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A Community of Feet-washers
Rev. Dr. Gerard Booy
John 13:1-17
John 13 has had a profound influence on the church. Or has it? We love the story, but do we do it? Do we live up to its call?
In last week’s story we saw Christ gathering a witnessing community around himself, community of people who tell other people what they’ve found in Christ. Today we see another aspect of that community gathered around Christ: they humbly serve one another in the name of Christ.
Back to the story. The context is important for understanding the meaning of Jesus’ actions. This is the beginning of long conversation between Jesus and his disciples (John 13-17) where Jesus prepares them for the events that will follow. He wants them to be able to understand the meaning of His death. They are together at the table (John puts it in the context of the Passover meal), and Christ knew that time for Him has come to leave the world and return to Father, that Father has put everything under His power, that He came from God and was returning to God.
In this context, we are told that Christ loves “His own who were in the world”. He shows them the full extent of His love. How? He empties Himself and becomes their servant (see Phil 2, Mark 10:45). He washes their feet. Feet-washing is slave work. John tells this in great detail. The pace of the narration slows down. John carefully gives his full attention to this event just as Christ carefully gives His full attention to the disciples. Neither Jesus nor John misses a thing. Jesus gets up, takes off His outer clothing, put a towel around His waist, pours water in a basin, and begins to wash their feet, one by one, drying it with the towel around His waist.
Jesus does this willingly. He does not have to do it. He does not do it grudgingly. He doesn’t do it to teach the disciples a much deserved lesson in humility and to make them feel guilty. He wants to serve them. This reminds me of that other feet-washing story in John: Mary washing the feet of her master with expensive perfume and drying it with her hair. Both of these are acts of pure, selfless love, shown in the most personal manner.
Could this story be a sign (SEMEION) of a greater love? Could this be pointing to Christ’s self-sacrifice, that ultimate deed of self-emptying on the cross by which He washed not just our feet but our whole being with His blood? Could this be a sign of our communion with the body and blood of Christ? “Unless I wash you, you have no part of Me”.
Christ’s concern is not dirty, smelly feet around the dinner table; not even their poor table manners. Christ is not concerned here with the observation of social customs. His concern is that His disciples learn to understand the salvation that He achieved for us; that His disciples who are washed by His blood learn to live out of their salvation; that we who are washed by Christ learn to wash one another’s feet.
These people around the table are the ones whom He called to follow Him, to follow Him by washing one another’s feet. While He washes our whole selves, we are called to wash one another’s feet. What does this mean? What is feet-washing?
Feet washing consists first of all in a new attitude that comes from being loved, served, and washed by Christ, from being united with Christ in His death and resurrection. Paul speaks about this in Philippians 2 as “having the same attitude of mind that was in Christ.” He explains what this means by calling us to make his joy complete by being like-minded, by having the same love, by being one in spirit and in purpose.
Feet-washing is an act of hospitality. In Biblical times, servants washed the feet of guests on behalf of their masters.
Feet-washing is humble, selfless service – slave work. Serving one another like this, means that we consider the others better than ourselves; that we constantly look out for the interest of others first. We carefully give our full attention to the people we serve. The personal nature of Christ’s service to them comes out in the discussion with Peter. Notice the pronouns.
Peter: Are you going to wash my feet?
Peter: You shall never wash my feet.
Jesus: Unless I wash you, you will have no part of me.
Peter: Lord, then not just my feet, but my hands and head too.
Feet-washing is the purposeful service we render so that others can be fit and ready to sit at the table with our Host. We are serving others that they might have communion with the Lord. We extend the grace of the Lord to them.
Sounds all very nice, but the story questions our willingness to let Christ wash us, teach us and change us. It questions our willingness to serve others in Christ’s manner and name. And it questions our willingness to let others serve us. Like Peter, we object and hold back. What is it that holds us back?
• We are afraid of this. Many people are afraid of God’s grace. We don’t want God to come too close to us; we don’t want to expose ourselves; we are afraid of what he might find, as if he does not already know. Unless we are open to God’s grace, we cannot pass his grace on to others.
• Pride is a big factor. Are you going to wash my feet? It is couched as humility, but it is actually Peter’s pride speaking. Christ is the example of humility in the story, not Peter. At this point, the other gospels tell the story of the disciples arguing about who is the greatest among them. John does not tell that story, but it comes out here as well. No one volunteers to wash the others’ feet. No one got up and took the towel and basin from Jesus. No one wants to be the least among the disciples. Peter objects about being washed, but it is not as if he takes the water and towel from Jesus. He is too important for that! We forget who we are; that we are the servants of the Lord, and not the Master; that we are the messengers of the Lord, and not the One who sends.
• Prejudice often plays a role and gets in the way of us washing other people’s feet.
• Our individualism screams against Jesus’ attitude and call. We do not think in terms of “us” but only in terms of “me”. We do not put others first and consider them better than ourselves.
• And finally, we are unwilling to let others wash our feet. It goes with pride, doesn’t it? We are not serving Christ’s agenda, but our own.
Sadly, even here where Christ reveals the full extent of His love, there sounds the false note of betrayal. It is just there in the background of this story, but undeniably there, rearing its ugly head like a cancer growing in the community of disciples. Judas’ betrayal violates the table communion between Jesus and his disciples; it disrupts the unity among the believers; his heart and actions betray Christ, Christ’s love, Christ’s self-emptying, sacrificial love. It is devil work, John tells us, because Christ’s ultimate service to God and humanity would be the deathblow to the devil and his plans, and the devil wants to stop this sacrifice from happening so that the grace and love of Christ will not come to fruition.
Fortunately for us, Christ continues undisturbed, serving His people, doing the will of His Father.
We are Christ’s own. We have been washed with His blood. Now we are called to serve one another.
How shall we do this?
• Small groups might be one way. It would help if we can organize ourselves and ministry so that we can know one another personally, be close to one another, and have natural opportunities to serve one another in love.
• Personal attention to one another is important: conversations, listening, praying, visiting, practical help, small acts of hospitality are ways to pay attention to others. The church is one place where we need a people focus more than we need a task focus.
• We need to work for the unity of the church, as much in adopting the right attitude, as in doing the things that will strengthen bonds and in letting go of the things that hurt the body of Christ.
• “Soul work” is another arena where we wash one another’s feet. We extend the grace of Christ, we care about one another’s faith, and we encourage and rebuke one another as we follow Christ together.
Let me close with three questions.
• How can you extend the love of Christ to others in humble, self-denying service?
• Think of one person whose feet you are called to wash …
• Think of one way in which you can serve the unity of the church …
To God be the glory.
