Anxiety Part II: The Christmas Weight

Read Luke 2:1-7

“The Christmas Weight”

Today is the second sermon in a sermon series on anxiety. Before we get started, I want to do a little recap on what we have covered thus far. 

The sermon series on anxiety explores three different facets of anxiety: the past, present, and future. Last week we explored the “Haunting Past” and how decisions we make in the past affect us in the present and future.

You see, I believe one cannot escape anxiety. It’s part of the world we live in. And, the world continues to throw fuel on it when the flame ignites. However, there are ways to deal with it. There are ways to live with it. And, dare I say, there are ways to make the best out of it. I will quote one of my favorite writers when she said, “Anxiety is an old friend.” You are thinking, “What? An old friend? How could this terrible thing that plagues my life be a friend at all?” Valid question... But, it’s true. There are ways to make use of it. There are ways to gain strength and spiritual growth from it. There are ways to use it to your advantage. It can, actually, make life easier. If controlled, it can be healthy. But, if it is not controlled, it can get out of hand. As I have mentioned, it is much like fire. Yes, fire is a useful tool. We use fire in a controlled environment all of the time. We use to cook, to heat our houses, to manipulate malleable materials, and it has been used for a life source since the beginning of time. But, when it’s out of control, what happens? It destroys everything in its path. It doesn’t care who you are, how good you’ve got it, how healthy you are, or how much love, family, or friends you have surrounding you; it will make everything seem worthless when it takes control. That’s anxiety. It’s like fire. And, that’s just how it affects us emotionally. I didn’t mention that it affects us physically. We sometimes get rashes and breakouts on our skin, acid reflux, we get tired, we get moody, and/or much worse. And, that starts to affect the people around us. It’s taxing, not only to us, but everybody else. Yes, our anxiety hurts other people.

A few years ago, a musician, that I often listen to, was waiting in line with his wife to go see a movie. All of a sudden, he recalls having a feeling of fear unlike he had experienced before. He felt off-balance as if his body was fading for brief moment. Then he felt like he was dying. He had a moment that he thought he was leaving the world. He woke up in a hospital. The doctors ran blood tests in search of the problem. As it turned out, it all happened due to anxiety. His life going great. His albums were selling a lot and his name was growing rapidly. He had a lot of shows scheduled and he had just got married. He was working on his next album when this happened. It was due to everything happening so quickly and not taking time to debrief that his body forced him to stop. That’s what will happen if a person does not allow the body and mind to stop; it will stop for you. 

Let’s talk about this title, "The Christmas Weight". I took some time thinking about what you were thinking about when you read the title of this sermon. Did you think, “On yes, I put on some weight during Christmas. And, I am trying to get rid of it.” Or did you think, “This must be in reference to the weight my bank account lost during Christmas.” I thought that I could have titled it “Christmas W-A-I-T” which, would refer to what kids are thinking about somewhere toward the end of October. Or, I thought about the title, “Christmas? Wait…I’m still recovering from last year.” Which would be what parents are thinking somewhere toward the end of October. Any of those would have worked because they all involve some degree of anxiety, right? But, none of those refer to the background of this title. The Christmas Weight is in reference to the Mary, Joseph, and Jesus story. The Christmas story as the writer, Luke, tells it. 

It was decided that Mary and Joseph would become married even after he discovered she was pregnant. We know the story well. Luke doesn’t tell that part as well as some of the other gospel writers (my opinion). But, even if we did not know of the conversation Mary had with Joseph about being pregnant, we could assume that it was awkward. And, it had to be convincing. And, even if it was very convincing, it would have caused some anxiety on Joseph’s part. 

They were not yet married and Mary was very pregnant. She would have had to hide it from friends and family. Because, it was against the Mosaic Law for her to be pregnant outside of marriage. Joseph was an upstanding Jewish man. He lived by the Law and he was in the lineage of King David. This meant he was of some importance. But, he was having to hide the fact that his fiancé was pregnant and not yet married to him. 

Outside of all of this going on, Israel is under the rule of Rome. They are experiencing a lot of problems and the governing body (Rome) is making life tough. At the time, Caesar Augustus was the ruler of Rome and he was the first Emperor to rule over Rome. He obtained the position from being the great nephew of Julius Caesar. He had a legacy that he felt obligated to maintain. When he stepped into those shoes, he cleaned some things up. First, he removed Herod the Great’s son, Archelaus, from his governing position in Judea and replaced him with Quirinius, a Roman gentile. This move was political on the part of Augustus. He had more control over Quirinius than the son of Herod the Great. This would allow Augustus to control Judea even more than he already did. 

One of the first actions of Quirinius for his Emperor was to create a census. The idea behind this was to generate more taxes for the Roman Empire and to keep a count on the people under their rule. Here’s the thing, the Jews already hated the Romans. But, it only fueled the fire to create a census. Creating a census was forbidden in Jewish Law. It was against the Law and it was against their faith practices. But, they were forced to do it. This was one of the reasons why zealot groups were formed to rebel against Rome. 

Let’s put this into perspective. Another country invades our country, a country of a different faith. They conquer our country and form a government over our government. We not only have to pay our government taxes, but we have to pay them too. And, this new ruling government forces us to do things against our faith. That’s where the people of Israel are. There are some anxieties happening. Right?  

So, not only were Mary and Joseph experiencing some personal anxieties, there were some things outside of their personal problems shaking things up a little too. With all of this happening, they were forced to travel, against their will, to Bethlehem so that Joseph can sign this census. So, they travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. That’s about a 60-mile journey through some rough areas and over some coarse terrain. All the while, Mary is very pregnant and they are still trying to hide it. When they arrive at Bethlehem and start to look for a place to stay Mary says, “It’s time.” Oh, and did I mention that they knew this baby was not going to be the typical child. There was a dream and an angel that told Mary this baby would be conceived by the Holy Spirit. You've heard it before. Yeah, so they really did not know what was going to go down. But, Mary knew it was going to happen right now! But, what happened? All of these mad people were in town for the census and there was no room in the inn. So, they ended up in what was most likely something of a cave where animals slept. And it was there in that hole in a rock wall that Jesus happened. Yes.... Jesus happened. 

Whoa. 

We don’t often see that side of the story. Yeah, that’s the reality. It was when the shit was hitting the fan, handful after handful. It was when everybody was angry at the government and at life, adversity was in the air, and people were scared. Then this couple is just trying to be normal and be part of a declining society and do their part. But, noting is going the way they saw it going when they planned it. And here they were in a cave, used to water the donkeys, pushing a baby out because nothing goes right anymore. Then... 

Jesus happened.   

That’s what I call the Christmas weight. It’s when nothing is going right, you can’t see a clear path ahead, you feel like the world is against you, and you feel like you are carrying the weight this young couple had to carry from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Then, when everything seems to be falling apart, something happens. You get this weird sense of hope. You suddenly feel the presence of Love and Peace. The Spirit happens.  

When things are not going the way you want them to, or rather, the way you planned, what happens? Anxiety? When things are not panning out at home with family (kids/wife/dog) or at work with your boss, what happens? Anxiety? When you have a list of things to do that you just can’t get done and you have a list of things you're concerned about that you just continually stress about, what happens? Anxiety? When you are worried about your health what happens? Anxiety? It really starts to feel like you are carrying a Christmas weight. 

