Sunday, April 29, 2007

4 Easter, Year C

“BELIEVING AND KNOWING”
Given at St. John’s Church, Centralia, IL, Saturday, April 28th, 2007; and at the Church of the Redeemer, Cairo, IL, Sunday, April 29th, 2007

“I believe in order to know, and I know in order to believe….”

I wish I knew who said that (I heard it in seminary)….It is a statement that describes the process of coming into a personal relationship with the Lord.

“I believe in order to know, and I know in order to believe.”

Sometimes (oftentimes), I play a game with my wife, and it involves almost any question that she might ask me, in which the word “or” is found….For example, if she asks me, “would you like chocolate or vanilla?”, I always respond, “yes!” My point is: why ask me to choose between two perfectly good and necessary things (in this case, chocolate and vanilla), two things that (in my view, at least), always go together.

So, if you were to ask me the question, “is it believing or knowing?” I would respond, “yes!”

The point here is that we cannot separate believing and knowing….they are two things that go together.

And that seems to be the point of Jesus’ comments to the Jewish leadership[1] that had gathered around Him in the Portico of Solomon of the ancient Temple in Jerusalem.

For, in answer to their question, “how long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly”, He says to them today, “I have told you, and you do not believe.”

But why do they not believe? Jesus goes on, “you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep.”

We ought to pause right there for a moment….By using the image of sheep, and the shepherd’s voice, whom the sheep know, Jesus is continuing a discourse that has occupied the first 18 verses of chapter 10. In it, Jesus says, “I am the gate for the sheep….whoever enters by me will be saved.” [2] And a few verses later, He says, “I am the good shepherd, I know my own, and my own know me.” [3]

Believing and knowing….

Let’s look at both believing and knowing….

  • Believing involves a movement of faith, or as the dictionary says, “to have confidence in the truth of something without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.” So believing asks us to move out of our familiar place into a new place. Believing involves risk.

  • Knowing assures us that we have come to the place of (as the dictionary says) “perceiving or understanding as fact or truth, apprehending clearly and with certainty”. So knowing confirms the move of confidence made previously by believing.


But, when it comes to matters of God, are we being asked to step out in “blind faith”?

I think the answer from our Gospel reading today is quite clear: the answer is “no”.

Jesus responds to His questioners today by saying, “I have told you (who I am), and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me…”

So the proof that Jesus offers consists of the works done in the Father’s name and the words He spoke which accompanied those works.

So, in essence, God the Father has provided enough proof in the works that the Son does, and in the words spoken by the Son, to provide a basis for belief. For the Gospel writer, the works are central to proving the identity of Jesus Christ.

But Jesus’ hearers are unable to step out of their “comfort zone” into a new relationship with Him. “You do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep”, He tells them.

The implication (returning to the image of the sheep and the shepherd) is that the sheep have come to know the voice of the shepherd because the shepherd has first gathered the sheep together, and then has proven his leadership by his actions, taken for the welfare of the flock.

So the voice of the shepherd and the shepherd’s actions provide the basis for the sheep to believe in the shepherd, and to come to the place of trusting him.

But what about us?....we are 21st century Christians, who have not had the benefit of seeing Jesus’ works first hand. [4] What proof do we have to allow us to take the risky step of believing in Him?

I think we have three resources available to us, to help us to take that risky step of believing, and through believing, to come to the place of knowing. These three are:

  • The words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd: These are recorded in Holy Scripture. But Scripture isn’t a dead book, nor is it merely the record of God’s mighty acts in a time long ago and far away. An example from the musical world will illustrate a central point about Scripture: A great piece of music is merely a collection of notes and words on a page until someone picks up that page, and gives it life when the music on the page is played and heard. Scripture is like that: it comes alive when people pick it up, read it, believe the truths that it contains, and apply it to their lives. So Jesus’ words come to us directly, down through time through the agency of the human author.

