Love your enemies

These verses have never been easy to preach. They are not easy to teach. They are not even easy to read! They are hard words. They are hard instructions. They are hard to hear and even harder to follow. Who on earth would just stand there and let someone punch them in the jaw and then say, “Hey, it’s okay. Go ahead and punch me on the other side?” Nobody. And if you lose your shirt in court, you don’t strip down to your skivvies and hand ‘em over to opposing counsel, do ya? Of course not! And, if you give money to everyone who asks for it, you will wind up with nothing to give.

So what do we make of Jesus’ instructions? What do we do with these hard words? Do we ignore them simply because we do not like them? Do we make excuses because the implications frighten us? Do we explain them away as some sort of misunderstanding?

I don’t think it’s that easy. I don’t think God lets us off the hook just because the words are hard. Instead, I suspect that the very fact that they are so hard means that they are essential to our relationship with Christ. So, instead of running away from these hard words, we probably need to dig right in. So let’s do it.

Jesus tells his followers: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” (5:38) How many times have we heard those words? An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. That phrase has been used for centuries to suggest that God approves of getting even when someone wrongs us. But that’s not exactly the case. The expression is used several times in the law books of the Old Testament. But, back in those days, when an enemy destroyed something of yours, the customary response was to strike back and destroy EVERYTHING of his. Which, of course, often led to the friends of your enemy to strike back at you and destroy EVERYTHING of yours. Which would prompt your friends to strike your enemy’s friends and their friends to strike your friends causing more and more destruction, until, finally, nothing is left. Which doesn’t help anyone.

So, when God advised the Israelites to respond “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” it was actually a call for restraint. You might even call it mercy. Basically, God was saying do NOT seek to destroy an enemy. If he kills one of your farm animals, take one of his. Not ALL of them. That kind of wisdom is seen in our justice system where the punishment is supposed to fit the crime. When someone gets caught stealing a TV set, they do a little jail time. We do not impose the death penalty. This way, there is justice. What was wrong is made right. Which is pretty generous, when you stop and think about it. The old way, if you come after me, I seek to destroy you, but, under the laws of the Old Testament, I merely seek to right the wrong. It was definitely a more gracious approach to maintaining law and order.

But then Jesus comes along and says, “You think that’s mercy? I’ll tell you what mercy is. Mercy is not striking back at all.”

“If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” The words were as shocking then as they are to us now. Not fight back? That just seems wrong! Every instinct says, “Protect yourself.” And I certainly don’t want my daughter or your daughter or anyone else’s daughter to hear these words of Jesus and conclude that they are supposed to ALLOW men to abuse them. That CANNOT be right. I cannot believe that a loving God wants ANY human being to be mistreated. There must be something else going on here.

Some scholars believe that this strike on the right cheek would not have been an actual punch to the face. It would have been more like a backhanded slap that was really more insult than injury.[i] And, of course, if someone insults you or strikes you, you certainly have the right to defend yourself.

But, just because you have the RIGHT to strike back does NOT mean you SHOULD. You have a choice. You can CHOOSE to retaliate, or you can choose to show mercy. In those moments, when you choose mercy, when you choose to give up your right to retaliate, then you are acting like a child of God.

In Romans 5:10, Paul reminds us that there was a time when we were all God’s enemies. Every time we chose to do things our way instead of God’s way, it was like we were slapping God across the face. God had every right to get even with us. But God chose to set aside the right to retaliate. Instead, God reached out to us in love and grace and mercy. God came to us as Jesus and offered us forgiveness. In fact, Jesus even suffered the punishment that WE deserved. How crazy is that?

But that’s what love does. Love does things that do not make sense to the world. The world says, “Take care of number one.” But love seeks to do what is GOOD for the other. Love cares about the NEEDS of the other. Love puts the needs of the other ahead of its own rights.

So Jesus says, “Love your enemies. Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.”

It is not easy to do. It was not easy for Jesus either. Jesus did not WANT to go to the cross. He did not want to die. He did not deserve to die. But he chose to lay down his life so that we might be reconciled to God.

So is that what Jesus is asking of us? Are we supposed to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others? Are we supposed to lay down our lives so that our enemies might be reconciled to God? I think so.

But does that mean we are supposed to stand there and take it when bullies threaten us at home or at work or at school? Are we supposed to stand quietly by when they attack us on the playground or on the court or on a battlefield? Are we just supposed to allow terrorists to blow us to smithereens? I don’t think that’s what this text is saying. I believe Jesus is telling us that, when someone hurts us, we do not HAVE to retaliate. We can choose to forgive.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to interview the Rev. Ruth Wood. She was ordained an elder in the Methodist Church in 1959, making her the first ordained woman in Mississippi. It was not easy. She was only ever appointed to very small churches, and, quite often, the members of those churches were very unhappy to have been given a woman preacher. Some approached her district superintendent to request that a man be sent to fill the pulpit. One family left the church AND the denomination. One woman really struggled with the issue, and, to be honest, she wasn’t very nice to Ruth. She did her best to get rid of the lady preacher. But Ruth never retaliated. She just prayed. And tried her best to treat everyone with kindness and respect. In time, the woman who had fought so hard against a female pastor apologized. She had been praying, too, and, Ruth told me with a grin, “The Lord told her it was alright.”

