“Call Dad”
Mark 14:32-42
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 3/21/10
In a reflection on some of the ordinary struggles of the life of faith, Christian author Barbara Doll of Upper Saddle River, NJ offers the following illustration regarding one of the central elements of faith, namely: PRAYER. And she writes:
“Recently, my friend Bob was trying to teach his young daughter, Jenny, how to say grace before meals. After a few weeks of coaching, Bob decided Jenny was ready to say grace all by herself. Jenny started out fine, thanking God for her mommy and daddy and brother and sister and for the rolls and the salad, etc. She then ended with a big, ‘And thank you, God, for the spaghetti!’ and lifted her head, quite pleased with herself.
“The tradition in Bob’s house, however, was to end each prayer with ‘In Jesus’ name, Amen.’ So Bob prompted Jenny: ‘And thank you, God, for the spaghetti in...’ ‘In...’ ‘In...?’
“Poor Jenny became confused, and wasn’t quite sure what to say. Finally, taking her best shot, she said, ‘And thank you, God, for the spaghetti in... tomato sauce? Amen.’”
You ever experience something of this same kind of confusion when it comes to PRAYER? Not quite sure what to say? Not quite sure if you’re doing it right?
It has been said that “Prayer if the lifeblood of the journey of faith.” It’s what makes everything happen: our connection to God; God’s richest blessings to us; our faith alive and active and vital... It all hinges on prayer; but let’s face it: It’s often a very difficult, confusing, dry, dreary, sometimes seemingly pointless activity. I don’t know about you, but as long as I’ve been a Christian, I’ve struggled with my prayer life. I know it’s crucial, but I wrestle with it.
Well this is what I would like to talk about this morning: PRAYER. How can we improve our prayer life?
In our reading today it is Thursday of Holy Week and Jesus has just celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples and is now about to be betrayed by Judas and arrested by the authorities. The evil and violence that is seeking to consume and destroy him is just about to pounce. And what does Jesus do as the very last thing before this crucial moment that will ultimately define his whole ministry and mission? How does he “prep” himself for it?
He PRAYS. He goes to the Garden of Gethsemane and prays. Prayer is how he enables himself to do what has to be done.
Now some may ask: “How can Jesus pray to God when JESUS IS GOD?” And that’s a great question. Something of the answer is this:
First of all, in becoming God INCARNATE – that is, in taking on HUMAN FORM; the things we must do as human beings (in “earthen vessels”) become part of what God must do as well. That is, as this is how we communicate with God, so this is how God as us must communicate with God! And we see this “full humanity” that God is taking upon himself here in Jesus’ wrestling with the fears and the pain that are before him.
But even better, what is happening here is that we are being let in on an INTERNAL DISCUSSION WITHIN GOD. Picture it this way: As you go about your day, don’t you often debate, and almost discuss, issues in your own mind – within yourself? Well, we are created “in the image of God” – elements of who we are reflect elements of the Divine nature.
Thus here, in effect, in this prayer, we are graciously let in on some of the INNER THOUGHTS of God himself – ultimately showing God’s choice of our salvation over the cost to him. And, in a very practical way, in Jesus’ example, then shown how to pray as well – this relationship that Jesus has through prayer being opened to us as well, for in our baptism and faith in him we are made to share in everything that is his.
Basically, Jesus demonstrates POWERFUL PRAYER here – the kind of prayer that provides the resources for the most difficult moments of life. What do we learn? Well, let’s look at how Jesus goes about praying here...
(I)
To begin with, notice that Jesus begins by praying PRE-EMPTIVELY. That is: Does he wait UNTIL he is arrested to start praying? No. He prays BEFORE he’s arrested. It’s a simple little detail, but it’s crucial...
Let’s face it: Most of us wait until we’re in trouble before we pray; and even then, we generally only pray once all other avenues have been exhausted. It’s a last resort. You’ll often even hear people say, “There’s nothing left to do but pray.”
Wrong! Prayer should be the FIRST not the LAST thing we do!
Now, understand: God doesn’t reject desperation prayers. God honors them just as much as any prayer. The difficulty is that by the time we offer such prayers the problem is, obviously, already upon us – damage has happened which possibly could have been avoided if we had gone to God ahead of time – brought our lives regularly to him. Basically: Don’t just pray when you need something; pray even more when you don’t need anything!
This is the first rule of powerful prayer: Pray! That is: Don’t just think about it, do it! START TODAY! Don’t wait. Don’t put it off. Resolve to pray, at least a little bit, every day. During the day, pray every time the Spirit moves you. Start with whatever you’ve got – even if it’s just 30 seconds where you stop and talk to God about what you’re feeling. It’s crucial.
Why?
Because it establishes the fundamental RELATIONSHIP that creates peace within one’s heart. Because it enables God to GUIDE us away from certain problems and thus avoid them altogether. And because, for the problems we must face, it enables us to be PREPARED for them so that we can handle them better. It’s like getting ready for a job interview, or going to a doctor for a second opinion on some condition, or dealing with some difficult situation: If you can prepare ahead of time, you do better! Start today! Just do it! Preacher Ron Hutchcraft writes:
“It’s no fun to be sick over the holidays, and my wife was. Much of the family was together for Thanksgiving, but she was the one person who just felt too sick to join the festivities. She had more than a 101-degree fever, swollen glands, a burning sore throat, and a full nose and ears. Nothing fatal, just real ‘feeling crummy’ stuff. And she didn’t want to give any of us a Thanksgiving gift that we would not be very thankful for. Now, our daughter and son-in-law and two grandsons weren’t able to be with the rest of the family, so we connected by phone that day, and each of them passed the phone around so we could talk to them all. And I, of course, asked each one if they would pray for their grandma. And each person said they would. Except for our little two-year-old treasure. When I asked him if he would pray for Grandma that day, I suddenly heard something like this on his end of the line: ‘Jesus, pray Grandma, sick, better, Amen, Good-bye.’ He just jumped right in and started at it!
“Now, remember that Jesus didn’t say little children need to become like us adults to belong to Him - He said we need to become like little children. That day when my grandson just started in praying is a good example of why. Everyone said they would pray for Grandma, and I’m sure they did. Later. Not the little guy! He started right in praying immediately. Not a bad idea. How many times have we sincerely promised we’d pray for someone or something - and forgotten? And thus the moment, and the blessing, was lost?”
Rule #1 of powerful prayer: Pray. START TODAY. Moving on...
(II)
Jesus then begins his prayer. And notice that it’s a very BRIEF prayer – in English (depending on the translation, and which version of the Gospel you’re using) it’s just 18 to 22 words. A reminder to us that our prayers don’t have to be complicated and involved in order to be effective.
It’s like the old joke about the lawyer in church one day who prayed: “Lord, we respectfully request, and entreat, that due and adequate provisions be made this day and the date hereinafter subscribed, for the organizing of such methods and allocations and distribution as may be deemed necessary to properly assure the reception by and for said petitioner of such quantities of baked cereal products as shall, in the judgment of the aforementioned parishioners, constitute a sufficient supply thereof.” Translation: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Jesus prayed SIMPLY and in this his prayer begins: “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible...”
Now, the word “Abba” is the affectionate term for Father – we might translate it as “Dad” or “Daddy”. Basically, he “calls Dad” - in modern vernacular, Jesus’ prayer begins like this: “Daddy, I know you can do anything!”
Don’t you remember, as a child, thinking that way about your earthly father? This is how Jesus demonstrates one is to come to God: almost CHILDLIKE. He prays AFFECTIONATELY and CONFIDENTLY – his God is loving and powerful and works miracles. And this is the next thing he is trying to inspire in us: That we come to God the same way – childlike, affectionate, confident. Believing in a God who loves us overwhelmingly, who longs (like any parent) to give good things to us, and has the power to work wonders.
Do you remember how often in Jesus’ teachings (regarding prayer) he talked about the importance of BELIEF? His point was not that if you just believe hard enough you will get whatever you want; but rather, that if you believe your prayer has been heard by a loving, powerful God who wants the best for you – trust in that - that will open you to receiving the amazing thing God has for you in answer to your prayer.
This is the second rule of powerful prayer: EXPECT MIRACLES of a loving “Daddy!” Maybe not exactly what you request (as with Jesus himself here who doesn’t receive what he initially requests) but always something FAR BETTER!
You know, recently I read about this woman named Dawn Weiss. Her life was falling apart. Dawn, a recovering alcoholic, moved to Tennessee after the California earthquake in 1994. She got a job there as a waitress and enrolled in school. But Dawn never really dealt with the stress of the earthquake, of moving, of leaving loved ones and being alone and the strain of working while going to school. Stress was building up on her. One night Dawn was ready to give up – particularly, she felt drawn to drink. She prayed for help, but didn't feel any better. God didn’t seem to answer. That day at the end of her rope, Dawn decided that after work that night she was going to go out drinking.
When Dawn got to work, she noticed that every single customer in the restaurant was wearing a button that read, “I am a friend of Bill W.” Bill W. is the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous and this slogan helps AA members discreetly recognize one another. To Dawn’s surprise, there was a huge Alcoholics Anonymous convention in town that weekend. All the customers in her restaurant that night were attending it. After Dawn shared her own struggle with addiction with one of them, a group of customers offered to stay with her that night and protect her from drinking.
Dawn Weiss had prayed for help and God sent her a whole convention of people who understood her problem. That’s how God works!
It has been said: “Prayer is not overcoming God's reluctance... it is laying hold of his highest willingness.” Rule #2 of powerful prayer: EXPECT MIRACLES. Which leads us into - Jesus’ actual request...
(III)
Jesus says, “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible. Remove this cup from me; yet not what I want, but what you want.”
Jesus begins with a blunt request for what he wants: “Remove this cup from me.” That is: “Get me out of this. Make this not have to happen. Find another way.”
Notice: Jesus prays HONESTLY. He makes his SPECIFIC REQUEST for what HE DESIRES. Now, lot of people are uncomfortable doing this. Many people often say that they find it difficult to make a specific personal request for themselves in prayer. And it’s understandable: it’s humility, not feeling worthy of pushing our desire on God. But notice what happens in the text:
Jesus prays honestly – he requests specifically what he wants for himself, he doesn’t avoid it; but then from this, having said it, having sort-of “put it out there”, he begins to move to the thing he wants even more, namely: God’s ultimate will in the situation.
Now will come back to this issue of God’s will in a moment; but notice what Jesus demonstrates here:
He begins with his specific initial request. But then, having stated it; he reflects upon it, thinks about it... and ultimately MOVES to his DEEPER DESIRE – what he really wants MOST OF ALL. And this process is central to what prayer is meant to be:
Prayer is not just reciting a laundry list of request and demands of God. Prayer is RELATIONSHIP – It’s bringing our true selves to God; and then sharing that, reflecting upon it, exploring it. It’s a time, in discussion with God, to FOCUS our lives – to THINK about what REALLY MATTERS.
You know, a lot of times, we don’t really think about our prayers – and it causes all sorts of problems. It’s like...
I remember once hearing a preaching colleague tell about how, in his 20’s he was a paid vocal soloist. A bass-baritone, he would go around and sing at various churches. Well, one Sunday morning he was at this church ready to sing his solo when he noticed a fly buzzing around, bothering him. So he said a quick prayer, “O Lord, please get rid of this fly.”
The organist then began the introduction to his solo, he opened his mouth to begin... and the fly shot into his mouth!
Needless to say, his solo was ended instantly!
God had answered his prayer – just not the way he expected! He hadn’t thought his prayer through!
Rule #3 of powerful prayer: DIG DEEPER. That is: Start with where you honestly are. Don’t be afraid to make specific selfish requests. After all, sometimes the most outrageous things we ask for, God is happy to give us – he was just waiting to see if we would actually ask, whether or not we really wanted it that much!
Make your request; but then THINK about it: explore it, discuss it, examine it... MOVE DEEPER to what you really MOST WANT. For this is what God will actually act upon, and the difference between the two often causes confusion – and for us to miss what God is doing, how God is answering our prayers. As here with Jesus:
He first prays to get out. But then moves deeper to wanting to fulfill his mission. God doesn’t grant the first request; but does the second: Following this time of prayer we will see Jesus filled with strength and resolve. He will now go through everything before him with profound dignity.
Now this doesn’t come easily. Jesus prays the same thing REPEATEDLY. And that’s the point: It’s this repeated, difficult process of seeking to move deeper.
Think of it this way: Let’s say that someone you love is sick and you pray for their healing. A very common prayer. Well, as you offer such prayer, think: “Is this what I ultimately want for this person? What do I MOST WANT for them? Merely physical healing? Or even more, an awareness of my love for them? An awareness of God’s love for them? The faith that, no matter what happens, God has a hold of them and life doesn’t end? To simply be happy? For a child: The possibility for them to experience the fullness of life God called them to?”
Now, these requests, you see, are very different from the original request. Some can even be fulfilled without granting the original. It depends upon the situation – and each situation is different. And God knows what’s best. But seeking this deeper purpose is crucial to our understanding what’s going on and being part of it, receiving it and recognizing it.
Rule #3 of powerful prayer: DIG DEEPER. Which brings us to our conclusion...
(IV)
Jesus prays, “Not my will but thine be done.” Jesus ultimately moves from the very normal human desire for SELF to the deeper desire to fulfill what GOD WILLS, to do his part in that.
Now, what is it that God wills?
Obviously: the salvation of the whole world. That not a single person might be lost to the pain and death of sin; but might come to know God’s overwhelming love.
Basically, Jesus moves from seeking self to seeking participation in the saving work of God’s love. And this is the final lesson for us all here –
Rule #4 of powerful prayer: SEEK PARTICIPATION. That is, lift up your own concerns; but as you do, seek, even more, within them, to somehow be used to help someone else - to be an instrument of God’s love reaching out to another.
When a loved one is sick – Pray for their healing; but also pray that, as you go through the medical process, you might be used to help them and any others you come in contact with to know God’s love for them.
When you yourself are in the hospital awaiting surgery or tests - frightened, unsure, praying for God for help... Also pray that you might be empowered to reach out to everyone you meet with the love of Jesus Christ.
When you’re facing financial problems, work problems, relationship problems, family problems, marriage problems... Ask for help; but ask even more to be used as an instrument of God’s saving love – within the problem.
As Saint Francis once prayed: “Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”
SEEK PARTICIPATION in the saving work of God in the world. For in this we get the whole thing: Part in the glorious things God is doing and what we ourselves need as well!
You know, there’s an old legend that tells of a voyaging ship that was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on-board survived, and they were able to swim to a small, desert-like island. These two survivors, knew they had to pray for God if they were ever to be rescued. However, being naturally competitive – and having nothing better to do – they decided to find out whose prayer was more powerful. And thus they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island, and each pray and see who got better results. The first thing they prayed for was food.
The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man’s parcel of land remained barren.
After some days, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island. On the other side of the island, the second man had nothing. Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him. However, the second man still had nothing.
Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife, now strengthened, could leave the island. In the morning, he found a boat run aground on his side of the island. The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island. He considered the other man unworthy to be rescued, to receive God’s blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.
As the ship was about to leave, however, suddenly the first man heard a voice from heaven booming: “Why are you leaving your friend on the island?”
“My friend?!’ replied the man. “Why, I barely know the man. Why should I help him? And anyway, he’s obviously an evil man – since you have answered none of his prayers - and I am better off being rid of him. My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them.”
“You are mistaken,” the voice rebuked him. “Your friend had only one prayer, which I answered completely.”
“Tell me,” the first man asked the voice, “what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?”
The heavenly voice replied, “He prayed only one prayer every single day: That all your prayers would be answered.”
With that, the first man broke down and cried, and then rowed back to shore and gathered up his friend - and together all were rescued.
“Prayer is the lifeblood of the journey of faith.”
Become a person of powerful prayer – strong, confident, working wonders, able to handle whatever life places before you.
Start today. Expect miracles. Dig deeper. And Seek participation.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Thirty Pieces of Silver
“Thirty Pieces of Silver”
Matthew 26:14-16
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 3/14/10
$412.65
According to those who calculate such things, that is the current value of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying Jesus.
$412.65 - That’s about 8 average tanks of gas. 3 average trips to the supermarket. A couple months of Comcast cable.
For a life, it’s a bargain. For two lives, it’s a steal. And that’s exactly what it bought 2,000 years ago - a “twofer”: one Messiah crucified, one soul lost forever. All for just $412.65.
A bargain. A steal.
What’s Jesus worth to you?
Better yet: What are you worth to him?
This is something of what I’d like to talk about this morning...
