"How can I account for this generation? The people have been like spoiled children whining to their parents, 'We wanted to skip rope, and you were always too tired; we wanted to talk, but you were always too busy.' John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush, a friend of the riffraff. Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Just wait, the critics won't be so loud when huge numbers of people follow me and honour is given to my name.
And what shall I say to the cities where I have worked the hardest but whose people have responded the least? People have turned their backs on me. Doom to you Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen half of the powerful miracles you have seen, they would have been on their knees in a minute. At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you. And Capernaum! With all your peacock strutting, you are going to end up in the abyss. If the people of Sodom had had your chances, the city would still be around. At Judgment Day they'll get off easy compared to you."
It can be quiet shocking to hear the passage dramatically spoken as strongly as Jesus likely preached it. I was telling Chris how I would never preach as harshly as Jesus preached, never. To which Chris answered, "Of course not, because they would crucify you, ya dork!"
Jesus has had enough criticism. At this point he sounds frustrated and tired. Frustrated that much of his teachings have fallen on deaf ears and tired of the criticism. Jesus' contemporaries criticized John the Baptizer for his austere lifestyle. John fasted and abstained from alcoholic drink. They criticized Jesus for his indulgent lifestyle. There is no pleasing some people.
In this story, who are we? Are we the ones who criticize and are never happy with the way things are or are we the ones who are being criticized?
There is a story about an old man and his son who were walking home from town one day with their donkey. As the three made their way, people laughed at them and said, "Why are both men walking? One should be riding the donkey." At this the son climbed on the donkey's back, and they continued on their way. Soon people criticized them again and said, "Look at that! The boy is making that poor old man walk while he rides the donkey!"
Hearing this, the boy dismounted, and the old man got on. Before long, people criticized them again and said, "Why is that man riding the donkey and making the boy walk?"
So the boy and his father both climbed on the donkey's back. Now the bystanders became indignant and said, "Look at that poor donkey, having to carry two people on its back!"
Finally the men did the only thing left for them to do. They picked up the donkey and carried it on their backs the rest of the way home.
When are we the one who stands on the sidelines criticizing and complaining about things that are not even are business? When are we the one who walks along over hearing criticism about something that we do? What nit-picky things to we say about others? What little, petty criticisms do we make of others, especially when it is not even our business? Let us think about that for a moment.
(Silence)
To all who reprimand and denounce him, Jesus speaks harshly. And to all who criticize you and me, we are given hope when Jesus says, "Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds"
For in spite of their critics, wise and clever persons prove their social abilities by the outcomes of their behaviour. The practical outcomes produced by wisdom or cleverness only go to prove how valuable it is regardless of criticism. John's fasting behaviour and Jesus' non fasting behaviour both yielded them a strong following along with honour - thus justifying the wisdom of these two men.
The last part of the passage is perhaps, the most hopeful and the most inspiring of the passage. Jesus offers freedom:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Tired of others telling you what to do? Come to me. Get away with me, and you will recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Jesus offers freedom to his followers and to us all. Freedom in Christ is a term that gets used alot. Here Jesus really describes what freedom is, what it feels like. Freedom is learning the unforced rhythms of grace. Freedom is embracing God's amazing grace.
Lisa grew up in a family that taught her that to be a good Christian she must behave in a particular, moral way. To her and her family, behaviour is everything. She was told that she must lead a good life to be an example to others of what a Christian is. And, by her moral example, others would want to become Christians. To Lisa being a good Christian means not doing alot of things: not dancing, not drinking, not dating, not having sad or mad feelings.
Lisa lives a life of guilt. She is not able to live up to her own moral expectations and so, feels a tremendous amount of guilt and shame because of that. Lisa is very concerned with what others think of her and how others view her, lest they not become Christians because of her behaviour. To me it is very sad. Very sad indeed that she is not free in Christ. She understands intellectually that God loves her but not in her heart because she thinks she must earn God's love.
Freedom is when we accept God's love, grace and forgiveness. And then out of that grace, freely loves, freely lives a life that is a reflection of such grace. Not because we have to, not because we are guilted into living that way, but because we want to, freely. We need to, wish to, desire to live such a life.
It's kind of like eating really healthy food not because you have to, or you feel guilty if you don't but because you want to, because you really enjoy the taste of the healthy food.
Being free in Christ is about being free of the kind of religion that Jesus was so critical of, the kind of religion that burns people out and wears them down, the kind of religion that is preoccupied with behaviour.
Jesus invites us to freedom. He invites us to walk with him and work with him and learn the unforced rhythms of grace. Jesus won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on us. Keep company with Jesus and we will learn to live freely and lightly. Amen.
