"What Your Spirit Reveals"

Sermon Preached By Rev. Richard E. Stetler - August 14, 2005

Genesis 45: 1-15; Matthew 15:1-20

    The passage of Scripture we are going to examine this morning reveals a technique that Jesus used many times throughout his ministry.  Jesus would describe a custom that had been entrenched in his culture for centuries and then teach a lesson that would verbally point to something of greater significance and influence for his listeners lives.  Jesus did not criticize his traditions; he merely set many of them aside.  This practice can be very upsetting to those who reverence the maintenance of the status quo. 

     For example, suppose Jesus was present during a service when young people were being confirmed as members of our church.  As he watched, the youth demonstrated their skills at having memorized vast quantities of Scripture.  They could recite the various creeds of faith found in the back of our hymnal.  They could demonstrate their mastery of knowing key Scriptures that addressed various challenges to our relationship with God. After observing these skills, suppose Jesus said that it is more important to be enthusiastic over what they do and the attitudes they display than over their skill of memorization.           

     In another setting, Jesus might set aside the way we celebrate Christmas.  Suppose he asked, “How many gifts do you give throughout the year?  How festive do you keep the décor of your living spaces and offices?  How often do you attend worship experiences to feed and nurture your spirits?  Anyone can do these things once a year; however, those who constantly celebrate their lives with gracious deeds, know a greater truth.”            

     No doubt, he could offer many correctives to our celebration of Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter by asking, “What good does it do to praise God for what you believe God has done for you, while you persist in living as though this life is the only one you have? You delight in fixing your attention on an external drama while completely missing the lesson I was demonstrating.  You, too, can overcome the world as I did from a cross when you follow me.”             

     When Jesus taught like this, it frustrated and angered those who were among the most religiously disciplined people who ever lived.  In our lesson for today Jesus taught that washing hands before eating had nothing to do with being ritually clean.   This offended the Pharisees. When the disciples brought this to Jesus’ attention he said, “Don’t worry about them.  They are blind leaders of the blind; and when one blind person leads another, both fall into the ditch.”           

     This placed the disciples into an awkward situation.  They also were caught in the web of a centuries-old tradition.  They always washed their hands many times prior to eating food because of the fear of appearing ritually unclean.  Can you imagine having your teacher not only set aside a dominant tradition but also dismissing the viability of those you respected as being towering examples of righteousness?              

     Peter, who was the most outspoken among the disciples, asked Jesus to explain.  Jesus held a verbal mirror in front of his disciples and said, “You are still no more intelligent than the others.  Do you not understanding this teaching?”   Jesus, whose grasp of spiritual matters rose above everyone’s, was once again frustrated by the disciples’ inability to understand.            

     After Jesus explained the digestive process of food he said, “What goes into your body cannot make you unclean.  What makes you unclean is what comes out of your mouth and what often fills your hearts and minds.  Such thoughts and feelings come from within you.  These are the things that lead you to kill, commit adultery, rob, lie and gossip, making your hearts and minds unclean.  But to eat without washing your hands as they say you should, does not make you unclean.”           

     We come to the question of the morning, “What does your spirit reveal about you?”  When you are driving, what courtesies do you display?  When you are being challenged within your work environment, what is your attitude toward those you perceive need to change?   

     If Jesus held a verbal mirror in front of you, could you see the places that need more polish? Could you see yourself as others see you?  How often do you examine closely what comes out of you? Do you have the desire to outgrow your need to hold on to what causes you to perceive without love?           

     Most of us believe that we are always engaged in self-improvement.  We sincerely want our lives to track well. We want to radiate the happiness and enthusiasm that accompanies a life of gratitude and trust, but somewhere lurking on the back burners of our minds are additional thoughts that may cause our resistance to change.

     For example,  “Good people finish last.”  “If I don’t assert myself in my marriage, my spouse will learn that it’s okay to be right all the time.”  “I work hard to look my best because attractive people get noticed.”  “I would be far more confident if I wasn’t so concerned about not having enough money.”  “Yes, I truly have been blessed but I always have to keep a close eye on my back.” 

     Think of how difficult it is to set aside the values of our culture and faith to explore our inner world.  This is what Jesus was asking them to do.  Our inner world is basically unknown to us until we practice and learn the countless skills that are there.  All the tools inside of us remain invisible and dormant until we access and use them.   Not knowing what we have inside of us can make life frightening as experiences rush at us with accelerated change.

     For example, our daughter came to me recently seeking advice concerning a woman she knows who tried to kill herself last week because her husband is dying of pancreatic cancer.  This woman depends on him for everything and she could not think about her life without him.  She wanted to die before he did.  She failed and is now recuperating, angry that she had failed.           

     We can shake our heads at such behavior, but the fear of living can be this intense when we are strangers to what lies in our inner world.  No doubt, this woman does not know her many inner resources, tools and abilities because she never tried to use them.   As Jesus would have taught her, “What has come out of you is fear, not confidence, dread not happiness and insecurity rather than pursuing the adventure of self-discovery.”  

