November 22, 2020 - A Tough Faith for Tough Times: Mary Magdalene

 

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This morning we conclude the series of messages titled A Tough Faith for Tough Times.  In this series, we have studied various Biblical characters – Joseph, Moses, David, and Job – and the challenges they were able to overcome through the strength of their faith.  This morning we are studying about the faith of Mary Magdalene.

     

I will add that I am a bit tired of messages related to difficult times, because I’m tired of difficult times.  I want normal!  And I’m sure you do as well.  But here we are, concluding our 4^thseries of messages since the pandemic began, and every message of each of those series has been in response to the difficult times in which we are living.

     

Next week begins the season of Advent, and I think it is accurate to say that this year, as we celebrate Advent, we will be closer to what the characters in the first Advent were experiencing.  There was a lot of unrest in the world at the first Advent.  Mary and Joseph faced many difficulties and uncertainties as they made the journey to Bethlehem.  I hope, then, that we will see Advent in a new light this year.

     

You might remember my recent admission – several weeks into this series of messages – that I realized I had not included any women characters. It was, I will freely admit, embarrassing to realize I had committed such an oversight.  There are plenty of stories of women in the Scriptures, and I should have realized this as I prepared the series.  I am correcting that oversight this morning, as we look at the faith of Mary Magdalene.  

     

We don’t know much about Mary Magdalene, and some of what people think they know about her is not correct, as we will see.  We know that Mary was one of the women who went to the tomb on the first Easter morning.  That’s really significant.  Think about it – Mary was one of the first to find the empty tomb.  It wasn’t Peter.  It wasn’t James.  It wasn’t John.  And it wasn’t any of the other disciples.  But Mary was there.

     

Mary Magdalene’s story, in comparison with those of the others we have studied, is very brief.  Mary Magdalene is mentioned 12 times in the gospels, and 11 of those times are in relation to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.  This morning’s Scripture text is the only mention of Mary outside of the passages about the crucifixion and resurrection.  That passage is Luke 8:1-3, and I invite you to follow along with me as I read – 

 

¹After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.  The twelve were with him,

²and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases:  Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out;

³Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others.  These women were helping to support them out of their own means.

 

I should mention also that Magdalene is not Mary’s last name.  We don’t really know why Mary was called Magdalene, but as best we know, it might refer to where she was possibly from – the small village of Magdala, located on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

     

As we have in previous messages in this series, we will look at some of the lessons from the faith of Mary Magdalene.  Even though Mary is mentioned only briefly, the mentions that are made of her are very important.

 

1.  We are known by God. 

     

I take this lesson from the fact that we know so little about Mary.  Mary obviously spent quite a bit of time in the presence of Jesus – as did many other people who receive little or no mention in the Scriptures – and yet we know so little about her.  There were many people who were close associates of Jesus, and yet many of them receive little or no mention in the gospels. This does not mean that they are not important; it simply means that there were more people involved in the life and ministry of Jesus than could be mentioned.

     

When I think about the promise of being known by God, I think of a couple of verses in the 10^thchapter of Matthew’s gospel.  In that chapter, we read of Jesus sending out his disciples, and as he does, he tells them not to be afraid.  In the course of that admonition, Jesus says, ²⁹ Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. ³⁰ And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  

     

I find those verses to be a wonderfully encouraging reminder of the reality that we are known by God.  However anonymous we might believe we are in this world, we are not forgotten by God. We are not overlooked by God.  I don’t know how Mary felt.  I don’t know if she felt overlooked by society.  I don’t know if she felt insignificant, but I do know this – many people feel as though they are known by no one.  Young people, especially, have so many doubts about whether or not they fit in, and often wonder if anyone cares about them.  As adults, we wonder about this as well, but young people are especially vulnerable to this feeling.  I don’t know how I come across now, personality-wise, but when I was young, and in school – especially in junior high and even more in high school – I was a very quiet and shy student.  I can remember the fear of whether or not I would end up eating alone in the cafeteria.  To a young student, the idea of eating alone in the cafeteria is a very big fear.  To be alone in school is a simply terrible feeling for a student.  Some days I walked down the halls of the school wondering if anyone knew who I was or realized I existed.  Mary reminds us that we are known by God.  God has the hairs of our heads numbered.  We are not invisible to God.  God knows our concerns, and our cares.  

     

We live in such a celebrity, fame-obsessed culture.  Reality shows take us into their homes and into their lives, and people watch and wish that was the kind of life they could have.  Many people are very envious of those lives, not so much for the wealth, but for being known by so many.  Celebrity is an obsession in our culture because so many people believe they are no one, but if they were famous, their lives would somehow be validated and they would be considered important by others.  We all want to know that we are known.  We all want to know that we are important to someone.  It is a beautiful affirmation of Scripture that we are so known, and loved, by God.

     

A lot of people have felt alone during this pandemic.  They feel overlooked.  They feel anonymous.  There feel lonely.  There were already people in nursing homes who never receive a visitor, and now there are many more who have not because of the restrictions.  They wonder, does anyone remember me?  Is anyone thinking about me? There are people in their homes who don’t get to see anyone.  People who hope they are known by someone.  Mary reminds us that yes, we are known by God.