When someone hurts us, we have the right to retaliate. But loving your neighbor means giving up that right. Just because others are mean to us does not mean that we must be mean to them.[ii]

Some of you may remember the violence of the Civil Rights Movement. Peaceful protesters were struck, hosed with water, fire bombed, and killed. But in a sermon delivered November 17, 1957 at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told his followers:

“There will come a time, in many instances, when the person who hates you most, the person who has misused you most, the person who has gossiped about you most, the person who has spread false rumors about you most, there will come a time when you will have an opportunity to defeat that person. It might be in terms of a recommendation for a job; it might be in terms of helping that person to make some move in life. That’s the time you must not do it. That is the meaning of love. In the final analysis, love is not this sentimental something that we talk about. It’s not merely an emotional something. Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men.”

When someone hurts us, we have the right to retaliate. But loving your neighbor means giving up that right. Just because others are mean to us does not mean that we must be mean to them. We can find creative, loving ways to respond.[iii]

In last week’s episode of “Chicago Fire,” firefighter Christopher Herrmann is closing down the bar that he owns when a haggard looking stranger walks in off the street and asks to “borrow” a couple hundred dollars to buy a suit for a job interview. Herrmann is understandably wary. “What happens if I don’t loan you the money?” he asks. In the audience, we hold our breath and await a terrible outcome. We expect violence. Because that’s what often happens in the world, right? People take what they want, one way or another. But not this time. The stranger turns to leave, and something (could it be the Holy Spirit?) prompts Hermann, a good Catholic, to ask, “What’s going on?” Then he listens as the stranger shares his story, and, after a brief moment of contemplation, Hermann gives the stranger the money he was seeking.

It’s a foolhardy decision. No one, not even Hermann, expects that he will EVER get back the money he gave away. His friends and co-workers tease him relentlessly about being sucked into a con. But Hermann reminds them all of who they are and what they are called to do. They are firefighters. They help people in need, whether they deserve it or not.

Friends, in our text today, Jesus reminds us of who WE are and what WE are called to do. We are followers of Jesus Christ. We are called to love people, whether they deserve it or not. Which is exactly what Jesus did for us. He loved us even when we did not deserve it.

I won’t lie. Loving our enemies will never be easy. Loving our enemies will never be safe. Loving our enemies will never be popular. But loving our enemies will always be what God expects of us because loving enemies is what God did FOR us.

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[i] M. Eugene Boring. “Matthew.” The New Interpreter’s Bible. Vol. VIII. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995. 195.

[ii] Carolyn C. Brown. Forbid Them Not: Year A. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992. 51.

[iii] Carolyn C. Brown. Forbid Them Not: Year A. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992. 51.

Gone Fishing

The Church has left the building.

Literally. All over the country, churches are bypassing the pews and taking the gospel out into the streets. And into parks. And schools. And coffee houses. Wherever they might find a crowd. They have gone fishing.

Actually, Jeffrey St. Clair has gone kayaking. The pastor of Mandarin UMC in Jacksonville, Fla., loves the sport, but kept being put on waiting lists for kayaking trips. So he started his own group. On Saturdays, groups of 35-70 join him for an adventure in the water. They begin with prayer, scripture and a brief message and then head out to see fish, eagles, dolphins and sunsets. And along the way, they talk. About life and faith. ("Kayaking with Jeff" by Christine Kumar was published in Interpreter Magazine January-February 2017)

And Kingswood UMC in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, has gone online. About three years ago, Chris Spaeth was prepping for the annual church rummage sale, and she invited a community group of disabled adults to help. Their presence touched many hearts. So Spaeth decided to expand the project. Instead of opening a thrift store, donated items are stored in a trailer on church property and offered for sale online. Proceeds are being used to provide job training skills in computers, retail and marketing to people with disabilities, to people who are unemployed, and to immigrants. ( "New Online Thrift Store Offers Bargains and Jobs" by Anne Marie Gerhardt was published on the Northern Illinois Conference website in August 2012 at https://www.umcnic.org/new-online-thrift-store-offers-bargains-and-jobs/)

And Urban Village Church in Chicago has gone to street corners. For several years, that congregation has celebrated Ash Wednesday by taking six teams of three or four people to public places across town. Throughout the day, they mark crosses of ashes on the foreheads of passersby who otherwise might not have worshipped that day. The Rev. Brittany Isaac says, “We were having conversations with folks that we wouldn’t get to have if we stayed inside the church. One woman, a single parent, was struggling with elderly parents. The burden that she was carrying she would never have gone to a church to talk about.” But she received the ashes while she was out doing her usual business. Then she came back and brought her elementary-aged kids, and they received ashes, too. ("Ash Wednesday-Takin' It to the Streets" was published in Interpreter Magazine 2012)

“Follow me,” Jesus says. “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

Mission and evangelism, that’s what the church is all about. Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. That is our whole reason for being. But sometimes we make mission and evangelism seem so much harder than they really are. We act as if only very special people can do God’s work. But that’s not true. Jesus calls US. Jesus calls all of us. Sometimes we think we don’t have anything to give. No special talent or great wisdom or much money. “I’m nothing special,” we say to ourselves. “I’m no evangelist. God can’t use me.”

But when Jesus started his ministry, he did not call the prettiest or the smartest or the richest. He called the people who were THERE. He called the people who were there. Jesus was walking beside the sea, and he saw fishermen on the docks. So Jesus called fishermen. He called rough, stinky, uneducated fishermen. He said, “Hey guys, you wanna come with me?”

