“Through God’s Eyes” (2 Corinthians 5:16-21)

 I think that two of the most difficult parts of being human is skepticism and judgmentalism.  As humans I think we have a healthy streak running through us that is based on being skeptical and judgmental . . . especially when it comes to life and people.  Often that seems the way that we view the world around us . . . with skepticism and judgment.  It is through these human lenses that we view life and that is not always good.  Maybe that is the reason the world is so messed up today.

Over the years I have had the “what if” conversation with many of the faithful when it comes to conversion . . . you know, someone giving one’s life over to God through Jesus.  These conversations have usually centered on that one convert who has lived a pretty despicable life . . . the lowest of the low . . . before being saved.  And now, they are saved.  Given their life over to Jesus.  They are walking the talk . . . but, despite the outward approval, there is an unspoken skepticism about the person.  There is a distrust of the individual.  The person is treated differently than the rest of the congregation.

 

Especially when it comes to giving the individual responsibility or a job within the church.  Are we going to allow an ex-felon to be the youth group sponsor?  Probably not even though the person gave his or her life over to God six years before attending the church . . . goes to bible study every day . . . participates in the fellowship groups.  Despite the person’s saintly appearance and behavior, we are skeptical and judgmental . . . what if it happens again?

 

That is our human nature.  But with whose eyes are we seeing this person?  Our human eyes or the eyes of God?

 

This is not a new discussion.  It is a discussion that has been going on since the beginning of the church . . . who is and isn’t really a follower . . . who is “in” and who is “out”.  Skepticism and judgment have been a foundational part of the church sense its beginning and still is.

 

We see this discussion within the letters the Apostle Paul writes to the congregations he helped start.  There is this argument floating around about who is a “true follower of Jesus” and who is not.  There is discussion about true followers come from one teacher and not another . . . but which teacher is right?  In the early church there was a lot of skepticism and judgment when it came to other people’s faith.

 

And it was tearing the church apart. Too often the problem came down to whose eyes were being looked through.  More times than not it was through human eyes . . . the eyes of the world.  For the apostle this was a problem.

 

Paul comes right out and say it in our reading this morning: “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.”  Instead, Paul implies to those he is writing that they are to see others from God’s point of view . . . to see others through God’s eyes.  And what is it that God sees?  God sees a “new creation” in which sins are not held against them.  It is through Jesus that this is possible . . . through Jesus that reconciliation takes place.  There is new creation, life, and beginnings . . . all because of Jesus.  This is what is seen through the eyes of God. 

 

The apostle calls us to see through God’s eyes.  With this Paul wants people to put aside their skepticism and judging . . . to embrace others as God sees them.  And, as right as the apostle is, it is tough to give up old habits.  Old habits die hard, and skepticism and judgment are firmly ingrained in who we are as human beings.  As hard as we try, we still do it.  How do we know we still do it?  We catch ourselves doing it.  Author Carlos A. Rodriguez writes: “When you judge others you reveal your inability to see them through God’s eyes.”

 

I think that author Suzy Kassem makes a good point in what she writes here: “As a citizen of the world, I will not confine myself within the gates of one nation or religion. I will not identify with only one species, sex, class or race; for I am a complete being, and that means that I embrace all of humanity, all of nature, every star and universe within the greater universe as a part of me. If we were all created in the image of God, and his love is unconditional, then why can't we love all living things with the same eyes as God? How can anybody say that one race is more superior than another, when we were all created in God's reflection?”

 

Paul argues that when one gives his or her life to Jesus there is a “new creation”.  He says it plain as day: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come.  The old has gone, the new is here!”  This happens because God makes it happen . . . we are reconciled through Jesus.  Because we are reconciled through Jesus no longer are our sins held against . . . no longer are we judged by what we once did . . . we are new!  And, because of this we should go and be likewise . . . reconciling towards others . . . seeing them through the eyes of God.  Paul tells us: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 

 

We are to be like Jesus.

 

What would we see if we looked through the eyes of God?

 

I think that we would see a world that is inhabited with fear . . . that people are scared.  I think we would see a world that is struggling . . . struggling with what it means to “love one another”.  Struggling to embrace the stranger . . . struggling to be one family—God’s family.  I think that is what God sees . . . and it makes me wonder if God just contemplates, “Why?”

 

I think that God wonders “why?” because what God really sees is the beauty in God’s creation . . . human and natural.  I think that God sees the potential.  And I think God sees the Kingdom . . . heaven on earth.  God sees it all and wonders why the fear.

