Lessons on Life

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 7/16/17

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^NRSVLuke 6: 20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² ‘Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ²⁴ ‘But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵ ‘Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. ‘Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ ‘Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets. ²⁷ ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. ²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

An old man lived alone in Idaho. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was backbreaking work, and his son, Bubba, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man mentioned it in a letter he sent to his son by saying, “I’m not sure exactly what to do. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. It looks like I won’t be able to plant that garden this year after all.” A few days later, he received a short letter from his son, “Dad, For heaven’s sake, don’t dig up that garden that’s where I buried the bodies!” At 4 a.m. the next morning, a crew of police officers, and the FBI arrived to find the bodies. After digging for hours, they gave up and apologized to the old man and left.
That same day the old man received another letter from his son. “Dear Dad, under these circumstances, that’s the best I can do, go ahead and plant your potatoes now.”

For the last few weeks I have been convicted that we need to look forward in new ways and new realities. We need to be focused on what bounty God has given to us and share that bounty with the world around us. If you feel especially loved today it is because God’s presence in this place is evident and confirming. This upcoming week I will be focused on discipleship and the way forward for this church and for the conference. But my time of prophesizing is winding down a bit. I have shared with you the expectations that God has placed on our task list, to make and grow disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. And our world is growing a bit as we listen to the prayer of Jabez. Jabez literally means pain and he was named for the pain he caused his mother in child birth. Imagine spending your whole life carrying a name that means pain. But Jabez called out to God to expand his horizons, in other words, to let him witness to the love of God to others beyond the reach that made him comfortable and content. And God granted his prayer!  So I believe God is going to grant our prayer to expand our horizons. Imagine with me what it would be like to share the message of God with the world around us and see hundreds if not thousands come to the Lord. We can do that through new and creative ways. I am suggesting that we need to let go of our paradigms to do so and begin to think like a large church with resources to do the work God is calling us to do and I believe with all my heart that God will send us those resources.

But what does the message of God look like. Gandhi once studied this message of Jesus, referred to as The Sermon on the Mount or the Beatitudes found in the Gospel of Matthew. He, Gandhi, believed that the essence of what we needed to be good people was found in that text. This text we have heard today parallels that text in Matthew. Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the Kingdom of God. It almost seems a contradiction of sorts, the poor, the hungry and the weeping will all be blessed. And then the admonishment that the rich, those happy and full of life will be cursed if you will. That is until we get the idea of what Jesus really intended us to hear from this message.

When Jesus referred to the poor He did not mean poverty. Although, some of the happiest people seem to come out of low income struggles. Some of the most successful people describe their childhoods as dirt poor. But Jesus is really telling us happiness is not something we pursue, indeed, almost contrary He is saying that we must make a declaration to be happy, an attitude to face the world with a smile and with joy. Being poor in spirit is the intent of His challenge to us. Those who are humble understand this and when we humble ourselves to God we receive Kingdom of God as a gift. We are truly blessed when we humble ourselves to God and strive to be the people God intended us to be. Non-violent, loving people who find ourselves in the middle of a complex and angry world. Our role then is to focus on loving people so that they in turn begin to love one another and truly the world can change. We do it one person at a time and reach out to those who have not felt the love of God in their lives.

We mourn and weep for those folks who have never had a chance to experience the kind of love and connection that comes from being a part of the Body of Christ. So often we experience this passage as mourning for those who have died but what Jesus intends us to understand is that we are mourning the lost, those who do not know the love of God and face death never experiencing God’s love.

Likewise, those that hunger will be filled in the Kingdom of God meaning that for those of us that hunger to learn righteousness, hunger for God’s unwavering love and hunger for the love of one another will find love in the midst of that hunger. Remember what Jesus promised the woman at the well, living water from which you will never thirst. Jesus is clearly preaching a lifestyle that we have never been taught. Imagine for a moment that you are there with Him on the mountain and you hear His message. As you are hearing it you are thinking about the oppressive nature of the Jewish leadership and Roman occupation and here Jesus is telling us not only to be humble but to love our enemies. Ultimately then happiness is something we experience. But maybe happiness is not the right word. Paul would proclaim that the right word is “joy”. We should have the joy of God within our hearts.

I remember some years back attending a July 4^th festival at the airport in Farmville with then my future bride. While we were there music was playing from a local group. It was good music, the kind you love to listen to and then fireworks followed. But during the music we observed a young lady who was dancing to the music. She had such a joy on her face, oblivious to the rest of us around her and her joy permeated those around her. I still remember her joy at the music and the opportunity to let go and dance with no regard to what you or I might think. It was a great God moment to see that kind of joy.

Jesus begins to share with us the golden rule. Love your enemies and do good to those who dislike you for your faith, your lifestyle and/ or your words and deeds. Instead of fighting fire with fire, spread the gentle rain of love upon its flames and allow the rising steam to settle our differences into similarities and connection. Jesus commands us to give what we have to those who do not, giving what we can or John Wesley would share, giving all that you can. Do to others as you want them to do to you. I truly believe that we have so much tension, depression, anger and struggle within each of us that we are like powder kegs about to blow. And we do blow from time to time. All of us, no exceptions, except those who hold it in and their time is coming, ask the doctors.

Jesus preached to us how to live our lives, humble, in joy with God, hungering to reach the least and the lost and to try and live lives where love is the most important thing. I wonder if we have taken the radical spirit of Jesus in the Beatitudes and made them more comfortable in our homes, workplaces and churches. Gandhi read the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount daily as part of his devotional reading and then challenged himself and you and I to love them every day. Humble, non-violent, non-angry lives of loving one another.

Paul in his final letters to Timothy indicated a weariness within his heart and soul that more could have been accomplished. None of us go to our deaths wishing we had more work time or more money. Paul shared in Galatians this wonderful passage. Let me read it to you: ^NRSV Galatians 6: ⁹So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. ¹⁰So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith. The beauty of this passage is that Paul even as he faced the end of his life, the end of his ministry and his own physical weariness never gave up the joy that was knowing and experiencing God. Paul never wavered from his love for God and for the people of the world. What are the important lessons of life? Work of the good of all, especially for faith. Love God with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul and love each other in the same way. What a beautiful world it would be!