Sidney UMC - Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/27/23 - Sermon - "Who Are We Better Than?"

Sunday 08/27/23 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title: “Who Are We Better Than?”                                  

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 124                                       

New Testament Scripture: Romans 12:1-8

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 16:13-20

          Have you ever been in a situation where someone just snapped at you, or verbally “jumped all over you,” and it was completely, I mean completely unexpected? Maybe you were just talking in a group of people, or just talking to one person, and suddenly someone just blew up at you? Maybe you just said hello to someone, and that hello was met with a rude and or mean response?

          I am sure that we have all had situations like this happen. When it does happen sometimes though, we are often shocked and caught completely off guard. We might ask, “why did the person in grocery store shout at me?” We might ask, “why did my friend unexpectedly snap at me for no reason?” We can go on and on with other examples, but we all have experienced these realities at one time or another.  

          I remember watching a couple of commercials for Snickers candy bars a few years ago, and the theme of these commercials were “you’re not you when you’re hungry.” In these hilarious commercials a person is acting strange and not like themselves, due to being hungry. At the end of the commercial they eat a Snickers bar and they are instantly themselves again.

          Maybe someone has snapped at us because they were hungry, tired, in pain, or some other reason. What is it that causes others or even us to lose our cool? Have you ever lost your cool on someone? Why did you lose your cool? Were you tired, hungry, in pain, the Yankees are in last place, or some other reason? I guess if we ourselves have snapped on someone else, we can understand why we did it, but sometimes when we are the recipient of this, we may be shocked and or taken aback.

          Sometimes these things happen, and sometimes we are the giver and or receiver. Most of us know how we are supposed to act and treat people, but I guess we all have our moments, don’t we? I have in fact, had people say things to me like, “Pastor Paul I was so mad that I could just scream!” Or “after the day I had at work, I didn’t want to talk to anyone!” Or maybe you remember Ralph Kramden in the television show the “Honeymooners,” saying “To the moon Alice!” Maybe you walked into church today saying to yourself this morning, “Pastor Paul better be nice, or I’ll give him a piece of my mind!”

          Further, when we have snapped at someone, do we then apologize to the other person, and do they apologize to us? When we do this, maybe we feel like a bad person, or maybe we think that the person that snapped at us is a bad person. Sometimes we feel mistreated therefore, and sometimes we might make others feel mistreated.

          We all know that as Christians, and as people, we are called to love and care for all people, and yet we are so human sometimes. Nevertheless, we hear in our reading from Romans 12:1-8 for this morning, in Romans 12:3, once again:

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned (Rom. 12:3, NRSV).

Sometimes when we or others are not ourselves, we can lose sight of what the Apostle Paul just said. In our busyness and in our haste, we sometimes forget how reliant we are on each other. We are reliant on truck drivers to deliver, grocery store workers to stock shelves. Lineman to fix power lines and keep our electricity on, water and sewer workers, and dare I say Amazon trucks. I can go on and on.

          We are all made special in God’s image, or in Latin “Imago Dei,” but we are all part of the greater whole, as well. In our case, we are the church, are we are no better than anyone else. We have different gifts, abilities, and graces, but “Who Are We Better Than?”

          We are reminded in our reading from Psalm 124 this morning, in 124:8, once again, that:

⁸ Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth                       (Ps. 124:8, NRSV).

We all have moments that maybe we feel more important, and have a bigger ego than we should. Or maybe we have moments where our anger or emotions get the best of us. We sometimes take our focus off of Christ, and as a result, sometimes we do the wrong thing.

          The Apostle Paul speaks about this morning, and gives us some good guidance to be more like Jesus. Looking again at Romans 12:1-8 for this morning, it says starting in 12:1, once again:

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:1-2, NRSV). 

          The Apostle Paul is telling us that with our lives, our hearts, our souls, and our bodies, to be a living sacrifice, that is acceptable to God. We are called in every way to be like Jesus, even though we have our moments. Offering ourselves sacrificially to others, is an act of spiritual worship, and we are called to love each other. We are not called to blow up or lose our cool with each other, although we have all probably done this at some point. Even so, the Apostle Paul tells us to not pursue worldly things and things that aren’t like Jesus. Instead, we are called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, and to be discerning of God’s will in our lives. Living God’s will in our lives is what is good, acceptable and perfect. Yet, we all have our moments, don’t we?

