Whose Life Is It, Anyway?

The Sea Island Pulpit

Whose Life Is It, Anyway?

Mark 12: 38-44; I Kings 17: 8-16

A theologian once advised: "When you hire a housekeeper, do not ask her how she cleans. Rather, ask her about her philosophy of life. If you understand that, then you will know whether or not she can keep a house clean."

This sounds strange at first, but the more we think about it the more we see how true it rings. We each have a philosophy of life, an underlying set of values and beliefs by which we make decisions, evaluate the actions of both ourselves and others, and by which we generally conduct our lives. Some of these philosophies are rather complex, but others are very simple:

• What goes around comes around.
• The early bird gets the worm.
• "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
• Second place is first loser.
• Work hard, keep your nose clean, mind your own business, and life will turn out alright.
• He who dies with the most toys wins.
• Don’t worry, be happy.
• You meet the same people on the way down that you met on the way up.
• Shop until you drop.

Many persons follow much more formal codes which are the result of intentional work. Businesses, corporations, churches, institutions, and even families adopt mission statements, summaries of the core values and beliefs which they hold and by which they make decisions. Most of us live by unwritten values and beliefs — usually passed along subconsciously by our family and/or cultural tribe.  These comprise our philosophy of life. We rarely pause to examine what we do or why we do it.

What is our underlying philosophy of life? If we were to examine our core values and beliefs – not by what we say but by our actions – what would we see? Do we live by the Golden Rule of Jesus (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) – or the golden rule of culture? (He who has the gold makes the rules?) I believe here are two foundational approaches/philosophies in life; from these derive all the others.

The first approach is: "This is my life and I can do with it what I want." This understanding envisions one’s life as belonging to oneself and no one else has a right to say or intrude in any way upon one’s life. Subconsciously disregarding any group loyalty this philosophy asserts one’s right to self-determination. When people are  asked whether or not the terminally ill had the right to end their life, overwhelming the answer is: "This is their life and they can do what they want." If the premise is true – its my life – then the conclusion is logical and correct.

We see the results of such a philosophy everyday in our news:

• This is my life – so I’ll use drugs if I desire.
• This is my life – so I’ll be selfish and greedy if I choose.
• This is my life – so I’ll pick the options and make my own decisions without regard for anyone else.
• This is my life – so I’ll do what makes me happy, disregarding all my commitments to family, God, and anything else.
• This is my life – so get out of my way and if anyone gets hurt, then too bad.
• This is my life — I’ll disobey pandemic guidelines or rulings as I please, regardless of the effect upon others.

This philosophy has multitudinous inherent flaws – despite the fact that it is probably the most common of our day — providing the basis for much of the greed and self-centeredness running rampant throughout our world.  If my life is indeed “mine” — then no one can have any manner of say over what I do and where I do it.  

Of course, this belief is nothing new.   When Eve and Adam disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit, they were saying, "This is my life, I’ll do what I want." From that moment until the present humanity has been struggling with the reality born of that approach.

Whose life is it, anyway?

All of this brings us to the second philosophy: “This life is the gift of God; therefore I am responsible to God for what I do with my life." 

• This viewpoint honors God as the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of my life and acknowledges my responsibility to God for what I do with this life I call mine. 
• This perspective acknowledges that I am not born in a vacuum, but to a family in a specific place and time.  In so doing God has purposefully intertwined my life with those of others whom I cannot ignore or write off. 
• Children are God’s gifts to parents to love and nurture to maturity in Christ, but parents are also God’s gift to the child to be loved and respected by the child. 
• We are twice the child of God and therefore must see life as the gift of God to us: once by creation and once by redemption. How does Paul put it: "You are not your own, you are bought with a price."

Seeing life as gift means that I am responsible for all that I am, have, and ever will be to God. Here is a perspective that values the entire stream of life, from young to old, as the gift of God. Seeing life as gift means that whether we are 18 or 80 we are  still called to serve God in all that we do. If life is gift, then my life and life-style are the definitive statement of my gratitude.

Whose life is it, anyway?

In church we see the repercussion “life as gift” as we live in relationship and seek to build community. Christian community (koinonia) is born not out of the cultural commonalities of the world, but out of the sense that all others are the creation of God.  We build community on the foundation of our being inter-related to one another as we share together this journey of life. As an African-American preacher said, "If God is our Father, then we are all brothers and sisters; we’re kin." Life as gift acknowledges our kinship with every person upon the face of this earth.  Every. Last. One.  Even those with whom we have profound religious, ethical and political disagreement are our brothers and sisters. 