There is NO special qualification to be a disciple. You do not have to have a college degree. You do not have to have years of Bible learning. You do not have to be particularly holy or good or special. To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, all you have to do is follow. Did you hear that? To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, all you have to do is follow Jesus. All you have to do is get up off your seat and on your feet and go where Jesus leads you. And, sure, that might lead you to Timbuktu, but it might just take you to the nearest convenience store. Or to the bowling alley. Or to the place where you get your nails done. And you were already headed there anyway. Right? Mission is not about where you go. It is about who you follow. It is about your willingness to follow. It is about your willingness to follow Jesus and do what he wants you to do.

When Jesus started his ministry, he called a bunch of fishermen. And you know what he asked them to do? Fish. Fish! Jesus asked fishermen to fish. Jesus asked the people who were THERE to do what they ALREADY knew how to do. Jesus asked the people who were AVAILABLE to do what they were already GOOD at. The only difference is that Jesus asked them to come and do it WITH him. Jesus gave them a REASON to fish. Jesus gave them a PURPOSE.

I started seminary KNOWING that I was called to ministry, but I really was not sure what KIND of ministry God was calling me to do. I thought it might be youth ministry. Or counseling. I really was not sure. I just knew that God was calling. But one Easter morning, we were sitting in worship, and a brass ensemble was playing, and everybody was singing, and my heart was filled with joy. And suddenly, I KNEW! I LOVE worship. I love everything about worship. The music. The people. The scripture. Even a sermon. I love to hear a good sermon. Just like that, I knew what I was called to do. I was called to do the thing I loved most to do. For me, that was worship.

God called me to preach. God called me to share the good news of Jesus Christ. And, yes, part of that call is to share God’s word with you, to build up the body of believers. But part of that call is also to the world. To take the good news to those who have not heard it yet.

But I am not the only one who is called to share the gospel. EVERY Christian is called to follow Jesus. And EVERY Christian is called to share God’s love. But there are so many ways to do that.

Rod Pierce knows how to take good care of his dog, Snickers. So when the company he works for downsized and Pierce took a big pay cut, he worried about being able to take care of Snickers. Pierce was able to work it out, but the experience led him to wonder how OTHER pet owners provide for THEIR animals when money is tight. He shared his concern with the youth of his church, and they decided to host a Pets in Poverty Fair right there at St. Andrew UMC in Toledo, OH. The church collected more than 3,500 pounds of dog, cat and other animal food. They also offered information about good pet care. And they even provided medical care for wounded animals. The food and cash they raised went to a local animal shelter. ("Caring for Pets - and Their Owners" was published in Interpreter Magazine 2012)

The people of St. Andrew UMC have gone fishing. They know pets. They love pets. They are good at taking care of pets. So they are taking what they know and sharing it with others in the name of Jesus Christ.

The church has left the building. They have gone fishing.

Folks, it is time for St. Mark’s to bait some hooks. It is time for us to go fishing. We have been so blessed. God has poured out love on us for years! And God expects us to share that love with others. And we do that, in lots of ways. Supporting the food pantry at Capleville. Welcome baskets for Golden Cross. Reading team at LaPetite Academy. We have opened our doors to a Boy Scout troop and Cub Scout pack. Hosted the community Easter Egg Hunt and Trunk or Treat. And that’s good. It’s REALLY good. And I am very proud of you and all that you do for others. But I think we can do more. I’d like to see us get more involved with the people in our community. That doesn’t mean that I think we need more programs. Everybody has ENOUGH to do. What we have is good, and it’s working. We have planted a lot of seeds. But now it’s time for us to find ways to tend the seeds we have planted.

The Scouts have been meeting here for years now. Do we know any of their names? Do we know where they go to school? Or what their dreams are for the future? So… what if we formed a Scout adoption program? Each of us gets the name of one of our Scouts and starts to pray for him, maybe get him a pack of beef jerky for his next camping trip, send him a note of encouragement every now and then? What if we invited the Scouts and their fathers to come to the UM Men dinners? What if we hosted a Father-Scout picnic in June?

These are just ideas. Some possibilities for us to consider. There is no shortage of need. The potential for ministry right here in Windyke is astronomical. There’s a whole world of hurting folks out there. People are drowning in sin and fear and confusion. You know that. You SEE that. These folks are your friends and neighbors, your family. We don’t have to go LOOKING for people who need a Savior. We just need to throw out a lifeline to the people around us who are already calling out for help. Cause that’s what it means to fish for people.

Come and see

They were looking for a hero. That’s why they were with John. He was clearly a man of God. His teaching and preaching were powerful. They were inspiring, challenging, and full of hope! He seemed to know something. He seemed to know something that no one else knew. He knew the Messiah! The long-awaited King of Israel! Their hero!

For 400 years, the people of Israel had waited and waited and waited. God had promised them a redeemer. God had promised to save them from their enemies. God had promised to make them a great nation once more. But year after year after year had passed, and there had been no savior. One generation after another had come and gone without ever seeing God fulfill the promise. There had not even been a PROPHET for 400 years. And, suddenly, there was John! Wandering around in the desert and calling out to people to repent. Get ready! Make way! The Messiah is coming!

The religious leaders challenged John. “Are you saying that YOU are the one?” “Oh no!” John replied. “I am not the Messiah.”