     J. K. Rowling was in a very similar circumstance. Her husband had divorced her.  She was financially destitute and found herself seeking nourishment by mixing mustard, ketchup, sugar and water at local restaurants.  However, she had a number of things that separated her from the suicidal woman.  Among them was an extensive inner world that would not stay silent as she wrote her first manuscript on napkins and placemats.  One by one her Harry Potter books became a staple among young and old alike. 

     If nothing more, her fantasies have helped millions of people to enjoy reading again.  She went from drinking mustard and ketchup soup to becoming a billionaire within the last ten years.  She presents us with another form of what happens when what is inside of us wants to create.  The world needs creativity in all areas of life, not just in a religious sense.  When this happens within lots of people, the world sings.        

     We sense the potential of our inner world when we remember that Michael Dell dropped out of college to start a computer company that bears his name.  We sense the possibilities for our lives when we learned that Peter Jennings never graduated from high school.  Eventually we understand what happens when we use the contents of our inner world to achieve our goals. 

     One of my favorite stories is about a young man who was on a collegiate football team but never played in a single game.  He worked very hard during the practices but he had very little athletic ability.  He had been the brunt of many practical jokes from his teammates, but he persevered with his ability to laugh with them at himself.   

     One day Jimmy was sick and missed practice.  The coach used Jimmy’s absence to discuss him with the team. He told them, “Jimmy doesn’t know a thing about football.  He can’t remember plays.  He can’t hurt anyone.  He doesn’t want to block.  He can’t hold on to the football.  Jimmy had a disease when he was a child that prevents him from doing what comes naturally to most of you.  

     In spite of these handicaps, I want you to know why I find him such an essential part of this team. I want you to watch him.  I want you to listen to him.  You can learn something from this young man.  His enthusiasm, drive and desire to win are qualities that some of you need to observe more closely.  When a better opponent is beating us, Jimmy’s spirit just might inspire you to overcome your doubts and insecurities.  He loves you guys.   More than anything else in his life, he wanted to wear your uniform and be a part of what you do.  I gave him that chance.”

     The guys did watch Jimmy after that little briefing from the coach.  As they watched him they were able to get their individual selves off the stage and began playing as a team.   They never lost another game for the rest of that season.  Some of the team’s fans said that the boys had finally found their soul.  As for the players, they kept their eyes on Jimmy who mysteriously led them to victory after victory from the bench. 

     Last week I answered an email from a young attorney who works for NASA in Louisiana.  I performed Cris and Josh’s wedding ceremony some time ago.  Her boss told her that he would replace her in February because he needs someone with more experience.   

     My response was to encourage her to network with everyone in the office.  She is an incredibly gregarious, infectious personality that reminds me of Jimmy.  From my perspective, Cris would be an asset in anyone’s office.  Her spirit encourages. She never has a bad day.  She is highly motivated and extremely spirited.  I told her to infuse everyone with a team spirit so that when she is away from her desk, everyone knows it.  Maybe that will give her more time to acquire the experience her boss feels she lacks. 

     If there is one thing that Southwest Airlines has taught their industry it is that a happy work environment inspires everyone to work at his or her best.  There is something incredibly essential about people who have tapped the resources of their inner world.  It allows them to rise above their neediness to rely on some external practice for their happiness, enthusiasm and clean living.  Jesus was absolutely correct. 

     Who knows, there may be a Peter Jennings living inside of you but you will not let him out because our culture has taught you that other things are more important.  This is precisely what Jesus was confronting throughout his ministry. It is the quality of what is inside of us that makes us reflect either the world’s values or the values of spirit.  How can we get to a point where we move mountains if we never practice doing so?  Jesus said we could do this.  The question is, “Are we?”

THE CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

     We thank you God for revealing your will for us through the life and teachings of Jesus.  Even though we know his desire for us to follow him, we still manage to stand in our own shadows.  We interpret closed doors as a sign of failure. We often understand events so that our response is one of hurt and frustration.  We allow uncertainty to inspire doubts, fear and anxiety.  Help us call to mind that all challenges are horizons toward which to walk. Our barriers are opportunities to practice creativity.  The criticisms, labeling and blame directed toward us are moments to let the light of our character show.  May we learn that our defeats and failures are only pauses in our song.  Enable us to walk into each new day; eager to practice what we know while remaining willing students for the lessons we have yet to learn.  Amen.

THE PASTORAL PRAYER

     Thank you, God, for a new day and for our desire to draw apart from the world for just a little while.  Often during our experiences here, we learn how better to discern a path that will continue to refine our spirits, attitudes and desires. 

     There are times when we discover that many of the habits we have learned over time no longer serve the way we have chosen to communicate.  What a joy it is to realize that we can become a new person without looking back to moments in our past that once defined us.  We have learned that regrets serve no purpose other than to support our resolve to grow beyond them.  Thank you for helping us realize that no time spent developing and maturing has been wasted.  Every moment bringing us to this point has been a valuable rung in our ladder. 

     As our world enlarges beyond our neediness and material desires, guide us toward circumstances that will allow us to practice our discipleship.  Allow us to understand the tension when the concept of generosity confronts our cash flow needs, when the concept of being a servant is challenged in an environment filled with power brokers and when our pursuit of peace is met by what we perceive as a swirling hurricane of chaos.  Lead us to learn that life does not need to make sense before we reveal your presence in all that we do.  We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, who taught us to say when we pray . . .