In our text today (in our continuing study of the events of Holy Week – the final week of Jesus’ life) it is Wednesday, and according to Scripture no activity is recorded of Jesus on this day – no teachings, no preaching, no miracles. Nothing. As far as we can tell, he just sort of “lays low” – doesn’t even come in to the city. The only thing that is said to happen on this day is the event described in our reading this morning, namely: Judas, one of the 12 disciples, one of the “inner circle,” goes to the religious leaders and makes a deal to betray Jesus.
Now, down through the centuries, many faithful people have, quite understandably, struggled with this greatly. “Why did he do it?” Well, various theories have been put forth:
Some say it was pure greed – that he just wanted the money. Others say he was just a pawn – that Satan entered him and used him beyond his control. Still others, in the most prominent theory, claim that Judas had become disillusioned in Jesus – that, like the crowds, he was hoping that Jesus would lead them in a military overthrow of Rome, and when Jesus instead taught love and change from within; Judas turned on him. Still others argue that Judas did believe in Jesus’ cause, but he was just getting impatient and thought that handing Jesus over would “push along” the arrival of the kingdom. Still others say it’s all simple self preservation: As everything began to unravel, Judas was just looking out for himself.
Now, each of these theories has some basis in scripture; however, they each also have certain problems. And in the end, the texts don’t spell out the issue plainly. And that’s important...
I believe the gospels are deliberately ambiguous about Judas’ specific motivation because Judas himself was AMBIGUOUS! That is, he wasn’t just some plastic, one-dimensional character who acted on some simple, easily-understood motivation. Quite the opposite, he was this all-too-real, all-too-human, very complex, “jumbled-up” mess – much as we so often are! And the gospel authors make a point to show this so we might not just look at him and say: “He did something I don’t do, so I don’t have to worry;” but rather, that we might look at him and see ourselves: the complex jumbled-up mess of motivations that so often makes up our lives – and realize that this could happen to us as well!
To put it another way: The story of Judas is CAUTIONARY TALE – a story that says: “This could happen to any of you!” Most especially, a story that seeks to warn the FAITHFUL – saying: Here was a person who was close to Jesus – who ate with him, travelled with him, worshipped with him. He served in the church. He did everything you’re supposed to do, came so close; yet he ultimately threw it all away, lost the whole thing. Beware that, amidst the trappings of religiosity, you don’t do likewise!
“This could happen to any of you!” All of which brings us back to the question: What happened?
Well, in the midst of all the possible motivations Judas might be struggling with here; what is the common factor? That is, no matter what thoughts are running around in his mind, what action does he take?
He makes a deal, right? This is the turning point in his life. This is where the rubber hits the road, how he chooses to resolve his inner turmoil. He SETS A PRICE, a VALUE, on Jesus’ life. “What will you give me?” he asks. “What’s it worth?”
At the very heart of the matter: a question of WORTH.
Now, as noted, the price he gets for Jesus is insultingly low. However, what he doesn’t seem to recognize at this moment (but we, the observer, can see from the outside) is that the price he has put on Jesus is also the price he has put on himself – for in selling out Jesus, he also sells off HIS OWN SOUL!
Essentially, what he unknowingly says to the religious leaders is: “You want Jesus? Well I’ll throw myself in with the bargain. This is what Jesus is worth to me because this is what I’m worth to myself: $412.65!”
Judas sets his own worth at 30 piece of silver. Think about that... Particularly think about it in light of the following, namely: What is Jesus about to say that Judas, and everyone else - everyone one of us - is worth to him?
Everything, right?! A priceless treasure! Incalculable riches! God is about to give all he has for us!
In this key moment in the passion story, you see, we get this dramatic contrast in VALUES – two completely different senses of WORTH. And that’s the point! This is what is ultimately driving things here:
Judas wrestles with all the same temptations and doubts and fears and confusion that we all do – all of what it means to be human; but what ultimately does him in, why it all goes wrong, the warning of his life, is that, in the end, he SELLS HIMSELF CHEAP! That’s how he chooses to make his decision, resolve his direction in life. HE DOESN’T SEE HIS TRUE WORTH TO GOD IN JESUS CHRIST! And that’s why he is lost!
And this is at the core of all souls lost: VALUES SKEWED. Sense of DIVINE WORTH MISSING. Thus people take their lives in despair, starve themselves to be beautiful, drink and inject and eat and gamble their lives away, hurt one another, cut themselves, lash out in violence, accept abuse... simply never look in the mirror and like what they see!
It’s not the way it’s supposed to be!
Well this is what Jesus came to say (as embodied in the loss of Judas): “You are a priceless treasure – don’t let yourself be sold cheap! Look at me and what I do for you. This is your value to God – what you are truly worth. Base your life on that alone! Don’t let your life be lost!”
So how do we do this and not suffer the same fate that Judas did? A couple of thoughts:
(I)
First: LOOK AT HOW YOU’RE DEVALUING YOURSELF.
To begin with, obviously, if the goal is to set our worth as the value God sees in us in Jesus Christ, then the first thing we have to do is set that value as our standard – judge everything by that. Basically, what it comes down to is this:
Before everything you do, every action you take, ask yourself the following question – it’s very simple: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?” All day long, in everything: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
When someone hurts you and you’re angry and about to lash out in kind – ask: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
When you’re depressed and about to take another drink to try to wash the pain away – ask: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
When you’re sitting at home lost in bitterness, doing nothing because of some way life has failed to go the way it should – ask: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
And if the answer is “No;” then stop and turn from that thing and go in the other direction. Instead of lashing out in anger, offer a kindness. Instead of taking the drink, put it down and call for help. Instead succumbing to loss, go and offer life!
Refuse to devalue your true worth in Jesus Christ.
You know, I can tell you, from personal experience, that this works. Just this past week, I as driving along one day thinking about this very sermon. Well, suddenly somebody cut me off. Jerk! Immediately, I’m bugged and I want to get even. “I’m not going to let him get away with that! I’m going to pass him and cut him off!”
I hit the gas and started to pull out, and just then my heart asked the very question I had been abstractly pondering: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in you? Better yet, Clark, is all this just a theory, or are you actually going to try it out?”
I felt so stupid. I had to laugh. Of course my reaction to this minor traffic moment wasn’t worth the value Jesus sees in me. It wasn’t worth anything. I immediately backed off the gas and fell back in line. And you know what? I ended up having the most leisurely, enjoyable trip to my destination. And how often can you say that in New Jersey?!
We so often sell ourselves so cheaply: to anger, to bitterness, to laziness, to comfort, to safety, to possessions, to substances, to behaviors... One author writes:
“When we possess something of great value, we generally safeguard it. Through a series of errors, however, a South African woman recently failed to properly care for a collection of gold coins she had inherited from her mother.
“The valuable coins inadvertently became mixed in with the rest of the woman’s loose change. While on a shopping trip near Cape Town one day, she parked her car and used a Kruger sovereign to feed the parking meter. The gold coin, minted in 1890, was said to be worth $15,000. Despite its value, the coin bought no extra parking time, however – just the standard 15 minutes, thus making the cost of the parking for this shopping trip $1,000 a minute. I sure hope the store was having a great sale!
“Now we may laugh at her foolishness, but how often do we do the exactly the same thing: Exchange the priceless for the common, and trade the eternal for the temporary?”
In taking hold of the priceless worth God sees in you, that your life might not be lost (to all the forces, within and without, that seek to take it from you), first: LOOK AT HOW YOU ARE DEVALUING YOURSELF. And then...
(II)
Secondly: MAKE YOURSELF ABOUT VALUING OTHERS.
Obviously, as noted earlier, the worth that God sees in Judas is not simply for him alone; but rather, part and parcel of the worth God sees in all humanity. And this points us toward a central principle: That our worth to God is tied up in worth of all humanity, of everyone, to God. We are all inseparably intertwined.
This is a second crucial mistake that we all so often make and why so many lives are needlessly lost: We seek our own worth at the expense of others, rather than in-tandem with them! It doesn’t work that way! When we throw away the value of others we throw away our own value; when we seek to bring out the value of others we bring out our own value! This is God’s economy. I mean, haven’t you simply ever noticed that people who like other people tend to like themselves (and visa-versa); while people who don’t like other people tend to not like themselves (and visa-versa)? Think of the example of Judas himself:
He unknowingly sells himself cheap, and what form does this “bargain sale” take? It takes the form of selling someone else out cheaply!
Our worth together is intertwined within the love of God. What we see in others is what we see in ourselves. What we seek in others is what we find in ourselves! Thus how we take hold of the true worth God sees in US in Jesus Christ is by seeking to get OTHERS to see this in themselves! And let’s face it, we live in a world starving for this. It’s the plague of our age!
You know, I recently read this article by an author who said that this is the fundamental issue driving virtually all of our current cultural phenomenon – things like: reality television, online blogging, Facebook, Twitter... This author said that this is really all about people simply trying to be recognized, to be valued – to find someone, somewhere to say, “You matter.” Souls desperately searching after worth. Souls about to be lost. Will we save them?
Finding our own worth comes down to, every day, resolving to help someone else find their worth to God. And we can do this. Sometimes in ways dramatic and costly; but more often in simple, everyday things: stopping to listen, taking a moment to care, putting ourselves aside for a moment that our best selves might truly emerge. Christian author Mark Westen writes:
“I work as a postman at our local post office. Every week, this one older woman, Lucille, comes in and she always does the same thing: After waiting in the long lines we often have here, she finally gets up to the counter and buys just two or three stamps. I get her the stamps, and we talk briefly and then she mails her letters.
“Well, one day, after seeing this pattern repeated week after week, month after month, I said, ‘Lucille, you know, there’s a machine in the lobby that sells stamps. You could get them there so you don’t always have to stand I line.’ Her response caught me off guard, and reached deep into my heart - she said, ‘Yes, but the machine won’t ask me how my week has been... like you always do.’”
A soul that was desperately seeking to be valued somehow - to matter. In taking hold of the priceless worth God sees in you, that your life might not be lost, secondly: MAKE YOUR LIFE ABOUT VALUING OTHERS. And finally...
(III)
Third: LET JESUS ALONE CLOSE THE DEAL.
In the end, this issue of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas has been paid returns one more time with dramatic results. Just one chapter later in Matthew’s gospel:
Let me ask you: From what you know about Jesus... If this repentant Judas, having recognized his wrong, being obviously heart-broken over it, had come to Jesus – even with all the evil he had done – what do you think Jesus would have done?
He would have FORGIVEN him, right?! He could have known joy, a brand new life!
So why didn’t this happen?
Simple: Having set his own price, he stuck to it; instead of setting as the value of his life the love of Jesus Christ! He “closed the deal” rather than Jesus!
Well imagine if he had done otherwise. If instead of closing the deal himself, he had handed the contract over to Jesus. That is...
Think of the difference in his life if he had just WAITED THREE DAYS. If he had said to himself, “I’ve done a horrible evil, I’ve ruined everything, I deserve nothing. But I know that God is love and I am still valuable to him – even though it makes no sense. And despite all I’ve done, and how it all looks, I’m going to hold fast to that.”
What if he had held on to that in the darkness of Thursday night, when everything had gone wrong? What if he had held on to that in the darkness of Friday night, when everything had gotten even worse? What if he had held on to that in the darkness of Saturday night, when it seemed all was over?
What would he have discovered come Sunday morning?
Salvation! “Tears may linger through the night, but joy comes in the morning!”
Sometimes life comes down to just holding on to the love of God, against all odds, against all logic, for just one more day!
The final lesson here: Don’t close the deal yourself! Hand the contract for your life over to Jesus! No matter how things look, no matter what you see, hold on to the priceless worth God sees in you (revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) and realize that God can make something great out of your life, better than you’ve ever known, if you’ll just entrust it to him!
When everything has gone wrong and it seems hopeless; when you’ve loused-up again and ruined everything; they devil will say, “Give up.” But Jesus says, “No! Give your life to me! I can take anything you’ve got, forgive anything you’ve done – and make something beautiful and new!”
Let Jesus close the deal – no one else!
A noted preacher – a man who grew up on the streets of Los Angeles, got into a gang, did drugs, sold drugs, eventually went to prison and there found the Lord and today is Lutheran pastor, writes:
“In 1463, members of the City Council of Florence Italy decided they needed a monument to enhance their city. They commissioned a sculptor to carve a giant statue to stand in front of city hall. Someone suggested a biblical character wrought in the neoclassical style, an expression of beauty and strength.
“They approached Agostino di Duccio, who agreed to their terms. Duccio went to the quarry near Carrara and marked off a 19-foot slab to be cut from the precious white marble. However, he had the slab cut too thin. When the block was removed, it fell, leaving a deep fracture down one side. The sculptor declared the stone worthless and demanded another, but the city council refused. Consequently, the gleaming block of marble lay on its side for the next 38 years, a source of embarrassment for all concerned.
“Then, in 1501, the council approached another citizen, the son of a local official, asking him if he would attempt the ambitious project, using the broken slab. Fortunately for them, the young man was Michelangelo. He was 26 years old, filled with energy, skill, and imagination.
“Michelangelo locked himself inside the workshop behind the cathedral to chisel and polish away on the stone for three years. When the work was finished, it took 49 men five days to bring it to rest before the city hall. Archways were torn down. Narrow streets were widened. People came from all across Europe, as they still do to this very day, to see the 14-foot statue of DAVID relaxing after defeating Goliath.
“It was even more than the city fathers had envisioned. Michelangelo had seen something magnificent in the stone, something no one else had seen, and he had brought it forth. The giant stone had been transformed from a massive fractured worthless waste of rock to a masterpiece surpassing the greatest art in the world, all because some people refused to give up and instead, entrust the project to a master.
“So also our lives often become a fractured, broken, seemingly worthless mess. But God still sees something magnificent within and can draw it forth if we’ll let him. We need only entrust the project to him! I know, because he did it for me!”
$412.65
A bargain-priced soul. Don’t let your life be lost the same way – to all the constant forces, within and without, that seek to take it from you. Instead, set your heart firmly upon YOUR PRICELESS WORTH TO GOD IN JESUS CHRIST and have that guide everything you are: Look at how you’re selling yourself cheap. Make your life about valuing others. And let Jesus alone close the deal!
Matthew 26:14-16
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 3/14/10
$412.65
According to those who calculate such things, that is the current value of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas received for betraying Jesus.
$412.65 - That’s about 8 average tanks of gas. 3 average trips to the supermarket. A couple months of Comcast cable.
For a life, it’s a bargain. For two lives, it’s a steal. And that’s exactly what it bought 2,000 years ago - a “twofer”: one Messiah crucified, one soul lost forever. All for just $412.65.
A bargain. A steal.
What’s Jesus worth to you?
Better yet: What are you worth to him?
This is something of what I’d like to talk about this morning...
In our text today (in our continuing study of the events of Holy Week – the final week of Jesus’ life) it is Wednesday, and according to Scripture no activity is recorded of Jesus on this day – no teachings, no preaching, no miracles. Nothing. As far as we can tell, he just sort of “lays low” – doesn’t even come in to the city. The only thing that is said to happen on this day is the event described in our reading this morning, namely: Judas, one of the 12 disciples, one of the “inner circle,” goes to the religious leaders and makes a deal to betray Jesus.
Now, down through the centuries, many faithful people have, quite understandably, struggled with this greatly. “Why did he do it?” Well, various theories have been put forth:
Some say it was pure greed – that he just wanted the money. Others say he was just a pawn – that Satan entered him and used him beyond his control. Still others, in the most prominent theory, claim that Judas had become disillusioned in Jesus – that, like the crowds, he was hoping that Jesus would lead them in a military overthrow of Rome, and when Jesus instead taught love and change from within; Judas turned on him. Still others argue that Judas did believe in Jesus’ cause, but he was just getting impatient and thought that handing Jesus over would “push along” the arrival of the kingdom. Still others say it’s all simple self preservation: As everything began to unravel, Judas was just looking out for himself.
Now, each of these theories has some basis in scripture; however, they each also have certain problems. And in the end, the texts don’t spell out the issue plainly. And that’s important...
I believe the gospels are deliberately ambiguous about Judas’ specific motivation because Judas himself was AMBIGUOUS! That is, he wasn’t just some plastic, one-dimensional character who acted on some simple, easily-understood motivation. Quite the opposite, he was this all-too-real, all-too-human, very complex, “jumbled-up” mess – much as we so often are! And the gospel authors make a point to show this so we might not just look at him and say: “He did something I don’t do, so I don’t have to worry;” but rather, that we might look at him and see ourselves: the complex jumbled-up mess of motivations that so often makes up our lives – and realize that this could happen to us as well!
To put it another way: The story of Judas is CAUTIONARY TALE – a story that says: “This could happen to any of you!” Most especially, a story that seeks to warn the FAITHFUL – saying: Here was a person who was close to Jesus – who ate with him, travelled with him, worshipped with him. He served in the church. He did everything you’re supposed to do, came so close; yet he ultimately threw it all away, lost the whole thing. Beware that, amidst the trappings of religiosity, you don’t do likewise!