 

As difficult as it is to set aside our skepticism and our judging, we need to see the world and others through the eyes of God.  We need to see what God sees.  It is the only way that we will survive and thrive.  God sees the good in the world and people . . . God sees the potential . . . God sees the hope.  And so should we.

 

Let us set aside our skepticism and judgment . . . the markers of our fear . . . to see the world as God sees the world.  That is how Jesus saw it and he showed us the way.  We are Jesus’ followers and because we are the apostle tells us: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.”

 

It is through God’s eyes that we truly see.  Amen.

“Despite” (Luke 13:1-9)

 We have all seen the stories this week:

• A thirteen-year-old driving a pickup truck in Texas crashed into a van carrying the members of the University of Southwest’s golf team killing nine people.

• A movie theater turned make-shift bomb shelter in the Ukraine as bombed trapping nearly 1,300 people—including many women and children--in its rubble creating a fear of a massive death count of innocents trapped in the Russian war against their country.

• In Texas massive wildfires swept across the state prompting evacuations from their homes and communities as flames burned down homes, businesses, and created mass destruction impacting the lives of thousands.

And these are not the only stories that have happened this past week touching the lives of seemingly innocent people.  We could probably add many more.  It just doesn’t seem right that these individuals have been caught up in these traumatic experiences and we wonder, “Why?” 

Ours is not the first generation to be touched by “bad news”.  Bad things have been happening to good people since the beginning of time.  Our scripture reading this morning speaks to this experience.  Jesus is given the news that a group of Galileans are massacred by the soldiers of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate and their blood is mixed in the sacrifices that are offered.  Jesus responds with his own tidbit of news as he shares the news of eighteen innocent people are crushed to death when a tower collapses unexpectedly.  In his response he confronts the unspoken questions of those gathered . . . why?  Why these people?  Were they worse sinners than others?  Why do bad things happen to good people?

 

What do you think?

 

To coin the phrase aptly attributed to Alcoholics Anonymous, “Poop happens.”  Unfortunately for all of those people in the news that is shared, today or in the time of Jesus, these folks were in the wrong place at the wrong time.  It had nothing to do with whether they were more sinful than others.  But it is hard to shake the falsehood that whatever happens to us is deserved based on how good or bad we are . . . sinners get punished, saints get blessed.  Apparently, that is wrong theology as Jesus points out this morning.  “Poop happens” and it happens to whoever happens to be there when it breaks loose.  All this really does is to point out that life is fragile.  It could be over like that!  (Snap of the fingers.)

 

And what does this message of life’s fragility mean?

 

Well, it means that life needs to be lived with a sense of urgency.  It means that we should not take life and its experience—the experience of living it—for granted.  Life should be lived to its fullest.  Remember . . . we can’t re-live yesterday—it is gone, tomorrow might not come, and so all we have is today.  We need to make the most of today . . . to take care of business now before it is too late.  Thus, it is that Jesus speaks of repentance . . . don’t wait until it is too late.

 

Matthew Skinner, Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary says this:

“It bears repeating that Jesus does not explain the causes of violence that nature and human beings regularly inflict upon unsuspecting people. He does not blame victims. He does not attempt to defend creation or the Creator when “why?” questions seem warranted. At least in this scene, he offers no theological speculation and inflicts no emotional abuse. He asks, with an urgency fueled by raw memories of blood and rubble on the ground: What about you? How will you live the life you get to live?”

 

How will you live the life you get . . . right now?

 

Catastrophes happen.  They create all sorts of questions in our minds and hearts.  They deserve discussion as mourning and lament fill us.  At the same time, they can shake us out of the complacency of our daily lives.  They speak to us the fragility of life.  Speak to the urgency of life . . . and to live that life to the will of God.

 

Our journeys have been filled with such stories of tragedy and catastrophe.  So much so that we have to wonder if we have become insolated to such news . . . that we have built walls around ourselves to distance ourselves from such experiences to protect ourselves.  Do we look to the heavens and pray, “Oh well, thank God it wasn’t us”, and go on with business as usual?  Or does it put a flame to our seats urging us to make the best of what God has given us in the moment?

