Matt 5:13-20
It was a beautiful, sunny, Philistine day. The crowd was large and hungry to hear the words of a man by the name of Jesus. Many had not yet heard him speak, only heard of him. The crowd grew. They followed him up the mountain. They saw that he had a group of friends around him. These friends seemed to be worried about the size of the crowd, but Jesus wasn't worried. Jesus went to the top of the mountain and sat down. He sat down because teachers sit down to teach. That was the sign of the teacher. That was the sign to the crowd to listen. And listen they did.
Jesus said the most amazing things - the most bizarre things. He listed off blessings to people who are not normally blessed - the poor, the meek, the hungry. The crowd listened with wonder. And then he switched gears. He talked about salt, sort of like in a riddle. Then he said another riddle about light. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works an give glory to your Father in heaven."
"What does this mean?" the crowd wondered. "What does this mean?" I wondered as I sat at my desk this week preparing for this sermon.
Well, one commentator I was reading calls these two statements about salt and light, riddle-parables. These statements are not pronouncements, rather they are meant to help guide the disciples in understanding their call. These riddle-parables are meant to illustrate the meaning of discipleship. They are uttered in public so, it is believed, the riddles are meant to function as general teachings on the nature of Christian discipleship.
"You are the light of the world", Jesus tells us, guiding us to understand what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Usually Christians come to church to worship God. That can be an indication that one is a Christian, a disciple of Christ. There is a song that sings, "They'll know we are Christians by our love." To be sure that is true, though their are many atheists who are very loving people. Christians often come to church. Why? Why are you here today?
Many of us may be here today because we feel good for coming. We have spiritual needs and they are filled, (hopefully at least partially), by gathering with other Christians to worship God through Christ. Some of us may be here because we like to learn something new from the sermon. Others of us may be here because we like to connect with people and we like the social aspect of church. But, are there only self-fulfilling reasons to go to church? - Perhaps not.
What if some of us decide not to come to church next week? What happens then? Well, if I decide not to show up next Sunday, I will have to have some explaining to do. What if you decide not to show up next week? Some people might feel a little guilty, like they should have gone.
Are there any other ramifications to not coming next week? Does God take it as a personal affront every time we don't go to church on Sunday? We no longer have a vision of a God that demands regular worship from His (Her) followers. I trust there will not be a ledger waiting for us in heaven with all our missed services dutifully recorded.
If we don't hurt God, then I guess it's OK, right?
Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world. This is not by anything we do, or accomplish, we just are. When we go to church we share that light with others in many ways. First, just having a church full of people makes worship more enjoyable for everyone involved. When the pews are almost empty it makes church much less enjoyable. When full, there are more singers for the hymns, more warmth in the room, and more affirmation for us believers. But it is not only our bodies that are of benefit to others.
People enjoy seeing one another. I enjoy seeing and talking with you before and after church. This a community and each person is vital to the well being of the community. You are loved. Your presence and interaction makes others feels good. Coming to church is of great benefit to others in the congregation, regardless if you sit on a committee or not. You are important. We need you. God needs you.
Lastly, the Holy Spirit works in and among people. When you and I come together to worship, something special happens. For whenever two or more are gathered in Christ's name, he is there. The Spirit in you greets the spirit in me. The spirit in me greets the Spirit in you. And together our light shines. Together we radiate the glowing light of the Lord.
There is a Nigerian story about a man whose chief invited him to a feast. The chief asked everyone who came to bring one jar of palm wine to be poured into a big vat for all to drink.
The man did not have a jar of wine, so he began to think how he might get one. He worked on this problem for several days so he could attend the feast. In frustration, his wife said to him, "Why don't you just buy a jar and take it? Palm wine is not that expensive."
The man would not listen to her. He decided to take a jar filled with water. No one would know, since palm wine is also clear. One small jar of water in a big vat of wine would go unnoticed. He went to the feast and poured his jug of water into the large vat. When it was time to drink the wine, everyone dipped their cups into the vat, only to discover that it was filled with water. (Each one had poured a jar of water into the vat thinking that just one little bit of water would not hurt.)
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world."
Jesus continues to teach us here today as we read these words meant to teach us the nature of Christian discipleship. If we read this passage carefully we can note what Jesus did not say.
Jesus did not say, "You should be salt. You should be the light of the world." Rather he said, "You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world." This is pure grace. There is no shoulds, or ought-to-be's. Jesus tells the crowd, tell us who we are. Jesus tells us what we are as Disciples of Christ. His words are as much a commissioning as they are an observation.