“This could happen to any of you!” All of which brings us back to the question: What happened?
Well, in the midst of all the possible motivations Judas might be struggling with here; what is the common factor? That is, no matter what thoughts are running around in his mind, what action does he take?
He makes a deal, right? This is the turning point in his life. This is where the rubber hits the road, how he chooses to resolve his inner turmoil. He SETS A PRICE, a VALUE, on Jesus’ life. “What will you give me?” he asks. “What’s it worth?”
At the very heart of the matter: a question of WORTH.
Now, as noted, the price he gets for Jesus is insultingly low. However, what he doesn’t seem to recognize at this moment (but we, the observer, can see from the outside) is that the price he has put on Jesus is also the price he has put on himself – for in selling out Jesus, he also sells off HIS OWN SOUL!
Essentially, what he unknowingly says to the religious leaders is: “You want Jesus? Well I’ll throw myself in with the bargain. This is what Jesus is worth to me because this is what I’m worth to myself: $412.65!”
Judas sets his own worth at 30 piece of silver. Think about that... Particularly think about it in light of the following, namely: What is Jesus about to say that Judas, and everyone else - everyone one of us - is worth to him?
Everything, right?! A priceless treasure! Incalculable riches! God is about to give all he has for us!
In this key moment in the passion story, you see, we get this dramatic contrast in VALUES – two completely different senses of WORTH. And that’s the point! This is what is ultimately driving things here:
Judas wrestles with all the same temptations and doubts and fears and confusion that we all do – all of what it means to be human; but what ultimately does him in, why it all goes wrong, the warning of his life, is that, in the end, he SELLS HIMSELF CHEAP! That’s how he chooses to make his decision, resolve his direction in life. HE DOESN’T SEE HIS TRUE WORTH TO GOD IN JESUS CHRIST! And that’s why he is lost!
And this is at the core of all souls lost: VALUES SKEWED. Sense of DIVINE WORTH MISSING. Thus people take their lives in despair, starve themselves to be beautiful, drink and inject and eat and gamble their lives away, hurt one another, cut themselves, lash out in violence, accept abuse... simply never look in the mirror and like what they see!
It’s not the way it’s supposed to be!
Well this is what Jesus came to say (as embodied in the loss of Judas): “You are a priceless treasure – don’t let yourself be sold cheap! Look at me and what I do for you. This is your value to God – what you are truly worth. Base your life on that alone! Don’t let your life be lost!”
So how do we do this and not suffer the same fate that Judas did? A couple of thoughts:
(I)
First: LOOK AT HOW YOU’RE DEVALUING YOURSELF.
To begin with, obviously, if the goal is to set our worth as the value God sees in us in Jesus Christ, then the first thing we have to do is set that value as our standard – judge everything by that. Basically, what it comes down to is this:
Before everything you do, every action you take, ask yourself the following question – it’s very simple: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?” All day long, in everything: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
When someone hurts you and you’re angry and about to lash out in kind – ask: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
When you’re depressed and about to take another drink to try to wash the pain away – ask: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
When you’re sitting at home lost in bitterness, doing nothing because of some way life has failed to go the way it should – ask: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in me?”
And if the answer is “No;” then stop and turn from that thing and go in the other direction. Instead of lashing out in anger, offer a kindness. Instead of taking the drink, put it down and call for help. Instead succumbing to loss, go and offer life!
Refuse to devalue your true worth in Jesus Christ.
You know, I can tell you, from personal experience, that this works. Just this past week, I as driving along one day thinking about this very sermon. Well, suddenly somebody cut me off. Jerk! Immediately, I’m bugged and I want to get even. “I’m not going to let him get away with that! I’m going to pass him and cut him off!”
I hit the gas and started to pull out, and just then my heart asked the very question I had been abstractly pondering: “Is this worth the value Jesus sees in you? Better yet, Clark, is all this just a theory, or are you actually going to try it out?”
I felt so stupid. I had to laugh. Of course my reaction to this minor traffic moment wasn’t worth the value Jesus sees in me. It wasn’t worth anything. I immediately backed off the gas and fell back in line. And you know what? I ended up having the most leisurely, enjoyable trip to my destination. And how often can you say that in New Jersey?!
We so often sell ourselves so cheaply: to anger, to bitterness, to laziness, to comfort, to safety, to possessions, to substances, to behaviors... One author writes:
“When we possess something of great value, we generally safeguard it. Through a series of errors, however, a South African woman recently failed to properly care for a collection of gold coins she had inherited from her mother.
“The valuable coins inadvertently became mixed in with the rest of the woman’s loose change. While on a shopping trip near Cape Town one day, she parked her car and used a Kruger sovereign to feed the parking meter. The gold coin, minted in 1890, was said to be worth $15,000. Despite its value, the coin bought no extra parking time, however – just the standard 15 minutes, thus making the cost of the parking for this shopping trip $1,000 a minute. I sure hope the store was having a great sale!
“Now we may laugh at her foolishness, but how often do we do the exactly the same thing: Exchange the priceless for the common, and trade the eternal for the temporary?”
In taking hold of the priceless worth God sees in you, that your life might not be lost (to all the forces, within and without, that seek to take it from you), first: LOOK AT HOW YOU ARE DEVALUING YOURSELF. And then...
(II)
Secondly: MAKE YOURSELF ABOUT VALUING OTHERS.
Obviously, as noted earlier, the worth that God sees in Judas is not simply for him alone; but rather, part and parcel of the worth God sees in all humanity. And this points us toward a central principle: That our worth to God is tied up in worth of all humanity, of everyone, to God. We are all inseparably intertwined.
This is a second crucial mistake that we all so often make and why so many lives are needlessly lost: We seek our own worth at the expense of others, rather than in-tandem with them! It doesn’t work that way! When we throw away the value of others we throw away our own value; when we seek to bring out the value of others we bring out our own value! This is God’s economy. I mean, haven’t you simply ever noticed that people who like other people tend to like themselves (and visa-versa); while people who don’t like other people tend to not like themselves (and visa-versa)? Think of the example of Judas himself:
He unknowingly sells himself cheap, and what form does this “bargain sale” take? It takes the form of selling someone else out cheaply!
Our worth together is intertwined within the love of God. What we see in others is what we see in ourselves. What we seek in others is what we find in ourselves! Thus how we take hold of the true worth God sees in US in Jesus Christ is by seeking to get OTHERS to see this in themselves! And let’s face it, we live in a world starving for this. It’s the plague of our age!
You know, I recently read this article by an author who said that this is the fundamental issue driving virtually all of our current cultural phenomenon – things like: reality television, online blogging, Facebook, Twitter... This author said that this is really all about people simply trying to be recognized, to be valued – to find someone, somewhere to say, “You matter.” Souls desperately searching after worth. Souls about to be lost. Will we save them?
Finding our own worth comes down to, every day, resolving to help someone else find their worth to God. And we can do this. Sometimes in ways dramatic and costly; but more often in simple, everyday things: stopping to listen, taking a moment to care, putting ourselves aside for a moment that our best selves might truly emerge. Christian author Mark Westen writes:
“I work as a postman at our local post office. Every week, this one older woman, Lucille, comes in and she always does the same thing: After waiting in the long lines we often have here, she finally gets up to the counter and buys just two or three stamps. I get her the stamps, and we talk briefly and then she mails her letters.
“Well, one day, after seeing this pattern repeated week after week, month after month, I said, ‘Lucille, you know, there’s a machine in the lobby that sells stamps. You could get them there so you don’t always have to stand I line.’ Her response caught me off guard, and reached deep into my heart - she said, ‘Yes, but the machine won’t ask me how my week has been... like you always do.’”
A soul that was desperately seeking to be valued somehow - to matter. In taking hold of the priceless worth God sees in you, that your life might not be lost, secondly: MAKE YOUR LIFE ABOUT VALUING OTHERS. And finally...
(III)
Third: LET JESUS ALONE CLOSE THE DEAL.
In the end, this issue of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas has been paid returns one more time with dramatic results. Just one chapter later in Matthew’s gospel:
Let me ask you: From what you know about Jesus... If this repentant Judas, having recognized his wrong, being obviously heart-broken over it, had come to Jesus – even with all the evil he had done – what do you think Jesus would have done?
He would have FORGIVEN him, right?! He could have known joy, a brand new life!
So why didn’t this happen?
Simple: Having set his own price, he stuck to it; instead of setting as the value of his life the love of Jesus Christ! He “closed the deal” rather than Jesus!
Well imagine if he had done otherwise. If instead of closing the deal himself, he had handed the contract over to Jesus. That is...
Think of the difference in his life if he had just WAITED THREE DAYS. If he had said to himself, “I’ve done a horrible evil, I’ve ruined everything, I deserve nothing. But I know that God is love and I am still valuable to him – even though it makes no sense. And despite all I’ve done, and how it all looks, I’m going to hold fast to that.”
What if he had held on to that in the darkness of Thursday night, when everything had gone wrong? What if he had held on to that in the darkness of Friday night, when everything had gotten even worse? What if he had held on to that in the darkness of Saturday night, when it seemed all was over?
What would he have discovered come Sunday morning?
Salvation! “Tears may linger through the night, but joy comes in the morning!”
Sometimes life comes down to just holding on to the love of God, against all odds, against all logic, for just one more day!
The final lesson here: Don’t close the deal yourself! Hand the contract for your life over to Jesus! No matter how things look, no matter what you see, hold on to the priceless worth God sees in you (revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) and realize that God can make something great out of your life, better than you’ve ever known, if you’ll just entrust it to him!
When everything has gone wrong and it seems hopeless; when you’ve loused-up again and ruined everything; they devil will say, “Give up.” But Jesus says, “No! Give your life to me! I can take anything you’ve got, forgive anything you’ve done – and make something beautiful and new!”
Let Jesus close the deal – no one else!
A noted preacher – a man who grew up on the streets of Los Angeles, got into a gang, did drugs, sold drugs, eventually went to prison and there found the Lord and today is Lutheran pastor, writes:
“In 1463, members of the City Council of Florence Italy decided they needed a monument to enhance their city. They commissioned a sculptor to carve a giant statue to stand in front of city hall. Someone suggested a biblical character wrought in the neoclassical style, an expression of beauty and strength.
“They approached Agostino di Duccio, who agreed to their terms. Duccio went to the quarry near Carrara and marked off a 19-foot slab to be cut from the precious white marble. However, he had the slab cut too thin. When the block was removed, it fell, leaving a deep fracture down one side. The sculptor declared the stone worthless and demanded another, but the city council refused. Consequently, the gleaming block of marble lay on its side for the next 38 years, a source of embarrassment for all concerned.
“Then, in 1501, the council approached another citizen, the son of a local official, asking him if he would attempt the ambitious project, using the broken slab. Fortunately for them, the young man was Michelangelo. He was 26 years old, filled with energy, skill, and imagination.
“Michelangelo locked himself inside the workshop behind the cathedral to chisel and polish away on the stone for three years. When the work was finished, it took 49 men five days to bring it to rest before the city hall. Archways were torn down. Narrow streets were widened. People came from all across Europe, as they still do to this very day, to see the 14-foot statue of DAVID relaxing after defeating Goliath.
“It was even more than the city fathers had envisioned. Michelangelo had seen something magnificent in the stone, something no one else had seen, and he had brought it forth. The giant stone had been transformed from a massive fractured worthless waste of rock to a masterpiece surpassing the greatest art in the world, all because some people refused to give up and instead, entrust the project to a master.
“So also our lives often become a fractured, broken, seemingly worthless mess. But God still sees something magnificent within and can draw it forth if we’ll let him. We need only entrust the project to him! I know, because he did it for me!”
$412.65
A bargain-priced soul. Don’t let your life be lost the same way – to all the constant forces, within and without, that seek to take it from you. Instead, set your heart firmly upon YOUR PRICELESS WORTH TO GOD IN JESUS CHRIST and have that guide everything you are: Look at how you’re selling yourself cheap. Make your life about valuing others. And let Jesus alone close the deal!
A Beautiful Thing
“A Beautiful Thing”
Mark 14:3-9
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 3/7/10
In an article about family and parenting, Christian author Stu Weber offers the following reflection – he writes:
“My youngest son is the third of three boys. The first two are high-powered; the third is not any less high-powered, but he’s just the third out of three. By the time you’ve had a brother who’s All-Conference this and another brother who’s All-Conference that, there’s not much left for you to do.
“As a father, I worried about our caboose. He is the most sensitive of the three. To encourage him, I spent a lot of time with him in the outdoors - camping, hunting, fishing. Anybody who has spent time in the outdoors knows that a pocketknife is essential gear - the man with the best blade gets the job done. So, whenever you’re setting up camp, you’re always looking for the knife.
“My (youngest) son Ryan had a pocketknife that became his identity. His older brothers always had to ask him to use the knife as we were setting up camp. That became his status in the tribe. He was the man with the blade.
“Well, my birthday came around one year, and my family was planning a party for me. Earlier in the afternoon my youngest walked into my office at home where I was studying. At first I didn’t hear him; I felt him - I could sense his presence - and I turned around.
“He had chosen this moment because he wanted to give me a birthday present, but not at the birthday party. He wanted it to be just me and him. He handed me a present, and I opened it - it was his pocketknife.”
A gift of tremendous affection. An offering which, to an outside observer, might seem difficult to understand; but to those within, expressing a deep bond, a great love.
Something of what I’d like to talk about today.
In our text this morning it is Tuesday evening of Holy Week. It has been a very busy day for Jesus – arguably the busiest day of the week...
It began with debate with the religious leaders, eventually resulting in outright confrontation. This then leading Jesus into a lengthy discussion of the end times: the final judgment and his return. Basically, he gets his affairs in order. Like any caring person who is about to die, he’s attempting to prepare those who remain to continue on in his absence.
And here Jesus’ teachings stop. There will be no more parables, no more sermons by the sea. This one last, jam-packed “Super Tuesday” (as some refer to it) - an action-filled day; yet, from all outward appearances, not a particularly SUCCESSFUL one: Jesus’ opponents now simply hate him more than ever and are out to kill him; and Jesus’ own followers are totally confused and misunderstanding almost everything he has said.
The events leading to his death are about to kick into motion and nobody seems to be getting what he is all about – friend or foe! Is Jesus about to die for nothing?
Well, as he has done each night of Holy Week, he retires to the town of Bethany just outside the city of Jerusalem. He and his disciples are sitting down to dinner when (in a complete breach of cultural decorum) suddenly a woman bursts in upon their dinner party.
Now, we don’t know who this woman is. All that we know is that she is someone who has obviously heard the message of Christ’s love, and it has touched her heart and so she comes to offer a GIFT TO JESUS. She has a jar of costly perfume which she breaks and pours over him.
A gift of tremendous affection. But not everyone sees it that way...
The disciples begin to grumble. “What a waste!” the say. “This perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.” And they’re absolutely right. We’re told her gift was worth a year’s wages. Imagine taking the annual median household income in Manahawkin - $50,000 – and tossing it away in one moment (and I not at Atlantic City!)
The disciples don’t see anything good here, quite the opposite. And in a pattern played-out in the church ever since: an act of love for Jesus, a soul saved; is pushed aside in favor of a heated debate over finances. Cause for celebration replaced with criticism and complaint.
Jesus steps up to correct the matter. He defends the woman, essentially saying: “Leave her alone! You don’t understand. There will always be someone in need somewhere and each of you are free to help them however you feel so moved. Don’t criticize someone else’s giving. She has done what her heart moved her to do. And, in point of fact, out of her love, she has done precisely what is most needed at this particular time – she has pinpointed the very crux of the moment: she has prepared me for my death and resurrection that is about to come!”
Think about how this woman’s act embodies everything that Jesus is about to do: She breaks and pours – Jesus’ body about to broken, his blood poured out. A costly gift, the giving of all, prepared for burial, a beautiful thing – all for our salvation.
In effect, the text, this scene, saying: “LOOK! SHE GETS IT!” At the close of this day which has ended with fierce rejection; against the backdrop of Jesus own closest followers missing the point entirely; just when it seems like nobody gets it, or is going to; that it’s all going to be for nothing... A demonstration of what it means to truly grasp what Jesus is offering!
This woman, filled to overflowing with the experience of God’s love in Jesus Christ. The point being: This is what Jesus hopes FOR ALL OF US – that we each, in our own way, might be like her. In a room full of disciples, this one model disciple pointing us toward the direction we all should go. What do we learn from her example?
(I)
Well, for one thing, her example calls us to TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
This woman offers a very personal gift to Jesus. Why? Well, it seems, because she has experienced a very personal Savior. For this woman, Jesus’ teachings are not just some abstract theoretical concept; no, they are something that has reached deep into her soul and taken hold of her in the real issues and struggles of her life. She knows a PERSONAL SAVIOR. And this is the first key step.
