Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Palm or Passion Sunday - 03/29/15 Sermon - “Now that's a Messiah and a leader!”

Sunday 03/29/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!”                    

Old Testament Lesson: Isaiah 50:4-9a

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Gospel Lesson: Mark 11:1-11

            Friends, brothers and sisters, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9b-10, CEB)!

          Welcome once again on this our Palm or Passion Sunday, the day that we celebrate Jesus Christ’s triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey. As Jesus Christ enters into the Holy City on this day, people will shout “Hosanna,” and people will lay palm branches before Jesus Christ’s path, to make a walk way for the King of Kings.

          Yet this triumphant entry into the Holy City, into “Zion,” will soon end at the cross. The people who shout “Hosanna” on this day, will soon flee, and Christ will accomplish our redemption on the cross. Today though, is a triumphant day, and day to be celebrated, as Jesus is coming ever closer to completing his mission, and his ministry.

          In ancient Roman times, a “Triumph” was often held, when a great military or political victory was won. The leaders, the generals, the senate, and the emperor at the time, would have a great parade through the capital city to receive blessings from the gods that they believed in. They also did this to show their power and their strength to the Roman citizens.

          In such an ancient Roman “Triumph,” often no expense would be spared. The Emperor or the set of leaders at the time, would enter into the heart of the city of Rome with the best chariots and the best horses. Likely, the chariots would be adorned with gold, and perhaps even precious stones. The soldiers would be shined up, dressed to the nines, and drums and horns would be played. Everyone in the city of Rome would then see the power, the wealth, and the splendor of the Roman leaders.

          During the Jewish Passover that happens every year, it was required that all Jewish people were to come into the city of Jerusalem. They of course were required to make an animal sacrifice at the great temple, and to pay a fee to enter the great temple, to praise God.

          The Roman governor of Judea at the time, which is largely part of the present day country of Israel, Pontius Pilate, surely would have entered into Jerusalem like a true Roman leader. Sure Pontius Pilate was no Jew, but since so many people were in Jerusalem for the Passover each year, he would have likely entered into the city every year with legions of soldiers to keep the peace, and to show Roman power and authority, above all things.

          Pontius Pilate, the one who washed his hands of Jesus, and allowed his whipping, scourging, and crucifixion, likely came into Jerusalem with many chariots, adorned with precious metals. He likely had shined and valuable armor, and his soldiers were likely made to look their best.

          If the then King Herod Antipas, son of “Herod the Great” was not in the city of Jerusalem before the start of the Passover, he would have also likely entered the city with great pomp and splendor, as well. You see, King Herod Antipas and his father, had multiple residences all over, so it is possible that King Herod Antipas could have been in Jerusalem already, or could have not been in Jerusalem already.

          Given all of this, it would seem that Roman leaders, and most kings would enter into a city like Jerusalem with great glamour, vanity, wealth, showmanship, and power. For this is how leaders showed the average poor wretch, their power, their authority, and their strength.

          Yet today, the savior of the world, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, enters into Jerusalem, the Holy City, “Zion,” on a donkey. Now if we were going to travel in style today, and make a grand entrance, would we show up to the Oscars or the Emmys, on a donkey? Or perhaps you would leave your wedding ceremony, and you and your husband would get on a donkey to go to the reception party? It is certainly a humble form of transportation. Further, Jesus borrowed this donkey, as it wasn’t even his donkey!

          The Messiah, the promised one, the great redeemer, enters into the Holy City this day, on a donkey. Yet we have had a mega church pastor in the news recently asking his parishioners for 60-million dollars so that he could travel the world and preach in a nice private jet. Yet Jesus enters Jerusalem this day on a humble donkey. Why does Jesus do this?

          Well there are couple of obvious answers to this. One, Jesus is teaching us to be humble servants to each other. Second, Jesus is teaching us to not glorify ourselves, but rather to glorify God. Jesus is also teaching us what a true leader is. A true leader is someone of the people, and for the people. Lastly, Jesus knew that as the Messiah that he must fulfill all of the ancient prophecies that the prophets of the Old Testament made about him. The specific prophecy for this day, comes from the Old Testament prophet Zechariah. Specifically, it says in Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9, NRSV).

          So in part, the Messiah had to enter the Holy City, Jerusalem, in this way, but I believe that Jesus also did this for all of the other reasons that I mentioned above, as well. In all of these ways, I think that what Jesus displayed as far as leadership on this Palm or Passion Sunday, is part of what makes him the “Messiah and a leader!”

          In fact, when we have elections, aren’t we often looking for leaders with that sort of humility, love, and kindness, versus a politician that spends tax payer money in a greedy or a selfish way? For me, if I were in Jerusalem all those years ago, I would likely snicker at the greed, the pride, and the selfishness of King Herod Antipas and the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate, as they entered into the city of Jerusalem. Yet if I were there to see Jesus Christ enter Jerusalem, I would say, “Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!” I would say, “He truly must be the savior, he truly must be the Messiah.” I would say, “Hosanna Jesus! We here in Jerusalem are living in poverty and squalor, save us, help us, oh savior of the world!”

