Sermon - Proper 17 A - Matthew 16:21-27

Peter did not like the suggestion that this Messiah business involved death. Can you blame him? We don’t want to die either, but to really follow Christ we must die to who we thought we were to become the servants of God that Christ calls us to be.

Proper 17A

Matthew 16:21-27

Sermon given by Rev. Valerie Hart

At St. Alban’s, Brentwood

September 1, 1996

Lord Jesus Christ, I offer myself to you, Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit,

Make me an instrument of your love.

         Last week in the Gospel reading, Jesus asked the question “Who do you say that I am.” Peter had answered with a confession inspired by the spirit that “You are the Christ. The son of the Living God.” Peter had been graced to know the truth that Jesus is the Messiah sent by God.

         In today’s gospel, which follows right after last week’s reading of Peter’s confession and Jesus naming him Peter, the rock, on which he would build his church, we find Jesus saying to Peter, “get behind me Satan,” and rather than being a rock to build on Peter is called a stumbling block. What happened?

         Well, Peter had been graced to know that Jesus was the Messiah, but Peter had his own ideas of what that meant. The Messiah was usually seen as a king for Israel, a conqueror, and a triumphant celebration. Peter did not like the suggestion that this Messiah business involved death. That wasn’t in his preconceived ideas. He liked the attention of the crowds, the thoughts of being a great hero, the love he felt being with Jesus, the peace he had found walking with him. It all felt really good to his ego. He didn’t want to hear anything about death. He didn’t want to be told that Jesus would soon be killed. He didn’t want to lose all these good feelings he was having. He was comfortable; things were going well. Why change things now?

         I think Peter also realized that if Jesus, their leader was to die, that they, his followers. also needed to be ready to die. And we all have a very strong sense of self-preservation. Perhaps Peter hoped that if he could convince Jesus not to take this dangerous road, he could protect himself as well.

         But that is not the kind of Messiah Jesus was called to be. He was called to sacrifice himself for all people. And he calls his followers also to be willing to sacrifice themselves.

         Paul uses the image of presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice. Offering ourselves, rather than some animal, rather than our goods, but our very selves to God. That is the true spiritual worship. Jesus said that those who lose their life for my sake will find it. Sometimes when I read these words I feel a little like Peter. Hey, this is not the kind of savior I had in mind. I like the good feelings I get in church, I like feeling loved by God, and I enjoy the beauty of the parables and the sense that Jesus is my shepherd. I like the story of the infant baby, the joy of the resurrection, but I’m not to sure about this dying stuff, this giving our bodies as a living sacrifice. My sense of self preservation sometimes jumps in and wants to re think things.

         What does it mean to lose one’s life so that we can find it? Well think about what happens when we graft a tree. We may find an apple tree that has very sweet fruit, but the roots are not very healthy, so we cut the tree off from its roots, literally killing it, and then take it and graft it onto healthy roots, where the sapling can grow strong. The original tree is dead, but a stronger, healthier, tree has been created that can bear wonderful fruit. Like that tree, we must be cut off from the roots that hold us back, that do not nourish us, that keep us from bearing the fruit we can, and we are grafted into the strong and healthy root of God’s Son.

         I once saw an ad in one of those catalogs we get each spring for a tree that had apples, pears, and peaches. One root had had grafted onto it three different trees. Each bearing different fruit. The various trees had quite literally become one tree, no longer three separate trees.

         Paul describes the fellowship of all Christians as one body with many members. All Christians who have offered their lives as a living sacrifice become grafted to the one source, Christ, and thereby become one body. One entity. Each of us has different gifts, like apples, pears and peaches. An apple still gives apples and shouldn’t feel bad about not giving peaches. Christ needs all of our gifts to bring the kingdom of God to earth.

         Through giving up of our sense of separateness, by offering ourselves to be of service, by letting our bodies be a living sacrifice, we become so much more. But we do have to die to our old sense of who we were. We do need to cut ourselves off from that which keeps us from love and service. We do have to die. And that is not easy, and doesn’t happen all at once. Sometimes we feel that we have let go of an old habit or way in which we didn’t serve God, only to find that that root is still there, we fall back into old ways of being.

