Scripture Lesson for the 10th Sunday after Pentecost, August 1, 1010
Luke 12:13-21
SCI: When we strive after “more” our motives are:
1. Protect ourselves
2. Protect our families
3. Have a measure of comfort
But, true happiness consists in relationships
With God, family, and others. These are “rock”
Solid.
Chris Madison
“I Want….More”
10th Sunday After Pentecost
Luke 12:13-21
August 1, 2010
Ad Gloriam Dei
Its amazing how we pick up our own personal values, needs, and wants as we grow up…………………..
And as we mature………..and I mean truly mature…………..some of the things that we thought we just had to have………….when we were younger……………..often fall by the wayside…………….for more important things…………….And they’re usually not things………………….
Having said that…………………..I do have some packrat in me…………….Like many of you I have saved important things from my childhood………………Photographs……………tools which were my father’s………..toys, given to me when I was very small……………..I have the electric train which my parents gave me at age 3 for Christmas………………And it still runs………………
And most of all…………….I have my great grandfather’s violin………………My great grandfather was named Rheinhard Rudolf………………….He was just a bit German…………….and brought the instrument over from Germany……………..And while it is not an expensive instrument………………It has a beautiful tone……………..and it means a lot to me…………I’m the 4th generation to play it………………
I remember when we sold our home in Hammond………….My mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse……………..and we needed to move her to Fort Wayne. That was in 1987………………eight years after my father’s death…………………..
And Ginny and I were in the house in Birch Street………………………in Hammond…………and I climbed up into the attic……………….like I had done so many times as a boy……………….And I found marbles…………..my electric train………….an Uncle Sam suit which my mother had sewed for a 4th of July parade when I was oh………..maybe 6 years old……………….I found toy soldiers…………..my roller skates…………………
And I brought them down out of the attic and I wept…………………..I was losing the home where I grew up…………………..The home where we lived when my father became ill and died…………just scant months short of my elders’ ordination in the United Methodist Church…………………
I looked at the blue spruce which my parents had planted when I was 5 years old……………..And it towered well over 20 feet high………………………..
I remembered moving from our house on 169th street to the house on Birch Avenue………….I remembered climbing so high in that maple tree in our front yard……………going as high as I could…………….to the point where the branches wouldn’t bear my weight any longer…………….
And I did all of that in 1963………….just to see the new high school I would soon attend……………………
I remembered the Cub Scout Den my mother led in our home………………..
I remembered practicing chip shots over and over and over in the back yard with my father………………………
I remembered our dogs, Tanya…………and Natasha………………..
And playing tag, baseball, football, basketball and ducking when the little brown bats flew so erratically over us as they were chasing insects……………and we were playing flashlight tag……………
In short………………..I knew that my childhood had come to an end………………..
And I wish I still had my comic books………….and my baseball cards…………..That Mickey Mantle card would be worth an awful lot, now…………….And so many of my D.C. comic books and Marvel Comic books would fetch an amazing price……………………
Oh well……………………………..It was one of those “The House That Built Me” moments.
I wept……………………..And the hardest point was when we had removed everything from the home that was moveable……………….and we locked the door………………and got into our car……………and drove to Fort Wayne…………………..
And, that was really the first time………………when I began to come to grips with Jesus teaching found in our lesson from Luke today………….but also found in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew chapter 6, verses 19-21
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Mattthew 6:19-21 RSV.
And now…………………23 years later………………………after so many changes in our lives…………………after losses……………………after exciting new developments like children…………….and soon our son, Michael’s wedding in Canon Beach, Oregon……………and our daughter Erin, finishing a college degree this coming year……………….and with my retirement from full time, intinerant parish ministry just a month ago………………………….at this point in my life………………………..I understand where my treasure lies……………………..
Our story this morning about the farmer who had a spectacular harvest and wanted to do the logical thing…………..building more storage space for his crop……………..is another one of those somewhat irritating stories which Jesus told………………….
Its akin to the story of the workers in the vineyard who were all paid the same wages, no matter how long they worked…………….Every time most of us read that story we say, “That’s not fair!”
And if we look at heaven as a place where we strive to be good enough in order to enter…………..or think that the quality of our good works gain us entry to God’s courts………………the gospel has some disappointing surprises for us………………..And it also has a word of grace………………which comforts us…………………And its that grace which gives us entry into heaven………our grace and our faith in Christ………not our works………………We understand that on an intellectual level……………..But for many, deep down in our guts…………………we know it’s the hard working who gain entrance to heaven!!!! After all………..”there is no such thing as a free lunch,”…………………And most of us would look with distrust at someone who offered us something priceless…………………that was simply a gift! Almost everyone will say, “What’s the catch?”
