Sermon for October 30 2011

I suspect I am not the only one who is tempted by this passage to point fingers at others who fit the description of the Pharisees, while earnestly wanting to be of service. Many Divinity students I’ve known, especially those with a focus on Social Justice find this passage juicy in this way. It’s all too easy to look at those who have power and authority, and see them in the light of Jesus’ critique here.

They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues - Have you seen the Cardinal’s mansion here in Chicago?

They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. Jesus often critiques public displays of piety, saying that the reward is in the ego boost that affords. I think of passages like this when I see fish magnets on the backs of cars.

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.

This behavior is my greatest temptation into self-righteousness. Religious leaders who set themselves up as gatekeepers of God’s love, mercy and presence; who say they know who is and isn’t deserving of grace; they get under my skin. And here Jesus seems to be pretty annoyed with them as well!

Do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. Here I have to pause, however. The question “Do you practice what you preach?” is something I think we can all take a moment with. We all need to look at ourselves.

Am I, in pointing fingers at those I label Pharisees in my mind, thinking the way these gatekeepers do? Am I forgetting Jesus’ admonition to not fret about other’s sins, but instead look at my own?  

We are not, Jesus tells us, to be gatekeepers. “You have one teacher; you have one Father--the one in heaven; you have one instructor, the Messiah.” This could equally be direction to not submit to gatekeepers. We can have direct experience of God, and God’s messiah, Christ Jesus.

This could lead one to an individualistic point of view, “It’s just me and God; me and Jesus, I don’t have to listen to anyone else.” We do not live in isolation. We don’t have to have authority over one another to discuss, get feedback and reality checks on what God seems to be saying to us.

The greatest among you will be your servant. But even sincere servants can lay heavy burdens on the shoulders of others. It’s all too easy when being of service to sincerely believe you know what is best for the person you’re helping. Even if it’s clear that what you’re offering is not something they really want?

Which brings us to the central paradox of today’s scripture; All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. It is all too easy to read this passage in a traditionally messianic sense of the deliverer who will revolutionize the social order.

Mary’s hymn sounds much like this interpretation:

“He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”

Jesus’ sayings, however, often are intended to induce a reversal of a way of thinking, rather than a reversal of social order. What if we do not look at this passage as referring to an event, but rather in a chorological sense? First, all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and then all who humble themselves will be exalted. It could be a perpetual cycle.

A symbol one sees in ancient manuscripts is the wheel of life, showing people being raised to new heights and then falling to new lows. If you look closely though, it is often the same person that is a King at the top of the wheel that is a beggar at the bottom. Not that I take this literally. Rags to riches stories are few and far between. The one per centers are not likely to ever end up on the streets.

I do believe we are called to work for social justice, do not get me wrong. It is more our attitude towards social justice that I think is addressed in today’s scripture.

Rather, let us consider the differences between Pharisees and disciples as the battle within ourselves; the constant struggle with ego and true-self, or in Pauline terms, flesh and spirit.

One way to think of the exultation of the humble, is through a profound spiritual experience. Spiritual enlightenment does not “cure” us of our ego, however.

I had a friend who was practicing deep meditation for years in an eastern tradition. He told me once he could feel his moment of enlightenment coming on, and expected to be rid of his personality forever. He was greatly disappointed that when it came, he still had to deal with his old personality. He could see it for the false self it was, but it didn’t go away.

Another description of enlightenment I’ve heard is to imagine yourself as living in a dark room. In the corner is what looks like a coiled snake. Enlightenment suddenly fills the room with light and you see it’s only a coiled rope. But the room goes dark again. It looks like the snake is still there, but somewhere deep inside you know it’s just rope.

Throughout the letters of Paul, you see evidence of his profound joy at the Good News he received in his encounter with Jesus. Nonetheless, he admits there are things he still struggles with. He knows his faith freed him from the bondage of sin and the full weight of the letter of the law, but time and time again he falls into rivalry and slips into wanting to lay down rules.