"You are the salt of the earth." But, today, do we really want to be salt? After all, salt is hard on your heart. Today, doctors warn us about our blood pressure and they tell us to reduce our salt intake. Magazine articles warn us to reduce our salt. Today, salt is seen as a bad thing as we look for labels on cans that say 'reduced salt'.
In Jesus' day, salt was the only method of preserving food. Thanks to refrigeration we no longer exclusively depend on salt as a preservative. Sometimes we may feel salted to death. So, what does this riddle mean to us today?
What if Jesus, today, said to us, "You are the chocolate fudge in the world! You are the sparkling glitter resting on the snow! You are the candles on the birthday cake!"
Perhaps now it is easier to understand Jesus' words.
What a great boost of self-confidence, for all listeners, for all of us, who are tired and lack motivation! What a great boost of energy to all of us who feel the heavy weight of sin on our shoulders. This riddle is freeing, liberating. "You are the chocolate fudge in the world! You are the sparkling glitter resting on the snow! You are the candles on the cake!"
I don't want us to feel salted down. Bounce with joy in being a disciple of Christ. For disciples have their own unique beauty. Rest in contentment for disciples of Christ have much to give to the world. Disciples of Christ have much to share with the world.
And what do we have to share? We have to share ourselves. We have to share the good news of a liberating God who frees us from guilt, fear of the afterlife, shame, and hopelessness.
Don't feel salted down. Rather, be energized knowing that we are the sparkling glitter on the snow. Don't feel salted to death. You and I are the candles on the cake!
In a small southern church, a meeting of the board was called to discuss the proposal that they purchase a chandelier for the church One member said they "couldn't order no chandelier because nobody here can spell it." Another said, "Even if we could spell it, we don't have the money to buy it." A third person spoke up and said, "You're both right, but if we had the money and could spell it, ain't nobody in the congregation that could play a tune on it."
The pastor finally stood up, and with great dignity and restraint, said, "All of you are right, but you know while y'all were talking, I was thinking; I was thinking that we don't need a chandelier, What this church needs is more light."
The pastor is right. What we need is more light, more candles on the birthday cake. Light that reflects the love and blessings of God. Come and gather in his name. Gather in the name of the one whose light shines through us, whose love flows through us, whose liberation flows through us.
Matt 17:1-9
The story of the transfiguration is a story of the physical change that came over Jesus while in praying on a mountaintop. The three disciples who witnessed this transformation were so afraid they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. Jesus came over and touched them and said, "Don't be afraid,"
It is very much part of the human condition to be afraid of change. Change, especially as we age, can be terribly frightening. It goes against everything we have held to be true. It can shake us and cause chaos because our truths become obsolete.
The Bible has many, many stories of God shaking people out of their set ways and challenging them to take on new lives, new adventures, new understandings, and new faith.
Abraham and Sarah are blessed with a new life in their old age when the Lord visits Abraham in the form of three men. The men tell Abraham that his wife will have a son. Sarah laughs at this announcement. Who would think that the blessing of a son would come to such an old couple? But it was in her old age that Sarah gave birth to a son, and a great nation was born, the nation of Israel.
The Apostle Paul has his world turned upside down. He was a Roman citizen. He threatened and murdered the disciples of Christ under Herod's rule. He gathered as much information as he could, getting the names of any Christians in order to bound them, bring them to Jerusalem and persecute them. Then, on the road to Damascus, Paul was knocked to the ground by a flash from heaven and a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" The experience of meeting Jesus completely transformed Paul from the inside out. What he had previously held to be true was now thrown out the window. People who he had once persecuted he now called brother and sister. He worked with them instead of against them, working to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Radical, life-changing events are a theme throughout the Bible. God continually challenges us to move out of old ways, behavior and thinking into new ways.
Probably most of you know the story of Jonah and the whale. Jonah had been called by God to tell the people of Ninevah to repent and change their ways. Jonah did not want to fulfil his calling and attempted to run away from God. Jonah tried to run to the sea but was thrown out of the boat he was in and swallowed by a large fish. Jonah stayed in the belly of the fish for three days until he was thrown up on to a beach. At which point Jonah realized he cannot avoid his calling any longer and goes to Nineveh. He then takes three days to walk from one end of the city to the other warning people to change their ways. The city repents their sins and completely changes. They are spared the wrath of God.
Gerry Shepherd, an Old Testament professor of mine, grew up in the Pentecostal church in the southern United States. Because of his conservative background he was required to be interviewed before he was permitted to enter Yale University to take his Masters of Arts. Gerry was asked if he believed that Jonah had indeed been swallowed by a whale and lived for three days in its belly. Gerry answered, "I have an easier time believing that Jonah lived in the belly of a whale than I do believing that the city of Nineveh repented and changed their ways."