John was not the Messiah. And he was not Elijah, although he had a lot in common with the Old Testament prophet. Many many years before John was born, King Ahab had ruled the 10 northern tribes of Israel. But he did not observe God’s laws. In fact, Ahab married a woman who worshipped a false god, and then Ahab built an altar to that false god in the capital city, which, of course, made the one true God very very angry. So God sent Elijah to confront the wicked king and call the people of Israel to turn back to the Lord. Which is what John was saying now. But that did not make him the reincarnation of Elijah.

No, John was not the Messiah, and he was not Elijah. And he was not the end-time prophet. He was the forerunner. The prophet Isaiah had once told the people of God that someone would come before the Messiah. Someone would come to prepare them for the coming of the Lord. And that someone was John!

The religious leaders were not convinced. “Well, if you’re NOT the Messiah,” they asked, “if you are NOT the one who will save us from our sin, then why are YOU baptizing people?”

Baptism had long been a religious practice for the people of Israel. It was a symbol of their devotion to God. A sign that they had acknowledged their sins and were determined to turn their lives around and obey God’s laws. But no religious group had given John the authority to conduct baptisms. He was doing what God had called him to do.

“You think this is something,” John told the accusers. “Just you wait. I’m baptizing people with water. It’s a symbol. But there is one among you who is far greater than I. Heck, I’m not worthy to even untie the thong of his sandals!”

And then, lo and behold, the very next day, Jesus came! And John told everyone around, “There he is! This man is the Lamb of God! This is the one who takes away the sin of the world. This is the great man I was telling you about. This is the Messiah! Our savior! Our hero! When I baptized this man, I saw the very Spirit of God come down upon him! The Spirit is with him! I’m telling you. I saw it with my own two eyes. It’s the truth. This IS the Messiah! This is the one we’ve been waiting for!”

The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened after that. Maybe some listened. Maybe not. But the next day, John was standing with two of his students when Jesus walked by, and John shouted out, “Look! Here is the Lamb of God!”

And those two students understood what John was telling them. This was the hero they had been looking for. So they followed him! They had to see for themselves. Is this really the one?

Jesus turned and saw the two men following him, so he asked, “What are you looking for?” And they said, “Well, we were wondering where you are staying.” And Jesus says, “Come and see. Find out for yourself.”

So they did. They went with Jesus. They saw where he was staying, and they decided to stay there, too. They spent the whole day with Jesus. Just hanging out with him. And, apparently, that was enough to convince them because at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, Andrew went to find his brother, Simon Peter, and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” And then Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. So he could see, too. And they both decided to stick around. Spend more time with the Lord. It was a decision that would change their lives forever.

 That’s what happens when we spend time with Jesus. We are changed. He washes away the sin of the world. How does he do it? Come and see. You can’t really know if you are looking on from a distance. You have to come close, like Peter and Andrew did. Spend some time with the Lord. Spend time in his presence.

They were lucky enough to be able to hang out with the Lord, just like brothers. They would spend three years together. They would work together and eat together and go fishing together. They would talk. They would talk about everything! They would share everything. Secrets. Successes. Failures. They would celebrate the birth of children and grieve the death of loved ones. They would help each other through tough times. Jesus would come to know everything about them, and they would come to know him.

They would see his strength and power and wisdom. They would see his compassion and patience and commitment. They would see Jesus as an obedient son, following his mother’s instructions to help some friends when they ran out of wine at their wedding. They would see Jesus as an angry protester, driving peddlers, salesmen and money changers out of the temple. They would see Jesus as a risk-taking reformer who would offer unvirtuous women, hopeless sinners, and countless lost causes a second chance at life. They would see Jesus frustrate the proud and arrogant and lift up the weak and vulnerable. They would see him walk on water, feed 5000 people with five loaves of bread and 2 little old fish, and bring the dead back to life. They would see. They would see it all! They would even see Jesus suffer the abuses of an unjust legal system. And then they would see him die on a cross like a criminal. But they would also see him rise up to live again in victory!

They would see it all. As they followed Jesus. As they spent time in his presence.

People today are still looking for a hero. We will look in all kinds of places and to all kinds of people. Politicians. Preachers. Physicians. Athletes. Academics. Armies. Musicians. Moguls. Monks. We will search and search and search, desperately trying to find someone who can help us find our way out of the mess we have gotten ourselves into.

But the savior we seek is right here among us, just as he was thousands of years ago on the banks of the Jordan River. Jesus is our savior. Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the one who takes away the sin of the world. How does he do it? Come and see. You have to come and see. You have to see for yourself. You have to spend time with Jesus. Through prayer. Bible study. Worship. Fellowship with other believers. Serving others. Jesus invites us to come and see.

But be warned: It’s a decision that will change your life forever. That’s what happens when we spend time with Jesus. We are changed. He washes away the sin of the world. How does he do it? Come and see. You can’t really know if you are looking on from a distance. You have to come close, like Peter and Andrew did. Spend some time with the Lord. Spend time in his presence. And you will be changed. It may not happen right away. It might! Your life might change in a moment. God can do that. One thing you discover when you spend time with Jesus is that God can do ANYTHING. God can give sight to the blind, compassion to the heartless, and hope to the hopeless. God made us, and God can CHANGE us. God can make a saint out of every sinner. Sometimes, it happens in a moment. And for that we say, “Thank you, Jesus!” But it may happen slowly. As we walk day by day, moment by moment, side by side with Christ.

