Sunday, April 26, 2009

3 Easter, Year B

“HE IS OURS, AND WE ARE HIS, FOREVER!”
A sermon by The Rev. Gene R. Tucker given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, April 26, 2009
Acts 4: 5 – 11; Psalm 98: 1 – 5; I John 1: 1 – 2: 2; Luke 24: 36b – 48

“Class, it’s a pleasure to do theology!”

You’ve heard me use that wonderful line with which one of my seminary professors began each class session….

Well, let’s do some theological work, reflecting on the reality of the resurrection, Jesus’ resurrection not only in spirit, but physically as well, with a body that could be touched, that could be seen, that could eat, as we read it this morning in Luke, chapter 24.

And, as we begin our “class session” this morning, I might say that the title of this “lecture” would be “He is ours, and we are His, forever”. The subtitle might be “The Incarnation is forever”.

So, let’s begin…..

We note that Luke takes great pains to ensure that we understand that when Jesus arose from the tomb, He arose with his physical body intact. Read the text with me, as we see that Luke records the event, writing down Jesus’ words, “Look at my hands and my feet, see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.”

Then, Jesus goes on to say ask if the disciples have anything to eat, and when He is offered some broiled fish, He takes it and eats it in front of them.

(This account is quite similar in some respects to the account we read in John, chapter 20, where Jesus also shows His hands and His feet to the disciples. He also invites Doubting Thomas to touch Him on the encounter that took place a week after Easter Sunday.)

There are several threads in the resurrection account, all of which bolster the argument for the reality of the resurrection. Among those threads are these:
  1. Jesus had a burial place: recall that victims of crucifixion were usually thrown on the ground near where they had died, their bodies being left for dogs and wild animals to devour. But Jesus had a known burial place, a place which could be identified, a place which could be secured;

  2. Jesus had a large stone placed over the entrance to His tomb. It was guarded to prevent theft of the body. The large stone also prevented anyone from leaving the tomb. So the removal of that large stone, in spite of the guard which had been placed there, makes the empty tomb all the more sure as an act of God, not of any human.

Now we come to the resurrected Jesus Himself. Notice again that Jesus has flesh and bones, can eat, and invites the disciples to touch Him.

Jesus has arisen with his human, physical body intact!

But, notice this critical difference: the mark of the nails and the mark of the spear wound are still visible, but have lost their ability to kill. Death has been nullified forever!

You see, dear class, the Incarnation is forever!

But, we need to back up just a little, and do some theological work in understanding the Incarnation:

At Jesus’ conception, the divine, eternal Word (later to be known as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity) came, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and took up our humanity through the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Thus, God’s very self is forever united with our humanity, though the two natures, though united, are not confused. (See the statement of the Council of Chalcedon, 451 AD, which explains this mystery to us….their statement is recorded in the back of your Book of Common Prayer, 1979, page 864.)

But some early members of the Church couldn’t accept the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, His resurrection not only in spirit, but also in body. So, they came up with some schemes to try to rationalize the resurrection. We would do well to record two of those schemes here:

Docetists: This group, whose name comes from the Greek verb “to seem”, claimed that Jesus only “seemed” to be human, but that He wasn’t really fully, physically human.

Gnostics: Another major challenge to orthodox belief was the one that this group presented: For the Gnostics said that all physical reality is evil, and isn’t really “real” in the first place (but is an illusion) and since Jesus was holy, He couldn’t have had a real, physical body. Jesus’ physical reality was only an illusion, therefore.

The Church responded by declaring both of these positions to be heresy. For both positions cut directly across the clear intent of texts such as the ones we have before us today.

Recall with me, as we look again at the text before us today, as we read the words of the writer of the First Letter of John, who says, “That which we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched…). Here is physical reality, indeed. This text is right in line with our Gospel reading for today, and with the intent and words of John, chapter 20.

