 |
|
|
Aug 23, 2009
|
Return to Sermons
|
Eph. 6:10-20, Jhn. 6:56-69
The Gospel of Christ is offensive. There's no two ways about it. There is no way to nuance this passage from John's Gospel into something else. I've spent a goodly part of the last two weeks trying to make the scriptures say something - anything- else.
You know, maybe it's just this thing about flesh and blood, bread and wine. Cannibalism is offensive, I guess. No? Or maybe it's the Greek. Skleros could mean something else. But no...it does not mean "puzzling" as I hoped. It means "unacceptable, hard, offensive."
The Gospel is unacceptable.
The Gospel is hard.
The Gospel is offensive.
Why?
Even the disciples struggle with this question. The whole endeavor Jesus has embarked upon is a recipe for failure. His own would betray him in the end. Peter would deny him. Judas would sell him out. And in our passage this morning the disciples are already leaving Jesus. It's only the sixth chapter...and they are leaving? Already? We haven't even really gotten to the good stuff yet! But leave it to Jesus to offend them.
As a minister of this Gospel, I find the whole thing humbling. I've read and studied. I've been to the conferences. Here's the recipe for success!
Here's the model for growth!
This is the last leadership conference that you will ever attend! (Dear God were that true!) Poor Jesus. If he had only known about family systems theory and the internet. Maybe then no one would have walked away. Maybe he would have known better than to be offensive.
Maybe Jesus was simply a jerk.
It's true enough to say that he never seemed to know how to leave well enough alone. If something bothered him he felt compelled to say something...Woman, you have five husbands.
Get thee behind me, Satan!
You snakes. You vipers brood!
Blessed are the poor, the merciful, the... but woe to you who have...anything at all, really.
Jesus was not trying to win a popularity contest. He was never trying to attract people. Jesus stood his ground. Jesus proclaimed a loving and demanding God intent on healing and redeeming us all and people walked away from him because of it.
Why?
In Matthew's Gospel Jesus predicts this dynamic as well. Matthew 5:11 says Blessed are you when people abuse and persecute you and speak all kinds of slander against you on my account.
Jesus is stating quite plainly that when you live the Gospel truly, people will be upset with you. They may even hate you. Richard Rohr writes:One would expect people to praise goodness, healing, and peacemaking. Yet we see it was not true in [Christ's] own life - and the worst criticisms usually came from the most religious people! Many before me have said that a clear sign that one is living or teaching the true gospel is that it will engender criticism and the spreading of falsehoods about the messenger. Why? Because Big Truth always threatens the ego, our comfort zones, and the status quo. (Adapted from Jesus' Plan for the New World, p. 142) You see, in John's Gospel people walk away not because Jesus is hard to understand but because he is easy to understand and they know that to follow him they too will be made uncomfortable. They will change. They will be compelled to place themselves where healing is needed...
...where falsehood reigns,
where there is hypocrisy
and cruelty, violence,
poverty, and meanness,
and since "goodness can never be attacked directly" (Rohr) they (we, you, me) the messengers will then be the target. To stand at the feet of such goodness as Christ proclaims is to place ourselves at risk for the sake of others and to be found wanting simultaneously.
So, why? Because Jesus simply asks us to choose. That's why. Such a choice is simply offensive.
So, now what?
That's where Paul comes in for us. His letter to the Ephesians is The Classic of Christian spirituality and is this passage he follows Jesus' lead by spelling out a spiritual struggle and not one that places people against people.
The Gospel of Goodness does not call us to stand against other people. We are all God's children. Goodness stands against something else...the powers, principalities, the authorities, the spirits of fear, malice, cruelty, and inequality before God. Goodness wishes to redeem us all - no one is left out, not if they don't want to be.
We choose. It's that simple. But what is our choice? Our choice is to follow the voice where all are shown God's love in tangible ways or not. Our choice is to love our enemy or not. Our choice is to listen to the voice that says "me first" or not, "you're black" or not, "you're poor" or not, "I'm afraid" or not.
The Spirit of Fear rules many of our hearts. We have to fight that Spirit...and redeem the people. The Common Good is the Good God wishes for all creation. No one is left out.
Followers of Christ are seeking the Common Good, the good for everyone who chooses it. Jesus never compelled or forced anyone to follow him. He stood his ground and allowed people to choose. This kind of fierce goodness gives Grace all the room it needs to work in the hearts of anyone willing to listen and to be changed.
This kind of goodness allows for diversity and a journey in faith. The proclamation of Peter stems from this Grace. Jesus has the words of eternal life. Jesus does. Not you, me, or even Peter. Peter's journey, as ours, must have room, mercy, and kindness to thrive...to accomplish what God asks of us. Jesus has the words of eternal life. This is our foundation and peace.
Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Spirit, salvation, the words of Jesus, prayer, supplication, and the community of saints are the tools of the messengers of the offensive Gospel of Christ.
These are the things that can challenge and redeem us. They can sustain us (there's that word again) as we are led out of our comfort zones to challenge the status quo.
These are the tools that allow us to be like Paul
to have the courage to Speak,
the courage to be Good,
the faith to Offend.
Thanks be to God. Amen. |
|
 |
|
|
 |