There is no catch! Christ died for you! You are loved! Period.
But, our industrious farmer wanted to build bigger barns…………in order to enjoy his wealth…………And then the parable says that God called him a “fool” and said that that very night he would die………………..And where would his riches lie?
His family would inherit them……………..And he would lose everything…………….except the most important thing of all………………..his relationship with God…………………..And, assuming he had family…………………….that was where his treasure was…………………
When we were growing up we were all told the parable of the grasshopper and the ant…………
We were told how the ant worked so industriously to save……………….and the grasshopper foolishly spent everything…………and focused on having good times, now…………………
And you and I are products of the Protestant work ethic…………………
We are taught to work hard from the time we are little……………….We paint rail fences…………do yard work……………wash and wax cars………………..carry out trash…………..vacuum our homes………………….wash our clothing……………..dust………………..wash the windows……………………and many of us…………know if something is just a little out of place on our dressers…………..Sounds kind of Obsessive, doesn’t it?
“Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” How many of us grew up with that????? I did.
And in the midst of all of that……………we acquire……………….We plan……………We buy insurance………………..We have 401 k’s……………….We have pensions………………..bank accounts…………..investments……………………All of that is………prudent.
We know that we must prepare for the future…………………because hard days may come…………….and no one wants to lack for the basics……………..
But, our parable spoke of “greed”…………………I remember watching the movie “Wall Street” which came out in 1987…………It starred Michael Douglass……………..And the character he played, a Wall Street broker said these words……………..
“Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A.
And here we are, after Bernie Madoff’s ponzie scheme………………..Here we are after the Freddie
Mac and Fannie Mae investment fiascos…………………….And we are trying to climb out of the deepest financial hole which our nation has been in since the Great Depression…………………..And I believe our faith has been shaken…………………Not just faith in the dollar…………….Not just faith in our nation……………or our government……………….But, we as Americans…………………want so desperately to believe that our nation is favored in God’s eyes…………………….Our nation has been called “A Shining City on A Hill…………..” And that’s what we want it to be………………
I was graced to know a former parishioner in Fort Wayne named Mary Brandt……………And when we got to “crunch time” at Calvary…………..when the St. Mary’s over ran its banks………….when our finances were short……………….When there were people who were unhappy for one reason or another……………..Mary would say, “Where is our faith?” And Mary lived in a small house………..with a little dog named Lady………….in a “bad” neighborhood…………….And every time I asked her on Sunday mornings, “Mary, how are you?” She would look up at me with bright eyes……………in a frail, frail body, and say, “Not, bad, for an old lady.” And she had known her share of hardship and loss……………..and did not drive an expensive car, or wear expensive clothes…………….but was one of the greatest givers in that church.
And when Mary passed on and left us……………….the greatest legacy she left…………..was her faith………………and her positive attitude……………….Not her acquisitive attitude………..but her faithful, positive, caring attitude.
And, if our lesson from Luke says anything to me today…………….it says that Gordon Gekko wasn’t right……………..Bernie Madoff wasn’t right………………
Mary Brandt was right…………………..And Jesus was and is right…………………And if we follow Mary and Jesus’ path………….we will be that shining city on a hill.
Amen.
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Gospel Lesson for Sunday, July 25, 2010, the Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
Luke 11:1-13
SCI: We pray when our Lord’s Prayer Chris Madison
Has become a part of us, and A Guide For Life
We live it. Luke 11:1-13
Ninth Sunday After Pentecost
July 25, 2010
Ad Gloriam Dei
One of my best friends is named Ed Fenstermacher………….I have known him, not quite as long as I have known his brother, Mark, but I believe I know Ed better than Mark.
And whenever I think of Ed, the words “Making a Kingdom Difference” come to my mind……..because when I think of Ed and the ministry which he is carrying out in the Name of Jesus in our Annual Conference, I know exactly what motivates him……………What motivates him is the Kingdom of God, the rule and reign of Jesus Christ in our lives and in our world……………That’s what Ed’s about.
And when I read our scripture lesson for this morning from Luke, it became obvious that when we pray the prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer, and our Catholic friends call it the “Our Father,” very powerful forces are set loose in our souls………………….
Because if we allow that prayer to settle into the depths of our hearts and minds……………it guides us in what we say and do……………..
It’s been called “the model prayer” of the Kingdom……………..and of the Church…………….
There are a number of passions which drive me…………………..One is prayer………..and adoration of God………………
There is something about praising God’s Name that restores me to wholeness………….When I am downcast or feeling lost……………….when I lift up the Name of Jesus……………I am lost no longer…………….
And, when I have difficult decisions to make…………….I often find myself praying the Lord’s Prayer……………….It settles me down………………..It reminds me that Jesus is Lord…………….and that He sits on the throne next to God’s throne………………..