          In continuing on in reading from Romans 12:1-8 for this morning, the Apostle Paul picks up in 12:3, saying once again:

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,              (Rom. 12:3-4, NRSV).

          While we have our moments, we should not think too highly of ourselves, and we are to act with sober judgement. We should act this way according to the measure of faith that God has assigned or given us. Further, as the Apostle Paul says, that as the church, we are one body of Christ, with many members, and yet we don’t all have the same function in life, and or in the body of Christ. Even though we have different functions, different roles, and different gifts, we are all important to God, and should be important to others. As my sermon title for this morning says then, “Who Are We Better Than?”

          If we were to act to superior to others in church or in general, we really need to ask ourselves what makes us better and more superior. For as the Apostle Paul tells us this morning in Romans 12:3, once again:

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned (Rom. 12:3, NRSV).

          Getting more specific, the Apostle Paul picks up in Romans 12:5 saying:

⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶ We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ⁷ ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; ⁸ the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness (Rom. 12:5-8, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul says that we are one in the body of Christ, and that individually we are members one of another. Yet, we have gifts that differ in the body of Christ, and in general. For example, the Apostle Paul says there is the gift prophecy, in proportion to faith, ministry, in ministering, teaching, exhortation or encouraging, giving generously, leading diligently, compassion, and cheerfulness.

          So as per my sermon title, “Who Are We Better Than?” The answer is no one, but we do have different gifts, abilities, and gifts and graces. Even so, we should not think higher of ourselves than others, even though we are not all the same in our gifts, abilities, and graces. We are equal, but not necessarily the same in every way. Given this, “Who Are We Better Than?”

          In looking at our gospel of Matthew 16:13-20 reading for this morning, there were differing beliefs being discussed over who Jesus was. All of these ideas of who Jesus might be where all positive and good, but not all equal. In fact, in looking at our gospel reading from Matthew 16:13-20, it says once again, starting in Matthew 16:13:

¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that the Son of Man is?’ ¹⁴ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ¹⁵ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God’ (Mt. 16:13-15, NRSV).

 

          So, when Jesus is coming into the district of Caesarea Philippi this morning, he once again asks his disciples who people are saying he is. Some of the disciples say that some people claim that Jesus is John the Baptist, that some say Elijah, that some say Jeremiah, and some say that Jesus is one of the prophets. Yet, Simon Peter told Jesus that he is the savior, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Simon Peter claimed that Jesus was God on earth, and the other disciples said for some people that the jury is still on who Jesus is. While some people were debating who Jesus is, Peter got it right.

          Jesus though, was not offended when some thought his role or status was lower. In fact, in the Book of Philippians the Apostle Paul said in 2:5-8:

⁵ Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, ⁷ but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, ⁸ he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross                        (Phil 2:5-8, NRSV).

          So even though people were debating who Jesus was, and many still are even today, the Apostle Paul said that Jesus was God in the flesh. Even so, Jesus did not act proud, or like he was better than anyone else. Instead, God in the flesh, Jesus went among all manner of humanity, and humbled himself to the point of death, even on a cross. He didn’t think he was better, and saw various gifts, graces, and talents in others.

          Since Peter was correct in saying that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the gospel picks up in Matthew 16:17, saying:

¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah (Mt. 16:17-20, NRSV).

          So, Jesus was not ready to announce that he was fully God and fully human to the world yet, as this would get him crucified, he also blessed Simon Peter for declaring who he really is. Jesus then tells Peter that on the rock he will build his church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it. Jesus gives us the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and power to bind or loosen. The church is founded on the rock of faith in Christ. Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters would say however, that Jesus made Peter the first Pope or leader of the church, but many argue that Jesus was founding the church on the rock of faith in Christ, not Peter directly. Thus, we don’t necessarily need one central leader to govern the entire Universal Christian Church. Much of the separations and schisms in the history of the Universal Christian Church have been over who the rightful head or bishop of the church. Today there is still a debate over who is the true head of the Christian Church.

          Even though Jesus did not get angry when people where wrong over who he was, he still humbled himself to the point of death on the cross. Even though we have different identities, different gifts, graces, and abilities, we are still all made in God’s image. Even though we might lose our cool on others, or them on us sometimes, “Who Are We Better Than?” The answer is that we are different, but we are no better than anyone else! Amen.

Sidney UMC - Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost - 08/20/23 - Sermon - “Physical Food Vs. Spiritual Food!”

                                    Sunday 08/20/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Physical Food Vs. Spiritual Food!”                                  