Real, transforming change is hard work. It goes against everything we have held to be true. It requires a leap of faith. It requires us to listen to what God is calling us to do.
"This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." God tells us today. What is Jesus telling us to do? What have you heard lately?
St. Paul and Ashmont have recently taken a leap of faith. Both congregations have decided to leave the National Alliance of Covenanting Congregations. This has required a change in thinking. This has required a leap of faith for some people. This has required trust. This has required listening to both sides of the issue and listening to what God is calling us to be as a pastoral charge.
How vital prayer is to the call for change. We do not enter into change for the sake of change itself. We change because God has been nudging us or pushing us or screaming at us to move in a different direction. For some people here today, your very presence in church may be a result of God's challenge to change. There may be some of us here today who are in church for the first time in a long time simply because of God's nudging.
Others of us may be pushed to change how we think of and treat our native brothers and sisters, or our Catholic brothers and sisters, or our French brothers and sisters. Do we treat people of a different culture the same way we treat people in our own culture or do we have lower expectations?
Some of you may know my friends Won and Angie Heo in Cold Lake. They are orginially from Toronto. During the late 1980's Toronto was in the midst of a housing boom. Angie's parents decided to rent out their basement to make some extra money. They decided to let a young, intelligent native man stay even those he had no money to pay the rent. He did have the promise of a cheque to come. Angie's father gave the man $15 to get him started. Angie's brother showed him the area and Won and Angie shared a meal and good conversation with the young man. Then, after about two weeks, without notice the man disappeared. Angie's family thought they had been had. Days, weeks, months and years past with no word from the man. Then 8 years later the family received a letter. After all those years he remembered the address and everyone's names and the events that had passed. He thanked the family for their generousity and told them that it was a time when their generousity made a difference of life or death for himno longer felt taken, but blessed by the man they had blessed.
How our attitudes change when we know the rest of the story.
What is God nudging us to do? What is God pushing or screaming at us to change in our lives? What part of your life, my life is God about to transform?
I became a Christian on March 31st, 1988 at 9:30am. I had a vision of God's Spirit of fire touching my heart and telling me that I was chosen to share my special vision with the world. That vision of God caused me to change my ways, turn around, and begin again. That vision of God as a fire has influenced my life ever since.
I'd better stop right here, because that story is not my story. Sometimes, when I am with colleagues who have such stories of their own conversion to share, I wish I had a similar one. I wish I had a story to convince them of my Christian sincerity, but I do not. My journey of faith, my conversion, my transfiguration, continues to be one of slowly and steadily growing in faith by knowledge, wisdom and experience. I have had hill and valley experiences but no mountaintop, dazzling white, face shining like the sun experiences.
The prophet Elijah also had a quiet transformation. His conversion story is found in 1 Kings.
God was passing by; a great strong wind came, rending mountains and shattering rocks before it, but God was not in the wind; And after the wind there was an earthquake but God was not in the earthquake, And after the earthquake a fire, but God was not in the fire; And after the fire a faint murmuring sound...
And God spoke to Elijah, who had enough sense to listen in an unexpected place.
"This is my Son, the Beloved, with him I am well please; listen to him!" And what did Jesus say to his disciples as they witnessed this transfiguration? He said, "Do not be afraid." Do not be afraid of this vision. Do not be afraid of this transformation. Do not be afraid of the possibilities to come. For with God and things are possible. With God a very old woman can give birth to a son. With God a man can be transformed to endorse and promote what he once persecuted. With God a whole city can repent and change its ways.
Thanks be to God who fills the world with possibilities and challenges us to move from the old to the new. Let us take a moment now in silence to listen for God's word to us, to listen to God's new possibilities for us.
Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7
Matt4:1-11
Yogi Berra played in 14 World Series. He was the league's most valuable player in 1951, 1954, and 1955. He managed the Yankees to a pennant in 1964 and the Mets to a pennant in 1973. But that is not what we remember him for. We remember him for his way with words.
He's the guy who said, "It ain't over 'til it's over. It's deja vu all over again. Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded. We made too many wrong mistakes. We're lost, but we're making good time. The future ain't what it used to be. When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." What is the alternative? Life is full of choices. The decisions we make will send us in a new direction. Those decisions can never be unmade. As a church we believe in second chances, we believe in new starts, we believe in forgiveness. Those are ways in which we can get back on track, but the decisions that we make can never really be undone. They are part of who we are, even if we wish that they weren't.
Temptation is there at every fork in the road. It is a sign pointing in the wrong direction.
The Old and the New Testament lessons today are both about temptation.