He intercedes for us there……………..And our prayers ascend to him…………..like fragrant incense before the throne of God………………….
And I find myself sighing to be in the court of God……………before the throne…………..
Though I know, that like everyone, I am a sinner………..Christ has made me clean in the Father’s eyes……………….and I am the beloved of God……………….
As are all of you……………..
That’s a hard concept to grasp……………..When I think of being the beloved of God………….I think of the close friendship of David and Jonathan………………..of the young lovers in Song of Songs……………..I think of the disciples gathered around the table with Jesus………..at what we call the Lord’s supper………………And I think of the journeyers on the road to Emmaus……………and how in a brief instant…………in the breaking of the bread…………they knew that they were in the Presence of Christ……………….
Worship………….is a love song to God………………And when we sing with all of our hearts…………..we declare our love for God……………
When we pray……………..we dwell in the Presence of the Holy………………
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer……………it’s not the prayer many Christians pray by rote every week………………
Every phrase in it is breath taking……………”Our Father……………..” The emotion behind those words is tender……………..And the goodness of God………………shines through……….
Oh, how I miss Woodie White’s saying, “God is good…………all the time…………….All the time…………….God is good…………..” It was a constant reminder that what you and I were and are about………………….was making that kingdom difference………………..
When we pray…………”Our Father, who art in heaven……………hallowed be thy Name……………”
There is reverence……….and honor…………….Every word exudes our thirst for God……………..and also our utter dependence on Him……………….God is the One who has showed us the Way to live in Jesus……………And Jesus’ ways………..are not the world’s ways…………………
There is a sickness our culture has……………….It has lost touch with God…………..Many people don’t have what some call “God consciousness”……………..They don’t perceive that God is present…………………..For them there is an absence………………..
This absence of God……………..causes us to lose sight of the mystery of our lives………..and the life around us……………….
When I wrote this…………….I was looking north toward our back yard………….with all of the trees so green………….and with the fields around us overflowing with life……………….
I see the moon…………….as I often drive between our farm and Crawfordsville on Indiana 47……………and as I gaze at the world around me……………..my heart overflows with a sense that if all of this is so good……………..the One who created it…………and it is no accident…………………is nothing less than an artist……………and is nothing less than Love……………..
And this God provides for us…………”Our Father………..who art in Heaven………..hallowed by thy Name……………..”
Holy is God’s Name……………..There is no other like Him………………And so………….when I ponder the Name of God………….and I reflect on the ways that God has revealed Himself to us……………I am nothing less than stunned.
When we pray for the Kingdom and its coming…………we yearn for something much better than we have now………………….
And, we are given a taste, just a taste of what God’s rule will be like…………….when we sit together at Jesus’ feet…………..when we receive Holy Communion………..what we call the Eucharist………………and we celebrate the Real Presence…………….
There is a mystery to what we do in church………………Its hard to see, some days…………..
But, if I could share what I see and feel when I perceive the Creator……………..and when I yearn for the Kingdom………………its in these words……………
Elizabeth Barrett Browning………..and English poet said in her poem Aurora Leigh…………….
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
Have you ever noticed………………..that many very important things in this world……….are “hidden in plain sight……………..????”
We pray the Lord’s Prayer every week…………….but do we notice when the Kingdom of God………….is in our midst???????
Do we see it in the acts of mercy, goodness, and kindness………………which we extend to others……………and which are extended to us……………..?
If we did……………there would be wonder on our faces………………….And we would be stunned at God’s goodness……………..
There are days…………when I am racing around trying to get all the “important” stuff done……………where I have reduced this miracle called life………………to nothing more than “plucking blackberries……………”
I miss the majesty of God…………….because I have lost sight of the Holy……………and the mystery of God’s love……………in something as simple…………..as picking berries………….
Did you ever pick berries as a child?????
One of my best friends, Brian Mazany, had a mulberry bush in his back yard………………When we were children we would pluck those berries and stuff ourselves full of them……………….Back then………………I only knew that they were good……………Of course…………….we had all of that juice all over our faces……………It wasn’t hard for our mothers to know that we’d been stuffing ourselves with berries………………….We had purple smiles on our faces………….
Looking back, now, oh, forty-five years…………..to age 12………………I don’t see just a mulberry bush………..I see a gift from God…………..and a sign of God’s Providence………………………
Jesus said…………….”7“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?” (Matthew 7:7-10 RSV).
Our God gives fish and bread…………………….Our God can be trusted……………..While many of us here………………have had earthly fathers who fell very short…………and some had fathers who were uncaring………………..