Gerard Booy
CHRIST GATHERS A COMMUNITY AROUND HIMSELF Rev. Dr. Gerard Booy
John 1:35-51
I am the church! You are the church! We are the church together! All who follow Jesus all around the world, Yes we’re the church together!
When we sang this song earlier in the service, we reminded ourselves that the church is not a building; the church is a people. The question is what kind of a people are we?
The first stories in John’s gospel are stories that remind us how Christ gathered people around himself. We are called to be a people who follow Christ; a community of followers who remain in Christ; a community of disciples who give witness to Christ.
Christ does not work alone. If anyone could work solo, it would have been Him. But He didn’t. He is only alone on the cross. There and in His death is He rejected by the people and forsaken by God. But His focus even there is not on Himself. He is fixed on the Father’s will and glory. He dies a substitutionary death; He dies in our place; it is for us.
From the beginning of His ministry, Christ calls people and gathers them around Himself. How does He do that? John emphasizes the role of people telling other people.
• The first two stories in chapter 1 are about John the Baptist testifying about the Lamb of God, pointing away from Himself, and to Jesus: There is the Lamb of God.
• Witnessing is such an important theme, that even the opening hymn about the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us (John 1) is interrupted at verse 6 with a comment about the witness sent by God. John’s testimony must have been very compelling, because two of his disciples decide to leave him and follow Jesus, when Jesus walks by the next day.
• The next two stories shows what happens to the people who encounter Jesus. They immediately become witnesses. Andrew, one of the two immediately goes and finds his brother Simon, tells him about Jesus, and brings him to Jesus. Philip, who is found and called by Jesus on the next day, immediately sets off and finds Nathanael who lives in the same town. He shares his news about Jesus and invites his sceptic friend: Come and see.
• Evangelism, telling the good news about Christ, is the most natural thing for followers of Jesus. It is in the genes of the Christian church.
Fast forward to our time: If witnessing to Christ is such a central and important theme in the gospel, why is it that we have become so shy about the good news? Why are we so reluctant to talk about Christ? Why is it that we so often reason that we don’t have to talk about our faith as long as we live it? The Presbyterian Record of October 2011 carried several articles on evangelism, interesting articles most of them. One author reminds us that just as words without actions are futile, so actions without words are devoid of meaning and content. So many Christians live by the good sounding but ill-advice of St. Francis who apparently once said: Preach Christ always, use words when necessary. It sounds good, but it is gospel nonsense. The gospels encourage us to do both; to speak our faith and to live our faith! On the cover of that edition of the Record, appeared these words: Many think evangelism is a dirty word, but the church was built on it and needs to take it back.
Why is it important that we reclaim our identity as a witnessing community?
I think it is important because our witnessing is the context within which Christ finds people and people find Christ. A few words – We have found Messiah – and a simple invitation – Come and see – can lead to a meeting with the risen Christ. In every one of these stories, there is an element of Christ seeing the persons. And when He sees them, He speaks to them. And His words alter their lives.
• The two disciples of John the Baptist follow Jesus. Jesus turns around, He sees them, and He says to them… Three verbs portray the actions of Jesus: turn, see, say. And that changed the course and the meaning of their lives.
• Andrew brings his brother Simon to Jesus. Jesus looks at him and says …The actions of Jesus alter his identity. You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas (Peter).
• Nathanael approaches Jesus and learns that Jesus already saw him under the fig tree. And then Jesus says … a conversation develops in which Christ is more fully revealed. He receives a new imagination, a new hope.
Would Jesus have found Andrew, Simon, and Nathanael without the aid of human witnesses? Who knows? He could have, as the story of Philip clearly shows. But Christ somehow chooses to work through people telling other people.
This is how Christ finds us and we find Christ. Find is an important word in all these stories.
• Verse 41: Andrew encounters Christ and spends time with Him. The first thing he does (first thing!) is to find his brother Simon. And his message: We have found the Messiah.
• Verse 43: Jesus finds Philip and calls him. Again, what is the first thing Philip does? He goes and finds Nathanael, saying: We have found the One about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote.
That is how people get to see – another important word in the text. Isn’t that what we desire most for others; that they find and see; that they believe and follow?
We’ve been talking about the importance of giving witness. But what about their message? What do we have to tell? When we look at the messages in this story, what do we see? They are all remarkably simple and brief. But here’s the thing, they are all clearly focused on Christ. They speak about Christ. They don’t defend Christ. They don’t make excuses for speaking about Christ. They don’t force their listeners to believe. They are clear, honest, Christ-focused and invitational. John the Baptist says: There is the Lamb of God. Andrew says: We have found the Messiah. He then brings his brother to Christ. Philip says: We have found the One about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He listens to Nathanaels objections and invites him: Come and see.
Together, these simple testimonies, these individual witnesses form an impressive message about Christ. Names for Jesus are piled up in this story, a mounting to an amazing theology.
• Lamb of God: the suffering servant, the “Passover Lamb” who gives his life for an atonement of our sins.
• Messiah: the anointed and expected Redeemer (notice the paradox between these names) about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote.
• Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph.
• Son of Man: God who became flesh; God who dwells among us; God who is present where we are. Jesus’ words to Nathanael about seeing the heavens open and the angels of God descending upon the Son of Man, alludes to the story of God’s presence with Jacob at Bethel. Jesus, the Son of Man, is the true Bethel, the house of God.
• Son of God
• King of Israel.
This Jesus is the One who sees us and calls us; who forms us into a community of followers to be His witnesses to the people around us.
That is why the church is important. That is why we have to make sure that our church groups and activities are place and times where we can make the kind of connections that enable us to speak to one another about Christ. We need to form church groups where the focus is not simply on what we do and how we serve the church, or on what we learn, but where the focus is on being a community of disciples who are intentional about the formation of one another’s faith; Groups where we are together to listen, to share our stories, ask our questions, read the Scriptures, and pray together. The session is currently studying small group ministry and hope to share more with you in the future.
Nathanael, Andrew, Philip … These are the witnesses in our Bible story today. We don’t read a whole lot about them in the rest of the Bible. A little bit about Andrew and Philip, but almost nothing about Nathanael. But that doesn’t matter. They are faithful witnesses where they are, and that matters. With them started a process of hearing, following, finding, and telling others that goes on to our day. We are in on this as well. Christ has found us. Let us tell those around us.
To the glory of God.
IN GOD'S TIME Rev. Dr. Gerard Booy
Ecclesiastes 3:1-15
January 1, 2012
Another year is dawning. Time like an ever-rolling stream bears all our years away. Time passes relentlessly. It rolls on like a mighty wave, turning day into night, days into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, years into decades, and decades into life-times. Time does not wait for anyone.