When you have that kind of anxiety and it is just not getting any better and you feel like the weight is getting heavier, it is time to let Jesus happen. When you let Jesus happen, you will find hope. Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you to let go and let God. Because, it doesn’t always work out like that. If I am hanging from a tree limb and I decide to let go and let God, God’s going to let gravity hit me with the ground. There is a lot more to it than that. Letting Jesus happen requires proactivity. 

It requires action and this is where anxiety becomes an old friend rather than a life-long nemesis. So, when we think about the opposite of anxiety what comes to mind? I think of calmness. I think of peace. I think of stillness, quietness, relaxation, or tranquility. It reminds me of the creation story when God came to the earth it was chaotic, which could be metaphorical for anxiety. God, brought peace and stillness. Anxiety is like a classroom full of children who have all been given a Jolt Cola, a Nesli’s Crunch, and a kitten. The opposite of that is an empty room with a hammock and the sun shining with a little breeze. It’s peace and tranquility.        

Now, we know that anxiety is with us everywhere we go. It there even when we try to avoid it. It can manifest because we are trying too hard to avoid it. Because it is always there, in order to control it you have to sacrifice parts of your life to step away from it. Do you feel me? Anxiety allows us to appreciate time when it is not present. It’s like day and night. I like having a lot of daylight. But, if there were no darkness, I could not appreciate it. Nighttime allows us to appreciate daytime and vice versa. Anxiety allows to appreciate its opposite: peace, stillness, calmness, and tranquility. That’s how you control anxiety. It’s like controlling a fire; you have to keep tabs on it. 

Now, here comes the proactive part. How do we do that? How do we control this old friend that has the habit of getting out of hand? It’s quite simple. I have three steps and it requires all three. You can’t just practice one. All three. 1) You have to take a break from your surroundings. You have to take sabbath time. You might hear me say that a lot. If it’s not working, you’re not doing it right. You have to detach, unplug, rest, escape from all distractions, and give time to you. It is a gift for you from God. God is telling you to take this time of quietness and peace and God is giving it to you for a reason. Somebody might say, “Well, I took a family vacation. That was my sabbath time.” Nah, don’t give me that. That’s not you time. Make time for you. While you are taking that sabbath time, think about God and think about the blessings you have been given from God. Stop working, stop looking at the phone, and look up and look out and appreciate it. 

That reminds me of something I heard not long ago. I wish I could take credit for this because it’s awesome but I cannot. One of favorite writers said this. There is a Jewish midrash about the Exodus story. God parts the Red Sea and all of the people are walking across the bottom of the sea. Some people were complaining because they were having to walk through the mud and they were getting mud in their sandals and in between their toes. They were so focused on the mud, they missed this amazing miracle that was happening all around them. The 21^stcentury version of that is, everybody is so busy looking at their phones and complaining about what they see on social media and finding entertainment in what they see on the internet that they forget to look up and all around at creation and the miracles that happen every day. 

2) If you control it and allow it, anxiety will help you discover your gifts. What is causing your anxiety? Now, what can you gain from it and learn from it and how is it part of your personality. That’s right, we are all wired differently and we approach learning differently. So, the question to ask is how can I make use of this struggle. It’s a good prayer. Ask, “God, what would you have me gain, what would you have me learn from this struggle? What are you teaching me? Allow me to learn from this so that I can better serve you.” Seek gifts in your anxiety.

3) When you are experiencing anxiety, it is quite likely there are some things out of order. Right? Some things are chaotic due to lack of order or stability. In the creation story, God arrived and there was chaos. So, God created order and there was peace. It is order that created the book of Leviticus. The Israelites did not have laws or rules and if there are no laws or rules, what happens? Chaos. So, the Law of Moses was created for order and stability. 

I cleaned out the closet in my garage last week. If you were to open the door prior to last week you would have seen chaos and disarray. But, now it has order. (For a little while at least.) And, I have to tell you, it makes me feel good to look in that closet and see order. 

So, you are carrying the Christmas weight. There is turmoil, worry, anxiety, darkness, and God knows what else. It feels like things are busting at the seam. First, find rest and peace away from everything. Second, search for gifts. Ask, “God, what will you have me learn from this?” And third, create order. Take time to create order or reorder things in your life. Allow God to use your anxieties to make a better you. 

That’s God’s plan for you!  

Anxiety Part I: The Haunting Past

Read 1 Samuel 15:27-31, 34-35 

Greetings! 

This will be the first homily in a three-part series on a particular topic that most of us are all too familiar with. If you are an adult and not familiar with it, I need to hang around you a little and learn something from you. The topic is anxiety. It’s an ugly little word and it has chased most of us all over the place, from one point in our lives to the other. It has been a part of our lives from our early years, to the ones we are living right now. Truly, I believe we cannot escape it. It’s part of the world we live in. And, the world continues to throw fuel on it when the flame ignites. However, there are ways to deal with it. There are ways to live with it. And, dare I say, there are ways to make the best out of it. There are ways to make use of it. There are ways to gain strength and spiritual growth from it. We are going to discuss some of those things. But, if not controlled, it can get out of hand. It is much like fire. Yes, fire is a useful tool. We use fire in a controlled environment all of the time. We use to cook, to heat our houses, to manipulate malleable materials, and it has been used as a life source since the beginning of time. But, when it’s out of control, what happens? It destroys everything in its path. It doesn’t care who you are, how good you’ve got it, how healthy you are, or how much love you have surrounding you; it will make everything seem worthless when it takes control. 

That’s anxiety. 

It’s like fire. And, that’s just how it affects us emotionally. I didn’t mention that it affects us physically. We sometimes get rashes and breakouts on our skin, acid reflux, we get tired, we get moody, or much worse! And, that starts to affect the people around us. It’s taxing, not only to us but everybody else. Yes, our anxiety hurts other people.

So let’s take some time to wrestle with this devil. Our plan is to gain some insight on how to tame, control, and use anxiety as a tool to learn and grow. 

First, let me confuse you. I believe there is this constant motion moving forward in time. Things are constantly changing and it seems that there is a progression towards something better, towards something good. May it be in technology or science, humans are discovering ways to make things better. I think this is the progression of life. Things aren’t what they were 100 years ago, or 50 years ago, or 25 years ago, or 10 years ago. All things considered, things are better. There is something happening, there are progressions and movements. Have you noticed it? I think that thing has a name; it’s called God. Humans are just pieces of a really big puzzle, a big picture. This advancement is happening because of people caring for people. That’s the big picture coming together. God’s work moving into the future is rooted in love. We get better when we bring people closer. 

This movement toward advancement or improvement takes place because of each individual (people) moving with it. We play a small part in the big picture. We each have a part to play in order for good things to happen. But, in our individual movement toward improvement, advancement, love for one another, and God’s love there are times when an anchor is dropped. What happens when a boat drops its anchor? It stays in one place. It does not move. It becomes stagnant. There is no moving forward or backward; it is in one place. Then things in our lives start to lose movement and they become stagnant. Our relationships become stagnant. We can pretend there is movement, but that anchor keeps us in that one place. Our spiritual life becomes stagnant. We can even show up to church and pretend life is good, but that anchor keeps us from getting anywhere in our relationships with God or our neighbors. Work becomes stagnant. We even show up every day with a plan, but nothing gets done. There are many things that can act as that anchor. But, one of the most common is anxiety.    