The Father that Jesus speaks about…………….is not like that……………..His care is woven into the smallest created things around us…………………
The other day…………..in the midst of a lighting storm………….a kitten wandered onto our property………………
And of course……………..my good wife……………whose heart is so great……………just melted when she heard the kitten crying………………
And I knew we were going to have a third cat………………I just knew it!
And the part of me that is Ebenezer Scroogelike……………said to itself…………”A third cat????? How many cats are we going to have??????”
And I picked up this tiny kitten………….eight weeks old…………….with matter in its eyes…………..and a meow………..that’s just so hard to describe………………its more like…………well………….I’ve never heard a meow like this before……………This cat’s voice is unique………………….
But, your voice is unique………………..And so is mine…………………And so we named the kitten Smokey…………..and found out that he was a she……………..and that she was in pretty good shape………………And boy, does she give our other two tomcats a run for their money!
This little tiny gift from God!
Jesus said, “Give us each day our daily bread……………..” It’s a reminder of the Exodus…………and how God provided the manna for the Hebrews……………as they left Egypt and went into the Promised Land………………
When they first saw the manna…………they didn’t know what it was!!!! In fact………..in Hebrew the word “ma-na?” means “what is it?”
But, it was bread from heaven…………from a God who cared……………….And if we just open our eyes and hearts…………..we will still see evidence of a God who cares…………………and who does provide…………………..
And, if we truly want to make a Kingdom difference……………we will find ways to share the good things that God has given us………………….with those who may not have even the most basic needs of life…………..food, water, and shelter……………….
We have a ministry here in Lebanon called ‘Shalom House’………………….Its an opportunity to share………………..
And Jesus said, “Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us………….”
Oh, that’s revolutionary……………When I was a boy in the late 1960’s there was a book we read in Sunday School and in our youth group……………..It was called “Quotations from Chairman Jesus…………..” Of course…………..it was a response to the book written by Mao Tse Tung in China……………….
And it was quotations from the gospels………….Forgiving is so revolutionary……………Forgetting what people owe us……………..is revolutionary…………….
It’ so easy to hang on to everything bad thing that people have done to us……………..and then to treat them just as badly………………..as we have been treated…………….
Forgiveness is a miracle……………………..because to truly forgive……………..we need to love others who have hurt us………………..
And not one of us goes through life without either having been hurt………………or causing hurt to others………………….And when we forgive…………….we make a Kingdom difference…………..And others come to know Jesus……………They begin to get a glimpse of what He’s really like………………
It’s hard to forgive…………….and the greater the hurt………………the harder it is to forgive…………..But, if we don’t forgive…………..we will tear ourselves apart…………….and destroy not our enemy……………but us……………..
But, I think of what Jesus went through…………..his betrayal…………….his arrest………….the brutality he suffered…………..and the shameful way he died………..and I know it broke the Father’s heart…………….It broke Jesus’ heart…………..He wept over Jerusalem…………….
And yet, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” He prayed this for his enemies…………..And God’s love shines through this…………..And again………..we begin to get a glimpse of what God is really like…………
Not a tyrant…………Not an Oriental demagogue…………..but One who looks upon us……….and sees His dear children…………and how we harm one another………….And I am sure that God weeps over us………….just as Jesus wept over Jerusalem.
“And do not bring us to the time of trial.”………….How many times……………have we found ourselves in spots…………….where due to the words we have spoken………….or to the deeds we have carried out…………….or failed to carry out…………..that God’s Kingdom was not made manifest……………
I love the Book of Common Prayer……………..Its the source of our prayer in the Methodist tradition through our roots in the Church of England……………..
There is a prayer of confession which means a lot to me, too……………..
“We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.”
It reminds me that the Kingdom hinges on what I do, or don’t do………….And some days………I don’t always follow through………….Please, dear Jesus, don’t bring us to the time of trial……………..
As we finish this time in God’s house………….and bask in God’s glory…………..my prayer is that our Lord’s Prayer will so infuse our hearts and minds……………..that somehow, some way we will…………….make a Kingdom difference.
Amen.
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Gospel Lesson: Luke 10:38-42
The 8th Sunday after Pentecost
SCI: In order to remain healthy, we need to Chris Madison
Take care of ourselves, body, mind, If I Were Martha—I’d Be Miffed
And spirit. 8th Sunday After Pentecost
Luke 10:38-42
July 18, 2010
Ad Gloriam Dei
Americans pride themselves on being busy people……………………..We fill out calendars to overflowing……………….We make sure our children are kept just as busy as possible…………………
We cram our church calendars with all kinds of meetings…………….
And………somewhere…………in the middle of all of this………….if we listen carefully……………we will hear our spirit say…………………”I’m tired and frustrated of all of this……………………I’m sick and tired of going to meetings……………………I just want to rest………………….”
