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"The Healing Side Of Confrontation" Sermon Preached By Rev. Richard E. Stetler - August 28, 2005 Psalm 24; Nehemiah 5:1-13
Nehemiah rose to be the ruler’s cupbearer, which meant that he always tasted the wine before it was given to the king, thus assuring his majesty that it had not been poisoned. He had gained the complete trust of the king as Joseph had done with Pharaoh in Egypt. Nehemiah accomplished what appeared to be impossible. Once he had gained permission from the king to return to Jerusalem, he completed the rebuilding of the city’s walls and its gate in just 52 days. Jewish tradition also credits him with collecting the rest of the Scriptures of the Hebrew Bible beyond the books found in the Torah. What makes his story so compelling is the conflict that took place between those who were returning to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon and those who had remained behind. An ancient war tactic imposed by powerful armies was to enslave only the people who might be useful to them. Such people were the learned leaders, artisans and craftsman. They skimmed the cream of the crop from conquered societies and left the others behind to fend for themselves. The Jews who had been left behind, however, took possession of the land and prospered. Imagine what happened when descendants of the elitist population returned and found the Jewish communities organized in such a fashion that the assimilation of the newcomers appeared impossible. Nehemiah had to deal with a social condition that was very challenging. Each group of people had evolved with social practices and patterns that had instilled particular values unique to each. The only thing they had in common was their genetics. What Nehemiah faced was very similar to what happens in a marriage when two people become romantically involved and decide to marry. After the marriage vows, they begin to discover that each has well entrenched values and patterns that have gained a commanding presence from years of practice. Many of these have found expression through individual spending habits, dress codes, religious preferences, specific likes and dislikes. The social fabric around Jerusalem was very similar to conditions that tried our nation’s soul not too many years ago. Some of us can remember when Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus. We remember the work of Dr. King and the Southern Leadership Conference. We remember how the values that had gained strength over years of being practiced had to shift dramatically among the white population in order to correct inequities that existed between themselves and those who were descendants of slaves. Following his supervision of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, Nehemiah heard complaints from Jews being lodged against Jews. Large families had to mortgage their vineyards and houses simply to buy enough grain to keep from starving. Children had been sold as slaves so that their families could eat. They cried out, “We are helpless because our fields and vineyards have been taken away from us. Our families are being destroyed.” Just as Jesus had done to the Scribes and Pharisees, Nehemiah pointed to a practice and values that needed to change. He said, “As much as we have been able, we have been buying back our Jewish relatives who initially had to sell themselves to foreigners. Now you are forcing your own relatives to sell themselves to you. What you are doing is wrong! You ought to obey God and do what is right. Cancel all the debts they owe you in whatever form they come, e.g., money, grain, wine or olive oil. Give them back their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses immediately! We cannot continue as a community until this is done.” They became silent because they knew Nehemiah was right. The leaders replied, “We’ll do as you say. We’ll give the property back and no longer seek to collect our debts.” Nehemiah used the heritage and faith of his people to bring back a sense of sanity to the Jewish culture. They all shouted, “Amen!” and did as Nehemiah had asked. There is a place in our lives for people to confront us and say, “You are wrong. You are wrong in your attitudes and behavior, wrong in some of the things you value and wrong in the kinds of people you attract.” We don’t like to hear such words. In fact, we label direct people as being insensitive to our needs, too judgmental and opinionated. We often tell them to mind their own business. Yet, we learn sometimes that our toughest critics really are our best friends. As we examine our social environment, does each of us have a Nehemiah coaching us somewhere in our lives? We have had numerous reminders in recent weeks of what happens when people abandon the boundaries of social acceptability. For example, Pat Robertson recently expressed his support for the assassination of the President of Venezuela, compromising his professed faith as a Christian leader. We have seen one of WMAL’s daytime hosts, Michael Graham, leave the area following his description of Islam as being a terrorist organization. Surfacing once more from West Point and the Naval Academy are allegations that female cadets have had to grant sexual favors to their superiors. It is one thing for society to recognize when the values we collectively reverence are being violated, but why does the media have to be the morality watchdog? Why do the courts have to play the role of Nehemiah? Why do the lives of so many people have to spiral out of control before they realize that they have misplaced the compass that once provided guidance? Nehemiah brought back the influence that Judaism once held over the lives of his people. There were laws, traditions and holy days that reminded people of their covenant relationship with God. These had been largely neglected or forgotten by the Jews. Those who were left behind had no priests. Those who were carried into Babylon were exposed to and had assimilated many of the religious practices of Persia. It took the leadership of Nehemiah to focus his people on what was essential for the life of a Jew. It is interesting to observe how such reminders come to us. What are we doing to ourselves? Who have we become? The other night on 60 Minutes II there was a fascinating report on the results of stress on women. Scott Pelley drew attention to a recently completed study that chronicled the lives of women who lived under enormous levels of stress. The findings