 

2.  We are much more than what people say about us.

     

I said at the beginning of this message that we know very little about Mary, and some of what we think we know is wrong.  How many of you have ever been taught that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute?  Did you know there is not one bit of evidence for that claim?  There is not one word, not one letter, in the Scriptures that make that claim.  

     

It is not entirely known where that association comes from, but it probably comes from an Easter homily given by Pope Gregory the Great in the year 591. In that homily he associated the repentant sinner of Luke 7:37 with Mary Magdalene, as if they were the same woman. That verse says that the woman who anointed Jesus with oil was a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town.  The text itself never mentions Mary as being that woman, and it also does not mention that the woman in question was a prostitute; it simply says she had lived a sinful life.  Unfortunately for the memory of Mary, the association was made and continues in the minds of many people to this day.  Some people also associate Mary with the woman taken in adultery in John chapter 8, but the woman in that passage is never given a name.

     

Sometimes, people want to attach words and labels to us – loser, dumb, uncool for example - and claim those labels define us, when in reality they are not at all representative of who we are.  And, as much as we wish it weren’t so, those words get etched on our hearts and they are really hard to erase.  Sometimes, we remember those harsh words more than the good words that have been said to us.  And, unfortunately, sometimes we say those words about others, making us contributors to their sense of unworthiness.  The labels that God uses for people are very different.  They are labels that uplift and encourage; labels such as child, as we are God’s children.

     

That Jesus would take Mary and other women into his inner circle was a very powerful act in that day.  It can still be a powerful act, affirming women in a religious context.  In my more than 11 years as minister of this church I have received applause one time in a sermon.  I don’t say that because I’m soliciting applause, but to make a point.  It was in the early years of my ministry here that I related the story of someone asking me what church I served as minister.  I replied that I am the minister of First Christian Church, and when I said that, the person replied, oh, that’s the church that lets women do stuff.  And there was applause from the congregation when I said that line.  I think I hear some applause now, in fact.  What is quite amazing is that such a statement continues to be noteworthy in our time and thus deserving of applause.  Ladies, you have heard too many times – far too many times – words that are negative and condemning of your service to Christ and his church.  Words such as unqualified, prohibited, and unBiblical. Too many people have made decisions about who God can and will use, too many people have decided that women are not worthy to serve in some roles in the church, and that is a tragedy, and it is wrong.  If God calls you to a role, then you are qualified to fulfill that role, regardless of what anyone else thinks.  

 

3.  Devotion.      

 

One of the few facts about Mary that is listed in the gospels is the interesting tidbit found in Luke 7:2, that Mary had been healed by Jesus, and was one from who seven demons had come out.  I find it interesting how matter-of-factly Luke makes this statement, as though he was reporting on something as simple as the street where she lived or the color of a piece of clothing she was wearing on a particular day.  Certainly, this healing would explain the devotion that Mary had for Jesus. 

     

I thought for a while about what word to use here.  I thought about the word loyaltyand a few others, but I really like the word devotion.  Devotion was a hallmark of Mary’s life because of her response to what Jesus had done for her, and devotion is a word that speaks more of a feeling that is all-consuming.  It carries the idea of someone who is powerfully drawn to another.  

     

That sense of devotion led to the generosity of Mary – of which I’ll speak in a moment – and to her ministry with Jesus and, ultimately, to going to the tomb after his crucifixion to prepare his body.  Mary was one of the women who went to the tomb on the first Easter morning to prepare the body of Jesus.  They were unable to do so after the crucifixion because of the coming of the Sabbath day.  And let’s remember that none of the men who followed Jesus went there to help with that final act of devotion.  Peter was not there.  James was not there.  John was not there.  None of the male followers of Jesus were at the tomb.  Now, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always found the thought of that action to be a bit difficult to imagine.  I don’t think I need to go into all the reasons why, but let’s just say it takes a lot of devotion for such an act.  Preparing the body of someone you loved, after the horrendous violence of a scourging and a crucifixion, in a tomb, in a graveyard, would be incredibly difficult.  And yet Mary did so.  It was her last act of devotion to Jesus.  It was a final act to perform for the one who had changed her life, as he had done for so many others.

     

Devotion, to me, is a compelling feeling of wanting to do something for another person. We can do something out of obligation, but that will only take us so far.  We are called to express our devotion to God, and to others, as an expression of our love and of our commitment.  We do not have to convince ourselves of that need, we do not have to talk ourselves into that need, and we do not have to be pushed into that need.  Devotion means we are compelled into action.

 

4.  Generosity. 

     

It is often assumed, because of Luke’s statement that these women were helping to support them [Jesus and his disciples] out of their own means(Luke 8:3), that Mary was wealthy.  This might have been, although I’m not sure.  Whatever their resources, it certainly speaks to the generosity of Mary and the others, who offered support to the ministry of Jesus and his disciples.