As time goes by, we sometimes wonder about life. What’s the point of everything we do? Whatever is has already been; what will be has been before, writes the Preacher (verse 15). There doesn’t seem to be anything new. Do things actually change? Is the world a better place for our working; for our being here? What does the worker gain from his toil (verse 9)? Is 2012 going to be any different from 2011?
Ecclesiastes is the book that peels the scales from our eyes. Eugene Peterson writes in the introduction to Ecclesiastes in The Message that “this is the book that exposes our incapacity for finding meaning and completion of our lives on our own. This is not a book we read to be fed; we read it to be cleansed. It scrubs us clean from illusion and sentiment, from idolatrous ideas, and from feelings that are cloy.”
Still, we try and we keep trying to complete our lives and fill them with meaning. Like Qohelet (the Hebrew name for this book) we pursue all kinds of things, hoping to find something that’ll work. Qohelet considered every possible avenue. This is abundantly clear from chapters 1 and 2. First, he pursued wisdom. Then he swung to the opposite, embracing folly and pleasures, and seeking laughter and fun. That turns out to be meaningless, so he resolved to undertake great projects. He started building campaigns and planted vineyards, thinking that he will find meaning by doing something significant and making his life count. But even that did not satisfy, so why not try to live big? He bought slaves galore, hired many court musicians and filled his harem with women (Imagine life at the courts of Solomon). He amassed gold and silver… Qohelet tried everything that has ever been tried. His conclusion at the end of chapter two: meaningless, a chasing after wind. All our efforts inevitably fail to produce meaning and to complete our lives.
Then we read this:
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven: ,
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
And this:
9 What does the worker gain from his toil?
10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men.
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live.
13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God.
14 I know that everything God does will endure for ever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
15 Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account. (Ecclesiastes 3:9-15)
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. Let me comment briefly on the list of times in verses 1-8. People often get hung up with the detail when they read a list like this, trying to explain every example that is mentioned. There is a time for that, I suppose, but I want to take a broader look at the list. We are given a long list of items that represent every activity under heaven: 14 pairs, 28 items. (The number of items could very well be symbolic of this because 28 is the product of 7 and 4, seven being the number of holiness, perfection and 4 being the number of the earth. (In Biblical times people thought about the 4 corners of the earth, while we would think of the 4 directions, North, South, East, and West.)
The items are listed in pairs of opposites. This is a literary device. By naming and listing only the opposite extremes, the writer shows the range of activities and events that fall between these poles. Only birth and death is mentioned, but the writer includes everything in between, not just the two opposite ends. This list covers much more then than 28 examples of moments in life. It covers every possible season in life, every possible circumstance, every possible event or activity that we could engage in, every possible emotion we express and every possible relation we are in. It covers life from the cradle to the grave, with everything in between - pleasant and unpleasant, positive and negative, good and bad, constructive and destructive, beginnings and endings, hope and despair, love and hate, war and peace.
What do we notice then in this passage?
We notice the passing nature of all things. Whatever we keep ourselves busy with; whatever fills our lives and gives meaning at the moment is transitory. We see the list switching from item to item. Season follows season. The list moves from positive to negative and back again. For everything there is a season. This is sometimes sad. We want certain moments to last longer; we are not ready to let go. We do not like endings and would do anything to make things last. At other times this is good. We know, for instance, that pain, grief and affliction will not last either. It too will pass in time.
Why is it important to remember the passing nature of things?
- I think, first of all, that it teaches us not to build on sand; not to put our trust in princes (as the Psalmists often remind us too).
- It teaches us secondly to accept and embrace our own mortality. Psalm 90, which we read in the service, talks about that. Our society goes to extreme lengths to deny death and avoid the topic. Strangely enough though, this has not resulted in more fulfilled people and more meaningful lives. The truth is that we actually live better and wiser lives when we accept that we too will die, and therefore prepare ourselves for dying while we still live.
- Let me point out a third reason why it is important for us to remember the passing nature of things. It disciplines us to accept our limits; to discern the times; to know for instance when it is time to retire and pass the baton, or when it is time for change, time to accept a new challenge, or simply time to press on and persevere.
Everything about us and around us is subject to time, and is therefore ephemeral. God on the other hand is eternal. God is without end. God’s work is not fleeting or temporary. God’s work stands forever. The saving grace of our Lord is not subject to inflation. It does not fade away. God and God’s work endures.
Our lives, our times, our thoughts, our decisions, our actions, our emotions, our relationships, our world is therefore part of a much bigger whole. And that we notice as well. We often don’t see past the small things that we are fixed on; we often don’t see beyond the hills that surround us. And we often make life difficult because we expect outcomes from work, from study, from play, from investments, from family that they cannot give. We and everything about us is part of a bigger whole - God’s work with us; the work of God who makes everything beautiful in his time (verse 11), who gives food and drink to nourish us and work for us to do, who fills the earth with his presence and goodness.
God made us to search for God. God planted eternity in our hearts (verse 11) and gave us a longing for eternity, for God self. We often confuse our deep longing for eternity with a longing for this or that, something tangible, something immediate. We turn God’s gifts for life into objects from which we seek ultimate meaning. We turn life, work, food, knowledge, and games into idols. And our lives remain restless …
Our lives are lived in time, and time is God’s gift to us. Time, the moments and the seasons of our lives, the ordinary things with which we keep busy is the arena where God meets us; where we search for and find God; where we do good, love our neighbours; raise our children, and proclaim the good news.