How do the two scriptures we have read this morning impact our understanding? Both are stories about women, poor widows, who are struggling with bare existence. They are literally at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid in their society.  The widow of Zarepheth is faced with a challenge: Does she trust Elijah, the prophet of God, and fix a meal with the last of her flour?  Or does she hold onto what she has for herself and her son?

Whose life is it, anyway?

The widow of Mark 12 arrives at the the temple treasury facing a similar dilemma. Jews were required to make regular offerings at the temple. No exceptions given. Does she give her last few pennies, trusting that somehow God will provide for her needs, or does she hold onto them? Which should she do?  Which is the most responsible decision she could make?

I’ll be honest, I have always had some trouble with this text. Who would provide for her needs? Who will buy her food, clothes, etc? Why praise her? As a pastor I was called upon to help feed and clothe people who had given their last dime to some “ministry” that promised them health and wealth. Why should Jesus praise her?  Shouldn’t she be responsible for herself before she goes giving to God?  Then one day the truth hit me: what Jesus saw was a life that was so committed to God that even her last pennies were gifts to be shared rather than possessions to be hoarded.

Whose life is it, anyway?

There are some other persons present in the story from Mark: the scribes. Scribes were lawyers and they do not come out well in confrontations with Jesus. For the most part they were wealthy; Jesus indicates that they had gained this wealth at the expense of widows and their estates. Central to Jesus’ critique is an economic system that allowed the hierarchy to become wealthy at the expense of those on the bottom rung. Regularly these scribes — persons of privilege and wealth — came and dropped large bags of money into the coffers while the bystanders ooh and ah over their contributions. Their philosophy is simple:  "This is my life and I can do with it what I want." They saw life as personal possession: they worked the angles, managed the system, all with one goal: to increase their possessions. After all, as long as they said their prayers and attended to their religious duties, they were fine, weren’t they?

Whose life is it, anyway?

While the poor may flourish in our Covid 19 world, so do the scribes. Rev. Tom Ehrich, an Episcopal priest in Winston Salem told the story of a homemaker in suburban New Jersey who spent $20,000 on designer clothes for her 2 year old daughter. When asked why she replied, "I can afford it, so why not?" ( Exact source unknown.)

Why not?  Good question, is it not?  If this is my life, then I will grab for all I can and in so doing play king of the mountain with all who get in my way. If this is God’s life which has been given to me, then the answers are vastly different.

Whose life is it, anyway?

The “It's my life" mentality is having tragic consequences for our society and our churches. More and more persons are developing their own sense of right and wrong, ethical and unethical, based upon their own personal desires rather than upon the principles of our religious heritage. In conversing with psychologists, counselors, and pastors we see more and more dysfunction and emotional disorders in families and individuals, much of which is traceable back to their fundamental approach to life.

When the “my life" approach dominates, politically we divide into competing camps and conduct battle with one another. So in our society we have the wealthy versus the poor, the Republicans versus the Democrats, the Religious Right versus the Religious Left, the haves versus the have-nots, and the battles are wearing us out.

Central to the struggle is that we hear so much more of the world’s philosophy of life than of the philosophy of Jesus. We are bombarded with advertisements promising us "the good life" if we will just buy more and more and more. The witness of Holy Scripture is that the good life cannot be bought, it is not for sale. The good life does not consist of luxury cars, designer clothes, or sumptuous feasts. God’s blessings upon us cannot be added up in economic terms.  

Whose life is it, anyway?

We are currently dealing with an enemy — Covid 19 pandemic — that few if any of us saw coming.  This enemy has infected millions, killed thousands, and is still working its havoc among us.  We have seen Babel, the prosperity god of our world, brought to its knees. The personal and economic effects of this pandemic are still being written.  

How ought we to respond?  Should we buy and hoard all that we can (including toilet paper)?  Should we go and do what we want to do, when we want to do it?  Who cares if I carry the virus to a vulnerable person?  Do we really have a constitutional right to not practice social distancing and safe health and endanger others?

Quite simply, our answer reveals quite clearly our philosophy of life:

"This is my life and I can do with it what I want.”

“This life is the gift of God; therefore I am responsible to God for how I live." 

Whose life is it, anyway?

Retired Methodist Bishop Will Willimon tells the story of a former member who had been put into a nursing home. Knowing that the man was in excellent physical condition he inquired as to the reason. He learned that "John Smith" had been sent to the nursing home because of his "distressing mental state." When pursuing the reason further the other person told him: "His children became distressed about his mental well-being. John had volunteered, in his retirement, to work a couple of days a week at the church sponsored soup kitchen. The next thing they know, John has gotten so involved over there that one day he sat down and wrote them out a check for $100,00! Just like that. With no discussion, no forethought. $100,000. He handed it over to the soup kitchen. This $100,000 was what was left of most of his life’s savings. Of course, they thought he had gone over the deep end. So, they forced him to go into a nursing home where he would receive supervision." ( Will Willimon. Pulpit Resources. I have lost the exact reference.)

