Walk humbly with God

Listen to the sermon.

So often the tendency is to just ignore the Old Testament lesson, and focus on the Gospel lesson; especially when you have the Beatitudes to preach on.  But today’s lessons fit together beautifully to make a statement about our relationship with God.

Today’s Old Testament lesson can sound confusing.  The setting is a court of law.  The Lord is bringing a suit against the people of Israel.  The judge and jury are the mountains and hills and the foundations of the earth itself.  And God says, “What have I done to you that you treat me the way you do?  I brought you out of slavery in Egypt.  I saved you from the Moabites and look at the way you treat me.   What do you have to say for yourself?  Plead your case before the mountains and the hills.”

Then the voice of the people of Israel answers, and they don’t have an answer, so they plead – asking, “what kind of sacrifice does God want to atone for our behavior?  A calf, a thousand rams, ten thousand rivers of oil?  What about my first born child, would that appease God?”

The prophet, Micah answers for God.  “He has told you, O Mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God…”  The Lord doesn’t want sacrifices – he wants your heart – and for you to treat everyone as if you were dealing with the Lord himself.

So, even though the Old Testament is full of information on how to atone for our sins by offering sacrifices, we learn here that there is something that is more important to God than the sacrifices we make for him.  That something else is found in the way we treat and respond to the people around us.  But by the time Jesus came along, the people had mostly forgotten.

The leaders, the priests and the Pharisees and Sadducees had become arrogant and prideful.  But Paul tells us to “let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  The problem with the sacrifices is that some people take great pleasure in boasting about those sacrifices.  They become a source of pride and pride always draws us away from God.

Let’s take a look at our Gospel lesson.  This is the famous Sermon on the Mount from the gospel of Matthew.  Matthew has five sermons built into his gospel.  This is the prologue to the first sermon, that portion that has become to known as the Beatitudes, which is simply Greek for blessings.  One writer has said that this is the instruction manual for how we are to behave.

It starts out by saying that when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain.  But the teaching seems to be to his disciples.  In those days, the teacher always taught sitting down – it says, he sat down and his disciples came to him and he taught them.

Blessed are the poor in spirit - Blessed are the meek – Blessed are those who mourn – blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness – Blessed are the merciful – Blessed are the pure in heart – Blessed are the peacemakers -  Blessed those who are persecuted – Blessed are you when you are persecuted for my sake…

As Jesus talked to the people, they probably thought he was crazy – these people lived in a time and under a regime where they were persecuted, they mourned the loss of their loved ones at the hands of the Romans, they had to remain meek because if they didn’t they would be crucified as rebels.  That was a way of life for them and they didn’t feel very blessed for it.

Are any of these things that you might be able to boast in – well, we would sound awful silly boasting over the first four.  “I’m poorer in spirit that you are…”  “I’m meeker than you…”  I have more to mourn about than you do…”  “I hunger and thirst more than you…”  And yet at seminary, I remember people who did just that – “I’m more persecuted than you…”And it became a source of pride to be persecuted.

But look at the others – “Blessed are the merciful” – doesn’t God call us to be merciful every day?  Isn’t that what Micah is calling us to do in the first lesson?  To do justice and to love mercy?  “Blessed are the pure in heart – for they shall see God.”  And that is the whole point of why we are here, why we are sitting in this building this morning – to be able to see God – both here on earth and eventually in heaven.

So how do we become pure in heart?  According to Micah, we do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with God.  According to Matthew, we are meek, and we are merciful, we are peacemakers, and we hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Even the Psalm gets into the mix here – the psalmist asks, “Who may dwell in your tabernacle, who may abide on your holy hill: those who lead a blameless life and who speak truth.”  God holds us to a pretty high standard.

Matthew really turns the world upside down - what the world believes is the opposite of God’s reality and that’s the most common theme in the gospels.  But Jesus doesn't issue this as an order but, instead, he gives a blessing.  He promises that, when our need is greatest, whether we mourn, or hunger and thirst, or find ourselves persecuted -- there we will find God--and there we will find blessing, and our lives will be made stronger.

Paul tells us that this didn't make any sense to either the Jews or the Greeks.  The Pharisees and Sadducees didn't believe the signs that Jesus gave because they weren't showy like parting the seas or raining down manna from heaven.  The Greek Stoics and Epicureans found it foolish to think that a "god" would be meek and mild or would come down and die willing.