 

The Spirit of God moves through all of life . . . the good and the bad.  It draws our attention to the world around us.  Makes us aware of the joys and sufferings of life . . . prompts us to consider the urgency of life.  Raps upon our hearts urging us to consider . . . to consider the question posed by Jesus.  How are we going to live the lives we have been given?  Especially in this moment . . . right now. 

 

Such is our traverse through this season of Lent.

 

I cannot speak for anyone else, but I can admit that I certainly take the gift of life for granted.  I can admit that I am guilty of not making the most of life . . . guilty of putting off to tomorrow what can and should be done today.  I have not loved completely . . . show grace fully . . . or worked to make this a better world . . . of establishing God’s kingdom.  And I am smart enough to realize that I am not the only one.  We are all in this boat together.  The world is encroaching more and more into our lives daily.  It is getting more and more difficult to ignore.  If there is anything to learn from our reading today it is to understand that life is fragile and there is no promise of tomorrow for any of us . . . good or bad. 

 

Because of this we must embrace the grace and patience of God to do the best we can in the moments we have.  God believes in us and that we can make a difference.  As Jesus implies, “What are we waiting for?”  The choice is ours to make.  The moment is always right now.  Amen.

“Spurned” (Luke 13:31-35)

 Here are two definitions for prophet:

•  “A person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.”

•   “An effective or leading spokesperson for a cause, doctrine, or group.”

There is not much demand or respect for a prophet.  Think about it.  In the Gospel of Mark, chapter six—verse four, Jesus said to those gathered in his hometown questioning his authority: “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”  The red carpet was not rolled out for Jesus’ homecoming.

 

Nor do we get the warm fuzzy feeling for prophets from our reading this morning.  Jesus is confronted by some Pharisees telling him he needed to leave the area because King Herod wants to kill him.  Jesus is too big of a burr in Herod’s backside.  But Jesus refuses to leave.  He has work to do before he goes.  Upon completion of that work he will head off to Jerusalem.  It is in Jerusalem where the prophets are killed.  He proclaims to the Pharisees: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you . . .”

 

However you define the word “prophet”, Jesus is a prophet.  Prophets make people uncomfortable because they confront and shake up the status quo.  That is what Jesus has done . . . he has shaken the status quo to its roots.  No one in power . . . the religious, the king, or the Romans . . . is happy with Jesus and what he is doing.  He is stirring up the hornet’s nest.  The people are asking questions, standing up to authority, pushing the boundaries . . . everything that those who are powerful and in control do not want.  Their future is in jeopardy.

 

Because of this it is only natural to want to get rid of the trouble-maker.  Herod’s solution to the problem is to kill Jesus.  And, as we know from the story, others will hop onto his bandwagon before it is all supposedly said and done.  Remember . . . “dead people tell no tales.”

 

But a prophet has to do what a prophet has to do.  It does not matter whether or not they are liked . . . whether or not their message is well-received . . . a prophet will stay true to the task he or she has been called to do.  Think of all the Old Testament prophets . . . Ezekiel and Isaiah . . . they were not too popular or well-received, yet they did what they had to do.  They followed the will of the one who called them . . . they did as God would have them do.

 

So would Jesus.

 

Jesus was on a mission for God.  When the Pharisees tell Jesus to leave because Herod wanted to kill him . . . he refuses.  Even tells them to go and tell Herod that.  He would not leave until he had finished his work there.  At the same time, the mission would not end there.  No, Jesus would move on.  He would go to Jerusalem . . . the center of it all.  There was the seat of power . . . politically and religiously.  There was the home of the status quo.  There was where God’s message needed to heard . . . needed to be experienced.  That is where Jesus needed to go despite knowing that he would be rejected . . . he would be spurned . . . he would die.

 

The pull of Jerusalem was too strong.  Despite what he understood about Jerusalem and its symbolic place in the lives of the people he was drawn to Jerusalem.  He proclaims: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chick under her wings, and you were not willing.”  He has to go.  The prophet must do as the one who has called asks.  Jesus would go to do God’s will.  And he would do it whether anyone liked it or not.

 

No one wants to be a prophet.  Nor does anyone want to follow in the footsteps of a prophet.  Christopher Hitchens, a British-American author and journalist, wrote this about prophets: “We can always be sure of one thing—that the messengers of discomfort and sacrifice will be stoned and pelted by those who wish to preserve at all costs their own contentment. This is not a lesson that is confined to the Testaments.”  Prophets are not popular because they step on the toes of the status quo . . . they mess with the way that things have always been done . . . they threaten those who have the power and the control.  They make life uncomfortable.

