Scripture: Mark 7:24-37
Every so often at work we have to go through a period of time to retrain. During this time every one of the employees must sit, listen to a lecture, and answer questions. During this time every employee groans because once a year they have to redo everything, and at the same time get all the work they are required to do finished.
If you work for a company or have ever worked for a corporation you have probably had to do something like this. But there is one course that seems to really irritate many, the training on harassment. It is not that employees want to harass people or be harassed, but the irritation comes because after this you feel as if you cannot even speak to anyone without the potential of losing your job, or facing prosecution.
Harassment, diversity, and political correctness have been hot topics over the past few years. In most case these topics should be approached with great caution. We do not want to cause unnecessary harm to those around us. The problem is that it is nearly impossible to create an environment that is totally free from all forms of harassment or political incorrectness. It is possible to create an environment that is manageable thought. The difference between an environment trying to be free from all harassment and a manageable environment is balance. A harassment free environment is a place that can become just as hostile as one with little concern for political correctness. I have actually been in this sort of environment, one where everyone sits in total silence while eating lunch because they are afraid of being reported to management for harassment.
I am saying this not because I support an environment of harassment but because to create a manageable requires time and open communication. There must be a place that people feel free to speak without great threat. There must also be a space of time for people to adjust to a new way of thinking.
Jesus lived in a time and place that was full of racism, nationalism, patriotism, and religious bigotry. If we feel that these issues are bad today you would be surprised at how bad these issues were in ancient times. Even in the religious community, the community that we base our Christian ethic on was one of the most discriminating groups in the ancient world. Just think for a moment the greatest temple in the ancient world was built to honor the Hebrew God. Its beauty and greatness was spoken of by not only by Hebrews, but also the Romans. It was considered one of the greatest buildings in the entire known world. As a house of worship there was not a rival, yet it was a place reserved for only one group of people. Only the Jews could enter into this place of worship, if you were not Jewish, you could only marvel at its greatness from the outside and imagine what the beauty was on the interior. To distill this down to the most basic elements the temple was a house of racism. It is hard for me to even say that because history has treated the Hebrew culture very harshly. Religion, the religion that focused on the one true God was racist. Or was it?
In ancient Israel the racism was so dense that many would completely avoid certain areas of geography because the people that lived there were not of pure ethnic ancestry. It was not the fault of the Samaritans that their ancestors intermarried with the invaders of the past. They believed and worshiped the same God as those in Jerusalem, but they did not do it the same way. So not only were they discriminated over their race, but also religion.
There were other areas avoided. Three great ancient empires defeated Israel before they returned to their land. The Assyrians defeated the northern kingdom; the Babylonians defeated the southern kingdom. Some were taken to Babylon while others were left in the area. Many of those left behind were the ancestors of the Samaritans, while those taken into exile became what we know as the Jews, but the third empire then over threw the Babylonians and now they were under the rule of the Persians. It was the Persians that allowed the Jews to return to their land. The Jews rebuilt the temple and the walls of Jerusalem. The Samaritans worshiped in another area, and they still worship there today. Then even the great Persian Empire fell to the Greeks lead by Alexander the Great.
This fourth empire, the one that colonized Israel after they returned to their land, set up cities throughout the conquered lands, and in these cities they taught the Hellenistic worldviews. The Hellenistic people would move into these cities, and now Greeks live among the Jews. Tyre is one of these areas. Jesus goes to this city. He tries to go in secret but word gets out. If you can imagine this would be pretty big news. The religious community was exclusive. Adherers to this religion did not mix socially with the outsiders, and a rabbi to visit their city was nearly unheard of. Jesus faced this culture. This culture was weighed heavily by discriminating ideas, yet in the center of all of this was one woman who was unconcerned with what was politically correct, the only thing on her mind was the wellbeing of her daughter.
Jesus and this woman lived in the center of a culture war. They spoke, acted, and lived in solidarity with the world around them. The woman takes a chance and enters into this room to the presence of Jesus, surrounded by people that hate her. They hated her because of her ethnic background, her religious background, and her gender. What does she actually expect? She falls down at the feet of this great rabbi, the rabbi that taught about God in a way different than the others. The rabbi that could cast out demons and heal various diseases. To this woman there was an opportunity, to release her daughter from bondage. She braves the ridicule of the culture, because the goal was more important than anything else. And she asks a question.