But for those who are being saved – (Christians who believe) - it is the very power of God and the wisdom of God to choose the lowly, the foolish, and the despised of the world, so that no one could boast in the presence of God.  Jesus’ sacrifice was God’s doing, not ours.  So if we are going to boast, let us boast in the cross of Christ, and walk humbly with our God; this God who loved us so much that he sent his only son to be an example, to show us the way, -- and to be the final sacrifice for our sins.  Amen.

Come and See

I’ve talked several times about what our season of Epiphany means. It is, of course, more than that funny ‘green’ season between Christmas and Lent. It is about the revealing of Jesus Christ to the world around him.

In today's lesson, it is John who reveals the nature of Jesus when he says, "behold the Lamb of God." John bears witness to Jesus when he says, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove," and "This is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." and "I have seen and testify that this is the Son of God."

We know that John had made quite a name for himself - there hadn't been a prophet in Israel for 400 years and suddenly one appears. John was that voice crying out in the wilderness - could the Messiah be far behind? People were coming out to see this curiosity - the man in animal skins.

John was taking all people to task – he was calling for reform at every level from the personal level of the ordinary person on the street to the rich and famous. Regardless of who they were, he was calling each person to turn their life around and live it within the calling of God.  So John had gathered a number of disciples - men who had come from all parts of Judea and from Galilee - people who heard and wanted to follow the call of God on their lives. And one of those disciples was a young man named Andrew. He sat at the feet of John and listened to what he said - probably hung on every word, as they waited on the one God had promised so long ago.

And one day, John changes for his usual litany of "Prepare the way...  The time is coming... Repent and be saved... " He points to Jesus and says, "there he is folks - that's the one we have been waiting for." And Andrew and another disciple - curious about what this might really mean
get up and follow Jesus.

Now Jesus turns around and see them and he asks, "What do you want?" (Implied is "Why are you here? Why are you following me?")

Now if Jesus sees you sitting here and asks you that question, how would you answer it? Why are you here? What do you expect to find in this place at this time? What is it that you are seeking? If you could ask God one question, what would it be?

The question Andrew decided to ask was "Where are you staying?"  That question sounds strange to us, but remember, this was a different time and place. The connotation here is more than, "are you staying at the motel, or with friends, or sleeping under the bridge?" The Greek
word Andrew uses for "staying" is "meno" - and it has many connotations. It is used in the gospel of John 39 times. Such as:

the spirit descended like a dove and meno - remained - on him. John 1:32
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood meno - remains - in me, and I in him. John 6:56

- everyone who believes in me should not meno - remain - in the darkness. John 12:46

If you meno - abide - in me, and my words meno - abide - in you….  John 15:7

Meno means to stay - in a given place, state, or relationship, or even expectancy. Not just where are you going to sleep tonight - but where do you live - with who do you place your trust - where is your heart - who are you?

You notice that Jesus doesn't actually answer that question? No, because any answer he could have given to Andrew would have been inadequate. Jesus tells him, “Come and see.” The entity that was Jesus could not be defined or described. He has to be experienced - and that takes time.
Now it was about 4 in the afternoon when Andrew and Jesus first spoke. And after staying with Jesus for the rest of the day - Andrew goes to his brother Simon and tells him, "We have found the Messiah." That was all it took, a few hours with Jesus, and Andrew was convinced that it was
important for him to remain - meno - with Jesus; that there was something vital –life-giving about this man.

For Andrew, the revelation - the revealing of God in Jesus - began with John saying, "Behold, the Lamb of God." but it didn't end there. In seeking, Andrew followed and learned for himself what it meant to "Come and see." This is important for us also - that the revealing of God in Jesus Christ is on-going - it doesn't stop in a single encounter. It is an on-going experience and our understanding of Jesus changes and grows as we learn more and more about this one we call
Lord.

As Andrew learned what it meant to follow, he didn't hesitate to bring others to Jesus - starting with his brother. He brought a young boy who had a lunch of two fish and five barley loaves. He brought some Greeks who were seeking Jesus. And for Andrew, following Jesus was the invitation to life in it's fullest.... and he never hesitated to share that invitation with others.

What are any of us looking for in life? Security, love, meaning, a sense of belonging? Something brought you here today? But many of us are here for the same reason that Andrew was with John and then followed Jesus. We are searching for something to hold onto when life gets tough – something to believe in outside our meager existence.

