“Let God Do It” (Mark 10:17-31)

There is an interesting grave in Jerusalem on Mount Zion. It belongs to Oskar Schindler, a member of the Nazi Party who used his enamelware and ammunitions factories to save the lives of 1200 Jews during the Holocaust.

At first Schindler was interested in the money-making potential of his businesses, but later he began protecting his workers without regard for the cost. Schindler saved them from being deported to the Nazi’s concentration camps where they would meet certain death by bribing the officers! As time went by, Schindler had to give Nazi officials larger bribes, and gifts of expensive treasures which he obtained on the black market to keep his workers.

For his bravery and compassion Schindler was named

Righteous Among the Nations by the Israeli government in

1963. When he died on October 9th, 1974, he was laid to rest on Mount Zion in Jerusalem—the only Nazi to be honored

in such a way.

Steven Spielberg turned a book about Oskar Schindler’s life into a movie titled Schindler’s List. We are simply going to watch the final scene where Schindler (played by Liam Neeson) is overcome by his inability to save more lives than he did. Listen closely as he asks himself why he didn’t let go of more material possessions to purchase more lives.

What’s interesting is that Schindler never created another successful business after the war, nor did he finish his marriage.

In his final years he lived off the charity of the Jewish persons he had saved---talk about storing up treasure in heaven instead of earthly treasure. When the cast completed filming the movie they joined the real persons they portrayed on the screen and left stones on Schlindler’s grave—Liam Neeson leaves a rose. (In the Bible, an altar is no more than a pile of stones, but it is on an altar that one offers one’s self to God. The most sacred shrine in Judaism, after all, is a pile of stones–the wall of the Second Temple.) Let’s watch:

As we listened to Jesus’ response to the rich man who wanted life with God, eternal life, Kingdom life—can we begin to see how rich, in God’s eyes,

Schindler was as we count the stones on his grave instead of gold…because he gave his life for others?

On the South Side of Billings there is a service organization called FRIENDSHIP HOUSE. Its purpose is to build friendships with the children and families who call the South Side home—to build them up in love. Friendship House has occupied their building space for over fifty years. But where did it come from?

It just so happens that there was an ecumenical group of

Christian women engaged in Bible Study in one of the member’s home on the South Side, and they were preparing for a study by baking drop cookies and bar cookies when the observed unsupervised children playing in South Park. The children were creating havoc as unsupervised children do! The women were all set to eat their cookies when Jesus’ words spoke directly to them. They had been studying the parable of the “sheep and the goats” when they heard “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.””—Matthew 25:40

These women understood that they had a choice. They could enjoy the treats they baked and continue with their weekly study as if the kids were not there---or they could do something about what they witnessed. Having taken Jesus’ words to heart, they took their cookies out to the children. This started a weekly tradition and soon they had kids lining up every day at the house waiting to talk to the women and eat their cookies. Under their direction and with the help of many, this simple ministry blossomed into Friendship House—which now houses all kinds of programs created and staffed by paid persons and volunteers—programs that speak to the needs of the neighborhood be it preschool or basketball or an open gym or counseling. Friendship House gives stability and hope to persons who might live their whole lives without either of these qualities or experiences.

As we listened to Jesus’ response to the rich man who wanted life with God—can we begin to see how rich, in

God’s eyes, these women are as we hear the stories and statistics from Friendship House—the number of persons whom they’ve taught to cook, the number of children who have meaningful relationships with safe adults, the number of adults who have had help with substance abuse? These women and their friends gave their time, talent and money for others.

What is wealth to you?

You know as well as anyone else that the answer to this question depends on who is doing the asking, correct? If it’s the world, well, we might point to all of those items the bank will take for collateral on a loan: our house, our cars, stocks, jewelry, and land.

But if it is God who is doing the counting, well, we are looking for different treasures. Jesus helps us understand that where God is concerned wealth isn’t reflected by the accumulation of stuff, it’s reflected in our ability to meet the needs of others—wealth is summed up in relationships with the living, especially the least of these. God has a tender spot for the poor—when we are in God’s eternal life—we understands that everyone is good and loveable, and the more we can give without expecting anything in return.