And we wonder why the Church, and I’m using a capital “C” here…………….not referring to any particular congregation……………….isn’t renewed………………or why its zest for following Jesus……………isn’t very energized………………
Its my hope this morning………………..as we take a look at our lesson……………..that we will discover what it will take for us to be refreshed in spirit………………and for the Church, again big C, to find joy not just in what it does…………………….but to find joy because it sits at the feet of Jesus……………………..
Let us pray:
Thank you, God, for those who have chosen to come here to worship You this Lord’s Day. There were many other things which they could have done. They could have stayed home. They could have taken a long drive to visit relatives. They could have taken a long weekend in Chicago, eaten some good pizza, shopped til they dropped………..visited the museums………….and taken the tour of the lake front…………….
But, everyone here this morning has chosen to come here………….And in our hearts………….we don’t want this worship time to be just another church meeting……………We really want to sit at your feet, Jesus…………………………and to leave refreshed………………..I pray that this can happen………………….Amen.
Any time we get ready to entertain guests in our homes…………….we want things to be neat and tidy…………….for the food to be excellent………………for the service to sparkle…………….and most of all…………….for our guests to feel that the time in our homes was special……………….
Some of us dust, vacuum, use Febreeze, make sure that every part of the house is neat as a pin……………and we make sure that the china and silverware shine……………………
In short…………..we offer our very best to our guests…………………….especially if they are really important to us…………………..We want them to feel welcome!!!
And if we burn the apple pie………….some of us who are hosts…………..are really upset…………….But, more often than not………….our guests will say something like………………..”Don’t worry about it…………….I came to see you………………..I appreciate the apple pie…………….It doesn’t matter if the crust is a little black………..I came here to see you…………………You’re the reason I came here……………I didn’t come for the food………………I came because we are friends……………..”
And, truth be told…………….the most important thing we can offer when we offer hospitality……………….is to give our guests our undivided attention………………………..
But, we live in a world where many of us have earphones stuffed in our ears…………..listening to ipods……………..or we play electronic games……………….even in the middle of family get togethers or in the car…………………….
If any generation multitasks…………..this one does…………………….
But…………….when we listen to someone……………..really listen……………….we can’t multitask………………..We need to give our undivided attention………………
And we struggle with this, don’t we? I can’t tell you how many times my daughter has said, “Did you hear what I just said?” And, if I’m honest, I will say, “I’m sorry………..I was working on this………………..Would you please say it again?” And generally she is kind and repeats what she just said………………because her father multitasks too much…………………….instead of remaining in the moment………………and putting aside whatever might be on his mind…………….in order to listen to someone he loves……………..
Maybe that’s a good litmus test for hospitality in a world which multitasks to beat the band………………..To put down what we are doing…………..and just listen!
The story we have this morning if a pretty familiar one…………….Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany………………about 6 miles from Jerusalem……………..
And they were really close to Jesus……………They were among his best friends…………..
And Mary and Martha knew he was coming to visit them………………And Martha was baking a cake……………..and really putting on the ritz for Jesus……………..
She was working her fingers to the bones to get ready for him……………so that she might honor him through her cooking…………………..
So, she was hard at it……………………And her sister……………well……………..we don’t know what Mary was doing during before Jesus got there……………….But, after he arrived…………….she just sat at is feet……………….
Can you feel the tension??????
One sister is working her finger to the bones to make Jesus feel welcome through her food…………..And the other is just sitting there…………………….
Martha is feeling frantic……………because “the Lord” is in her home…………………..And her sister is just…………..sitting there…………………
And at some point…………….she might have opened her moth and said………….”Aaaaaah.”
And Martha finally did speak and asked Jesus to put her sister to work……………………….
It’s like when a pastor visits in a home and someone says…………..”Would you tell my brother to………………….” You can finish the sentence………………..
It doesn’t feel good for those of us who are pastors to be put in the middle like that………….
But, let’s notice how Jesus handled this……………He didn’t scold Mary because she hadn’t worked herself into a panic attack……………….
He didn’t take Martha’s side………….either……………….He was concerned for Martha………….because she was so full of worry……………………….just so worried…………….
And we get an important insight from this story…………..
It isn’t that Martha was wrong to prepare the meal or help get the house ready…………….This lesson doesn’t say…………..”Don’t be a Martha!”………….If we didn’t have Martha’s nothing would get done……………………
Martha was a doer………………….maybe a workaholic……………….
Mary…………………was a person……………….who just basked in the Presence of Christ…………….We might call her a contemplative…………………And it isn’t that Mary was better than Martha……………………If we think that…………….we are missing the point of the story………………….