Like us, Andrew wanted to believe that there was more to life - more to his existence than what he had experienced so far.  Jesus says to us, "Come and see." And like Andrew, we will find for ourselves something worth living for, something beyond ourselves - something that can't be contained in a single time or place, but that continues to reach out - crying to be shared. Jesus invites each of us to "Come and See," and most importantly, to share with others what we find in him.

Baptism of Jesus, the Anointing of a King

In today’s gospel lesson, John is out of the edge on the Judean wilderness at the Jordan River calling people to repentance and baptizing them.  This is the ritual of purification.  It is an act taken on by two kinds of people – those who are new converts to the Jewish faith, and those who have been separated by reason of great sin or wrongdoing.  The problem of Jesus coming for baptism is that he doesn’t fit the mold.  He is neither new to the faith nor does he have great sin to atone for.

When John sees him coming, he recognizes that.  We are given to understand from the gospel of Luke that Jesus and John are cousins – connected from the womb – for when Mary came to Elizabeth and told her that she was with child, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt for joy.  And when John sees Jesus come down for baptism, he would have “prevented him.”  

Actually this is a perfect example of perfect humility.  John sees Jesus and recognizes that he is without sin – he has no need to be baptized.  John has been talking and preaching about one who will come after him, one who will baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit.  And when John sees Jesus, he knows that he is the one.

Imagine for a moment if you were John and you saw Jesus coming, and in that moment of recognition that God often blesses us with, you know who and what Jesus is.  Would you be ready and willing to baptize Jesus, or would you join the protest that John makes?  “I need to be baptized by you.”  John in that instant recognizes his own unworthiness and protests.

John is not a bad person.  He is not all that sinful – if we were to develop a measure for such things.  But he has already proclaimed, one is coming whose sandals I am not worthy to untie – and here he is – faced with that same one – and that same one is wanting baptism.  And the world seems somewhat skewed to John – "wait," he thinks, "it needs to be the other way around."  This is true humility.

Jesus also displays his own humbleness – in obedience to the Father’s will – by subjecting himself to ritual of purification at the beginning of his ministry.  This baptism serves two purposes.

Two days ago, January 6, was Epiphany Day when we remember the coming of the Magi to seek "the king of the Jews."  Matthew’s gospel proclaims from the very beginning the kingship of Jesus.  So the first purpose of this baptism is the anointing of a monarch.

Jewish monarchs had to be anointed before they could speak or act as royal figures.  The one we probably remember best is the anointing of David the shepherd boy.  In today’s lesson, this is Jesus’ ceremonial anointing.   First he goes through the ritual of purification (baptism) and then he is anointed by God's own Spirit.  In early Jewish writings, to receive the spirit is to gain wisdom.  Jesus’ anointing comes not with oil, but by the Holy Spirit itself.

This was the official anointing of the king, the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry in Israel.  The Holy Spirit descends on him and the voice from heaven is heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  He began his ministry in the humbleness and obedience to God’s purpose.

But I want to propose that there is more going on here.  Matthew doesn’t come out and say it the way he does in other places – but he includes this as an associative link with Genesis.  Jesus is out in the water of the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit hovering over him – not unlike the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of chaos in the beginning – in the first verses of the Bible.

For the Jewish reader, this is intended to call up that image.  In Genesis God brought order out of chaos – the beginning of creation.  In today’s lesson, we have a new creation – a re-creation – God’s hand at work in the world in a new way.  In walking down into that river, God, in the person of Jesus Christ, shows his willingness to go down into the mess of the world and experience what we are going through.

When Jesus steps down into that water and allows John to baptize him, he demonstrates that he is not only able but willing to receive the ministry of imperfect people.  By receiving baptism from John, Jesus reminds us that our unworthiness, our imperfect nature, is no excuse for refusing to offer the ministries of redemption that others may seek from us.

We might ask ourselves, when is the time that we put aside our unworthiness, our insecurities, our hesitations, and like John step out to minister to those in need – even to Jesus himself.

Today we are going to baptize two young children.  Scout and Gideon are too young to realize the extent of what is happening today.  But the seed of the Holy Spirit will be planted in them today and will have time to grow and eventually blossom into mature faith.   Regardless of what else happens in their life, they have been adopted into the household of God and made heirs of the kingdom of heaven.

God’s faithfulness in being with us, and our obedience in responding to his leading, is indeed the gift of life, both here on earth, and in heaven above.   Amen.