Many people come very close to Jesus but never really take hold of what he offers because while they know that Jesus is the Savior of the WORLD they do not know Jesus as THEIR SAVIOR!
Simply put: Have you ever stopped to realize that ALL OF THIS is FOR YOU PERSONALLY? That everything Jesus ever did, everything that has ever come from that, everything we do here every day is FOR YOU, PERSONALLY?! That is: Even if no one else was to “get it,” even if everyone was to reject Jesus, BUT YOU, Jesus still would have gladly done it all!
You know, there’s an old saying that “God loves all of us as if there was only each of us.” The church is here today that you might discover God’s love. The worship is arranged that you might find healing. The candles are lit, the organ is playing, the choir is singing that you might know hope. The table is prepared that you might be born again! It’s all for you! Let that fact grab hold of your heart – in whatever way you are feeling lost, or ashamed, or a failure, or undeserving, our unloved, or hopeless. When you come forward to receive communion today, realize, first and foremost, that this meal is FOR YOU!
TAKE IT PERSONALLY. From this, then...
(II)
BREAK THE JAR.
In taking hold of Christ’s love and offering her devotion in return, the woman, of course, BREAKS THE JAR of perfume. She’s NOT HOLDING ANYTHING BACK, she’s ALL IN. And this points us to a second key step in taking hold of all Christ offers as she does: We have to be “all in”, we can’t hold anything back.
But let’s face it: The fact is that we often do hold something of ourselves back. There’s some way we refuse total commitment, some part of ourselves we won’t give over to Jesus. And in this, we lose the whole thing – we come close but “close” isn’t good enough! As the saying goes: “’Almost saved’ is like ‘almost pregnant’- you either are or you ain’t!”
Plainly stated: What keeps you from letting all this, from letting Christ’s love, totally “grab” you? Is there some injury, some anger, some grudge, you won’t let go of? Is there sin you like having around, won’t quit, won’t repent; even though it’s destroying you? Is there something you’ve done, some shame you believe is beyond forgiveness? Is there some cost to discipleship you don’t want to pay; some demand you don’t want to accept; some change you don’t want to make; some self-centeredness you don’t want to see beyond?
How is your heart case-hardened against God’s love?
Well make no mistake: As Christ was broken for our salvation, something must break in us for the gospel to get in! What do you need to “break open” today that the love of God might truly, finally, enter our heart? Are you willing to give that to Jesus this morning? As you kneel at the rail in prayer, to offer that up to him, to break that open for him? A great teacher once said:
“God uses broken things. Broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is only the broken alabaster jar that gives forth its perfume. It is Peter, broken-hearted, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. It is our lives broken open that allow God to enter in.”
BREAK THE JAR. And finally...
(III)
DO A BEAUTIFUL THING.
In the end, of course, the woman’s experience of Christ’s love results in her giving a gift to him – a rather odd gift, the gift every man wants(?): PERFUME!
You know, maybe it’s just my “twisted” sense of humor, but... Have you seen the current ads for OLD SPICE deodorant? There’s this guy standing there with his shirt off – it’s like: “Ladies, look at your man. Now look at me. Look at your man. Now back to me. Your man may not be able to look like me, but he can smell like me. Old Spice”
Obviously they’re having fun with the idea of the tremendous power of a pleasing scent. It’s big business. Scientists tell us that, of all our senses, the sense of smell triggers the deepest reactions of memory and emotion. It’s powerful. Think about just that touch of spike nard on your hand. That’s something of what’s going on here...
This woman offers a strange, risky, costly, extravagant, illogical, even rather useless and wasteful gift: perfume. Yet, ironically, it’s also the PERFECT GIFT: the gift of BEAUTY – expressed in a manner that seeks to reach as deeply as possible. As if to say:
“Lord, this is what I have received from you: a most profoundly beautiful thing – your sacrificial love, my salvation – that has reached deep within my soul. I can only reply, can only offer my gratitude, in kind, as best I can – through the gift of deep BEAUTY: something invariably costly, and risky, and illogical, and even often seemingly useless; yet expressing great love.”
The final way we “get it”, truly take hold of Christ’s love for us: by offering gifts of beauty to him in the most powerful ways we can. Now, obviously, we can’t tangibly offer gifts to Jesus as this woman did; but we can, out of our love for him, offer them to one another, reach out and touch others - and as Jesus said, “As you did it to one of the least of these who are my family, you did it unto me.”
And this is the final lesson for us here: DO A BEAUTIFUL THING. That is, every day, just let Christ’s love take hold of you, so consume you, that it causes you to do outrageous things for Jesus: risky things, costly things, sometimes illogical things, maybe even things that seem entirely wasteful and useless to the world; but things that are beautiful to God, gifts of beauty that express God’s deep love to someone who needs to know of this love - the greatest gift we can offer to God! You know, sometimes (in fact, often times) the seemingly most pointless things are ultimately the most important... and beautiful!
Think of God’s beautiful gift to you – and offer something beautiful in return! This is, finally, how we “get it”! Preacher Frank Harrison writes:
“It was the first Holy Week since the my wife’s death. I was having a hard time. Everyone was preparing for Palm Sunday worship – senior choir, junior choir, bells, orchestra. The children were running around having a great time chasing each other and tickling one another with their palm leaves. They were the hit of the day.
“I was lost in thought. Suddenly, I felt someone tugging on my robe. I looked down and saw that it was little 6-year old Melissa. She had stepped away from the other children. She held her palm leaf up and handed it to me, saying, ‘Here. It’ll be okay.’
“I immediately knelt down and hugged her. Many probably wondered what was going on. It got me through that most difficult Holy Week.
“Today, many years later, I still have that palm. It reminds me of what I have been given, and who I need to be. I had it pressed and mounted in a frame, and it hangs in a prominent place in my office. It looks rather strange: this giant frame with just a single palm in it. When visitors enter my office, they often ask, ‘What’s this?’ I reply, ‘It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
In a world of people about to miss out on the gift of God’s love, one woman “got it.” Might we do the same. Take it personally. Break the jar. And do a beautiful thing.
Mark 14:3-9
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 3/7/10
In an article about family and parenting, Christian author Stu Weber offers the following reflection – he writes:
“My youngest son is the third of three boys. The first two are high-powered; the third is not any less high-powered, but he’s just the third out of three. By the time you’ve had a brother who’s All-Conference this and another brother who’s All-Conference that, there’s not much left for you to do.
“As a father, I worried about our caboose. He is the most sensitive of the three. To encourage him, I spent a lot of time with him in the outdoors - camping, hunting, fishing. Anybody who has spent time in the outdoors knows that a pocketknife is essential gear - the man with the best blade gets the job done. So, whenever you’re setting up camp, you’re always looking for the knife.
“My (youngest) son Ryan had a pocketknife that became his identity. His older brothers always had to ask him to use the knife as we were setting up camp. That became his status in the tribe. He was the man with the blade.
“Well, my birthday came around one year, and my family was planning a party for me. Earlier in the afternoon my youngest walked into my office at home where I was studying. At first I didn’t hear him; I felt him - I could sense his presence - and I turned around.
“He had chosen this moment because he wanted to give me a birthday present, but not at the birthday party. He wanted it to be just me and him. He handed me a present, and I opened it - it was his pocketknife.”
A gift of tremendous affection. An offering which, to an outside observer, might seem difficult to understand; but to those within, expressing a deep bond, a great love.
Something of what I’d like to talk about today.
In our text this morning it is Tuesday evening of Holy Week. It has been a very busy day for Jesus – arguably the busiest day of the week...
It began with debate with the religious leaders, eventually resulting in outright confrontation. This then leading Jesus into a lengthy discussion of the end times: the final judgment and his return. Basically, he gets his affairs in order. Like any caring person who is about to die, he’s attempting to prepare those who remain to continue on in his absence.
And here Jesus’ teachings stop. There will be no more parables, no more sermons by the sea. This one last, jam-packed “Super Tuesday” (as some refer to it) - an action-filled day; yet, from all outward appearances, not a particularly SUCCESSFUL one: Jesus’ opponents now simply hate him more than ever and are out to kill him; and Jesus’ own followers are totally confused and misunderstanding almost everything he has said.
The events leading to his death are about to kick into motion and nobody seems to be getting what he is all about – friend or foe! Is Jesus about to die for nothing?
Well, as he has done each night of Holy Week, he retires to the town of Bethany just outside the city of Jerusalem. He and his disciples are sitting down to dinner when (in a complete breach of cultural decorum) suddenly a woman bursts in upon their dinner party.
Now, we don’t know who this woman is. All that we know is that she is someone who has obviously heard the message of Christ’s love, and it has touched her heart and so she comes to offer a GIFT TO JESUS. She has a jar of costly perfume which she breaks and pours over him.
A gift of tremendous affection. But not everyone sees it that way...
The disciples begin to grumble. “What a waste!” the say. “This perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.” And they’re absolutely right. We’re told her gift was worth a year’s wages. Imagine taking the annual median household income in Manahawkin - $50,000 – and tossing it away in one moment (and I not at Atlantic City!)
The disciples don’t see anything good here, quite the opposite. And in a pattern played-out in the church ever since: an act of love for Jesus, a soul saved; is pushed aside in favor of a heated debate over finances. Cause for celebration replaced with criticism and complaint.
Jesus steps up to correct the matter. He defends the woman, essentially saying: “Leave her alone! You don’t understand. There will always be someone in need somewhere and each of you are free to help them however you feel so moved. Don’t criticize someone else’s giving. She has done what her heart moved her to do. And, in point of fact, out of her love, she has done precisely what is most needed at this particular time – she has pinpointed the very crux of the moment: she has prepared me for my death and resurrection that is about to come!”
Think about how this woman’s act embodies everything that Jesus is about to do: She breaks and pours – Jesus’ body about to broken, his blood poured out. A costly gift, the giving of all, prepared for burial, a beautiful thing – all for our salvation.
In effect, the text, this scene, saying: “LOOK! SHE GETS IT!” At the close of this day which has ended with fierce rejection; against the backdrop of Jesus own closest followers missing the point entirely; just when it seems like nobody gets it, or is going to; that it’s all going to be for nothing... A demonstration of what it means to truly grasp what Jesus is offering!
This woman, filled to overflowing with the experience of God’s love in Jesus Christ. The point being: This is what Jesus hopes FOR ALL OF US – that we each, in our own way, might be like her. In a room full of disciples, this one model disciple pointing us toward the direction we all should go. What do we learn from her example?
(I)
Well, for one thing, her example calls us to TAKE IT PERSONALLY.
This woman offers a very personal gift to Jesus. Why? Well, it seems, because she has experienced a very personal Savior. For this woman, Jesus’ teachings are not just some abstract theoretical concept; no, they are something that has reached deep into her soul and taken hold of her in the real issues and struggles of her life. She knows a PERSONAL SAVIOR. And this is the first key step.
Many people come very close to Jesus but never really take hold of what he offers because while they know that Jesus is the Savior of the WORLD they do not know Jesus as THEIR SAVIOR!
Simply put: Have you ever stopped to realize that ALL OF THIS is FOR YOU PERSONALLY? That everything Jesus ever did, everything that has ever come from that, everything we do here every day is FOR YOU, PERSONALLY?! That is: Even if no one else was to “get it,” even if everyone was to reject Jesus, BUT YOU, Jesus still would have gladly done it all!
You know, there’s an old saying that “God loves all of us as if there was only each of us.” The church is here today that you might discover God’s love. The worship is arranged that you might find healing. The candles are lit, the organ is playing, the choir is singing that you might know hope. The table is prepared that you might be born again! It’s all for you! Let that fact grab hold of your heart – in whatever way you are feeling lost, or ashamed, or a failure, or undeserving, our unloved, or hopeless. When you come forward to receive communion today, realize, first and foremost, that this meal is FOR YOU!
TAKE IT PERSONALLY. From this, then...
(II)
BREAK THE JAR.
In taking hold of Christ’s love and offering her devotion in return, the woman, of course, BREAKS THE JAR of perfume. She’s NOT HOLDING ANYTHING BACK, she’s ALL IN. And this points us to a second key step in taking hold of all Christ offers as she does: We have to be “all in”, we can’t hold anything back.
But let’s face it: The fact is that we often do hold something of ourselves back. There’s some way we refuse total commitment, some part of ourselves we won’t give over to Jesus. And in this, we lose the whole thing – we come close but “close” isn’t good enough! As the saying goes: “’Almost saved’ is like ‘almost pregnant’- you either are or you ain’t!”
Plainly stated: What keeps you from letting all this, from letting Christ’s love, totally “grab” you? Is there some injury, some anger, some grudge, you won’t let go of? Is there sin you like having around, won’t quit, won’t repent; even though it’s destroying you? Is there something you’ve done, some shame you believe is beyond forgiveness? Is there some cost to discipleship you don’t want to pay; some demand you don’t want to accept; some change you don’t want to make; some self-centeredness you don’t want to see beyond?
How is your heart case-hardened against God’s love?
Well make no mistake: As Christ was broken for our salvation, something must break in us for the gospel to get in! What do you need to “break open” today that the love of God might truly, finally, enter our heart? Are you willing to give that to Jesus this morning? As you kneel at the rail in prayer, to offer that up to him, to break that open for him? A great teacher once said:
“God uses broken things. Broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is only the broken alabaster jar that gives forth its perfume. It is Peter, broken-hearted, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. It is our lives broken open that allow God to enter in.”
BREAK THE JAR. And finally...
(III)
DO A BEAUTIFUL THING.
In the end, of course, the woman’s experience of Christ’s love results in her giving a gift to him – a rather odd gift, the gift every man wants(?): PERFUME!
You know, maybe it’s just my “twisted” sense of humor, but... Have you seen the current ads for OLD SPICE deodorant? There’s this guy standing there with his shirt off – it’s like: “Ladies, look at your man. Now look at me. Look at your man. Now back to me. Your man may not be able to look like me, but he can smell like me. Old Spice”
Obviously they’re having fun with the idea of the tremendous power of a pleasing scent. It’s big business. Scientists tell us that, of all our senses, the sense of smell triggers the deepest reactions of memory and emotion. It’s powerful. Think about just that touch of spike nard on your hand. That’s something of what’s going on here...
This woman offers a strange, risky, costly, extravagant, illogical, even rather useless and wasteful gift: perfume. Yet, ironically, it’s also the PERFECT GIFT: the gift of BEAUTY – expressed in a manner that seeks to reach as deeply as possible. As if to say:
“Lord, this is what I have received from you: a most profoundly beautiful thing – your sacrificial love, my salvation – that has reached deep within my soul. I can only reply, can only offer my gratitude, in kind, as best I can – through the gift of deep BEAUTY: something invariably costly, and risky, and illogical, and even often seemingly useless; yet expressing great love.”
The final way we “get it”, truly take hold of Christ’s love for us: by offering gifts of beauty to him in the most powerful ways we can. Now, obviously, we can’t tangibly offer gifts to Jesus as this woman did; but we can, out of our love for him, offer them to one another, reach out and touch others - and as Jesus said, “As you did it to one of the least of these who are my family, you did it unto me.”
And this is the final lesson for us here: DO A BEAUTIFUL THING. That is, every day, just let Christ’s love take hold of you, so consume you, that it causes you to do outrageous things for Jesus: risky things, costly things, sometimes illogical things, maybe even things that seem entirely wasteful and useless to the world; but things that are beautiful to God, gifts of beauty that express God’s deep love to someone who needs to know of this love - the greatest gift we can offer to God! You know, sometimes (in fact, often times) the seemingly most pointless things are ultimately the most important... and beautiful!
Think of God’s beautiful gift to you – and offer something beautiful in return! This is, finally, how we “get it”! Preacher Frank Harrison writes:
“It was the first Holy Week since the my wife’s death. I was having a hard time. Everyone was preparing for Palm Sunday worship – senior choir, junior choir, bells, orchestra. The children were running around having a great time chasing each other and tickling one another with their palm leaves. They were the hit of the day.
“I was lost in thought. Suddenly, I felt someone tugging on my robe. I looked down and saw that it was little 6-year old Melissa. She had stepped away from the other children. She held her palm leaf up and handed it to me, saying, ‘Here. It’ll be okay.’
“I immediately knelt down and hugged her. Many probably wondered what was going on. It got me through that most difficult Holy Week.
“Today, many years later, I still have that palm. It reminds me of what I have been given, and who I need to be. I had it pressed and mounted in a frame, and it hangs in a prominent place in my office. It looks rather strange: this giant frame with just a single palm in it. When visitors enter my office, they often ask, ‘What’s this?’ I reply, ‘It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
In a world of people about to miss out on the gift of God’s love, one woman “got it.” Might we do the same. Take it personally. Break the jar. And do a beautiful thing.
