"Our Messiahs Assume Many Forms"

Sermon Delivered By Reverend Richard E. Stetler – December 2, 2012

Centenary United Methodist Church

Psalm 25:1-10; Isaiah 64:1-9

 

    Even though we lighted the Candle of Hope this morning, how realistic is it that our hope reaches beyond the walls of most churches?  The answer, of course, is that only a fraction of the people in the world connects with Jesus’ teachings each time the entire population of the world arrives and leaves.  Throughout time, the way of Jesus is the greatest visible secret that has remained available to all humankind!

    One of the reasons why the Master’s words do not resonate with countless people is that his message has become associated with religion. While this sounds rather strange, this reality narrows the listening audience considerably when we consider all the religions in the world.  Why do I suggest this?  Christianity did not exist when Jesus roamed the earth.  What he taught about the invisible world of spirit was not part of his parent religion of Judaism.  

    Jesus’ timeless life-lessons, however, remain applicable to all people.   They do not need to be part of any religion any more than teaching people to engage in vigorous exercise, eating a well-balanced diet and radiating a positive mental attitude every day belong to some sacred order.

    Ignorance of Jesus’ orientation toward life is what causes perfectly wonderful, intelligent people to sabotage their lives.  When we know very little about spirituality and how our spirits govern so much about who we are, we become the common prey to every messiah that convinces us to follow.    

    I remember having a conversation with a man that was going to save money by wiring an addition he was putting on his house. After hearing what he intended to do I said, “Are you kidding me?”  He said, “Come on, Dick, how hard can it be?”  He is a very intelligent man but I knew from my limited experience that electrical wiring belongs to those who are well trained in that craft.  He was a banker, not an electrician.

    It was not too long before I saw two trucks that had the name of a prominent electrical company sitting in front of his home.  His builder was furious with him because the pause in construction put him several weeks behind schedule.  The delays and the additional costs taught him a very expensive lesson.  All of us have made costly mistakes because we thought we knew more than we did.   

    A number of us are familiar with the name Steve Jobs.  After his death on October 5 of last year, Steve was labeled as the greatest genius the world has experienced in the last one hundred years.  He was the visionary behind Apple Computer, a company that briefly exceeded the market cap of Exxon-Mobil, the largest company in the world. 

    For all his genius, however, Steve died at the age of 56 because he ignored the informed directives by the medical community.   He had been diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer; one that could have easily been cured by a simple surgical procedure to remove a small, external tumor.  

    Steve elected to heal himself with natural remedies just like the man who wanted to wire the addition to his house with a how to book as his consultant.   Steve waited nine months before changing his mind about having the surgery.  During those nine months his cancer had spread to other organs.  His delay cost him his life and it cost the world the loss of a remarkable contributor.

    Our lesson this morning from the prophet Isaiah indicates that throughout history, people have followed every kind of messiah that their imaginations could create.  Messiahs come in every shape and form.  What they all have in common is the allure of promises for a life-enhancing experience by those that pursue them.  None of these messiahs has ever delivered a lifetime of happiness, peace and fulfillment.

    Many people have no idea that within them is an invisible power that could easily counter the effects caused by renegade emotions that pull people toward numerous messiahs.   The cost of such ignorance has brought many brilliant people to their knees by destroying their character, their reputation and their futures.  Not one of these messiahs has the ability to save people from the unhappiness and neediness that so many people experience.

    Listen to the wisdom from the prophet Isaiah as he spoke to God thousands of years ago:

Come and reveal your power to all the enemies living among us.  Make these enemies tremble at your presence.  All of us have missed the mark with our choices. Most of our best deeds are motivated by hidden self-serving feelings and thoughts, allowing us to be like leaves that wither and become blown away by the winds of change.  No one talks to you.  No one goes to you for guidance.  It is as though you have hidden yourself from us and have abandoned us.  Our love of the things of this world has given us spiritual blindness.  We can no longer sense your presence.  Help us to become aware that you are the potter and we are the clay.  (Isaiah 64:1f)

    Isaiah’s words are a lament about the human condition.  His insights are an accurate description of life as it has unfolded in every generation.  Messiahs take the form of anything that makes us believe that we will be more whole, more complete and more alive when we pursue them.  Pay attention to the advertisements for medications particularly when the voice describes the possible side effects in the verbal fine print.    

    If God could comment, his words might sound like this:

People . . . how long will it take for you to realize that nothing else works but the path my son described during his ministry?  If you wish – you may continue to chase your dreams in this world until you discover that a lifetime of peace and happiness cannot come from anything you find there.  It may take many life-experiences before you graduate from your need to seek these qualities of life in the world.  I sent my son to make the way clear by teaching you what and who you are. Open the eyes of your spirit and you will understand that the truth that governs wholesome, creative living has nothing to do with what you search for in the world.  