"I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on."

Whose life is it, anyway?

May 10^th, 2020

God, Judgment, and Covid 19

One of the questions raised in Christian circles (and probably other religions as well) is whether or not Covid 19 is the judgment of God upon our world.  I can hear now the coming rants from the pulpits of fundamentalist Christians (chosen because they love to preach on judgment) once we all return to church that this virus is God’s judgment upon us for our sin and our toleration of the sins of others.  (Here you get to pick the favorite sin that others do.  Or, your minister will pick three for you.)

Most of the more liberal pulpits will not say a word about judgment, since as a rule they do not believe that God judges anyone — at least not their God of total love and grace.  H. Richard Niebuhr’s statement re liberal protestantism fits nicely here: “A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.” (The Kingdom of God in America.)  After all, if God is pure love/a doting grandparent then we dare not believe that God would ever say a harsh word about anything we do or believe, much less punish or judge us.

For those of us caught in-between these two cultures of Christianity, this is a challenging time to be sure.  (As far as that goes, being in-between two monoliths is always challenging at best.)  To even suggest that God brings judgment upon our world is to be perceived as ignorant or harboring hatred toward others.  Yet, Holy Scripture — which provides the theological & ethical basis for most Christians — speak of God’s judgment against evil. I know, we just read by those passages and act like they don’t exist.  Yet, they remain ever before us, sprinkled liberally throughout the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.  (Check an online concordance if you need a refresher course.)  A Bible without judgment passages would be significantly thinner.

The challenge is that most of the references to judgment refer to a “Day of Judgment” the at first Jewish and then adopted Christian idea that one day we each and all will stand before God to be judged according to our thoughts and deeds.  Coming out particularly bad in this process are unbelievers, pagans and those with whom I disagree.  I’ve heard more than once from people going through difficult situations brought about by the actions of others: “One day God’s going to hold them accountable — and that keeps me going.”  Hmm…I’m not sure my vengeance is God’s design, but I understand their emotion.

At this stage in my theological/spiritual journey my understanding of divine judgment has evolved from singular event status to one of an ongoing reality.  Judgment does not just happen once; judgment occurs every single day in our world.  God has so structured this world that it operates on principles of justice.  Judgment is inherent in that justice.  Violate the justice of God and we bring upon ourselves the judgment of God…pure and simple.  A quick perusal of a couple of passages from prophetic literature ought to prove to be both illuminating and quite sufficient.  

• Micah 6: 1-8: The judgment of God comes upon Judah for her abandonment of the Yahweh’s justice in exchange for superficial worship as her sign of faith.  In  Micah notes that God requires justice, not sacrifice, of God’s worshippers. 
• Amos 5: 18-24: Probably the first prophetic book (8^th center BCE), Amos speaks loud and clearly not only to Israel, but also to the nations around her.  All are judged for their injustice and called to repentance, i.e., to “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everlasting stream.”  

An interesting take on God’s judgment of nations as found in the Hebrew Scriptures is that these texts share a profound commonality: false pride, i.e., self-righteousness.  The opposite of such self-righteousness is obvious, humility.  When any nation believes operates from an elevated sense of pride rather than a deep sense of humility, forces are set in motion which result in downfall and ultimate destruction.    

Did Covid 19 come from God?  That was my original question so I guess I ought to take a stab at it.  In a nutshell — YES and NO.  I’ll begin with the negative.  

NO:  Covid 19 is not the judgment of God in that it was not sent by God upon the earth to inflict death and suffering upon millions.  At the very least, the God I know through Jesus Christ did not send this. God does not reside outside our universe, just waiting to strike us with virulence and pestilence. God does not amuse God’s self by inflicting pain and suffering upon God’s incredible creation: vegetative, animal and human alike.  God did not send AIDS, Ebola, H1N1, Zika or any other virus as a means of punishment upon any living creature upon this planet, particularly humans whom we understand to be created imago dei.  The God of Jesus Christ is the God who walks with the suffering and dying; God does not stand over against us, but rather God is with us in incredible love and solidarity.

YES:  Covid 19 is the judgment of God in that it is the result of human action and failure.  Newton’s Third Law says that “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”  My first law of God’s judgment says that “for every human action which harms or violates the “laws/principles” of creation/nature/justice, there is a reaction, i.e., a consequence, which is far beyond what we ever imagine.”  