 

It is estimated that Jesus said “follow me” at least a dozen times in the gospels.  He also stated: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6a)  It is probably safe to say that it is Jesus’ goal and hope that people follow him through his words and actions . . . that they do as he did . . . that they live as he lived.  He speaks those words to us today . . . “follow me.”

 

I imagine that if we—the faithful—are going to seriously take Jesus at his invitation to follow him, then we are going to have to take serious his role as a prophet . . . his role as one who speaks the will of God.  Therein lies the rub . . . prophets aren’t popular . . . prophets have a tendency to get killed.  Prophets rattle people . . . go against the flow.  We’d all rather float merrily down the stream.     

 

Which brings us to Lent.  Lent is not a real popular season of the church year among a lot of church-goers because it is challenging.  It is a time in which the faithful are asked to examine their faith to see what obstacles are keeping them from “following Jesus”.  The journey through Lent asks the faithful to discern what is keeping them from living like Jesus . . . of walking in his footsteps . . . of doing God’s will.  Then, at journey’s end, it wants to know whether we are going to do it or not.

 

That’s a lot of hard work.  Giving up chocolate for a couple of weeks seems a lot easier.  Following Jesus is life-changing.

 

I do not think too many would argue the fact that the world we are living in right now is not even close to what God would want.  I think that the majority of us would agree that we are a far cry from God’s Kingdom.  All of us could give examples of how far we are from God’s desires . . . how far we are from God.  The world is a pretty messed up place right now . . . and it was in Jesus’ lifetime.  It was into such a world that Jesus moved about teaching and doing God’s will . . . a will that went against the status quo of his time.

 

What did it get him?  Death . . . death on a cross.  And Jesus knew it, and yet he chose to do as he was asked.

 

Jesus expects the same from us—his followers.  Jesus believes in us . . . believes that we can accomplish the task . . . that we can be kingdom-builders.  Jesus shows us the way, but it is up to us . . . up to us to decide if we follow and make a difference.  Jesus has done what he was supposed to do . . . he led us to brink, and now it is up to us.  Author Frank Herbert writes: “The best prophets lead you up to the curtain and let you peer through for yourself.”

 

Jesus has led us . . . the next step is up to us.  Do we follow Jesus and strive to do God’s will . . . even at the expense of going against the status quo?  Or do we turn our backs and spurn him?  It is up to us and the decision weighs upon us in this journey of Lent.

 

Jesus asks us to follow him for he is “. . . the way and the truth and the life.”  Jesus never promised us it would be easy . . . grace might be free but it is not cheap.  The choice is ours to make.  In this Lenten journey may we choose wisely.  Traveling mercies, my friends.  Traveling mercies.  Amen.

“Famished” (Luke 4:1-13)

 

We begin the season of Lent with the traditional story of the “temptation” . . . the story of Jesus being tested in the wilderness for 40 days. We are told that during those days in the wilderness Jesus fasted.  The writer of Luke’s gospel tells us: “He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” 

One of the ways that I was taught to study the Bible is to look at passages in more than one translation.  To read it in several different versions of the Bible.  The reason for this is to look for similarities and differences in what is written.  The idea behind this is to get a picture of what is being written about from several different perspectives . . . from different points of view.  Then to consider the overall image or picture from these sources.  It is a process that surprisingly gives one a deeper meaning to what is being shared.

That is the case for us this morning.

In our version of the Bible—the NIV—Jesus comes out of this period of fasting “hungry”.  Who is to disagree with that?  I get hungry when I miss one meal and I imagine miss 40 days of meals Jesus was hungry.  But other versions of the Bible use a different word.  Instead of “hungry” they say that Jesus was “famished”.  True, the word does mean “hungry” but it is a different type of hunger.  This is no ordinary “hunger” that Jesus emerges from the wilderness with . . . no, this is an “intense hunger”.  That is what the word means . . . “intensely hungry”.

So, what better time is there than when someone is “intensely hungry” to come and put that person to the test.  Which is exactly what the devil decides to do.  In the devil’s mind it’s perfect.  Jesus is hungry.  Jesus will do anything to satisfy his hunger.  The only problem is that the devil miscalculates the source of Jesus’ hunger.  It is not a physical hunger that Jesus desires to squelch.  Jesus’ hunger is of the spiritual kind.

Now think about it.