So, if the Incarnation is forever, if Jesus arose from the grave with His physical, human body completely intact, then what are the implications of the “foreverness” (if I can coin a word) of the Incarnation?
For a thought about that, let’s reflect on the events of Good Friday, from the larger-than-life perspective of the battle between God and the forces of evil which sought to destroy Jesus on that day.

Here, we see that the Cross is nothing more than an attempt by all of those forces of evil to separate the human and the divine.

It’s as if Jesus was the “bait” for Satan.

And that is exactly the way the third century theologian Origen explains it…He says that Satan saw in Jesus just another victim to claim. And so Satan reached out to claim yet another human being, whom he saw as his own possession.

But, in reaching out to claim Jesus as He hung on the cross, Satan over-reached his grasp. For just as a fish will bite onto the bait on the hook, thinking that the bait is simply its next meal, so Satan is caught once he attempts to take the bait, for the power of the eternal God is also present in the human Jesus.

Satan is therefore damned by his own exceeding of his power.

And, we, who claim the benefits of the Cross by faith, are also sheltered with Christ in His victory over Satan. That’s why we can say, at the graveside, “O death, where is thy sting, O grave, where is thy victory?”

For, you see, when we become “Christ’s own forever” (in our baptismal rite), we are forever claimed by Christ in Holy Baptism, and are protected from Satan’s reach.

Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Now, one final note needs to be included before we end our “lecture” today….

Not only does Jesus Christ shelter us from the power of evil, and from evil’s ultimate power to remove us forever from the presence of God, but our Lord Jesus Christ also brings us into the interior life of God, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit interrelate and interreact with one another in perfect love. For that is the way theologians often describe the relationship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as an interrelationship of perfect love.

And so, Jesus can say (as we read often in the Fourth Gospel), “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.”

You see, Jesus Christ ushers us into the interior life of God. And because of His Incarnation, we are now allowed access into that life of God.

The Incarnation is forever!

The victory of our Lord Jesus Christ sanctifies our human existence, saves us from the power of the evil one, and ushers us into the interior life of God.

For your victory, for your sheltering power, and for showing us the way to the Father, we give you thanks and praise, dear Lord Jesus Christ.

AMEN.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

2 Easter, Year B

“THANK GOD FOR LEAKY BUCKETS!”
A sermon by The Rev. Gene TuckerGiven at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, April 19, 2009
Acts 3:12a, 13–15, 17–26; Psalm 118:19–24; I John 1:1–6; John 20:19–31

It was springtime, that time of the year when the small country church would hold its annual Revival, just as it had done for as long as anyone could remember.

And, sure enough, just as it had always happened, for as long as anyone could remember, old Willie stood up at the time of the altar call, and offered his testimony. At the end of which, he would always cry out, “Lord, fill me up!”.

And so, just as Willie made his way down to the altar in front, a person was heard to say, “Lord, don’t do it! He leaks!”[1]

Now why would God want to fill up a leaky bucket?

Wouldn’t that be a waste of God’s grace?

All I can say is, “Thank God for leaky buckets!”

For, you see, we are all leaky buckets, inferior vessels which are unable to contain God’s grace without that grace being experienced in the work that God must do in each of us to fix the seams of our hearts, so that we can be fitting vessels of God’s grace.

As we consider the very familiar account of “Doubting Thomas” (heard every year on the Second Sunday of Easter), that’s precisely what is in play here: We can identify with Thomas’ situation: He is – in essence – telling the other ten disciples that “He wants what they they got,” a resurrection appearance, a direct encounter with Jesus Christ.

But, Thomas goes one step further: not only will Thomas not believe their testimony, Thomas says that he won’t believe “Unless I can put my finger in the prints of the nails.” (In his insistence on a direct, physical sign, Thomas is no different from the Jewish leadership of his day, who also insisted on having a “sign” to prove that Jesus is who He said He is.)

Thomas is an unworthy vessel to receive God’s grace, for Thomas’ heart leaks from his insistence on setting the terms by which God will fill his heart with the goodness and faith that can come only from God.

But, thank God for leaky buckets! Thank God for inferior vessels which are chosen to contain God’s grace.