  • The works of Jesus: In John 20: 30, we read, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in His name.” The intention of the writers of Scripture is to convey to us the truth of what Jesus did during His earthly ministry. They are writing out of their first-hand experience of Jesus’ words and works.

  • The Holy Spirit: “when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak what ever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come” Jesus tells His disciples. [5] The thrust of John’s gospel account is: the words of Jesus, the written account of Jesus, and the continuing presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, who will “guide us into all truth”.


What conclusions might we draw from all of this? Is it a matter of believing OR knowing?

Or is it a matter of believing AND knowing?

“I believe in order to know, and I know in order to believe” is the way we began this sermon….

The walk of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a matter of believing and knowing….Often, we have some basis for putting our trust in the Lord…it might be through the reading of Holy Scripture, it might be through a healing that has taken place in ourselves or in someone we know, it might be through the miracle of a radically changed life (either our own, or someone else’s). For the mighty works that Jesus did in his earthly life are still being done today: healings take place, and lives are radically changed.
[6]

So God provides us with some sort of proof that what Scripture claims in the power and the working of Jesus Christ is really true. And we come to believe those claims and that power.

Surely enough, we come to know this for a fact: “truth” with a capital “T”.

And as we come to know God personally, often as a result of that risky step of believing, we are ready to believe still more deeply in the mystery of God, working in the person of Jesus Christ. So believing makes it possible for us to know, and knowing makes it possible for us to believe still more.

For the whole point of John’s gospel account is to bring us to the place of believing and knowing, that we might have life eternal with God through Jesus Christ, His son.

AMEN.

[1] When John uses the term “the Jews”, he is usually referring to the leadership of the Jewish people, that is, the Chief Priests, the Scribes, the Pharisees, and so forth.
[2] John 10: 7, 9
[3] John 10: 14
[4] For us, who have not seen, and yet have come to believe, there is a blessing reserved….In John 20: 29, Jesus (speaking to Thomas) says, “Do you believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not see and yet have come to believe.”
[5] John 16: 13
[6] “Very truly, I tell you (Jesus says), the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14: 12). Clearly, the implication is that Jesus’ works will be carried on by His disciples, the same sorts of things that He did being done by those who believe and know Him.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

3 Easter, Year C

“LOOKING FORWARD INTO THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH”
Given at St. Mark’s Church, West Frankfort, IL; and at St. James’ Memorial Church, Marion, IL


“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18 tells us.

A vision of the future is what today’s Gospel reading is trying to give us, many scholars believe….It’s a vision of how Jesus will take care of and provide for His people, that is, the Church, after His death, resurrection and ascension.

As we join the scene, we see a picture of the disciples, having gone to the region of Galilee, and specifically to the Sea of Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee) ostensibly for the purpose of doing some fishing.

Many scholars have puzzled over the reasons for Simon Peter’s saying to the other six disciples, “I am going fishing.” Was it because: 1) Peter was returning to his old ways and his old occupation of fishing1; OR 2) Peter and the others were “biding time”, waiting for “further instructions” from the Lord about what they were to do next?

We simply don’t know.

But whatever the reasons for their presence in Galilee, there are some clear lessons that John wants us to “get” from today’s events.

But first, we ought to recognize that chapter 21 of John is a chapter which looks forward into the church’s future. Most Bible commentators agree on that point….Chapter 21 is a vision for the Church’s life after Jesus’ resurrection. The reasons for this outlook are:

  • The Galilee encounter we read about today occurs after Jesus’ “hour”, that is, after Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection.

  • The point seems to be that, just as Jesus had cared for and provided for His people before His passion, death and resurrection, He would do so afterward, as well….Notice the link in today’s text to John 6: 1 – 15, the feeding of the 5,000: in both accounts, bread and fish are miraculously supplied by the Lord.

  • Events which are still far in the future (from the original Apostles’ point-of-view) are mentioned at the end of the chapter: Peter’s restoration to the Lord’s favor by the asking (and answering) of the three questions, “Peter, do you love me?”, and the oblique mentions of Peter’s eventual martyrdom and the Beloved Disciple’s (identified in the chapter as the teller of the story) natural death.