God can make a saint out of every sinner. But it only happens when we spend time in the presence of the Lord. So come and see.

Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above him there's no other. Jesus is the way. 2X

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind

and traces of discouragement and peace you cannot find.

Reflections of the old past, they seem to face you every day.

There's one thing that I know for sure. Jesus is the way.

I know that you got mountains that you think you cannot climb.

I know that your skies have been dark. You think the sun won’t shine.

In case you don’t know I’m here to tell you that the word of God is true

And everything that he promised I tell you he would do it for you.[i]

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[i] Andrae Crouch. “Jesus is the Answer.” Published online at http://www.elyrics.net/read/a/andrae-crouch-lyrics/jesus-is-the-answer-lyrics.html. Downloaded January 12, 2017.

The heavens are opened

My dad taught me to swim. I don’t know why it was my dad. My mom was a stronger swimmer. She had taken classes in college and often practiced different strokes in the pool at the apartment complex where we lived in Parkway Village. But it was my dad who taught me to swim.

Things began well. Dad taught me to “breathe” underwater, then how to float, and, finally, to swim. Then it was time to take a dive. At that point, all the trust that I had gained in my father – and in myself – just disappeared. It came whooshing out like air from a busted raft! Horrific images filled my vision every time I stood at the edge of the pool and looked down into the water. Seemed like all I could see was concrete, and I quite well what happens when a body hits concrete! Dad realized we would have to progress slowly. VERY slowly. We could start, he said, by jumping in feet first. But I wouldn’t even do that!

I couldn’t tell you how much time we spent – my dad and I – stuck in that one spot. Dad stood in waist-deep water, holding out his arms, and saying, “Trust me, baby. I’ll catch you.” And I stood obstinately at the edge of the pool and slowly shook my head, “No.” But my dad refused to give up on me. Oh, he got frustrated alright! He got exasperated and downright mad even. But he did not give up on me. And he did not let me off the hook. He KNEW I could do it. And he was determined to prove it to me, too.

Slowly, it began to sink in. My dad had not let me drown when he was teaching me to stick my head under water. He had not let me sink to the bottom when he was teaching me to float. And he had been there to hold me up when I was learning the breaststroke. Dad had proved to be reliable. He even seemed to know what he was talking about! So, chances were pretty good that he would not let me hit the concrete floor of that pool now. So, after what must have been about a hundred false starts, I finally gathered up my courage, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and jumped! And Dad caught me. He was faithful. He had waited me out, and he was there to catch me, just as he had promised. As I shook the water out of my eyes, I remember my father’s voice, calling out from far overhead, “Way to go, Jody Lynn! I am SO proud of you!” It is a moment I will never forget.

So much was wrapped up in that one moment! When I took that leap of faith, I came to see how much my Dad loved me because he was there for me and he believed in me. He believed in me when nobody else did. And he was proud of me! He proudly proclaimed to everybody who would listen that I was HIS child. And, with that kind of love and confidence behind me, I felt like I could do ANYTHING!

That’s what baptism is all about. It’s about being claimed by God. It’s about the heavens opening up as you realize, perhaps for the first time or maybe for the millionth time, just how much God loves you.

That’s how it happened for Jesus. He was a grown man, and he came from Galilee one day to his cousin John, who was baptizing people in the Jordan River. Needless to say, it is an important event. It is so important that all four gospel writers tell us about the baptism of Jesus, but the facts of the story change, depending on who is telling it. In Matthew’s gospel, we are told that Jesus has just come up out of the Jordan River when a voice from heaven proclaims, “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Can you imagine how it must have felt to hear those words? “This is MY son. I LOVE him. And I am so very proud of him.” Surely, every child lives to hear those words. “This is MY child.” To be claimed. To be given an identity.

Jesus was one of those kids who probably grew up being a little bit confused about his parentage. Even if Mary and Joseph had always claimed Jesus as their son, surely he must have heard the rumors. About Mary getting pregnant before the wedding. And the claim that she had not had sex until after Jesus was born. That, somehow, the child conceived in Mary was from the Holy Spirit. Scripture tells us that Jesus was wise beyond his years, but, still, that’s a lot for a kid to take in. It’s a lot for GROWN-UPS to understand. So you just figure, if Jesus was human, like us, and grew, like us, then there MUST have been times in his life when he wondered, “Who AM I REALLY?”

Surely there were times when Jesus had an inkling, a feeling, some level of awareness that he was God’s child. You know Mary must have told Jesus about Joseph’s dream and the star and the wise men and all the scripture that was fulfilled when he was born. But, still, there’s nothing quite like hearing the words, “This is MY Child! Oh, how I love him! I am so very pleased with him.”

Matthew tells us that, when Jesus was baptized the heavens were opened, and of course they were! The awareness, the insight, the understanding … to suddenly be able to see yourself as GOD sees you! Precious! Beloved! Chosen! Could anything be any better than this? It must have been a huge moment in the life of Christ.

It is a huge moment in anyone’s life. Sometimes, it happens all at once. The heavens are opened, and there’s a big, blinded by the light, sudden realization that YOU are God’s beloved child. That God loves YOU so much that he sent Jesus into the world to save YOU from sin. But, for a lot of us, especially those of us who have been raised in church, hearing the stories of Jesus over and over, the heavens may happen slowly over time.[iii] It may not even happen in worship. You might be at camp or a Christian concert or in Vacation Bible School when the heavens are opened and you realize that God truly loves YOU.