For it is out of such unworthy vessels that God’s grace is most clearly seen, and it is out of such leaky buckets that God’s grace often flows most freely.

You see, I can write my own name in the blank in Jesus’ statement which says, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.”

I am one of those who has “not seen”, and yet, who believe.

I am the recipient of God’s grace, seen in Thomas’ struggles to come to the place of believing.

Are you one of those, too?

Has God repaired the leaky seams of your heart, so that you can receive God’s grace, and hold it as a treasure?

Has God removed the lid that you have put over the opening to your vessel, much as Thomas did?

I hope so.

But, let’s look at the account again to connect one more truth to what we have already said:
God entered Thomas’ heart, mind and soul, giving Thomas exactly what Thomas asked for. In so doing the Lord removed the barrier, the obstacle to the receiving of God’s grace.

But God did not enter Thomas’ unbelief[2] in order to create a private repository for God’s grace.

On the contrary, God met Thomas’ needs right where he was in order to repair Thomas’ heart, and in order that Thomas would be able not only to contain God’s grace, but to allow that grace to overflow for the benefit of others.

To share God’s goodness and God’s grace is exactly what Thomas did, for tradition tells us that he went out into the world, as far as the subcontinent of India, carrying the Good News[3] with him. Even today, there is a church in India that bears his name, the Mar Thoma Church.

For, you see, the message from today’s Gospel account is clear: God’s grace is seen in the mending of Thomas’ heart, just as it is seen in the overflow of God’s grace that was made possible by that mending.

So it is to be with us: We are called to allow God to mend the leaky seams of our hearts, that we may bear witness to God’s restorative properties. We are then called to receive God’s grace, to hold it, and to allow it to overflow to others, that God’s truth may be learned, and God’s power seen.

AMEN.
________________________________________________

[1] I am compelled to give credit where credit is due for this story, which came from Helen Pace.
[2] The Greek word actually means “unbelieving” more than it means “doubting”.
[3] An early Church historian tells us that Thomas carried with him a copy of the Gospel according to Matthew in Hebrew, a document which is now lost to us.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Feast of the Resurrection: Easter Day

"JOY!"
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, Illinois; Sunday, April 12, 2009
Acts 10: 34 – 43; Psalm 118: 14 – 17, 22 – 24; Colossians 3: 1 – 4; Mark 16: 1 – 8

What word (or words) would you use to characterize this day, Easter Day?

For us Christians, there might be quite a few that would come to mind. Let’s catalogue just some of them: victory…happy…mystery…God’s awesome power…wonder…joy…eternal life…

There are so many. These are just a few.

But, in this sermon, let’s focus on just one: “joy!”

Now, as we reflect on this word, we have to realize that, for the Christian, “joy” is a whole lot different than “happiness”, though being happy ought to be a part of being joyous (as I reflect on it myself).

“Joy” is a much, much deeper matter. It goes far beyond mere feelings. It drives to the heart of who we are, deep inside us, deep down in our souls.

For, you see, “joy” is a matter of knowing that God – by His raising of Jesus Christ from the dead – has conquered the power of death. Death is our last and greatest enemy.[1]

Jesus’ resurrection is proof of the down payment that God promises all who have come to believe in Him, and who have accepted the blessings that come from what God has done in Christ.

For, you see, God the Father, in sending Jesus Christ, has folded us into God’s very life…..For God the Father sent the Son, who took on our humanity, our flesh and blood. We call this “taking on” the Incarnation.

And, the Incarnation is forever!

(Allow me to explain.)

Jesus was raised from the tomb on this Easter Sunday morning, not with a spiritual body alone, but with his physical body….the tomb was empty!

Moreover, when Jesus comes to His disciples, He shows them His hands and His feet,[2] asking them to touch Him.[3] He comes, asking if there’s anything to eat, for He is hungry.[4]

(The early Church wrestled with this truth…..some could not accept it, and maintained that Jesus merely “seemed” to be fully human, with a physical body….these were eventually called Docetists.[5] Others maintained that all physical reality is really nothing more than a big illusion…these were called the Gnostics.)