The Genesis passage recounts that familiar story of Adam and Eve being tempted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The Matthew passage tells us of Jesus being tempted by the devil or the Tempter in the desert. A better translation of the Greek word used in this passage is test.
Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread."
Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."
The Devil tested Jesus two more times until, finally, Jesus told the Devil to "Beat it!" The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.
We all have our own personal temptations. Everyone one of us, we just don't like to admit it. Or we don't like to think about them or we don't like to tell others about them because they may think less of us. But we are all tempted. Jesus shows us his humanness in this story because even Jesus was tempted.
I know my temptations. I am really aware of my temptations - to party all the time, to eat food that I'm intolerant to, to talk too much, to buy things and want things that I know will not make me happy. Actually, I hate wanting, I hate that feeling of wanting and not having. I hate the feeling of being tempted.
I went around the house yesterday asking people what their personal temptations are but no one could answer me. Everyone has their own personal temptations but if we are not aware of them we won't know the devil when he comes.
There is a scene from a movie of a few years back called Broadcast News. The movie stars Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, and William Hurt. In it, Jane, a talented young television news producer, falls for Tom, the new reporter who has been hired because of his looks rather than his nonexistent journalistic skills. Her best friend, Aaron, himself a brilliant news reporter, tries to dissuade her from seeing Tom. Aaron says to Jane, "You see, Tom, while being a very nice guy, he is the devil. After all, how do the think the devil appears to us? No one's going to be taken in by a guy with a long red pointy tail." The devil is never obvious, but if we are aware of our own temptations and base instincts we can recognize when it is the devil speaking to us.
We must be aware of our own vulnerabilities. What tempts you, what tempts me? Perhaps we are tempted to control the world around us. We may want to control others, our children, our spouses. Perhaps we are tempted to be jealous. Or perhaps the temptation is the very opposite, perhaps we are tempted not to do anything and just let things slide. Perhaps we are tempted not to take care of anyone including ourselves. Perhaps some of us are tempted to escape all responsibility.
In the controversial movie "The Last Temptation of Christ" Jesus is tempted by the devil to have a normal life with a wife and children instead of suffering on the cross. As we watch the movie we do not recognize this cute, mild, angelic little girl who invites Jesus down off the cross. We only begin to think that there might be something amiss with this little girl when she encourages Jesus to take a second wife and then third. Both the audience and Jesus are tricked by the little girl who turns out to be the Devil.
This is heavy stuff. This is stuff that Lent can be full of. Lent has traditionally been a time to reflect on our humanness. Lent is a time for prayer and reflection. A time for us to become aware of our temptations and the things that separate us from God.
However, even during Lent there is good news. When it comes to temptations no organization knows the power of being liberated from one's temptations like Alcoholic's Anonymous. AA and the other 12 step addiction programs specialize in helping people experience the new life that comes from dealing with one's temptations.
The majority of AA members believe that they have found the solution to their drinking problem not through individual willpower, but through a power greater than themselves. Everyone defines this power as he or she wishes. Many people call it God.
The heart of the program of personal recovery is contained in Twelve Steps:
Following temptation can lead us to infidelity, domestic violence, alcohol and drug addition, gambling addiction, and debt. Following temptation may give us a sense of gratification but only in the short term. In the long term it can leave us in misery. The alternative is a relationship with God through Christ. The alternative is a life with meaning and fulfillment and ultimately happiness because we have made it through the wilderness and come out stronger and with stronger faith.
Finally, Jesus told the Devil to "Beat it!" The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.
The good news is that after all that testing, after the wilderness, angels!
Howard and Maryanne had been married for 4 years and had a 3-year-old daughter when Howard's cocaine addiction spun out of control. Howard realized that he was about to loose everything he had. He realized that he was miserable and making life miserable for those around him. Finally, Maryanne took her daughter left. She supported herself waitressing at a strip club. When Maryanne left, Howard was forced to clean up his act. At the rate he was going he could end up on the street a cokehead. Howard had to get a hold of his temptation. With the help of AA, within eight months he turned his life around. Howard managed to win back Maryanne's trust. The couple renewed their marriage vows at a small, private ceremony to mark a new beginning in their relationship. Nine years later, they have 2 daughters. Howard has a great job for an automotive company. They own a beautiful home and have a great life together.
After the test, after the wilderness, angels! God comes to us and uses the worst experiences to build a relationship with us. God is pretty humble. He will take any low occasion, any awful experience, any wilderness experience and use it to build a relationship with us. The tempting comes from the Devil but the Angels are sent from God.
aise God who comes to us in the wilderness and takes care of our needs. Praise God who uses humble, lowly experiences to build a relationship with us. Praise God who grants us peace, fulfillment and wholeness. Amen.
