September 23, 2012: FREE JESUS

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Mark 9:30-37

PREACHER: Pastor Carrie B. Smith

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

This morning the Bethany community is blessed to be celebrating the baptism of not one, not two, but five new sisters and brothers in Christ! Thanks be to God! Amen! 

Because our worship service has already been focused on children this morning—and because Jesus has something to say about children in our Gospel text as well—I thought it appropriate to share with you one of my family’s favorite picture books.

The book is called “Millions of Cats”, and it is actually the oldest American picture book still in print. We rescued ours from a library book sale for 25 cents, and as you can see we have added several layers of masking tape since that time to protect our investment.

The story is a simple one. A very old couple is lonely, so the very old man goes out to find the very old woman a beautiful cat to keep them company. After traveling far away from home, he finds a hillside covered in "Cats here, cats there, Cats and kittens everywhere. Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, Millions and billions and trillions of cats..."

The very old man tried to choose the most beautiful cat, but he couldn’t decide, so he went back over the sunny hills and down through the cool valleys, with all those hundreds and thousands and millions and billions and trillions of cats following him.

Of course, when the very old woman sees how many cats he has brought home, she is none too happy. “We can never feed them all! They will eat us out of house and home!” So they thought they would let the cats decide, and they called out: “Which one of you is the prettiest?” Hearing that, the cats began to quarrel, starting a cat fight so intense that the man and woman ran into the house for safety while the hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats argued over which one is the prettiest.

But after awhile the noise stopped and the very old man and the very old woman peeped out of the window to see what had happened. They could not see a single cat! Apparently, in their quarrel to decide who is the prettiest of them all, the cats had completely eaten each other up.

Then the very old man sees one little frightened kitten, thin and scraggly, sitting in some high grass. He was just a homely little cat, so when they asked who was the prettiest, he didn’t say anything at all, and no one bothered to fight with him.

They took the kitten into the house, and gave him a bath and fed him warm milk until he was quite plump and happy. He turned out to be a very pretty cat after all. “And I ought to know” said the very old man. “For I’ve seen hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats—and not one was as pretty as this one.”

Do you think Wanda Gag, the author of this little picture book, had been reading the Gospel of Mark? Whenever I imagine those hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats arguing over which one was the prettiest, I can’t help seeing the disciples on the road with Jesus, arguing over who was the greatest. Of course, the disciples didn’t eat each other up, but I think they were fairly eaten up with embarrassment when Jesus looked at them and said, with a straight face: “So, what were you arguing about there on the road?”

And the disciples were silent. They just don’t get it.

They don’t get it, because they’re busy trying to save themselves. They don’t get it, because they’re constantly jockeying for the best position in the kingdom. They don’t get it, because they’d rather argue about who is the greatest, who is the holiest, and which disciple should get the corner office. Just like those millions of cats in our picture book, the twelve disciples are caught up in the same “dog-eat-dog” culture we live in, where people look out only for their own interests, and only the prettiest cat gets to live in the big house.

And this is when Jesus decides to stop talking to the disciples and start using pictures to teach them. Sitting down, he gathers the twelve around him and says, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” And then he takes a little child and puts it among them; and taking the child in his arms, he says to them, “Pay attention! This is what I’m talking about! Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

I must say, as tempting as it might be for me to link today’s five baptisms to this one lovely verse about welcoming children, I’m afraid this Gospel text isn’t really about children. It’s about access to Jesus.
Who gets to be near Jesus? Who does he listen to? Whose prayers get answered? Who gets forgiveness? Who deserves love? What can I do to improve my chances?

These are the questions the disciples were afraid to ask. Truthfully, these are probably the questions we all want to ask. And the answer is as difficult for us to accept today as it was two thousand years ago! It’s very simple, really: Being the best, the brightest, the holiest, the smartest, the fastest, the prettiest, the oldest member, the biggest giver, or the finest preacher will never gain you special access to Jesus. And if you continue fighting over these things, you will eat yourselves up. You will be eaten up with worry, with work, with dieting, with addiction, with anger, or with jealousy, until there’s simply nothing left.

The Good News is this: We don’t have to beat others out of the way to gain access to Jesus. Jesus is God’s free gift to all, from the best and brightest to the last and the least. Amen!