          When we look at the scripture reading from this morning from the prophet Isaiah, Isaiah says, “The LORD God opened my ear; I didn’t rebel; I didn’t turn my back. Instead, I gave my body to attackers, and my cheeks to beard pluckers. I didn’t hide my face from insults and spitting” (Isaiah 50:5-6, CEB). This prophetic language spoken by Isaiah of the Passion that would befall Jesus Christ soon, was written centuries before Christ ever walked the earth. That soon this great Messiah and leader, would be brutally tortured and murdered.

          In our scripture reading from this morning, from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi or the Philippians, the reading begins with 2:5-6, that says, “Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus: Though he was in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit” (Phil. 2:5-6, CEB). So according to the Apostle Paul, Jesus was humble and loving, and we should seek to be the same. Then in Philippians 2:7, the Apostle Paul says, “But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings” (Phil. 2:7, CEB). To me then, I say, “Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!”

          In looking more closely at our gospel of Mark reading for this morning, Jesus and his followers arrive in Bethphage, which is just outside of Jerusalem. Jesus then told two of his disciples to “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he we send it back right away” (Mark, 11:2-3, CEB).

          So the two disciples went and found the colt or the donkey, and brought it to Jesus, well after they were questioned about it of course.

          When the colt or the donkey was brought to Jesus, the gospel says that the disciples “threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it. Many people spread out their clothes on the road while other spread branches cut from the fields” (Mark, 11:7-8, CEB). Many were shouting ‘Hosanna!,’ “Save us!” (Mark, 11:9, CEB).

          After this triumphant entry into the Holy City, into Jerusalem, into “Zion,” Jesus entered the great temple in the city. Then our gospel reading concludes by saying, “After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve” (Mark, 11:11, CEB). Presumably the colt or the donkey was then returned to.

          So this is the narrative or the story of Palm or Passion Sunday from the gospel according to Mark. This Palm or Passion Sunday story, is also found in all four of the gospels in the New Testament. So, this is the Messiah and the leader who comes to us in the most humble and loving of ways on this Palm or Passion Sunday.

I would like to share a story with you on this Palm or Passion Sunday. This story is taken from Guideposts, and it is called ‘Take Jesus' hand as we enter Holy Week!’ The story is written by Marci Alborghetti. This story begins with this scripture: “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it”? —Isaiah 43:19 (NRSV). Here is the story:

“Normally I delete those forwarded e-mails with cute or sentimental stories without even reading them. I receive so many, and when it comes to Internet profundity, I just don’t have the time.”

“But for some reason I read the one I received on Palm Sunday. It told the story of a little boy who had to stay home from church because he had a cold. After the service, his older sister came home, waving her palm frond in the air. “What’s that?” asked the little boy. She answered smugly, “We wave these in the air and then put them on the ground to welcome Jesus.”

“The boy started wailing and fled the room. When his mother held him and asked what was wrong, he said through his tears, “The one Sunday I don’t go to church, Jesus showed up!”

“Today’s the day Jesus shows up—in our churches, in our hearts, in our minds. We’ve been waiting for Him all our lives. Are you ready? Will you be there? Don’t let an ailment—physical, emotional or spiritual—keep you from the warmth of Jesus’ dramatic entrance into our lives.”

“Today is the first day of the most exciting, harrowing, tragic, grief-stricken and ultimately joyous week of our year. Don’t miss it. Don’t hit Delete. Show up, take the Lord’s hand and begin the journey.”

There is then a small prayer to end this story that says: “Jesus, don’t let anything keep me from You this day, this week, this life!”

Brothers and sisters, while we might think that Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem on this day is common and unimportant, or that Jesus Christ himself is common and unimportant, let us in this Holy Week, and always, realize who Jesus Christ was and still is. Let us realize that Jesus loves us all, and that he is the savior of the world. For Jesus Christ this day, comes to us in the humblest and the most loving of ways. “Now that’s a Messiah and a leader!” Amen.

          

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fifth Sunday in Lent - 03/22/15 Sermon - “I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts”

Sunday 03/22/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts”                     

Old Testament Lesson: Jeremiah 31:31-34

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Hebrews 5:5-10

Gospel Lesson: John 12:20-33                   

            Welcome again this morning, to this our Fifth Sunday in this the Season of Holy Lent. During the 40-days of the Season of Lent, we are called to repent of our sins, to pray, to grow closer to God, and to love each other like Jesus loved others.

          Next Sunday will be Palm or Passion Sunday, the day where Jesus entered into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey to shouts of “Hosanna!” As Jesus entered into the city, Palms were laid before his path out of love and reverence. Next Sunday then, we will celebrate Palm or Passion Sunday, with the waving of Palms and the shouts of “Hosanna!,” as we remember that day so long ago.

