Cornerstone Save US

Psalm 118: 1-2, 19-29

Luke 19:28-40

 

We know the story so well. The people were enslaved in Egypt and God acted. This Psalm is about God acting and would have been an appropriate Psalm to sing at the Passover. The very Passover Jesus and his disciples came to Jerusalem to celebrate. Having seen "the deeds of power" people where excited to welcome a Messiah to the Holy City. It seems to me they were not aware of what type of Messiah Jesus was/is, for it would be latter that week that his closest followers would flee, and others who were perhaps part of the procession would watch him haul His cross to Golgotha. Some I am sure would even yell for Barabbas and yell "Crucify Him" for Jesus.

When I read "The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" I first thought of the foreman and architects, but knowing what happened, I realized not only did the powers reject the stone, everyone did. They did not understand the Love that Jesus embodied. They were happy to support Barabbas who wanted to free his people through violence.

God freed the chosen people and the last plague on Egypt was the death of first born sons. The Hebrew people were to mark their doorways with the blood of a sacrificial lamb so that they would be passed over, hence the term Passover. This is a debated translation and it seems to me that God is not passive but active in our salvation. God saved the chosen people from Egypt, thus I like the translation that God looked down with compassion. When God looked down on the cross and had compassion for humanity. Jesus is the last Passover Lamb, perfect Love, willing to take the violence and sin of the world, so that God would Passover, or better have compassion for the world. This is how humanity is saved and the resurrection confirms Love's power over death.

Open Your Hand

John 12:1-8

 

This is a complicated scripture. I am interested mostly in the last line "You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." That seems very strange to me. I did have a congregant who would often quote this verse. We will call him Ben. Ben would bring this up whenever we were discussing ways to help people and there were limitations. I didn't understand why this scripture was so important to him, since he was so involved in outreach and helping people, until I understood how much of a perfectionist he is, and that this scripture allowed him to develop ministries that did not solve the whole problems of the world.

In all honesty, it is not always easy to help the poor. I remember once having someone come to my office who needed help. I did not have much money on me nor in the bank, hence why I was looking forward to my leftovers for lunch. The policy of that church (and this one) is that we do not help individuals directly, but rather through agencies and institutions that can use our funds effectively. However, as a Christian I do want to help everyone. This man finally did say he was hungry so I offered my lunch to him. He was gracious and I felt I did great. He then started eating right in front of me, which was fine as that proved to me he needed it. I then heard the phone, it wasn't my office, nor my mobile, and then he answered his mobile phone. I then saw things in a different light. Was I scammed out of my lunch? I am not sure and I am was not sure I did the right thing.

Well Jesus did say we will always have the poor with us. However, we know he wanted us to proclaim the good news to the poor and whatever we do to the least, we do unto him. So when he answered Judas with this comment, was he simply saying it was more important he was anointed over the poor we will always have? Well I do not think so. I think he was not denying Judas' comment, but emphasizing that what she was doing was important without denying the importance of helping others. For he was invoking the law as it was written in Deuteronomy 15:11 "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, "Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land."

So it may be hard and there may even be important things for the church that are not helping the poor, we are commanded to open our hands to the poor and needy.

Forgiving Father

Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32

 

This is probably the most famous parable. We all know this story of the prodigal son, and that is the most common title for this parable. "Prodigal Son" What I find interesting is that the word prodigal is now only used for this parable. When I asked the youth in my last youth group, what the word prodigal meant, I got answers from special, to I don't know. And even most adults will simply say it refers to the son in the parable who was wasteful. Which is really the correct answer, because we do not use it often as it is written in the dictionary.

–adjective

1.

wastefully or recklessly extravagant: prodigal expenditure.

2.

giving or yielding profusely; lavish (usually fol. by of or with):prodigal of smiles; prodigal with money.

3.

lavishly abundant; profuse: nature's prodigal resources.

–noun

4.

a person who spends, or has spent, his or her money or substance with wasteful extravagance; spendthrift.

(dictionary.com)

 

But as I said, I believe the correct answer really is specific to this parable.

Just as there many other words we have adopted as Christians, such as "Lent" for example. Lent originally means spring, lengthening of days. And while most other languages call this liturgical season "the 40 days." But we know Lent not as spring but as the 40 days of penitence and reflection. However, changing the meaning of Lent makes sense. Why we have the 40 days is not simply because it is spring, but because we need time to prepare for the Holy Mystery of Resurrection Sunday. However, for the word Prodigal, one would have a tough time using it in a sentence without someone thinking of the parable. The meaning of the word really has not changed, but as you know no one can separate it from this scripture. That is not a big deal, on its own, except for the fact that this prodigal son is not the subject of the parable.

To understand why this is important we must explore another word; "love." Today we associate love with feelings, either sentimental or romantic. However, when the word is used in the Bible it is not about feelings, but rather action. For examples, I suggest the following: Romans 13:8-10, Matthew 5:43-45, and John 3:16. In each of these texts, love is the action not the feeling or sentiment. God did not just feel fondly about humanity, rather God acted and sent Jesus.