Imagine the scene before we continue. Imagine every group of people that rubs you the wrong way. Imagine those individuals covered in tattoos, people with piercing, the single mother with children of mixed ethnicity, or maybe someone holding hands with someone of the same gender. Imagine these people openly, what are you seeing? Are you seeing a person or a stereotype? Are you willing to speak with this person respecting them as they are? I ask this because this is what everyone in this room with Jesus is going through. This woman challenges every aspect of their religion as she comes into the room, and they must deal with their prejudices.
She is there on Jesus’ feet begging for him to heal her daughter. Jesus knows the tension weighing down in the environment, but his response is somewhat disturbing. “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” After two thousand years we may not notice how politically incorrect this statement is. Not only is he calling her and her family and culture dogs he is stating to her that the Jewish culture is better. It is a statement that is hostile, harassment in any way that you look at it. Yet it is open and manageable. The culture is what it is. Neither group can artificially or force change. So Jesus speaks into the current culture, He does not judge, condemn, or support any aspect of that culture but he meets them all where they are. It is at that point that one can start to change the culture. Meeting and speaking to the community where they currently are, teaching them the truth and starting them on a journey into the Light of God.
I am reminded of the vision of Isaiah when he saw of the glory of God and says, “I am undone, I am a man of unclean lips from a people of unclean lips.” Jesus left His place in heaven, to live among mankind. He came to bring reconciliation between God and Mankind. To reconcile, to bring real lasting peace among enemies you must first enter into a conversation, in honesty and respect, accepting them for who they currently are and encouraging growth. Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God, to spread the influence and reign of God throughout humanity. Jesus is sitting in this room of prejudiced people on both sides and says, “you don’t take the food from kids and give it to the dogs.” Jesus is saying in this statement, that redemption comes through the Jewish people. They were the people through which God was revealed. They by default would be the first in line, for no other reason than that they were waiting.
God is not only for the people of Israel. When the nation first came into the Promised Land an inn owner named Rehab was accepted into the community because she believed in the God of the Hebrews. A Moabite named Ruth was accepted into the community saying that her mother-in-law’s people would be her people and their God her God. Even the great lawgiver, Moses, married not one but two non-Hebrew women. It is odd that I mention women and not men, but in the Hebrew tradition true Jewish heritage is based not on the father but the mother. It is the mother that carries the child and gives birth, and before paternity tests were invented the mother was the only parent that could be proven without doubt. So in each of these cases the children resulting from these marriages should not have been accepted as pure, yet they were. God in the Old Testament was a God for all people.
The woman and all present knew of this history. Even the Pharisees taught that Gentiles could become part of the community. The woman replies to Jesus, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” She knew that through the imperfect eyes of humanity she would never be seen as equal, but she hoped that God would provide grace. Both spoke in parable, in a figurative way using common language and visualizations to express their faith. We have all seen dogs or other pets eat the things that are dropped from the table, it is the same food as on the table. She spoke great theological knowledge in an almost flippant way. The grace of God, the bread of life is the same food that nourishes all people, if it is found on the table or down in the dirt. Jesus, I am sure enjoyed this meeting of wits. And in this conversation both spoke to the heart of prejudice. To God all people are equal; there are not slaves nor free, Jews or Greeks, men or women. Though we may have prejudices God does not. Though we may see dogs not worthy of God’s grace, God sees something totally different.
I speak of prejudice, harassment, racism, and bigotry, among other really dark words that remind us of our darker history as humans. I speak of these because Christ came to set us free from all bondage. If we do not see the humanity of another we are living in bondage, and when we judge and condemn we may actually keep others from experiencing the grace of God.
Paul says, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived? Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers – none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”
This is who we were. This is the lifestyle that each of us struggles to walk away from on our journeys to God. We may be a few steps closer but we are not totally free from the threat of bondage. The only way to be free is to build peace with God and mankind. Those we imagined just a few moments ago are broken and hurting people loved by God, people for whom Christ died for to provide the way of salvation. They hunger and thirst for many things both physical and spiritual. The forces of the world, the flesh, and the devil bind them and they are in need of someone to point them to their redeemer.
As we enter into this time of open worship I ask us each to consider what we would do if someone like this woman came into our meeting. Would we help them along the journey of faith in Christ or would we toss them out to the dogs? It is a hard question but one we must answer if we truly want to be a community Loving God, Embracing the Holy Spirit, and Living Christ’s Love with others.
