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"The Only Inheritance of Value" Sermon Preached By Rev. Richard E. Stetler - December 25, 2005 Isaiah 52:7-10, John 1:1-14 If John was aware of the Bethlehem drama, his knowledge played no role in the creation of his Gospel. There is no hint in his writing of the miraculous mystery surrounding Jesus’ birth. What became important to John was what Jesus brought and taught that would focus his listeners on the powers of spirit. The world of spirit was the missing ingredient in human experience. The faithful in Jesus’ day were dedicated and committed to fulfilling the Law of Moses. That was a discipline and a requirement that defined their relationship to God. The Jewish practice of obedience was firmly rooted in the ancient covenants that Israel had made with God throughout its history. The nebulous, elusive thoughts of spirit, however, were nearly absent from the minds of most men and women. This missing element of life in Israel was what allowed believers to appear righteous. Their private thoughts, for example, had little relevance to their highly visible obedience to the Law. This is the primary reason Jesus frequently addressed the Pharisees and priests with labels such as hypocrites and snakes as well as accusing them of being like various symbols of decay. They were faithful under the Law but remained totally blind to what their spirits were revealing about them. John wrote, “He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God’s children. They did not become God’s children by natural means, i.e., by being born as the children of human parents; God himself was their father.” John understood what Jesus brought. He understood that this insight was the true inheritance for humanity. Years ago, Al Lingren was a professor at Garret Theological Seminary. One day Al took his teenage son on a fishing trip. During one of the times when the fish were not biting, out of the blue he asked, “Dad, what do you think is the toughest thing that God has to do?” Al, who was also a minister at the time, was caught completely off guard by the question. He did not know how to respond, nor did he know what had triggered his son’s question. Being a professor he quickly asked, “What do you think it is?” The young man was ready with a carefully formulated answer. He had obviously thought about this issue for quite some time. “Dad, even though you are a minister and a professor, how well do you know God?” He did not give his father time to answer. He continued talking. When we were studying Astronomy in science class, I thought maybe Creation was the hardest thing. Then in Sunday school the teacher was talking about the miracles of Jesus and his resurrection. I thought that maybe those things were difficult for God. However, the more I thought about it, the more it came to me that very few of us really know God well at all. Everybody has their own ideas and those ideas divide us. I think the hardest thing God has to do is to get us to understand who God is and that God cares what happens to each of us, and not just those who believe a certain way. Al could not believe that his son had been thinking about God at this depth. He said, “Son, I think you are right. The hardest thing God has to do is communicate so that all of us understand.” Today, our inability to understand God is very much alive and well. For two hours the other evening, Barbara Walters focused the attention of the television audience on the topic of Heaven. She interviewed many of today’s leaders of the world’s major religions and asked them to discuss what they teach concerning our final destination. The program was extremely interesting to me because not only was the concept of Heaven different among the various belief systems, so was the prescribed path for believers to get there. Barbara went to prisons and interviewed suicide bombers whose explosives had failed. It was remarkable how these committed people easily made the distinction between being a murderer of innocent civilians and being a martyr for their faith. That difference was a matter of motivation not results. Innocent people were still being killed but being a martyr for their faith made such deaths noble in God’s sight. Death and destruction for a righteous cause justified their decision and guaranteed them immediate admittance into the presence of God. After the program ended, it was obvious how accurate Al Lingren’s son was in discerning God’s most difficult task – communicating. Many of us have expectations of God and we have made assumptions on how God should love us. Unfortunately, those expectations and assumptions are based on human experience and not on what Jesus brought. Quite often it is very difficult for us to understand life, particularly when God is love, and we find ourselves in the midst of frightening and uncertain circumstances. Some of you may remember the tennis champion, Arthur Ashe. In 1983 Arthur contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion he received following his bypass surgery. His high profile illness caused the American Red Cross and other agencies to do more extensive screening of their blood donations. What was interesting is how Arthur carried his illness until his death. His understanding of God lifted him to heights of thought and trust other people cannot reach without coming to many of Arthur’s conclusions about God’s nature. Arthur never blamed God or the medical community for his condition. He knew that anger and blame would not restore him to health. Two weeks before he died he wrote a letter to his daughter, Camera. Camera, have faith in God. Do not be tempted by pleasures and material possessions, nor by the claims of science and smart thinkers into believing that religion is obsolete and that honoring God with how you live is somehow beneath you. Spiritual nourishment is as important as physical and intellectual nourishment.