Actually, the story has a couple of points………………
We can work ourselves into a frenzy to try and mask our worry or anxiety…………But, it will only lessen it…………..while we’re busy………………..When we have sat down…………or when we are alone again…………..the anxiety will still be there………………
But, if we sit at Jesus’ feet……………..things look different………………….Many of us know the old hymn “Turn your eyes upon Jesus……………….Look full in his wonderful face…………and the things of earth will grow faintly dim………..in the light of his glory and grace…………..”
There are things which happen to us……………..that can just plain knock us off our horses……………….And, at first we might panic…………..or we might obsess about why we didn’t handle things better………………..And we can work so much……………..that we think that our work will make all of our problems go away………………But, they don’t……….
The biggest problem we have…………..is the way that we approach solving problems………….
Sometimes it might make more sense to sit at Jesus’ feet for a while…………..before we rush into solving a problem………………..Sitting at Jesus’ feet……….might help us to see things better………………..
And when we sit at Jesus’ feet…………….and just drink in the Presence of God or Christ…………..our souls are filled with peace and joy………………….
And if you’ve ever been in the middle of a really difficult problem…………..its always better not to make decisions until and unless our spirits are calm…………………….because if we make them when we are angry or anxious…………….it will only make things worse………….
Have you ever written an angry letter and mailed it?????? Or have you ever sent out an email…………..only to think “I should never have hit that send button!”
I’ve done those things………………Not very often………………….But, I’ve done them……………….And, I can tell you from experience………..that most people don’t like to receive angry letters or emails…………….And sending them to them doesn’t get us any points………………
I was listening to someone the other day……………..talking about a news item…………..It had to do with students taking their lives at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York………..There had been a wave of suicides…………………
In fact three students took their lives……………….And naturally the university was really concerned……………..And, in the discussion we were having among us in Crawfordsville……………one of the people present…………who’s a very smart guy………..with a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins said, “There’s just so much pressure in some of these schools……………Cornell’s like the Ivy League schools…………….”
The students are probably worn out…………and anxious……………..because all of those kids are achievers………………..And the environment of their school…………….is all about achievement…………….
But, sometimes we lose perspective and forget what’s really important………………If someone gets a B or a C or even a D or an F……………..it doesn’t mean that that student isn’t important……………And it doesn’t mean that that student is a failure……………..It means that that student might have handled that class differently…………….or learned something new about studying……………….
And, like a good friend of mine said a few months ago……………”What we have to do is “Fail Up!”
A failure is really an opportunity to learn…………………..So………………if Martha’s apple pie was burned……………………….so what?
And if we fail at a subject or a job………………….We can always pick ourselves up again……………sit in the Presence of Jesus……………….remember that He loves us……………….and forgives us…………………..and then………………go on……………..
Maybe what we have to learn is not to spread ourselves too thin……………………Have you ever done that?
Americans are so good at that! It’s a national pastime……………
So……………how can we head off the anxiety that comes from too much pressure…………….on the inside of us, by the way………..on the inside of us……………Martha’s pressure wasn’t coming from Mary……………It was coming from Martha!
Well……………..we can listen to our bodies……………If we’re not sleeping well…………….or if we have too many headaches or too much backpain…………….our body is trying to tell us something……………..If we just can’t concentrate……………..our mind might be trying to tell us something…………….Maybe we have been drawn in too many directions………………….
That can happen, too……………Been there……………Done that………………Got the tee shirts………………
Or……………and this is something that many Christians don’t want to talk about…………….If we find ourselves growing in anger……………….that anger is a warning sign………………..And instead of blowing up…………………….we need to step back……………..seek a pastor or a counselor…………………and talk with him or her………….about what’s going on in our lives…………………………
Maybe we need to go on vacation…………………..not to ride rides………………..Not to go to a thrill park…………………..but just to listen to the dragonflies buzz by…………..or watch the lightning bugs………………….or to listen to fish jump………………..or to walk through one of our state parks…………………..
Jesus went to gardens to pray…………….There were reasons for that………………We only have a few stories of him being angry…………………
But, we have a lot of stories about how he handled really difficult life situations……………….And he handled them well……………….because he spent a lot of time…………….in prayer and meditation with his Father………………..
We need to remember that Jesus was human and divine……………….And in his humanity……………he needed time not only to work…………………but time to rest……….to play…………….and most of all to worship……………..
Just to sit in the Presence of God………………
So…………….I don’t know if you’ve brought any back pain or headaches here today…………..or if your stomach is upset………………or if you’re not sleeping well………………or if you’re angry………like Martha was…………….And Martha was miffed……………..But, I would encourage you…………….when you get home today……………look at your calendar…………………and see if you’re overprogrammed………….And if you are……………..carve out space for yourself to rest in God’s Presence and Glory………………
Do that for a week……………….And then see how you feel afterwards.