     

There are many reasons we can find for not being generous, certainly in this most unusual of years.  We can feel a bit insecure about our financial resources, for instance.  Many people have been negatively impacted financially during the pandemic.  Millions of people have lost their jobs and countless others worry their job may be at risk. When you feel insecure about your finances, it is easy to hold tighter to your resources, and that is understandable. As we prepare to move into the season of Advent, we are finding the number of needs this year to be higher than normal, and you have already responded in such generous ways, and for that we are very grateful.  It is very moving to see your level of generosity, and I don’t want to miss an opportunity to thank you for your giving.

     

Mary, out of her devotion to Jesus, was exceedingly generous.

     

We do not know how much longer this pandemic will last.  There has been, thankfully, good news of late about vaccines, and one was just granted emergency approval by the FDA.  But it will take some time before that vaccine will be available to everyone who wants to receive it.  It could be late spring or early summer before a vaccine is widely distributed so we are some months yet to go in the pandemic.  Because we have months yet to go, generosity is going to continue to be greatly needed.  It will be the generosity of finances but also of other resources as well.  People will need, for instance, the gift of our time. We need to be generous with our time, sitting down to write a card or a letter, or to make some phone calls to check on others.  

     

So, as we conclude this series of messages about Biblical characters whose tough faith saw them through tough times, I hope that your faith has been strengthened, and that your faith will continue to carry you through these tough times. Amen, and amen.

 

 

November 15, 2020 - A Tough Faith for Tough Times: Job

 

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This morning we continue our series of messages titled A Tough Faith for Tough Times.  When we talk about a tough faith, and when we talk about experiencing tough times, there is one Biblical character that looms larger than any other, and that is Job.  How could we nottalk about Job in this series?  This is not the first time I have preached on Job. A few years ago, I did a series of messages on the book of Job.  As I always say when I teach or preach on Job, it is always worth returning to him, especially in times of difficulty.  If there is anyone who can serve as an example of surviving tough times, it is Job. The archetype for surviving tough times, Job had it all, and then lost it all.  By the end of the story, all the blessings have come back to Job, but even though they are restored, it certainly would not have erased the pain he experienced.

     

Job I a rather long book, and as I am presenting a single message on his story, I must provide only a very cursory overview.  

     

Follow along as I read Job 13:1-5 –  

 

¹ “My eyes have seen all this, my ears have heard and understood it.

² What you know, I also know; I am not inferior to you.

³ But I desire to speak to the Almighty and to argue my case with God.

⁴ You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!

⁵ If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

⁶ Hear now my argument; listen to the pleas of my lips.

⁷ Will you speak wickedly on God’s behalf?  Will you speak deceitfully for him?

⁸ Will you show him partiality?  Will you argue the case for God?

⁹ Would it turn out well if he examined you?  Could you deceive him as you might deceive a mortal?

¹⁰ He would surely call you to account if you secretly showed partiality.

¹¹ Would not his splendor terrify you?  Would not the dread of him fall on you?

¹² Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.

¹³ “Keep silent and let me speak; then let come to me what may.

¹⁴ Why do I put myself in jeopardy and take my life in my hands?

¹⁵ Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.

 

Job is obviously angry in this passage, and rightfully so, as he has experienced so much loss and suffering.  If anyone could lay claim to justified anger, it would be Job. When we go through tough times, the same emotions that Job experienced also well up within us, and this year, to some extent, we have all felt a wide range of emotions and have grappled with them as they have weighed heavily upon us.

 

#1. Suffering is not always a negative, even though we see it is as one.  Let us not curse our suffering; let us learn from it.

     

On the surface, that sounds like a completely ridiculous statement, doesn’t it?  How can suffering be anything but negative?  The reality is, sometimes there are lessons that are only learned when we experience difficulty.  I don’t know why that is, but it seems to be part and parcel of the human condition that we sometimes have to learn our lessons the hard way.  

     

We also must realize that we are never guaranteed that we will escape suffering and difficulties.  Sometimes we hear the phrase entitlement mentalitybandied about in our culture.  Entitlement mentalityis a phrase generally used to critique people, but here’s the truth – we all feel entitled.  Who doesn’t think I’m a good person?  Who doesn’t think,I try to help others.  I work hard and take care of my family.  I do what is right.  I’ve not hurt anyone.  Why should I, then, have to suffer?  Shouldn’t I be exempt from suffering and hardship, because of my goodness?  Well, no, because that is not how life works.  We might feel entitled to a blessed life, free of tragedy and suffering, but the Bible nowhere promises that will be our reality.  Now, don’t get me wrong; I wish life could always be filled with blessing and be free of tragedy and suffering, but that is just not going to happen.  There is no hedge of protection we can build around our lives that will save us from the difficulties of life, and the Bible does not guarantee a trouble-free life. Somehow, a lot of people have the idea that the Bible does promise a trouble-free life, and that is one of my primary contentions with the so-calledprosperity gospel.  The prosperity gospeloffers the promise – a false promise, in my opinion – that God places a hedge of protection around his people, sparing them from suffering and instead, offering them only blessing.  Just a cursory reading of the Bible reveals that difficulty and struggle are a part of life.  Job, for instance, did everything right.  He left nothing to chance, even offering sacrifices on behalf of his children in the event they had done something wrong.  So why should Job have to be subjected to suffering?  If anyone would have been spared from suffering, certainly based upon their goodness, it would have been Job.  Job was so righteous that he even wins praise from God. In 1:8, God asks Satan, have you considered my servant Job?  There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.  That’s God speaking about Job – talk about high praise!  And yet Job suffered terribly.  His righteousness, his faith, and even the praise from God did not protect him from suffering. 