Monday, March 22, 2010
What Are You So Angry About?
Mark 11:12-19
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 2/28/10
What are you so angry about?
How’s that for a question just about all of us could be asked on any given day?
It’s probably safe to say that not a week goes by, let alone rarely even just a day, in which each of us, at some point or another, does not get angry about something. Whether it’s some unkindness done to us by another, some disruption to our plans, some inconvenience, some injury, some jerk at work or school or out on the road... Or lately, just those folks on the Weather Channel, right?! I mean, if they gleefully forecast SNOW one more time...
Anger always seems to be lurking nearby, waiting to grab hold of us – invariably with disastrous results!
Many sociologists argue that the one illness, the one epidemic, that has always plagued humanity is this: Anger. Taking form in everything from stress and high blood pressure to domestic violence and international warfare. Society’s approach to the problem continually fluctuating between two equally ineffective and destructive extremes: either REPRESSION or FREE EXPRESSION - GIVING FREE REIGN.
The latter being the case in our culture today in which anger is encouraged and almost worshipped: Reality television that glorifies temper tantrums. “Shock Jocks” on the radio. Biased news casting (from all perspectives) designed solely to incite the listener. Feeding the beast! We can all see what a better world this has created!
Well make no mistake: You can feed it or you can starve it, either way it’s out to get you! Repress it and it will eventually explode. Give it free reign and it multiplies.
Is this all we’re left to?
Such a universal, seemingly unavoidable element of life. What’s all this anger doing to us? Even better: What is it saying to us? That is: Is anger just some “necessary evil” we are left to struggle with, just part and parcel of being human; or is something more at work here? Is this universal condition trying to speak to some deeper universal aspect of the human condition?
Is our anger actually attempting to call us to something deeper? Well this is precisely the issue our text today explores. This explored by taking a question that can be asked of us each and every day, and turning into a question we are moved to ask of Jesus on one day:
“What are you so angry about?”
This morning we pick up our study of Jesus’ final week with the events of the second day of the week: Monday. Last week we saw Jesus arrive in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, greeted by an adoring throng; only to weep over how lost the city was. Well, today we see a whole different side of Jesus:
The morning begins with Jesus on his way into the city. As he is walking along, he sees a fig tree. He goes over to it and, finding no fruit on it, proceeds to curse the tree which subsequently withers and dies. He then heads into the temple and tears the place apart: overturning tables, driving people out, shouting, disrupting everything. You can well imagine the headlines for the day: “Trouble at the Temple... Carpenter Creates Chaos... Menacing Messiah... Rabid Rabbi!” ?!
Well, needless to say, this is not the way we normally picture Jesus. This is not Jesus “meek and mild” healing the sick, taking children on his knee. No, this is an ANGRY Jesus. This is a rough and tough Jesus taking no prisoners! What’s the problem? Is he just having an “off day”? Hasn’t yet had that first cup of coffee in the morning? What gives? Why does Jesus lose his cool here? What is he so angry about?
Well, right off the top, notice what he is bugged about in the temple: That the house of God has become CORRUPT. “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations; but you have made it a den of robbers,” he says. Basically, the Law of Moses outlined how offerings were to be made and sacrifices purchased; but over time these rules had been manipulated, and things had deteriorated into a religiously sanctioned system of price gouging and kickbacks to the temple authorities.
For instance, the worship was based around SACRIFICES. And historians tell us that, in Jesus time, if you were a poor person and could only purchase a dove to sacrifice, you could buy it outside the temple for about a dollar (a week’s wages); but the priests would make a point of refusing it. So you had to purchase a dove from one of the vendors inside the temple – where suddenly, the price was $45! Of which the “house” took about 43 (depending upon how well the vendor could finagle the books). No wonder your offering was no good!
Jesus is outraged over religious practices gone wrong – worse than wrong: actually hurtful rather than helpful to people (this being part of the symbolism of the tree that he curses: something that is supposed to be producing life, bearing fruit, is failing to do so); and thus he takes his first “shot across the bow” of the religious establishment. A confrontation that will increase over the days ahead, leading to the call for his death.
But, even deeper, notice what is really going on here, what is driving this corruption Jesus is attacking - once again, Jesus says: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations; but you have made it a den of robbers.” Notice his fundamental point: That the temple IS NOT WHAT GOD CREATED IT TO BE. This is what really has Jesus all “bugged” here: Something is not what God created to be. Think about that...
What does EVIL, what does SIN, do – at its most basic, most elemental level? It causes God’s creation to fail to be what God created it to be.
Sin causes the world not to be what God created it to be. Sin causes society not to be what God created it to be. Sin causes families not to be what God created them to be. Sin causes marriages not to be what God created them to be. Sin causes individuals not to be what God created them to be! Sin causes God’s creation to fail to be what it was created to be. Many scholars claim that what Jesus actually expresses here is a most fundamental definition of the work of sin: God’s creation gone wrong. And this is what Jesus is truly angry about here, what he is really angrily attacking: SIN – the EVIL that seeks to take us down, to take life as God intends from us! And this is crucial:
We tend to see anger as something inherently BAD - at best, a necessary evil; far better, something we need to avoid and repress because it will destroy us. But here Jesus himself is angry (leading to our salvation), thus demonstrating to us that anger, in and of itself, is not inherently bad – rather, the issue is its focus and its purpose. That is:
Anger, at its core is a GOOD THING. Anger stems from a sense of something being WRONG, some INJUSTICE, that UPSETS us and that we REFUSE TO ACCEPT. That’s a good thing. As it has been said: “Anger is a divinely implanted emotion. Closely allied to our instinct for right, it is designed to be used for constructive spiritual purposes. The person who cannot feel anger at evil is a person who lacks enthusiasm for good. If you cannot hate wrong, it’s very questionable whether you really love righteousness. The inability to feel anger exposes a catastrophic moral void.”
A catastrophic moral void. We judge a person’s sanity by whether or not they can tell right from wrong. We should get angry about injustice and evil. But what happens, you see, is that very sin that angers us takes hold of this anger and twists it around and turns it against us. Sin causes us to misuse and misdirect our God-given anger, basically aiming our anger at the WRONG THINGS: at each other, at destroying rather than creating, at blaming rather than helping, at (in our current culture’s situation) simply becoming angry for anger’s sake and believing that’s enough – just get mad at wrong but don’t actually do anything about it!
All of this basically causing more brokenness and wrong – and anger - rather than correcting things; and we thus get caught in this ever-increasing “cycle” of frustration (that we all feel every day) that seeks to consume and destroy us! Evil taking us over!
In effect, our anger is the SIGN pointing us to the fact that there’s something wrong with us – that we know that, that we can feel it. But through this very wrong – the evil that’s trying to take hold of us; it’s then also the SYMPTOM of the wrong – it’s most basic expression, the most fundamental way it takes shape.
It’s the sign, it’s the symptom... Yet, ironically, it’s also the SOLUTION – that is: Jesus saves us THROUGH ANGER - by GETTING ANGRY at the RIGHT THING (“God is not hostile to sinners but to sin”) and he calls us to follow him there to salvation! To take our anger and give it to him that we might find life.
To put it another way (the “punch-line” of all of this – pardon the pun) is that if you want to get to the life God wants for you, to break free from not only the frustrating annoyance that so often overtakes you; but even deeper, the evil that continually seeks to control and destroy you, and keep life as God created from you, FOCUS ON YOUR ANGER. Go there – that’s the key. Give your anger over to Jesus and follow him into it. What does this mean in a practical sense? Well, it means a couple of things:
(I)
First, it means: LOOK AT WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY.
Returning to where we began – this is how things start: To get hold of the life God wants for us we first really have to ask ourselves, “What are you so angry about?” We have to look at the things we’re angry about all the time.
Now, in this, right off the top, we need to begin by simply considering how much of the stuff we’re getting all worked-up about doesn’t really matter, isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. And particularly how what we’re bugged about pales in comparison to the good that’s around us. We’ve just lost our perspective. Christian author Brian Holt illustrates it this way:
“Fighting rush-hour traffic from suburban Maryland to Washington D.C. can cause its share of near misses and irritating moments. One morning, a young lady darted her compact car from a side street into the stream of traffic immediately in front of a driver just a few car lengths ahead of me, forcing him to brake sharply. He avoided hitting her by inches and was obviously furious. Within seconds, traffic stopped at a red light, and I watched him pull up behind the offender, leap from his car, and stride angrily toward hers. Clearly, he intended to give her a royal chewing out.
“Seeing him coming, the very attractive young lady jumped from her car and ran to meet him - a big smile on her face. Before he could say one word or know what was happening, she had thrown her arms around him, hugged him tightly, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips! Then she was back in her car and driving away, leaving her antagonist standing in the middle of the street still speechless and looking somewhat confused and embarrassed - but no longer angry!”
Are you angry about something that doesn’t really matter... especially in light of how good life is? Jesus only got bugged about things that mattered, the big issues. We need to look at what we’re angry about – and, first, see, frequently, just how insignificant our anger is; but then, even deeper, to realize that, if we’ll look at our anger we’ll see specifically HOW SIN HAS A HOLD OF US.
Simply put: The things that we get angry about in the world and in others, ultimately reveal what is wrong in US, how evil is trying to get a hold of US: If you’re angry that no one seems to care about you; odds are you are not caring about others. If you’re bugged that no one seems to be doing anything to change the world; odds are you’re not doing anything either. If, from your perspective, the “wrong voices” are doing too much of the speaking in the world – how much are you speaking up? If no one’s doing what they’re supposed to be doing – what are you doing? If your feelings are always hurt by inconsiderate people – is the problem really their rudeness or your pride?
If we get angry about tiny things – odds are this is all our lives are about: tiny things. If we get angry with ourselves – odds are we’re worshipping ourselves, seeing ourselves as some sort of ‘gods” who must be perfect. If we get angry with God for some pain or sorrow – odds are, again, we’ve set ourselves above all else, worthy of some personal exemption from the laws of creation!
The subtext of all anger is: “I have met the enemy, and it is me.” Our anger will reveal how sin has hold of US, evil trying to grab us – if we’re willing to look. The first absolutely necessary step in salvation: identify and confront what’s wrong. It’s like going to a doctor: the first thing he does is an examination, he runs tests. You have to identify what’s wrong if you’re going to have any hope of ever getting better. One author writes:
“A man received notice that his son, during his senior year in high school, had failed a course. The father, determined that his son would attend the best college, realized that a failing grade would jeopardize his son’s chances to enter a top school. The father’s immediate reaction was to blame the teacher for his son's failing grade.
“Storming into the teacher’s classroom, the father proceeded to accuse the teacher of unfairness. He threatened to have the teacher’s job if the grade were not changed. The teacher, believing the grade was deserved, would not change the grade and held his ground.
“The father left the classroom in a heated rage and headed for the principal’s office, where in a torrent he demanded the principal’s intervention. The principal, knowing the situation and believing the teacher to be right, stood behind the faculty member and refused to intervene. The father’s rage escalated and he began to shout obscenities and to make threats against the principal. He would go to the school board and have the principal’s job. At the height of the tension, there was a brief pause, followed by these words from the principal: ‘Sir, I can see that you love your son very much.’
“At that instant the anger that had controlled the father suddenly melted away, and he became a shower of tears. The comment had struck a deep nerve. Struggling to gather himself together, the father whispered, ‘Yes, I do love my son very much.’ And with that he revealed all the ways he felt he had failed to spend time with his son, to help him and care for him, how distant and self-involved he had been – and how guilty he felt about. He was taking his own lack of care out on the school.”
What we’re angry about will tell us what’s wrong with us, how evil is trying to get a hold of us and destroy us – if we’re willing to look – and be saved. The first step in the crucial journey into anger to find life: Look at what makes you angry. From this, then...
(II)
Secondly: PLACE YOUR ANGER ON JESUS.
Having discovered how evil has a hold of us, we then need to give that evil over to God. That is, we need to realize that we can’t beat it on our own – only Jesus can. We need to give our sin (revealed in our anger) over to Jesus to take to the cross – it’s no longer ours, it’s his. Die to it by putting him in charge of it!
This is the second mistake we all so often make: We try to handle evil, our sin, all on our own. “I just need to try harder. Control myself.” Basically, we repress rather than treat. Not a good approach. Not only does repression invariably (as mentioned) lead only to an EXPLOSION; but, obviously, as with any sickness: a failure to treat the problem just allows it to fester and grow.
We need to treat the problem, this by giving our sin to Jesus and putting him in-charge of getting rid of it. As he does here: He takes it on himself. Basically, what this means (in regards to anger and the fundamental evil that hold us expressed there) is giving the things that anger us over to Jesus and inviting him to use them to his glory, to ask things of us in them that work his purposes – enacting what he wants to make of it.
Place the things that BUG you – how evil is trying get a hold of you – ON JESUS and let him make something out of it, turn it to good. As he does on the CROSS: turn the bad into something good. If someone has hurt us to reach out to them. If something needs to be done, being the one who does it. If something is needed, being the one who gives.
To put it another way: Giving our sin to Jesus that we might be healed of it involves actually PLACING OUR SIN ON HIM. So, likewise, giving our anger over to Jesus involves actually PLACING THAT ANGER UPON HIM. That is: Imagine that HE IS THE ONE YOU ARE ANGRY AT. What would you do if that were the case? What would happen? How would you handle it - and what might result? Author Max Lucado explores exactly this idea...
In his book, The Applause of Heaven, Lucado writes about a big, muscle-bound man named Daniel who was swindled by his own brother. He vowed that if he ever saw him again, he would break his neck. A few months later, Daniel became a Christian. Even so, he couldn’t forgive his brother. One day, the inevitable encounter took place on a busy avenue. This is how Daniel described what happened:
“I saw him, but he didn’t see me. I felt my fists clench and my face get hot. My initial impulse was to grab him around the throat and choke the life out of him. But as I looked into his face, my anger began to melt. For as I saw him, I suddenly saw the image of my father. I saw my father’s eyes. I saw my father’s look. I saw my father’s expression. And as I saw my father in his face, my enemy once again became my brother.”
The brother found himself wrapped in those big arms - but in a hug. The two stood in the middle of a river of people and wept. Daniel’s words bear repeating: “When I saw the image of my father in his face, my enemy became my brother.”
See your heavenly Father in all your anger and act accordingly. The second step in the crucial journey into anger to find life: Place your anger on Jesus. He can take it – that’s why he came! And finally...
(III)
Third: GET ANGRY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MATTERS.
Christian author Kim Sullivan writes:
“Recently, I had the most aggravating day. I got yelled at at work. The commute home was horrible. I arrived home and discovered that my husband hadn’t taken out the garbage as he had promised – again! I began to make dinner and dropped and broke a glass, and with that the kids started pestering me for help with their homework and fighting with one another. Finally, I yelled, ‘I’ve had it. Everybody leave me alone!’ And I stormed upstairs to my room and slammed the door shut.
“About five minutes later I noticed a little handwritten note being slid under the door. It was form my six-year-old and it read: ‘Dear Mommy – Isn’t this a bit much? PS: When is dinner?’”
A great question: “Isn’t this a bit much?” Particularly in regard to the insignificance of so much of what we are angry about?
It has been said: “In the final analysis, the core problem of our lives is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but rather, that we are not passionate enough about good things.”
“Not passionate enough about good things.” This is the final lesson here: You want to drive destructive anger out of your life for good, get out of this frustrating destructive “loop” of evil, solidify the two steps we have just talked about? Then get angry about something that matters. Develop righteous anger instead of self-righteous anger. Instead of trying to push out bad, fill up on good!
And how do you tell the difference between common, destructive, self-righteous anger and divine, constructive, righteous anger? Easy. As with Jesus’ anger: Righteous anger is ultimately concerned with injustices incurred by another not just oneself. And, as Jesus’ anger ultimately led to him being taken to the cross, paying the price; so righteous anger ultimately costs US, asks only of oneself not others!
Basically, drive out all the petty annoyances that so often rule and destroy your life by developing a passion for right. Find the cause that truly moves you and costs you, and give your all to it. Anger is finally about PASSION – an intense desire for right – in which (Jesus is trying to direct us here): Life can either be found or lost!
We so often die, are consumed by petty annoyances, because we miss this. We either waste our time on insignificant pettiness, or settle for some sort of bland commitment to nothing – either approach ultimately stripping the life God wants from us!
There is an old Franciscan blessing that says: “May God bless you with great discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with overwhelming anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may hope for justice, freedom, and peace. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you will do what others claim cannot be done.”