So, what vision does today’s reading give us? Here seem to be some of the main points Our Lord wants us to remember about life in Christ, within the body of believers:

  • Jesus will go ahead of us, to meet us wherever we are: Notice, in verse four, that “Jesus stood on the shore”. The point seems to be, whether or not Peter and the others intended to just “turn their backs” on the whole passion and resurrection experience, even in faraway Galilee, Jesus met them where they were.

  • Jesus knows their situation: Jesus’ question (verse five), “Children, you have no fish, have you?” seems to indicate that Jesus knows already that their night of fishing has been all for nothing.

  • Jesus’ divine power is demonstrated by His knowledge: Jesus tells them to cast their net to the right side of the boat. Only then, is the night of fishing transformed into a productive one.

  • Fruitfulness comes through obedience: John tells us that the disciples followed Jesus’ command (verse six).

  • Jesus is recognized through the results which come from obedience: Only when the large catch of fish, 153 in all,2 is Jesus recognized, as the Beloved Disciple exclaims, “it is the Lord!”

  • Jesus provides for His people: Notice that breakfast is already ready once the disciples reach the shore. The fish that had been caught were added to what the Lord had already provided.

What conclusions might we draw from today’s reading, for our lives as Christian believers in the 21st century?

Perhaps the major lesson might be: God is providing us with a vision of life in Christ, Our Lord’s continuing care for His children, now that the passion, death and resurrection are accomplished. By God’s gracious providence, Our Lord will go ahead of us, to be present in our situations, wherever they might take us. By God’s gracious love, Jesus’ knowledge of every situation (a key feature of John’s Gospel) makes it possible for Him to provide for us. When we are faithful, our work, done in His sight, will be fruitful, and we will recognize God’s presence in the results of our labors.

God provides for His people, sure enough! AMEN.


1 We do not know from John’s Gospel account that Peter was a fisherman. Only Matthew and Mark relate that detail of Peter’s life before he met Jesus.
2
Scholars from very early times have wondered if the number of fish cited means anything beyond the literal number of fish. No conclusive consensus has ever emerged. It’s entirely possible that the disciples (or the eyewitness) simply counted the number of fish once they had reached the shore.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

2 Easter, Year C

“THE ULTIMATE SIGN”
Given at Church of the Redeemer, Cairo, IL, Saturday, on April 14th, 2007; and at St. Stephen’s Church, Harrisburg, IL, on Sunday, April 15th, 2007

“Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples…..”1

Did those words stand out to you: “many other miraculous signs”?

They point back to the most miraculous sign of all: Jesus’ resurrection. They also point back to the other miraculous things that Jesus did, signs that John recorded earlier in his Gospel account.

In this part of John’s Gospel, we seem to be bringing together many threads that have played themselves out over the previous twenty chapters. So let’s look at some of them, as they are referred to in today’s appearance accounts: first to the disciples in Easter Sunday evening, and then to Thomas, a week later….

Among the threads we discover are these:

  1. “Take heart, I have overcome the world”:2 Here we see Jesus overcoming the world…how so?: look at today’s account:

    Jesus walks through a closed and locked door….the implication is that the physical limitations and boundaries will no longer be able to contain Him.
    Jesus shows the disciples His hands and His side….the power of the nails and the spear to destroy are of no effect any longer.

  2. “Your grief will turn to joy”:3 Today’s account records the disciples’ joy after Jesus showed them His hands and His side.

  3. “When he, the Spirit of Truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.”:4 Jesus’ bestowal of the Holy Spirit fulfills His promise. The gift of the Holy Spirit means:

    New life in God: just as the spirit of God moved over the waters at the beginning of creation, the movement of the Holy Spirit as it is given means the beginning of new life in God through Jesus Christ. Believing is the way we enter into this new life (a consistent point of John’s Gospel account).
    The end of fear: Notice that the disciples were gathered together behind closed doors “because of fear of the Jews” (verse 19). But, after Jesus breathes on them and says, “receive the Holy Spirit”, there is no more mention of fear.