Jesus is for all. However, Jesus goes on to say: If you want to be first, you must be last of all and servant of all. If you want to get to know me better, then find the voiceless, the powerless, the poor, and the invisible among you, and invite them along too. Whoever welcomes one of these, welcomes me. Serve them, and you will know me.

Now in 1st century Palestine, a child was the perfect object lesson for Jesus’ sermon. The disciples were constantly shooing children away, in spite of Jesus’ protests, because their culture considered children even lower than slaves. They definitely considered children non-essential to the Jesus movement.

But in our suburban, child-centered culture, I’m not sure a child would make the same point. So who might it be? Who might Jesus bring into the middle of the church this morning as our living example of a voiceless, powerless, invisible, “almost-person?”

A PADS client, whom we would rather leave in the basement?

A transgender person, whose very presence might make us uncomfortable?

A person with Alzheimer’s, who might be inappropriate in the service?

Or…could a child still fit the bill, even in far suburban Chicago? After all, they might not understand the sermon. They might not sit still. They might drop some communion bread.

Who do we find it hardest to serve? Who do we find it most difficult to believe Jesus would want to have hanging around his house and representing his movement?

Whoever that is, Jesus invites us to take a second look. We just might see our Savior there.

The issue of who has access to Jesus was made vivid in the middle of Denver this Friday. Lutheran pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber and her church, The House for All Sinners and Saints, decided to participate in the 2012 Parking Day. Parking Day is an annual worldwide event where artists, designers and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks and community space.

However, instead of turning their parking space into a park, House for All Sinners and Saints turned a city parking space into a church. There, amidst the traffic and the noise, blocked off only with orange traffic cones and a sign over the parking meter which said “FREE JESUS”, Pastor Nadia and church members took liturgy to the streets. They invited passersby to write prayers on slips of paper and hang them on a clothesline—prayers for the city, for the world, and for themselves. They shared the Good News. And they celebrated communion.

There was no organ, no altar paraments, no ushers, no choir anthem, no worship bulletin, and absolutely no barriers to receiving the gift of Jesus in the bread and the wine. Passersby were welcomed in, no matter how they were dressed, what they believed, how long they had been away from church, and whether they looked Lutheran or looked completely lost. The gifts of God, free and for all! Amen!

Sisters and brothers, today we have had the great honor of welcoming children into our community through baptism. We rejoice in the free gift of grace they have each received today, through Water and the Word. Remember today your own baptism, and the radical welcome you have received through Jesus Christ. And then, as we are sent out from this place, let us boldly proclaim that Jesus is for all. All are forgiven. All are loved. All are made whole. All are welcome. Free Jesus! Amen!

September 16, 2012: "There's Power in the Word"

September 16, 2012: 16th Sunday after Pentecost

Isaiah 50:4-9;  James 3:1-12; Mark 8:27-38

PREACHER: Pastor Carrie B. Smith

"There's Power in the Word"

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

In August, 2005, as Hurricane Katrina was wreaking havoc in New Orleans and the surrounding areas, my family and I were on the road, heading north. We had just left Robert’s church in Texas to start a new life in Chicago. We watched the news every time we made a stop, and were horrified by the images we saw: thousands of people seeking refuge in the Superdome, residents stranded on their rooftops, and entire neighborhoods destroyed. It was a disaster that seemed to get worse by the day, even after the storm had moved on.

But it was a set of photos that ran in newspapers on August 30, 2005, that will always represent the Katrina tragedy for me. The day after Labor Day, having arrived safely in Chicago, I sat in my very first seminary class at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. The class was Christian Ethics, and the professor began the class by displaying two images, both representing the same event, but with radically different captions.

The first showed a young black man making his way through the flood waters of Katrina with a garbage bag and a carton of soda under his arm, and the caption read: “A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans.”

The second photo, much like the first, showed a white couple in similar water, also carrying items under their arms. The caption of this photo read: “Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store.”

Finding vs. looting. What was the difference? Both photos ran on the same day. Both depicted the aftermath of the same event. Both were carried by many news outlets. And yet one photo depicted “looting”, and the other “finding”. Readers were left with the impression that black people loot, white people find. Black people take advantage of the situation, while white people creatively find ways to survive. For me, this was an eye-opening moment. During the rest of the class period, we talked about racism and the media, about our responsibility and response as Christians to tragedies like Katrina, and most importantly, about the power of words.