We SHOULD get angry about poverty. We should get angry about prejudice. We should get angry at oppression. We should get angry at war. We should get angry at ignorance. We should get angry at suffering. There’s something wrong with us if we don’t! Get angry about something that matters – and find life.
Recently, I read a news article that told the story of David Heim, age 47, of Marlborough, Massachusetts. A man more commonly known as “The Wheelchair Recycler,” although he wasn’t always known by this title.
In 1995, Heim became paralyzed in a car accident. Needless to say, he became very angry. He was angry at the driver who hit him. He was angry at the doctors who failed to heal him. He was angry at God for allowing this to happen. And as he went through his recovery, he discovered a new thing to be angry about: His wheelchair. It was awkward. It didn’t fit him. He had a hard time using it.
Well, Heim was always a mechanical-inclined individual, so he began working on his wheelchair, eventually adapting it to his own needs – and becoming quite proud of his accomplishment. Other paralyzed individuals saw what he had done and asked him to work on their chairs. This he gladly did and word began to spread that he was the man to go to.
Long story short: Today, 15 years later, Heim runs a non-profit organization that takes used wheelchairs and donated parts; and makes brand new wheelchairs for those who cannot afford them – and specifically tailors each chair to the individual. Heim has so far helped over 500 people across the country and the world. People are mobile, have independence, who might never have known such blessings.
The effect on many lives has been profound. But the effect on Heim has been, perhaps, the most noteworthy: He is no longer angry. Rather, he now finds tremendous happiness in life, helping people. People return to him who have received one of his chairs and they hug, weeping for joy.
Out of his anger he found a cause beyond himself to which he has given himself – which has rescued him from his pain.
What are you so angry about?
Anger is the sign, the symptom, and the solution to what keeps us from what God created us to be. Jesus gets angry and invites us to follow him into life.
Look at what makes you angry. Place your anger on Jesus. And get angry about something that really matters.
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 2/28/10
What are you so angry about?
How’s that for a question just about all of us could be asked on any given day?
It’s probably safe to say that not a week goes by, let alone rarely even just a day, in which each of us, at some point or another, does not get angry about something. Whether it’s some unkindness done to us by another, some disruption to our plans, some inconvenience, some injury, some jerk at work or school or out on the road... Or lately, just those folks on the Weather Channel, right?! I mean, if they gleefully forecast SNOW one more time...
Anger always seems to be lurking nearby, waiting to grab hold of us – invariably with disastrous results!
Many sociologists argue that the one illness, the one epidemic, that has always plagued humanity is this: Anger. Taking form in everything from stress and high blood pressure to domestic violence and international warfare. Society’s approach to the problem continually fluctuating between two equally ineffective and destructive extremes: either REPRESSION or FREE EXPRESSION - GIVING FREE REIGN.
The latter being the case in our culture today in which anger is encouraged and almost worshipped: Reality television that glorifies temper tantrums. “Shock Jocks” on the radio. Biased news casting (from all perspectives) designed solely to incite the listener. Feeding the beast! We can all see what a better world this has created!
Well make no mistake: You can feed it or you can starve it, either way it’s out to get you! Repress it and it will eventually explode. Give it free reign and it multiplies.
Is this all we’re left to?
Such a universal, seemingly unavoidable element of life. What’s all this anger doing to us? Even better: What is it saying to us? That is: Is anger just some “necessary evil” we are left to struggle with, just part and parcel of being human; or is something more at work here? Is this universal condition trying to speak to some deeper universal aspect of the human condition?
Is our anger actually attempting to call us to something deeper? Well this is precisely the issue our text today explores. This explored by taking a question that can be asked of us each and every day, and turning into a question we are moved to ask of Jesus on one day:
“What are you so angry about?”
This morning we pick up our study of Jesus’ final week with the events of the second day of the week: Monday. Last week we saw Jesus arrive in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, greeted by an adoring throng; only to weep over how lost the city was. Well, today we see a whole different side of Jesus:
The morning begins with Jesus on his way into the city. As he is walking along, he sees a fig tree. He goes over to it and, finding no fruit on it, proceeds to curse the tree which subsequently withers and dies. He then heads into the temple and tears the place apart: overturning tables, driving people out, shouting, disrupting everything. You can well imagine the headlines for the day: “Trouble at the Temple... Carpenter Creates Chaos... Menacing Messiah... Rabid Rabbi!” ?!
Well, needless to say, this is not the way we normally picture Jesus. This is not Jesus “meek and mild” healing the sick, taking children on his knee. No, this is an ANGRY Jesus. This is a rough and tough Jesus taking no prisoners! What’s the problem? Is he just having an “off day”? Hasn’t yet had that first cup of coffee in the morning? What gives? Why does Jesus lose his cool here? What is he so angry about?
Well, right off the top, notice what he is bugged about in the temple: That the house of God has become CORRUPT. “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations; but you have made it a den of robbers,” he says. Basically, the Law of Moses outlined how offerings were to be made and sacrifices purchased; but over time these rules had been manipulated, and things had deteriorated into a religiously sanctioned system of price gouging and kickbacks to the temple authorities.
For instance, the worship was based around SACRIFICES. And historians tell us that, in Jesus time, if you were a poor person and could only purchase a dove to sacrifice, you could buy it outside the temple for about a dollar (a week’s wages); but the priests would make a point of refusing it. So you had to purchase a dove from one of the vendors inside the temple – where suddenly, the price was $45! Of which the “house” took about 43 (depending upon how well the vendor could finagle the books). No wonder your offering was no good!
Jesus is outraged over religious practices gone wrong – worse than wrong: actually hurtful rather than helpful to people (this being part of the symbolism of the tree that he curses: something that is supposed to be producing life, bearing fruit, is failing to do so); and thus he takes his first “shot across the bow” of the religious establishment. A confrontation that will increase over the days ahead, leading to the call for his death.
But, even deeper, notice what is really going on here, what is driving this corruption Jesus is attacking - once again, Jesus says: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations; but you have made it a den of robbers.” Notice his fundamental point: That the temple IS NOT WHAT GOD CREATED IT TO BE. This is what really has Jesus all “bugged” here: Something is not what God created to be. Think about that...
What does EVIL, what does SIN, do – at its most basic, most elemental level? It causes God’s creation to fail to be what God created it to be.
Sin causes the world not to be what God created it to be. Sin causes society not to be what God created it to be. Sin causes families not to be what God created them to be. Sin causes marriages not to be what God created them to be. Sin causes individuals not to be what God created them to be! Sin causes God’s creation to fail to be what it was created to be. Many scholars claim that what Jesus actually expresses here is a most fundamental definition of the work of sin: God’s creation gone wrong. And this is what Jesus is truly angry about here, what he is really angrily attacking: SIN – the EVIL that seeks to take us down, to take life as God intends from us! And this is crucial:
We tend to see anger as something inherently BAD - at best, a necessary evil; far better, something we need to avoid and repress because it will destroy us. But here Jesus himself is angry (leading to our salvation), thus demonstrating to us that anger, in and of itself, is not inherently bad – rather, the issue is its focus and its purpose. That is:
Anger, at its core is a GOOD THING. Anger stems from a sense of something being WRONG, some INJUSTICE, that UPSETS us and that we REFUSE TO ACCEPT. That’s a good thing. As it has been said: “Anger is a divinely implanted emotion. Closely allied to our instinct for right, it is designed to be used for constructive spiritual purposes. The person who cannot feel anger at evil is a person who lacks enthusiasm for good. If you cannot hate wrong, it’s very questionable whether you really love righteousness. The inability to feel anger exposes a catastrophic moral void.”
A catastrophic moral void. We judge a person’s sanity by whether or not they can tell right from wrong. We should get angry about injustice and evil. But what happens, you see, is that very sin that angers us takes hold of this anger and twists it around and turns it against us. Sin causes us to misuse and misdirect our God-given anger, basically aiming our anger at the WRONG THINGS: at each other, at destroying rather than creating, at blaming rather than helping, at (in our current culture’s situation) simply becoming angry for anger’s sake and believing that’s enough – just get mad at wrong but don’t actually do anything about it!
All of this basically causing more brokenness and wrong – and anger - rather than correcting things; and we thus get caught in this ever-increasing “cycle” of frustration (that we all feel every day) that seeks to consume and destroy us! Evil taking us over!
In effect, our anger is the SIGN pointing us to the fact that there’s something wrong with us – that we know that, that we can feel it. But through this very wrong – the evil that’s trying to take hold of us; it’s then also the SYMPTOM of the wrong – it’s most basic expression, the most fundamental way it takes shape.
It’s the sign, it’s the symptom... Yet, ironically, it’s also the SOLUTION – that is: Jesus saves us THROUGH ANGER - by GETTING ANGRY at the RIGHT THING (“God is not hostile to sinners but to sin”) and he calls us to follow him there to salvation! To take our anger and give it to him that we might find life.
To put it another way (the “punch-line” of all of this – pardon the pun) is that if you want to get to the life God wants for you, to break free from not only the frustrating annoyance that so often overtakes you; but even deeper, the evil that continually seeks to control and destroy you, and keep life as God created from you, FOCUS ON YOUR ANGER. Go there – that’s the key. Give your anger over to Jesus and follow him into it. What does this mean in a practical sense? Well, it means a couple of things:
(I)
First, it means: LOOK AT WHAT MAKES YOU ANGRY.
Returning to where we began – this is how things start: To get hold of the life God wants for us we first really have to ask ourselves, “What are you so angry about?” We have to look at the things we’re angry about all the time.
Now, in this, right off the top, we need to begin by simply considering how much of the stuff we’re getting all worked-up about doesn’t really matter, isn’t that important in the grand scheme of things. And particularly how what we’re bugged about pales in comparison to the good that’s around us. We’ve just lost our perspective. Christian author Brian Holt illustrates it this way:
“Fighting rush-hour traffic from suburban Maryland to Washington D.C. can cause its share of near misses and irritating moments. One morning, a young lady darted her compact car from a side street into the stream of traffic immediately in front of a driver just a few car lengths ahead of me, forcing him to brake sharply. He avoided hitting her by inches and was obviously furious. Within seconds, traffic stopped at a red light, and I watched him pull up behind the offender, leap from his car, and stride angrily toward hers. Clearly, he intended to give her a royal chewing out.
“Seeing him coming, the very attractive young lady jumped from her car and ran to meet him - a big smile on her face. Before he could say one word or know what was happening, she had thrown her arms around him, hugged him tightly, and planted a passionate kiss on his lips! Then she was back in her car and driving away, leaving her antagonist standing in the middle of the street still speechless and looking somewhat confused and embarrassed - but no longer angry!”
Are you angry about something that doesn’t really matter... especially in light of how good life is? Jesus only got bugged about things that mattered, the big issues. We need to look at what we’re angry about – and, first, see, frequently, just how insignificant our anger is; but then, even deeper, to realize that, if we’ll look at our anger we’ll see specifically HOW SIN HAS A HOLD OF US.
Simply put: The things that we get angry about in the world and in others, ultimately reveal what is wrong in US, how evil is trying to get a hold of US: If you’re angry that no one seems to care about you; odds are you are not caring about others. If you’re bugged that no one seems to be doing anything to change the world; odds are you’re not doing anything either. If, from your perspective, the “wrong voices” are doing too much of the speaking in the world – how much are you speaking up? If no one’s doing what they’re supposed to be doing – what are you doing? If your feelings are always hurt by inconsiderate people – is the problem really their rudeness or your pride?
If we get angry about tiny things – odds are this is all our lives are about: tiny things. If we get angry with ourselves – odds are we’re worshipping ourselves, seeing ourselves as some sort of ‘gods” who must be perfect. If we get angry with God for some pain or sorrow – odds are, again, we’ve set ourselves above all else, worthy of some personal exemption from the laws of creation!
The subtext of all anger is: “I have met the enemy, and it is me.” Our anger will reveal how sin has hold of US, evil trying to grab us – if we’re willing to look. The first absolutely necessary step in salvation: identify and confront what’s wrong. It’s like going to a doctor: the first thing he does is an examination, he runs tests. You have to identify what’s wrong if you’re going to have any hope of ever getting better. One author writes:
“A man received notice that his son, during his senior year in high school, had failed a course. The father, determined that his son would attend the best college, realized that a failing grade would jeopardize his son’s chances to enter a top school. The father’s immediate reaction was to blame the teacher for his son's failing grade.
“Storming into the teacher’s classroom, the father proceeded to accuse the teacher of unfairness. He threatened to have the teacher’s job if the grade were not changed. The teacher, believing the grade was deserved, would not change the grade and held his ground.
“The father left the classroom in a heated rage and headed for the principal’s office, where in a torrent he demanded the principal’s intervention. The principal, knowing the situation and believing the teacher to be right, stood behind the faculty member and refused to intervene. The father’s rage escalated and he began to shout obscenities and to make threats against the principal. He would go to the school board and have the principal’s job. At the height of the tension, there was a brief pause, followed by these words from the principal: ‘Sir, I can see that you love your son very much.’
“At that instant the anger that had controlled the father suddenly melted away, and he became a shower of tears. The comment had struck a deep nerve. Struggling to gather himself together, the father whispered, ‘Yes, I do love my son very much.’ And with that he revealed all the ways he felt he had failed to spend time with his son, to help him and care for him, how distant and self-involved he had been – and how guilty he felt about. He was taking his own lack of care out on the school.”
What we’re angry about will tell us what’s wrong with us, how evil is trying to get a hold of us and destroy us – if we’re willing to look – and be saved. The first step in the crucial journey into anger to find life: Look at what makes you angry. From this, then...
(II)
Secondly: PLACE YOUR ANGER ON JESUS.
Having discovered how evil has a hold of us, we then need to give that evil over to God. That is, we need to realize that we can’t beat it on our own – only Jesus can. We need to give our sin (revealed in our anger) over to Jesus to take to the cross – it’s no longer ours, it’s his. Die to it by putting him in charge of it!
This is the second mistake we all so often make: We try to handle evil, our sin, all on our own. “I just need to try harder. Control myself.” Basically, we repress rather than treat. Not a good approach. Not only does repression invariably (as mentioned) lead only to an EXPLOSION; but, obviously, as with any sickness: a failure to treat the problem just allows it to fester and grow.
We need to treat the problem, this by giving our sin to Jesus and putting him in-charge of getting rid of it. As he does here: He takes it on himself. Basically, what this means (in regards to anger and the fundamental evil that hold us expressed there) is giving the things that anger us over to Jesus and inviting him to use them to his glory, to ask things of us in them that work his purposes – enacting what he wants to make of it.
Place the things that BUG you – how evil is trying get a hold of you – ON JESUS and let him make something out of it, turn it to good. As he does on the CROSS: turn the bad into something good. If someone has hurt us to reach out to them. If something needs to be done, being the one who does it. If something is needed, being the one who gives.
To put it another way: Giving our sin to Jesus that we might be healed of it involves actually PLACING OUR SIN ON HIM. So, likewise, giving our anger over to Jesus involves actually PLACING THAT ANGER UPON HIM. That is: Imagine that HE IS THE ONE YOU ARE ANGRY AT. What would you do if that were the case? What would happen? How would you handle it - and what might result? Author Max Lucado explores exactly this idea...
In his book, The Applause of Heaven, Lucado writes about a big, muscle-bound man named Daniel who was swindled by his own brother. He vowed that if he ever saw him again, he would break his neck. A few months later, Daniel became a Christian. Even so, he couldn’t forgive his brother. One day, the inevitable encounter took place on a busy avenue. This is how Daniel described what happened:
“I saw him, but he didn’t see me. I felt my fists clench and my face get hot. My initial impulse was to grab him around the throat and choke the life out of him. But as I looked into his face, my anger began to melt. For as I saw him, I suddenly saw the image of my father. I saw my father’s eyes. I saw my father’s look. I saw my father’s expression. And as I saw my father in his face, my enemy once again became my brother.”
The brother found himself wrapped in those big arms - but in a hug. The two stood in the middle of a river of people and wept. Daniel’s words bear repeating: “When I saw the image of my father in his face, my enemy became my brother.”
See your heavenly Father in all your anger and act accordingly. The second step in the crucial journey into anger to find life: Place your anger on Jesus. He can take it – that’s why he came! And finally...
(III)
Third: GET ANGRY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MATTERS.
Christian author Kim Sullivan writes:
“Recently, I had the most aggravating day. I got yelled at at work. The commute home was horrible. I arrived home and discovered that my husband hadn’t taken out the garbage as he had promised – again! I began to make dinner and dropped and broke a glass, and with that the kids started pestering me for help with their homework and fighting with one another. Finally, I yelled, ‘I’ve had it. Everybody leave me alone!’ And I stormed upstairs to my room and slammed the door shut.