Life may seem like an endless cycle of seasons and events. But there is more. At the beginning and at the end, and everywhere in between is God
Our help in ages past;
Our hope for years to come;
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
The Poor You Will Always Have With You Karin Breuer
Today I would like to invite you to explore with me a topic we don’t often discuss in church or I suspect in our homes. As a matter of fact I believe that we avoid the whole topic of poverty. Perhaps it’s because none of us really understand poverty or perhaps we think that if we begin to explore that topic that we will either catch the disease—and yes, walk down Hastings and Main and I would wager that most of us will avoid eye contact or physical contact as if poverty so blatantly and openly displayed was highly contagious and we don’t want to catch even a light version of this disease—or equally as terrifying a thought is that we will be called to do something about it and we’re not quite certain which would be more terrible—catching the disease or being called to do something about it. So we avoid the topic. To be honest, I avoid it too. I tell you boldly that I don’t understand poverty. That is not to say that I, like many of you, haven’t experienced poverty; I have, but it was a passing experience and one that through the wisdom of my parents left my siblings and myself stronger just as the experience that some of you sitting here today has left you stronger. You and I could share stories about what it is to live in poverty. I could tell you that I went barefoot to and from school in order to save the one pair of shoes to wear in school. I can tell you stories of gleaning fields—the Biblical practice still in vogue in Germany after the war when we arrived there as refugees--so that we would have a little flour for a small cake on Sundays made with eggs traded for kindling my brothers gathered in the woods. Or I could tell you that I got my first ever new dress sewn by my mom for Christmas after I had reached the wonderful age of 13. We could share lots of stories like that, growing up in what I realized only as an adult was serious poverty. But experiencing poverty, growing up in poverty does not help us to understand it—certainly speaking for myself I don’t understand it. Perhaps mine was a different kind of poverty, the kind of poverty that inspires trust in peoples’ goodness; the kind that inspires hard work; the kind that makes us strong in our belief about the goodness and the power of God. The pictures of poverty I see in the media, the abject figures I see on Main and Hastings, are a very different kind of poverty and leave me feeling helpless and hopeless. Maybe that is why earlier this summer the Lord laid it on my heart to speak about poverty today. It began June 18 when Joan and I came to church for a recital. One of the performers was a little girl who sang The Prayer from The Hunchback of Notre Dame that Sabina sang for us just now. I couldn’t get the words out of my head. Well, the next day during our church service, Mike Hickey reminded us of the Salvation Army dinner that day and the commitment by a number of our members who gave up Father’s Day to provide a meal to the poor in our own community. The following week I received a newsletter from the Canadian Harambe Education Society that provides scholarships for female students in Kenya and Tanzania who would be financially unable to attend school without the sponsorships of generous Canadians. Then I received an update from the DKG, a women educators’ organization, stating that we had this past year raised in excess of $10,000 to build schools in Africa—in those countries most ravaged by war and HIV. And just in case I had any doubt about speaking on the topic, the Lord made sure that my friend Lennor in Victoria sent me a DVD on the work in Tlamacazapa Mexico which is supported by the Canadian women educators. And even as I wrestled still trying to get my head around the topic last week and thinking that I still had time to work on some other topic, one of the VBS lessons included the story of Jonah. That nailed it. Neither you nor I had any wiggle room about today’s lesson. God wants us to learn a little bit about poverty. I had begun my research on what the Bible has to say to us about poverty early in July by looking up “the poor” in Librionix, a cross reference e-Bible. I found 6,678 references in various Bible translations and commentaries. I knew I was way over my head and put everything aside, hoping, I think, that over the summer it would go away. Then VBS was finished and it was crunch time. The Jonah escape wasn’t about to work for me either so it was back to work. I began by identifying that the Bible speaks about two types of poverty, (1) material poverty and (2) spiritual poverty. Judging by the examples that God had brought to my attention I’m pretty sure that He wanted us to explore material poverty. I was able to wipe out some of the references in my July list but I was still feeling overwhelmed. I prayed for some serious help—a prayer that was very quickly answered I must add. I remembered a lesson Paddy taught us in June on the topic of Hospitality. She said that you can get an understanding about a topic if you go to the Bible with four questions: (1) what does it say about God? (2) what does it say about humans? (3) What does it say about the relationship between God and us? (4) what does it say about the relationship between humans? I quietly breathed a “Thank you God for Paddy.” It was a start. I’m sure that I will not do justice to the topic—I really pared the references down--but I pray that the Holy Spirit will guide our thoughts so that we will have a deeper understanding about the heart of God and our response to his call to literally “feed my sheep”. (1)So what does this topic say about God? As I began to clump together the references under the various headings, I began to learn a lot about the character of God. Let us begin with Psalm 22:2 “The rich and the poor have this in common, the Lord made them both.” Here we read that God puts all humans on an equal footing. Rich and poor, as well as all of us on that continuum in between, are created by God and therefore in His image. God doesn’t seem to differentiate his creation as neatly as we do. That doesn’t mean that God is unaware that there are and will be poor people among us. Before entering the promised land, God instructs Moses and states (and I quote here from Deuteronomy 15:7-11) “But if there are any poor Israelites in your towns when you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Instead, be generous and lend them whatever they need. 9 Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand. If you refuse to make the loan and the needy person cries out to the Lord, you will be considered guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to the poor, not grudgingly, for the Lord your God will bless you in everything you do. 11 There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need.” Deuteronomy 15:7-11. God is not indifferent to the poor and He does not want us to be indifferent to them either. On the other hand God also does not want us to treat the poor differently from other people just because they are poor. In Job we read that God doesn’t care how great someone is; he pays the same amount of attention to the rich as he does to the poor. (Job 34:19) and in Exodus 30:14-15 he instructs the people of their duty when they reach their 20th birthday. “When this offering is given to the Lord to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less." To those who would exploit the poor or treat them shamefully, the Lord has harsh words: “Listen to this you who rob the poor and trample down the needy…I will never forget the wicked things you have done…I will turn your celebrations into mourning and your singing into weeping.” (Amos 8:4, 7b, 10a) Over and over again we read in both the new and the old testaments that God is the protector of the poor. (2) What does the Bible then say about us? The Bible is not silent about people and does not paint a great picture about our treatment of the poor and the downtrodden. Proverbs 29:7 gives us a thumbnail sketch of two types of people, the Godly people versus the wicked in their relationship to the poor. “The godly care about the rights of the poor; the wicked don’t care at all.” Again and again as we read scripture we are faced with the reality that the poor faced then, and too often still face today. In Amos we learn about God’s indignation towards his people “For I know the vast number of your sins and the depth of your rebellions. You oppress good people by taking bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.” (Amos 5:12) Some of the words used by the prophet Amos are downright insulting “Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy” (Amos 4:1) In Isaiah God points accusing fingers at the rulers and the power brokers of the land. The Lord comes forward to pronounce judgment on the elders and rulers of his people: “You have ruined Israel, my vineyard. Your houses are filled with things stolen from the poor.” (Isaiah 3:14) In James we read the indictment against the wealthy: “You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence.” (James 5:2c-5a) Surely when we read these passages we hold a mirror up to our own age—an age where homelessness is an acceptable fact of life, where children work in sweat shops to provide us with “affordable” clothing and shoes, where girls and boys are sold by their parents into slavery to keep food on the table for their elderly and the very young. And we shrink from the pictures on TV that remind us of our own blessings and turn our channels to more entertaining programs. But thankfully, God does not leave us burdened with guilt; He has a plan for all of us—rich and poor and in-between. (3) So what does the Bible say about our relationship to God in our time? I read the Bible and find that the words to us today are the same as they were to the people two and three thousand