A Harvest Story by Jesus of Nazareth
"What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell on rock; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."
There are many, many ways to interpret this story. What is this story about? The sower? The seeds? The soils? Failure versus success? Scholars suggest each of these as keys to the depths of the parable. We won't have time to explore every aspect of this parable today.
Let's look at the meaning of each character in the story. The sower could be Jesus. The seeds are the Word of God, the Good News of Jesus Christ. In order for the seeds to sprout, they must be planted. There are different kinds of soil described in this story. The soil is us. We can be good soil or we can be soil that cannot grow anything. The growth is the faith. The potential for faith lies in each seed, waiting to grow.
Let us first look at the kind of soil we may be. A farmer scattered seed. Some fell on rock; it sprouted quickly but did not put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.
People say, "You don't know who your friends are until something bad happens." The same could be true of a person's faith. We don't know how strong our faith is until something bad happens.
The Second World War caused a faith crisis for many Jews and Christians. How can there be a God when such horrible things are happening? When so many people are killed?
I would like you to listen to a tape from the CBC program Ideas. The 6 part series is called "Lost Innocence: the Children of WW2." This tape is called "Like there was no Tomorrow" and it interviews seniors who were teenagers during the war.
This woman goes from wanting to be a missionary to being an atheist. Some seed fell on rock; it sprouted quickly but did not put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly.
The growth of the seed is faith. Faith requires one to have strong roots. Faith is dynamic and not static. If one is not growing then one is not in good soil. So what does growth look like?
Growth means that we are able to forgive, let go, move on.
I once visited a man in a hospital in Brampton, ON. I was told that he was associated with the United Church at which I was working. So, I entered the room, introduced myself and told him that I was from the church. He started to tell me why he had not been to church in years. He told me that 35 years ago the United Church had an opportunity to purchase the house on the lot next door. The congregation at the time decided not to. Eventually, a businessman purchased the lot and built a gas station beside the church. This, the man continued, decreased the property value of the church and was the very reason why the church should have made the investment in the first place. And that is why he hadn't been to church since.
I said to him, "That was 35 years ago, perhaps it is time to let that go."
Impassioned, he said to me, "Oh, well, well, I knew that was what you were going to say to me. That is what people say to me all the time."
So much energy, so much time, such a loss over something that happened so long ago. It was this man's faith that suffered the most. It was this man's faith that ceased growing. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds.
Growth means that we are open to learning for a lifetime. It means that we understand ourselves never to be done learning. We are open to learning for others, no matter what the age. Open to learning from children. And that means we embrace new opportunities for learning, like a new hymnbook, new songs, new people in the congregation, new ways of doing things.
Growth in faith means we read the Bible like it was the first time. We read it with fresh eyes and hearts. We read it open to the new possibilities in it.
A farmer planted seed, carelessly, liberally, and generously. The farmer is recklessly giving. Jesus sows the seed. Jesus recklessly, carelessly, liberally, generously sows the seed of faith.
The seed is the free gift from Jesus; the free gift of grace. The seed contains the potential, in all its fullness, of the Good News come among us; the Good News of the Kingdom of God still to come. The Good News of freedom, hope and love in a world desperately in need of the same, of restoration of relationship, of communion and fellowship with God and with each other.
Sir James Simpson was a Scottish doctor in the nineteenth century that was also a courageous scientific pioneer. Sir James became famous for his work in the pursuit of a chemical that surgeons could use to render their patients unconscious during surgery. In those days, many scientists became ill from their own experiments. Sir James conducted many chemical experiments on himself. Eventually one of his experiments poisoned him and he died. However, not before he had discovered chloroform, which saved millions of people untold suffering, until something better could be found.
Sir James had been knighted by Queen Victoria and been elected President of the Edinburgh Royal College of Physicians. Many called him the greatest physician of his time. In his research he had made many important discoveries.
Shortly before his death Sir James was asked what he thought his greatest discovery had been. Without a moment's hesitation he answered, "My greatest discovery in this life has been that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour."
Despite everything that he did; despite all of his great achievements - Sir James recognized that nothing he could achieve or own could outshine what God had done for him. The greatest thing he knew was the Good News, the seed of the Parable of the Sower.
So, I challenge us all here today to be the rich soil, where the Word of God is received and nurtured and grows within us. Look for evidence of growth in our lives: willingness to forgive and let go of old grudges and openness to learning. Rejoice! The seed of faith has already been planted in you and me. Receive the free gift. And to God be the glory. Amen.'