Jesus heads into the wilderness after his baptism in the Gospel of Luke.  The baptism is when God declares Jesus to be the “One” . . . God’s own.  God tasks Jesus with going about sharing God’s vision of the Kingdom . . . of restoring things back to the way God had intended them to be . . . to get back to the business of God—loving God and one another.  From his baptism Jesus heads into the wilderness to pray and discern about this mission God has asked him to do.  Sort of shades of Mission Impossible . . . it is like God saying to Jesus, “Your mission, Jesus, if you choose to accept it . . .”

And that is what Jesus does there in the wilderness . . . he contemplates doing what God asks him to do.

Jesus accepts.  Jesus agrees to do what God has asked him to do.  He will spend his life sharing the “good news” of God wherever he goes with whoever he meets.  He will invite them to take their rightful place in the family . . . to claim their spot at God’s table.  His words and life will reflect God’s will to build the Kingdom.  And, after having made the decision, he is hungry . . . intensely hungry . . . famished to begin.

Grounding him in his decision is his knowledge that through it all . . . the good days and the bad days . . . he is not alone.  God is with him.  He affirms this with each temptation that the devil throws at him . . . God alone is the foundation of his life.  Three times he does this.  With this knowledge he is ready to begin his ministry to change the world.

So begins the season of Lent with the traditional story of Jesus’ temptation.  What does it mean for us?  Is it a time that we give up something for the duration of the season . . . something like chocolate?  Is it a time in which we add something positive or good to our routines for season?  Or is it a time that we do what Jesus did . . . we enter into the wilderness in whatever shape or form it takes in our lives to contemplate our response to God’s call on our lives to follow Jesus and do as he has done?  Maybe even more so the season of Lent should be a period of respite . . . a “time out” in which we pause, rest, and regroup from the trials of the pandemic journey we have all been on.

I don’t know.  That is an individual decision that each of us must make on our own.  It is up to you what you do with this season of Lent.  My prayer is that we all choose to follow Jesus.

I do not know about the rest of you but as we enter the season of Lent . . . I am already famished.  I am “intensely hungry” for the Kingdom of God.  “Intensely hungry” to welcome God’s desire for a gentler and kinder world in which we live . . . a world where people actually love one another as God has loved us.  I hunger for such a world in which humanity recognizes the connection that makes us one despite the diversity around us . . . a connection that makes us strive for the goodness of not one but all.  I hunger for the picture that Jesus paints.

And I think that we all do.

We enter the season of Lent in a global crisis.  We sit on the nexus of being pulled into war.  We are beginning to experience the impact of unwarranted aggression on an economy already in the midst of spiraling inflation.  We see the horror and hardship as we pray the dominoes don’t start crashing down.  We feel the divisiveness of not only our nation, but of the world as it wobbles hoping to regain its balance.  This is not the world we believe in . . . not the world we hope for.  We are starving for God’s world . . . famished!

Therein lies the temptation.

The temptation is to be overwhelmed.  This is more than any one of us bargained for.  The task is impossible . . . world peace?  God’s Kingdom?  Maybe we should wait this one out and pray for the best . . . after all, what can one do to change the course of what could be our destiny?  We are only one person.  What can a person do to make a difference?

Well, Jesus was only one person, and he made a difference.

We begin where we are.  We begin one person at a time.  We create those relationships, just as Jesus did, that demonstrates love . . . love for God, love for others.  We feed that hunger.  We feed that hunger by refusing to buy into the world around us which proclaims every person for him or herself.  We feed that hunger by not arguing but by talking and more importantly listening . . . listening to one another . . . getting to really know one another.  We feed that hunger by wanting to work together for the common good of everyone and not just ourselves and our people.  We feed that hunger in not getting caught up in the divisiveness that separates, but to work together to bring unity that benefits all.  Most often that begins right where we are with one person at a time.

That is what Jesus did.

If Jesus did it, so can we.

Jesus understood that the power and strength to do God’s will came from God.  That God would never abandon him in his journey and his ministry.  He believed and he put those beliefs into action . . . and it changed the world.  And so can we.  Jesus got the ball rolling and now it is up to us to keep it going.  During this season of Lent may we feed our souls . . . feed our hearts . . . as we acknowledge our hunger for God’s will.  As we say in the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, as it is in heaven.” In this season of Lent may we all discover the passion and hunger of Jesus . . . may we feed the hunger. 

Traveling mercies to us all on this journey of Lent.  Amen.