Scripture: Acts 2:1-21
Our community is filled with diverse and unique people. Our stores are filled with people from pretty much every corner of the earth. I have worked and still work with individuals from Mexico, Sudan, Kenya, Nigeria, Jordan, England, India, and even Texas. People from nearly every continent. I have helped customers who have made their bodies into a canvas of works of art that rival many great artists. People who mimic the actions and looks of cats, people who can cause others to lose themselves in music, or can take someone to the other side of the universe through the use of language and grammar.
Many of us look at this colorful picture of humanity and get nervous. We do not understand what they are saying, we do not understand why they would purposely have a needle rapidly fire ink into their skin, and maybe we do not quite get why someone would want to walk through life with whiskers attached to their faces. We label them as unworthy of our friendship, cast them out into the fringes of society, and then sit and wonder why they do not wish to attend a meeting for worship.
For centuries humans have been pushing each other away, and gathering those with similar attributes together into clans, tribes, and nations. The ancient Hebrew writers described this when they tell the story of Babel, where the languages were confused and people were scattered throughout the world from the cradle of civilization between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Since that moment people have tried to achieve wealth, power, and influence over other. They have struggled to invent or find something that would give them an edge over their enemies.
One nation out of countless was chosen, was given favor over the others. The nations looked down on them out of jealousy and greed. What gave them the right to say that they were chosen, favored over the rest? Nothing except they came from one man who chose to trust God, to follow His leading instead of listening to the voices of the cultures. The favor of the nation of Israel only drove the division between the nations deeper. Persia thought they were pretty awesome they claimed their ruler as the king of kings and lord of lords. Romans thought their leader emerged from the loins of the gods, yet this one little nation claimed that they were the chosen nation the light to the nations. There was one thing though this tiny nation was on the kingdom highway, they held the territory that connected every empire of the world. Every eye was on Israel because if Israel was strong the other nations were weak. When Israel was weak then one of the other empires was at the top of their game. Yet this nation never fully fell from the pages of history, their continued existence is one the greatest examples of the reality of God.
The truth of the matter is that there is no one race or nation greater than another. No nation exists just because they hold a golden ticket that gives them a free ride on the trains of time. Israel was chosen for one reason to be the instrument through which the redemption of the universe would be revealed. They were chosen to show that a relationship between the creator of the universe and humanity could be a reality.
The day of Pentecost is a day that remembers, it remembers that God cared enough about humanity that He spoke words. First He spoke them to a nation, they recorded them, lived by them, worshiped them. These words were practical words of hope, words given to extend life and maintain order, they were words that told the world that there is more. That life is greater than nations, politics, and races. Life is about love and the restoration of Eden.
Every known people group was represented that day 2000 years ago. Just look at the list, there are people from the east and west. They were there in the City of God because they wanted to remember that God revealed Himself to humanity, and because of that they had hope. At one point in history the nations were scattered, today they were reunited. They heard the good news, not in a foreign language but in the one the had heard spoken since they were in the womb.
It caused a sensation. Everyone present stood there listening. They could not explains what was happening. It was a total up turning of the ancient traditions. Not only were they speaking to every known people group, Jewish and gentile, but they did so in common terms. The acceptable practice was to only speak of God in Hebrew. The prayers and liturgy were in Hebrew. Scripture was both written and read in Hebrew. It was a way to restrict access to God only to and through this one chosen group. This was not God’s entire plan.
God called the nation of Israel out to be the light to all nations. Yet this was interpreted as meaning the honored by all nation. They were set apart from the others to live a lifestyle quite different. One that respected other equally, giving the same civil rights to natives as well as the alien. One that required justice, mercy,and honor for the slave as well as the free. A nation where the poor were to be taken care of justly, women protected from objectivity, and children were to be educated and encouraged to a better life. Israel was to be a beacon of hope in all nations, an example of justice in an unjust world. Through the entitled interpretations access to God became restricted to those who were born into one culture, or to those who could afford the time and money to learn under a rabbi. On this day the tables of religion were over turned. It was beyond the riot caused by Jesus over turning the tables of the money changers in the courts of the temple. Today the very Word of God was freely given to all, not in a temple but on the streets, not just to one or two other groups allied with Israel but to every nation known to the Empire.