years ago. God does not differentiate between rich and poor. We are all sinners and have fallen short of the glory of God. Our relationship therefore begins with an act of attrition—the act of repentance of our sins and the acceptance of the free gift of God—forgiveness of sin and an invitation to walk with God through the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus, the savior. In Matthew 6:24-34 Jesus gives us an outline of how we are to live out our life with God: “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. I encourage you to meditate on the grace that Jesus brings to us with these words; as he holds out his hands to us to meet him. In the words of Patrick Dixon from his Book “Encounters with God” “Hold out your empty hands and receive the love and forgiveness of God and ask the Holy Spirit to show how better we can express our gratitude and our worship.” Jesus asks us not to be concerned about material things but rather about the Kingdom of God. When our eyes are fastened on God, He will guide us in our giving; He will guide us in our response to His people. We do not need to despair about the things for which we have no answer as long as we continue to believe that God is in control of this world; as long as we are able to pray with conviction “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God has always asked only one thing of us, that we love Him with all our heart, our entire mind and our soul and that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The scriptures do not change; God does not change. If we hold fast to Him then we will understand what His call is to us and our relationship to one another; to our families, our church and to the poor in our communities. (4) What does the Bible say about our relationship with one another? God does not leave us dangling, wondering what our role is towards one another and especially to those in need. In addition to very specific rules that God gave the Israelites about the treatment of the poor, the widows, the orphans, the slaves and the strangers in Deuteronomy, we have many directions that will guide us in doing the right thing. Let me cite a number of these from Proverbs. “The godly care about the rights of the poor” (29:7); Don’t rob the poor just because you can or exploit the needy in court (22:22); Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice. (31:8-9); and, Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil. (15:16) The New Testament, too, is replete with examples in how we are to live. Among Jesus’ parables who does not know the parable of the good Samaritan? How many times have we read the parable of the rich fool who thought that he could keep adding to his wealth by building more and larger barns? How many of us have not wondered how we might use the parable of the rich man and Lazarus to shed light on a friend’s or relative’s blindness to their own poverty; and who does not remember the words of Jesus that he or she who has two coats give one to someone who has none. Read James again to help you understand the role we have towards one another. I love verse 27 in chapter 1 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Read the letters of Paul, especially the passages that speak of the congregations that generously supported Christians in Jerusalem in a time of need. The examples are many. Scripture instructs us to give to our families, to our church, our communities and our brothers and sisters in Christ throughout the world. Give as God commands generously and with joyful hearts out of our abundance or out of our poverty; give of the resources that God has blessed each of us with—love, time, talents and finances. While I can’t say what this topic today has taught you, I can tell you what I learned from doing it. (1) I learned that God’s intention was not for people to live in poverty but the reality is in Jesus’ words that “the poor you will always have with you” (Mark 14:7 & Matthew 26:11) (2) I learned that we are a sinful people who would prefer to make ourselves comfortable and not have to deal with the poor at the ‘good end’ of the spectrum to exploiting the poor and not providing justice at the ‘other end’ of the spectrum. (3) I learned that our first need is to know God and to humble ourselves by repenting of our sinfulness and allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our responsibilities to our fellow man and (4) Finally I learned that God does not expect me to solve the problem of poverty in my community or the world. What I do have is a responsibility to use the resources that God has given me wisely and generously to alleviate the needs of those people that He brings into my life and the life of the congregation that I find myself in. May I be ever faithful to His call. Amen.
The Lord is my Portion Rev. Dr. Gerard Booy Psalm 119:57-64 You might have seen the cartoon entitled IKEA Job Interview. It had me laughing out loud when I saw it shortly after I purchased and assembled a few pieces of furniture. The interviewer sits behind a desk in a sparsely furnished room. The candidate enters the room and the interviewer points to the pieces of a chair that are neatly arranged on the floor and says, “Please have a seat.” Typical, isn’t it? You think you buy a chair, but what you really get are the disassembled pieces of a chair. And it remains just that, pieces of material, unless you put in the effort to assemble it yourself. I suppose it is practical for companies to have consumers assemble larger items themselves, especially when you think in terms of storage space, ease of transportation, and savings on production time. And it is fine, albeit frustrating at times, to build your own desks, bookshelves and exercise machines. Barbeques are the worst, by the way. But it is not so fine and dandy when we view life as a do-it-yourself project. Sadly, I think this is true of our time; this has become our predominant metaphor for life. Life is what we make of it. The pieces are in our hands. We have to assemble it; figure out how to put the pieces together in a coherent manner. It is up to us to make it work; to fill it with meaning; to make it count. This attitude shines through in the way we talk about work. We don’t just work, we make a living. Life is the sum total of what we do, who we know, and what we accumulate. Life is the living we make for ourselves. We are self-made. This struck me again when I listened to the speeches at the high school graduation of our youngest son. The wisdom in the room spoke of ambition, hard work, diligence, success, and entitlement. “You have the right at a good life. Your life is ahead of you. Go, and unleash your potential. Live your dreams. Make the world a better place. You can do it. We’re counting on you.” Life is what we make of it, nothing more and nothing less. Very little mystery remains left when we approach life this way. And there is very little satisfaction in having to make a living. Look at us. We’re never satisfied with what we have and where we are in life. We always think there can be more; there should be more. We are never satisfied with the way God provides for us. We always think we can do a better job. But it is a brutal way of living because you better get it right, you better do your best, you better do enough, and you better not run out of plans. The problem is that you’ve got to do it over and over, everyday again, to make sure that life works out the way you want it to be. I find it sad that we have reduced life to this. It is even sadder that this assemble-it-yourself-syndrome has worked its way into our faith; that we approach faith as one of our projects as well; as our faith, the faith we assemble, the decisions we make for God, the devotion we choose to give, the religion we build around ourselves. That leaves us with a self-made Christianity where spirituality is our project, faith is the relationship that we establish by making the right choices and doing the right things, and church is the kingdom that we build around our needs and dreams. In a self-made Christianity, we end up being the ministry celebrities rather than the servants, newsmakers rather than reporters of the Good News that is God-made. The focus is on us. We demand. We decide. We plan. We build. We do. We change the world. I think this is one of the less noble reasons why there is such a shift in the work that denominations do – from Christ’s commission to making disciples, baptize them, and teach them to work for social justice. Here is something we can do. We can feel useful and make a difference. We can measure our success. Even though it is hard work, and at times frustrating and ungratifying, it is more hands–on and therefore easier than the calling to make disciples. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not denying the needs. I’m not discrediting the good that is being done. I’m just pointing out that the large shift we are seeing in the work of many denominations might be a sign that we are becoming more and more self-made and needs directed, rather than God-made and kingdom directed. A different metaphor A self-made church and self-made Christians in a build-it-yourself world. This while Jesus chooses a different metaphor to describe our lives. He talks about birth from above - Spirit-birth. We enter the Kingdom of heaven when we are God-made; when we are born of the Spirit. As with our physical births, our Spirit-birth is something that we contribute nothing to. We receive it. We live it. We participate fully, but we don’t cause it. Once received, we marvel at the intricacies and wonder of life. But we are not the source. Not at the beginning or at any other point in life. And Paul reminds us that when we live by the flesh (self-made), we die, but when we live by the Spirit (God-made), we are fully alive. The Spirit confirms our adoption as children of God through Christ. We are heirs of God; heirs with Christ. We are God-made, not self-made. The Psalmist uses the metaphor of portion to describe the God-made quality of our lives. There is an interesting history to the used of the Hebrew term “portion” in the Scriptures. It is used in the context of the division of the land, being a technical term for the allotment of land to the tribes of Israel. The portion is the share of land that the people receive from God. It is granted to them to live on, to be stewards of, to cultivate, and from this land they return the first fruits to the Lord. There was one exception. Aaron and the Levite priests did not receive a share of the land. Of them we learn that the Lord is their portion. They were not granted land that they could cultivate to produce food for their sustenance. Another sort of provision was made for them. They would receive a share from the offerings brought to the house of the Lord. They received the promise that the Lord would be their portion; that the abundance of God’s mercy and goodness are theirs; that the Lord would satisfy all their needs. They are set apart for ministry, and in their dependence on the Lord they are to be a living symbol among the people that God provides; that God is indeed the source of life and all of life’s blessings. