that is hitting people hard right now.

Our churches have been closed for almost four months. And we’re tired.

We see violence and unrest in the streets of our cities. And we’re tired.

We are grieved by the political and ideological divisions. And we’re tired.

We are anxious and fearful about an uncertain future. And we’re tired.

We’re tired on the inside.

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is once again in the midst of his ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing. Jesus and his disciples have been busy! On this particular day, he is addressing the crowd that has been following him. Jesus covers a variety of topics. He even stops to pray right in the middle of teaching. But at the very end of this short teaching, it seems that Jesus is able to see the emotional and spiritual fatigue of crowd, and in response he offers them an invitation. He says, “Come to me, all you that weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Now Jesus is saying this right in the middle of his busy schedule. In other words, this is not an invitation to go off on retreat. This is not an invitation to have a few days off or to go on some extended vacation. Because Jesus knows that true spiritual rest is not simply about the suspension of activity, it is about the formation of our hearts. True spiritual rest not simply about the rearrangement of our calendars, it is about the restoration of our souls. True spiritual rest is not about laying on the couch it’s about laying down our burdens.

Because, you see, what Jesus is offering is not an escape, but an exchange. He says, “Come with you weariness….come with your burdens…come with your grief…come with your addictions…come with your pain….come with the chaos of your life and EXCHANGE them for my rest. Jesus invites us to experience the authentic, spiritual rest that we most deeply long for not in the absence of real life, but in the midst of real life. 

And this invitation to experience authentic,  spiritual rest is an invitation that our postmodern culture desperately needs to hear, because we’re pretty good at denying and escaping the realities of life, but we don’t really know how to rest. We are quick to respond, “I’m fine” or “I’m busy,” but we’re not quick to acknowledge our need for healing and restoration.

We are facing many challenges in our world today. Many people are feeling fearful and anxious. Many are wondering if real change is possible. As the church, as followers of Jesus, we are called and commissioned to be ambassadors of God’s healing and reconciliation. We have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to face head-on the injustice and brokenness of our world. But if we are going to be the agents of changes we are called to be, our hearts must be at rest.

We must be willing to except the invitation of Jesus to exchange our weariness and heaviness for his rest. This morning I brought the Bible that I carried around when I was in college and seminary. I brought this Bible because when I was in college and seminary, if I felt that God was speaking to me in a particular way, I would write it down in the back of my Bible. And as I was preparing this sermon, I remembered that a long time ago the Lord said to me, “Doug, my rest is your base of operations.” God’s spiritual rest is my base of operations. In other words, no matter I do. No matter how chaotic life gets, I need to be able to get back to that place of spiritual rest. Now, my confession to you is that not very good that. It is something I work on every single day. To come to Jesus every day to give him my weariness, my anxiety, my fear in exchange for his rest.

And so, this morning what is it that is making you tired on the inside?
What is the burden you need to lay down this morning?
What is weighing heavy on heart that you need to let go of?

Jesus says, “Come to me. Come to me with your stress. Come to me with your loneliness. Come to me with your anxiety. Come to me with your fear. Whatever it is, come to me…and I will give you rest!”

Fall Afresh On Me

If there was ever a time when the world needed a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that time is now. Because let’s be honest, the first five months of the year 2020 have been deeply challenging to say the least. We are in the midst of a global pandemic, which as this past week, has claimed over 100 thousand American lives. We are witnessing the devastating economic toll of these past few months in the form of lost jobs, lost wages, and lost dreams. The brief moment of unity that we experienced just a few months ago has given way to the cultural division and political infighting which sadly we have grown to expect. And now this past week the deeply rooted issues of racial injustice and inequality have one again reared their ugly heads.

All of this has led many to look back at the year 2020 and ask, “Where can I find the reset button? Is there any possible way we can have a do-over of the past five months?” My friends, if there was ever at time when the world needed a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that time is now!”

This morning, of course, we gather to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost and we heard once again the story of that first Pentecost morning. That amazing day when the first followers of Jesus heard the sound of a rushing wind and saw the blaze of flaming fire. That amazing day when the first followers of Jesus were baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus had promised.

The Power to Transform Lives

Now almost every year, when I hear this story from the Book of Acts, I focus on the power of the Spirit to transform lives. Because, something dramatic and transformational happened to those first disciples. If you think about it, before the day of Pentecost the disciples were afraid & had locked themselves in the upper room. After the day of Pentecost, they were boldly proclaiming the message of Jesus to everyone who would listen. Before the day of Pentecost, the disciples were unsure of their mission and what the future would hold. After the day of Pentecost, the disciples were confident in their identity as witnesses of resurrection of Jesus. Before the day of Pentecost, the disciples were just a small band of fishermen and merchants. But after the day of Pentecost, they became the nucleus of a movement that would change the world. This is clearly a story about the power of the Spirit to transform lives.

The Power to Transcend Differences

But this year, with everything going on in our world, I saw this story in a new light. This year, I saw more clearly that the miracle of Pentecost is also about the power of the Spirit to transcend differences. Because after the Spirit rushed in upon the disciples, a vast crowd gathered to see what was going on. And that vast crowd was comprised of people from all over the world. There were Greeks and Romans. There were Arabs and Africans and Asians. Each one represented a different cultural context, a different political worldview, a different economic reality. Yet, on the day of Pentecost, they were all in one place. They were all listening to one another, and as they listened to one another, miraculously they could understand one another.

Can you imagine? Different cultures, different races, different languages. Brought together by one Spirit. Listening to one another. And not just listening, but understanding and comprehending one another. That is only possible by the power of the Spirit!

Notice that the crowd that has gathered is not astounded or perplexed by the sound of a mighty rushing wind. The crowd is not surprised or amazed by the appearance of flaming tongues of fire resting on people’s heads. It is not these supernatural manifestations. But rather, what captivates the crowd’s imagination, is the sound of many languages being understood and comprehended by people from all over the world. In fact, there are some who accuse the disciples of being drunk, but Peter says, “Wait a minute, we are not day drinkers, it is only nine o’clock in the morning!” What amazed and perplexes the crowd is the power of the Spirit to transcend differences.

If we move outward from the day of Pentecost, we discover that the Jesus movement of the first century was all about transcending differences. It was about breaking down ethnic and religious walls that had kept people separated for centuries. It was about empowering whole segments of the population who had been marginalized or oppressed by an unjust economic system. It was about building communities that reflected the rich diversity of the whole human family.

The Apostle Paul went so far as to boldly declare that in Christ there is no male or female, no Jew or Gentile, no slave or free. The Apostle John was given a glimpse into heaven, and when he looked into heaven, he saw the throne room of God, and around the throne of God there is a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language. Over and over and over again in the New Testament, we witness the Holy Spirit breaking down walls and transcending differences in order to create one body in Christ.

My friends, do we believe that the Spirit can do same work now in our own day?

Do we believe that right now, in the year 2020, the Holy Spirit can work through us to break down the walls the divide us and transcend the differences that keep us separated from one another?

Do we believe that the same Holy Spirit that on the day of Pentecost brought together a great multitude from all over the world, can bring together our fractured world and bind us together with the bonds of love?

Maybe what we need is not a do-over, but a make-over?

Maybe what we need is not a reset, but a revival.

If there was ever a time when the world needed a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, that time is now. So, wherever you are this morning, whatever is going on your life, I want to invite you to simply extend your hands out in front of you. This is the ancient posture of prayer that opens us to receive God’s presence and God’s blessings into our lives. With your hands and hearts wide open, join me in praying this prayer.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.