But the Gospel writers take great pains to record the witness of the Apostles, that Jesus was raised with His physical body. He asks them to touch Him, He asks for something to eat.

And, following the Gospel writers’ clear indication, the Church came to reject as false the notion that Jesus merely “seemed” to be human (as the Docetists maintained), or that all physical reality is, in itself, a big illusion (as the Gnostics taught).

We would be remiss, however, if we failed to notice other aspects of Jesus’ resurrected body: it had capabilities that His pre-crucifixion body did not….For example, He had the ability to come through locked doors.[6] For another, He had the ability to be in one place, and then vanish from the sight of His followers.[7]

But most importantly, His glorified body still bore the marks of the nails (John 20: 20 and 20: 27), but the power of those nails to kill was gone, vanquished forever!

And this is the reason for our joy: For, you see, even as God raised Jesus from the dead, He will also raise us from the dead on the last day. As Jesus took on His glorified body, so we, too, will one day put on an “incorruptible” body.[8]

Put another way, nothing can separate us from the love of God (St. Paul’s words, as we read them in Romans 8: 38 – 39), not even death.

Jesus’ resurrection is the down payment on our own resurrection. The guarantee of eternal life with God changed the lives of the original disciples, instilling in them all a joy which was contagious.

But this hope, this joy, isn’t simply “pie in the sky”, “joy and happiness someday, long in the future”. It is present with us, now.

For the reality of God’s promises, promises which have the power to change lives, brings with it a reality, reality with a capital “R”, which makes all other realities pale in importance.

“Nothing can separate us from the love of God”, we read in Romans. That guarantee is present with us, here and now.

God’s presence – even in the midst of sorrow, trouble, anxiety and pain – is cause for joy!

But, you may ask, “How do I experience this joy?” And, you may ask even further, “What are the hallmarks of this divine joy?”

Let’s address both concerns….
  1. How do we experience this joy?:

    The first step is to become familiar with the workings and power of God….That’s the essential and basic reason for the Bible, a book whose entire purpose is to show the power of God, and God’s nature, which is, at its root, a nature characterized by a deep love for human beings. So, in the pages of Holy Scripture, we read of God’s mighty acts as He works in the lives of ordinary human beings, seeking to save us from our own wayward and sinful ways.

    The second step would be to acknowledge God’s power and God’s love. Remember that God is the “actor” in the divine drama. We simply respond to God’s power, God’s love, and God’s acting. We cannot “lift ourselves up by our own spiritual bootstraps!”[9] As we respond to God’s love, power and action, we ask God to come into our hearts. As we do, the Holy Spirit will also take up residence there, assuring us of God’s power and presence in our lives. (This is the greatest cause for joy, as I reflect on it!

    The third step would be to seek out other Christian believers, those whose lives, mannerisms, speech, and actions reflect the presence of God in their lives. [10] (As we used to say in the Army, “one can’t soar like an eagle if one hangs around with turkeys!”) The saying holds true, in most cases, “Christianity is more often caught, than taught.” Believers’ joy is infectious! Hang around a godly person who exhibits the joy of the Lord, and you’ll catch some of that joy in short order!

  2. What are the hallmarks of this divine joy?: I think they would include the following:[11]
    A deep sense of peace. We might experience this as a “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4: 7). Note: This sort of peace isn’t the sort of feeling that comes from denying the cruel realities and difficulties of this life. On the contrary, it’s the sort of peace that comes even as we squarely face the troubles that will inevitably come in this life. For we can do so, knowing that God is in full control, and that God will have the last word.

    A love which seems to come from every word and every action. Christian love reflects the love of God for us, a love which is of the “brotherly” (Greek: phileo) sort, as we see in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Lord who came among us as one of us, and in the self-giving (Greek: agapao) love, that love which places God’s interest, and other people’s interests, first, ahead of our own. That sort of love is most perfectly seen in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    A patience which seems extraordinary. This quality is in short supply in the world we live in…..we want what we want, now! But the mature Christian is called to be a person of patience, a person who knows that God’s timeline is often different than our own.