Judgment can be spelled another way:  c-o-n-s-e-q-u-e-n-c-e-s.  Yes, that is correct — judgment = consequences.  When we violate the basic laws of nature and justice, we create environments in which consequences take place.  Did we really think life could exist otherwise?  Regardless of what we believe about Darwin’s theory of evolution, we must know that embedded in his work is the reality that all of life is inter-connected.  There is no such entity as an isolated act.  Every action has a result and in today’s world we see those results magnified across our planet.  Whereas in earlier centuries plagues were thought to be the result of the demonic (or even God’s judgment), today we know that there were biological reasons for the the 20+ plagues of which we are aware in human history. Covid 19 is just the latest version — there will be more.

As more and more information regarding Covid 19 has come to light, we are seeing a disproportionate number of cases among those toward and at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. The racial disparity noted by the data is really economic inequity.  Persons at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid  tend to either be homeless or living in multi-generational family units in very dense conditions.  What could be a better atmosphere for Covid 19 to flourish than this?  Could part of God’s judgment be that our disregard and even dismissal of the basic principles of social justice has produced conditions in which Covid 19 thrived and spread so quickly?

These judgment/consequences conditions inherent in our world have communal, not just individual, results.  Regardless of the source Covid 19 did not merely infect the person/persons who mishandled it, but went “viral” as there are no immunities present in our human population.  Like the boa constrictors taking over parts of the Everglades, a new virus runs free until it either exhausts the source of victims or a vaccine is developed.  Whether we personally did anything to be infected with this virus is a moot point; viral infection falls upon the innocent and guilty alike.  In any pandemic there are far more of the former than the latter. The drive to discover a source and lay guilt is often far more about our human desire for innocence than it is to prevent a future outbreak. Judgment is inherent in our world; we see it every day, if we have the eyes to look.

Actually, the question before us is not whether Covid 19 is the judgment of God. The question now relates to how we respond to this pandemic which has shattered our world, our economy, our stability and countless lives?  Will we only consider that which benefits us personally as well as our cultural tribe?  Or, will we consider what is most beneficial for all of us going forward, i.e., the long-lost “common good?”  Are we capable of discovering God’s actions in the present?  Can we unite to proleptically anticipate God’s action in our actions?  How ought I/we to act (as followers of Jesus Christ) so as to bring God’s peace and presence — the Kingdom of God — one step closer to reality?  

In Luke 13: 1-5 Jesus is questioned concerning a mass murder of worshipping Galileans by Pilate, as to whether or not this act indicated that they were worse sinners, i.e., was it the judgment of God? He adds to this act a reference to the 18 persons in Siloam killed when a tower fell upon them, says “no” to both regarding them as judgment — but then gives an odd warning: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

What is Jesus doing?  Is Jesus pronouncing judgment upon all of us?  Here he  almost sounds like our caricature of the fundamentalist preacher! Quite simply, this whole matter turns on one word: repent. In Greek it is metanoia — to turn around and go in the opposite direction.  Repentance is not remorse; it is not regret.  These may be emotions associated with repentance, but they are not repentance.  Repentance is an action, not a feeling.  Repentance is not only learning from what has transpired; repentance is literally going/living in a radically different direction with my life.  Jesus is merely stating the obvious: if you keep engaging in war and violence, you will all die.  You are playing a game you cannot win — no matter who keeps score.

For most our lives have changed during these days, some more dramatically than others.  Going forward I have deep and fervent hopes for the church and even, just maybe, our country and our world:  

• I would hope that we would take a step back and evaluate how we are living now versus how we lived them — and see that there was a lot of activity/stuff that we need to let go and live without. 
• I would hope that we have learned that when we ignore the values and principles of life and the Kingdom of God, that we will bring suffering/judgment upon our world.
• I would hope that we even have decided to repent and re-orient our lives by the values of the coming Kingdom.   
• I would hope that we have seen that relationships are more important than stuff; that time to relax, to reflect, and to remember is as important as the time of activity and engagement.  
• I would hope that we have allowed the Spirit to open our ears, our hearts, our arms and our minds to the presence of our Lord in, among, and through us.  
• I would hope…

A Humpty Dumpty Gospel

The Sea Island Pulpit

“A Humpty-Dumpty Gospel for a Covid 19 World”

II Corinthians 5: 16-21

Humpty-Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty-Dumpty had a great fall,

All the king’s horses and all the king’s men,

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Do we have any idea concerning either the source or subject of this, one of the most commonly known nursery rhymes of all time?  Humpty-Dumpty is not an egg as we commonly think, nor is this a simple nursery rhyme.  Humpty Dumpty is the name given to a powerful cannon during the English Civil War (1642-49), mounted on top of the St Mary’s at the Wall Church in Colchester, defending the city against siege in the summer of 1648.  Colchester, a Parliamentarian stronghold, had been captured and held by the Royalists for 11 weeks. The top of the church tower was blown off by a shot from a Parliamentarian cannon, sending “Humpty” tumbling to the ground. The King’s men tried to put “Humpty” back on top of another wall, but failed. 