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” In the Psalms however, we notice a new development in the idea of the portion. All sorts of believers came to realize that this is ultimately true of their lives as well. The Lord is my portion. The Lord is my life. I have nothing good apart from God (Psalm 16). I am God-made, God-birthed, God-fed, God-blessed. Our lives are defined and shaped by God. In the Psalms, “The Lord is my portion” becomes an expression of faith and commitment; an expression of the relationship between Yahweh and the believer. This is a communion that we do not will or give rise to from our side. We do not establish it through our worship and devotions, our moral efforts, our missionary work, our relief-work, or our work for social justice. The communion we have with God is a gift. It is Yahweh who extends His mercy, His justice, and His steadfast love to us. Our portion is this communion with the Lord. We live with God as the source of life, as the Giver of all good things, God as the Maker of the Good News. Our lives, as with this prayer, are therefore neatly framed by two realities. Both highlight the being and the work of the Lord: verse 57 “the Lord is my portion”, and verse 64 “Your steadfast love, O Lord, fills the earth.” The Lord’s portion (ḥçlek) and steadfast love (ḥçsed) are the two bookends between which the stories of our lives unfold. Our communion with God originates with the Lord and is sustained and brought to fruition by the Spirit. It is a gift. And it is this gift that encourages our obedience; that animates us to seek the Lord’s face with all our heart. The portion turns us into grateful lovers. Within the context of portion and steadfast love, we live in humble obedience. Obedience in the context of grace To say “the Lord is my portion” is first of all a confession, an exclamation that speaks of a reality that exists because of God – who God is and what God does. It is secondly an acceptance of that reality. The first statement (“The Lord is my portion”) therefore leads to the next (“I promise to keep your words”). We take hold of it and commit ourselves in gratitude to live according to this God-given, God-created reality. John Calvin, among others, favours a different translation of verse 57 which highlights our obedience. It goes like this “I said, O Lord, my portion is to keep Your words.” Obedience is the form in which the promise is worked out. This comes from a sense of being in communion with God, of belonging to God, of being blessed by the Lord. Only the Lord’s gift, the abundance of His mercy, the righteousness of His justice, the enduring quality of His love can explain the commitment that we see in the Psalm. Nothing else can account for it. When we lose sight of God’s grace, when we feel entitled, when we consider ourselves self-made, our obedience wanes. Prayed Obedience The obedience in which the promise is worked out in our lives is first of all a prayed obedience. This is important. We don’t presume for one moment that our obedience originates with us and our promise. We don’t presume for one moment that we are able to work out our obedience on our own; that we are able to keep the promise simply because we have made a promise and have good intentions. We never assume that we don’t have a need for prayer now that we have everything that God promised. Spurgeon puts it neatly, “the fully assured possession of God does not set aside prayer but rather urges it.” Let us look at the Psalm to see what this prayerful obedience entails. 58a I have sought your face with all my heart; Seeking the Lord’s face is a very powerful image. It is a lover’s image. Prayer is an intimate, personal act in which we lovingly seek God’s presence. We don’t just ask for help, we long for God’s presence. For God’s presence sustains our obedience. 58b be gracious to me according to your promise . It is humble prayer. We don’t demand. We don’t claim. We know ourselves to be sinners. We know how vulnerable we are. We ask for God’s grace because we have no hope unless God is gracious and keeps His promise. This prayer belongs on the lips of the vulnerable. 64 The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes! We pray, “Teach me,” for our hearts and minds to be filled with God’s love; for our lives to be determined by the Lord’s abundant provision and grace. Only those who know the portion of the Lord, know that they need to know more. They pray, “Lord teach me.” 62 At midnight I rise to praise you, because of your righteous rules. This suggests a routine prayer life. Midnight, where the one day turns into the next, we spend our time in communion with God. At midnight is also the time when our minds often wander and are filled by the activities of the day, the people we met, the decisions we made, the things we could have done differently, our plans for tomorrow, our concerns over this or that. Rather than being consumed by this, we spend time with God praying in gratitude. It is interesting to notice the sequence of thoughts in this section of the Psalm, where the prayer at midnight (verse 62) follows the lament about the cords of the wicked that ensnare us (verse 61). Midnight is the time when the wicked are at work; when burglars and thieves are out on the streets setting traps for the righteous, when the wicked devise their evil schemes. But the thoughts of the Psalmist are not beset with thoughts about the wicked, with thoughts about trouble and worries, with concerns over injustice and enemies. The thoughts of the righteous are filled with the grace of the Lord. Thoughtful Obedience 59 When I think on my ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies; 60 I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments. Ours is a prayed obedience. It is also a thoughtful obedience. Obedience is worked out in our lives as we consider our lives in the light of God’s word. Thinking means spending time in the presence of God, listening to his words, contemplating on the words of the Lord, and on our own lives in the light of it. When we come honestly to the word, we develop a new understanding of our own ways in the light of it. We come to our senses and we repent. That is how the Holy Spirit works repentance and brings us to conversion. We think. And then we turn. The mind has to be renewed first, and then the feet follow. The urgency strikes me when I read the Psalm. There is no time to be playing games. It is as if the Psalmist knows that to postpone obedience, is to open the door for disobedience. Obedience can’t wait. We can’t conveniently put it off until tomorrow. When you look at the text, you notice that the same idea is repeated twice. First in a straightforward manner “I hasten”, and then in the negative. That puts much more emphasis on the importance of our obedience, “I do not delay.” It might be that the servant did wander off and had to return to the way, thus realizing how urgent it is to work out the promise in obedience. It might be that the snares of the wicked make him realize how urgent it is to walk with God. Without clear biblical thinking we wander around; we are, in the words of the apostles, like ships that are blown back and forth by every wind of deception. When our thoughts are not directed by the words of the Lord, then they will be led astray by our own feelings, our own ideas, our own dreams, and our own desires. Our obedience is a thoughtful obedience. Obedience that keeps company with God’s people 63 I am a companion of all who fear you, of those who keep your precepts. It is only in our pride that we think we can walk this road alone; that we don’t need the company of others. Biblically informed humility recognizes the need for companions. We can’t seek God’s face at midnight and ignore God’s people during the day. We need the support, the wisdom, the prayers of each other. We seek the company of God’s people because we are heirs of God; co-heirs with Christ. That means that we are also heirs together with one another, co-heirs with the full company of God’s people. In this fellowship, the teaching takes place; in this fellowship we are urged to hasten our obedience; in this fellowship the fear of the Lord develops into praise; in this fellowship, we are encouraged to keep the promise. And in this fellowship, we remind each other that we are never outside the reach of God’s love. “The earth is filled with your steadfast love.” And we spur each other on in the belief that the Lord’s portion can never be taken from us; that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
This Do In Remembrance of Me Reverend Dorne Cornish
Exodus 12: 1-14; Luke 22:14-23
When Jesus shared the Passover with his disciples he broke a loaf of bread, gave thanks and shared it among them with the words: “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” These words are repeated every time we celebrate Holy Communion and are very familiar to us. But what is it, exactly, that we are to remember?