     

What Job has to teach us – even though it seems counter-intuitive – is that suffering is not always a negative, even though we see it is as one. I think this is why Job never questioned his faith, even though he suffered so immensely. No matter how painful his loss, no matter how deep his grief, no matter how alone he felt, Job held to his faith, revealing that faith is indeed one of the great resources that helps us face our difficulties.

     

I Peter 1:1-7 adds further clarification of this, as we read, inall this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

     

Though I wish it weren’t the case, it is true that some lessons only come through difficulty.  As we have moved through this difficult year, I’m not sure what lessons humanity has learned, and it may take time before we are able to understand what those lessons are. And, I must add, I would never wish suffering about anyone else.  I am simply saying that suffering does not have to be in vain; we can learn from our suffering, and we can learn very valuable lessons.  Through the power of God, our suffering can be transformed into what can shape, and mold, and teach us in important ways.

     

In fact, when we think about the lessons we learn from suffering, we can ask, can we truly appreciate companionship if we have never known loneliness?  Can we truly appreciate bounty if we have never been in need?  Can we truly appreciate love if we have never felt unloved?  Can life be as rich and as meaningful if we have not known suffering and difficulty?

 

#2. Struggle brings a focus and clarity to life that is not present in times of blessing.

     

Philip Yancey has written numerous books, many of which I have read and found very helpful.  Yancey says that one of the lessons of suffering is that suffering actually gives us the opportunity to focus on what matters most.

     

As we have moved through this year, first with the pandemic and then the other struggles that have come our way, I believe we have all grown to appreciate the gifts in our lives, gifts such as faith, family, and friends, and perhaps we have appreciated them in ways that we had not in previous months and years.  As we go about our lives and our business, we don’t always think about the gifts we have in life, until those gifts are threatened, or taken away.  I am grateful for my faith, but I have thought about my faith in a greater way this year.  I am grateful for the church, and after experiencing twelve weeks when we could not meet, and another two weeks in August when we could not meet, I do not at all take for granted the gift of being here together.  It never occurred to me that it might become a reality that we would be out of church for so many weeks, but after it did become a reality, every time I now walk through the doors and into the building I thank God for the gift of coming to church.  I am grateful for my family, but I have found myself even more grateful for them this year. I am grateful for my friends, but I am more appreciative of them this year.

     

Suffering provides us with a focus and a clarity that we might not otherwise have.

 

#3.  Be a Good Listener for Your Friends.

     

Like most everyone else, I am a consumer of tech devices.  I depend on my cell phone.  I depend on my computer.  I depend on my tablet.  There is a lot of technology in my life, and I am grateful for what it can do to help keep my life and work moving along in an orderly fashion.  I am grateful for the way in which technology has helped the church during the pandemic.  We are able to continue our meetings online, we can communicate with one another in various ways, and we can offer a high-quality livestream for those who are not with us for in-person worship.  One of the things I don’t like about all the tech devices, however, is that they make it easier to be distracted when someone is talking to us.  Most people, for instance, don’t use Facetime on their phones.  You know why? They don’t want the other person to see they are balancing their checking account, or paying their bills, or doing something else while you are pouring your heart out to them.

     

It is important to listen to others, and to practice active listening. In our Stephen Ministry training we are taught how to actively listen.  Not passively, but actively.  We learn the tools that remind us to talk less and listen more.  I’m not sure why are we so much more comfortable talking than listening, but sometimes we simply talk too much.  When we talk more than we listen, we increase our odds of saying the wrong thing, but when we listen more than we talk, we increase the odds of helping the other person in a truly meaningful way.

     

Keep in mind that much of the book of Job is a conversation between Job and his three friends.  Keep in mind also that Job’s friends were not of help to him, and one of the reasons why they were not of help is they did not listen to him.  In chapter after chapter we follow the story like a debate – one by one, each of the friends brings an accusation to Job and then Job responds.  This pattern continues for three cycles and after reading through the entire conversation it’s easy to think that what Job really needed was some new friends.  In fact, if Job’s story were to take place today, he might “unfriend” them, and use a lot of sad and angry emojis as he does. Job’s friends were there, not to listen and support him, but to accuse him.  They believed Job had done something wrong and needed to be confronted. What Job needed, however, was for his friends to listen to him.

     

But sometimes, as friends, we don’t know what to say or what to do when someone is struggling.  Even though I have officiated at hundreds of funerals I still find myself thinking what am I going to say?  What do you say?  I’m sorry for your loss?  I’m thinking of you and praying for you.  And then what?  Then it can get awkward, and as we struggle for something to say, that becomes the moment when it is easy say the wrong thing.