So, in summary, “joy” is one of the fruits of the resurrection, for God has won the victory for us. “Joy” comes from knowing that God is love, that God seeks us out in the person and work of Jesus Christ, that God’s love is not only of the “brotherly” sort, but also of the “self-giving” sort that puts our welfare and our interests first.

“Fear not, for I have overcome the world,” our Lord Jesus Christ said.[12]

Indeed so, dear Lord, you have!

And that is a cause for deep, deep joy.

AMEN.

_____________________________________________________

[1] See I Corinthians 15: 26.
[2] John 20: 27
[3] Luke 24: 39
[4] Luke 24: 41
[5] A title which comes from the Greek word “to seem”.
[6] John 20: 19
[7] Luke 24: 31, when He disappeared while sitting at table with the disciples He’d encountered on the road to Emmaus.
[8] See I Corinthians 15: 35 – 57.
[9] The early Church also wrestled with the issue of our own ability to help ourselves, spiritually. A group arose called the Pelagians (this movement flourished in the late 4th and early 5th centuries), which maintained that human beings could effect their own salvation by their own merits. This key concern was also a major factor in the Reformation (16th century).
[10] For a good list of attributes that should mark a joyous Christian and a godly person, see St. Paul’s list of the “fruits of the Spirit” as we read them in Galatians 5: 22 – 23.
[11] See also St. Paul’s “short list” of Christian characteristics as we read them in Galatians 5: 22 – 23.
[12] John 16: 33

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Palm Sunday, Year B

“WHAT’S GOD DOING?”
A sermon by The Rev. Gene Tucker given at Trinity Church, Mt. Vernon, IL; Sunday, April 5, 2009
Mark 11: 1 – 11a; Isaiah 45: 21 – 25; Psalm 22: 1 – 11; Philippians 2: 5 – 11; Mark 14: 32 – 72; 15: 1 – 47

“What’s God doing?”

This is always a question we ought to be asking whenever we hear a text from Holy Scripture.

Closely allied to this question is this one: “What does this text tell us about God, His nature, and the way He acts?”

We ask these questions because we do not read Holy Scripture like we would the newspaper. You see, when we read a newspaper, we read to learn some factual information about an event that’s happened, or is about to happen.

When we read a textbook, however, we often read to learn something about the nature of the subject at hand. For example, when we read a textbook on chemistry, we might learn about the table of the elements, for example, or about how various chemicals are used to meet the needs of humanity in one way or another.

Similarly, the Bible is the “textbook about God”, and its purpose is to tell us about God’s nature. And, like chemistry, where the nature of various chemicals is known by their properties and behaviors, God’s properties are often seen in the behaviors and actions that we see as God works in human lives and in human history. The Bible is the God-inspired, written account of God’s acting in the lives of His saints.

So it is with the account of Jesus’ last week in His earthly life, a week now known as Holy Week, that period of days that stretches from Palm Sunday through Maundy Thursday to Good Friday, to Holy Saturday, and then to Easter.

And we have before us today Mark’s account of Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on what is now known as Palm Sunday, and then we have also Mark’s account of Jesus’ trial and execution.

So, what can we learn about God? What can we glean as information about God’s nature and God’s acting as we hear and consider the accounts before us today?

And, as we consider how God has acted in times past, in the person, work, life, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, how might we expect God to work in our lives today (realizing that, for God to be God, God has to act in consistent ways throughout history)?

Let’s make some observations, then, may we, applying them to our lives today.

The Triumphal Entry: It seems odd to us today that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a colt. (Other gospel writers seem to be clearer about the animal that Jesus rode….Matthew (21: 2 – 11) tells us that the animal was a donkey.)

Why wouldn’t Jesus ride into town on a white horse? That’s the image we would expect to see. And, quite possibly, it was also the image that the people who cried out “Hosanna! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!” also expected to see.