Or it may happen in a more ordinary and unexpected way.[iv] Maybe you’re out looking at the stars one night and the heavens are opened and God speaks peace right into your heart. Or you’re holding your first grandchild and the heavens are opened and your heart is flooded with a profound sense of love and joy and gratitude. Or maybe you’re standing by the side of a loved one’s grave and the heavens are opened and you realize that there is indeed life beyond death. The heavens can be opened in many different ways and at many different times in our lives. God can speak, and we can be converted more than once. Because conversion is about changing. And the love of God, which is recognized in our baptism, isn’t just planted in us. It takes root and continues to grow.[v]

That’s what happened to Fayette.[vi] Fayette was a homeless woman who lived with mental illness and lupus. Years ago, she found her way to Hobson UMC in Nashville, where she joined a new members class. The pastor, a woman named Janet Wolf, told the class that baptism is that holy moment when we are named by God’s grace with such power it will NOT come undone. That really grabbed Fayette’s imagination. Time and again, Fayette would ask the class, “And when I’m baptized, I am…?” The class learned to respond, “Beloved, precious child of God, and beautiful to behold.” “Oh yes!” Fayette would say, and then the class would go back to its discussion.

On the day of her baptism, Fayette went under, came up spluttering and cried, “And now I am…?” And the whole congregation sang, “Beloved, precious child of God, and beautiful to behold!” “Oh, yes!” Fayette shouted as she danced all around the fellowship hall.

Two months later, the pastor received a phone call. Fayette had been beaten and raped and was at the county hospital. The pastor went right away. From a distance, she could see Fayette pacing back and forth. When the pastor got to the door, she heard, “I am beloved….” Fayette turned, saw the pastor, and said, “I am beloved, precious child of God, and ….” Then she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair was sticking up, blood and tears streaked her face. Her dress was torn and dirty and buttoned wrong. Fayette started again. “I am beloved, precious child of God, and ….” She looked in the mirror again. Then she declared, “… and God is still working on me. If you come back tomorrow, I’ll be so beautiful I’ll take your breath away!”

Fayette got it. The heavens were opened, and she truly understood that God loves her. One of the most profound songs of the Christian faith is a simple children’s tune. “Jesus loves me, this I know.” But there are so many people who DON’T know. They have NOT heard. For them, the heavens have not opened. They are closed. They have no idea how precious they are to God. And the sad is truth is that they do not know because we have not told them.

When we join the church, we promise to serve as Christ’s representatives in the world. Jesus came so that we might know just how much God loves us. For many of us, the heavens HAVE been opened. We have heard the voice of God calling our names and saying, “This is my child. Oh, how I love you!” And the Spirit has been poured out on us, just as it was poured out on Jesus! So we know the truth. And we have the power! We have the power to open up the heavens for others.

We have the power. Will we use it?

  

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[i] Baptism and Confirmation. Claim the Name: Confirmation Teaching Plans. Crystal A. Zinkiewicz, senior editor. Nashville: Cokesbury. The United Methodist Publishing House, 2000. P. 126.

[ii] Zinkiewicz, 126.

[iii] Rev. Dr. Dawn Chesser. “The Heavens Are Opened- Preaching Notes.” Published on the United Methodist Discipleship Ministries website at https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/the-heavens-are-opened-preaching-notes. Downloaded January 7, 2017.

[iv] Chesser.

[v] Chesser.

[vi] The story of Fayette’s baptism is told by Janet Wolf in a story entitled, “Chosen for…”which is published in Companions in Christ: Leader’s Guide. Stephen D. Bryant, Janice T. Grana, and Marjorie J. Thompson, eds. Nashville: Upper Room Books, 2001. Pp. 36-37.

The ghost of Christmas future

He had seen the future, and he didn’t like it one bit. So he set out to change it. By changing himself. See, Ebeneezer Scrooge knew that he had made bad choices in life. He had been so driven to succeed that he had driven away anyone who cared about him. He loved money more than people so he had turned his back on anyone in need. He did not actively hurt them, not physically, anyway. Words were his weapon of choice. Words and indifference. Scrooge did the most damage to others simply by choosing not to see them. But, one Christmas, his eyes were opened. He saw clearly all that he had been missing. All the joy. And all the opportunities.

Scrooge had the power to make a lot of people happy. He had the means to make them happy. He had opportunities to make them happy. He had LOTS of opportunities to make a difference, but, for most of his life, Scrooge had failed to take advantage of any of them. Unless something changed, and changed quickly, all that money that Scrooge had accumulated would simply be wasted. It did not bring him joy, and it did not help anyone.

Not until love was born in Scrooge. Love was just a word. A notion. An idea. And one that Scrooge scoffed at, to be honest. Until it was born in him that Christmas. But once love WAS born in Scrooge, he donated a huge sum of money to charity, bought a prize turkey for the Cratchit family’s Christmas dinner, gave his clerk a raise and pledged to help the struggling family. When love was born in Scrooge, he helped Tiny Tim get the medical care that would save his life. In fact, the reborn Scrooge spent so much time with the Cratchits that he became like a second father to the frail child. That Christmas, love took on flesh in Scrooge.

That’s what Christmas is all about: Word taking on flesh.