During this three-part sermon, we are going to talk about three different facets of anxiety: The past, the present, and the future. Today we are going to talk about the haunting past. The anxiety of the past is like an anchor that gets thrown out of the boat and it latches on to something and keeps you from moving forward. You give it more strength but it just pulls you back. It’s a weight that won’t let you move forward with your life. It’s that voice that in your head that keeps asking, “Where would I be if I had done things differently?”

I am sure Samuel asked that question in regard to King Saul.

From the time of the Exodus until nearly 300 years later, Israel did not have a king. They were governed by Judges. There were many judges during that period in history. But, there were a lot of threats on Israel by other countries and kingdoms, particularly Philistine. Naturally, Israel wanted a king. They wanted someone that could take care of them. They wanted someone to protect them. Samuel was one of the judges and he was also a prophet. Since the people wanted a king, they took their complaints to Samuel. Samuel took those complaints to God. But, here’s the thing, God was not ready for Israel to have a king, it was not time. God knew the right time, but God’s people were too worried, anxious, eager, and they thought they knew better than God. So, they persisted. 

I think we can level with these folks. How bad have you wanted something even when you know it’s not the right time? Not only does God know, but you know. And, you still want it right now. I have been there. 

Samuel warned the people about the consequences of anointing a king when it was not time. But, they persisted. God told Samuel, “Comply with their request. Give them a king.” (1 Sam 8:22) The result of that commandment was King Saul, Israel’s first king. Saul’s reign as king was less than desirable. Samuel’s prophecies about the king were fulfilled and Israel regretted their desire for a king. If only they had listened to God through Samuel, they could have saved themselves from a lot of problems. 

So, let’s recap. God’s people, the Israelites, want a king. God wasn’t ready for them to have a king. They persist because they think they know better than God. God tells Samuel to give them a king. The king turns out to be a poor and unjust leader. God’s people regret their decision. Any of this ringing a bell from your past? It is mine. Pretty simple. I’ve seen it a hundred times. My parents would say, “Son, don’t do that.” I would say, “Trust me; I know what I am doing.” Then, I would do it anyway. Suddenly, while in the emergency room, I would regret not listening to what my parents said. It’s not rocket science. 

But, don’t we all make bad decisions knowing the potential outcome. We do. I feel like we have all done it at some point in our lives. A girl might like a guy knowing that he is a trouble maker and has a history of bad relationships. In her mind, she knows that everybody he has dated has been hurt. "But, he’s got pretty blue eyes, so we’ll be fine together". Bad decisions. Here’s the thing, when we get to that fork in the road that has two decisions, one good and one bad, do you think God only follows us down one of them? No. God follows us down either one of them. When we make that decision to go down the bad path, God will not stop us. But, God goes with us. I think the Holy Spirit grabs some tissues, and an icepack, puts on a helmet, and says, “This is gonna hurt. But, we’re gonna do it together." 

God was with Samuel, Israel, and Saul during all of their bad decisions. They all made those bad decisions and God allowed it to happen. Would you believe that, even, God makes regretful decisions? After Saul’s reign as king was over, the writer tells us this, “Samuel never saw Saul again before he died, but he grieved over Saul. However, the Lord regretted making Saul king over Israel.” I don’t think God makes bad decisions. But, I do think that God regrets when we make bad decisions. I think God regrets it because God knows that those bad decisions in our past often come back and haunt us. What is the result of the haunting past? Anxiety. 

Do you often think about bad decisions or bad choices that you’ve made in the past? Do you ever think about what would have or could have been had you made different choices? Here’s my favorite, where would I be had I not wasted my time on that? Or, where would I be if I had used my time more wisely? Where would I be had I not married that person? Worked for that company? Listen to that advice? Followed that friend? What could have been? Why did I make those mistakes? Would my life be better? Why did I take that path? 

When we ask those questions, the anchor digs in deep. The fire starts to spread to other areas in our lives. Sometimes, dwelling on those questions leads to brand new poor decisions. The next thing you know, there are a few more anchors. 

There was a reason why God did not want Israel to have a king when they wanted one. God had a king in mind and it was a great king. It was King David. But, David was not old enough to be the king. So, there was a fork in the road. One path leads to Saul becoming king and Israel struggling with Saul and that is just what happened. The other path was Israel waiting for David. There was a lot of struggle that could have come with that because of all of the threats by other kingdoms. It could have been very detrimental. But, the end of both of those paths was a blessing. King David. The great King that united God’s people. So, regardless of what decision God’s people made, there would have been consequences. But, both paths led to the same place. Regardless of the struggle, the end was glory. 

So, regardless of the decision they made, God was prepared to allow God’s people to struggle so that they would appreciate the blessing that was to come. The blessings that Israel experienced at the end of the path were so great, they were able to let go of the haunting past. 

So, here’s a question. I want you to think about it. What past anxieties are haunting you? What decisions of your past are holding you back? What past anxieties are causing a fire to spread into other areas of your life? Do they keep you up at night? Do they cause you to lose focus on your life? Are they affecting facets of your life such as work, relationships, or family? Are you following me?

Focusing on those past anxieties are causing that anchor to did in deeper and sometimes they are causing more anchors to drop. The only way to move forward is to cut the chain. Don’t just real them in and let them sink again. Cut the chain and look ahead because there are many blessings that God wants you to experience. There is glory ahead and you cannot experience it unless you move forward. And, if you continue to look at the paths behind you and the decisions you've made, you cannot see what is ahead. If you are looking back, you cannot see forward. 

My friends, there is something up there for you to see. There is something God wants to show you. And, there are many more decisions to make. 

Now, what if the fire got out of control? What if that anxiety has spread into other facets of life and done some damage? It’s ok. There are many blessings to gain from this out-of-control fire. First thing’s first, you have to put the fire out. The first step in doing that is convincing yourself that there will be blessings to come from this. Then the next step is admitting that you need help and telling the people around you that you are struggling. And, always know that God walks with you through every struggle and bad decision you make. 

We all know that fire does a lot of damage. But, have you ever noticed that after time, the grass that was once burned will grow back greener? That is a blessing ahead of you that you will experience. Allow the people that have been affected by your anxieties to walk with you and God away from the past. You will all gain strength from the journey. And, when you glance at the past, you will notice the green grass growing. 

A Sermon on Wine

Read: John 2:1-11

“A Sermon on Wine”

When you looked at the title of this sermon, you probably thought about the scripture written just above it. Even if you are not aware of the exact scripture the story came from or the details about it, you might have guessed that this message is about the miracle Jesus performed when he turned water into wine. Here’s the thing; that’s not where the title came from. The title, "A Sermon on Wine” was given to this message because the writer was drinking wine when he wrote it. That’s why it’s called, “A Sermon on Wine”. So, you will find that if you are patient, listen, and hang around for the whole experience, it gets better at the end.   

I think it’s safe to say that most of us know the story, we've heard many variations of it, we’ve heard some jokes about it, and I think I've even received a Hallmark card or two referencing the story. That’s right, Jesus turned water into wine. It’s no wonder these disciples wanted to follow this guy. You know, they were all somewhere around late teens/early twenties. They were the age of frat guys. You can imagine their enthusiasm. I am sure culture has changed a lot but I feel certain this performance still gained the attention of these guys. I mean, some of them were fishermen! We all know fishermen like to have a drank every now and then. 