took the viewing audience into what happens to women on their cellular level. Science has demonstrated that women who are exposed to unmanageable stress levels actually experience changes to their DNA. Women’s cells age extremely rapidly so that some 35 year olds now have tissue samples resembling those of someone 45. Then Scott took a camera crew to visit a mother who had an autistic teenager daughter, a fulltime job and a very busy social schedule. She had stressors in her life that would have aged most women overnight. However, after examining her for genetic changes, she had not aged. She was not consumed by the pressure caused by deadlines, by calls from her daughter’s school and by thoughts of anxiety, doom and fears of failure. She had learned how to remain peaceful and creatively detached from her circumstances. She had developed skills of spirit. She was in control of her life even though her environment would have easily torn apart the lives of many women. It is interesting how spirituality is coming back into the consciousness of many Americans. While the vast majority of Americans believe in God, beliefs represent next to nothing in our society. We believe we ought to eat a well-balanced diet. We believe everyone should exercise every day. We believe that families that pray together stay together. We believe that we are dealing well with life’s many hidden stressors. If such beliefs are true, why are we the most heavily medicated culture on the face of the earth? We do have many beliefs, as I am sure the Hebrew’s did when Nehemiah called them into a greater accountability before God and to each other. Their behavior, however, clearly demonstrated there were unrecognized beliefs that caused them to portray very self-centered lives. We grow such habits ever so slowly if no one calls us to a greater accountability. My hunch is that many people in our country are starving to death spiritually and they may not realize it. This is why gangs like MS-13 are on the rise. This is why many of us are experiencing an increasing number of young motorcyclists passing us in groups of six to ten at speeds well over one hundred miles an hour. People want a sense of belonging and purpose. They need something that touches their spirits so that they feel alive, particularly since the family structure is no longer what it once was. We are so fortunate to be part of a church family. Such a relationship continues to remind us who we are and who we have the potential to become. The environment the world provides is a swirling mass of changing and clashing values. Lives that are not anchored anywhere may become like the boats that are currently being thrown around like matchsticks by hurricane Katrina. Some time ago there was a young girl who had the same type of illness that claimed the life of Mattie Stepanek, the preteen poet. Like Mattie, she was equally as gifted in expressing what was within her heart. In her own way, she was like a modern Nehemiah who was telling us where we are wrong in a most loving way. Before she died, this was among her last poems: Slow Dance Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-ground, or listened to the rain slapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight, or gazed at the sun into the fading night? You better slow down. Don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last. Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask, “How are you?” do you hear the reply? When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last. Ever told your child, “We’ll do it tomorrow?” and in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch, let a good friendship die, cause you never had time to call and say, “Hi.” You’d better slow down. Don’t dance so fast. Time is short. The music won’t last. When you run so fast to get somewhere, you miss half the fun of getting there. When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift … thrown away. Life is not a race. Do take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over. Her song was over, but she left a lasting message for the rest of us. In a material world we all too frequently forget who we are. When someone holds a mirror in front of us, we remember and say, “Amen!” as did our Hebrew brothers and sisters centuries ago when a very prophetic Nehemiah confronted them. THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER Loving God, in the rush of our rapidly changing schedules, how often we displace our desire to talk to you and listen. In many respects we have conformed to the standards of this world. Because our thoughts often differ from our feelings, they guide us to display mixed responses. We are grateful for each other as our community of faith gathers. The support we feel and the nurturing of our spirits offer much comfort and peace. Being a part of our church family helps us to remember that we are disciples of Jesus. We find strength when life surprises us with rapid change. We find courage to overcome our challenges when we are with others who share their stories. We find possibilities when others love us just as we are. Thank you, God, for your love as it comes to us in so many different forms. Amen. THE PASTORAL PRAYER Eternal God, our Creator, we stand in awe of your handiwork and remain in harmony with you when you looked at all that you had made and declared that it was very good. It is beyond our ability to understand how two organisms can come together in order to produce a human life. It confounds our best wisdom to grasp how we evolve and learn to communicate, create, appreciate beauty and extend ourselves in more directions than we knew existed. Not only are we amazed by the delicacies of a flower but also by the rich colors of a leaf as it begins slowly to leave its season of green behind. So much is like the ocean at ebb tide; all nature rests in a dormancy only to resurrect once more in the glorious awakening of spring. As we enjoy the activities of the world that are forever swirling around us, help us stay close to the hidden springs that nourish our spirits. May our appetites be ones that encourage our optimism, peace and understanding. May each day bring us new experiences that help us cherish the adventure that life was created to be. If along the way we find someone struggling to make sense of it all, may we not hesitate to share the peace our discipleship to Jesus Christ has provided. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, who taught us to say when we pray. . . |