    The Holy Spirit will assist the disciples in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ: “If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven, if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” What might this mean? One commentator5 suggests the answer is to be found in John 16: 8 – 9: “when he (the Spirit of Truth) comes, he will convict the world of guilt, in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment…” For John’s writing, the definition of sin is to be “unbelieving”, just the situation Jesus encouraged Thomas not to fall into.

But all these signs point forward: they point to you and to me….Sometimes, I wish John had left a blank in his writing at this point….I wish he’d left a blank so that I could fill in my name: It’d read like this: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of His disciples which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you, Gene, might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you, Gene, might have life in His name.”

Now, of course, the idea isn’t just to be able to put my name in that space, but that each of you would put your name in that imaginary space, as well.

That’s why the Lord came in the first place, to show God’s love (see John 3: 16) in order that all might have life in the name of Jesus Christ.

One final note: In John 1:50, we read Jesus’ words to Nathaniel, “you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than these.” And so it came to be: Jesus demonstrated by the miraculous signs that accompanied His ministry that “God was with Him”6

The most miraculous sign of all is Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, the sign that capped all the other signs He did. And those signs still continue, for people have been putting their names in the ranks of the believers, believing in Jesus Christ and in His resurrection ever since. Thanks be to God!


1 John 20:30
2 John 16:33
3 John 16:20
4 John 16:13
5 Gail R. O’Day, in The New Interpreter’s Bible article “The Gospel of John: Introduction, Commentary and Reflections”
6 John 3:2

Sunday, April 08, 2007

Easter Day, Year C

"WHERE'S THE PROOF?"
Given at Church of the Redeemer, Cairo, IL; Sunday, April 8th, 2007

A few years back, a hamburger chain (I think it was Wendy’s) had a TV commercial which showed the proverbial “little old lady”, as she marched up the counter, asking “where’s the beef?” (For added emphasis, I think she banged her cane on the countertop.)

Essentially, that “little old lady” was asking “where’s the proof?” (that that particular hamburger chain’s burgers actually had real beef in it).

It’s the same question we face whenever we think about the foundation of our own faith, or try to explain that basis to others.

We are asking, “where’s the proof?”…..”where’s the proof of Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead?”.

That question is the central question that faces us on this day, the Day of Resurrection, or Easter Sunday. It is also the question that we will be asked by those unbelievers around us: “where’s the proof (that the Resurrection actually happened)?”

For on this day, Scripture tells us that the women who went to the tomb, and later on, the disciples they (in turn) had told, found an empty tomb, and the large stone rolled away.

But the unbelieving world around us has a different focus: they want to see the security camera footage of the lifeless body of Jesus as it takes breath again. They want to see the infra red images of the darkened tomb. They want to see the record of the heat sensors as they begin to detect the body’s temperature returning to normal.

But, as carefully has I have read Holy Scripture over the past 50+ years, it took a seminary professor to remind me of a central fact of the Resurrection accounts: None of them narrate the actual resurrection itself!

Stunning, isn’t it? None of them narrate the actual Resurrection itself.

Instead, they record all sorts of other details: the stone rolled away; the burial clothes lying, neatly folded; the two angels; the earthquake that Matthew tells us about.

But above all, they tell us about Jesus’ Resurrection appearances: first to the women (in the culture of the day 2,000 years ago, the appearance to the women was extraordinary! – what a place women have had in the Gospel story, down through the ages!); the appearances to Peter, the Beloved Disciple, and others, as the women themselves go and tell the 11; the eating and drinking with the disciples; the moving through closed and locked doors, and so forth.

The emphasis is on Jesus’ disciples, and it is there that we find the proof we are looking for: For the changed lives of these 11 disciples, and those who had followed Jesus during His earthly ministry, are where the proof is to be found.