This poem has a life of its own, both as a seemingly innocuous nursery rhyme and ever more so as descriptive of our human condition in times of despair.  As humans we know what it is like to sit on the wall in relative security, feeling as if we are impenetrable. Then, wham, a mortar shell of evil comes in and knocks us off the wall.  For most of us life was moving along smoothly in January and February of this year, when we heard about a virus, the Corona virus…was that a beer…and our world was shattered beyond belief. 

What will we do after Covid 19 has diminished in its power and vengeance?  Will we be able to look at the shattered pieces of our lives. pick them up and start anew? Rudyard Kipling put it this way:

(If you can…) watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;

Starting anew is rarely easy. To see the life one built destroyed by others or worse, by our own mistakes, is demoralizing and devastating.  How can we start anew when we lose all that we ever desired?  Can we turn ourselves around and start over?

Paul knew the struggle of having to start a new life.  A rabbi passionate about God and life, Saul (pre-calling name) was blindsided on the road to Damascus by our Lord.  For the next three years he studied scripture, reflecting upon the truth that God had come in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.  His fervent belief that Jesus was an “imposter” and his followers “heretics” lay in shambles.  Now Paul must  reassemble his entire life/belief structure in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

The key verse of our Corinthian text is verse 17: “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.”  The central tenet of the gospel — and the center of its powerful impact is found in this verse.  The old person, with all their faults, sins, hatreds, prejudices and imperfections, in Christ this person is being transformed.

The person before Christ, as Paul understood the gospel, lived by their own intelligence, their own beliefs, their personal perspective and values. This person is not always an abject failure in the world; often they are an unmitigated success in the ways the world keeps score. This person can be quite intelligent and captivating in mind and personality.  However, if this old person does not die, does not pass away, the new person that is in Christ cannot come to life.  We must “say yes” to the person God wishes to make of us as we “say no” to the person we have been. This personal “death and resurrection” is incredibly difficult. 

The key concept for Paul is found in the words “in Christ.” This phrase appears repeatedly in Paul’s epistles , framing his understanding of a person post-Christ.  Pre-Christ we are “in ourselves;” our identity, desires and lifestyle is the singularly our concern.  Post-Christ we are “in Christ” and our sole concern is no longer our desires, but that of Christ.  

Being “in Christ” is much harder to accomplish than we often believe when first coming to Christ.  After all, we’re “pretty good people” — we do not need a complete makeover — just a little touch up here and there will do; just a little color in the hair, a new wardrobe or accessories and voila, the new me right before my very eyes.  

If we are to come to Christ and be transformed by Christ, then it is imperative that  we envision ourselves in a different light.  We must see ourselves not as needing just a simple touch up, but as needing as entire makeover.  We must see ourselves as Humpty-Dumpty — crashed, lying beside the wall in need of someone putting us back together.  We must admit that we have fallen and cannot fix ourselves.

For we who have been trying to follow Christ for a long time, the greatest danger is that we forget what our life was like pre-Christ.  We develop spiritual amnesia, i.e., forgetting how self-centered and self-consumed we were in our pre-Christ existence, how driven we were to dominate and have our own way.  “In Christ” those drives and desires are hopefully moved to the rear and no longer dominate.  The reality is that we must be ever diligent as to our focus…we can think we are “in Christ” but in reality be “in-self” more than we dream.

Why is Paul so dramatic in his statement that in Christ we are a “new creation?”  To use the other metaphor of this passage, Paul sees us, apart from Christ, not as friends but as enemies of God.  As natural human beings we perceive ourselves to be on God’s side; however, scripture affirms that apart from Christ we are estranged, i.e., separated from God, i.e., in opposition to God.

How can we know if we are living in opposition to God?  The answer to a simple question provides a clue: Who is guiding my life, my values, my desires and my actions?  Am I — or is God?  How do we know?  What evidence is there in our lives that God is leading and we are following?

In Christ we enter into a union of ourselves and God, a union in which God plays the dominant role.  Paul introduces us to “reconciliation” — a key concept representing God’s accomplishment in Christ Jesus.  Richard Hays, professor of New Testament at Duke University, says “…that the interesting thing about the word "reconciliation" in ordinary Greek usage is that it is not typically a religious term…it is a word drawn from the sphere of politics; it refers to dispute resolution. 