     

There are certainly times when we say the wrong thing, but Job’s friends did not misspeak.  They didn’t stumble on their words.  They said exactly what they believed, and in doing so, Job’s friends actually rub salt into his wounds by blaming him for his condition.  Job’s friends instinctively responded to his suffering by blaming him for his situation. Because the theology of the time was a system of rewards and punishments, in their mind Job got exactly what he deserved.  If a person was righteous, they believed, God’s reward was a blessed life; if a person was sinful, they were punished according to the severity of their deeds.  Because Job was suffering in such a severe manner, the conclusion of Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar was that Job must have committed a very grievous sin.  But Job had done nothing wrong.  He continues through the entire book to protest his innocence, and he is disappointed by the accusations of his friends.  And, in an especially tragic turn, Job’s friends eventually make up stuff in order to accuse him even more severely.  There is a good deal of sadness in reading through the story of Job and listening to the accusations against this good man.  He was suffering through no fault of his own, and when he needed the love and support of his friends, he instead received their condemnation and judgment.

     

It is important to remember that sometimes people do suffer because of their own actions, but not always.  In this world in which we live there are plenty of reasons why people suffer, and sometimes they do suffer because of their actions, but there are plenty of times when people suffer through no fault of their own. The deck is stacked against a lot of people.  If you are a person without many resources in this world your life is going to be difficult, not because you have done anything wrong but because our world favors people who have the blessing of resources.  But even when a person is very blessed in life it does not guarantee that they will escape difficulties.  People get sick.  People have accidents.  Companies downsize.  I am not meaning to sound harsh; I am simply stating some facts of life.

     

Job challenged the idea of reward and punishment, which is an idea that still resonates today, unfortunately.  If you are my age or older, you might have some agreement to the old saying that people should just pull themselves up by their bootstraps.  That was more possible in generations past.  It was more likely that when one played by the rules – got a good education and worked hard – that life would go well for them, but that’s not nearly as true today.  Some people cannot afford bootstraps, or if they can, there is no one to help pull them up.  Our children and grandchildren are living in a very different world from the one in which we were raised, and they will struggle, and are struggling, in ways in which we did not, and we cannot blame them for the difficulties imposed upon them by this rapidly changing world.  Just like Job’s friends, it is easy for us to blame someone’s suffering on their own actions, when they may be innocent and may be suffering unjustly.  

     

Compassion dictates that we use our ears more than our mouths, listening to what a hurting person has to say, offering care and refusing to be judgmental, and knowing when to speak and when to hold our tongue.

 

#4. Allow Suffering to Make Us Compassionate.

     

Job’s friends showed zero compassion for him. And perhaps they showed no compassion because they had not yet experienced any real suffering in life. It was easy for them to be judgmental when their lives were going well, but would they become compassionate once they had experienced suffering?

     

Early on in the pandemic, I thought it would be an experience that would tear at our social fabric.  But in those early months it did not seem to do so, thankfully. Instead, we saw many examples of compassion, of people helping one another, and people exhibiting mercy.  That still continues, to some extent, but was we have moved through one difficulty after another, it is obvious that our social fabric has not only been torn, but has been ripped asunder.  Instead of making us more compassionate, we have too many examples of our struggles making us less compassionate, less patient, and less loving.  

     

The danger of these times is that we can become hardened.  We put a protective shell around ourselves.  We tell ourselves, I don’t want to worry about anyone else’s problems.  I’ve got 100 of my own, and I can’t deal with those of anyone else.  And we go into a shell of self-protection.  And we all feel that way, to some extent or the other.  We are all worn out with “pandemic fatigue.”  We want this to be over.  We want life to return to normal.  But Covid doesn’t care who you are.  It doesn’t care who I am.  It doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor.  It doesn’t care about your political affiliations.  It is an equal opportunity attacker and destroyer.  As the cases are rising, as winter approaches and uncertainty is looming, as we grow fearful and anxious, we must remember to be compassionate. People need us to be compassionate, and we need to be people of compassion.  The world needs compassion more than ever.  As hard a time as I might be having, as hard a time as my family might be having, I cannot forget about others.

     

Job’s friends were not at all moved to compassion by his plight.  What a terrible attitude that was!  

 

#5. Hold to Your Faith, No Matter What.

     

I love the final verse of our Scripture text, when Job says, though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.  What an amazing declaration!  He also says, we should note, I will surely defend my ways to his face.  Job does not waver in his faith, but he also voices his desire to defend himself before God.  Job does eventually get his audience with God, as he desired, but it does not turn out the way he hoped that it would.

     

Job has a lot of complaints to make, and he is justified in making them.  Job has suffered greatly, and he has a right to complain about what has happened to him. But there is something fascinating that takes place as well, and it is this – do you know what Job does not do? Job never questions his faith. Isn’t that amazing?  After all he has suffered, and after all he has lost, Job never questions his faith.  Job never doubts his faith.  Job never considered giving up on his faith.  Never.  

     

Suffering generally does one of two things, in relation to our faith.  Suffering generally brings people closer to God, perhaps even awakening a faith that had been dormant, or it drives people away from God.  Seldom does suffering leave us in the same place in relation to our faith. But Job does not fit into either of those categories, as his faith remains strong.  Job was at the bottom.  He had lost everything.  In spite of his incredible level of loss, Job is able to say, though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.  Job’s faith is the only thing he has not lost, and he holds tightly to it.