Before we go any further, let’s have a little lesson on wine. Some people will argue that the beverage spoken about in the bible was not fermented and that it was simply grape juice. But the Greek word, "oinos", used in the Greek New Testament is unmistakably the fermented version of the juice. Also, juice didn’t become popular until later on because storing it requires refrigeration; wine does not. The beverage spoken about in the bible is wine. In many ancient cultures, beverages such as wine and various versions of fermented brew were consumed because it was safe to drink. Kind of ironic... Water was not safe because there were few methods to filter water unless it was taken from a flowing stream and, consumption was still a risk. Many of the cities had open sewage flowing to near water sources. Much of the water had to be boiled to remove it of bacteria. But wine, on the other hand, will keep. Bacteria cannot live or produce in wine because of the alcohol content. When people in ancient cultures traveled from city to city on long journeys, they did carry water but it was primarily used for cooking and other various purposes such as cleansing. It could be consumed but it had to be prepared and purified. But, they also carried wineskins, full of wine, to readily and safely consume on the journey. 

If you know anything about wine, you know there is a process to create it. You don’t just whip up a batch. It takes weeks, sometimes months, to make a cheap batch of wine. A good vintage requires years. It’s quite a process. I don’t know of anyone who has ever made a batch of wine in less than two weeks….except for one person during a particular event. And, we have that story right here in front of us. 

The very first miracle that Jesus performed was at a wedding party in a Galilean city called Cana. Cana was just a small village, easily accessible for travelers making the journey from the two great Roman cities in Galilee, Sepphoris and Tiberias. These two cities were two major metro centers. There was a lot of travel between them. With that said, there were many visitors stopping in Cana. So, we are at a wedding in Cana. Wedding parties in the Jewish culture are different from our Christian traditions. They are now and they were even more so then. They are huge and they draw a crowd. You wouldn’t simply attend a wedding; you would attend a wedding party. These wedding parties attract a lot of guests and they are political to some degree because they are a representation of the family. When a family hosted a wedding party, it was essential they put on a show because it proved who they were in the village. This was a shame/honor culture and that is what made it political. If people liked you, you had the people’s honor and a good way to gain it was through a good ol' shindig. 

Leading up to the wedding party the host has slaughtered the best sheep and calf, he has made the best wine, he is prepared to serve delicacies, and he has saved a lot of money to invest in this party. When the party happens, everything is going down. People are dancing, merrymaking (yes, I said merrymaking), they are having a good time, and eating and drinking. The host is observing and enjoying what he has created. But, thunder strikes. He gets word that the wine has ran out! 

Do you remember when you were in college? You are at a Saturday night, post-football game, keg party. Your team won and everybody is having a great time and enjoying the victory. You go for your next draught and notice the barrel is floating. What happens? You all leave.  

Word starts to spread around the party. This is an embarrassment for the poor host. Perhaps there were more guests than he anticipated. Perhaps they were just really thirsty. At any rate, there was a problem. This was so embarrassing. It’s like being at the grocery store with a line behind you and you can’t come up with the money to pay for your stuff. It’s humiliating. It’s almost shameful. That’s the feeling this host is having. He is sweating. People are already talking about his failure to adequately host the party. His failure was like an insult to the bride and his family. So, he starts looking for solutions before people start leaving.

In the meantime, Mary, the mother of Jesus, has observed all of this. She goes to Jesus and his disciples to inform them of the problem. “The host is out of wine.” She says. It’s in that moment that we wonder what Mary was asking for. Jesus’ reply would suggest that she knew what he could do. It was as if she knew the potential. His reply, particularly the second part of it, would suggest that she not only knew the potential, but she knew the long-term outcome. He says, “My time hasn’t come yet.” It was as if Mary asked, “Are you going to save the party?” And Jesus replies, “Oh yes, I am going to save them, but not yet.” 

“My time hasn’t come yet.” I want you to think about that. Put that away for now and I am going to come back to it. I am going to make a point with it, but before I get there, it needs to be sharpened a little.

So, Jesus tells the servants, who would be like the waiters, to go and fill these big stones jars full of water. These jars likely already had a little water in them. Why? They were large thirty-gallon jars used for Jewish cleansing ritual. That’s a very religious way of saying, they used them to wash their hands and feet. Yes, that is right; these jars were used to wash the nasty from people’s hands and feet before they ate food. They weren’t completely full because people had been using them. Dirt. Bacteria. All the bad stuff people had on their hands and feet from doing what people do, along with the water already in the jars. Jesus says, “Fill them full. Then, take some to the headwaiter.” The servant did as Jesus asked and what happened in the distance from the jar to the head waiter? Dirty water became wine. 

Let’s think about this. What did Jesus do? He made water into wine. What happens to bacteria and impurities when alcohol is present? It kills it; it cannot exist. It was cleansing water, it had bacteria and Lord knows what in it. When Jesus made it wine, he made it clean; he made it pure. He made what was once impure, pure again. Do you feel me? So, why didn’t Jesus just make clean water? Why didn’t Jesus just make grape juice? Here is why, and the writer wants us to know this. You see, if he had just made water, what would happen? It would get dirty again. After a bit of time, it would just turn into dirty water. If he had made some kind of juice, in just short time, it would start to spoil. Instead, he made something that would not spoil. He made something that, upon his miracle, would remain clean. 

After Jesus performs the miracle, the product would be unsusceptible to impurities. You feeling me? Ok, hold on to that. Put that away with “My time hasn’t yet come.” We’re going to tie them together. 

The writer tells us that the waiter took the water-turned-wine to the headwaiter. The headwaiter says to the host, “Hey, why have you withheld the good stuff, the vintage? Everybody knows you serve the good stuff in the beginning. You served the second-rate wine first and saved the best for last.” You see, people were already leaving the party. They were like the people that leave the football game when they lose hope for their team’s situation. But, when they do this, they forfeit the whole experience. Some of the party guests already lost hope for the party and the host. Little did they know; a miracle was in the cards. There was not the time to make more wine. As we know, wine takes a while to make and there were no package stores around. So, they didn’t see this event getting any better. Had they had some hope, they would not have only received a reward, but they would have received the best reward. There was a special play in the playbook that had yet been used. They did not know that Jesus was about to give new life to the party. 

The true gift came at the end, at the right time, when it was needed the most. Now, put that away with “My time has yet to come” and, making pure out of what is impure. I am about to tie them up.  

Here we have a story of Jesus’ first miracle. It wasn’t the greatest miracle in terms of miraculous things. I mean, I can make wine. He just made it faster and better than I can. He did some other miracles that cast a shadow over this one. As we now know, there are many more great things to come from Jesus. But, you see, this miracle has some poetic significance. That is because it is an image and a guide to Jesus’ last miracle. What was the last miracle? It was his own resurrection, which was the saving grace and the atonement of the sins of the world. 

Let’s go in reverse. Point three: The true gift came at the end, at the right time, when it was needed the most. The people were giving up on the future of the party. There was nothing to have hope for. The wine wasn’t that good, to begin with. The people were starting to leave. Before the last miracle (after Jesus' death), Jesus’ followers had lost hope. They had almost given up. They wanted to hang around but they were afraid of what might happen. Things were not looking good anyway. His followers were starting to scatter. Then, the good wine shows up. Jesus appears to his followers showing them that he is alive, and affirming that he has given life to the whole party.