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 133                                      

New Testament Scripture: Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 15:10-28

          I have a question for us all this morning. How many people here have been to a buffet? I know I asked a question like this in a recent sermon, but I am going in a little bit of a different direction this morning. Some of us that are familiar with the Club 55 restaurant here in Sidney, might not know that they advertise their buffet dinners every Friday night. They also have buffet dinners at other times too. I have never been to a Club 55 buffet dinner. Have any of you?

          Have of us ever been to the Golden Corral Buffet? I remember going to the biggest buffet I had ever been to, when I was in Pennsylvania about 6-8 years ago. I went on a church trip to the Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, County Pennsylvania. It is an amazing theater if you have never been to it. The productions portray biblical characters and stories, with live animals, and all sort of other amazing things.

          As part of this trip, which I think was the first time Melissa and I went with a group to the Sight and Sound theater, we saw the production of “Moses.” We also went to a little village to shop, and we also got brought to the Shady Maple Smorgasbord, which as I said, was the biggest buffet that I had ever seen in my life. I still remember walking in the first of a couple times I went. I stood in awe for a few seconds. When then got our tables and ordered our ice teas, sodas, coffee, water, and etc.

          Everyone else in the church group had gotten up to head to get their food, but I lingered a little behind. You see, I was writing on a table napkin. One of my parishioners at the time said, “Pastor Paul what are you doing?” I said, “I’m creating a buffet strategy!” The parishioner said, “What does that mean?” I then responded, “Does any great general lead an army into battle without a strategy?” The parishioner said, “well no, I don’t think so.” I then said, “And you expect me to attack the biggest buffet I have ever seen in my life without a strategy?”

          This drew a lot laughter, but I had a strategy, and it didn’t involve me missing out on trying different all things at the buffet! At a buffet like this you don’t waste time on salads, or rice, there are bigger things to go after friends!

          Stories and examples like this got me thinking though, and as I thought and prepared for this sermon, I asked myself “what if buffets had chaplains?” I mean don’t get me wrong, on the church trip we prayed before we ate, and I generally do the same whenever I go out to eat with friends. Imagine though, if you went to the Club 55 Friday night buffet, and after you were seated and ordered your drinks, Pastor Paul approaches your table. I then say, “welcome to the buffet, my name is Pastor Paul, and I will be your chaplain for this evening”. Imagine if the Golden Coral Buffet had a chaplain, or the Shady Maple Smorgasbord Buffet near Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster County Pennsylvania had a chaplain?

          What would be different about a meal, a buffet, or feeding others, if a spiritual component was added in? You know, as I have said before, so many churches are good at putting on a spread. Buffet dinners, fund raiser dinners, etc., yet if we don’t tell them about Jesus, if we don’t invite them to church, and if we don’t befriend them, then how will their experience be any different than going to a buffet or a restaurant? If we only offer people “Physical Food,” how are they supposed to find “Spiritual Food?”

          Suppose that the Golden Corral Buffet and the Shady Maple Smorgasbord had a weekly community prayer meeting that met in their restaurants, but it was not advertised? How would we know about it? If I attend a church dinner, and I have no idea who goes to the church, who the pastor is, or what they are all about, why would I go to the church on Sunday? Is because the good lasagna that they served made me find Jesus? Or perhaps on the way into the church, or when I was exiting the church, Jesus would just pop up in the hedgerow and introduce himself to me? I mean, if we are not going to tell anyone that attends the dinner about Jesus, the church, who we are, or why we are here, then are we really shocked when no one comes to the church until we have another dinner.

          A great pastor from the 1800’s, Charles Spurgeon said this:

“If you have to give a carnival to get people to come to church, then you will have to keep giving carnivals to keep them coming back.” (https://quotefancy.com/quote/786352/Charles-H-Spurgeon-If-you-have-to-give-a-carnival-to-get-people-to-come-to-church-then?

 

          If a church has a dinner, an event, or a fundraiser over and over, and you continue to get crowds, but if no one is coming to the church on Sunday, are we really offering “Spiritual Food?” This is why my sermon title for today is called “Physical Food Vs. Spiritual Food!”

          Now on the other end of the spectrum we have what James talked about in the Book of James. In fact, in James 2:15-16, it says:

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? (Jas. 2:15-16, NRSV).