Consider Peter, as a wonderful example: Peter was, in effect, a “bumbling fool”, a person who was capable of standing up for the Gospel in one minute, only to find himself with his foot in his mouth the next. Peter was the one, who, in a cowardly moment, denied the Lord three times. But, after the Resurrection, Peter became a reliable and powerful preacher of the Good News of Jesus’ Resurrection.

So, perhaps on this glorious day, it would be good for us to recall the proofs we have received:

  • Holy Scripture: The Bible is a record of God’s dealing with people, down through the ages. As such, it has a divine thread (God, who is the central focus in the story) and a human thread (human writers who recorded their experiences of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit). It is here that we find the written record of the Resurrection events, the closest thing we have to our need for the security camera footage, the infra red camera, and the heat sensors of today.

  • The impact on the Disciples’ (now Apostles’) lives: Personally, I believe this is among the surest proof we have….The Apostles’ experience of the risen Jesus changed their lives so that this proof became more powerful than any other proof (including the experience of a martyr’s death).[1]

  • The witness of the saints down through the ages: A changed life is the surest proof of the presence of Christ, alive and living within a person’s heart. Though many movements, causes, and “isms”[2] come and go as time rolls along, yet the Christian faith endures. And, there is something different about the Christian faith from all other secular movements. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church endures throughout time, and, Scripture tells us, it shall endure until the Last Day when the Lord shall return in great glory.

So now, the focus changes, and it is on us. For, now, we are the apostles in this day and time and place, sent out into the world to witness to God’s mighty acts in raising Jesus Christ from the dead. What proofs are we giving to the world around us? Maybe this Easter Day is a time for us to renew our own covenant with Christ. Perhaps, if we have allowed our relationship with the Lord to grow cold, it’s time for us to revive a personal relationship with Him.

As we take stock of our relationship with God, the following suggestions might be helpful as we consider the proof we are offering to the world:

  • A changed life: The Christian life is marked by two major characteristics:
    + A deep love for God
    + An abiding love for others

  • A completely new orientation:
    +
    Christ becomes central to everything we do.
    + Regular reading and study of Holy Scripture becomes the fountain of life, where we learn more and more about the Lord, and are able to apply what we learn to everyday life.
    + A regular and steady prayer life
    + Regularity in worship and in gathering together with other believers

Now, of course, this list is not intended to be an exhaustive one. No doubt, as we reflect on it, there will be other ways that we can offer proof of the Resurrected Christ’s presence in our lives.

In the final analysis, we cannot offer the world something we, ourselves, do not have….a face-to-face experience with Christ is the first step, and maintaining the closeness of that relationship is the second. Only then, are we able to become modern day apostles.

May God’s Holy Spirit enable us to come face-to-face with the Risen Lord, that we may be sent out in His name to the world around us.

AMEN.

[1] Tradition tells us that each of the original Apostles suffered a painful martyr’s death, except for one (the Beloved Disciple).
[2] Communism, Fascism, Humanitarianism, etc.

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Palm Sunday, Year C

"WHY IS THIS WEEK DIFFERENT FROM ALL OTHER WEEKS?”
Given at St. Mark’s Church, West Frankfort, Illinois; and at St. James’ Memorial Church, Marion, Illinois

During the Jewish Seder meal that occurs during the Feast of Passover (begins on the evening of April 2nd this year), the youngest person in the household asks this question every year: “why is this night different from all other nights?”

As we approach this Holy Week, we might borrow that question and adapt it to our observance: “why is this week different from all other weeks?”

Why, indeed? Because this week is a contrast of heights and depths.

As I read and reflect on the epistle for today, St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, I think the answer might be: “because this week shows the heights of God’s power and the depths of our fallenness as human beings.

So, let’s reflect on Paul’s understanding of Jesus Christ, the heights of His divinity, and the depths to which Our Lord willingly went to rescue fallen human beings, who were locked in the pit of sin…..

Philippians chapter two, verses five through 11 are some of the most well known and well loved in all the New Testament. They are so powerful that some scholars think they were originally an early Christian hymn. Whether they were or not, their vast scope and understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ captivate us, even today, 2,000 years after they were written.

