I thought I should tell you that my sermon is on the Road to Emmaus. Textweek.com gave me the wrong text but it all worked. I just took out some of the specifics and only preached on the broad areas of the text.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
So how do we see Jesus? How do know God’s Spirit? Why didn’t Jesus’ own disciples not even recognize him? What does Jesus look like? These are all real but difficult questions to answer. We are constantly worrying and wondering am I going to recognize Jesus? It has become such an issue that we even had an entire class session in my systematic class where we discussed this very issue of what we thought Jesus might look like. Keith Hayward, a AME pastor and student at LTSG, said something very profound. “I don’t know what Jesus looks like, but I do want to recognize him when he comes back.” I think one of the strangest mysteries we have in our faith is that we really do not know what Jesus looks like and when we hear stories like this, we continue to worry and ask the question “Am I going to recognize Jesus when he comes to me?”
There are many different theories out to why the disciples did not recognize Jesus at first. Some believe Jesus was in his divine/resurrected being. Frankly I do not buy into this. Some believe that the stress Jesus was put through on the cross and the days before distorted his appearance but after he was raised he was healed of this stress. Again a little hard for be to believe. Some believe that God held their eyes close from recognizing Jesus, like the text says, but the text really doesn’t say that God kept their eyes closed. We just assume that God is the one who is doing the action.
So I want to claim that this text is more than just a post-resurrected experience by Jesus. Rather this text should make us ask question, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” and not “what does Jesus look like?”.
I can remember leading a small group of 9th and 10th graders at our Synod’s high school youth gathering a few years ago. We were talking about who they thought Jesus was. I was the lucky guy who got the most hormonal 9th and 10th graders at the event. They were having a hard time concentrating on this passage and I was getting frustrated. I finally screamed at the top of my lungs, mainly because none of them would stop talking, and said “WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?” One of the students replied, “You are Matt Day, the loud mouth Jesus freak.”
As much as I wanted to slap that kid, what he said was True, Jesus is represented by us. Now I wouldn’t claim that I’m a loud mouth Jesus freak in sense that I am a tele-evangelist but I would claim to be passionate my faith and passionate our Church’s mission in the world.
I believe that Worship is a wonderful way that we can reflect Jesus to others. If you haven’t notice, this text is where we got the order for our Liturgy. First we hear the word and Jesus preaches on the word and what everything had meant, then Jesus breaks the bread and he is revealed to the disciples. Word and Sacrament.
But this text goes far deeper than just our worship. This text reminds us that we see Jesus sometimes in very unique ways. Jesus decides when he will be revealed to others and how he is revealed can change constantly.
Throughout the ages, artists have tried to describe what Jesus looks like. From the traditional Jesus holding the baby sheep to a more modern day scientific picture of what Jesus looks like. None of these pictures are wrong. They all hold a particular meaning for certain individuals and all speak to how we have come know who Jesus is. But we must remember that we have no real description of what Jesus looks like. We see in this text that not even the disciples recognize Jesus at first. I believe the reason behind this is that Jesus needs no description.
While it is fascinating to see how the portrayals of Jesus have changed and stayed the same, we must remember that simple fact that we really do not know what Jesus looked like. We have ideas and such but no hard description. I have come to believe that the Gospel writers intended that we shouldn’t so much be looking for a particular man that fits the description of Jesus but rather we concentrate on the work, the teachings, and life Jesus and just let Jesus worry about doing the revealing.
Jesus appears to us when we need Jesus and that isn’t just when we are sad or upset but it is a 24/7 thing. Sometimes that might be in the way of another individual, a school, a government, a church, a pastor, a TV, a guitar, a song, even sometimes in a TV show. We are all apart of the Body of Christ. Jesus finds us when we are lost. Just like the wonderful song says, “I once was lost but now I am found” so does Jesus seek us out. We need no description of Jesus because Jesus is inside each of us, inside you and me. Jesus has the power to reveal himself in many different ways. We will see Jesus revealed today when we celebrate this wonderful meal but Jesus will continued to be revealed when we leave this place. So go from this place, and know the answer to the question “Who is Jesus?” Amen.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Maundy Thursday Sermon
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Throughout college I worked at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD in the Patient Transport department. My sole job description was to take patients from one place to another. But since it was a hospital they were always understaffed on all units. Many times I had to help out nurses and nurse aides with minor procedures (i.e. holding the tube or helping patients get dressed…the jobs get a lot worst and I will spare you the details). So many of these patients, before they got sick or became weak due to an illness or old age, were independent people and I know from experience that to go from 100% independent to 100% dependent is an emotional and hurtful experience. It was humbling for me to see patients cry, yell, and sometimes just pray when they could not even do a simple task like putting on socks or tying their shoes.
And when I think back on my three years of service to Saint Joe’s, I think about this text in John. I think about Jesus washing the feet of disciples every time I think about a patient. I believe this passage in John is not so much about the actions that Jesus is doing but rather what these actions meant. What did it mean to the disciples to see Jesus, on his hands and knees washing their feet? What would you have said? Would you have been like Peter and told Jesus not to wash his feet or would you have said nothing but quietly thought about what it all meant.