And do not beg God for special favors, Camera. Instead, ask God for the wisdom to know what is right, what God wants done and to help you with the will to do it. And know the Bible, too. Read the Psalms, the Sermon on the Mount and everything else in this timeless book. You will find consolation for your darkest hours. You will find inscribed there the meaning of life and the way you should live it. You will grow into a deeper understanding of life’s meaning. Arthur Ashe knew God. He knew the kind of instability that often comes to life simply by being alive. He knew that life is never easy. He understood that what Jesus brought was non-material. Arthur’s understanding rather than his desire to receive something miraculous from God is what supported him during the closing moments of his life. One year a woman had fallen seriously behind in mailing her Christmas cards. She had four days left before Christmas and she had not yet purchased the cards. She dashed to the store and found a box of 50 beautiful cards still available. She could not believe her good fortune. She spent most of that night signing and addressing them and before retiring for the evening she drove to the post office and mailed them. After the New Year, she was relaxing in her living room thinking about the task of dedecorating when she spotted a single card left from the box of 50. She picked it up, read the words inside and burst into laughter. For the first time she read the rhyming couplet. It said, “This card is just to say that a little gift is on the way.” She had 49 people out there who would be waiting for something more to come. So often we find ourselves doing just that. “Oh God, please give me, help me, take this away from me, bless me, heal me, guide me, spare me, etc.” We often find ourselves waiting for something more to come to us instead of being something. Arthur Ashe was not waiting for anything more to come as he lay dying. He already had everything. During his last days on earth, he was radiating his true inheritance that Jesus brought, just as Jesus had done while dying on a cross. To accept this inheritance is to represent God’s presence anywhere at any time. This is how disciples of Jesus Christ define themselves. This past week I was on the fifth floor of Arundel Hospital on my way to visit Janelle Dietrich who had her knee replaced. As I passed through the area where the physical therapists help patients with their rehabilitation, I met Bob Matthews, who is our head usher this morning. He was wearing the blue coat of a volunteer. I said something to him that was off-the-wall, “Well, there goes the neighborhood.” We both laughed. As I walked away, I thought to myself, “Once again here is one of our people quietly doing what others in our congregation do all the time – offering compassion and support to those in need.” In this case, Bob works with patients who need to learn how to walk with their new prosthesis. The light, the understanding that Jesus brought into the world is so simple. If God stood in front of us this morning, the communication would be, “Love each other. Show compassion. Be kind. This is who I created you to be. I will do the rest.” In one of my churches I had a very resolute, strong-will, independent woman who did not have a theological bone in her body. At the age of 76, she did not care who Jesus was or who he was not, how he was born or who caused Mary’s pregnancy. She never thought about where God was when life presented her with unpleasant circumstances. Where God was, was up to God and was a subject that was not open for debate. She simply did not care about having such discussions, which for her were merely exercises in sharing human ignorance. She never questioned the why of anything. Knowing that she was going to be alone over Christmas, several people in the church had invited her to have dinner with them. She declined. She did not want to be an intrusion into anyone’s family, even though everyone assured her such would not be the case. She said, “As unreasonable as this may sound, I really do prefer to be alone on Christmas day.” Prior to Christmas, I was making a delivery of turkeys and hams to the soup kitchen our church supported. As I was unloading them, the chef who coordinated the meals said, “I really appreciate the help that your church is always providing the soup kitchen, particularly support that comes from Miss Mary.” I said, “Miss Mary?” He said, “Yes, every Christmas day she is here barking out orders and coordinating those working the line. When she is here, I am able to concentrate on cooking rather than managing our volunteers. She’s great!” All at once I realized why Mary never allowed herself to be invited to Christmas dinner. She was busy serving the homeless their meal. The next Sunday I mentioned to her what I had discovered. She said, “Dick Stetler, you are entirely too nosey for your own good. Didn’t Jesus teach us to do our deeds in secret? For God’s sake, I’m trying to make a difference. Isn’t this what you talk about in your sermons? How can we do things in secret when people like you are nosing into everyone’s business? Well, now that you know, see to it that you keep this to yourself.” Then there was this broad, contagious smile that poured honey over all her words. I have kept her secret all these years, even today. Her name is not “Miss Mary.” Again – John wrote, “They did not become God’s children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of human parents; God himself was their father. This makes us sons and daughters of God once we understand who Jesus called us to be. Some day we will grow beyond our reliance on theology that separates and divides humanity more than it unites us. Theology is not our inheritance; such concepts are our creations that we claim come from God. What Jesus brought teaches us how to become fully functioning human beings who radiate love without counting the cost. I have little doubt that Miss Mary had the right approach. She was not preoccupied by specific, exclusive beliefs except one – within each circumstance, we are invited by Jesus to let our unique light shine. This morning we celebrate the beginning of a kingdom that is here right now. Jesus revealed that the life he lived and taught could be ours. He showed us who we were created to be. This is our true inheritance. THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER Loving God, our lives become blessed when we reframe all experiences as opportunities to reveal your nature. Through the centuries, Jesus’ has continued to give form to your intentions for humankind. You designed us to love our neighbors and our enemies. Miracles happen when we cease expecting and anticipating the outcomes we desire. Strengthen us, O God, to radiate your presence within us even during moments when we experience pain, frustration and loneliness. May our experiences affirm that we have the same quality of faith as Mary and Joseph. Help us find comfort in the thought that your will is being accomplished. Amen. |