          This Sunday however, we remain in the Season of Lent, the Season that we prepare our hearts, our minds, and our hands, for the death of Jesus Christ on a cross.

          With this said, this morning I want to talk about the difference between our heads or our brains, and our hearts. No this is not a human anatomy lesson, but I want to talk about the difference between what we think in our heads, and what we feel in our hearts.

          For example, if we in our heads only, believe in Jesus, and believe in God, is that the same as really knowing and loving God in our hearts?

          You see, centuries before Jesus ever walked the earth, God revealed to Moses what is commonly called the “Old Law,” or the religious rules that the Jewish people follow. These rules or this “First Covenant” are in the first five books of the Old Testament, that we often call the Torah. These rules, this “Old Law,” were the “do’s and don’ts,” and the instructions for living.

          In some ways, and in some perspectives of Judaism, the behaviors of a person were what really mattered around many of these laws. The rituals, being clean, doing things just so, were a big part of the Jewish law. Certainly there would be prayer, and likely an intimate relationship with God, but there was heavy focus on the external, or the out word behaviors.

          An example of this, is the commandment from God given to Moses that says “Do not kill.” What if we have great constraint though, and never kill anybody? Is it not sinful to think about strangling our boss, our neighbors, and others? Well if you did not kill under the “Old Law,” you were judged merely by your behaviors, not your thoughts.

          In this way, the 10-Commandments are believed to have been written or chiseled onto stone, but not written onto our hearts. They were present for the Jewish people. They saw them, and the behaviors prescribed on them, were often measurable. The 10-commandments were even put in the “Holy of Holies,” in the inner most chamber of the temple. Where the “Ark of the Covenant” was, which embodied the actual tablets of the “First Covenant,” or the “Old Law.”

          Yet this morning, in the book of Jeremiah, God speaks through Jeremiah these word, “I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33b, CEB). In the reading from the prophet Jeremiah from this morning, Jeremiah then, makes a huge prophecy. By the way, this prophecy was likely made over 600-years before Jesus Christ was born.

          In this scripture, Jeremiah begins by saying, “The time is coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah” (Jer. 31:31, CEB). So we have the “First Covenant,” or the “Old Law” that God gave to Moses. Yet Jeremiah is saying that, a “New Covenant” is coming. Well what will this “New Covenant look like according to the prophet Jeremiah?

          Jeremiah goes on to say, “It won’t be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt” (Jer. 31:32a, CEB). So this covenant will be different than the covenant that God first gave to Abraham, to Noah, to Moses. Why do we need a new covenant though? The next verse says, “They broke the covenant with me even though I was their husband, declares the LORD” (Jer. 31:32b, CEB)

          So, Jeremiah, who is the only Old Testament prophet to use the term “New Covenant,” then goes on to explain what this “New Covenant” will look like. Jeremiah then says, that God said, “I will put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jer. 31:33b, CEB). This new covenant then, will go beyond just tablets with commandments, beyond just behaviors and words. This “New Covenant” will be engraved on our hearts, and will be within us all.

          Jeremiah says further about the “New Covenant,” “They will no longer need to teach each other to say, “Know the LORD!” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD” (Jer. 31:34a, CEB). Jeremiah then finished with God saying, “for I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember their sins” (Jer. 31:34b, CEB)

          So let’s unpack this scripture a little more. God tells Jeremiah that a “New Covenant” is coming, and that it is going to be different than the “Old Covenant,” or the “Old Law.” God tells Jeremiah that this “New Covenant” is going to happen, because the Jewish people kept breaking the “Old Law,” and because prophet after prophet was sent by God, and the people were just not getting it.

          This “New Covenant” then, will not just be rules on stone, but it will be a living and an abiding covenant. This “New Covenant,” of Jesus Christ, will die for the sins of all of humanity, both past and present. Due to this, the love of Christ is in our hearts, and the instructions for faith and salvation are in our hearts.

          Jeremiah then says that the faith will be in us all, and then says that this “New Covenant,” Jesus Christ, will forgive all of our sins and never again remember them. This “New Covenant,” Jesus Christ, will also be for the poorest of the poor, to the richest of the rich.

          So six-hundred years or more before Jesus Christ walks this earth, the prophet Jeremiah prophesies a “New Covenant,” a change, a Messiah, one who change everything. This Messiah would put his “Instructions within” us, and “engrave them” on our hearts.

          This is why in the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or letter to the Hebrews from this morning, he says that Jesus “didn’t promote himself to become high priest. Instead, it was the one who said to him, You are my Son” (Heb. 5:5, CEB). The Apostle Paul then was saying that Jesus didn’t decide he was going to be the “New Covenant,” rather that he always was the “New Covenant.” He is God’s Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity, and must know him, and be in him, to be saved.

