5th Sunday of Easter 2008
April 20, 2008
the Rev. Ken Kroohs
(Ezekiel
37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45)
THREE DIFFICULT TEACHINGS
St. Christopher’s,
MAY
THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS
ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN
Ah yes .... some weeks a preacher should schedule vacation! Some weeks the scripture just hits so hard –
it would be better to be lounging at the beach!
This is one of those weeks.
Our gospel hits us with three of the most quoted, and most difficult to
understand sayings by Jesus. .... and possibly three of the least understood
teachings.
Note however how the passage begins: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.” ... Although Jesus is saying
this within the context of His upcoming death, I believe it applies in a more
general sense also. “Do not let your hearts be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me” — even if you do not fully
understand all the teachings.
So let’s look at some of the troubling phrases: “I am the way, and the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.”
This is a very commonly quoted phrase — but do we understand what
it means? Usually people use it when
they want to argue that no one but Christians will be saved. Frequently it is not used as a quote but as a
hammer to beat someone!
Please know I am not a universalist. I do not believe that every person, no matter
how they lived, will eventually end up with God. I very much would LIKE to believe that. I agree that there are enough places Jesus
speaks about “all” people that you can make a decent scriptural argument for
universalism. But I just cannot go
there.
At the same time I am not a “exclusivist” – don’t look that word
up on Wickipedia – I have not written an article on it yet! I do not believe that exclusively those people who have said certain words and have been
baptized in a certain way will be with God. Frankly that sounds more like Harry
Potter than Christianity!
I have long struggled with the question of the atheist who lives
an extremely moral and ethical life. Will
that person burn while people who were baptized and said certain prayers, but
barely stayed out of jail go to heaven?
What about ... let’s go to the current extreme ... what about the
Muslim ... I am not referring to the terrorist just like when I say “Christian”
I am not including the person who leaves the church service to torture and kill
a black man ... or the Northern Irishmen who goes to confession so they have an
alibi for their bomb explosion in the market place ... but the devoted Muslim
who prayers 5 times a day, wears uncomfortable clothing to avoid tempting
others, and considers giving 10% of their income to the poor as sinful ...
sinfully little!
Is that atheist, or Muslin, or Ghandi, or the Dali Lama, or the
Jew who walked to the ovens still praising and loving God ... are those people
somehow less than me in God’s eyes? .... Let me tell you that if the test is
walking to the ovens proudly reciting the 23rd Psalm .... though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death ... if that is the test then don’t bother giving it
me! I will fail.
I cannot stand here and tell you those people are somehow less in
God’s eyes than I am. That I will have
my ticket punched for heaven while they automatically will not ... I cannot go
there. Hear this — I admit to the
possibility I am wrong but I find that extremely difficult to contemplate.
What I can stand here and tell you with great confidence and
assurance is that Jesus works. I am very glad it is not my job to judge
others!
I don’t know about other
possible paths to God. I have deep
reservations about some of them. But I
can tell you that Jesus is the way.
Jesus works. For me, that’s what
matters because He is the way I have followed.
Jesus is the path I can guide you to.
I also can tell you that I believe God will ask us why we have not helped those other
people know and love Jesus. I believe
God will be more upset over our failure to share what we know about Jesus than
their failure to learn.
.... and that should be enough for one day but Jesus continues
.... “the one who believes in me will
also do the works I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these”.
Part of that has, what seems to me to be, a reasonable
explanation. Jesus has been speaking
about our world after He is crucified. I
believe in this statement He means “greater works” in the sense of “more wide
spread” — influencing more people. That
the Christian church, that’s us, will have the opportunity to reach more people
than Jesus did. ... Actually Jesus says nothing about “opportunity” ... Jesus
speaks about results – “WILL do even
greater works”
Yes Jesus healed people.
Yes Jesus fed people. And so
should we. But it seems clear to me that
Jesus intended those actions to show God’s love and bring people to God’s
love. Notice earlier in this passage
Jesus responded to Philip by pointing to the things Jesus had done. Jesus is speaking about reaching out to
people and telling them .... demonstrating and telling them about God’s love.
Then comes the third confusing statement: “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.”
Many years ago a Bible study group I was in reached this
passage. We all agreed to pray in Jesus’
name for one week ... for a red sports car.
At the end of the week we would know!
Well two people brought in little toy cars .. Not me! We concluded this passage was just wrong ...
or mis-understood.
Turn on your television and I will bet this week you can find at
least one preacher ... I use that word with a touch of sarcasm – sorry .... at
least one preacher quote this passage and tell you to pray for wealth.
A friend of mine was a chaplain at a local hospital one night when
they were called to the Emergency Department.
A person was dying. Anyway my
friend prayed and talked with the family and then their pastor came in with a
flourish and declared: “all we have to do is pray and God will heal our
brother!”. Their pastor prayed ... and
the man died. When my friend looked up
the pastor had somehow disappeared.
I don’t believe this passage was ever intended to be a test case
for our faith or for God’s
love. That is not the intention and
frankly, if we take the time to read the passage, that is not what it
says. Look again ... Jesus is speaking
about doing greater things .... greater ministries in the world than even He
did. And within that context says that if we pray for help we will receive
it. If, in the midst of doing God’s work
... not our own personal desires but God’s work ... we ask for help, Jesus will
provide it.
A caution ... even within that context it still must be within
God’s plans and on God’s timetable.
And that understanding transitions to the next verse, which we
will hear next week, about the Holy Spirit coming to help us. If, in the context of doing God’s will we
need help we can ask Jesus for that help confident that the Holy Spirit will
help us. .... NOTHING about red sports cars!
Darn.
So to summarize: Jesus is the way through which we can do great
works for God made possible through the Holy Spirit’s help.
Not as difficult as it sounded at first! “Do not
let your hearts be troubled - believe in God and in Jesus” that it will
make sense.
I suspect the critical part is the middle part – do greater
works. In everything He did, Jesus emphasized
helping people know God’s love and grow closer to God’s love.
This past week the Vestry and I were in a discussion which,
although I don’t think we used this exact word, was about setting
priorities. We are a relatively small,
very active church. Yet for every great
ministry idea we can accomplish there are five which have to be dropped for
lack of resources. ... I can give you a list!
We discussed how the priority test should be “making disciples” or
as Bishop Curry says: “Making disciples who make a difference.” --- the test is how well each task helps
people know God and God’s love. Many
times that is a question of process as well as product. If we simply drop a meal off to someone that
is a good thing! A very good thing. But if in the process we also say something
about God’s love, which Jesus always did, that is even better.
So a priority question for all of us ... consider it a stewardship
question .... how are we using, investing our resources (time, talent, and
money) to help other people know God and God’s love better? .... Oh, by the
way, that is also how we will learn
about and know God’s love!
AMEN
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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)