But, if we look at the background of the choice of animal, we see two threads emerging:
  • Jesus as the successor to David: We read in I Kings 1: 32 – 40 that Solomon, as he was coming to be anointed king, rode on a mule. Perhaps the symbolism here is that Jesus is, indeed, the successor to the great David, the one to whom the crowds referred in their acclamations of Jesus.

  • A king, but a humble one: Here Matthew is more helpful than Mark, for it is Matthew who draws the connection to Zechariah 9: 9 – 10, which reads, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you, triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Did you catch the incongruous words that follow one another in Zechariah 9: 9? Here they are again:king – triumphant – victorious – humble.

Here is our first point-of-learning from Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem: He comes as king, victorious and triumphant, yet in humility.

St. Paul picks up on this theme, as we hear it in Philippians 2: 5 – 11. Hear these words again: “Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him….”

The trial: Pilate seems to be quite interested in the matter of kingship. In fact, we might be safe in saying that the issue of Jesus’ identity as a possible king is the only issue pertaining to Jesus, His teachings and His actions, that Pilate could have understood.

Notice the questions posed to Jesus by Pilate: “Are you the King of the Jews?” “Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

Notice also the inscription of the sign that was placed above Jesus’ head (we need to note here that crucified criminals often had the crime of which they were accused placed above their heads, partly as a warning to others who might consider doing the same sorts of things), which read, “The King of the Jews”.

Then, we need to note the response of the crowd, who, standing at the foot of the cross, taunt Jesus, saying, “He saved others, he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Here then, is our second point-of-learning: Jesus’ kingship isn’t immediately obvious, nor is His power to save immediately seen. For, when viewed from the perspective of the crowd who was taunting Him, Jesus looks much more like a helpless victim than a victorious and triumphant king.

Hidden victory and triumph: Here, we begin by taking note of the remark of the Centurion (perhaps the one who was in charge of the detail of Roman soldiers who had actually carried out the crucifixion), who said, “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

Why could this Roman soldier (who was, perhaps, a veteran of many hard and difficult battles already in his military career) see what the others couldn’t? After all, most Roman soldiers probably regarded the victims of crucifixion as the slaves, the nobodies, that most of them were (if we consider their social status).

Perhaps it was Jesus’ actions and words during the time He was nailed to that cross that made the difference. We don’t know.

Yet, we know how this story will end…..We know that Jesus’ death ends in victory on Easter Sunday morning.

If we don’t know how this story ends, then we are, as St. Paul said, “Among those who are most to be pitied,” if there is no resurrection from the dead.

Now, to make application of all of this to our own lives, perhaps we can draw the following conclusions:

  • We serve a God who seeks us out: Just as Jesus comes, emptying Himself (as our reading from Philippians makes clear), He comes seeking our own welfare, not His. That’s an essential message of Good Friday and of the Cross: that Jesus sets aside His kingship, His divine power and prerogatives, in order to seek us out, seeking to better our own selves.

  • God seeks us out by entering our human condition: Another point to be made, closely connected to the first one, is that the basic Christian message differs from all other religions in the world in that we maintain that God not only takes the initiative, but God cared enough to send Himself in the person of Jesus, the Christ.

  • God’s victory often looks a whole lot like defeat, at first: Consider the plight of those first disciples, those who fled when Jesus was arrested….They must have felt that all was lost, and that they, too, would suffer the same fate as Jesus had. (Indeed, Jesus had told them, “Take up your cross and follow me.”) Jesus’ death didn’t look a whole lot like the kingdom that people had proclaimed only a few days earlier. It looked more like defeat, abject, total defeat. But that’s often the case with God, as He works in our lives: oftentimes, in the midst of the pain, trouble, rejection and sorrow that are an inescapable part of our lives in this life, God is already crafting His victory and His triumph. Moreover, the victory that He ensures is much more durable than any trouble or difficulty we might encounter along the road of life.

Thanks be to God!

AMEN.