The subject of the parable is the father. First of all it is the father who is written has two sons, and the two are referred to by their relationship with the father. More importantly, it is truly the father who acts. Both sons react to their situations. The father loves and forgives both sons. If we read the parable with the younger son as the subject as it is usually presented, we miss the larger point of the parable. We may even respond by identifying with the older brother to deal with what we perceive as a mis-justice, and hear the father tell him "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours." Yet we still miss the point.

Remember this parable (with a few others) was said in response to the comment "This fellow [Jesus] welcomes sinners and eats with them." Thus when you see the father as the main subject you cannot help and see how he acts. He forgives or better still loves both sons, even the son that sins. Just as God loves each of us we simply need to turn toward God and accept this act of love, no matter if we are nurtured in God's love or out on a prodigal journey.

 

 

 

 

Divine Patience

Luke 13:1-9

Researching this scripture I remembered reading the Book "The Prayer of Jabez." I recall it was very moving for me as I kept thinking I had to help others and put others before my own needs to be a good Christian. This little book helped me to realize that I must also pray for myself. I don't think the author intended it to be a way to promote the "prosperity Gospel," but one can see how that would be easily upheld by the idea if you ask God to expand your Kingdom, God will. Which is what the book teaches, and I would agree that God does answer all prayers and if you ask for prosperity you may receive an answer that is more a challenge.

This brings up the question of theodicy, which is the question why good things happen to bad people and vice versa, knowing God is omnipotent and good? Well it is clear here in this passage that Jesus does not want this question to be unclear as he answers it directly both times with these rhetorical questions. Jesus asks if these people suffered did they sin greater than others, and he clearly answers, "No, I'll tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." There is nothing left to the imagination, Jesus clearly states that suffering is not related to one's sin, but if one does not repent (no matter the "size" of one's sin) you will not be in a relationship with the Divine; death.

So after answering these rhetorical questions Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree. Which makes me think of my time as a pastry chef on the island of Manhattan, where I would be training interns and would be asked, "how long do I bake this for?" and I would answer (and still do today) "Until it is done." This would annoy them some, but it was important to be in tune with not just a timer, but how something, looked, felt, and smelled to tell if it was done. And for me the parable is telling us that Jesus, as the gardener, will want to fertilize us and give us time. Therefore each of us will know when it is time for us to be baptized, go deeper in our relationship, go to seminary, and especially to have repented to begin with. We know Jesus wants us all to turn to Him, and he will be patient and encourage growth. The hard news like the gardener, Jesus does not give us all the time in the world. As you know you should "seize the day" and that starts with repentance, for you cannot simply leave a baked good in the oven forever, you need to get it out.

 

The Fox & the Hen

Luke 13:31-35

 

When I read this scripture I must say I was not excited to preach on it, but that probably means I should. I finally realized I needed to add another animal; the goat. I then read from Leviticus explaining the presence of the scapegoat. I then explained that almost every ancient society had a system of sacrifice to rid people of sins and guilt. And if we are honest, we certainly have made others scapegoats and have been victims ourselves.

Jesus calls Herod a fox as an insult. Foxes are in it for themselves and are cunning and manipulative for their own survival. They do not hunt in packs like most of their dog cousins, but I believe when foxes to run in packs you hear things such as "crucify him, crucify him!" A scapegoat is made.

Jesus laments over the city, but also over the fact that his desire to gather us under his wing is does not happen because we are not willing. It seems Jesus knows what will happen in Jerusalem, but his desire is for humanity to gather under his love. However, all the prophets before him, often with similar messages had been handled in the same way. It seems that humanity has a difficult time dealing with the reality of following the Divine Love.

It is true that Jesus' time on the cross reconciled us to God, however that was not the desired plan. It was known what would happen, but the desire was not to sent God's child to die. If it was, would it not been appropriate for the baby Jesus to have died. The wise men knew he was the new king, Simeon knew, the shepherds knew, many could have known and fulfilled the plan 30 years earlier. The fact is it was not simply a sacrifice, but rather we made the hen into a scapegoat.

Well God flipped it and I will share the flip after I share how when I hear "fox" I think of God. See when I would go into my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) Supervisor's office it was filled with foxes. Sister Mary Anne Gallagher would often say in her Irish Brogue, "God is foxy." See CPE was part of my preparation for ordination in which I worked as a chaplain at Saint Elizabeth's Hospital. It is a large hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, and the program included a lot of reflection on our work both in groups and with our supervisor. It is considered by some to be "boot camp" for pastors. And I can see why some would say that, as our job, was to walk into a hospital room with just the patient's name, gender, and age, and attend to their spiritual needs. I was among, nurses, attendants, physical therapists, nutritionists, case workers, social workers, family, not to mention interns as it is a teaching hospital. Most of the time as a chaplain I was simply a companion for someone sick and lonely, but there were many God moments. These moments were powerful and numerous. I know of these moments outside the hospital as well, but it was daily in such a circumstance. Mary Anne was simply highlighting how God uses us and or moments that we could barely imagine sacred, as the most sacred.

God is not a fox, but God is cunning. God then used our sin of being foxes in a pack to scapegoat our sin and guilt on the perfect Jesus, to save us and demonstrate Divine Love for us.