God bless you today and always. Amen.
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Tears can mean so many different things…………………….
We cry tears of joy………………
We cry when we’re hurt………….
We cry when we’ve been loved……………
We often cry when we are grateful………..
We usually cry when we are overwhelmed and our feelings just burst forth………………..
Seeing people whom we love…………….and whom we haven’t seen in a while can do that………………
If it’s been years since we’ve seen them…………………….we may burst into tears…………because we miss them so much……………….
But, in our lesson today…………………….a woman wept…………………….when she was in the Presence of Jesus………………….
We really don’t know who she was……………….There’s a lot of conjecture…………….She might have been the woman taken in adultery whom Jesus forgave……………..That story is in John’s gospel…………..
Or……………..she might have been someone whose life was just so painful and difficult that when Jesus entered her life……………..he brought healing to her……………………And out of gratitude…………………she wept…………………because the Master had made her whole again…………………..
Simon……………….the Pharisee with whom Jesus was having dinner……………..described this anonymous woman as “sinful…………..”
In Judaism there are 613 commandments…………………………….Someone has counted them!!!!! It would be a whole lot harder to live by them………………………
And if one breaks a commandment………………at least according to the apostle Paul……………..all of them have been broken by that single failing………………………
So…………..let’s get the picture of our story………………..
Jesus is in the home of a noted Pharisee…………..a “big shot” named Simon………………..
He’s at table with him……………….They’re probably reclining on furniture………………That was the practice of the times………………….
And, in the middle of this dinner party…………………..an anonymous woman walks in………………Tears burst forth…………………….She pours expensive ointment on Jesus feet………………..Kisses his feet……………..and dries his feet with her hair…………………..
Whoa!
If I’d been Simon…………..man……………would I have felt uncomfortable……………….The peace of my home had been disturbed by an intruder………………probably someone from “the street”………………….maybe someone from the red light district…………….though we’re not really told what “sinful” means in this story……………….
For Simon………………..in whose home this happened……………this would have been a major blow to his hospitality…………………..
And I can just hear what he was thinking…………”Where did she come from?” “Who let her in?” “This is embarrassing…………….” “Oh no! Not her!” “Look at what she’s doing!”
If this woman was Mary of Magdala………………..Mary had been identified as someone whom Jesus had cast out seven demons……………..(Mark 16:9)
Simon might have been thinking, “Oh no…………Its crazy Mary……………”
We really don’t know who this person is……………..But, the situation……………..is just so awkward………………………..
But, then Jesus did one of those things……………..for which He was known…………….He took an embarrassing, awkward situation…………………and turned it into a teaching moment……………………
And I’ll bet that Simon never forgot the lesson!
Jesus was pretty tough on Simon………………………….
Simon was a good man…………………..He kept the commandments……………He was someone who observed propriety…………….He did things “just right”…………………
We might call him “prim and proper”………………….kind of like Felix Ungar in Neil Simon’s play, The Odd Couple……………..but not neurotic………………
More like………………..someone who was so rigid and “by the book”……………..but………..jacked up on………………….a dose of……………………extreme judgmentalism…………………
He was overzealous…………………….I mean………………..really “Holy”…………………..at least in his mind………………………He believed that he did everything right…………………But, there wasn’t any grace in him………………
In the Middle East hospitality means almost everything…………………When one comes into a home………………as a guest…………………man…………………they roll out the red carpet……………………They prepare special food…………..special drink………………treat them like royalty………………..and will even go as far as to defend their guests with their very lives…………………….if someone would try and harm their house guests………………….
This is still true today……………
Hospitality with a capital H!
They get out the special coffee……….drunk in those tiny little cups……………with enough caffeine to keep a person awake for a day…………………
Dessert is baklava…………………..And baklava is kind of pastry that is…………..really scrumptious…………………If you haven’t tried it…………..I guarantee you’ll like it………………..
But…………..in Simon’s case……………his hospitality was marginal……………………..
Simon was judging this anonymous woman…………..and was horror stricken because she blundered into his home……………although…………..she might have been a guest, too……………………………
Though it doesn’t sound like it based on the way the story is presented…………………
Jesus said that Simon had not……………….given him water for his feet……………….and feet back then were dusty and dirty…………….That was a major break in hospitality………………
Simon hadn’t greeted Jesus with a kiss………………Look, I know, we generally don’t greet house guests with kisses…………unless we’re really close to them………..like family………….
But, back then, and today…………..in the Middle East…………….they welcome one another with kisses and hugs………..Its just part of their culture…………….
I mean……………here in the Midwest………..some men get a little nervous when another man hugs them…………..unless of course its done in a very “manly” way……………..We just don’t want to come across as…………….well………you know.