          So, we can feed people’s bodies, and tell them nothing about our faith, about Jesus, and or our church. Or we could do all of those things, and yet ignore the persons physical needs. To me, a strong and a growing church, is one that offers both “Physical Food” and “Spiritual Food”.

          I remember in a church that used to serve for example, that I could not attend a Thanksgiving Dinner one year. One of the members of this church found out and approached me angrily and asked me, “Well if you are not here, what will happen if someone wants to know about Jesus?” I then looked at that person and asked, “Well since you know him too, I was under the impression that you could let that person know who Jesus is.”

          One of the realities that all churches need to combat now and into the future, is not seeing the pastor or the priest as the only person in ministry. We are all called by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to be witnesses to his love, and spreaders of his gospel. We won’t all do this in the same way, but if people come to dinner after dinner, and event after event, and they never connect with the church, then what?

          Friends we can feed, we can clothe, we can love, we can heal, and we can help people in countless ways, but why would we feed someone “Physical Food” and not offer them “Spiritual Food?” In this way, a great ministry at this church and at the Mount Upton UMC is Sauce and Cross. I did not create the Sidney Area Sauce and Cross, as it was created by former District Superintendent Rev. Everett Bassett, and his wife Sharon Basset. What was and is brilliant about this ministry? We start the ministry every month by sharing a free meal together. We all eat together, fellowship together, get to know each other together, and we all love each other.

          Then, after we have received this “Physical Food,” we have a worship service in the church sanctuary. In this service, we are feed spiritually. The “Physical Food” is the “Sauce” and the “Spiritual Food” is the “Cross.” This is why this ministry is called “Sauce and Cross” and this is why we are “feeding the body and the soul.” Some of us struggle though to share and to tell people about our faith and our church. We do not all have the same gifts, but if we all love Jesus, if we all love our church, and if we all want the mission of our church to be strengthened, then we need to offer people “Physical Food,” and “Spiritual Food.”

          One of the breakaway Christian denominations that broke away from the original Methodist Movement in the 1800’s is the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army preaches the gospel, and is hyper-concerned with people’s spiritual well-beings. What the Salvation Army does so well is it offers people “Physical Food,” and “Spiritual Food.”

          If we are being honest then, do we do both? If we are being honest, we can probably say that some of us might do more of one and not the other, that we do both well, or that it depends on the circumstances. In our recent VBS, we fed kids and families “Physical Food” in the beginning each night, but then we feed the kids and families “Spiritual Food”. You see, the Last Supper with Jesus and his friends on that first Maundy or Holy Thursday, started as a normal Passover Sedar Dinner. Everyone was fed physically, but by the end of the night, the disciples were given Holy Communion, Foot Washing, and the Mandate to love each other. I can say very confidentially that the Last Supper was a night where the disciples were fed “Physical Food,” and “Spiritual Food.”

          We hear in the first verse of our reading from Psalm 133 for this morning, once again:

¹ How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!                 (Ps. 133:1, NRSV).

          Unity though, is more than just sharing food at a church dinner. Unity is sharing our lives, our faith, our hurts, our joys, and our experiences with each other. This is the fullness of the church, as we offer people “Physical Food,” and “Spiritual Food.”

          We hear in our reading for this morning from Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 in 11:2a once again:

² God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew (Rom. 11:2a, NRSV).

          The Apostle Paul then says in 11:29-31, once again:

²⁹ for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. ³⁰ Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, ³¹ so they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy (Rom. 11:29-31, NRSV).

          God has not rejected us, and the gifts and the calling we have from God are not changed. If we turn to Christ, we are forgiven. If we have been disobedient and hard of heart, Christ offers us love and mercy if we turn to him. As beautiful as this is my friends, how will people know about this if we never tell them? It could be the best church dinner in community history, and we will have offered great “Physical Food,” but did well tell them how much God loves them? What if they left the church with a full stomach and a broken heart? What if we offer “Physical Food” and “Spiritual Food?”

          This leads us to our gospel of Matthew 15:10-28 reading for this morning. Jesus is challenged and accused of eating while unclean. Jesus did not wash his hands before eating, and therefore, according to Jewish Law was ritually unclean. This then therefore made Jesus’ food ritually unclean, and spiritually harmful.

          When I was kid, we always washed our hands before sitting at grandmas table on Sunday, but not because we were ritually unclean. We did this so that the linens and other things would stay clean. In the same way, Jesus accuses his accusers of attacking him for eating with unclean hands, while they have unclean hearts and souls.  