As you have matured, has God’s eternal life increased in you?

Stop and reflect for a minute on what you would place great value on? Do you long for time with God in prayer, are you more patient with people, are you more hopeful because you sense God’s goodness, do you practice charity—love for everyone---which translates into a deep desire to relieve people of despair?

As Jesus teaches the rich young man, we can’t have eternal life any other way. Compassion finds its soul mate in poverty, not abundance! Jesus had his best shot at becoming God when he was born into poverty. There was no competition for his heart.

 “Sell you possession and follow me,” Jesus says to us in his answer to our search for God, “and let God do the rest.” What he means is that when we let go of what the world tells us is necessary in our outer life, and embrace what God tells us is necessary in our inner life, we find God. Our task is to let go of the image we are creating—so God can create us in God’s image. Like the fishermen Jesus gathered to follow him years ago—we become less interested in making a financial living and more interested in making time for God and neighbor. We become healers of humanity!

Have you found this to be true? Have you, over time, discovered that you are less impressed by stuff and status and more pressed (by what we do not know) to give yourself away— your wisdom, your possessions, your time? Have you discovered that more and more people captivate you? Your human family is bigger than your blood relatives; such a wide variety of persons call you friend? When love is genuine, the defenses are down.

A few months ago I officiated at a funeral for a lovely friend of Bev and Mark Owens. The man’s name was Jim and he lived with Down’s syndrome. So many people came to pay their respects for the life of this man. The wife of one of Jim’s brothers confessed to me recently that when she washed her husband’s pants she found a small picture of Jim in the pocket.

Jim was his treasure. He didn’t carry anything else that close.

The Good News in today’s gospel lesson is this: in the hands of God we can be something we never imaged we could ever be---healers of humanity, like Jesus. We can accumulate rocks, And Friendship Houses,

And small snapshots of persons more likely than not to go without much fanfare in the world. And God would say that this is the life that is eternal…

And then God would dare to challenge us to tell someone how it happened…that we learned to love everyone…and share without fear…did we do that…or did God?

Let us pray: Thank You, Life-giving God, for drawing out the best in us—a selfless heart, like Jesus. Amen.

(This sermon was preached by Reverend Dana Keener at Central Christian Church in Billings, Montana on October 11, 2015.)

“Can We Talk?” (Job 23:1-9, 16-17)

What happens when you follow the instructions . . . follow the game plan . . . and, the results suck?  You don’t get what you thought you were going to get . . . you don’t win the game.  Job did what he thought he was supposed to do . . . he did everything according to the rules; and, for a long time, it seemed to work.  He was blessed . . . had lots of children, especially sons, had lots of wealth, lots of herds . . . had it all; which, of course, he attributed to being a person who followed God’s will.  He saw himself as a person of faith who was blessed because of his faith.  At least he did until everything seemed to hit the fan . . .

. . . now he was wondering.

As you know, Job gets caught between God and Satan in a little challenge.  Satan tells God that Job would not be such an upright and faithful person . . . that he would denounce God . . . if he was beset with monumental catastrophe.  Which does happen.  He loses his family . . . loses his wealth . . . loses everything.  From a state of blessing to a state of sin . . . well, at least that is what everyone else thinks—including his wife.  Having lost everything, covered with wicked, oozing, and itchy sores, Job sits in the town dump scraping his itching skin with broken pieces of pottery.  He is the epitome of the sinful . . . at least as it is understood in his time.  As far as anyone is concerned, Job must have committed some sort of sin to deserve the punishment being afflicted upon him.

At least that is what everyone is telling him.  First, his wife.  She tells Job to just admit it . . . get it over with . . . curse God and die.  Which Job won’t accept and tells his wife she is foolish.  Then come three of his best friends. At first they do everything that anyone should do when attempting to comfort a friend in distress . . . they sit . . . they wait . . . and, they keep their mouths shut.  But, even they cannot handle their friend’s situation and condition.  They, too, in the end, let their own thoughts come to the forefront . . . they, too, urge Job to admit that he has committed some deep, dark sin that is causing him all of his hardship.  In fact, they get quite confrontive in their words . . . painful words to the ears of Job who maintains that he has done nothing wrong.