     

Scripture does not tell us that God will prevent or remove suffering from our lives; what it tells us is that God will enter into our suffering.  The central tenet of Christianity is the Incarnation – the affirmation that God became a man in the person of Jesus.  As the gospel of John reminds us,the word became flesh and dwelt among us(John 1:14).  We are to model the Incarnation in the lives of others by entering into their suffering and in doing so we demonstrate the type of love that God demonstrates to us.  And not only does God enter into our suffering; God also experienced suffering on the cross.

     

This is why we hold to the hope of our faith.  And we hold to the hope of our faith because there is also this truth – where else are we going to find such a promise and such hope? I’m not saying that as though we resign ourselves into faith because there is nothing better, but the truth is, there is nothing better!  Science and medicine will help us get through this pandemic.  There is good news in recent days that one or more vaccines are on the horizon, and we are all grateful for that news.  But there will be something else that comes along. There will always be the next challenge that we face.  Science and medicine cannot protect us from that reality.  But whatever comes our way, it is our faith that will ultimately see us through.

     

Job was not alone, and neither are we.  God is with us.  God will never leave us.  Amen!

 

 

November 8, 2020 - A Tough Faith for Tough Times: Abraham

 

Video of this service can be viewed at this link - https://vimeo.com/476899390?fbclid=IwAR2DFTGdyHEJ3sDzIBfJn5PgrqSLHmiRwyFmukl2WIn9d1r_4FuX7l7UPm4

This morning we continue the series of messages titled A Tough Faith for Tough Times, and as I begin, I want to make a confession.  I made this confession earlier this morning, to a Zoom Sunday School gathering, because of those who were online, I was the only male. I realized this week that all of the characters I chose for this study are men.  I did not have one woman in this series, and that is quite an oversight. Women, obviously, have great stories of faith, and I will correct my mistake by adding several women to the list of characters we will study.  

     

This morning we are studying the life of Abraham, and Abraham’s story is very much tied to the story of his wife, Sarah, as we will see.

     

Like the stories of Joseph and Moses, the story of Abraham takes place over quite a few chapters.  Beginning in Genesis 12, with God’s call to leave his homeland, the story continues to chapter 25, where we read of the death of Abraham.

     You will note that the Scripture text uses the name Abram, while I use the name Abraham.  The name Abram means father, while the name Abraham means father of many.  Names in Scripture are very important, as they tell us something of significance of the person.  For Abram, the change to Abrahamcomes in Genesis 17:1-7 – ¹When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me faithfully and be blameless. ² Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

³ Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, ⁴ “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. ⁵ No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. ⁶ I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. ⁷ I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.

     

For the sake of simplicity, I will use the name of Abraham throughout my message.

     

Follow along as I read this morning’s Scripture text – Genesis 12:1-9. 

 

¹The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

² “I will make you into a great nation,

     and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

     and you will be a blessing.

 ³ I will bless those who bless you,

      and whoever curses you I will curse;

     and all peoples on earth

     will be blessed through you.” 

⁴ So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 

⁵ He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.

⁶ Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 

⁷ The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.

⁸ From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.

⁹ Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.

 

Each week I have offered a brief outline of the story, and I will do so for Abraham this morning.

      The call of Abraham – Genesis 12:1-9.

     Abraham in Egypt, and Sarah taken into the household of Pharaoh – Genesis 12:10-20.

      Abraham and Lot separate – Genesis 13:1-18.

     

    Abraham rescues his nephew Lot, who had been taken prisoner – Genesis 14:1-24.

     

      God reaffirms his covenant with Abraham – Genesis 15:1-21.

     

     Abraham has a child with Hagar, the servant of Sarah – Genesis 16:1-16.

     

       Abraham makes a case to God to save Sodom – Genesis 18:16-33.

     

     Abraham once again claims Sarah is his sister, allowing her to be taken into Abimelech’s household – Genesis 20:1-18.

     

    Isaac is born, and Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael away – Genesis 21:1-21.

     

      Abraham takes his son Isaac on the mountain, thinking he would be a sacrifice – Genesis 22:1-19.

     

      Abraham’s wife, Sarah, dies – Genesis 23:1-20.

     

      Abraham dies – Genesis 25:1-11.

 

So let’s take a look at some of the lessons from the life of Abraham, the first being – 

 

1.  Like us, Abraham is a very human figure.

     

One of the realities of the characters in this series is that they are very complicated individuals. In their stories, we find admirable traits, and less than admirable traits.  In some ways, they are people for us to emulate, while in others, they become examples of what not to do.