How does this image sit with us this morning?  Do we really think of ourselves as at opposite ends with God and in need of reconciliation?  Could it be that the deep unease of our souls is not just the angst of Covid 19 and the disruption of our world, but the angst of separation from God?  Could it be that what we desperately need more than anything else is not just a truce, but a full reconciliation with God through Christ Jesus?

The reality is that, no matter how hard we may try, we cannot reconcile ourselves to God.  We are incapable of overcoming the chasm between us and God. What we can do is to accept the reconciliation that God has offered in Christ Jesus, knowing that as we do the God’s grace flows to us and through us. In this reconciliation we begin that journey of transformation — “the new life in Christ” — which results in us being “in Christ.”  

Seeing ourselves as “ministers of reconciliation” means that not only are we as followers of Christ reconciled to God, but we are to be enabling others to be reconciled to God as well.  Too often we see someone, fairly successful, seemingly happy in their family and home life, active in their larger community — and we mistakenly believe that they are not in need of God;  nothing could be further from the truth.  If one is not “in Christ,”  then that one is estranged from God — and therefore from themselves in the depths of our souls.  I fervently believe that only in and through Christ Jesus are we fully reconciled to God — and therefore enjoy God’s peace living in us.  

Our soul/personal unity depends upon our union with God through Christ.  We may search for God’s peace in religion, rites or ritual.  We can engage in counseling (not a bad thing at times in our lives) of one type or another.  As a general rule counseling is a really good way to deal with the challenges and issues of life.  However, the best counseling, in order to be truly effective and life-changing, must be enable us to either experience a deeper relationship with God, or to grow in that direction.  My experience has been that we say must continually yes to the God we meet “in Christ” in order to experience reconciliation all the way down and all the way through our lives.  Another put it well: “I am redeemed, but there are unredeemed parts of me. There are parts of my person that have never heard the gospel.”  Only as these parts hear and surrender do I move closer to full unity with God in Christ. 

Quite honestly, often I find persons who, even as believers, remain in an adversarial relationship with God — usually due to some aspect or experience of their lives.  Their deepest fears — which surface when “Humpty takes a great fall,” — belie their surface demeanor. I have known person after person, who, while claiming belief in Jesus Christ, harbors anger and bitterness toward God over some event in their life history.  Only in opening up our soul — fully and without reservation — to God, are we “put back together again.”  When we are willing to accept the love and grace of Christ, when we are willing to allow the peace of Christ’s Spirit to flow in and through us, then we will know the wholeness which comes only from Christ Jesus.  

So, on one level the nursery rhyme is correct: we cannot put Humpty back together again.  But, on another level we see that Christ can and does, time and again, in response to our surrender.  And while that is all that matters, it is also incredibly challenging.  

“So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new.”

Amen.

Robert U. Ferguson, Jr., Ph.d.

The Sea Island Chapel

173 Marshland Road

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina 27262

April 26^th, 2020

Dining with Jesus

The Sea Island Pulpit

Dining with Jesus

Luke 24:13-35

This would be a day that not only would Cleopas and friend remember the rest of their lives, this day would irretrievably alter the direction and path of those lives.  To be sure, this day did not start out that way.  No, when these companions began the journey home to Emmaus nothing in their lives gave the impression of this being a great day.  Seven miles they had to walk; seven miles they had to trod with heads down and hearts broken, limping home while recounting the horror of the crucifixion.  No, this day was not promising to be a banner day; yet, few days start out expecting a crucified Jesus to show up.  

Luke is the sole recorder of this saga – and are we ever grateful!  We can identify with Cleopas and his friend, can we not?  We know what life feels like to be down and defeated.  All their hopes, all their dreams, all their wishes for Israel had just gone down the tubes in that death of all deaths, the death of Jesus.  Now it was Sunday, the required time for mourning was over; now was the time to go home and rebuild what was left of their lives.  

As they walk a stranger joins them on the road, one they seemed to know but yet could not place.  He appeared oddly ignorant of all that had happened in Jerusalem this weekend past.  Was he the only person in Jerusalem unaware of Jesus?  Was he the only one who had not heard what had happened to the one so many thought was the Messiah?  To make matters worse, they had to tell him of the reports that the body was gone – that some women had gone to the tomb and returned with visions of angels and witnesses that Jesus was alive.  

Of course, all that resurrection talk was just rubbish to Cleopas and friend.  They knew better than to believe a story that was nothing more than the wishful thinking and hallucinations of deeply grieving women.  No, once Jesus died so did their dreams and there was no way they would take them back again.  No, their lives were to be lived under the Roman boot and there was not one thing they could do to change that fact.  Might as well get used to it and get beyond it – Jesus was dead and dead men do not come back.