Then Jesus comes back to the table and asks a “Do you know what I have done to you?”
The disciples must have been scratching their heads. All the events leading up to this night had to confuse them. Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem by people waving and laying palm branches at his path. They are shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
People are treating him like a king and then Jesus takes on the role of a servant, a slave, and washes their feet. They had to have been confused. But Jesus explains his actions:
You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.
I could never begin to imagine the social implications this statement had. In this society, there were distinctions between the classes and you would dare not go down that social ladder because it was so hard to go up that ladder but Jesus is telling them to abolish these levels and look at people’s character and not at what the society says they are but who these individuals say they are.
How humbling these few sentences make us feel. At Saint Joe’s I always thought I would never be the one laying in that hospital bed but I eventually did end up in that bed. There was a point in my life that I could not put on my own socks, stand on my own, handwrite a note, or do anything else that could make me feel like a human; like me. We never think that anything so debilitating can happen to us. We never think bad things will happen to us but they always do. They might not be as serious as congestive heart failure but there are other incidents in our lives that can throw us back in our seats and make us wonder about our own humility, our own humbleness. Jesus was glorified in his humbleness towards his disciples and I am sure God will show God’s self through our humbleness in our lives because our love for one another.
In Greek, “Love” is a strange word. We just have one word to describe all the different kinds of love but the Greek language has more ways of describing love. The love Jesus is using here is called agapeo, which is love Christians share between one another. The love of assistance, the love of patience, the love we share with each and every one in this room. This love penetrates all races, nationalities, genders, congregations and denominations. This love is powerful. It is so powerful that it forces us to look at who are and how our actions affect others.
Every time we hear the story Jesus’ death we remember that love, that agapeo love, he had for us. That agepeo love he had for you and for me. This love moves us in ways we do not expect. It causes us to act with compassion on all we see. And sometimes we forget to show that love or face other obstacles in our way, such as sin, that make showing that love impossible but we must never forget share our agapeo love with one another. We must remind ourselves of that crucifixion. We must remind ourselves not just yearly of Jesus’ passion but almost daily. Remind ourselves that Jesus was crucified and died for you and me and Christ promises that he will always be with us. For our Lord was Crucified and remains for us a Crucified Lord.
My friends, the greatest act humility our world has ever seen was when a God came into our world as a poor child, grew into adult, preached, taught, and healed the outcasts of our world, washed his disciples’ feet, was betrayed and handed over to corrupt leadership of the Jewish and Roman Government, stretched out his arms, was a nailed to a cross, died for our sins, and remained the crucified Saviour bearing our sins, grieves, worries, and fears, everyday. What a beautiful Saviour. What a wonderful God. May these nails, this foot washing, and this holy sacrament of communion remind us of the one who suffered and died for our sake. Amen.
Throughout college I worked at Saint Joseph Medical Center in Towson, MD in the Patient Transport department. My sole job description was to take patients from one place to another. But since it was a hospital they were always understaffed on all units. Many times I had to help out nurses and nurse aides with minor procedures (i.e. holding the tube or helping patients get dressed…the jobs get a lot worst and I will spare you the details). So many of these patients, before they got sick or became weak due to an illness or old age, were independent people and I know from experience that to go from 100% independent to 100% dependent is an emotional and hurtful experience. It was humbling for me to see patients cry, yell, and sometimes just pray when they could not even do a simple task like putting on socks or tying their shoes.
And when I think back on my three years of service to Saint Joe’s, I think about this text in John. I think about Jesus washing the feet of disciples every time I think about a patient. I believe this passage in John is not so much about the actions that Jesus is doing but rather what these actions meant. What did it mean to the disciples to see Jesus, on his hands and knees washing their feet? What would you have said? Would you have been like Peter and told Jesus not to wash his feet or would you have said nothing but quietly thought about what it all meant.
Then Jesus comes back to the table and asks a “Do you know what I have done to you?”
The disciples must have been scratching their heads. All the events leading up to this night had to confuse them. Jesus is welcomed into Jerusalem by people waving and laying palm branches at his path. They are shouting:
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
People are treating him like a king and then Jesus takes on the role of a servant, a slave, and washes their feet. They had to have been confused. But Jesus explains his actions:
You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them.
I could never begin to imagine the social implications this statement had. In this society, there were distinctions between the classes and you would dare not go down that social ladder because it was so hard to go up that ladder but Jesus is telling them to abolish these levels and look at people’s character and not at what the society says they are but who these individuals say they are.
How humbling these few sentences make us feel. At Saint Joe’s I always thought I would never be the one laying in that hospital bed but I eventually did end up in that bed. There was a point in my life that I could not put on my own socks, stand on my own, handwrite a note, or do anything else that could make me feel like a human; like me. We never think that anything so debilitating can happen to us. We never think bad things will happen to us but they always do. They might not be as serious as congestive heart failure but there are other incidents in our lives that can throw us back in our seats and make us wonder about our own humility, our own humbleness. Jesus was glorified in his humbleness towards his disciples and I am sure God will show God’s self through our humbleness in our lives because our love for one another.
