"Yes, We Are Nobody Until…”


Sermon Delivered By Reverend Richard E. Stetler – April 28, 2013

Centenary United Methodist Church

Exodus 3:9-17; Luke 7:1-10

 

    There is nothing more fascinating to study than how human life has evolved. All of us begin as winners. Little microscopic tadpole-like creatures struggle to penetrate an egg.  Only the strongest wins.  Eventually that fertilized egg evolves into a highly complex life-form.

    Babies become like sponges that soak up everything in their environment.  Their desire for exploration is immediate.  They look at everything, feel it and have to even taste it.  When something captures their attention, their eyes focus on the object as it whirls around or makes noises.  If someone teases a baby by rubbing its tummy with a teddy bear, the child often bursts into uncontrollable, contagious laughter. 

    Where do these responses come from?  Each baby is one-of-a-kind.  The mystery of life has not been unraveled even though we find ourselves in the 21st century. There are numerous authorities that believe they know how the process works, but their knowledge is incomplete.

    The most mysterious and fascinating aspect about newborns is their spirit.  The location of this invisible commander that governs attitudes, motivation, moods, and emotional control has not been found. Like a fingerprint, our spirits are different.  This morning we are going to explore what causes a person that represents human potential to become eventually somebody of value.

    Once a woman placed her three-month old son into a basket made of reeds and placed it in the shallow margins of the Nile River.  The child’s life was in danger of being destroyed in an effort by the Egyptian government to control the exploding Hebrew population.  Her plan was to send her son near where Pharaoh’s daughter bathed every day.  The plan worked. 

    Upon discovering the child, the princess called him Moses and adopted him.  His older sister, Miriam, asked the princess if she desired a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby.  The princess agreed and Moses was carried back to his own mother to be nursed.  Moses would grow up in Pharaoh’s court and at the same time be taught the traditions of his native Hebrew culture. 

    While Moses was enjoying the privileges of being part of the royal family, who was he?  As he became increasingly aware of the plight of his native people, Moses grew increasingly uneasy about their treatment by the Egyptians.  Eventually, he witnessed an Egyptian killing a Hebrew and Moses reacted violently and killed that Egyptian.  Who was Moses after he murdered this man?

    After realizing that other Hebrews had witnessed the killing, Moses fled to Median.  This was the place where Moses encountered God at the burning bush.  After listening to what God had in mind for Moses, we learn that Moses lacked confidence in himself. He said to God, “I am nobody!  How can I approach Pharaoh and demand that he free the Israelites?” 

    We know the story that this nobody eventually became a household name for billions of people through thirty-six centuries.  Jewish traditions assert that Moses wrote the first five books of the Hebrew Bible -- the most sacred texts of the Jews.  The Torah contains the Ten Commandments as well as the 613 mitzvot (additional commandments).  Did Moses ever realize that he would become a well-known personality among people all over the world?

    Our other lesson for today describes an episode where a highly loved and respected servant of a Roman Centurion was on his deathbed.  News came that Jesus was in the area and the Roman officer sent several Jewish friends to see if he might attend to his servant’s need for healing.

    When they found Jesus they said, “This Centurion is a good man.  He used his own financial resources to build a synagogue for us.  Please come and heal his servant.”  Jesus went with them.  As the Master drew near to the compound of the Centurion, the officer sent word that he was not worthy to have Jesus come to his home.  Further he said, “I do not feel worthy enough to even be in your presence.  Please, do not trouble yourself.  Simply give the word and your desire will be done.”  (Luke 7:7)

    Jesus was so surprised by the response of this Roman officer that he commented to a group of listeners, “I have never come across this kind of trust and understanding anywhere in Israel. (Luke 7:9)   According to Luke’s Gospel, Jesus was never in the company of this Centurion.   The servant, however, was healed. Who was this Centurion who considered himself unworthy to be in the presence of Jesus?  Yet, strangely, he has been remembered for thousands of years because of his trust and understanding.

    What causes a person to become important to other people?  Like the three Wise Men from the East, the woman who put three copper coins in the treasury and thus gave everything she had and now the Roman Centurion – what caused these people to be remembered?    

    Today, we hear that numerous leaders in our world become increasingly interested in their legacy.  Can anyone really set out to establish their legacy as one worthy enough to be remembered?  A person remains nobody until others decide that one life has value to them. People have little or no control over their destiny.