          In the gospel reading from the gospel of John from this morning, Jesus speaks to his disciples, but also speaks to some Greeks who are in the temple. Remember, this “New Covenant” will be for all people, as Greeks are now hearing Jesus. Jesus says in the gospel according to John for this morning, “I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:25, CEB). Jesus in this gospel lesson is essentially foreshadowing his coming death and resurrection, which is what the prophet Jeremiah was talking about in his “New Covenant,” at least 600-years before this actually happened.

          So the prophet Jeremiah prophesies centuries before Christ, that the “New Covenant” was coming. This “New Covenant,” Jesus Christ, will die for us soon, and forgive the sins of all of humanity, both past and present. For when Christ was at the table with his disciples at the Last Supper, he took the cup and said, “This is the blood of the New Covenant.”

          Very soon then, the prophet Jeremiah’s prophecy will come to full fruition, when Christ dies for our sins. When he is risen from the dead, and when we are offered the free gift of the forgiveness of our sins. When we are offered the free gift of eternal life.

I would like to share a story with you this morning called “Tony Bullimore,” by Scott Higgins, with Bullimore quotes taken from The Sunday Age January, 1997. Here is how the story goes: “In January 1997 British yachtsman Tony Bullimore was sailing solo deep in the Southern Ocean. A gale was raging. The waves, reaching the height of a five story building, rushed on him with a sound like roaring thunder. As his yacht plummeted down the face of a wave it hit something submerged in the water and turned upside down.”

“Tony, who had been sheltering in the two meter by three meter cockpit found it had become his prison. As giant waves buffeted the boat, water poured in and out a broken window, knee high at one end, waist high at the other, the air temperature was down to 2 degrees Celsius or about 35-36 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was pitch black – the sun couldn’t penetrate the upturned yacht.”

“Twelve times Bullimore left the cockpit in a vain attempt to release his life raft. Meeting with no success he took refuge in his little cabin. Sitting inside the cold inky darkness Bullimore had few rations – some chocolate and a device for making fresh water from salty sea. His fingers became frostbitten and Bullimore thought that he was going to die. The odds of being rescued seemed impossibly small.”

“For four long days Tony survived, until late Wednesday night when a RAF or Royal Air Force plane located him and dropped an electronic probe next to his yacht. Bullimore could hear the faint pings, and with hope rising in his heart, he started tapping on the hull to communicate to whoever was listening that he was alive. Early the next morning the HMAS Adelaide drew alongside, and some sailors were dispatched to bang on the hull. Tony heard the banging, took a deep breath, and swam out through the wreckage of his yacht to meet them.”

“How did he feel at that moment? Bullimore says “When I looked over at the Adelaide, I could only get the tremendous ecstasy that I was looking at life, I was actually looking at a picture of what life was about. It was heaven, absolute heaven. I really, really never thought I would reach that far. I was starting to look back over my life and was starting to think, `Well, I’ve had a good life, I’ve done most of the things I had wanted to do’ I think if I was picking words to describe it, it would be a miracle. An absolute miracle.”

“Reflecting on the experience later Bullimore told reporters “…Now that I’m getting a bit old there is one thing, and I don’t mind telling the world, I’ve become more human. In these last six days I’m a different person. I won’t be so rude to people, not that I was, but I’ll be much more of a gentleman and, equally, I’ll listen to people a lot more. And as a dear old friend of mine, David Matherson, said when he had a heart attack (and I’ve never had a heart attack), I’ve got a strong heart, I hope I still have (he said that when he got over it and opened his window in his bedroom and he peered out and smelt the fresh air and all the rest of it”, he said: `God it was like being born all over again, life was great!’ Well that’s how I feel now, like being born all over again.”

“Tony Bullimore learned the power of hope. It was hope of being rescued that drove him to survive and it was the fulfilment of hope that brought him such joy and a new perspective on life. In the same way the gospel promises hope to all of us, and particularly to those of us who find life tough going. A time will come when the Rescuer, Jesus, will arrive and release the world from the pain and suffering. And it’s that hope that drives us forward.”

“Bullimore reflects a common outlook among those who’ve had a brush with death. In almost religious language he says it’s like being born all over again, a fresh start at life, and one he will make a better go of. The death and resurrection of Jesus likewise brings us a fresh appreciation of life, a fresh start and a new way of living.”

This morning my brothers and sisters, the prophet Jeremiah announces the “New Covenant,” is coming, and like being trapped in a dark cold boat, Jesus Christ will come and die for us soon, to forgive the sins of humanity. To save us, and to be our hope. He will then be raised to new life. For he is the “New Covenant.” Let us in this Season of Holy Lent, and always then, draw closer to Jesus the Risen Christ, the one who said that he would “put my Instructions within them and engrave them on their hearts” (Jer. 31:33b, CEB). Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Fourth Sunday of Lent/One Great Hour of Sharing Sunday - 03/15/15 Sermon - “The light came into the world”

Sunday 03/15/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title: “The light came into the world”                     

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22

                                            

New Testament Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10

Gospel Lesson: John 3:14-21                   

            Friends, brothers and sisters, welcome once again on this our Fourth Sunday in this the season of Holy Lent. In this season of Lent, during these 40-days, we are called to repent, we are called to pray, and we are called to prepare our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our hands, for the death of Jesus Christ on a cross. In this season and in all seasons, we are called to grow closer God, closer to Jesus Christ.