          Instead of being focused on rituals and strict traditions, Jesus tells the Pharisees and the religious leaders this morning, that clean hands are not the issue. The bigger issue my friends is having a dirty heart and a dirty soul. If we have a church dinner and everyone has clean hands, but if they hurt and have pain in their hearts and souls, then we didn’t offer them “Spiritual Food.”

          Starting in Matthew 15:10, Jesus reinforces this saying:

¹⁰ Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: ¹¹ it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.’ ¹² Then the disciples approached and said to him, ‘Do you know that the Pharisees took offence when they heard what you said?’ ¹³ He answered, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴ Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit’  (Mt. 15:10-14, NRSV).  

 

          Jesus is basically telling the Pharisees and religious leaders that you so focused on clean hands and the “Physical Food,” but what about the heart and soul of the person? We eat food, it is digested, but what about what comes out of our mouths and hearts. In other words, Jesus is telling the religious leaders that they are putting on dinners and are focused on the food and the ritual, but are they focused on the heart and the soul?

          Initially being a little confused by what Jesus said in Matthew 15:10-14, the gospel lesson picks up in Matthew 10:15 saying, once again:

¹⁵ But Peter said to him, ‘Explain this parable to us.’ ¹⁶ Then he said, ‘Are you also still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? ¹⁸ But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile’ (Mt. 15:15-20, NRSV).

 

          It’s not that having clean hands before eating is a bad thing, but it we had to choose between dirty hands and a dirty soul, I don’t know about you, but I chose a clean soul and dirty hands. This is why my friends; it is important that we offer people “Physical Food” and “Spiritual Food.” For as the great Pastor Charles Spurgeon said:

“If you have to give a carnival to get people to come to church, then you will have to keep giving carnivals to keep them coming back.” (https://quotefancy.com/quote/786352/Charles-H-Spurgeon-If-you-have-to-give-a-carnival-to-get-people-to-come-to-church-then?

 

          The rest of our gospel of Matthew reading from 15:21-28 shows us the expansiveness of Christ’s love and the gospel. The first followers of Jesus were all Jews and were called “The Way,” or “The Way of Christ,” but quickly all manner of people would begin to become followers of Christ. We see a glimpse of the expansiveness of the followers of Jesus Christ being both Jew and gentile, in Matthew 15:21-28.

          In this final portion of our gospel reading, a Canaanite woman shouts to Jesus to rid her daughter from being tormented by a demon. Jesus at first does not answer her, for she is of a different culture, tribe, and religion. This woman who wants to help her daughter however, persisted. Jesus then says he came to save and restore the Jews. Yet the Canaanite woman will not take no for an answer. She came and knelt before Jesus. To challenge her Jesus says stating in Matthew 15:26, once again:

²⁶ He answered, ‘It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ ²⁷ She said, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.’ ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly (Mt. 15:26-28, NRSV).

 

          Some people in the time of Jesus, considered the Canaanite people to be like dogs compared to them. Jesus then says to lovingly challenge the Canaanite woman, why take food from children and throw it to the dogs? Or to put it another way, why should Jesus help the Canaanite woman when she doesn’t believe in the God of Israel, and knows nothing about him. Even though some Jews considered the Canaanites no better than dogs for their rejection of the God of Israel and for being of a different culture, the woman says to Jesus:

‘Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table’   (Mt. 15:27, NRSV).

          After Jesus lovingly challenges the Canaanite woman with the stereo-type of being no better than a dog, she says, but even dogs can receive the crumbs of what Jesus is teaching. Essentially, that anyone, Jew or not, can receiving the grace of God in Jesus Christ. This is made evident, when our gospel of Matthew 15:10-28 lesson, ends once again with Jesus speaking to the Canaanite woman in 15:28 saying:

²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, ‘Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed instantly (Mt. 15:28, NRSV).

 

          Jesus was not talking to the Canaanite woman about “Physical Food,” but rather “Spiritual Food.” Jew, Gentile, Greek, Roman, etc., all need “Physical Food,” and “Spiritual Food.” As a church then, and as Christians we need to offer all people “Physical Food” and “Spiritual Food,” for both the body and the soul need to be fed. Amen.

Sidney UMC - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - 08/13/23 - Sermon - “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus!”

                                   Sunday 08/13/23 - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title: “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus!”                             