     

Abraham was a very flawed person, as well as a person who was capable of great things.  He was a person of great faith but also a person of doubt as well. He was an archetype for all humanity, as we see ourselves in him, as he is a mixture of the best ideals of humanity and the lesser elements of humanity.  Abraham had the faith, at 75 years old, to leave his home and follow God to a new and unfamiliar land.  He left behind everything he knew, and all that was familiar to him, in order to travel to a land of promise.  With almost no details about where he is going, and with no idea of what was ahead, Abraham had the faith to follow God into the great unknown.  Exhibiting such faith is one of the best elements of humanity. But Abraham also exhibited some of the lesser parts of humanity as well.  Two times Abraham passes his wife, Sarah, off as his sister.  The first time is in Egypt, when he tells Sarah she must pose as his sister because I know what a beautiful woman you are.  When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’  Then they will kill me but let you live.  Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you (Genesis 12:12).  Pharaoh then takes Sarah into his household – into his harem, basically.  Abraham is given, in return, sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels (12:16).  When the Egyptians discover Sarah is Abraham’s wife – not his sister – they are alarmed at what has happened and ask him to leave (12:18-20). Not only did they not kill Abraham when they discover Sarah is his wife, they honored that relationship.  They respected that relationship.  Abraham does this not once, but twice.  Chapter 20 tells us of the same deceit, this time with Abimelech. As with the Egyptians, Abimelech is alarmed to discover Sarah is Abraham’s wife, not sister, and Abraham is rewarded a second time for his deceit.  Neither of these stories show us the better side of Abraham.  Neither event was an example of Abraham acting honorably. This is one Abe we would not call honest.  Abraham profited handsomely from what Sarah had to endure.

     

The reality is, we are all a mixture of contradictions, aren’t we?  Personally, I find that Abraham serves as a metaphor of our time, and as an example of those contradictions.  As Abraham is an example of the best of humanity and the worst of humanity, as we have moved through the pandemic, we have seen the best and the worst of people. We have seen the wonderful, beautiful examples of medical personnel, for example, who have not only placed their lives on the line, but in some cases given their lives in the service of others. We have witnessed great acts of kindness and generosity.  But we have also seen some of the worst as well, with bitterness and harsh rhetoric and actions that have weighed heavily upon us all.  So Abraham becomes the archetype for not only all we can aspire to be, but for what we should avoid as well.  That Abraham was willing to follow God’s call without knowing any real details is a great testament to his faith, and that is a quality worth emulating. But we cannot overlook some of the other actions of Abraham.

     

I think the reality of our time is this – like me, you are probably beginning to really feel the strain of this time.  Do you feel it?  Some days we wake up and think, I just want to pull the covers over my head, go back to sleep, and avoid the world!  I don’t want to face the day.  I don’t want to put that mask on one more time.  I don’t want to be reminded that there are many people I cannot visit in person. I’m just tired of it!  And with so many other difficulties mixed in we are doubly and triply stressed.  I told Tanya the other day, one of the things I feel badly about is there are days when I feel the stress and the tension so deeply.  There are days when I don’t feel patient, when I don’t feel like being nice or being kind, I’m short-tempered and respond in ways that I regret.  When we are under stress, we don’t always make the best decisions.  We don’t show the better side of ourselves.

     

I’m not excusing what Abraham did, in relation to Sarah, but the reality is, when we are in times of difficulty, when we are living in difficult times, we don’t always let the better part of us stand out.  What we must do, then, in these tough times, is depend upon our faith to make us the people we need to be, to act in the ways we need to act, to speak in the ways we need to speak, and to respond in the ways we need to respond.  Do not give into the stress, do not give into that tension, and do not give into that fear.

 

2.  Our decisions have consequences – for ourselves and for others.

     

As I have often acknowledged, when we study the Old Testament and the Old Testament characters, people will often ask, what relevance does that have for today?  The story of Abraham has incredible relevance today, particularly in the geo-political sphere.  Chapter 16 of Genesis tells of the birth of Ishmael.  Ishmael was the son of Abraham and Hagar, who was Sarah’s servant.  God had promised, you will remember, that the descendants of Abraham would be numerous, but Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were advancing in age and feared that their opportunity to have children had passed. Sarah tells Abraham to have a child with Hagar, and he does, and this sets off a series of events that reverberate to our present day in one of the world’s most politically volatile regions – the Middle East.  Among the world’s great monotheistic religions – Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – Abraham is a very important character in all three.  Abraham is especially important in Judaism and Islam because it was to Abraham that God promised the ownership of the land that became the nation of Israel.  God gave the land to Abraham, but Judaism and Islam trace their connection to Abraham through two different lineages.  The Jewish people trace their claim to the land of Israel to Abraham because they are Abraham’s descendants, through Isaac, the son of Abraham and Sarah. While the Jewish people trace to Abraham through his son Isaac, Muslims trace their lineage to Abraham as well, but through Ishmael, who was, technically speaking, Abraham’s first-born son. The fight over that tiny sliver of land, which has continued for centuries, is basically a squabble over an inheritance.  It’s amazing to realize that the decision of Abraham and Sarah, made so many years ago, continues to dominate world politics, thousands of years later, in such a powerful way.  I am sure that Abraham did not give much consideration to the impact of his decisions.  He could not fathom that, thousands of years later, his decision would continue to have such an impact on the world and play such a dominate role in global politics. So yes, the story of Abraham remains incredibly relevant.  We don’t always understand, especially when we are younger, that the decisions we make will have consequences for many years and for many people.  Abraham was not a young man when he made his decision to have a child with Hagar, so he should have exercised the benefit of wisdom gained over his many years, but he did not.