Point two: After Jesus performs the miracle, the product would be unsusceptible to impurities. He didn’t just make clean water that might become dirty again. He didn’t make juice that would spoil in time. No, he made wine. He made something that would never again be affected by contaminations or impurities. Jesus’ atonement didn’t simply remove us of our sins. He made something that would never again be contaminated by the sin of the world. He made something that could not be susceptible to bacteria of the world. Folks, we were once dirty water; we are now good wine. 

Point one: I think this one is sharp enough now. Jesus said, “My time hasn’t come yet.” It was as if Mary said, “Jesus, save them.” And Jesus said, “It’s not time for me to save them. But, I’ll save the party.” I am convinced that Jesus could have saved the world right then. He might have been able to turn himself in for what he was going to do and they might have killed him. If he can eliminate the months or years it takes to make good wine, he can eliminate the time it takes to start a revolution. But, it wasn’t time. Why was it not time? Because, the people, his followers, the writers, they all needed to experience the whole journey. They needed to travel with him, witness the other miracles, make mistakes in his presence, question him, see him, hear him, touch him, walk with him…  In order to receive the gift, you have to accept the experience. 

Now, we have a sermon. 

As a culture, we are losing sight of journey and experience and the significance of it. Things are becoming more and more abbreviated. All things considered, experience takes time and, for many people, time is not cheap. But, with technology growing as it has been, we are finding ways to skip over the experience. The bad part of that is the loss of value for the final product. At the end of a journey or the end of an experience, there is a final product or result. If we skip the experience, the product or result is less valuable. If the disciples at the party never saw Jesus again after the party, then he turned up after his death, I am sure they would have been enamored but it wouldn’t have had the same effect. They might have been like, “Isn’t that the guy that made the wine at that party? I thought he was killed! That's weird.” No, they needed the entire experience. They needed to develop emotions, passions, loyalty, faith, and zeal to continue a legacy. That required the whole journey.   

I was reminded of this not long ago when I synced my iPhone up to a Bluetooth speaker and played the first Nirvana album, Nevermind. It came out when I was thirteen and it changed the way that I listened to music. I was blown away. It changed my feelings about music. It was the major transition between 80’s hair band rock to grunge rock. What I was thinking about when I was listening to this the other day was how different it would be if I had a smartphone when this album came out. I would have pulled it up on Apple Music or Spotify, listened to Smells Like Teen Spirit (The first song), listened to Smells Like Teen Spirit a few more times, skipped through some of the others, and moved on. But no, when I first purchased the album, it was on a cassette. I walked around with my yellow Sony Walkman on my belt and that tape playing for weeks. I didn’t dare hit fast forward and risk missing any part of that album; I just took it all in. We did that with cassettes; we listened to the whole thing. For me, with that album, I needed to take in the whole experience to appreciate what it was and what it would become. 

This is applicable with so many things in our lives. Experience and the journey are everything. That is not just with music. Books… sure, you can read the first few pages and put it down, then later read the last couple of pages. But, what good is it if you miss the whole experience. Movies… you can’t rush the experience; you have to make the journey with the characters to appreciate the outcome. What about vacation. In order for it to be beneficial, you need not rush it. What about rest or sabbath time? It’s not something that can just happen. Even though you are doing nothing, it is the experience with God that makes it beneficial. Here’s one of my favorites: food. We want it fast as soon as we can get it and eat it. But, we are losing the experience of cooking it. Sometimes it takes me over an hour to cook dinner for myself but I appreciate it so much more because I watched it happen. It was a journey. 

What about people? Ah, now we are making a little sense. You can’t just have an immediate relationship with someone. You can’t just give someone a friendship without, what? Experience. You have to take some journeys with them to build the ultimate result, a friendship. 

Here’s is another example, coming to know God. Building your faith and Spirit. It doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes experience. I don’t want people to tell me who God is, I want to have the experience from the miracle of birth to the finale miracle of life after death. From making wine to the resurrection and all of the miracles and experiences in between. Yes, I want the whole journey. “But, the Bible says…” Yes, I know what the Bible says. Knowing what the Bible says is like looking for corners in a round room; It leads to circles. All of the corners are on the outside of the room. I want to find the corners the doors and the spaces in between. What the Bible says is fascinating, but the experience happens and the journey begins when we start to dance with the blank spaces between each word. And, it is in those blank, white spaces that we find the experience with God. We take journeys with God. Not everybody takes these journeys because it takes too much time and we need immediate results. But, you cannot appreciate the results unless you have the experience and make the journey. You have to listen to the whole album, read the whole book, watch the whole movie, feel the sand in between your toes, rest in the Lord’s presence, cook the meal, laugh, cry and embrace people and you have to dance with the empty spaces. That’s the experience. That’s the journey. 

In order to have and appreciate the result, you must be patient until the end. You must take in the experience, the whole journey, from the beginning to the end. From the first miracle to the last. 

And that, my friends, is a sermon on wine. 

Cheers                                

Community Baptism

Acts 8:14-17 Common English Bible (CEB)

14 When word reached the apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had accepted God’s word, they commissioned Peter and John to go to Samaria. 15 Peter and John went down to Samaria where they prayed that the new believers would receive the Holy Spirit. (16 This was because the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen on any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 So Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

“Community Baptism”

I lived in Memphis, TN for five years. During the last couple of years of living in Memphis, I was involved with Room in the Inn. RITI is a non-profit organization that assists individuals affected by homelessness find shelter during the winter months. The organization of Room in the Inn, Nashville, is much larger than Memphis. They have a larger budget and much larger facility. But, they too started with the same, much smaller, goal. 

Basically, RITI, Memphis, operates from October to March. Colonial CPC is the founding church for RITI Memphis. The first couple of years, RITI volunteers met people downtown and transported them to East Memphis (Colonial CPC). There, they served them a meal, let them shower, offered a change of clothes, and gave them a place to sleep. This is a great ministry for people in need, but one church can only do so much. The maximum number the church could accommodate was around fifteen. With that said, there were many being turned away to sleep outside in the elements. This was very difficult. The solution to this problem was to add more churches to the list. Finding more churches that would open their doors to homeless people, serve them a meal, offer a shower, fresh clothes, and a place to sleep was a difficult challenge. Many churches were not interested in helping. That has been about seven years ago. Now, due to many efforts by Colonial CPC and RITI, RITI Memphis has over forty churches partnered with them. During the winter months, people affected by homelessness are bused to churches all over the Memphis area. The number of churches increases yearly. 

RITI started with one small faith community and they quickly learned that it was going to take more than one church to accommodate their mission. Though, their heart was big enough to make the attempt, working as a single entity would only leave them heartbroken from having to turn people away. The solution was to join with others, to ask others to help carry the burden, to provide others with the same opportunity to serve, and most importantly, to strengthen the number of the serving community. It’s quite simple. One person can help a few; more people can help many.