         Each day we need to offer ourselves anew. Remind ourselves of who we really are - loved servants of the Christ. I as a clergy person I need to remind myself each day more than anyone. And in my morning meditations I usually begin with a prayer something like this:

Lord Jesus Christ, I offer myself to you, Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit,

Make me an instrument of your love.

Take my head to be in your service,

Take my brain and power of reason to know what is right,

Take my eyes to see your glory surrounding me,

Take my ears to hear the cries of the poor and the whisper of your love,

Take my mouth to speak your Word,

Take my tongue to taste the gift of life,

Take my throat to sing your praise,

Take my neck and make it strong to hold my head high in your service,

Take my shoulders to bear whatever burdens you choose to give me, and help me know I never bear them alone,

Take my arms and make them strong to work for your kingdom and gentle to hug and hold and express your love,

Take my hands to take and bless and break and give, guide them in all their actions reaching out with love to others,

Take my chest for your service; with each breath let me be filled with your sweet air and your divine spirit.

Take my heart and let it be full and open, loving all in your name,

Take my backbone and make it strong, giving confidence to do your will,

Take my internal organs, those wonderful gifts that keep the body running, and make them healthy in your service,

Take my pelvic area, may all my sexuality be an expression of your love,

Take my legs and make them strong to carry me wherever you may call,

Take my feet and let them follow paths of love and service.

Oh Lord, how I long to hold, to touch, to kiss your feet, thank you for calling me to be your servant.

Lord Jesus Christ, I offer myself to you, Body, Mind, Heart and Spirit,

Make me an instrument of your love.

A man who had two sons - Luke 15:11

This week I am sharing some thoughts about the parable of the prodigal son. In particular I am exploring what it tells us about the role of Christian community in welcoming people home to a relationship with God.

‘There was a man who had two sons.” - Luke 15:11

This quote introduces one of Jesus’ most famous parables. Sometimes called the story of the Prodigal Son, I prefer to think of it as being about the extravagant father. If only this story remained of Jesus’ teachings he would still be seen as a wise spiritual leader who transformed our understanding of God and the human relationship with God. Lets take a look at the parable in some detail.

Then Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.”

The story begins with the younger son wanting his inheritance NOW. He is not willing to wait until his father is dead. He has no concern for what need his father may have for this wealth during his lifetime, he has no concern for his elder brother and he shows no love for his father.

So he divided his property between them.

One would expect the father to be insulted by such a request and to say “absolutely not.” But this father is different. He in extraordinarily generous and gives his son freedom to do as he wishes.

A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

The son is a complete failure. During his time away he has wasted his inheritance and fallen to the bottom of the social ladder. He now has nothing.

But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father.

The son has reached such a low point that he “came to himself.” He realizes the mistake he has made and is ready to go home. He does not go home a hero, but rather, humbled. There is still no indication here that he truly cares about his father. Yes, he plans a speech in which he acknowledges his guilt, but his motivation appears to be a desire for some bread and security.

But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

The father’s motivation is clear. He is filled with compassion. He runs to his son who had insulted him and wasted his money. One should note that in the Middle East during this time period a wealthy man would never run. That was undignified. Yet this father’s extravagant love for his son compels him to such a warm greeting.

Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

The son is unable to say his entire prepared speech because the father is more interested in welcoming him home then listening to a confession. What matters to the father is the well being of his son. And by having the servants put a ring on his finger he is making it clear that he is still his son. Even though the son treated the father as dead, even though the son denied his relationship with his father, the father has always considered him his child.

This could have been the end of the parable. It is in fact all that most people know about it. The point is clear. God loves us like this extravagant father. God is waiting for us to return. When we have walked away from God’s love, at the first sign of our desire to return to a relationship with God, God comes to us.

This is a strong and powerful message. It is at the heart of Christianity, that God is anxious to forgive us and return us to our place as children of God. Many struggling souls have found solace in this story and found the courage to renew their relationship with God because of it.

But Jesus did not end the parable at this point. There is more, and the more is not about the one who has left God, but about those of who remain in relationship with the Father.

And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.

Suddenly it is not just between the father and the son, there is an entire community to welcome the son home. When the son left, he left not just his father, but a community made up of the entire household, including his father’s servants. The return home of the son is a time of celebration for everyone. Well, almost everyone.

‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in.