FAITH AS FIDELITY OR FAITHFULNESS
Today when we ask if someone has faith we often mean if one believes in God or not. However, during Biblical times everyone believed in God or a god. Everyone believed in something of a spiritual dimension. When Jesus chastises his listeners for having little faith, he does not mean that they do not believe that God exists, rather he is frustrated with their lack of relationship with God. Jesus wants people to be loyal to God and have a relationship with God that grows and is important to the person.
"If God clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you - you of little faith!"
FAITH AS TRUST
Jesus is frustrated that the people do not have a relationship of trust with God. Faith in God means trusting God. We see the meaning of faith as trust most clearly by considering its opposite: anxiety. In this passage Jesus links lack of faith and anxiety: "Why are you anxious, O people of little faith?" If we are anxious, then we lack faith in God. Growth in faith means becoming more trustful of the one in whom we live and move and have our being.
What kind of faith do you have? What kind of faith do I have? Do we have the kind of faith Jesus challenged his contemporaries to have?
Sir Wilfred Grenfell, medical missionary in Labrador, found himself adrift on an ice flow, headed out to sea. He mercifully killed his dogs, made a coat out of their hides, put up a distress flag, and lay down and slept. Later he said, "There was nothing to fear. I had done all I could, the rest lay in God's hands." (Donald Campbell, Daniel, Decoder of Dreams, p. 20)
Peace and trust is a fruit of faith. Peace and trust is the gift of faith.
FAITH AS HEALING
If we read the stories of Jesus' life and ministry we see that Jesus talks about faith in other ways. Jesus links faith to healing.
Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she and; and she was no better, in fact she grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she thought to herself that if she could only touch his cloak, she would be made well. And, indeed, she was made well. Jesus felt the power go out of him and asked who had touched him. With fear and trembling, the woman fell down and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
In this story, faith leads to healing. Healing, in all the forms it takes, is a fruit of faith.
In Toronto there is a church that has become world famous for the work of the Spirit. People fly in from all over the world to experience the Toronto Blessing. The Airport church is also known as the Laughing church because the Holy Spirit fills many people with laughter for days. I went once in the 5 years that I lived in that city. As I stepped into the sanctuary, I immediately felt a sense of peace and calm. As the worship began, immediately there were some people moving about in the isles of this huge, airplane hanger size building. They were hooting and clucking, barking and shaking, full of the Holy Spirit.
W5 had come to report the happenings of this church. Many are critical of the Toronto Blessing, but often the critics have not experienced a service. One man in particular was on the news because he had been healed, I don't mean cured, I mean healed. This man was suffering with cancer and attended several of the worship services. He claimed that he had no more pain. Yes, he still had cancer, but he had been healed of the pain. Faith led to healing.
I friend of mine's ordination was delayed by a year because of some political maneuverings by a colleague. As the reality of what was happening began to unfold, she was devastated. The prayer group that she met with regularly gathered around her and prayed for her. Prayed for peace, reconciliation, and for healing. The reality of not being ordained remained but healing entered and with it came peace.
Healing is a fruit of faith. Healing is a gift of faith.
FAITH AS POWER
Lastly, Jesus talks about faith as something that empowers us, something that enables us to do things we might not otherwise be able to do.
If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you."
With faith, we can do anything with God's help. With faith we have confidence. People in this church have demonstrated that kind of confidence. When one woman stand and offers to continue to teach Sunday School no matter how many children there are, no matter if there is only one child - that is faith, that is confidence, that is the kind of faith that moves mountains.
I have a poem I would like to share. The author is unknown.
MOUNTAIN
Lord, I've never moved a mountain and I guess I never will. All the faith that I could muster wouldn't move a small anthill. Yet I'll tell you, Lord, I'm grateful for the joy of knowing Thee, and for all the mountain moving down through life You've done for me.
When I needed some help you lifted me from the depths of great despair. And when burdens, pain and sorrow have been more than I can bear, you have always been my courage to restore life's troubled sea, and to move these little mountains that have looked so big to me.
Many times when I've had problems and when bills I've had to pay, and the worries and the heartaches just kept mounting every day, Lord, I don't know how you did it. Can't explain the wheres or whys. All I know, I've seen these mountains turn to blessings in disguise. No, I've never moved a mountain, for my faith is far too small. Yet, I thank you, Lord of Heaven, you have always heard my call. And as long as there are mountains in my life, I'll have no fear, for the mountain-moving Jesus is my strength and always near.
In our faithfulness, God gives us peace and trust. In faith anxiety is shed. In our faithfulness, God gives us healing and wholeness. In our faithfulness, God gives us the power to do anything. We are given confidence. And to God be the glory. Amen.