From James, chapter 3: “No one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.”

Words have the power to create and destroy, to bless and to curse. This week we’ve seen the awful, destructive power of words uttered within a hate-filled amateur movie and promoted by so-called pastors. The fiery violence in the Middle East, though not all directly attributed to this film, has certainly been fanned by the choice of a few individuals to use their tongues to curse and demean a major world religion and its prophet.

Sadly, these events nearly eclipsed the coverage of another important story, the laying to rest of an American hero, Neil Armstrong. His famous words launched the world into a new era and gave us a vision of the future: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

From Isaiah chapter 50: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.”

Clearly, words have power. When I consider the passage we heard today from the Epistle of James, I wonder exactly what prompted him to write so openly about the destructive power of words. What in the world was happening in the early Christian community for him to write: “For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison”? But then, I look around, and I get a pretty good idea.
Unless you live as a hermit, you’ve seen the way humans carry on with griping, complaining, grousing, gossiping, engaging in triangles, speaking falsehoods, and generally being negative. And that’s just the in the parking lot, before we ever get into the church building!

Christians are not immune to the troubles of taming the tongue, and that’s why James’ letter is still meaningful to us today. We love to point fingers at the politicians and pundits who never let the truth get in the way of a good story, but we, too, have fallen short of the glory of God. We, too, use the same tongue to praise God in singing on Sunday morning, and to complain about a neighbor when he does something we don’t agree with. We, too, pray for peace and then fan the flames of hatred with negativity and rumors. We, like Peter, quickly confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and then just as quickly speak against his mission and purpose.

In Mark chapter 8, Jesus asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” and they all had different answers. “Some say you are John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”  But when Jesus asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” it was Peter who chimed in to say: “You are the Messiah.”Powerful words, indeed. Words that could change the world.

And if we stopped the reading right there, Peter would come out smelling like a rose. But in the very next verses, Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter, the same one who had so boldly confessed Jesus as Messiah and Savior, now just as boldly spoke against Jesus’ way of doing that saving.

To which Jesus answered with powerful words of his own: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

Words have power. Words from the media have the power to shape the way we understand a news event. Words spoken in press conferences have the power to shape our understanding of who we are. Words spoken in families—and in churches—have the power to bless or to curse, to form community or to destroy it, to launch us into the future or to hold us back in fear. The words we speak to one another, and about one another, can change the world. As Christians, we are called to be mindful of how our words affect our neighbors and our communities. Our words can make a difference.

But as hard as we try, we, like Peter, often get it wrong.

We confess that we, like Peter, use the same tongue to bless and to curse, to confess Christ and then to actively undermine his cause. But thanks be to God, we do not put our trust in the words we speak or the deeds we do, but only in the Word of God, who is Jesus Christ! We, along with Martin Luther and other reformers of the church, understand our salvation, our justification, our hope and our joy to be based on sola fide, sola gratia, and sola scriptura: Faith alone, Grace alone, and Word alone. Amen!

For it is written: “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And what are these words, my sisters and brothers in Christ?

In the beginning, God spoke the world into existence, and God said: It was good! 

The prophet Isaiah writes: Thus says the Lord: Fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name: you are mine!

When the disciples were full of fear and doubt after the resurrection, Jesus said: Remember, I am with you always: to the end of the age.

Next week, through water and the Word, Gianna Grace, Cali Grace, Thomas Alec, Finley Michael, and Courtney Deborah will be delivered from sin and death and raised to new life in Christ. And at the font they will hear these words: You are baptized:  in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. 

And Jesus said: If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and: follow me.

Sisters and brothers in Christ, words have the power to change the world. I ask you: What difference do these words make in your life? And how might trusting the Word of God, who is Jesus Christ, change the way you use the gift of speech this week?

Let us pray:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand,
to be loved as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

RALLY DAY: Sept. 9, 2012: "Jesus Heals"

Rally Day: Sunday, September 9, 2012: JESUS HEALS

Mark 7:24-37

PREACHER: Pastor Carrie B. Smith

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

There’s a good ol’ bluegrass gospel song that goes like this: 

  On Sunday when the church bells start ringin'

They're ringin' for you and for me

Let's all gather 'round at the altar

And pray that our souls may be free

I'll meet you in the church Sunday mornin'

   And we'll all kneel down and pray

   We'll pray to our Lord up in heaven

   To guide us safe home on our way

I'll Meet You in the Church Sunday Morning

I’m so very glad all y’all came to church this Sunday morning! It is so good, Lord, to be here! Amen!