When I say ego, I’m referring to it in a spiritual sense; where our selfishness, dishonesty and defensive fear reside. I am not referring to a healthy sense of self, seeing ourselves as the cherished child of God we are. Having said that, let us look at this passage as if the Pharisees are our ego, and discipleship our loved and loving spiritual core:

The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it;

In other words, the ego is intimately connected to our thinking mind, which has much information that is useful to us. Our knowledge of scripture and tradition, for example; or our ability to recall the time we saw the coiled rope.

but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

I have read that’s it’s not even possible to entirely practice what we preach. We human beings have very high ideals that are well worth striving for, even if we can never get there. It does us good to examine our actions, however and see how close we come.

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.

Where and when do we put burdens on others? What our our expectations and are they reasonable? Do we treat others the way we ourselves wish to be treated?

They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.

It doesn’t say we are not to have phylacteries and fringes; self-adornment is a fun and a fine thing. We don’t need to hide our faith, either. It’s when we do these things in someone’s face, or demand that someone look at us that the ugliness of the ego shows up.

They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.

We all want to be validated, to be seen by others as we are. How easy it is for that basic human desire to become distorted, though. For us to spend lots of money on prestige items; to monopolize conversations; to manipulate people to see us how we’d rather be seen than how we truly are.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.

The best definition of humility I’ve ever heard is to remain teachable.

And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven.

Our true sense of worth comes from being a child of God. No accomplishments, honors, wealth, or any other way we seek some other sense of worth can sustain us. It all comes down to our right to be here simply as a creature loved by God.

Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.

Last week we heard Jesus’ summary of the law: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

If we can truly love God, as God loves us; Love ourselves as God loves us; and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, then we will live out the spirit of the law, whether the letter is fulfilled or not. These two commandments are not easy, which is why we need a community of people committed to them, for mutual support as we struggle with them. We serve each other in this way, both in the support we give and in witnessing others struggles that remind us of our own.

The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

Our greatest sins I believe happen out of a kind of amnesia. We forget that we once saw that the snake is really a rope, and so we defensively, aggressively or passively harm others. Or we can convince ourselves that the light has remained on - be blind to our ego’s existence. Let us remember that we are both Pharisee and disciple, and that we need community to help us discern which part of us is prevailing.

Readings for this sermon:

Joshua 3:7-17

The LORD said to Joshua, "This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, so that they may know that I will be with you as I was with Moses.

You are the one who shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, 'When you come to the edge of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

Joshua then said to the Israelites, "Draw near and hear the words of the LORD your God."

Joshua said, "By this you shall know that among you is the living God who without fail will drive out from before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites:

the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is going to pass before you into the Jordan.

So now select twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe.

When the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan flowing from above shall be cut off; they shall stand in a single heap."

When the people set out from their tents to cross over the Jordan, the priests bearing the ark of the covenant were in front of the people.

Now the Jordan overflows all its banks throughout the time of harvest. So when those who bore the ark had come to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the edge of the water,

the waters flowing from above stood still, rising up in a single heap far off at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan, while those flowing toward the sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, were wholly cut off. Then the people crossed over opposite Jericho.

While all Israel were crossing over on dry ground, the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, until the entire nation finished crossing over the Jordan.

1 Thessalonians 2:9-13

You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers.

As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children,

urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers.

Matthew 23:1-12

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,

"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;

therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.

They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.

They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,

and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.

But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.

And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father--the one in heaven.

Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.

The greatest among you will be your servant.

All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.

My First Sermon from 25 September 2011:

In an earlier chapter of his Gospel, Matthew tells us that the crowds were astounded at Jesus’ teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes. Scribes were the scholars of the day and the keeper and maker of books. Jesus may have seemed to the crowd to speak from his own authority. Jesus, however, claimed his authority from his relationship with the father; for example in John, Jesus says, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus’ authority is directly questioned. The Temple authorities had credentials. Jesus, a homeless, penniless person from a disreputable area, whose own family thought he was crazy, was not likely to be credentialed. Why should the chief priests listen to this man who had just recently chased moneychangers out of the temple, knocking over tables and yelling? So what if he did heal some people afterward? Who does he think he is?