Then finally . . . after a speech by Eliphaz . . . Job has had enough.  He has done no wrong as far as he is concerned . . . he has done nothing but follow the script since day one . . . he is an innocent individual being unfairly prosecuted . . . and, he just doesn’t get it.  This frustration is getting to him . . . beginning to make him angry.  Everything that he thought he knew about faith . . . about God . . . has been blown out of the water.  Now he is wondering if any of it is even true. 

How do any of react when suddenly everything that we believed and thought was true suddenly doesn’t work?  Suddenly is not producing the results we expected?  What happens when one plus one no longer equals two?  Well, I imagine that once we get past the shock of it all, we are more than a little frustrated . . . especially when it comes to our beliefs about faith and our relationships with God.  What happens when the old ways of believing and living no longer work?

Everything that Job believed about God . . . about being a good and faithful person in all of the rituals and laws brings blessings . . . suddenly goes sour.  Job cannot think of one thing—not one thing—that could have or should have brought on the onslaught he is dealing with in his life.  He had done everything exactly like he was supposed to do, and now he was in a deep pile of hooey.  Nothing made sense.  He had no answers to the questions plaguing his mind and heart . . . his wife could not provide them, nor his friends.  In fact, they could not fathom the shift all of this was taking . . . all they could do was to hang onto the past and what they understood . . . curse God, admit one’s sin, and be done with it.

Job couldn’t buy it.

Nope.  Job couldn’t buy it.  Instead he proposes something completely different.  He proposes that he and God get together . . . in some shape or form . . . and haggle this whole thing out.  Shoot, he even suggests that he would welcome the opportunity to even go into a courtroom and fight it out.  Job is certain that he will win his argument and be exonerated in the end.  But the problem is . . . well, the problem is . . . where in the heck is God.  Job can’t find God.  He exclaims: “If I only knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling.”  Job cannot find God.  “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west I do not find him.  When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”  In Job’s experience, it is tough to hit a moving target . . . but, at the same time he is certain that if he can have an audience with God everything can be cleared up and life can get back to normal.  All Job wants is an opportunity to talk to God.

Now one has to understand that this is a whole new concept that Job is throwing into the mix in the conversation with his friends . . . this is radical stuff.  As far as everyone in the story, with the exception of Job, God is up there.  As long as people do what they are supposed to do, life is good.  When people choose to do the wrong thing, well then, God punishes them.  The good are blessed, the sinful are punished.  As far as everyone is concerned . . . even though no could name the sin . . . Job is a sinner deserving of the consequences of his sin.  That was the common thought of Job’s day . . . one that Job is now challenging.

Simply put, Job wants to sit down with God and discuss his situation . . . he wants to share his confusion over what is happening . . . wants to share his frustration about following the rules and coming up on the short end of the stick . . . wants to question God about why he is being punished if he did everything right . . . wants God to know that this really, really upsets him and he is angry about it all.  All Job wants to know from God is whether or not the two of them can sit down and talk.  Job is certain that he can prove to God that everything that is taking place in his life is unjustified . . . undeserving . . . that he is a good and faithful servant.  Job wants to know from God . . . can we talk?

To say the least, Job’s words are shocking to his friends . . . they are shocking to many of us.  This is no way to speak towards God.  It goes against everything that is believed.  No one should be so uppity towards God . . . demanding an audience . . . demanding a face-to-face confrontation.  No one should use such angry words.  No one should be so confrontive of God.  Isn’t that the way a lot of us feel . . . that we just have to accept the bad with the good and move on?  But, here is Job challenging that notion.  Job is demanding his face-to-face time with God . . . Job wants to get down and get dirty with God.  This is an affront to his friends . . . and, possibly an affront to those of us gathered here this morning.