“About five minutes later I noticed a little handwritten note being slid under the door. It was form my six-year-old and it read: ‘Dear Mommy – Isn’t this a bit much? PS: When is dinner?’”
A great question: “Isn’t this a bit much?” Particularly in regard to the insignificance of so much of what we are angry about?
It has been said: “In the final analysis, the core problem of our lives is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but rather, that we are not passionate enough about good things.”
“Not passionate enough about good things.” This is the final lesson here: You want to drive destructive anger out of your life for good, get out of this frustrating destructive “loop” of evil, solidify the two steps we have just talked about? Then get angry about something that matters. Develop righteous anger instead of self-righteous anger. Instead of trying to push out bad, fill up on good!
And how do you tell the difference between common, destructive, self-righteous anger and divine, constructive, righteous anger? Easy. As with Jesus’ anger: Righteous anger is ultimately concerned with injustices incurred by another not just oneself. And, as Jesus’ anger ultimately led to him being taken to the cross, paying the price; so righteous anger ultimately costs US, asks only of oneself not others!
Basically, drive out all the petty annoyances that so often rule and destroy your life by developing a passion for right. Find the cause that truly moves you and costs you, and give your all to it. Anger is finally about PASSION – an intense desire for right – in which (Jesus is trying to direct us here): Life can either be found or lost!
We so often die, are consumed by petty annoyances, because we miss this. We either waste our time on insignificant pettiness, or settle for some sort of bland commitment to nothing – either approach ultimately stripping the life God wants from us!
There is an old Franciscan blessing that says: “May God bless you with great discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart. May God bless you with overwhelming anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may hope for justice, freedom, and peace. And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you will do what others claim cannot be done.”
We SHOULD get angry about poverty. We should get angry about prejudice. We should get angry at oppression. We should get angry at war. We should get angry at ignorance. We should get angry at suffering. There’s something wrong with us if we don’t! Get angry about something that matters – and find life.
Recently, I read a news article that told the story of David Heim, age 47, of Marlborough, Massachusetts. A man more commonly known as “The Wheelchair Recycler,” although he wasn’t always known by this title.
In 1995, Heim became paralyzed in a car accident. Needless to say, he became very angry. He was angry at the driver who hit him. He was angry at the doctors who failed to heal him. He was angry at God for allowing this to happen. And as he went through his recovery, he discovered a new thing to be angry about: His wheelchair. It was awkward. It didn’t fit him. He had a hard time using it.
Well, Heim was always a mechanical-inclined individual, so he began working on his wheelchair, eventually adapting it to his own needs – and becoming quite proud of his accomplishment. Other paralyzed individuals saw what he had done and asked him to work on their chairs. This he gladly did and word began to spread that he was the man to go to.
Long story short: Today, 15 years later, Heim runs a non-profit organization that takes used wheelchairs and donated parts; and makes brand new wheelchairs for those who cannot afford them – and specifically tailors each chair to the individual. Heim has so far helped over 500 people across the country and the world. People are mobile, have independence, who might never have known such blessings.
The effect on many lives has been profound. But the effect on Heim has been, perhaps, the most noteworthy: He is no longer angry. Rather, he now finds tremendous happiness in life, helping people. People return to him who have received one of his chairs and they hug, weeping for joy.
Out of his anger he found a cause beyond himself to which he has given himself – which has rescued him from his pain.
What are you so angry about?
Anger is the sign, the symptom, and the solution to what keeps us from what God created us to be. Jesus gets angry and invites us to follow him into life.
Look at what makes you angry. Place your anger on Jesus. And get angry about something that really matters.
It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To
Luke 19:29-44
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 2/21/10
A number of years ago, when my eldest daughter, Samantha, was in middle school, one day she was late coming home from school. You know how you have the regular bus and then the late bus – and then sometimes, the late-late bus? Well, I was working around the house that day when suddenly I noticed that it was now about a half-an-hour after even the normal late-late bus time, and Samantha was still not home. I began to become concerned.
Well, sometimes Sam would go over to a friend’s house after school – although normally she would call if she was doing this; so I called my wife at work to see if Sam had planned to go over to one of her friends. Traci said no, that Sam had not mentioned doing so; but maybe I should call around. I hung up and did this – called all of the parents of Samantha’s friends. No Sam. And their children had all been home for quite awhile.
Well, now I’m starting to get anxious. I call the school. No reply. So leaving the front door unlocked and note for Sam in case she comes home while I’m out, I race over to the school. Getting there, I track down everyone I can, look everywhere. No Sam. I race back home.
Still no Sam. It’s over an hour late now. It’s dark. I call Traci again. We’re now both beside ourselves. We decide I have to call the police. You feel like a jerk doing so; but I figure it’s better to be embarrassed for calling then to not have called and something has happened.
So I call the police. The woman on the line is wonderful. I explain the situation, she asks if I’ve done this and that – and I’ve done everything I should have. She says, “I’ll send an officer over immediately.”
I’m now going crazy. It’s an hour-and-a-half late. The police are on the way. I hang up the phone. And with that, what happens? You’ve got it:
The front door opens and in walks Samantha!
Well, I’m so overjoyed that I run over to her and start hugging her. And with that, with the intense anxiety that has been building up over the last hour-and-a-half released, I begin to cry. And I don’t just mean a little tear here and there; I mean a WATERFALL! I’m wailing!
Poor Sam doesn’t know what’s going on. From her perspective, all that’s happened is that she’s been on the bus for a long time because they happened to have a new driver who constantly got lost and had to make all sorts of extra stops! But I’m hugging her and crying and so... she just begins to cry too! She doesn’t even know why!
We’re hugging, we’re weeping, we’re a mess... it’s embarrassing! Finally we gather ourselves together a bit and Sam asks, “Dad, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”
And I reply, “Sam, it’s so late... I thought I’d lost you!”
Well that causes us to cry some more, and then Sam – in classic, practical, get-to-the-point Samantha - says, “Well, I guess I never have to worry about whether or not you love me!”
A parent’s tears over even just the thought of losing one of their children. A torrent of weeping over even just the possibility, let alone the reality.
Do you ever stop to think that God, your heavenly Father, weeps the same way over even just the slightest possibility of losing you? Well this is precisely what I would like to talk about this morning...
Today we begin a new series that will take us through the season of Lent, a series in which we are going to be exploring the events of HOLY WEEK – the final week of our Savior’s life, the week that contains the pivotal events that define our faith. Each Sunday we will look at another day of the week: Beginning today with Sunday; then next week Monday; and so on.
We begin today with Sunday of Holy Week – what we traditionally know as PALM SUNDAY. After three years of ministry, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. And he arrives triumphantly, a conquering hero proclaimed by the people to be the long-awaited Messiah come to rescue them. A ticker-tape parade is held in his honor, everyone is rejoicing, there’s dancing in the streets, it’s a great day, everyone is overjoyed... Everyone, that is, except the hero himself. As everyone is partying, he is CRYING:
What’s the problem? Isn’t this what he sought, wasn’t this the goal: the people joyfully proclaiming him the Messiah? Jesus explains:
Essentially, what Jesus says is this: He knows where things are headed. The people are proclaiming him the Messiah; but shortly they will discover that he is not the kind of Messiah they expected and they will turn on him. They desire a militaristic leader, a king who will lead them into battle against the Romans, their enemy. But Jesus has come not to take up the sword but to pierce the soul. The people who praise him now will turn on him shortly and as a result a horrible destruction will come upon them. Jesus foretells events that will come to pass in 40 years:
Following the people’s rejection of him, other false prophets will appear, claiming to be the Messiah – the type the people want: violent, political. Under this leadership, the people will rise up in revolution against Rome, only to be put down entirely. In 70ad Jerusalem will be laid waste by the Roman Empire, and thousands of Jews will be slaughtered.
This is what Jesus sees as he looks out over Jerusalem, as he looks to the week ahead of him. The crowd sees only victory, Jesus sees nothing but LOSS: That most will miss entirely the point of what he is about, will reject him, and thus be LOST TO HIM, lost to life itself – their lives to end in horrible suffering. And this BREAKS HIS HEART!
In effect, the people are parting; but Jesus is saying:
“There’s a much bigger party going on here, the party you absolutely must get in on – the party of the Kingdom of God. But most of you are going to miss it!”
“The road is wide that leads to destruction and many people follow it; but the road is narrow that leads to salvation and few find it!”
Holy Week, the road into the Jerusalem, the road to Calvary, begins with tears – tears of a loving God weeping at the thought of even just one of his children being lost to him. Tears that will then drive the whole week: God doing whatever it takes to keep this from happening, to rescue us from this!
As Jesus looks at our lives this day... as Jesus looks at your life... Is he rejoicing or is he weeping? Are you on the verge of being lost, of missing the “party”?
Lent begins with tears. Jesus weeping at our lives – that we may not be lost to him. How do we keep this from happening? Well, as we begin our journey into this Holy season, let us consider some of the things that Jesus’ words and tears here tell us about how we become lost...
(I)
To begin with, we become lost when we SEEK AFTER A SUPERFICIAL SAVIOR.
Basically, this is what sort-of “kicks things off” here: the people want Jesus, they expect their Messiah, to fix the EXTERNALS of their lives – that’s all they want out of him: To take away their problems, get rid of their oppressors, give them prosperity and power. But Jesus, you see, came to work on the INTERNALS: to change their hearts – and the hearts of everyone. To CHANGE THEM not simply their situation. The people didn’t like this so they turned on him and were lost.
And this is the first way we become lost as well: When we want God simply to “fix our problems” not to FIX US. To change our situation not ever to change us. We say: “Jesus, take away my grief, repair this relationship, heal my body, put money in my bank account!” But Jesus says: “Let me work on you – that’s where life is truly found! Let me alter your priorities, let me change how you live, let me draw greater things from within you, let me transform your heart!”
To keep from being lost, we must be refuse a SUPERFICIAL faith that simply seeks the externals; and instead demand a deep faith that changes the INTERNALS. In his commentary on Luke’s gospel, pastor and author Kent Hughes tells the following story:
“Several years ago one of my wife’s friends took a missionary furlough with her husband and family after an unusually tiring stint of service. She had been looking forward to this time with great anticipation. For the first time she was going to have a place of her own, a new, large townhouse-styled apartment with a patio. She is very creative and made the patio the focus of her decoration.
“After a few months some new neighbors moved in. The kindest word to describe them would be ‘coarse.’ There was loud music day and night along with a constant flow of obscenities. They urinated in the front yard in broad daylight. They totally disrupted her peace. She could see nothing good in them.
“She asked the Lord to help her be more loving, but all she got back [from her neighbors] was disgust and rejection. The crisis came to head when she returned home to discover that her neighbors’ children had sprayed orange paint all over her beautiful patio - the walls, the floors — everything! She was distraught and furious. She tried to pray but found herself crying out, ‘Lord, I cannot love them; I hate them!’
“Knowing she had to deal with the sin in her heart, she began to converse with the Lord in her inner being, and a Scripture came to mind: ‘And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.’ In her heart she questioned, ‘Lord, how do I put on love?’ The only way she could picture it was like putting on a coat. So that is what she determined to do - she chose to wrap herself in the love of God! As a result she began to experience a deeper life of Christ within her.
“She made a list of what she would do if she really loved her exasperating neighbors, and then did what she had listed. She baked cookies, she offered to baby-sit for free, she invited the mother over for coffee - and the most beautiful thing happened: They didn’t really change, but she began to know and understand them. She began to see that they were living under tremendous pressures. She began to love her ‘enemies.’ She did good to them. She lent to them without expecting anything back.
“Well, the day finally came when they moved - and surprise: she wept! An unnatural, unconventional love had captured her heart, a supernatural love - the love of Jesus Christ.”
We say: “I want the world to change for me.” Jesus says: “How about you change for the world?” We become lost to life and God weeps, first, when we SEEK A SUPERFICIAL SAVIOR.
(II)
Beyond this, we then also become lost when we SETTLE FOR A SELFISH FAITH.
This, of course, is what stands at the center of the Palm Sunday celebration that begins Holy Week: a fundamental SELFISHNESS. That is: The people are expecting Jesus to come and defeat their enemies. The Messiah is there for them, for the people of Israel not for anyone else – most especially, not for the Romans!
Unfortunately, Jesus has come not to divide but to unite, not for one but for all. He’s come not to destroy but to work peace – to join people together in love and understanding. This is where he is found!
Once again, how often is this something that we miss and thus miss out on the whole thing: The focus of all this is ME, and, essentially, “the heck with anybody else!” Not that we don’t try to help other people; it’s only that... that’s OPTIONAL. “I’ll get around to that if I have time, once my needs are met, not before!”
You know, preacher Tony Campolo was once invited to speak at a certain Christian college, and in his sermon, in the process of exploring the idea that we Christians tend to get it all wrong by making our faith just about ourselves, our getting Jesus as the most important thing – Campolo suddenly said to the congregation: “Did you know, that in the last 24 hours, as in every single day, 50,000 children worldwide died of malnutrition or violence? That’s horrible. But what’s even worse is that most of us don’t give a damn about it. And what’s worst of all is that most of you, right now, are probably more upset that I said the word damn than that 50,000 children have died!”
We so often see our faith in Christ as a PERSONAL POSSESSION not as something that, by definition, must – MUST - draw us into the lives of others (where Christ is truly found) – and thus we become lost to him! So consumed with ourselves that we perish!
A great missionary once offered the following prayer – he said: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” Do our hearts break for the things that break the heart of God? Simply put: Jesus weeps for the lost... do we? Is all of this just for us or for somebody else – somebody not here, somebody we don’t like, somebody who doesn’t deserve to be here? Does our faith, by definition, draw us into the lives of others – work for them; or only for us?
We become lost to life and God weeps, secondly, when we SETTLE FOR A SELFISH FAITH. From which, then, pushing even further...
(III)
We become lost when we PUT OFF GOING TO JESUS.
In the midst of all of this, in Jesus’ explanation of his weeping, notice how often he mentioned the DAY:
Essentially his point is that this was a SPECIAL DAY, a day in which the people had the opportunity to change ALL THEIR DAYS. But the people missed this, they MISSED THEIR MOMENT, they had a chance and they failed to act correctly. LIFE IS MOMENTS SEIZED or lost.
Simply stated: A lot of times we become lost, our lives go horribly wrong because while we hear the call of God, while we feel some tug upon our heart; we fail to act. We put it off – either through fear or laziness or apathy... and all is lost – and Jesus weeps at what might have been. “There’s always tomorrow to repent, there’s always tomorrow to change our ways... there’s always another day to say ‘I’m sorry,” there’s always another day to say, ‘I love you’... there’s always next week to act, there’s always next month to give, there’s always next year to help that person in need...”
Wrong. One day missed can lead to all days lost!
Have you ever heard of the Procrastination Club? It sounds like a club in which most of us could probably become members, right? Well believe it or not, the Procrastination Club has absolutely NO MEMBERS at all. You know why? Because if you actually get around to applying for admission... you don’t qualify!
What’s the old saying? “Never put off until tomorrow that which you can put off until the day after tomorrow." How much of life is being lost by our “putting it off”?
We become lost to life and God weeps, thirdly, when we PUT OFF GOING TO JESUS. This is the day! And finally...
(IV)
We become lost, most especially, when we FORGET THAT JESUS WEEPS FOR US.
Returning to where we began: Jesus looks out over the city of Jerusalem and he weeps. They’re going to reject him, mistreat him, crucify him - and he weeps. Think about that...
The people are going to turn on him, they are going to get it as wrong as wrong can be; but does Jesus condemn them, does he turn on them for this? No he weeps for them! And in those tears will do whatever it takes to rescue them from this! And this is the very heart of the whole matter:
That when our lives go wrong for whatever reason – even when the wrong is our own fault; Jesus doesn’t turn on us, he weeps for us! So many people finally become lost simply because they just don’t know that God weeps for them, they don’t believe that God weeps for them. They look at their circumstance and it seems God doesn’t care; they look at what they’ve done and think, “There’s no way God could forgive me!”
Well, if you get nothing else out of all of this... If you get nothing else out of Lent, if you get nothing else out of Holy Week, if you get nothing else out Good Friday and Easter, if you get nothing else out of the cross and empty tomb; get this: YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO BREAK THAT LOVE! A love that weeps at even just the thought, the possibility, the slightest hint that you might be lost!
If your circumstance seems to say, “God is gone;” if your heart says, “You are bad;” if your head says, “All is hopeless;” if others say, “God doesn’t love you;” if the world says, “No one cares”... if everything you’ve counted has fallen away around you; if the whole thing is collapsing; if even those closest to you have cut out on you and failed you... know that God has not, and will not, cut out on you! As it is written: “Even if my mother and father should forsake me, the Lord will take me up!”