We don’t want to act like women…………………….All huggy, kissy…………….touchy, feely…………….because after all………………we’re……..MEN……………….
Now, remember I grew up in Northwest Indiana………..where men were supposed to be rough and tough………………….rip phone books in two……………and be ultra masculine………….
Being in the same room with someone like Felix Unger would have given most of us the willies………………..
Jesus said to Simon “You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.”
Can you see what Jesus was trying to teach Simon?????
It wasn’t just one lesson……………………..There was a whole lot packed into that teachable moment…………………………….
1. Don’t judge people by outward appearances…………..
2. Never judge a book by its cover………………..
3. Don’t judge people by so called reputations…………..They might not be like other people say they are at all…………..
4. Be generous………………..
5. Offer hospitality……………………..
6. Give……………………
Not because we “have to”…………….but because we’ve been blessed…………….We’ve been loved……………..We’ve been forgiven………………….That’s what the Cross is about…………..
And have you ever noticed that the ground at the foot of the Cross is level??????
Anyone who comes to Jesus………………..and asks for forgiveness…………………is forgiven……………………And it doesn’t matter what our social station is…………….our status………………….
None of that matters at the foot of the Cross, does it?
Because when Jesus looks at you and me………………..He sees our heart and soul……………..He knows our pain………………..He knows our fears………………………And…………..He knows why we have sought Him out………………
We seek Him…………..because in Him we find our greatest needs met…………………Not gold……………not silver……………….not fame…………………not anything that the world values…………………
We go to him…………….because just like that anonymous woman………………we carry baggage…………………….guilt…………….shame………………hurt…………………..sin
And Jesus’ love is so complete………………….and non-judgmental………………..that in His presence we are safe……………….We may not feel safe in a lot of places……………….But, when we’re with Jesus…………………we’re safe………………..And we are forgiven……………and loved in spite of our failings………………..
A lot of us grow up in homes where love has to be earned………………And sometimes our homes aren’t very stable…………….The love offered can be pretty conditional…………and often capricious………………..Mess up just once………………and love will be withdrawn………………………..But, the love of our God…………..and our Lord and Savior is steadfast………………….And it doesn’t vary…………………And we can count on that every day……………every moment of the day………………..from now until the time we meet Christ in glory face to face…………….Once we belong to Him………………..He never stops loving us…………………..never………………..
He not only loved the anonymous woman………………But, he loved Simon, too………………..
Simon got a dose of tough love that day………………..But, Jesus loved Simon………………
And thousands of people sought out Jesus………………….He fed them………………..He healed them………………He forgave them…………….He loved them……………..He put them on the right path………………..He wept for them………………..And He died for them…………….
He died for you……………and for me……………………
And the Church of Jesus Christ…………..and I’m not talking about a building………..I’m talking about God’s People………………….you and me……………and all who believe……………..are called to do the same things Jesus did……………….
Its not hard to know when someone has been loved by the Lord……………….It shows…………….There is kindness in their face………………There is a warmth in their handshake………………..There is friendship in their eyes…………………..
I wonder……………when people come to Church…………..(and I mean worship in a building)………and they’re coming ……..with baggage……………and hurts…………..and sins…………….(And they will probably not reveal them in church!)……………….how do we welcome them??????
How do we express hospitality????? How do we express the love of Christ?????
Are we like Simon????? Or are we like this anonymous woman?????
He or she who has been forgiven little………….forgives little………………
He or she who has been forgiven much………………just overflows with grace……….and mercy……………and love………………
And, I think we can add patience to that list……………….Oh, our world is so impatient today…………….Just get stuck in a line of traffic………….No one can go anywhere…………..But, someone is going to honk their horn……………as if it will speed things up!!!!
The difference between the anonymous woman……….let’s call her Mary…………….and Simon………………Is that Mary had met the Savior and knew Him……………..Simon had met Jesus………………but……………he hadn’t become a part of him yet………………….
Mary gave to others……………..what Jesus had given to her!!!!!
The need is so great……………….People aren’t looking for programs…………..They’re not looking for fish fries………………..(though almost everyone I know in Indiana loves fish and tenderloin)……………….They want to meet Jesus………………They may not even know it……………….
But, they want to meet Jesus…………………….through us!
You don’t need to be trained……………He’s already inside of you!……………………We just need to listen………….and care………………love and forgive……………..and when God opens the door into their lives………….at the right moment…………..God will give us the right words to introduce someone……………..to the Savior……………..
And then we can Offer Them Christ……………………in deed……………and word…………….There is nothing greater on the face of the earth……………….And we have the privilege……………….to bear Him……………..
So, let’s bear Him well……………And give our very best hospitality.
Amen.
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