The first chapter of John’s gospel tells us that the Word of God became flesh when Jesus was born. The Word had always been there. With God. The Word was there when everything came into being. In fact, everything came into being THROUGH the Word. Without the Word, nothing would have ever existed. Not one tree. Not one snowflake. Not one shooting star. All things came into being through the Word. All things and all people.

One day, God said, “Let us make humankind in our image.” So we were created in the image of the Word. And God led humanity through the Word.

Over the years, God had a lot of good words for the people. Words like victory, love, faithfulness, joy, gratitude, righteousness, equity, peace and justice. But, when you’re living by faith in a God you cannot see, it can be easy to doubt. To get discouraged. Or give up hope.

So the Word took on flesh. At Christmas, the Almighty God, the One who created all things and rules all things, the Lord God Almighty came into our world as a helpless child. God came to us as one of us. The Word took on flesh in Jesus. So we could finally see for ourselves what God is really like.

The Gospels are full of stories of the Word made flesh. In Jesus, we can see the Word at work in the world. We don’t have to figure out what it means to love. Jesus shows us when he heals a man who had been sick for 38 years. We don’t have to figure out what it means to forgive. Jesus shows us when he does not condemn a woman caught in adultery. We don’t have to figure out what it means to serve. Jesus shows us when he washes the feet of his followers. The Word took on flesh.

There are a lot of good words in us. And God calls us to let those good words take on flesh. It’s not enough to say, “You can trust me.” God calls us to embody trust. To be trustworthy.[i] It’s not enough to say, “Peace be with you.” God calls us to embody peace. To be peacemakers. It’s not enough to say, “I am a Christian.” God calls us to embody Christ. To be Christ-like. That’s what it means for the Word to take on flesh in us.

And amazing things happen when the Word takes on flesh. When the Word takes on flesh in us, it becomes real for those around us.

Early this spring, a desperate situation turned deadly when Philippine security forces fired on a peaceful demonstration of 5,000 farmers who were asking for rice.[ii] The hungry people got bullets from the government, but were offered compassion and shelter by Bishop Ciriaco Francisco and other members of the Spottswood Methodist Mission Center. The bishop’s decision to offer sanctuary to the starving families put him in danger, and he was threatened with arrest. But he was adamant. “…it is a sin to deny them food,” he said.

The protesters were blocking Quezon Boulevard, a major road that runs in front of the Spottswood mission center, which is the home of the bishop’s office. When the violence broke out, protesters poured into the center, and the compound was surrounded by police. The violence left three dead and 18 severely injured. Close to a 100 people were wounded, and scores were missing. The center sheltered thousands of women, men and children for three days.

The province of Cotabato, where the farmers live, was under a “state of calamity” due to El Nino phenomenon, a weather condition that destroyed crops. The farmers were starving and were asking for 15,000 sacks of rice.

“The farmers gathered for three days in front of the National Food Authority warehouse hoping the governor would listen to their cries,” Bishop Francisco said. “But her heart was callous and she did not listen.”

However, the farmers finally received rice from non-government organizations, private individuals and religious groups. They got help because words like “compassion” and “justice” took on flesh in Bishop Francisco. The Word took on flesh, and countless lives have been forever changed.

That’s what happens when the Word takes on flesh. Lives are changed. Life changes. And we move ever closer to the future God envisioned for us so many years ago. A future of endless peace when the Son of God is seated on the throne, and his authority grows all the time.

It's simple, really. The future changes when we change. God has given us so many good words, words like peace, justice, righteousness, salvation, comfort, redemption, power, life, light, healing, wholeness, joy. What good words are within you just waiting, waiting to take on flesh?[iii]

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.

We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell; O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel![iv]

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[i] Parker J. Palmer. “When Words Become Flesh: Risking Vulnerability in a Violent World.” Published Wednesday, December 23, 2015 on the On Being with Krista Tippett website at www.onbeing.org. Downloaded December 23, 2016.

[ii] The story of Bishop Francisco is told by Kathy Gilbert in “Philippines bishop honored for sheltering poor.” Published December 15, 2016 on the United Methodist Church website at www.umc.org/news-and-media/philippine-bishop-honored-for-sheltering-poor. Downloaded December 24, 2016.

[iii] Palmer.

[iv] Phillips Brooks. “O Little Town of Bethlehem.” The United Methodist Hymnal. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989. 230.

The ghost of Christmas present

Sometimes Christmas is not all that it is cracked up to be. We like to sing about a silent night but the reality is something very different. It always has been. When Christ was born, it was anything BUT quiet. Or peaceful.

Palestine and every other country in the Mediterranean was ruled by the Roman Empire, and, even though Caesar was supposed to have been divinely ordained to bring peace and salvation to the whole world, the empire had been rocked by murder and civil war. Conquered people, like the Jews, were kept in line by threats of attack by the massive Roman army. In Israel, Herod was installed as King, cities were named after Caesar, and Jewish priests were required to make sacrifices to him. Numerous Roman temples and fortresses were built, and the Jews were taxed to pay for all of it.

That is why Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem that night. The governor of Syria had decided to count all the citizens, presumably so he could make sure everyone was paying taxes. And, for whatever reason, Quirinius thought it was a good idea to make everyone return to their home towns in order to be counted.