There is an African proverb that has circulated for hundreds of years and it has been spoken in many languages. It was first spoken in tribes of West Africa. It says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It basically means that the entire tribal village was responsible for looking after a child and taking part in its well-being. The child does not grow up in a single home. The community as a whole takes part in the child’s growth however it is necessary. It takes a village to make a difference. One person can help a few; more people can help many. Much of the time, community involvement is the key to success in making a difference. RITI continues to grow and find success because of community involvement. The village participates, so to speak.  

The fact that continues to irritate me is there are many churches that do not want to get involved. Why? Is it because those people smell bad? Is because some of them struggle with illnesses and it’s a liability? Is it because some of them have made bad choices to land them the position they are in? Is it the time and resources it requires to take on such a service? Or, perhaps it’s just that hard to care when people have their own problems? I don’t know? From what I have gathered by experience, a huge part of the reason why people don’t like to help the poor, homeless, addicted, ill, criminal, (I refer to them as "the least of these", as did Jesus in Mat 25:40) is because these people have made bad choices that they could have prevented. It is the idea that they put themselves in the undesirable position they are in. The idea that if they had only not made those decisions, they would not be in that position. That’s the common excuse. I have even heard people say, “They are being punished for the choices they have made.” My question for a person with that philosophy is, “Have you never made bad choices?” Of course, they have. We have all made bad choices. Some of them are more detrimental than others. 

Have you ever noticed how people like to tie a reason behind someone’s struggle? If a person has a heart attack or gets cancer, the first thing we ask is what did they do. They must have been unhealthy. Did they smoke? A person has a car accident; what do you ask? How fast were they going? Were they drinking? If I cut my finger with a knife, I must have been playing with a knife. If they are homeless it’s because they don’t want a job, which is far from the truth. If they are an addict it’s because they like doing drugs, also, far from the truth. People see through the single lens that says, if you play with fire, you’ll get burned. It’s true, but you’ll also get burned if you’re stuck in a house that’s on fire. Think about that. Sometimes there is no way out…unless someone helps. 

I know there are people just waiting on the first accident to my homeless ministry (delivering food to homeless people on bicycles.) I can hear it. “Well, that’s what you get.” 

I digress.

All is to say: we all make bad choices. Who can say they can look back on the life they lived thus far and never say, “I regret doing that.” I can’t. People make bad choices. If you know your bible stories, you know that the Holy Text is full of people making bad choices. From Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, the Hebrews, Moses, the Israelites, the Judges, King David and all of those after, the disciples, Paul, the apostles, the new churches, that’s just to name a few. And, all of the stories reflect their bad choices. But, here’s what you need to know through all of this, all of history, God was there, present with all people as they made bad choices. God loved them dearly before, during, and after their bad choices. God never loved them any less, regardless of the choices they made.   

Through the lens of the first century Jews, the Samaritans made a lot of bad choices. There were a lot of enemies for the Jews during this time but the Samaritans had been the enemy for a long time. They were separate from the Judean Jews and they all wanted to keep it that way. The Samaritans were the bad people that the people of Judea told their children not to associate with. They were considered impure and racially inferior to the other Jews even though they celebrated Jewish holidays and observed Moses’ Law. But, that did not keep the Jews from looking down on the Samaritans. In John, chapter 8, Jesus’ critics insult him by calling him a Samaritan. In Luke, chapter 9, Jesus has trouble in Samaritan villages. And, later Jesus instructs his disciples not to go to Samaria in Matthew, chapter 10. However, Jesus used Samaritans in his stories and parables. In some cases, he uses them as characters to escalate the plot a little more. The woman at the well was a Samaritan. It was culturally unacceptable for this rabbi to converse with a Samaritan woman. Of course, we know the story of the good Samaritan. This story was bizarre because to the Jews, there was no such as a “good” Samaritan. 

The reason the Samaritans were of such dislike was that of their reputation. Despite their inclination to worship the God of Israel and obey Law, they were neither Jew nor Gentile. However, they were charged with working both sides to their advantage. They take their side according to the circumstances. Basically, if the Jews were prospering, the Samaritans would call themselves Jews. But, if they noticed a decline for some reason, they would say they have nothing in common. They were somewhat hypocritical and not loyal. It’s like those football fans that only cheer for the team that’s winning. They don’t claim to be a fan when they are losing. You know those people. The Samaritans had a reputation of choosing the winning side, even if their faith was involved. 

In Acts, chapter 8, Philip is commissioned to go to Samaria to develop a group of Christ followers and to baptize them. After some time in this region, he converted many. And he baptized many. These Samaritans needed to cling on to something. They had faith but they were not accepted by the people of their faith. I believe this made their faith unstable. When a person came to town offering allegiance to a salvific deity, they were ready to listen and subscribe. That’s why people were ready to listen to Philip when he arrived. However, Philip struggled with his mission. The mission became difficult when some of these Samaritans wanted to believe and be baptized for the sake of gaining power. It was hard for them to understand the selflessness of Christ. They wanted the power of Christ for their own recognition. And, they assumed that with this power they could perform and be compensated. This suited their reputation. 

Word got back to the disciples in Jerusalem that people in Samaria were listening to Philip preach and they were accepting Christ. Knowing the difficulty and the reputation of the Samaritans and the struggle Jesus had with them, Peter and John went to aid Philip in his mission in Samaria. When Peter and John arrived, they met with Philip and the new Christ followers. The story tells us that Peter and John laid hands on them and the people received the Holy Spirit.  

Philip had a mission into the unknown. He was commissioned to travel to a place to mingle with people not similar to his own circles. He went to spread the news to people he was told many times to not associate with. Let me remind you, these folks were known as bad people. They were criminals, liars, cheaters, and they were people that made bad choices and they paid for their decisions. Despite, worshiping God, the Jews believed that God did not accept them because of their hypocritical nature. But, Philip goes to introduce them to God in a way they had never heard, a way that they could all be part of God’s kingdom just as Jews were. But, despite his efforts and loyalty to Christ, Philip was having a hard time. They were being baptized and they were hearing Philip, but they were not receiving him. The truth is, despite his zeal, faith, compassion, and determination, Philip could not fulfill the mission on his own. It required more than just Philip. When Peter and John arrived and assisted Philip, the mission was fulfilled.

Do you notice something here? It took more than just Philip to fulfill Philip’s mission. Now, let’s look at this through the lens that says, “Well, if God wanted these people to receive the Spirit, God would have made it happen with Philip alone.” But, that is not the way God wanted it to happen. God wanted it to take more people. Why? Because that means more would be involved for God’s glory. God wanted the whole village to be involved. When more of God’s servants are present, more people see God. That makes sense, doesn’t it? Sometimes it takes a village. When the whole village gets involved, more is accomplished. Have you ever seen a barn raised on an Amish farm? One person doesn’t do it. The whole community gets involved. Far more is accomplished when we do it together.         

We recently celebrated the liturgical occasion, The Baptism of our Lord. It is the day that we remember what baptism is for us. Yes, baptism is personal and it represents the personal relationship you have with God for eternity. It represents the acceptance of the Spirit that lives in you. However, it is also interpersonal. Our baptisms are a representation of being part of a community of believers. We are for each other. We support each other. We hold each other accountable. We server each other. And together, when we join together, despite our differences and biases, we make an impact. As individuals we are strong; together as a community, we are much stronger.   