The stranger listened and then he began to talk.  Yes, Jesus was dead, but had they not read the Hebrew scriptures?  Had they not read the prophets where they spoke that the Messiah must suffer and die?  Did they really think that the Messiah would come and conquer without pain or suffering?  Did they really believe that the way to glory avoided pain and agony, even death?  This stranger was so knowledgeable about the scripture that they hung on his every word.

As this trio arrived in Emmaus Cleopas and friend pleaded with the stranger to stay with them and spend the night.  The stranger accepted their hospitable invitation and then it happened.  While the stranger was breaking the bread suddenly they recognized him – this was no stranger, this was Jesus!  Then, just as suddenly, Jesus was gone, vanishing into the night air leaving but the deep and vivid memory of an incredible encounter.  

Immediately they looked at each other, mouths agape with an incredulous disbelief.  Jesus had been walking with them and teaching them and they had not known it until the end.  As they talked they realized that each of them had felt the something stirring in their souls  as Jesus had taught them.  That fire that had flickered and died on Friday now had sprung back to life out of ashen embers thought to be cold and beyond rekindling.  Jesus was alive – nothing else mattered.  Jesus was alive – there was still hope.  Jesus was alive –  they had recognized him in the breaking of bread.  Jesus was alive — this world would never be the same, regardless of whose government was in control.

What are we to make of this narrative?  Here we have all the ingredients of a classic encounter with Jesus.  At the risk of seeming to be formulaic – and we cannot for no one determines when and where our Lord will show up – let us review this narrative that we might be aware of how and when Jesus might walk into our lives.

1

Jesus comes when we least expect him, but when we are in deepest need of him.  These two had their souls shattered, their dreams destroyed, and their hopes hurled down into that tomb with Jesus.  There was nothing left to do but go home and make the most of a sorry situation.  Then Jesus came and what seemed like utter defeat became the moment of victory.  

Can we recall those moments when we felt like all of life had been shattered for us?  Can we remember those times when all our hopes and dreams had been erased from the slate of life by forces we could only call evil?  Hopeless, helpless, and hapless, in dire need of shelter and security, we stumble toward home when the Spirit of the Risen Lord suddenly meets us.  To be sure the Spirit uses different modes: a word, a song, a friend, a moment, a glimpse – the mode does not matter for our Lord can use whatever he desires.  What matters is that we sense the presence of the Spirit and our lives are dynamically changed.  

I’ll never forget those times when Jesus showed up in my life.  I was a young pastor struggling with a growing but difficult church when in the midst of what seemed like agonizing defeat Jesus showed up.  Or, that moment when I thought, I’ll just chuck all this ministry “stuff” and go sell life insurance; then Jesus showed up in an encouraging word, with a calming presence and a renewal that returned the fire to the soul.  As Alex Haley’s grandmother told him, “God may not come when you want him to; but do not worry, he’ll be on time.”

Why does Jesus show up in times of deepest need?  Does Jesus wait until we are desperate?  Or is the issue not Jesus but us?  Could it be that Jesus wants to show up more and more,  but we refuse to look for him? When life is smooth and seemingly under control — an illusion at best — too often we act as if we can keep Jesus quarantined from our lives, visiting him only occasionally just to make sure he’s there.  More often that not, when we try this we go to that room only to discover that he has escaped.  Jesus will not stay put; he will not answer our beck and call.  Jesus is not a deity we store away and pull out only when needed. Christ is Lord and Christ will show up when Christ desires.  Jesus is not our cosmic butler, waiting to attend to our every need.  Christ Jesus is our Lord, a living and loving presence, who comes and goes when and where he will.  I certainly believe Christ would show up more often if we will be open to his presence.

2

This is a Lord whose presence is often anonymous in the beginning but in the aftermath sets our souls ablaze.  Often, in the moment of despair we do not recognize Jesus, but that is inconsequential.  Jesus recognizes us and when the right moment comes he reveals his presence to us.  Notice that two crucial aspects mark the presence of Jesus: a new understanding and a rekindling of faith.  

Jesus taught Cleopas and his friend a new way of looking at their situation.  What seemed like defeat, i.e., suffering and crucifixion, was the means through which victory, i.e., resurrection, would become a reality.  What had looked like total defeat was in reality the means of God’s incredible victory over evil and death.  The Spirit does not just enflame our soul, the Spirit enlightens our mind.  Faith is not blind – faith can see even if only partially and dimly.  When Jesus shows up he always helps us to understand our lives and situations from a different perspective and in so doing transforms our understanding both of our lives and of God -- and gives us a faith to live by.