That is the problem with reading the Book of Job—then and now, it challenges our understanding of what it means to be in a relationship with God.  Is it acceptable to be a person of faith and to question the cards that life has dealt . . . is it acceptable to question God with what is happening with our lives?  Many of us have been taught that it is not . . . we are supposed to pull ourselves up by our boot straps and go on whether or not we are frustrated or angry by the crummy cards we have been dealt.  Too often we think of ourselves as being unfaithful or bad people if we question, challenge, or confront God.

The Book of Job, in my estimation, represents a transition point in the relationship between God and God’s people . . . a transition in the relationship.  One that signifies a more intimate desire and need in both God and God’s children . . . one that moves into a personal, deep, and honest relationship in which both God and God’s children can lay their cards on the table and discuss their relationships with one another.  The difficulty in the situation is to accepting that what we once thought and understood about our relationship with God is completely different.  But it is difficult to let go of that which we hold tightly onto because we believe it is our anchor in a world in which we feel we are adrift.

Job presents another way . . . a different way.  The question is whether or not we can accept it.  Job is not a terrible person for laying it on the line and letting God know exactly what he feels and thinks.  Shoot, he is just being honest.  This is not Job’s problem . . . it is ours.  Through it all Job remains a person of integrity . . . he is being himself as God created him.  God expects nothing less.

And, so should we be when it comes to our relationships with God.

The question becomes . . . does Job get his day in God’s presence?  This is all new territory . . . a new trail.  Do we go back to what we think we know and believe . . . or do we travel down the unknown path with Job?  Poet Robert Frost wrote: “I shall be telling this with a sigh . . . somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”

Which road shall we travel?  Amen.

“The Integrity of Faith” (Job 1:1, 2:1-10)

Talk about your bad days.  In the story of Job we learn that he is the ultimate and perfect model of perfection when it comes to faith . . . God even says so: “Have you considered my servant Job.  There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.”  The guy was the epitome of the good and faithful servant, and he even has God’s seal of approval to prove it.  At least that is the way that the story begins . . . but, as the story continues . . . well, we have to wonder.

The story begins with a gathering of the angels in the presence of God.  Showing up at the party was Satan.  God strikes up a conversation with Satan by asking him what he has been up to . . . “Just wandering around the earth,” replies Satan.  God then wants to know whether or not Satan has run into his good and faithful servant Job in any of his wanderings.  God kind of goes off on expounding the virtues of Job . . . but Satan isn’t buying any of it.

Basically Satan tells God that anyone can be as good and faithful as Job when God is placing a protective force shield around him or her . . . tells God that anyone can be like Job when they have a protector like God taking care of everything.  Take away that protection, says Satan, and Job is nothing but a regular old slob like the rest of the human race.  Though the writer doesn’t say so, it seems that God takes offense to what Satan is saying . . . kind of rubs God the wrong way.  A challenge . . . or should we say, an experiment . . . is issued.

God tells Satan to prove it.  Have at Job.  But, says God, there is a limit that what you can do.  Basically all Satan can do is to mess with what Job has . . . his wealth, property, and family . . . but, Satan cannot lay a hand on Job.  So, that is what Satan does . . . pretty much wipes out everything Job owns including his family.  Well, not quite all of his family . . . Satan leaves Job’s wife alone . . . sort of a source of comic relief to the story.  Through it all, Job remains faithful to God.  He doesn’t complain.  God smirks.

That was round one.  Satan is not satisfied and points out that nothing—personally happened to Job.  True he lost everything he owned.  Lost his family . . . but, those things can be replaced.  They are only a temporary discomfort, says Satan.  Now, suggests Satan, if something were to effect Job physically and personally . . . he wouldn’t be the perfect and faithful servant that God thinks he is. 

Again, God tells Satan to prove it . . . with one stipulation . . . Satan cannot kill Job. In round two Satan afflicts Job with a terrible skin disease from the tips of his toes to the crown of his head . . . terrible, painful, itching, oozing sores.  It is so bad that Job takes to the town dump where he sits, taking broken pieces of pottery, scraping his body of its decaying flesh.  Then, to make matters worse, his wife shows up . . . moaning and groaning, nitpicking, complaining, and telling her husband to give it up . . . curse God and be done with it.  But, Job refuses.