How is God calling you to be part of the community, the church, a group, (religious, secular, civic, family, friends, etc.)? How can you make a difference for people that need you? Yes, God can do anything through any one person, but God had rather use many people. When more of God’s servants are present, more people see God. 

Who's First?

Read Matthew 21: 23-32

“What Comes First”

Do any of these phrases sound familiar to you? 

I just want to fit in. Why don’t they like me? Why can’t I be like them? I want to be noticed. I just want people to recognize me. I want people to see me. What about me do people not like. Am I different? Are they different? Is it the clothes I wear? Is it the way I talk? Do I smell bad? I wish I had friends. I wish people would hear my voice. They might like me if they would get to know me. Is it something I said? Maybe I am different. Maybe God made me different. God, why did you make me different? Please just give me a chance. 

Or, can you recall using any of these phrases? 

You don’t fit in. People just don’t like you. If you would change and be a little different people might like you. Just go somewhere else. I would rather not see you. You don’t belong. You are not a likable person. You’re just different; you’re not one of us. You are weird. You are not like the rest of us. You smell bad. You don’t have friends for a reason. Nobody cares what you have to say. Nobody wants to get to know you. You are not right for this group, you’re not proper material. It’s not God’s fault; it’s your fault. Just leave because you are not wanted. 

Have you felt excluded or separated from everybody else? It's likely that you can recall some of these thoughts or feelings from grade school or high school. Some of you might have heard or had them as adults. Some of you might have heard these things in church or from a church. Believe it or not, that is far more common than it should be. There are churches in the world that believe some people just don’t belong in their sanctuaries and faith communities. Forgive me for twisting the knife a little more, but there are churches in our communities that believe some people just do not belong among them. Do you remember what it felt like in school when someone told you that you just didn’t fit in to a certain group? Now, can you imagine what it would feel like if God told you that you just didn’t fit in? If a person is excluded from a church, that is how they feel. Though, exclusion of any type is not the will of heaven, it is the will of human. 

The religious people knew one way and Jesus knew another. The religious leaders walked the streets looking down on people that were different from them. They completely disenfranchised themselves from the people that were not “blessed”. Surely, they noticed the poor, the sick, and the less fortunate subjected to the streets. Surely they noticed the beggars that could not drag themselves out of the slums they lived in. Surely, they saw them. But, they believed the “less blessed” were also cursed. They believed that God put them there because they did something to make God mad. Perhaps, it was something their families did and they were paying for it. The religious leaders did not see them to be fit for the temple worship. I mean, if they couldn’t tithe why should arrive. As far as the religious leaders were concerned, if they did not pay the temple dues they were disrespectful to God. To them, it was best that these disenfranchised people just kept their distance. They believed that if you didn’t have money, you were not welcome. So, the way these people saw it, the only people connected with God were the wealthy Jews. Of course, they kept a close relationship with the Roman Empire. This relationship was kind of under the table. They did not want other Jews to know about this relationship with the Romans because they were the enemy. But, the Roman coin allowed them to live luxuriously. The Romans filled their purses. They collaborated to further oppress God’s people. 

“What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?” They asked Jesus when he not only invited numerous people into the temple, but he started teaching them and contradicting the Jewish leaders. Jesus had quite a following and when he went into the temple his followers saw him and they went with him. And he started teaching them this radical way that God loved all people: poor people, sick and diseased, marginalized, sinners, tax collectors, zealots, prostitutes, and they were all welcome in the temple to worship. The religious leaders were in a fit of rage! They thought Jesus was just another radical false prophet trying to challenge the status quo. So, what they needed to do was kill him. He did not belong. He was just a poor carpenter from the north. 

“I will tell you what kind of authority I have if you answer a question for me. Where did John the Baptist get his authority, heaven or human?” Many of the people that followed Jesus loved John the Baptist. Like Jesus, John accepted them. He not only accepted them but he cleansed them of their sins and invited them to be part of God’s kingdom. If these priests rejected John’s authority, Jesus’ followers would probably cause a riot. Let us not forget that the Jewish leaders had recently killed John. 

Jesus told a parable, a story, of two sons that worked in their father’s vineyard. The father called the sons to go work in the vineyard. One of the sons did not want to work; he fumbled around and complained. He knew the work was hard because the harvest was large. He knew he had his work cut out for him. But he eventually went to work because he loved his father and he was aware of the work that needed to be done in his father’s vineyard. 

The other son said, “Yes sir! I will go to work in the vineyard. You can count on me. I will harvest and make the vineyard great. I am a hard worker; you can count on me!” But he never did anything for the father. He just said he was going to do it. In this parable Jesus identifies two types of people. There are people that might seem like they are not fit to work in the vineyard. They are the people that might not appear to be God’s servants. They are people that might not be who you expect God to call. On the surface they are the sinners, the unpleasant folks that just don’t fit in and, simply put, the most unlikely people. But, they have compassion in their hearts. They recognize the need in vineyard. They are the people that see the need in the world and they serve God; they serve people. They are the people that follow Jesus, the father in the vineyard. 

Then there are the people that just pretend like they get it because they think they are pleasing the father of the vineyard. They are actually blind to the needs of the people. They are far more interested in what the vineyard looks like and not the need to harvest from it. They are the people that boast about the idea of being obedient, but never take action. They make people believe they are obedient by lying to them. They say they serve but never follow through. 

Jesus used this parable to illustrate to the religious leaders that those who are obedient to God, even if they are sinners come before those who pretend to be obedient to God. Essentially, the prostitutes and tax collectors that believed in John the Baptist are far more obedient than the religious leaders. Jesus’ mission was a bold, upside-down move that empowered the people that were not accepted by the church.  

There is a clear parallel between the culture during Jesus’ day and the culture of our day. Some things change in time; but some things do not. John and Jesus’ followers did not fit in the temple because they were different. They did not meet the standard for worship, they could not tithe or pay the taxes, but they were compassionate with a love for God. The religious leaders rejected them because they were different and they did not fit in. 

Many churches and religious institutions require people to meet a standard before they can be part of the congregation. If a person does not fit, they are not allowed. If a person doesn’t look a certain way, live a certain way, or tithe a certain amount they do not meet the standard; they are rejected. However, on the surface those churches and religious institutions just lead an audience to believe they upholding the mission of Christ. They are blind to the needs of the world or the needs in their own backyards. They are so interested in their institution and their purses that they miss the need. They are the son in the vineyard that God called to work and they replied, “Yes, sir.” But, didn’t go. 

In God’s will there is no exclusivity. All people are included. There is no separation, there are not people that don’t fit in, and all people are invited to work in the world’s vineyard. God was satisfied with those that served even if they were sinners. They were obedient to God despite how the world treated them. Those are the ones that will be first in the kingdom. Then there are those who are blind to the needs of the world. The ones that pretend and fail to be obedient to God’s will. Who are you? The father calls his sons and daughters to work and serve in the vineyard of the world. God calls us to go out and reap a harvest for God, to show people God’s work through our hands.

Jesus made a difference. He changed the course of time and history because he stood against the people that were not obedient to God. For that reason, the religious people of his day killed him. But, they did what he knew they would do. He made a sacrifice for the world. Not only did he make a sacrifice for the people that believed in him but also for the people that did not. At that moment, time stopped and everything was made new. All things were made new. His sacrifice is still making a difference and renewing everything in the world. It is still being shown through people. Are you one of those people? In all that you do, let the love, compassion, and mission of Christ be seen in you.