It is no wonder those most affected by this tried to discredit the disciples of Jesus by calling them drunkard, they had just lost their grip on the world seeking a relationship with the one true God. Throughout history this same thing has happened countless times among various groups, the Society of Friends is just one of those groups that wished to take the gospel of Christ out of the traditional box and take it to the streets.
Just imagine for a bit as we sit here in our padded pews thinking highly of ourselves for being so righteous. Imagine if we were to go out speaking the language of the people of our community? Imagine if we were to walk out of here able to speak to the tattooed masses, the high school kittens, or the immigrant hoping to find a life here that could not be an option in their war-torn homeland? Imagine if all of those people were suddenly moved to worship God in their own way? It might scare us at first because what if the religious community we want to respect us see that we are accepting those people?
I say who cares! Those people are God’s people. I can tell you right now that if you were to be uncomfortable for a short time hanging out with those people, you would have more fun and more of a chance to share your faith and change lives, than if you spend three years in this meetinghouse. A few years ago Kristy and I took a trip by train to Pittsburgh, PA with college art students. I enjoyed every minute of that trip, I spoke about my love for God every day, and was accepted by them. I was not accepted because I veiled the truth of the gospel, but because I accepted them as who they were and encouraged them to consider something else. Did I see any lasting life changes? Not at the time, but it was only a few days.
We live in a time of great opportunities. We live in a land rich with culture and ideas, there are countless ways we can share the gospel of Christ to our community if we are willing to speak the language and go out into the streets. I challenge each of you to consider one thing outside of religion that you get excited about, think about your interest in that and your faith in God. Now consider if there is a group of people there that you interact with? How often has God met you in the excitement for video games, hockey, or academics? Has that excitement spilled into the relationships you have with those around you?
This passage ends by saying…”In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
This means that things are about to change, everything that we used to hold fast to will be overturned and a new order will emerge. This does not necessarily mean the end of all time, but instead an end of a time. Our world has had this happen several times over, and we are about to see it again. We live at the end of one era and the start of something new. We are walking into an era where relationships mean more than knowledge, an era where there is such a strong hunger for acceptance people are looking for it where ever they can. Let us be the ones to accept the world in the love of God. Let us embrace them as we embrace to Spirit’s leading. Let us live the love of Christ with them. Not so our meeting will grow, instead because they are people for whom Jesus died. They are people lost in darkness longing for Light.
Let us be the first to lay down the judgment and lift up people in love, just as Christ has loved us. Let us now join together in prayer and meditation as we commune with God in the silence. Let us listen to His urgings and act on His leading. If you feel a need to speak please do. If not let us sit in God’s loving embrace.
Scripture: Hebrews 5:5-10
Jesus the priest. How often do you think of Jesus in that light. I’m gussing about as often as you consider getting a root canal. Not to say this is a bad thing. We don’t think of Him as a priest often because for most of us a priest is something we have never seen. Even pastors that are called priests are not the same as the old testiment style of priests.
Jesus is the priest. A priest in he historic Hebrew faith I one that stands in as te representative of the people before God. They are the ones that can assure that the sacrifices were ok, or if you would have to visit a seller to find an acceptable offering. The priest assured the people that their prayers were heard, and if necissary passed on some prophetic message to the patitioner.
To simplify it even more the priests participated in worship while those that came to woship just witnessed the Levites worship for them. It almost sounds odd, yet often this is how we ourselves approach worship. Do we really expect significant spiritual growth in that manner? You would think not, but this is how we worship. We do not know how to approach God, how could we? I the closest thing to this in our human existance would be to just walk up to a king and start to chat. We have to be taken into the presence of our heavenly Father. This is why Jesus our priest is so important. He took on full humanity, he worshiped for us, he prays for us, and he died in our place. He did this so that we could once again have a relationship with our Creator.
He worships for us, but we do have a part. We participate by imitating Him, and listening to his direction. The problem with this is too often our lives are so busy we can’t seem to find the time. Let alone find the words to say. This is why I have grown to love using scripture to facilitate prayer. I read a portion of scripture and allow the Spirit of God to direct me into prayer. By doing this I have grown closer to my God, savior and teacher. I become more able to folow his comands, and I can love others in His love more easily. Jesus is our priest, He offered a scarifice once and for all humanity, he directs us into worship, and whe we do not know what to do he even prays the words for us.
Today I encourage you to listen to your eternal worship leader!