          This Sunday is also the “One Great Hour of Sharing” Sunday in the United Methodist Church. On this Sunday, we have a special offering that is taken for the United Methodist Committee on Relief, or “UMCOR.” Whenever there is a natural disaster worldwide, UMCOR often responds quickly and decisively. UMCOR gives out food, blankets, fresh water, and helps those who are suffering. We also often work shoulder to shoulder with the relief agencies of many of our sister Christian denominations, and other groups, as well. To give to UMCOR, is to help people all over the world who suffer through tsunamis, earthquakes, forest fires, war, famine, disease, and etc. In Jesus Christ teaching us to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, and to care for each other, the United Methodist Church, and UMCOR take this very seriously.

          So, if you would like to give to UMCOR on this “One Great Hour of Sharing” Sunday, please put on your checks or your giving, that your funds are designated for “One Great Hour of Sharing.”

          With that said, I want to talk to you this morning about light and darkness. The idea of having light, and being able to see your surroundings, versus having darkness, and not being able to see anything.

How many of you here for example, have ever had that moment when the power in your house just went out like that? Further, how many of you can remember it happening at night? Or maybe for you, the power went out when you were somewhere else. Maybe a friend’s house. Maybe a store, and etc., and etc.

          So one minute, we are in the light. One minute we have the television, and other things on, and then just like that, total darkness. So we’re sitting in the light at night, and then just like that, total darkness.

          For many of us, we don’t like the darkness. When we were children, we were often afraid of the darkness. When the bedroom lights were turned off at night, maybe we thought, but what about that monster that lives in my closet? Yet we don’t often worry about that monster during the day, do we? We often only seem to worry about that monster in the darkness of the night.

          Or what about when we are walking outside and it’s dark out, and we hear a creaking or a cracking sound? Sometimes at this point, our minds race with ideas of what that sound could be. Or maybe we are camping in the woods, and we are all cozy in our tents at night, and just then we hear a stick break. What could that be, we wonder, perhaps a little scarred?

          For many of us, we don’t like being in the darkness. Yet imagine if you have never seen the light. Imagine if you have always been in darkness, the light at first might seem a little scary, and even a little off putting.

          This morning in the gospel according to John, Jesus says, “The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil” (John 3:19, CEB).

          In the gospel John, Jesus says in 8:12, “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Light and darkness. Inside of us all, is both light and darkness, and the light is Jesus. When we follow Jesus, we have great light. When we reject Jesus, we walk away from the light.

          In a world with so much darkness, we are called to be the light of the world. We are called to be a city on a hill. We are called to shine the love and the light of Christ everywhere. In doing so, the darkness is overcome by the light.

          Yet for many of us, we still find that sometimes we have darkness that is in us. Maybe it is that voice from the devil telling us that we are not good enough, that we are unlovable, or that we are all washed up. We all have darkness that dwells in us, and this darkness often helps us to appreciate the light even more, as we in those situations see our great need for the light. The light is what makes us whole. This morning, Jesus says speaking of himself, “the light came into the world” (John 3:19, CEB).

          Is anyone hear this morning then, afraid of the dark? Or, were any of you afraid of the dark at some point in your life? Perhaps you loved that night light you had or still have, because even in a dark room, there was still a little light. Yet I have never heard a small child say at bedtime, “turn off all the lights quickly, I am afraid of the light!” I have heard children that are afraid of the dark though, but I have never heard of anyone who is afraid of the light.

          In this way then, Jesus uses powerful words this morning, to talk about spiritual darkness and dryness. He says, I am the answer for that darkness and dryness. In me, He says, you will have light, and have it abundantly.

          In our reading from Psalm 107 from this morning, it says, “Give thanks to the LORD because he is good, because his faithful love lasts forever” (Psalm 107:1, CEB)! God’s love, God’s grace, God’s mercy, is the light that fills us, and it “lasts forever” (Ps. 107:1, CEB).

          In the Apostle Paul’s Epistle or letter to the church in Ephesus, or the Ephesians, from this morning, the Apostle Paul begins by saying,

“At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God” (Eph. 2:1, CEB).

Another way to say this, is that at one time we were in darkness and sin, and the light of Christ came and gave us rebirth and the newness of life.

          The Apostle Paul then goes on to say in Ephesians 2:4-5,

“However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace” (Eph. 2:4-5, CEB)!

God’s love, God’s grace, is the light of the world that fills us, that removes all darkness.