When we use the word “remember” it is usually in reference to something that happened in the past, such as “I remember when…” Is this what Jesus was getting at, that we are to remember that approximately 2,000 years ago a humble Jewish rabbi was, as the Apostle’s Creed states, “crucified, died and was buried”?
I was very close to my grandfather. He died just before my 13th birthday. Do I remember him? Yes, but vaguely. I have his picture and remember some of the things we did together, but as to specifics, not much. Things, even important things, have a way of fading with time. I think Jesus meant a different kind of remembering.
To understand this we need to begin at the beginning. Following the rebellion in the Garden of Eden and the subsequent fall from grace, God determined to redeem his fallen creatures and all that he had created… and put into place his plan for redemption. It began with the call to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3) Abram responded to that call and gradually, and sometimes painfully slowly, a people of faith began to be forged, a people who knew themselves to be called of God, designated a people for his sake.
The most significant event in the history of Israel, an event that continues to define Judaism to this day, was the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. It began with a trial as the Spirit of God passed over the houses in Egypt whose door posts were sprinkled with blood and brought death to the rest of Egypt’s houses. There was no exodus without this passover. The passover feast, the seder meal celebrated down to this day, is the annual participation of believing Jews in that event of judgment and deliverance. God became identified as “the God who led us up out of the land of Egypt.”
Many centuries passed as the people made their way through the difficult years of wilderness wandering and entered the promised land of Canaan. It was not an easy entry and years of conquest followed with many setbacks, many disappointments, many failures. But still God was faithful and never abandoned his redemptive mission and slowly, ever so slowly, the emergence of a people took place.
It was not by accident that Jesus chose the time of the Passover feast to institute the Last Supper on the eve of his crucifixion. As one writer has phrased it, this was his “last will and testament”. “This is my body, broken for you; my blood of the new covenant, shed for many for a remission of sins.” (Matthew 26:26-28) While the sacrifices of the old covenant covered over sins until the day of final redemption, Jesus Christ offered himself, once and for all. And just as there was no exodus without the passover so there was no remission of sins without the cross.
The cross and the subsequent resurrection signaled an end to the first phase of redemptive history and the beginning of a new age. It started slowly, as things usually do. Jesus had spent parts of three years with his disciples, but it was not enough. After his resurrection he spent another forty days, which simply means a lengthy period of time, speaking about the kingdom of God, teaching and preparing them for what was to come. He told them to stay in Jerusalem and promised, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The whole story of the Bible turns on the merciful determination of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to redeem and restore sinful creatures and all of creation that lies in bondage to the curse of sin and death.
When Jesus was about to eat the Passover with his disciples he said to them: “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”
Here we have a paradox. As Jesus had made clear the kingdom of God had come, it had broken in among them, it was in their midst. It was his mission and his passion to announce the kingdom. As he left Capernaum after a very short stay he had said to his disciples, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” (Luke 4:43) The kingdom of God had broken in, but it was not yet fulfilled. The kingdom of God was wherever God reigned in a believer’s heart; where God rules, there is the kingdom. When we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are praying for the fulfillment of God’s redemptive work in Jesus the Messiah that is already underway.
And so Jesus points us ahead to that time when, in the fullness of time, he returns; to that time when all that God has accomplished in him through his death and resurrection will be, “fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” “All authority on heaven and on earth has been given to me,” he declared. He might have added, “It is just a matter of time.” The victory has been won, the die is cast, and when that time is complete, when his will is done on earth as it is in heaven then we will feast with him in that new heaven and that new earth at his banqueting table, which is prepared for us.
Paul put it most clearly, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” (1Cor. 11:26)
So Jesus wants us to remember not only his victory over sin and death through his death and resurrection, but also his coming again. And in between these two events? We have a job to do. As those called to be his disciples he gives these instructions: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always to the end of the age.” (Matt.28:18-20)
Christ comes to us, reveals himself to us, in the breaking of the bread and the sharing of the cup. This holy communion in which we participate is a means of grace, a means whereby Jesus makes himself known to us in a very concrete manner and by whose presence we are sustained.
When we come to the table, there is much for us to remember:
• REMEMBER: “I gave my life for you; by my death on the cross your sins are forgiven, so much does my Father love you”
• REMEMBER: “My resurrection has sealed the victory over sin and death” You have nothing to fear.
• REMEMBER: “I will come again and we will break bread and share the cup in that heavenly banquet as we ratify the covenant I have made with you.” You are to live with that hope.
• REMEMBER: “You have been called to be my disciples, and there is much work to be done.” Devote yourselves to my teaching and proclaim the kingdom that has broken in upon you.
• REMEMBER: “ You are not alone for I am with you always.”