There are two idols to avoid in faith: blind acceptance and supra-rationality.  Faith is not mere blind belief.  Faith is neither stupidity nor ignorance as some propose.  Faith can and does have a logical and rational base.  However, we can err by making reason a god above God.  It is my experience that most of what I understand about God and faith is rational and logical.  To me that is the way in which I have experienced God most often and most deeply.  However, there is a portion of my faith and experience which is above or beyond rationality and logic.  It just does not make sense – but I believe it anyway because I have experienced in and through the moments the presence of God.  

Cleopas and his friend were touched both in their minds and their hearts by the presence of Jesus Christ.  A living faith holds both elements in congruence within one’s soul.  Without the mind, without reason, then one can conjure up all manner of beliefs and propositions as to God and God’s will.  Without the heart, without a faith that burns at the depths of one’s soul in an experience that eludes words and escapes definition one’s faith will be cold, calculating, and worthless.  Either extreme is to be avoided because either extreme will destroy our life and faith.  The only person worse than a shivering cynic is a flaming fanatic.  The cynic usually only infects and destroys himself or herself.  The fanatic can and does often destroy others as well.  A living, vibrant faith, which holds both heart and head in unison, brings life to its owner as well as to those with whom it lives.

3

Jesus comes when we least expect him; Jesus touches us in both head and heart; and Jesus reveals himself most deeply in simple relationship, in the breaking of bread and sharing of a meal.  The symbolism is too powerful to be ignored: these had seen Jesus at the Last Supper break the bread and share the cup.  Now, once more Jesus breaks the bread, and their eyes are opened, and they see Jesus for who he really is – the Living Lord.  This bread is a powerful symbol of the sacrifice and love of our Lord.  In this bread and in this cup we are reminded anew that our faith comes at a deep price, the life of our Lord.  In this bread and in this cup we remember afresh that the love of God indeed has no bounds, no limits.  

Sharing a meal is such a simple thing – but it is so precious to remember.  There is something about sharing meal with a family, a friend, that goes beyond the bounds of the food and moves into the area of the spiritual.  Table fellowship can and does become spiritual fellowship when Jesus shows up.  As a minister I was invited time and again into the homes of parishioners; in those homes that they became more than friends.  Over the table relationships are developed, stories shared, and lives intertwined in such a way that they are bonded for eternity.  Our family’s deepest friends from each of our churches are those with whom we shared table fellowship.  Restaurants are fine – but they do not touch what transpires in a home around the family table.  In the meal with a family it is the presence of the family in their home inviting one to their table that makes that meal a sacred event.

As we deal with the quarantine required by Covid 19 I thought: Are we now taking note of the joy of family meals?  Do we realize what an opportunity these meals can be to share the love of Christ with our family?  

Such “communion” is at the heart of the table of our Lord.  The table of “Holy Communion, the Eucharist, or The Lord’s Supper” — this is our Lord’s table – and then it is ours.  This is our Lord’s Supper – and then it becomes our supper.  This is our Lord’s Agape Feast, i.e., Love Feast – and then it is ours.  We come to it only because our Lord has invited us and it is his presence that makes this moment and these elements sacred.  It is in his presence that all of life becomes sacred – and it is his presence that transforms our lives into the sacred as well.  I deeply and fully believe that Christ wishes to grace our lives with his presence day in and day out, but we are so busy and other-focused that Christ can scarcely find a way in save that of tragedy.  Could it be that the greatest benefit from Covid 19 will be a rediscovery of the real and living presence of our Lord Jesus Christ?

Have we experienced that presence in our lives?  Have we opened our lives to the Spirit of the Risen Christ, this Jesus of Nazareth?  Have we shared our failures and our shattered dreams that we might experience his transforming grace in both head and heart?  Too often we restrict our experience of Christ to a conversion or call event.  Have no doubt…I do believe that we need to be born again or from above!  However, I believe that we need to be born from above again and again and again.  We need a continual experience of the Risen Christ in order to fully know Christ’s love and strength, calling and purpose in our lives.

In the Revelation of St. John our Lord gives this word to the church at Laodicea. “Behold I stand at the door and knock.  If any hears my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with me.”  This message is not directed toward non-believers, but to a congregation of those who claim Jesus as Lord.  However, their hearts have grown cold and their faith has become weak.  They need to open the door of their heart that they might once again experience his love and grace.  

Will we open the door of our heart to the Jesus and eat with him?  Our lives will never be the same.

Robert U. Ferguson, Jr., Ph.D.

Sea Island Chapel

173 Marshland Road

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

April 19, 2020a