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b                                    

New Testament Scripture: Romans 10:5-15

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 14:22-33

          When I was a little boy, my mother Susan would tell me that often when I went to sleep, I would have things in my hands or lying next to me. Whether it was on the floor of the living room, my bed, or somewhere else, I would often have things in my hands or next to me. Like many little children I probably did not want to take a nap. I would simply play and adventure until I literally feel asleep with, you guess it, things in my hands and or next to me. My mom said that sometimes when I was sleeping, she would find a matchbox car, a button, or various other things in my hands or next to me. I don’t remember much about having a naptime when I was very young, but I do remember the little rugs that we sat on in kindergarten to take naps.

          As I grew up though, I no longer wanted naps. In fact, I thought that I never needed a nap. I am still sometimes like this even today. How many of us here do not like to take naps? Anyone here really enjoying taking naps? I have seen on TV that some tech companies and places in large city have these things called “Nap Pods”. In fact, in researching for this sermon, I found a company online in New York City called “The Rest Room”. No not a bathroom, but a place that you can go to in order to take a nap. While this company or business offers various services, this is what it says on their website about their “On-Demand Nap Pods”

“ON-DEMAND NAPPING PODS: Rest, read, or meditate in one of our pods. Includes complimentary locker, slippers, eye mask, ear plugs, Wi-Fi, water & tea, round the clock security, and on-site housekeeping to disinfect after each use. Each pod provides 30 sq ft of space for each user” (https://therestroom.co/explore).

            So, while some people take having a nap seriously, this business in New York City literally sells naps! While many people have worked hard since the dawn of humanity, the modern world has its share of stressors. I think of medical workers in hospitals for example, constantly looking at screens, hearing things that are buzzing, lighting up, the phone is ringing, etc. I can imagine that while working in a hospital in 1923 had a ton of challenges and stressors, there was likely less noises, screens, and buzzing like there is today.

          Since our modern-day world has so many screens, so much stimulus, so many lights, buzzers, and etc., we have a newer human phenomenon called “Burn Out Syndrome”. I am sure that we have all heard of “Burn Out Syndrome” or know someone who is or was burned out. Basically, if you work yourself super hard, and for a long time, it often catches up with you. Continual overwork can make you anxious, depressed, sick, etc. In fact, one statistic I read preparing for this sermon says this:

“Lost productivity to depression and anxiety disorders costs the global economy $1 trillion every year”

(https://www.whoopunite.com/blog/business/articles/cost-of-employee-burnout/#:~:text=The%20consequences%20of%20burnout%20are,economy%20%241%20trillion%20every%20year).

          The term “Burn Out” was first used in 1974. Here is a bit of information on this:

In 1974, Herbert Freudenberger, an American psychologist, used the term "burn-out" in his academic paper "Staff Burn-Out" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupational_burnout).

          When Melissa and I were on our way home from our recent vacation, I was listening on the radio that some nurses in Rochester, NY were going on strike, because the nurses were overextended, overworked, and some were getting “Burned Out”. This news story said that there were way too many patients for each nurse, that some nurses were working unbelievable overtime, and that the nurses just cracked and said enough! The modern world that we live in can be loud, stressful, demanding, and the stimulus hitting us constantly can be overwhelming. Do we take naps? Do we take time to get away? Do we take time to be with God and to just breathe?

          So, we have a nurse and medical worker shortage, but why do we have such a clergy shortage? Let me read you something that I researched and found out about this:

“Burnout among pastors is a growing problem in the church today. Recent statistics show that an alarming number of pastors are feeling overwhelmed and unable to meet the demands of their job, with 50% reporting burnout symptoms. A 2015 Barna Group poll found that 37% had considered leaving ministry due to stress, while 90% reported working between 55 and 75 hours per week” (https://blog.gitnux.com/pastor-burnout-statistics/).

          So, do I take naps? Yes, I do! Even if I don’t always want to! You know who else took naps? Jesus! This is so true in fact, that you can buy t-shirts like the one I am wearing that says “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus.” This t-shirt cites Mark 4:38, which is Jesus sleeping in the boat on the Sea of Galilee during a storm. Jesus is awakened by his disciples, and he calms the storm.

          In this morning’s gospel of Matthew reading, Jesus does not take a nap specifically, but he does take time away. Don’t you know friends that loving, healing, and forgiving crowds of thousands of people is tiring? “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus!”

          Our reading from Psalm 105 for this morning ends very simply saying, once again:

Praise the Lord! (Ps. 105:45b, NRSV).