The elder brother is angry, and refuses to celebrate the return of the younger son. He is the “good son”. He represents those who have remained faithful to God and worked hard for the church. Let’s hear his side of the story.

His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!”

Most of us can sympathize with the elder brother. Here he has been “good” and worked hard while his brother, at least from the elder son’s perspective, was having fun. Also, since his brother already got his inheritance, where is the money for the party coming from? Shouldn’t the one who has stayed, been faithful, and worked hard be the one to receive the rewards?

I took a course in seminary on bringing biblical humor to life and we were assigned as groups to take some passage from scripture and act out an alternative approach to understanding it. One of the groups had a trial scene before a judge where the elder brother is trying to have the judge declare his father legally incompetent to handle his monetary affairs because he gave his younger brother so much of his estate and is now giving him more - even though there is every reason to believe that it too will be wasted.

But that is not Jesus’ point of view.

Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”

From the father’s perspective, from God’s perspective, a son has found his way home, so of course we celebrate. By including the story of the elder son in his parable Jesus is making an important point. Those who consider themselves to be followers of Jesus, those who would be his disciples, are the servants of God. It is their job to celebrate the return. It is the servants who bring the robe and the ring. It is the servants who put on a feast and party with music and dancing. God forgives and accepts the child who has strayed and is ready to return, but it is the members of church community, who are responsible for the celebration. They are the ones who put flesh on the extravagant love of God. The return to God is a return to a community, and it is up to the community to provide the welcome home celebration.

Think about this - when a new person walks through the door of a church, does the entire congregation celebrate as if a brother was dead and has come to life? Is there rejoicing that someone who was lost has been found? Or is the reaction a little like the elder son who resents this person coming into “my” church? Or even worse, does no one notice or care?

Half of the parable of the Extravagant Father is about the church community and how the community is to respond to a fellow child of God who is attempting to return to a relationship with God. If Christ’s primary message of God’s extravagant love is summed up in first half of this parable, then the second half of the parable sums up his message to the community of his followers - love one another (especially those who have just come home).

This is the responsibility of the community of faith - to welcome people home. It is the church's primary responsibility. It is the reason for the church’s existence - to welcome people home to God and support one another is staying in relationship with God.

Welcome Home Part 1 - The importance of being a welcoming community

This week, and for the next few weeks, I do not have a copy of a sermon that I can share on this blog. Instead I will be sharing some of the thoughts I have had about how the church can be a truly welcoming community.

Walking into a church on a Sunday morning can be quite intimidating for a new person. Approaching and entering a strange building that is filled with people who know one another takes a great deal of courage. One must be highly motivated to cross that threshold. There must be a longing of some kind, a need or a hope that drives one into the personal space of an unknown community. This is a vulnerable position heightened by a fear of doing or saying something wrong because one doesn’t know the social norms, the language or the expectations of the community. It is not unlike disembarking alone off an airplane in a country where you know no one and don’t speak the language.

After twenty years of active ministry as an Episcopal priest I am having an opportunity to experience what it feels like to be the stranger. I have begun my retirement traveling around the country visiting friends, relatives and national parks in my RV. During these months on the road I look for a church each Sunday. Wherever I am on Saturday night I take out my smart phone and search for a nearby Episcopal Church. I then go to the website or call the office of nearby churches and see which one to attend. Sometimes I get a sense to either explore or ignore a church based on its website. Usually I chose the church by location and time of services.

Even though I have been a part of the Episcopal Church in one way or another throughout my entire life, at these congregations I am a stranger. My church visiting experiences are varied. There were places where I feel a warm welcome and that I am immediately a part of the community. More often I feel ignored, tolerated or downright unwelcome. All that I have learned at church growth seminars, all that I have tried to incorporate into the worship of the churches where I have served, takes on a new meaning as I live the role of the stranger.

After some months on the road I came to have a longing for a home. Not a longing for a physical home, but for a church home. I realized that something deep in my soul longed for a spiritual community. I came to realize that when someone walks into a gathering of a spiritual community, they are consciously or unconsciously longing to come home to the divine.

From these experiences I have come to a new understanding of the great spiritual importance of the role welcome within the spiritual community. I could even say that the primary purpose of a spiritual community is to welcome the stranger home to a relationship with the divine.

My posts for the next few weeks will be exploring what that means and how a community can be truly welcoming.