          In fact the Apostle Paul then says in Ephesians 2:8, “You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed” (Eph. 2:8, CEB). In Christ then, we have the free gift of salvation, of light, of grace, and of love. For in Christ, who was God in the flesh, “the light came into the world” (John 3:19, CEB).

          In looking more closely at our gospel of John reading from this morning, we hear about Moses lifting up his staff with the bronze snake on it, in the wilderness. Some experts believe that the Israelites believed that if they had been bitten by a venomous snake, that they needed only to look at Moses’s staff with the bronze snake or the serpent on it, to then survive. The bronze snake or serpent was also a symbol that the Israelites believed was from God. In Moses lifting this thing from God up then, he helped to save his people. Jesus will then be raised up as well, but to save us all. For it says in John 3:14-15, “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,  that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15, NRSV).

          We then of course in John 3:16 have one of the most well-known scripture verses in the whole Bible. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life” (John 3:16, NRSV). God so loved the world, that he sent the light of the world, to remove all darkness.

          The gospel then says that Jesus came to save us, not to condemn us, and in John 3:18 it says, “Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18, NRSV).

          Then the gospel reading for this morning is closed with John 3:19-21, that says,

“And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.  But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God” (John, 3:19-21, NRSV).”

          The simple question that we can ask ourselves this morning then, is are we walking in the light of Christ, or we walking in sin and darkness? For as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Are we in the light of Christ this morning, or are we in sin and darkness? For we all called to be children of light. We are called to be salt and light.

          I would like to tell you a good story about light and darkness, called “The Cave People.” This story was “taken from Max Lucado's, The Woodcutter's Wisdom and Other Favorite Stories.”

Here is how it goes: “Long ago, or maybe not so long ago, there was a tribe in a dark, cold cavern. The cave dwellers would huddle together and cry against the chill. Loud and long they wailed. It was all they did. It was all they knew how to do. The sounds in the cave were mournful, but the people didn't know it, for they had never known joy. The spirit in the cave was death, but the people didn't know it, for they had never known life.”

“But then, one day, they heard a different voice. "I have heard your cries," it announced. "I have felt your chill and seen your darkness. I have come to help."

“The cave people grew quiet. They had never heard this voice. Hope sounded strange to their ears. "How can we know you have come to help?"

"Trust me," he answered. "I have what you need."

“The cave people peered through the darkness at the figure of the stranger. He was stacking something, then stooping and stacking more.”

"What are you doing?" one cried, nervously. The stranger didn't answer.” "What are you making?" one shouted even louder. Still no response.” "Tell us!" demanded a third.”

“The visitor stood and spoke in the direction of the voices. "I have what you need." With that he turned to the pile at his feet and lit it. Wood ignited, flames erupted, and light filled the cavern.”

“The cave people turned away in fear. "Put it out!" they cried. "It hurts to see it." "Light always hurts before it helps," he answered. "Step closer. The pain will soon pass." "Not I," declared a voice. "Nor I," agreed a second. "Only a fool would risk exposing his eyes to such light." The stranger stood next to the fire. "Would you prefer the darkness? Would you prefer the cold? Don't consult your fears. Take a step of faith"

“For a long time no one spoke. The people hovered in groups covering their eyes. The fire builder stood next to the fire. "It's warm here," he invited.”

"He's right," one from behind him announced. "It's warmer." The stranger turned and saw a figure slowly stepping toward the fire. "I can open my eyes now," she proclaimed. "I can see." "Come closer," invited the fire builder. She did. She stepped into the ring of light. "It's so warm!" she extended her hands and sighed as her chill began to pass. "Come, everyone! Feel the warmth," she invited.”

"Silence, woman!" cried one of the cave dwellers. "Dare you lead us into your folly? Leave us. Leave us and take your light with you." She turned to the stranger. "Why won't they come?" "They choose the chill, for though it's cold, it's what they know. They'd rather be cold than change." "And live in the dark, she asked?" "And live in the dark, he responded."

“The now-warm woman stood silent. Looking first at the dark, then at the man. "Will you leave the fire?" he asked. She paused, then answered, "I cannot. I cannot bear the cold." Then she spoke again. "But nor can I bear the thought of my people in darkness." "You don't have to," he responded, reaching into the fire and removing a stick. "Carry this to your people. Tell them the light is here, and the light is warm. Tell them the light is for all who desire it." And so she took the small flame and stepped into the shadows.”

          My brothers and sisters, this morning Jesus says, “The light came into the world” (John 3:19, CEB). Do we embrace the light of Christ and let it fill us, and let it work through us, to fill others, or do we reject the light of Christ and stay in darkness? Do we follow God, follow Jesus, to make a better world, or do we stay in darkness? Amen.

Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC's - Third Sunday of Lent/Girl Scout Sunday - 03/08/15 Sermon - “Don't make my Father's house a place of business”

Sunday 03/08/15 Freeville/Homer Ave UMC’s

Sermon Title:

“Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business”                     

Old Testament Lesson: Exodus 20:1-17

                                            

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

Gospel Lesson: John 2:13-22                  

            Friends, brothers and sisters, welcome once again on this the Third Sunday in this the season of Holy Lent, and this our Girl Scout Sunday. In this Season of Lent, we walk with Christ for 40-days, as he heads ever closer to the cross. The cross upon which, he will give up his life for us all. Yet while he will die on Good Friday, and while he will be laid in the tomb, he will be risen on Easter morning.

          This Sunday is also our annual Girl Scout Sunday in the United Methodist Church. On this Sunday, we have the opportunity and the privilege of honoring all Girl Scouts, and all Girl Scout leaders, both past and present. Through this organization, many giving adults, help teach our young women values, ethics, leadership skills, and morals, to lead a good, Godly, and just life. They also sell some really good cookies to, if you haven’t put your order in yet for this year!

This morning though, I want to talk first about anger. Anger is one of our many human emotions that we feel, like joy, and fear. A definition of anger that I found from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary says that anger is: 1. “a strong feeling of being upset or annoyed because of something wrong or bad: the feeling that makes someone want to hurt other people, to shout, etc.: the feeling of being angry,” 2. “a strong feeling of displeasure and usually of antagonism,” and 3. “rage.”

How many people here have ever felt angry? How many people have felt angry at some point this week even?

Anger is an emotion that we all feel sometimes, and for some us, we feel this emotion more often than others. What do we do with our anger though? Further, is anger a sin?

In the book of James it says in 1:19: “You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;” (James 1:19, NRSV).

This morning in the gospel of John, Jesus approaches the temple in Jerusalem with his disciples. As Jesus approaches the temple, he sees what is going on, and he gets angry. Jesus gets angry. Is anger a sin though? Surely anger can lead to us sinning, to us seeking vengeance, but is it always a sin?

Well before we evaluate this situation of Jesus making a whip out of cords, driving out all of the animals at the temple, and flipping over the tables of the money changers, let’s first look at some of the historical facts.

Well, it would seem that based upon the details of Jesus being at the temple in this story in the gospel of John, and the other three gospels, that Jesus and his disciples entered Jerusalem during the annual Jewish Passover holiday.

What some of us might not know though, is that Jewish males that were over twenty years of age were required during the Jewish holiday of Passover to pay what was called a “Temple Tax.” This was done because it says in the Book of Exodus 30:13, “This is what each one who is registered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the Lord.” (Exodus 30:13).

In addition to this fact, one of my Bible commentary sources said that this payment had to be made in the exact amount of a half-shekel, meaning you could give a larger coin and get change from a money changer. In getting this change though, the money changers at the temple charged a premium to convert full-shekels into half-shekels. Further, if folks were paying in foreign currency, then they often got charged even more. In this way, if one had Roman currency with the picture of Caesar on it, well that was foreign money of the empire that controlled Israel. As a result, only Jewish or Israeli currency was allowed in the temple, and it had to be exactly a half-shekel.

In addition to this, my Bible commentary source also said that only flawless and perfect looking animals could be sacrificed by the high priests in ritual sacrifice to God. Of course these animals at the temple, were sold at a premium, and some experts think historically that these animal sellers and traders were very much connected to the families of the high priests. In this way, the high priests and the animal traders and sellers, all made a good profit on these animals during the Jewish Passover.

So these are the facts, and Jesus with his disciples, walked into Jerusalem in the gospel of John today, and saw what I just told you.

~ Video Clip: From the Gospel of John ~

          Did Jesus sin in this gospel story then? Or was he using “Righteous Anger,” as in acting in a holy way, towards his emotional response of anger? Further, is a church like this, a sacred place, like the temple in Jerusalem was supposed to be? Meaning, when we come into this church to worship, are we not inhabiting sacred and Godly space?

          Image if there was a cover charge to get in here? To get into this sacred space? Imagine if you had to know the right people, or do certain things to get into this church? Could you imagine such hypocrisy? We know that the church exists because of all the people like you who give, and we probably also know what the Bible says about tithing. Yet what you give to God, what you give to God through this church, is between you and God. As a pastor I never ever, ever, want to know how much a person or a family is giving to God through this church, as I never want to be influenced by money. Our church exists to share the hope and the salvation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and because we believe in what God is doing in the world, we give. We don’t give because there is an entrance fee, we give because of who God is, and because of what God has done for us. We give, because of how God is using us to build His kingdom here on earth, as we await his kingdom to come.

          This church then is sacred ground, ground where generations of saints have trod, and it is never, and I mean never, to become a market place. For this morning, Jesus boldly told the high priests at the temple in Jerusalem, “Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.”

          As we are called to be holy and righteous people, we are then tasked with taking the sacred love of God, of Jesus Christ, everywhere we go. Sacred space then, can be anywhere. We have places of business, we have our “Market Places,” but as Christians, we are called to be in the world, but not of the world. This extends not only to the church, but to our homes, to our bodies, and to our souls. These should all be sacred spaces.