“As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it.” Know that Jesus weeps for your life, however it has become lost – and those tears drive him, unceasingly, to do whatever it takes to rescue you! Let yourself become lost in those tears alone, hold to them and nothing else, and those tears will see you through! Christian author Phyllis Zeno writes:
“One day a beautiful, but very troubled, little girl came through the door of my day nursery. From the very beginning I became captivated by this child who had so little but needed so much. I was heartbroken that a four-year-old could suffer such heartache and pain. She was born in prison after her mom had used marijuana, crack and cocaine her entire pregnancy – and then rejected her.
“The little girl was nonverbal and had very little control. Whenever somebody approached her, she became violent for long periods and ended up in a fetal position on the floor crying out. I found myself praying for her day in and day out.
“As the months rolled on, I began to bond with this child that no one wanted. She and I worked very hard taking one step forward and four steps back. Daily, we sat in the big rocking chair in my office, swaying back and forth and back and forth. During our rocking time I sang ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ She always settled down and became very still at the melody. Though she never spoke, peace seemed to fill her face as she listened to the song.
“One day, after a very long battle, I held my special girl to again calm her fears and pain. In silence we rocked back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Then she looked at me with tear-filled eyes and spoke for the first time, ‘Sing to me about that Man who loves me,’ she said.
“Blinking back my own tears of joy, I knew the battle had been won.”
A new life thanks to a God whose tears flowed for all. A God who moves heaven and earth when one of his children is lost.”
It is said: “The eyes are the window to the soul.”
We begin Lent by looking into the eyes of Jesus – there to discover tears. Tears of a parent weeping at even just the possibility that one of his children may be lost.
Don’t let yourself be lost, don’t miss out on the party: Demand depth. Reach out. Act now. And never forget that Jesus weeps for you!
Rev. Clark Lynn Callender, 2/21/10
A number of years ago, when my eldest daughter, Samantha, was in middle school, one day she was late coming home from school. You know how you have the regular bus and then the late bus – and then sometimes, the late-late bus? Well, I was working around the house that day when suddenly I noticed that it was now about a half-an-hour after even the normal late-late bus time, and Samantha was still not home. I began to become concerned.
Well, sometimes Sam would go over to a friend’s house after school – although normally she would call if she was doing this; so I called my wife at work to see if Sam had planned to go over to one of her friends. Traci said no, that Sam had not mentioned doing so; but maybe I should call around. I hung up and did this – called all of the parents of Samantha’s friends. No Sam. And their children had all been home for quite awhile.
Well, now I’m starting to get anxious. I call the school. No reply. So leaving the front door unlocked and note for Sam in case she comes home while I’m out, I race over to the school. Getting there, I track down everyone I can, look everywhere. No Sam. I race back home.
Still no Sam. It’s over an hour late now. It’s dark. I call Traci again. We’re now both beside ourselves. We decide I have to call the police. You feel like a jerk doing so; but I figure it’s better to be embarrassed for calling then to not have called and something has happened.
So I call the police. The woman on the line is wonderful. I explain the situation, she asks if I’ve done this and that – and I’ve done everything I should have. She says, “I’ll send an officer over immediately.”
I’m now going crazy. It’s an hour-and-a-half late. The police are on the way. I hang up the phone. And with that, what happens? You’ve got it:
The front door opens and in walks Samantha!
Well, I’m so overjoyed that I run over to her and start hugging her. And with that, with the intense anxiety that has been building up over the last hour-and-a-half released, I begin to cry. And I don’t just mean a little tear here and there; I mean a WATERFALL! I’m wailing!
Poor Sam doesn’t know what’s going on. From her perspective, all that’s happened is that she’s been on the bus for a long time because they happened to have a new driver who constantly got lost and had to make all sorts of extra stops! But I’m hugging her and crying and so... she just begins to cry too! She doesn’t even know why!
We’re hugging, we’re weeping, we’re a mess... it’s embarrassing! Finally we gather ourselves together a bit and Sam asks, “Dad, what’s the matter? Why are you crying?”
And I reply, “Sam, it’s so late... I thought I’d lost you!”
Well that causes us to cry some more, and then Sam – in classic, practical, get-to-the-point Samantha - says, “Well, I guess I never have to worry about whether or not you love me!”
A parent’s tears over even just the thought of losing one of their children. A torrent of weeping over even just the possibility, let alone the reality.
Do you ever stop to think that God, your heavenly Father, weeps the same way over even just the slightest possibility of losing you? Well this is precisely what I would like to talk about this morning...
Today we begin a new series that will take us through the season of Lent, a series in which we are going to be exploring the events of HOLY WEEK – the final week of our Savior’s life, the week that contains the pivotal events that define our faith. Each Sunday we will look at another day of the week: Beginning today with Sunday; then next week Monday; and so on.
We begin today with Sunday of Holy Week – what we traditionally know as PALM SUNDAY. After three years of ministry, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. And he arrives triumphantly, a conquering hero proclaimed by the people to be the long-awaited Messiah come to rescue them. A ticker-tape parade is held in his honor, everyone is rejoicing, there’s dancing in the streets, it’s a great day, everyone is overjoyed... Everyone, that is, except the hero himself. As everyone is partying, he is CRYING:
What’s the problem? Isn’t this what he sought, wasn’t this the goal: the people joyfully proclaiming him the Messiah? Jesus explains:
Essentially, what Jesus says is this: He knows where things are headed. The people are proclaiming him the Messiah; but shortly they will discover that he is not the kind of Messiah they expected and they will turn on him. They desire a militaristic leader, a king who will lead them into battle against the Romans, their enemy. But Jesus has come not to take up the sword but to pierce the soul. The people who praise him now will turn on him shortly and as a result a horrible destruction will come upon them. Jesus foretells events that will come to pass in 40 years:
Following the people’s rejection of him, other false prophets will appear, claiming to be the Messiah – the type the people want: violent, political. Under this leadership, the people will rise up in revolution against Rome, only to be put down entirely. In 70ad Jerusalem will be laid waste by the Roman Empire, and thousands of Jews will be slaughtered.
This is what Jesus sees as he looks out over Jerusalem, as he looks to the week ahead of him. The crowd sees only victory, Jesus sees nothing but LOSS: That most will miss entirely the point of what he is about, will reject him, and thus be LOST TO HIM, lost to life itself – their lives to end in horrible suffering. And this BREAKS HIS HEART!
In effect, the people are parting; but Jesus is saying:
“There’s a much bigger party going on here, the party you absolutely must get in on – the party of the Kingdom of God. But most of you are going to miss it!”
“The road is wide that leads to destruction and many people follow it; but the road is narrow that leads to salvation and few find it!”
Holy Week, the road into the Jerusalem, the road to Calvary, begins with tears – tears of a loving God weeping at the thought of even just one of his children being lost to him. Tears that will then drive the whole week: God doing whatever it takes to keep this from happening, to rescue us from this!
As Jesus looks at our lives this day... as Jesus looks at your life... Is he rejoicing or is he weeping? Are you on the verge of being lost, of missing the “party”?
Lent begins with tears. Jesus weeping at our lives – that we may not be lost to him. How do we keep this from happening? Well, as we begin our journey into this Holy season, let us consider some of the things that Jesus’ words and tears here tell us about how we become lost...
(I)
To begin with, we become lost when we SEEK AFTER A SUPERFICIAL SAVIOR.
Basically, this is what sort-of “kicks things off” here: the people want Jesus, they expect their Messiah, to fix the EXTERNALS of their lives – that’s all they want out of him: To take away their problems, get rid of their oppressors, give them prosperity and power. But Jesus, you see, came to work on the INTERNALS: to change their hearts – and the hearts of everyone. To CHANGE THEM not simply their situation. The people didn’t like this so they turned on him and were lost.
And this is the first way we become lost as well: When we want God simply to “fix our problems” not to FIX US. To change our situation not ever to change us. We say: “Jesus, take away my grief, repair this relationship, heal my body, put money in my bank account!” But Jesus says: “Let me work on you – that’s where life is truly found! Let me alter your priorities, let me change how you live, let me draw greater things from within you, let me transform your heart!”
To keep from being lost, we must be refuse a SUPERFICIAL faith that simply seeks the externals; and instead demand a deep faith that changes the INTERNALS. In his commentary on Luke’s gospel, pastor and author Kent Hughes tells the following story:
“Several years ago one of my wife’s friends took a missionary furlough with her husband and family after an unusually tiring stint of service. She had been looking forward to this time with great anticipation. For the first time she was going to have a place of her own, a new, large townhouse-styled apartment with a patio. She is very creative and made the patio the focus of her decoration.
“After a few months some new neighbors moved in. The kindest word to describe them would be ‘coarse.’ There was loud music day and night along with a constant flow of obscenities. They urinated in the front yard in broad daylight. They totally disrupted her peace. She could see nothing good in them.
“She asked the Lord to help her be more loving, but all she got back [from her neighbors] was disgust and rejection. The crisis came to head when she returned home to discover that her neighbors’ children had sprayed orange paint all over her beautiful patio - the walls, the floors — everything! She was distraught and furious. She tried to pray but found herself crying out, ‘Lord, I cannot love them; I hate them!’
“Knowing she had to deal with the sin in her heart, she began to converse with the Lord in her inner being, and a Scripture came to mind: ‘And beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.’ In her heart she questioned, ‘Lord, how do I put on love?’ The only way she could picture it was like putting on a coat. So that is what she determined to do - she chose to wrap herself in the love of God! As a result she began to experience a deeper life of Christ within her.
“She made a list of what she would do if she really loved her exasperating neighbors, and then did what she had listed. She baked cookies, she offered to baby-sit for free, she invited the mother over for coffee - and the most beautiful thing happened: They didn’t really change, but she began to know and understand them. She began to see that they were living under tremendous pressures. She began to love her ‘enemies.’ She did good to them. She lent to them without expecting anything back.
“Well, the day finally came when they moved - and surprise: she wept! An unnatural, unconventional love had captured her heart, a supernatural love - the love of Jesus Christ.”
We say: “I want the world to change for me.” Jesus says: “How about you change for the world?” We become lost to life and God weeps, first, when we SEEK A SUPERFICIAL SAVIOR.
(II)
Beyond this, we then also become lost when we SETTLE FOR A SELFISH FAITH.
This, of course, is what stands at the center of the Palm Sunday celebration that begins Holy Week: a fundamental SELFISHNESS. That is: The people are expecting Jesus to come and defeat their enemies. The Messiah is there for them, for the people of Israel not for anyone else – most especially, not for the Romans!
Unfortunately, Jesus has come not to divide but to unite, not for one but for all. He’s come not to destroy but to work peace – to join people together in love and understanding. This is where he is found!
Once again, how often is this something that we miss and thus miss out on the whole thing: The focus of all this is ME, and, essentially, “the heck with anybody else!” Not that we don’t try to help other people; it’s only that... that’s OPTIONAL. “I’ll get around to that if I have time, once my needs are met, not before!”
You know, preacher Tony Campolo was once invited to speak at a certain Christian college, and in his sermon, in the process of exploring the idea that we Christians tend to get it all wrong by making our faith just about ourselves, our getting Jesus as the most important thing – Campolo suddenly said to the congregation: “Did you know, that in the last 24 hours, as in every single day, 50,000 children worldwide died of malnutrition or violence? That’s horrible. But what’s even worse is that most of us don’t give a damn about it. And what’s worst of all is that most of you, right now, are probably more upset that I said the word damn than that 50,000 children have died!”
We so often see our faith in Christ as a PERSONAL POSSESSION not as something that, by definition, must – MUST - draw us into the lives of others (where Christ is truly found) – and thus we become lost to him! So consumed with ourselves that we perish!
A great missionary once offered the following prayer – he said: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” Do our hearts break for the things that break the heart of God? Simply put: Jesus weeps for the lost... do we? Is all of this just for us or for somebody else – somebody not here, somebody we don’t like, somebody who doesn’t deserve to be here? Does our faith, by definition, draw us into the lives of others – work for them; or only for us?
We become lost to life and God weeps, secondly, when we SETTLE FOR A SELFISH FAITH. From which, then, pushing even further...
(III)
We become lost when we PUT OFF GOING TO JESUS.
In the midst of all of this, in Jesus’ explanation of his weeping, notice how often he mentioned the DAY:
Essentially his point is that this was a SPECIAL DAY, a day in which the people had the opportunity to change ALL THEIR DAYS. But the people missed this, they MISSED THEIR MOMENT, they had a chance and they failed to act correctly. LIFE IS MOMENTS SEIZED or lost.
Simply stated: A lot of times we become lost, our lives go horribly wrong because while we hear the call of God, while we feel some tug upon our heart; we fail to act. We put it off – either through fear or laziness or apathy... and all is lost – and Jesus weeps at what might have been. “There’s always tomorrow to repent, there’s always tomorrow to change our ways... there’s always another day to say ‘I’m sorry,” there’s always another day to say, ‘I love you’... there’s always next week to act, there’s always next month to give, there’s always next year to help that person in need...”
Wrong. One day missed can lead to all days lost!
Have you ever heard of the Procrastination Club? It sounds like a club in which most of us could probably become members, right? Well believe it or not, the Procrastination Club has absolutely NO MEMBERS at all. You know why? Because if you actually get around to applying for admission... you don’t qualify!
What’s the old saying? “Never put off until tomorrow that which you can put off until the day after tomorrow." How much of life is being lost by our “putting it off”?
We become lost to life and God weeps, thirdly, when we PUT OFF GOING TO JESUS. This is the day! And finally...
(IV)
We become lost, most especially, when we FORGET THAT JESUS WEEPS FOR US.
Returning to where we began: Jesus looks out over the city of Jerusalem and he weeps. They’re going to reject him, mistreat him, crucify him - and he weeps. Think about that...
The people are going to turn on him, they are going to get it as wrong as wrong can be; but does Jesus condemn them, does he turn on them for this? No he weeps for them! And in those tears will do whatever it takes to rescue them from this! And this is the very heart of the whole matter:
That when our lives go wrong for whatever reason – even when the wrong is our own fault; Jesus doesn’t turn on us, he weeps for us! So many people finally become lost simply because they just don’t know that God weeps for them, they don’t believe that God weeps for them. They look at their circumstance and it seems God doesn’t care; they look at what they’ve done and think, “There’s no way God could forgive me!”
Well, if you get nothing else out of all of this... If you get nothing else out of Lent, if you get nothing else out of Holy Week, if you get nothing else out Good Friday and Easter, if you get nothing else out of the cross and empty tomb; get this: YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE THERE IS NO WAY TO BREAK THAT LOVE! A love that weeps at even just the thought, the possibility, the slightest hint that you might be lost!
If your circumstance seems to say, “God is gone;” if your heart says, “You are bad;” if your head says, “All is hopeless;” if others say, “God doesn’t love you;” if the world says, “No one cares”... if everything you’ve counted has fallen away around you; if the whole thing is collapsing; if even those closest to you have cut out on you and failed you... know that God has not, and will not, cut out on you! As it is written: “Even if my mother and father should forsake me, the Lord will take me up!”
“As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it.” Know that Jesus weeps for your life, however it has become lost – and those tears drive him, unceasingly, to do whatever it takes to rescue you! Let yourself become lost in those tears alone, hold to them and nothing else, and those tears will see you through! Christian author Phyllis Zeno writes:
“One day a beautiful, but very troubled, little girl came through the door of my day nursery. From the very beginning I became captivated by this child who had so little but needed so much. I was heartbroken that a four-year-old could suffer such heartache and pain. She was born in prison after her mom had used marijuana, crack and cocaine her entire pregnancy – and then rejected her.
“The little girl was nonverbal and had very little control. Whenever somebody approached her, she became violent for long periods and ended up in a fetal position on the floor crying out. I found myself praying for her day in and day out.
“As the months rolled on, I began to bond with this child that no one wanted. She and I worked very hard taking one step forward and four steps back. Daily, we sat in the big rocking chair in my office, swaying back and forth and back and forth. During our rocking time I sang ‘Jesus Loves Me.’ She always settled down and became very still at the melody. Though she never spoke, peace seemed to fill her face as she listened to the song.
“One day, after a very long battle, I held my special girl to again calm her fears and pain. In silence we rocked back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. Then she looked at me with tear-filled eyes and spoke for the first time, ‘Sing to me about that Man who loves me,’ she said.
“Blinking back my own tears of joy, I knew the battle had been won.”
A new life thanks to a God whose tears flowed for all. A God who moves heaven and earth when one of his children is lost.”
It is said: “The eyes are the window to the soul.”
We begin Lent by looking into the eyes of Jesus – there to discover tears. Tears of a parent weeping at even just the possibility that one of his children may be lost.
Don’t let yourself be lost, don’t miss out on the party: Demand depth. Reach out. Act now. And never forget that Jesus weeps for you!
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