Peace

      

Brick and Mortar

Read:

Romans 13:8-14

Debt can be a terrible thing. Now, there are many kinds of debt but when I say the word “debt” I think most of us think of the same thing. We think of credit cards, home loans, student loans, car loans, business loans, or such types. Some of us might think of the money we owe a friend or family member. Some us might think of the money someone else owes us. We might consider the damage that we did with our first credit card and the lessons we learned with that little devil (no pun intended). Maybe it has nothing to do with money. Perhaps there is a debt you owe a friend for doing a great favor. Perhaps someone owes you a debt that can’t be paid with money; it can only be paid the same way that it was made. Perhaps you have incurred debt because of something someone else has done. You might have used or heard the phrase, “You owe me because of what (he/she) has done.” Or, “I owe you because of what (he/she) has done.” At any rate, I think we all have some kind of understanding of debt. 

The early Christ followers in Rome knew a very similar debt as we do, but Paul challenged it. Paul flipped it over and made it something very different. The Roman church was quite different from some of the other Christian groups. Before Paul’s great reversal of life with Christ, he was an employ of Rome and he was very familiar with them. He knew the way they lived and the influence of sin that hovered over this city. It was very Hellenized, meaning that it was immersed in Greek culture. There was a large influence of pagan worship. The use of gymnasiums and public bathing houses were very common in Rome. This was a contrast to the Jewish lifestyle but many Jews were being influenced by this Greek way of living. Criminal activity was common by both sides of poor peasant criminals and systematic criminals. This was the environment of the church in Rome and it was the environment that Paul presented his letter. This letter was an urge to protest against the evil influences of the Roman people. Despite what the empire was offering, Paul was trying to quietly influence the people that had dedicated themselves to a Christ-like lifestyle. 

Among this culture, debt was very common. It was a weapon commonly used for oppression. It was a tool for the Romans and the Jewish aristocracy to manipulate and enslave the lives of the poor. Much of the sin that Jesus preached against can be contributed back to debt collection and high interest rates. Much of the oppression that Jesus preached against can be contributed back to debt collection. Many of the authorities, including the Roman and the religious governments, would use debt collection to control much of the poor population. Doesn’t that sound suspiciously familiar? There are so many well-known organizations in this world today that use debt to enslave people. The primary source of income for major credit companies does not come from the fees they charge for businesses to use their machines. It comes from the interest rates and over limit fees they charge cardholders. I digress. Jesus preached against this and Paul echoes the Lord’s sentiments. But, he uses this form of evil to teach his listeners in Rome about one of the greatest contrasts to evil. He uses their knowledge about debt and its oppressing aptitudes to teach his listeners about love. Now, if you are thinking what I am thinking, you are saying to yourself, “This oughta be good.” 

When Paul mentions debt to these Christ followers in Rome, the thoughts that come to mind are tools of oppression. Debt was like a plague. But he says, “Do not hold debt over people and do not accumulate debt with others. The only debt you should owe or ask of people is love. The only thing you should owe people and the only thing people should owe you is love.” Whoa... For the people in this culture, this was completely upside down. How would love make anyone any money? It doesn’t. At least it does not allow people to accumulate riches. Christ presented the idea of not accumulating riches but the wealthy class providing for the poor class with love. What a radical idea. Paul wanted this radical idea to resonate with the church in Rome. He wanted them to simply love one another selflessly. Paul preached this message because his people in Rome were not living up to a love standard. They were showing false love for one another. This false love was culminating hate. These people were trying to live up to the Jewish commandments but in the process, they were not considering the one commandment all of the others were summed up with, the commandment to love your neighbor as you would yourself. These people lived by the Law in the Torah but Paul teaches that love is the essential ethic in the Torah. This ethic must be very carefully and critically applied to the life of the Christ follower. 

Paul follows up this lesson on love with encouragement for his listeners. He tells them that the time has come to make Christ apparent. These people were citizens of Rome. They were people that were influenced by Hellenistic culture. They were known to stay drunk all the time, sleep around, obsess over each other, treat each other badly, fighting and bullying one another, and the influence of the sovereign God was not very present. He tells them to not partake in these common Hellenistic activities. But rather, partake in the activities that present Christ. He instructs them to find, show, invite, introduce, present, and be an ambassador for Christ and do this with selfless love for one another. 

I think it is safe to say that we, as Christ followers, are familiar with the instructions to love one another without biases and selfishness. If you have heard or read only a few of my sermons (and you are still listening) you should know that by now. But, I think we sometimes don’t consider what it means to love your neighbor as you would yourself. Do we actually consider those implications? Or, do we just carry on with our lives thinking, “Oh yeah yeah, I do enough of that.” If you think you do enough of it, you might be missing something. That would imply that there is an end to it; this love has no end. The love that Paul is urging these Christ followers is the same kind of love that we can use to present Christ to one another. That is the ultimate mission: to present Christ with our lives. We do that with this radical type of love. This type of love is far more than just an emotional state. This love is active all the time and promotes the good of someone else. It illuminates the good in other people. It works to present the good in a person and to never harm them. It is present for the good and well-being of a community of people. It is completely selfless. It holds people together and it doesn’t separate people. To quote Pink Floyd, “All in all we are all just bricks in the wall.” Love is the mortar or the cement that holds us all together. If there is no mortar we will fall apart. If the wall is weak it will fall down. But if our love is strong and we all stick together, there is no wind, storm, evil, hate, or catastrophe that will pull us apart. 

Another way that you can identify this type of love is that it is difficult and challenging. It is a no brainer that I love my family, church, and my friends. But, loving the people that have betrayed me is difficult. Loving the people that have shown a reflection of hate in the world is challenging. This type of love takes time and patience to develop. This kind of love loves what the world might call “unlovable”. But, that is the kind of debt that Paul is talking about. It is a debt that is hard to pay. It is a love debt. I am sure there are times that God has a hard time loving the world, even loving you and me. But, we are left with the reminder that God so loved the world that God made a very significant sacrifice.

Since we are Christ followers, we all owe a certain kind of debt to one another and to people that are different from us. We owe them selfless love. Why? Because that is part of the life we live; that is what God commands of us. But, the more we show disgust or hate for each other, the more we force ourselves into debt, the more love we owe. 

We strive to live by God’s commandments. Of course, God’s commandments can be manipulated and used against people or to hurt people. This has been done for centuries. For ages church-going Christians have used God’s commandments to force people away from God. This is one thing about our faith that hurts my inner being. Our bible has been used to separate and destroy communities. It has been used to kill millions of people. It has been used as a tool for self-righteousness. It has been used to make money. It has even been used to justify hate. So, one might ask the question, if this thing has been used to say one thing by one person but something completely different by another, how do I determine what is right or wrong? There is one way to determine if our bible, God’s commandments, and the gospel message are being used correctly. We can find this written throughout the text. Paul recites it in our text today. Love God with everything you have. Then, love your neighbor as you would want to be love. All of God's commandments can be summed up with those two. If something is in opposition of those two commandments, it is not God’s will.  

We are the bricks in this world and love is the mortar that holds us together. How can you strengthen the love between us all? How can you show the world with your selfless love that God is here with us, holding us together?