          In our scripture from this morning, from the Book of Exodus, God gives Moses the 10-commandments on top of Mount Sinai in Egypt. Of these 10-commandments are of course the commandment, “Do not steal,” and part of the tenth commandment, which says, “Do not desire your neighbor’s house.”

          Yet today, the high priests, the animal traders and sellers, and the money changers, we making money hand over fist, as poor Jews tried to atone and repent to the God of the universe. To me, this is a sin.

          I don’t know about you, but when see some of the television preachers we have preaching about feeding the poor and clothing the naked, and living in houses that cost millions of dollars, I think, where did that preacher get all of that money? Further, why does that preacher live like that, when they claim to serve God, and claim to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, which commands us to care for the poor and the needy? “Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.”

          To boil down what the Apostle Paul said in his first Epistle or letter to the Corinthians, he was saying our faith is enough. He said, “but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:23-24, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul then ends this portion of the letter to the Corinthians by saying, “the weakness of God is stronger than human strength” (1 Cor. 2:25b, CEB).

          As I mentioned already, in our gospel of John lesson from this morning, Jesus and his disciples head into Jerusalem around the time of Jewish holiday of the Passover. In Jesus seeing the animals penned and caged up, to be sold to worshippers for animal sacrifices, and as he saw the money tables of the money changers exchanging currencies for a premium, he grew angry. Jesus had emotion towards what he saw.

          Yet this emotion, this anger, was not born out of vengeance towards any one person, as scripture says the Jesus was angry at what had become of the great temple. At what had become of the sacred space that supposedly was for all people that wanted to worship God.

          After Jesus is done running around with a whip he made out of cords, probably to guide the animals away, the high priests came out of the temple. I can imagine that the high priests were angry at this point, and that they wanted to know why Jesus was doing what he was doing. Jesus then said, “Don’t make my Father’s House a place of business.” Jesus’ disciples then quoted Psalm 69:9, which says, “It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me” (Ps. 69:9, NRSV).

The high priests then question Jesus’ authority to do such things, and ask him to perform a miracle to prove his worth. Jesus then says, “Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up” (John 2:19, NRSV).

The high priests then responded that it took forty-six years to build the great temple in Jerusalem, but Jesus was talking about his body as a temple. He again predicts his own death, and basically says, you will kill me, and three days later I will rise from the dead.

Some people call this story, that is in all four of the gospels of the New Testament, the “Cleansing of the Temple,” as Jesus cleansed the temple of its sin. This gospel story can also challenge us to consider our temple, this church, and how sacred it is, as well as how sacred we all are. It is our duty then, to keep ourselves, our homes, and places like this sacred, holy, and pure. It is also our duty to make sure that all people know, that they are welcome in this scared place. That is, there is no entrance fee, as all are welcome.

I would like to tell you a story, which is my own story about someone trying to make God’s “house a place of business.” Here is my story: so it was my second year of seminary, and at this point I was doing pulpit supply. In this way, I would preach some Sundays in all different places. One of these Sundays, I was asked to preach at a very large United Methodist Church, down near Elmira. This church was so big, and is still one of the biggest churches in our entire Upper New York United Methodist Church Conference. In fact, it had a Saturday night service, two Sunday morning services, and I believe the church had mid-week worship services, as well.

So imagine me preaching to something like 200-300 people, with one of those little stemmed microphones strapped to my face, and a huge projection screen behind me. To say the least, I was nervous. I also told the senior pastor of this church ahead of time, that I didn’t need to be paid to do the services for him. Yet, the church did a free will offering for me at all three services. I had no idea they would do this, and as a broke seminary student at the time, I am glad that they went over my head and did that anyway. The donation helped with my seminary expenses.

Yet amidst the donations, I found a note. The note said something like, “I have the answer to you seminary finances.” It also had scripture and phone number on it. At first, I expected that the person who had wrote that note, had some sort of ministry job or missionary job that he wanted me to consider.

Instead, he solicited me to be salesman. Not only this, he wanted me to invest a good chunk of my own money to buy into the business. I really tried to be patient with him, but finally I got angry. I then said to him, “doesn’t it bother you that are trying to make business deals during a church service?” “Doesn’t it bother you that in this scared space that you are trying to make money?” This person didn’t seem bothered by any of this at all.

Months later, I was on a men’s spiritual retreat weekend with the senior pastor of the church I preached at that Sunday. I expressed to this pastor that I felt that this person, “made God’s scared house into a place of business.” This pastor was grieved to hear this, and ensured me that the issue would be addressed, as he agreed with me.

This morning Jesus displays “Righteous Anger” and says, “Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.” This means that when we are all in worship, when we are all in this sacred space, that all people are welcomed, as are all seeking to know God more, to know the risen Christ more. Let us this day, this week, and always, keep our bodies, our homes, and our churches sacred, and not “turn them into a place of business.” Amen.