Jesus answers the Temple authorities question with a question. “Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” It may seem that Jesus is trying to trap the Temple authorities in the same way that scribes and Pharisees had tried to trap him into discrediting himself. Even so, asking a question before answering one was a common technique used in rabbinical debate. And indeed the second question, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” was intended as a kind of trap. But it’s not Jesus’ cleverness that I’ll be speaking of today; it is the importance of John the Baptist to Jesus and his ministry.

Several Biblical scholars (with proper credentials - modern day scribes) have suggested that Jesus was once a disciple of John's. John is an important figure in all four Gospels. In several places John’s preaching is similar to Jesus’ early preaching. The Bible explicitly states that some of Jesus’ earliest disciples were former disciples of John’s. There are convincing arguments that baptism served the function of initiation into discipleship for John as it does for Christians.

If Jesus did start out as a disciple of John, might Jesus in today’s Gospel reading, be hinting at what he might consider a credential? If the Temple authorities believed John’s baptism came from heaven, might Jesus have referred to his own baptism as a legitimate standing from which he could engage the Temple authorities into deeper conversation? Until they would not answer, he might have been offering them a context they could understand, rather than trying to debate. This is speculation to be sure.

Whether or not Jesus thought of himself as a disciple of John, it was through John that Jesus confirmed or perhaps even discovered his relationship to the Father. According to Luke, Jesus had a spiritual vision when John baptized him. The Holy Spirit appeared to him with this message from the Father “You are my beloved son, in who I am well pleased.”  

As disciples of Jesus; imitators of Christ; let us put ourselves into Jesus’ experience here. I’d like us all to take a moment to hear that message from the Divine Parent. “You are my beloved child, in who I am well pleased.”

“You are my beloved child, in who I am well pleased.”

Is that a message you can take in? A message you can believe? Is it hard for you to hear or comforting? Do you dismiss it as a message only for Jesus and not for yourself? Or can you believe, like Paul that Jesus is the “first born” and that as Christians we inherit that relationship? Can you claim and live out of that intimacy with God? How would truly embracing that message change your mind?

A councilor I know had trained under a famous teacher who had published several books. For many years this councilor used the technique of her mentor and referred to her counseling work by the name of this technique. She took that technique to heart and lived out of it in her own life. Eventually she became aware that her own technique had evolved and it was no longer appropriate to call her work by the name of her teacher's technique. But many of the spiritual principles that informed that technique remained. And she still speaks very fondly of her former mentor.

Might not our Lord still have great affection and admiration for his former mentor? Even after the nature of his true self was revealed to him and he had moved on? Thinking of Jesus being heavily influenced by John need not be blasphemy. Remember that Jesus is fully man as well as fully God. Man is a social animal as we know.

As disciples of Jesus ourselves, at what point might it be appropriate to appreciate the divinity within ourselves? Do we honor the evolution of our own spirituality? Are there ways in which our worship of Christ might detract from our own relationship with the Father? Do we stop at what’s in the Gospels or do we look at the long tradition of Christianity? Do later revelations or mystic interpretations of scripture speak to us as well? Can we trust our own deep spiritual experiences? Our own spiritual authority?

Many Christians might think these questions are dangerous. They may perhaps misunderstand connecting with our own divinity as mistaking ourselves for God. They might fear that honoring one’s own spiritual evolution may lead one to reject or abandon the Christian tradition altogether, forgetting just how rich and diverse that tradition truly is.

As Moses did in the desert, they may mistake a quarrel with their authority as testing the Lord. “What shall I do with this person?” they might say. Notice that God does not say the people are testing the Lord. God tells Moses that God will be standing there in front of him, providing water so that the people may drink.

My heart aches at the many stories I’ve heard concerning religious authorities and peers that reject people’s personal spiritual experience. There is so much in our tradition that can help people make sense of their experience, that there is no need to force someone to choose between their own spiritual experience and Christian tradition.

