We live in
a culture of hired hands. What do I get out of this? Why should my hard earned
money go to freeloaders? What do I care if the wolves eat the sheep? We need to
help the job providers.
The job
providers don’t seem to be providing jobs these days. They are the builders if
you will, who have rejected the cornerstone. And that leaves so many of us
scrambling in fear, looking to get hired. Trying to do it all on our own. I don’t even know how long my world's goods will last? I
can’t afford to help a brother or sister in need! I need help myself! But I
can’t ask for help; that goes against the rugged individual mythos that is my
cornerstone!
We try to
work for everything, fix things, get things done. Or collapse in despair when
we can’t seem to find the “guts” to do it all. And for many of us, this was the
attitude we brought to our spiritual lives as well. How do I “get right” with
God, on my own?
With all
the many forms of prayer in our tradition, again and again I hear prayer spoken
of solely in terms of asking for things; as if that defines the word. A have a
dear friend who’s faith is strong, but has suffered a lot lately. In her
despair I’ve heard her say in essence: I’ve done everything you’ve asked, now
give me the life I was promised! We relate to God as a job creator, who rewards
our actions with things we ask for.
We forget
the good news! We forget the Christian message that knocked Saul off his horse!
The truth that God’s love is a free gift! There’s no way to earn it and no need
to earn it!
Can we
even comprehend this? The creator of this ridiculously vast Universe has
counted every hair on our head! The mind boggles! How can this be? Can we take
this in? Can we actually let ourselves be loved I this vast, expansive way? Can
we let go and be overwhelmed by this amazing love? What would happen to us? How
would we be transformed?
Have we
ever known human love that comes close to this? Ah but we have our good
shepherd, don’t we? Our readings tell us
that we know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to
lay down our lives for one another.
If we lay
down of our lives without having truly accepted that first we were loved, we
make laying down our lives the work of a hired hand; self-sacrifice for reward
in heaven; a compulsive need to help or fix others; neglect of ourselves
leading to burn out. And we know the difference by the Spirit that is given us
when we accept this love.
It is not through
our human power that we can love like this. God is greater than our hearts.
Jesus says “I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again.”
But follows with “I have received this command from my Father.” The word
command in common parlance does tend to make God into a task master, who hires
us. Rather than command, think perhaps a charge, a call, a response out of
relationship works better.
For this
power does not come from “following orders.” We can’t demand it like we would
demand our wages. The power comes when we surrender to the vast
incomprehensible love of God. We are shored up, defended and shielded by it. We
are grounded in our true selves. Because of this we follow the call and do what
pleases God; loving in truth and action.
For God is
not a harsh employer in the sky. God is our lover. One way to live the heavenly
feast we will be participating with in just a little while is as a wedding
banquet. The covenant, a wedding vow; a mass marriage if you will, for all who
believe in the name of Jesus Christ and love one another, abide in God, and God
abides in them.
Texts for
this sermon:
Acts 4:5-12
4:5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,
4:6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
4:7 When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"
4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,
4:9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed,
4:10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
4:11 This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'
4:12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
4:5 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,
4:6 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
4:7 When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"
4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders,
4:9 if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed,
4:10 let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
4:11 This Jesus is 'the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.'
4:12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved."
1 John 3:16-24
3:16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
3:17 How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
3:18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
3:19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
3:20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
3:21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God;
3:22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
3:23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
3:24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
3:16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us--and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.
3:17 How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
3:18 Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
3:19 And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him
3:20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
3:21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God;
3:22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
3:23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
3:24 All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
John 10:11-18
10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
10:13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."
10:11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
10:13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.
10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."