    Listen to this list of names and see if you can remember what the eight of them have in common:  Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred E. Smith, Andrew Carnegie, Claude Monet, Charles Dickens and John Philip Sousa.  These people were towering giants in their respective fields.  They were creators who became well-known to people.  

    Not one of them set out to become a celebrity or to establish a legacy.  In fact, most of them would have remained content to be nobody.  Their value to others is what caused them to be remembered.  What did these men have in common?  Not one of them went any further in their education than elementary school. 

    Think about the pivotal moments in history where significant woman became the springboard for influencing world history but their deeds remained hidden simply because they were women.  For example, we know that Mary Magdalene and other women were instrumental in keeping the faith alive.  What we do not have are their stories.     

    The name of Anna Carroll would mean nothing to the average American. She appears only as a footnote in a few history books.  She was responsible for the North winning the Civil War.  Anna supplied General Grant with vital intelligence about the plans of the Confederate army.   Of course, General Grant took the credit for winning the war, but it was Anna’s desire to preserve the union of the United States that actually provided the foundation for her dream to come true.

    Most people do not know the name Aspasia who was born in 470 BC, but all of us would readily recognize the names of two of her pupils. She established a school of philosophy and rhetoric in Athens. Her salon influenced the city’s greatest artists, scholars and politicians.  The two students were Socrates and Plato.  Both men gave her credit for helping them learn that they had ideas that were of value and worth sharing. 

    Abraham Lincoln once wrote, “Rather than seeking to become well-known, it is far better that a person cultivate the character qualities that would make them worthy of being known.”  Striving to be remembered is a pointless and useless pursuit.  Making a contribution is what matters.  Practicing our creativity is what provides value to our lives. 

    There is an interesting story about an auto mechanic that came to work every day with one goal in mind. His single driving desire was to be the finest mechanic in the world for God.  Consistently, however, he was passed over for raises.  He was ridiculed by the other mechanics in the shop for not being a team-player after work hours.  He did not socialize with the others at the local pub before going home.  His faith took him in other directions.

    Eventually the other mechanics learned of his value and privately came to him with mechanical problems they could not diagnose.  Always, he willingly took the time not only to help them but he also watched them as they followed through.  Again, often they took the credit for making those complicated repairs. 

    After years of being part of what had become a highly successful business operation, he was summoned to the owner’s office that was in another building.  The owner said,

Eric, I have wanted to talk to you for some time.  Our company has never had to advertise our services because of you.  When cars leave our shop, they are fixed.  Our call backs are almost non-existent. Word of mouth is always the best advertisement any company can have.  You come to work early and you leave late.  I have visited your work area.  It is kept neat and organized.  I also noticed that you surround yourself with the best auto repair references as well as books on public relations.  You know about Best Practices. I am planning to retire soon and I would like you to become the new owner of my company.

    Eric sat there shocked by this unexpected news. “Thank you, sir,” he said.  “I appreciate the confidence that you have in me, but I have very little money.  I would not be able to buy your business.”  The owner said, “I am not interested in selling our business to you.  I’ve made a lot of money, Eric.  I want to give you the company.  I wanted to give it to someone who will care about it and care about the people who work here as well as our customers.”

    If we change a number of the symbols in this story, we see the same formula at work as we find in the Joseph story in the Book of Genesis.  Joseph always brought his best to every task because he felt that God had a purpose for everything he experienced, even when he was falsely accused and put into prison.  Eventually, he became the second in command of Egypt.

    There are a lot of nobodies in the world.  However, people become somebodies when they become of value to everyone else.  Moses’ leadership skills evolved in a fairly short period of time.  The Centurion had already communicated his value by befriending the Jews.  He expressed his compassion for them by building them a synagogue with his own money.  Jesus found his faith and understanding second to none in Israel.

    When we realize that we are equipped with the same spiritual qualities as God, all of us are able to communicate value simply by polishing our attitudes and giving ourselves to what we enjoy creating.  Those that drop the ball and struggle to find validation, recognition and approval are those that pay too much attention to the reflections of the world.  

    I will conclude with a poem that summarizes in a few verses what has taken me twenty minutes to say:

I would rather see a sermon than hear one any day.  I would rather one walk with me than merely tell me the way.   The eye is a better student and more willing than the ear; fine counsel can be confusing, but example is always clear.  I can soon learn how to do it, if I only see it done; I can watch your life in action, while you’re serious or having fun.  The greatest of all my friends are the ones who live their creeds; for to see the good in action, is what everybody needs.