So as we come to the table let us Remember, Reflect, and Recommit to live fully in the Kingdom of God, which even now is among us
~ ~ ~
The Hidden Treasure Rev. Dr. Gerard Booy Matthew 13:44-52 When I grew up, we lived for seven years in an area that was known for its diamonds. Several people in town owned their own mining operations. Heaps of gravel and stone quarries were to be seen all around. Hoists and rusted tin shacks littered the place. The arid, hot climate and rocky landscape did not make for the prettiest place on earth. But there were diamonds! Our neighbour owned his own mine. I recall a few occasions when he took us to the place where they were digging. We were allowed to watch all the operations. I remember watching with excitement how the gravel was spread out on conveyor belts, washed, and then sorted by hand. A few times I actually stood by when they found a stone. Got it! Arriving there, we heard stories of people walking in the field and picking up diamonds. Oh, what that did to a young imagination! Imagine if … Better keep looking! The first diamond in South Africa was actually discovered by children on a farm in that area. They picked up a stone but initially didn’t know what it was. It was just a pretty stone. When more were found in similar fashion and someone recognized it for what it was, it triggered the diamond rush of the 1800’s. The search for gems and treasures have played a huge role in much of world history; From the diamond rush in South Africa to the Yukon gold rush; from European fur traders to sailors travelling around the world to buy spices. It has also triggered many a war. We are all looking for something in our lives. It may not be diamonds or pearls, but we are searching for something to still the hunger in our lives; for meaning, for love, for happiness, for freedom, for peace, for more knowledge, for greater wealth, for adventure, for ways to be useful … This search can be exciting, but it can also be can be frustrating and disappointing. Our search is often futile because we tend to search in places and for things that cannot satisfy our deep, existential hunger. Then we end up hoarding - more and more stuff, more toys, more investments, more books, more degrees, more experiences, more shows, more exotic vacations, new homes, new jobs, new cars, new golf clubs, new loves …. We are like miners sifting through piles of gravel, hoping to find the one gem that’ll change the world. Jesus connects his teaching to our hunger. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. Here is a treasure worth seeking with your whole life; a treasure worth selling everything for. This is what we need. This is what we’ve been looking for all along. Here is the one thing that’ll change your life. The Kingdom of heaven is the treasure. The kingdom of heaven where we find everything that is God’s, and participate in the full life of God; in the Lord’s grace and mercy, in the love of the Father; in forgiveness and salvation accomplished by Christ, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, and in the rule of God. Here we find joy. Augustine is often quoted for saying, “God made us for Himself and our hearts remain restless until they find rest in Him.” The satisfaction we get from everything else is temporary; it wears off after a while. All the other things are addictive and destructive, making us greedy, selfish, and hungry for more. Every other promise is therefore based on false hope. But this is solid. The kingdom of God is not addictive and destructive. It does not turn us into slaves. It actually frees us from ourselves and from other compulsions, opening us up to God and restoring our lives in every way. This treasure, Jesus maintains, can be found. When you do find it, you realize afterwards that it was pure grace. It can be found because God chooses to reveal Himself to us, speaking to us through the prophets, the apostles, and the Son. In the language of the other parable, it can be found because He continues to sow the seed, the message of the kingdom, in our lives. The farmer just happens upon the treasure in his field; the merchant looked for fine pearls but found one that exceeded his wildest dreams. The treasure is right here, in the field. We don’t have to go on pilgrimage to faraway places to find it. We don’t have to climb sacred mountains, or travel into the wilderness to reach it. We don’t have to engage fanciful spiritual disciplines to get a hold of it. We don’t have to stuff our heads with knowledge to earn a kingdom diploma. We don’t have to work harder, give more time and money, talk to more people, read more devotional books, sing more choruses, join more groups, do more fundraising for the church, serve on more boards, or support more missionaries to deserve it. These things are part of the law which we keep. But these are not means of grace. The kingdom is always found by grace alone. Or maybe we could say, we find it because God finds us, and said “yes” to us in Christ. When we find it, we always know that this is it. Like the merchant finding that one exceptional pearl. This is it! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for all along. We are “surprised by joy”! It is that joy that moves us to change our lives; to sell everything we have and buy the field; to sell all we have and buy the one pearl of great value. This is what happens to the man who finds the treasure in the field. The NIV and some other translations say “in his joy he went and sold all,”, but the ESV is more correct in translating “and from joy over it he goes and sells all”. From his joy, moved by joy, he goes and sells all he has. Frederick Dale Bruner says, “Joy is the engine of change.” No one in the parables tells the farmer or the merchant what to do. It is the joy, the grace, the treasure itself that moves them to change. Can you imagine the farmer finding the treasure and carrying on with his life as if nothing happened? Can you imagine the merchant seeing the pearl of great value and deciding to buy a few inferior ones instead? Of course not! God’s grace motivates us to change, to repent. Change, repentance, follows finding. “He went and sold all he had and bought the field”, and again, “he went away and sold everything he had and bought it (the pearl).” Stanley Hauerwas wrote about this in his commentary, “The parable of the treasure in the field and of the precious pearl make it clear that much is required if we are possessed by the joy of the kingdom, for it seems that the discovery of the kingdom of heaven requires the selling of all we have in order to buy the field that contains the treasure or the pearl of great value. The parables require that we abandon our former lives to follow Christ.” Another story that comes to mind is the story of the Rich Young Ruler. But he went away sad and disappointed because he was not prepared to sell all his possessions and follow Christ. He tried to keep his life and lost everything. The ones who did sell everything in order to have the treasure, on the other hand, didn’t lose a thing. Instead, they’ve made huge gains. We don’t find the treasure out of obedience. Selling all we have is not the condition for finding the treasure (finding is pure grace), but selling all we have, abandoning our old lives, repenting and following, is the condition for having the treasure; for living lives that bear much fruit. Our lives of obedience are the bass notes that complement the gospel joy, writes Bruner. Jesus is not done. He tells yet another parable. Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. He warns us. The net that catches all kinds of fish represents the present kingdom, including the church in which all kinds of people are gathered. The baskets in which the angels collect the good fish represent the coming kingdom of heaven. These baskets contain only one kind of fish – righteous fish. “Don’t be fooled by where you are now,” Jesus said. “Don’t think because you are in the church net now that you will necessarily one day be in the kingdom basket.” Another time he said, “Don’t be fooled by your heritage. Don’t think because you are children of Abraham, or because you come from a Christian family, that one day you will necessarily be in the kingdom’s basket.” If the seed does not fall on good soil in your life where it bears a generous crop of righteousness, you are not ready; you do not have the treasure if the fruit of the gospel are not visible in your life; if you do not abandon your old life, selling all you have to buy the field, you too will go away sad. Another time Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” We are living in the time of fishing and sowing, but another time is coming, the time of separating. We might be shocked at how little value many of the things that we invest in, accumulate, or pursue have when we look at life from the perspective of eternity. God has found us. The Son gave everything to ransom us for God. God said “yes” to us. You’ve heard the news and found the treasure. Now what are you willing to give to have this treasure in your life?
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