During the beat down that Job receives from his wife she asks him a serious question . . . a question that we all need to hear and consider: “Are you still holding on to your integrity?”

Job’s wife might be seen as a bit of comic relief in the story, but at the same time she is really a loving and caring wife who cannot stand to sit by and watch her spouse suffer as he is suffering . . . losing everything including his health.  She would rather see him die than to continue to live a life of suffering.  Not only does she question Job’s stubbornness to being faithful to God, she also offers him a solution to his problem: “Curse God and die!”

Job refuses.  Job responds: “Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble.”

Ah, you’ve got to love a person who stands on his or her integrity.

Integrity is defined as “a quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.”  Job demonstrates integrity . . . he sticks to his guns . . . he is not going to blame God for any of the calamity that has afflicted him or his life.  He is going to embrace it all as a part of the relationship he has with God.  Pretty much he implies the wonderful Doris Day quote: “Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be.” 

But, the wife isn’t buying it.  In her mind and heart she believes that no one should have to endure such suffering in life . . . that no one deserves it.  The heck with integrity . . . curse God and end the suffering.  And, you know what, it is not difficult to identify with Job’s wife.  All of us have uttered such thoughts when we have stood by watching people we love endure great suffering and calamity in their lives.  We have thought it when we see the suffering in the world around us.  We have thought it and even said it out loud when life becomes more than we think we can ever endure.  Integrity does not solve or remove the suffering and pain of life.  It only seems to make it go on and on and on.

And, like Job’s wife, we have also realized that sometimes we hang on to things that only prolong the suffering and pain . . . realize that enough is enough . . . even when it comes to faith.  Job’s wife may be portrayed as a nag, but she hits the nail on the head when she tells her husband that the solution to the problem is to just let go . . . let go of your integrity and get it over with. 

Remember that joke about going to the doctor and complaining about your elbow hurting when you do this?  Remember what the doctor tells you?  Quit doing that.  That’s the problem when it comes to integrity . . . we just can’t stop doing it.  Job cannot stop being a person of integrity when it comes to his faith.  In that regard, God is right.

Yet, at the same time, most of us know the story of Job.  Most of us know how the story rolls out.  We know that the statement about Job’s patience is not true . . . that Job was not a patient person as we listen to his words of . . . well, words of complain when we honestly consider them.  In this heavily theological book, there are many issues that are dealt with, but the most important one is the integrity of faith.  Is Job really a person of integrity when it comes to his faith?  Listening to his words throughout the book it sounds as if he is whining and complaining with the best of them.  Does he really believe that the words that he is speaking are congruent with being faithful?

I guess we will see in the weeks to come.  True, the word integrity does mean a “quality of being honest and having strong moral principles”; but, at the same time, it also means “the state of being whole and undivided.”  In this morning’s story we are faced with an issue that all people of faith have dealt with for ever . . . how can we be a people of faith when we moan and groan and complain about the way that we think that God treats us?  Can we be disappointed in God and the way that God treats us?  Can we be angry at God?  Can we be a people of faith and curse God?  Isn’t that the issue we are dealing with as we read and hear the story of Job?

Again, we will see.  In the next week take the time to read the story of Job . . . read his words . . . read God’s words.  Ask yourself what does this story have to do with me . . . with my faith?  Think about it.  Pray about it.  And, let’s discuss it.  Because I content that in the end . . . Job does have integrity of faith.  I content that it is okay to be disappointed in God . . . to be upset with God . . . to be angry with God.  I content that we can be all those things and still be a people of integral faith.  I believe that Job did that.  I believe that because—in the end—Job remained a person who was whole and undivided . . . he was being who he was, who God created him to be.

The question echoes . . . “Are you still holding onto your integrity?”  I hope we are because, as Job will show us, it comes down to holding onto who we are—as created by God.  It comes down to honesty . . . honesty about who we are . . . honesty with God.  Amen.