4th Sunday of Lent 2008

March 02, 2008

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

(1 Samuel 16:1-13; Psalm 23; Ephesians 5:1-14; John 9:1-38)

SHOWING GOD’S POWER & GLORY

St. Christopher’s, High Point, NC

 

                                               

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER   AMEN

 

   What a great question the disciples asked!  Isn’t this the very question we ask so often?  Why God?  Why did this happen?  And it is the type of question which can only be answered when we look through the cross — a clear answer can only be found looking through the cross.  Look around or past the cross and we may THINK we have an answer but in reality our vision is cloudy and distorted.

 

   “Who sinned Lord?  The man or his parents?”  Our first reaction may be: “What a crazy question.”  Then we remember that back then people believed God punished people by making them sick.  So for those “primitive” people it was not such a strange question.

 

   “Primitive?” ... On September 12th ... the day after 9/11 some “religious commentators” said that God either caused or allowed the 9/11 destruction because of the immorality of the American culture with special reference to homosexuality.  “Who sinned Lord?” is not such a strange question – we still ask it today.

 

   Many times we have heard people speak about “It is all part of God’s plan” — usually when something bad has happened. .... Isn’t that strange – you seldom hear someone say: “It is all part of God’s plan” when something good happens.  There is something psychological happening there but I have not fully understood it yet.

 

   The question is not really strange ... or primitive.  It actually is very appropriate.  In fact NOT asking that question can be seen as ignoring God.  If we do NOT wonder how God is involved in the bad, and good things which happen in this world than we are separating God from the world.

 

   Some people have called that the “watch maker theology”.  God is like a watch maker who puts together the mechanism, winds it up, and then just observes without interfering.

 

   I don’t believe that is true.  I also think those 9/12 commentators were wrong.  It angers me they seemed to use that disaster for their personal publicity ... but they certainly have the right to express that view – no matter how wrong I am convinced they are!!

 

   Jesus’ answer can be mis-understood also.  I don’t believe ... many people disagree with me but I don’t believe Jesus is suggesting God deliberately and specifically caused this man to be born blind, to live through that discomfort, just so Jesus can show off.  I don’t believe that is what Jesus is saying — although it clearly can be understood that way.

 

   Rather, I believe Jesus is saying God created a world which provides all of us with unlimited opportunities to show God’s power and glory.  We, each of us, have unlimited opportunities to show God’s power and glory to the world.  We don’t often take advantage of those opportunities.  We seldom even notice those opportunities but they exist.

 

   Let’s take a moment to examine what happened.  Notice first that the man never asked to be healed.  He was just walking along, the disciples noticed him, and Jesus healed him.  We don’t have to wait for someone to approach us at the street corner and ask for food.  We don’t have to wait for our friend to ask us about God.  Those opportunities are all around us.  Those opportunities are easier to find than the oxygen we breathe!  We just ignore those opportunities the same way we ignore the oxygen.

 

   Jesus’ strange actions may confuse us.  The best answer I have read for the spit and dirt is that Jesus was thumbing His nose at the pharisees.  You see, what Jesus did was make clay – which is work – which is forbidden on the Sabbath.  Even if the healing could be excused on the Sabbath, the making of clay could not be.

 

   Jesus is saying we sometimes have to look past the cultural norms if we are to serve God ... if we are to show God’s power and glory.  If we allow ourselves to be constrained by what the people around us expect — we won’t do much.

 

   That may sound harsh but consider this — if our cultural norm was to serve God and show God’s power and glory than how many homeless people would there be?  How many hungry people would there be?  How many lonely people would there be?

 

   There have been a number of news stories recently about how the USA is becoming less Christian – or at least less church oriented.  This may sound funny coming from a clergy person but I find those numbers to be encouraging.  People are expecting, even demanding more of the people who call themselves “Christian” ... expecting and even demanding more of “churches”.  They want to see God’s power and glory — not occasional obedience to some basically irrelevant church laws.

 

   ..... go ahead and call our bishops!  They not only won’t be surprised I said it, but they will agree.

 

   Then we reach the Pharisees. .... Many churches do Good Friday services around the theme of “Jesus’ last words”. ... Have you ever heard the last words of the church?  “We have never done it that way before!” 

 

   History and tradition are important and should not be shoved aside just for the heck of it.  But being afraid to try something different is even more deadly.  When I was taking MBA courses they called this the “buggy whip” problem.  In the early 1900's buggy whip making was one of the largest industries in the US.  Twenty years later automobiles had about eliminated the need for buggy whips.  Companies that kept making them went broke.

 

   Too many churches ... and St. Christopher’s is much less guilty of this than most ... too many churches found their niche and never changed — even after the niche became irrelevant to the general society.  Too many Christians found their personal niche or pattern, and never change — even after it no longer worked for them.

 

   The Pharisees argue over process and the man laughs at them!  The man says to them: “Look what this Jesus did!  He healed me – born blind.  And you wonder about Him?”

 

   I think most business professors would agree ... look at the results.  The procedures are designed to produce the results so the procedures are not inherently important.

 

   What are the procedures and processes in your life?  Are they producing the results you want?  Are you finding your relationship with God to be everything you want it to be?

 

   Our Sunday night class has been looking at various PROCEDURES or PROCESSES or practices for prayer.  Different ways to pray.  And the primary intention is to stress that none of them is perfect ... none of them is required.  What works for you ... what gives you the result is what is right.

 

   Is a prayer walk, like the Stations of the Cross we now have around the parking lot, a method or procedure or process that can help you be more in touch with God?  Give it a try!  If not, try something else.  The only WRONG way is to do nothing.  That would be the buggy whip mentality which says we have done OK ... or at least not too bad so far so why make any attempt to do better?

 

   We look to God, to the cross for ways to deepen our relationship with God.  When we wonder about our efforts, our procedures, our practices we can try to look through the cross to evaluate them.  We can look through the cross to find out how we can do better ... remembering that we ultimately do better for our own sake!  Doing better in our spiritual lives is a very selfish action and exactly what God wants us to do.

 

   So what about the disciples’ question?  I quickly dismissed the “it is all part of God’s plan” argument — probably too quickly in fact.  Because if we say it is not part of God’s plan that suggests God is not involved and we are back to the watch maker God theology.

 

   So, in very brief terms let me quote a wonderful talk I heard this summer.  The speaker said that God does not write 6 billion personal plans.  God has one plan for the world and each of 6 billion people have a part in it.  The coach has a game plan and the point guard has a part in it.  A very specific part - true - but it is part of the greater plan.

 

   God’s plan is for the people of this world to be reunited with Him.  God’s plan is for the kingdom of God to become real for each of us.  Our part in that plan is to show God’s power and glory to the rest of the world in as many ways as possible.  Our failure comes when either we don’t try at all, or don’t try to improve.

 

   The evaluative question is to ask whether we as individuals or this community are showing the results which indicate we are doing our part in God’s plan.

 

   Paul phrased it well: be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ... How better to show God’s glory and power to the world?

           AMEN

 

We have previous sermons on our website.  To read an earlier recent sermon just enter: www.st-christopher.org/sermon.html.

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation.  (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to:  ken@st-christopher.com)