          Simple, yet a big part of what we are called to do. Do we take time to “Praise the Lord!”?

          In our reading for this morning from the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, or the Romans, the Apostle Paul reminds us, once again:

⁹ because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. ¹¹ The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ ¹² For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. ¹³ For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Rom. 10:9-13, NRSV).

          Jesus is enough, and is offered to us all freely. Yet in this fast-paced modern world that we live in, it is still good to try to not get overloaded. Who modeled this for us? Well Jesus of course, because “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus!”

          In our gospel of Matthew reading for this morning, my sermon title is focusing on the first two verses 14:22-23, but Jesus’ walking on water later in the reading is pretty cool to. Before getting into the rest of the gospel of Matthew reading, let’s go through Matthew 14:22-23, once again, that says:

²² Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. ²³ And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, (Mt. 14:22-23, NRSV).

          So, Jesus sends his disciples in a boat, has them sale to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and he goes and takes a break. It is true to say that Jesus was not taking a nap, but he went up the mountain by himself to pray. In fact, the scripture says:

When evening came, he was there alone, (Mt. 14:23b, NRSV).

          So, the connection with my sermon title, “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus!” is that Jesus was taking some time away. His ministry was exhausting to he went up the mountain to pray to the Heavenly Father, and to be at peace.

          Beyond this, is what I have not talked about yet this morning. Meaning, that while Jesus was off praying on the mountain, refreshing, and connecting to God, how were things going for the disciples? Well, a large storm started over the Sea of Galilee. We have had a lot of rain storms and wind in recent weeks. Trees have come down. Power lines have come down, and there has been a lot damage. Imagine one of these storms on a large body of water, however? The boat is rocking back and forth, and you are worried that the boat will capsize. If the boat capsizes it could sink, leaving you in this large body of water. Waves, wind, rain, and you floating in this body of water. The likelihood of drowning would be much higher, and it would be very scarry in general.

          While Jesus is on the mountain praying and refreshing, a massive storm arises of the Sea of Galilee, and the disciples are worried and afraid. Picking up starting in Matthew 14:24, it says, once again:

²⁴ but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. ²⁵ And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. ²⁶ But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. ²⁷ But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ (Mt. 14:24-27, NRSV).

          The boat that the disciples are on is getting battered by waves, and it isn’t far from the shore. It is now early in the morning, as Jesus was on the mountain praying and refreshing for a while. Jesus then began walking on the Sea of Galilee, or the lake, towards the boat being battered by the waves, with the disciples in it. So, you have been in this boat for hours, its dark, the storm is tossing you all about, and you are probably exhausted. On top of this, Jesus is now physically walking on the water towards the boat. After hours of this storm and this darkness, Jesus is really walking on the water? I guess after going through that, and still going through that, I can understand why the disciples thought that Jesus was a ghost. This also tells me that in Ancient Israel there must have been ghost stories!

          So, the disciples are in this boat, have been through storm all night, hoping to get to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and when they are almost there, Jesus shows up walking on the water. They are tired, soaked, sleep deprived, and scared. To reassure them, Jesus then says, once again:

‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ (Mt. 14:27b, NRSV).

          Instead of just being happy that Jesus is there, and not a ghost Peter wants to walk on the water too. In fact, the gospel of Matthew says once again starting in Matthew 14:28:

²⁸ Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ ²⁹ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. ³⁰ But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’                            (Mt. 14:28-29, NRSV).

          The Apostle Peter through the power of Jesus Christ briefly walked on the water. Then his fear, his worry, and lack of trust took his focus off Jesus. So, what is the big take away here for us? Our lives are much better when we focus on Jesus, and not the storm. Once again, our lives are much better when focus on Jesus, and not the storm.

          Peter was doing the impossible, and then fear, doubt, and worry took over. Fear, doubt, and worry are things we all have felt, and generally speaking they have not made things better for us. Our gospel of Matthew reading then ends with Matthew 14:31-33, saying once again:

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ ³² When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. ³³ And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’ (Mt. 14:31-33, NRSV).

          All the fear, all the worry, and all doubts that the disciples had were immediately extinguished when Peter was rescued, Jesus stopped the storm, and everyone focused on him. Our lives our much better when we focus on Jesus, and not the storm. It would seem however, that the modern world that we are living in can seem like a storm of busyness, and overstimulation. One way to keep ourselves rested and focused on Christ, is to take naps. After all, “Jesus Took Naps. Be Like Jesus!” Amen.