     

When I was a young man, I did not always think about the consequences of the decisions I made.  In fact, I rarely thought about the consequences of those decision, especially the long-term consequences.  I did not think, as a 16, 18, or 21-year-old young man how some of my decisions would continue to affect my life these many years later. And not only did I fail to understand how those decisions would affect my life, I failed also to understand how they would affect the lives of others as well.  

     

Our decisions have consequences not just for ourselves; they have consequences for others, and we need to use the wisdom God gave us, asking,what does this decision mean not only for me, but for my family and for others? And we must also remember that decisions – good decisions and bad decisions – have a cumulative effect.  A good decision will often lead to another good decision, while a bad decision can lead to another bad decision, creating a complicate web that we wonder how we can ever unravel.  Abraham did not realize he set in motion a series of events that would not only complicate life for many people but would reverberate all the way to 2020.

     

In these days of difficulty, then, we must allow our faith to lead us to make good, and wise, decisions.

     

 3. How did Abraham repair his relationships?

     

I mentioned in the overview of Abraham’s life that he and his nephew Lot separated at one point.  There was a conflict between their herdsmen, causing them to go their separate ways.       

     

The real conflict, however, was between Abraham and Sarah.  Talk about a complicated plot, and one worthy of a soap opera!  Abraham’s story would not be one for a Hallmark Channel movie, I am certain.  On two occasions Abraham allowed Sarah to be taken into someone else’s household, presumably as a member of a harem.  Twice! I imagine the first time must have brought about quite a conversation between Abraham and Sarah.  Or, perhaps, there was no conversation at all, as Sarah might have been too hurt and too angry to speak.  And the second time?  Imagine the tension that must have caused between Abraham and Sarah! Imagine the tension that was created by bringing Hagar and Ishmael into that relationship dynamic.  Imagine the tension when Sarah tells Abraham that Hagar and Ishmael must be sent away.  Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away, at Sarah’s urging, knowing that they might not survive (she [Hagar] said to Abraham, “get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac – 21:10).  But Ishmael was Abraham’s son, and it distressed him to send them away.  How do you fix, how do you repair, a relationship with that many plot twists and turns?  How do you repair a relationship with that many major difficulties?  Somehow, Abraham and Sarah stayed together in spite of those great difficulties.  At some point along the way, there must have been some very difficult, very heartfelt discussions between the two of them.  

     

One of the difficulties inherent in tough times is this – the stress of such times can tatter and tear and fray relationships.  Perhaps the stress of this time has brought that about in our relationships.  One glance at social media, for instance, reveals the harsh words and tearing of relationships that has happened between friends and family members.  The year was already stressful enough, and when the contentious political atmosphere was added to the mix, social media revealed the plethora of relationships that were coming apart under the stress and strain.  I have seen far too many posts that began with a variation of the words, today I unfriended some friends and family members….  Or, I have a friend or family member who is no longer speaking to me….  The question becomes then, how do we put things back together?  How do we repair those relationships?  

     

It is so hard to see such those posts, and I wonder how those fractured relationships are going to be put back together, or if they will be put back together.  I don’t know how Abraham and Sarah repaired their relationship. It had to be incredibly difficult, and I’m sure there were more than a few tears shed in the process.  But, somehow, they were able to put their relationship back together. 

     

As we continue to move through these difficult times, one of the questions we must continue to ask of ourselves is, what can I do to keep my relationships healthy?  Where those relationships have begun to show some strain and some difficulty, am I willing to do what I can to repair them, am I willing to say I am sorry for what I said or what I did?  

     

We are such a divided people. I don’t think, I should add, that we will ever be a fully united people.  That is not going to happen, and I do not believe that we should enforce uniformity or conformity upon others.  We need to respect the fact that we are very different people, with different points of view and different ways of seeing the world.  But we cannot settle for saying, well, my friend, or my family member, believes differently from me so I am going to move on from them.  I don’t need them; I have other friends and other family members.  But we cannot afford to be that way.  So much is unraveling in our social fabric these days, and it is heartbreaking to see.  All of us have experienced some measure of it, and now we must ask, how do we put things back together?

     

We need a tough faith in this time.  It is a tough time, even though we sometimes say we are getting used to it.  We can adapt, certainly, but we shouldn’t get used to such a time as this, not when it comes to the difficulties that pull us apart. These are unprecedented times, and it is okay to say to someone, I am not dealing very well with what is happening. I need to talk to someone.  I need some extra support.  I need some help.  All this is really wearing on me.  It’s okay to say, Lord, I need a greater measure of faith than I have ever had. My faith seems to be in short supply in these times.  

     

We can take heart from these Biblical characters, such as Abraham.  In so many ways, they were no different than you or me.  They had many of the same struggles we face, even though they lived so long ago.  And just as Abraham took that journey to the land of promise, one step at a time, through all the twists and turns – some of which he brought on himself, while some came about through no fault of his own – he continued on the journey.  God gave Abraham the faith that was needed.  God will give us the faith we need as well.  God will give us a tough faith, for these tough times.