So, let’s look at some aspects of this passage, briefly:

  1. Its overall shape is like a giant “V”: Paul begins with an affirmation of Jesus Christ’s divinity: “who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited”. But immediately, Paul recounts Our Lord’s descent: “but (He) emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.” But Paul does not stop there. He goes on to describe a further descent, to the shameful death on a cross: “He humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross.” From there, the lowest point a person in this life can reach - a shameful death by crucifixion, Jesus Christ begins His ascent to the heights: “therefore God also highly exalted Him, and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
  2. This week is different because of Jesus Christ’s identity: If the man hanging on a cross on Golgotha 2,000 years ago was merely the Jewish man “Jeshua” (or Jesus, as we know His name), then the story of this week would be a footnote of history only. After all, crucifixion of conquered peoples (like the Jewish people were back then) was a form of “state – sponsored terrorism”. Crosses probably dotted the countryside, most likely near major road intersections where many people would pass by. And there was probably no shortage of victims to fill those crosses: remember that Jesus was crucified between two thieves, not murders. It probably didn’t take much to gain a place on a cross.

    But if the victim is not only “Jeshua”, a Jewish man, but the Christ, God’s only Son, then the story takes on a different meaning and importance entirely….If the victim is both human and divine, then there’s a cosmic battle between good and evil going on. The forces of evil will try, this week, to separate the human Jesus from the divine Christ, forever blocking our salvation in the process.
  3. Jesus Christ’s self-emptying reverses the “power grab” that Adam and Eve perpetrated on humankind: Notice that Christ Jesus empties himself: Paul’s words are: “but (He) emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave.” If Adam and Eve wanted to eat from the forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden in order to “become like God, knowing good and evil”,[1] they were essentially exalting themselves in order to take God’s prerogatives and power for themselves. Christ Jesus’ self-emptying reverses Adam and Eve’s “power grab”.

What impact might this text have on our lives? Perhaps the following suggestions are places to begin contemplating the meaning for us as we move into Holy Week:

  • We begin on the heights, descend to the depths, and reach the heights again, this week: The shape of the Philippians text is the shape of our Holy Week: We begin on the heights of the Palm Sunday procession into Jerusalem, remembering Jesus’ might works and miracles which demonstrate His divine power and approval. But then, we move into the depths of Tenebrae (Wednesday), Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday. We reach the lowest depths with Jesus lies in death on Holy Saturday. But God exalts Jesus Christ to the heights on Easter Day.
  • Our eternal destiny hangs in the balance: As the forces of evil battle for Our Lord’s soul on Good Friday, our salvation hangs in the balance…If death cannot be conquered, then there is no hope for us, for sin, which leads to death (Romans 6:23), will be the final word. Because Jesus is human, but also divine, the consequences which will be determined by the victor in this struggle affect us personally, for our own eternal destiny will be determined by the events on Calvary 2,000 years ago.
  • God’s character is seen in Jesus’ self-emptying: For some reason, God chooses to be active in human affairs. For some reason, God chooses to reach out to us, even when we choose to exploit God’s goodness. For some reason, God chooses not only to reach out, but to reach down, emptying Himself of divine rights in order to enter our human situation fully. Only then may we return to the presence of God, through the merits of Jesus Christ.

May God’s Holy Spirit walk with us as we tread the heights and depths of this Holy Week.

May God’s Holy Spirit enable us to see the cosmic battle of good and evil, whose victor will determine our eternal home.

May God’s Holy Spirit enable us to set aside the “power grabs” that tempt us to try to take God’s power for our own, and may God’s Holy Spirit plant within us humility and dependence on the merits of Jesus Christ’s death alone.

May we be transformed into Christ’s humble spirit, that we may be worthy to stand in God the Father’s presence.

AMEN.


[1] Genesis 3: 5 (The entire account of the Fall is found in Genesis 3: 1 – 24.)