    The early Hebrews knew something about these bogus messiahs because collectively they began to devote themselves to the Laws of Moses.  These Laws provided a frame of reference that helped the Jews to navigate through life by establishing boundaries of acceptable behavior and standards for the proper worship of God.  What these Laws could not give the Jews, however, was control over their thoughts, emotions and attitudes.  When we look for salvation to come from our world, we will never find it.

    Americans looked forward to November 6th with great anticipation.  National elections always appear as a messiah that will save the United States from runaway spending and gigantic, unsustainable deficits created by the Federal Government. After a very long war of words that was exchanged between the two political parties, Americans went to the polls to vote.  Two billion dollars were spent by both parties on very lengthy campaigns designed to manipulate public opinion.   When the votes were tallied very few changes had taken place. 

    The political drama taking place in the United States after the electoral process is among the most remarkable spectacles ever to unfold on the world’s stage.  This demonstration of how immobilizing democracy can become is there for the world to see.  It looks like the clash of two messianic titans – an irresistible force racing toward an immovable object.  Perhaps Winston Churchill said it best, “We can always count on the Yanks to do the right thing, but generally, that is after they have exhausted every other alternative.”       

    Bermudians are looking forward to the elections on December 17th.   A good number of people are hoping that a new government will bring much needed change to our island.  Everyone wants a messiah to save their country. This is the cause behind the gatherings in the streets of Egypt or why there is a civil war in Syria.  A greater truth, however, is that no matter who provides the leadership of any society, they have little power over the inner world of people.  This inner world is what has caused chaos in every society since the beginning of recorded history.

    For example, Bermuda has the framework of laws just like most countries do; however, it is very rare that we find anyone driving the speed limit.  It is unlawful to own a firearm, but a number of them are here and are in the hands of adults that have the emotions of children.  It is unlawful to be in possession of marijuana, but this herb is readily available.

    Every society faces the same issue when people believe that their self-interest allows them to follow a messiah that appears in the form of their right to exercise personal freedom.   When values of the community are discarded, we know that individual messiahs are everywhere.

    There are no saviors that can fix the world.  In spite of this understanding, people in every generation have looked forward to a messiah that will save them.  This is why Israel was always looking for another warrior-king that would re-establish Israel’s power and prestige that their ancestors enjoyed during the reign of King David. 

    What exactly are we celebrating with our lighting the Candle of Hope?  Celebrating Jesus coming is welcoming yet the arrival of another Messiah.  Many committed Christians look forward to Christmas, a time when we celebrate our traditions, faith and religious heritage through every form of pageantry imaginable. What makes Jesus different from all the other messiahs?

    He taught his listeners how to transform their inner world, the world where emotions, attitudes, perceptions, intuition and motivation have their origin. When we act irresponsibly in the world, it is because of the confused condition of our inner world.  His instruction was, “First, discover the place within you where God’s Spirit is present and everything else you need, will come to you.”  (Matthew 6:33). 

    Last week there was a brief but intense drama in the United States because the Power Ball Lottery had reached 550 million dollars.  After taxes, the winner would receive several hundred million dollars to spend as he or she would like.  One billion tickets were sold during the last four hours prior to the drawing.  Another messiah appeared on the horizon.

    News reporters interviewed people everywhere to see what they were planning to do if they won.  As each of them disclosed their intentions, they had no idea about the number of near irresistible messiahs that would present themselves once they were handed a check for 236 million dollars. There were two winners so that amount of money will be shared equally.   

    Can Jesus compete with such a messiah?   No, Jesus cannot.  Jesus does not have to compete with anyone or anything.  Why?  Truth does not need defending. Truth can never be in competition with anything.  What is true does not change because of attitudes and beliefs regarding the existence of our inner world.  Even if no one talks about the world of spirit, the truth about it will always remain as the greatest visible secret that most people have yet to discover. 

    Jesus knew this truth.  He taught, “What good would it do if you won the entire world if in the process you lost your orientation toward wholesome living?  There is nothing you can give that will regain the quality of your life once it is lost.” (Matthew 16:26)  He also taught, “Where your treasure is, there will your hearts be also.”  (Matthew 6:21).

    He taught his listeners how to define themselves by examining the quality of their thoughts and emotions and then reminding them that they could create a new version of themselves any time they wished.  (Luke 19:2-9) 

    We are saved from the world’s messiahs by looking within ourselves.  No other messiah ever pointed to us and declared that it is our inner world that creates and defines what we experience.  When we decide to love our neighbors, the spirit by which we live is forever changed.