People are social animals, we influence one another. We form communities for mutual support and guidance. With this also comes the desire to fit in, to people please, to not admit when we don’t understand something. Shame and fear of vulnerability can lead us to hide our deepest and most intimate experiences. Can we be a community that nurtures those intimate vulnerable moments? That can hear someone’s struggle with reconciling their experience and tradition without judgment?

Over and over again, Jesus tells us that we can have a deeply intimate relationship with our Divine Parent; the creator of all things. That the Holy Spirit will help, inspire and guide us. That we should not hide our light under a basket. He even says that we will do even greater things than he has done. He does not say that this will be easy, however. Few people will actually do this. It also requires a shift in perspective.

According to Mark, Jesus ministry began after John was arrested. That was when Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." The word commonly translated as repent is metanoia, a Greek word meaning to change your mind. It is worth noting that John the Baptist’s message was one of repentance, and the fruits of that repentance – in other words change of mind and actions.

In our political rhetoric, being a "flip flopper" is considered a detriment, a weakness, is used as an attack on someone. Jesus is calling the Temple authorities out on NOT changing their mind. He tells them that Tax collectors and prostitutes (who have changed their minds) will arrive in the kingdom of God before them.

There's an old saying, "It takes a thief to catch a thief." Anyone in a 12 step program can attest to the fact that an addict is much more receptive to hearing a spiritual solution to their addiction if it comes from someone who has walked in their shoes.

Where does authority actually come from? I could list my credentials, my ordination, my masters degrees, etc. It does not escape me that my credentials are dependent on privilege. That people as qualified as I am, and many who are more qualified will not get credentials because they cannot afford them, because their school system was under par, because their speech is not eloquent, because of their race or creed, etc., etc.

I personally take my spiritual authority from having been a sinner who changed her mind. None of my credentials can give me that kind of authority. I have done things that I thought I could never live with. I have done things that I thought could never be forgiven. Through the pain and suffering sin has caused me, I can relate to the pain and suffering that others experience. Through meditation on my wrongdoings I have understood that given the right circumstances, I am fully capable of any and all sins that human beings can do.

I speak to you today not as a chief priest or elder, but as a tax collector or prostitute. A tax collector or prostitute that has received the message that I am a beloved child of God, and that knowledge has changed my way of thinking. My inability to hear or be conscious of that message resulted in a myriad of lies about myself that led to the actions I call sins.

As much as that message has transformed me, I can still all too easily listen to those old lies and believe them. As God said to Paul, so God says to me, “My grace is enough for you; my power is at its best in weakness.” I would be no good to any of you if I forgot or denied that I was a sinner; if for no other reason that I know I am in no position to judge any of you. God’s power is at its best when we can meet in our weakness with open hearts.

I recently saw a film called Circumstance, in which there was a character who overcame his addiction through fundamentalism. It seemed to me, though, that this character was desperate still. His embrace of fundamentalism led to harsh judgment of others. He eventually spied on his family and turned them into the repressive theocratic authorities. He used his position with the authorities to exact revenge on his old drug connection. He ended up blackmailing someone into marrying him. He was clearly doing reprehensible things with his power. Near the end of the film, in a shocking scene, his deep sense of inadequacy was revealed. He was saved, but he hadn’t gotten the message.

Let me repeat the message for you, “You are God’s beloved child, in who God is well pleased.” What are the implications of this for you? How might deeply contemplating this truth affect you? What does recognizing the divinity within you look like? How might you act differently if you were to honor your intrinsic value? Can your intimacy with God contain your authority as God’s beloved along with your complete dependence on God? Can you love not only God back but all the rest of God’s creation?

Can you see how God could be well pleased with you not just despite your sins, but because of them? Can you see how recognizing your divinity is intimately linked with recognizing your sins? Can you see the humility of that truth without the humiliation? Can you surrender to God, without relinquishing your own authority in the world?

And so I’ll leave you with those questions and a quote from today’s epistle, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.”

 

The readings for the above sermon:

 

Exodus 17:1-7

 

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.” The Lord said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

 

Philippians 2:1-13

 

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

 

Matthew 21:23-32

 

When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

 

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.