It was a HUGE inconvenience. It’s not like they could jump in a car and make a quick road trip. For Joseph and Mary, it meant walking 100 miles, over mountains to the Sea of Galilee and then south through the desert until they reached the rocky hills of Bethlehem. It was a difficult journey, and a dangerous one. Thieves often attacked travelers on the road. But none of that mattered to Quirinius, as long as he got what he wanted.

He did not care about the Jews. To be honest, no one did. The Romans and their supporters had all the power. They owned most of the land, and they were the only ones who could hold political office, so their interests were the only ones directly represented in the government. The rich lived luxurious lives in the city. They rented out their land in the countryside to tenant farmers, who paid substantial rents and taxes. But the tax revenue was not used to build schools or improve roads, things that might benefit the poor. Instead, it was all used to further the interests of the rich. International trade also focused on the desires of the rich. And, even though others worked the land, rich land owners decided what crops to plant. Of course, they wanted to make the most money possible, so they favored cash crops instead of growing food that the poor could live on. As a result, most people were constantly in danger of hunger or starvation. Since most farms were too small for workers to make a comfortable living, some became day laborers to make ends meet, but work was not steady. Farmers and tradesmen often fell into debt, and failure to pay could be disastrous. The debtor and his family could be sold as slaves, or they might be tortured or imprisoned to force other family members to pay the debt. Anyone without family was extremely vulnerable.[i]

But those were not the only problems facing the people of Israel. God had not spoken to them for 400 years. There had been no word from God, no new prophet, since Malachi.[ii] And their own nation was divided. Four different groups sought to lead the people. Riots were common, and everyone lived in a constant state of stress and anxiety.[iii]

On top of all that, they lived in a highly structured class system that declared some more honorable than others. Associating with anyone less honorable could bring shame on your whole family.

That’s the world that Jesus was born into. A world of poverty, prejudice, injustice and violence. That’s the reality of Christmas. Jesus was born in the midst of chaos. In the midst of confusion. In the midst of noise. He was born in a tiny town that was overrun with weary travelers. To parents who were dirty, tired and disgraced. To a nation that was occupied by a powerful enemy. To a land where the rich and powerful exploited the poor and weak. The Son of the Most High God was born into a dangerous and difficult world. But he came! He came! Just as God promised! He came!

Jesus was born like us, into a world full of sin and death and disease. Into a world of conflict and crime and conceit. Into a world that celebrated strength. Jesus was born. He was born as a weak and vulnerable child. Helpless. Defenseless. Completely at the mercy of God and man.

This is the reality of Christmas. It’s messy. It’s scary. It’s hard! It’s life.

And life is what Ebeneezer Scrooge needed to see. He had lived for far too long behind carefully constructed walls that kept the world at a distance. So the Ghost of Christmas Present came and commanded Scrooge to come and see and know.[iv]

Then the Spirit showed Scrooge the world as it truly is, which is what the Spirit will do for all of us, if we are willing to open our eyes and see. That night, Scrooge saw hard work and joy. Simplicity and beauty. Poverty and grace. Everywhere there was hardship and peace. Miners on a bleak desert moor. Lighthouse keepers on a dismal reef of sunken rock. Sailors on a black and heaving sea. They knew what Scrooge had failed to see.[v] The Son of God was born into their world. Jesus had come to save them from the chaos. Jesus had come to them.

Sometimes Christmas isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. We need to see. We need to see the hardworking people around us. The poor. The lonely. We need to see those who are separated from their families. Those who are sick. Those who are in prison. We need to see those who will spend Christmas in a shelter or passed out on park bench or dancing in some strip club. We need to see. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the world around us. Ignorance brings destruction.

But the good news of Christmas is that Jesus Christ is born! He has come like us to live in this world, in this present reality. Right here where we are. Wherever we are. Whoever we are.

The angel told the shepherds living in the fields, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for ALL the people!” Even for dirty shepherds who were considered unclean, unworthy, and unacceptable. To YOU is born this day a Savior!

We cannot turn a blind eye to the world because Jesus is in the world. Jesus has come to save us ALL. Jesus has come into our turbulent world to save us from the chaos. Jesus has come to give us peace. Lord knows, we need it.

On Tuesday, August 16, 2005, Brother Roger, the founder of a Catholic community in Taize, France, was stabbed to death during a prayer service. While the brothers were praying, a Romanian woman emerged from the congregation and murdered the 90-year-old man in his wheelchair. At his funeral service, the brothers lifted up the name of the murderer and asked God to forgive her.[vi] They found peace in the chaos. Jesus gave them peace.

We may not witness murder, but are witnesses daily to the suffering of others. Sometimes, we are the ones who suffer. To all of us, the angels sing, “I bring you good news of great joy! To you is born this day a Savior! Glory to God and on earth peace.”

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[i] Much of the history is from “The Life and Times of First-Century Palestine.” Published on the St. Mary’s Press website at www.smp.org/resourcecenter/resource/4011/. Copyrighted 2010 by St. Mary’s Press. Downloaded December 19, 2016. P 7.

[ii] David Schrock. “Darkness: The World in Which Christ was Born.” Published December 12, 2011 on the Via Emmaus website at https://davidschrock.com/2011/12/12/darkness-the-world-in-which-christ-was-born/. Downloaded December 19, 2016.

[iii] Schrock.

[iv] Charles Dickens.  A Christmas Carol. New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1962. 57

[v] Dickens, 60-77.

[vi] Matt Rawle. The Redemption of Scrooge. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016. Location 1153, Kindle edition.