In Greek, “Love” is a strange word. We just have one word to describe all the different kinds of love but the Greek language has more ways of describing love. The love Jesus is using here is called agapeo, which is love Christians share between one another. The love of assistance, the love of patience, the love we share with each and every one in this room. This love penetrates all races, nationalities, genders, congregations and denominations. This love is powerful. It is so powerful that it forces us to look at who are and how our actions affect others.
Every time we hear the story Jesus’ death we remember that love, that agapeo love, he had for us. That agepeo love he had for you and for me. This love moves us in ways we do not expect. It causes us to act with compassion on all we see. And sometimes we forget to show that love or face other obstacles in our way, such as sin, that make showing that love impossible but we must never forget share our agapeo love with one another. We must remind ourselves of that crucifixion. We must remind ourselves not just yearly of Jesus’ passion but almost daily. Remind ourselves that Jesus was crucified and died for you and me and Christ promises that he will always be with us. For our Lord was Crucified and remains for us a Crucified Lord.
My friends, the greatest act humility our world has ever seen was when a God came into our world as a poor child, grew into adult, preached, taught, and healed the outcasts of our world, washed his disciples’ feet, was betrayed and handed over to corrupt leadership of the Jewish and Roman Government, stretched out his arms, was a nailed to a cross, died for our sins, and remained the crucified Saviour bearing our sins, grieves, worries, and fears, everyday. What a beautiful Saviour. What a wonderful God. May these nails, this foot washing, and this holy sacrament of communion remind us of the one who suffered and died for our sake. Amen.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
An appology and some Theology
So I feel I should explain my last entry. I think I might have confused and scared some of you. On a side note, I think I tripled my readership with my last entry. I went from one reader to three. I wrote that entry out of angry and some of what I wrote may have come across as cruel. I did not intend for that particular entry to be cruel but as place to vent and to show the power of the cross. Lately, modern day theology has been focusing on a "Theology of Glory" rather than on the "Theology of the Cross." People like Joel Olstien preach a message that if we think and do good things, good things will happen to us. That is a "Theology of Glory." "Theology of Glory" preaches that God is high above and we must work up to God. God is just watching us as we go about our lives and punishing those that do wrong. This is very much not based on scripture but rather on an idea of God promoted by individuals who prey on hurting people in need of help.
The idea that one can pull one's self up by their own boots strap is possible (not very likely) but one must first be wearing boots to pull one's self up. So many of us have lost everything, including our boots, and turn to these tele-evangelists who preach the same thing that the rest of the world tells them; "If you work hard, things will get better."
Most of the time things do not get better but they get worst and then people lose hope in God. They blame God for everything and despise God. That idea spreads and soon we live in a world full of failed hope and batter dreams with people asking the question, "Where is God?"
Sometimes we are so foolish that we do not even know that God is with us. We forget that Jesus (and hell this is straight out of the bible) promised "I will be with you always, even to the end of the age." We keep looking for God, or at least we are told to look for God, but God has already found us. I was heart broken when my relationship ended and I still am but I know I have God with me. Shit happens but God is the one who always cleans up the mess.
Still doubting? Okay, I'll close with a story that recently happened close by. A small child was playing with his mom one evening. She had just opened the window so that her children could look outside. She turned around for two seconds only to hear her one son exclaim, "Max is outside." It seems her little boy had just pushed the screen out of the window and fell three stories. The mom ran down to find her little boy sitting in the grass without a scratch on him. The only injury he sustain was a fractured wrist. And where was God? How else could you explain how this child survived? Why do some die and others live? Let's just be glad God is the one making the decision on that but we can have confidence that God is with all of his children because Jesus promised "I will be with you always, even to the end of the age." Preach, live, and teach that God is with us. Preach, live, and teach the Cross.
The idea that one can pull one's self up by their own boots strap is possible (not very likely) but one must first be wearing boots to pull one's self up. So many of us have lost everything, including our boots, and turn to these tele-evangelists who preach the same thing that the rest of the world tells them; "If you work hard, things will get better."
Most of the time things do not get better but they get worst and then people lose hope in God. They blame God for everything and despise God. That idea spreads and soon we live in a world full of failed hope and batter dreams with people asking the question, "Where is God?"
Sometimes we are so foolish that we do not even know that God is with us. We forget that Jesus (and hell this is straight out of the bible) promised "I will be with you always, even to the end of the age." We keep looking for God, or at least we are told to look for God, but God has already found us. I was heart broken when my relationship ended and I still am but I know I have God with me. Shit happens but God is the one who always cleans up the mess.
Still doubting? Okay, I'll close with a story that recently happened close by. A small child was playing with his mom one evening. She had just opened the window so that her children could look outside. She turned around for two seconds only to hear her one son exclaim, "Max is outside." It seems her little boy had just pushed the screen out of the window and fell three stories. The mom ran down to find her little boy sitting in the grass without a scratch on him. The only injury he sustain was a fractured wrist. And where was God? How else could you explain how this child survived? Why do some die and others live? Let's just be glad God is the one making the decision on that but we can have confidence that God is with all of his children because Jesus promised "I will be with you always, even to the end of the age." Preach, live, and teach that God is with us. Preach, live, and teach the Cross.
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