Many thanks to our Bluegrass Band, the Chordfields, who have come to us from the metropolis of Harvard and its outlying suburb, the beautiful Capron, Illinois!

This is an exciting day, as we welcome fall and the launch of another year of Sunday School. It is a beautiful thing to see and hear the children of Bethany once again. And it’s good for us all to be together today, rallying around the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom we have our life, our hope, and our salvation. Amen!

But I must say, having just read the appointed Gospel text for the day, I can’t help but ask this question on Rally Day: Who would want to rally around this guy?

Jesus, in the two scenes we heard today from Mark chapter 7, is one weird dude. He may not be talking to an empty chair on national television, but he’s putting on a mighty strange performance anyhow.

First, we see Jesus brushing off a desperate woman who has come asking for healing for her daughter. And he doesn’t just say no, either! Instead of an eloquent sermon or a compassionate prayer, Jesus answers her very serious request with the equivalent of a folk saying: “It’s not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Not only does he effectively call this woman and her daughter “dogs”, Jesus is seriously lowering his preaching standards by using such a folksy phrase. One expects more from the savior of the world than clichés like “Stay on the sunnyside of life”, or “If you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on”, or “The belly hates a long sermon!”

And his strange behavior isn’t done yet. In the next scene we see him stick his fingers into a deaf man’s ears, spit, grab the man’s tongue, and cast his eyes toward heaven like a Pentecostal preacher, speaking in tongues: “Ephphatha!” or "Be opened!"

Now come on, Jesus! We know you can heal without all that show. You just cast out a demon without even seeing the little girl! You multiplied bread and fish without so much as a prayer! You walked on water without breaking a sweat! What’s up with this performance? Who is this guy, and what is he up to?
Again, you might be asking: who would rally around this Jesus?

It’s a good thing Jesus isn’t running for office. Can you imagine what the spin doctors would do with this scene? Can you imagine what the campaign managers would be saying the next morning?

“You see, the Savior was just tired. He hasn’t had a day off in many weeks.”

“He was ambushed! That lady was planted!”

“It was just a joke! He was smiling when he called that woman a dog.”

“Jesus made a mistake. He used to be against salvation for the Gentiles, but now he’s for it.”

“He was testing her faith. He intended to heal her daughter all along.”

“Where Jesus comes from, spitting is a form of flattery. And haven’t you heard about the medical benefits of sticking your fingers in your ears?”

Countless theologians have written explanations just like these to explain Jesus’ behavior in this Gospel text. But there’s really no good way to spin this. And I’ll tell you right now: I don’t fully understand what Jesus is doing, especially in the scene with the Syrophoenician woman. In fact, this Jesus kind of ticks me off.

I like the loaves and fishes Jesus better. I like the walking on water Jesus better.
I like the Jesus who loves everybody, who never gets angry and never judges, who answers all our prayers when and how we want, and who sits on clouds all day painting rainbows in the sky.

But then…maybe that’s someone else. Maybe that’s the Jesus I want to believe in. That’s certainly the Jesus I would prefer to rally around. And that’s a Jesus who could run for office! Amen?

The thing is, this isn’t the Jesus we meet in today’s Gospel lesson. This isn’t Jesus Christ, candidate for office or slick politician.

This is Jesus Christ, born to a teenage mother, and raised in a carpenter’s home. He’s an itinerant preacher, a faith healer, and a man on a mission. This is the sandal-wearing, backwoods, audacious, politically incorrect and fully human Son of God. He did some strange stuff, including eating with prostitutes, sitting with sinners, healing the sick, raising the dead, and dying on a cross when he clearly had the power to escape.

And, apparently, when he encountered the Syrophoenecian woman, he made a mistake. Or he changed his mind. Or he had a bad day. Or the woman’s bold words opened his heart to a new mission. Or…we have completely misinterpreted this story for thousands of years.

 I wish I knew.

But you know what? I’ll take him anyway. I’ll “stand by my man”! Amen?

I’ll stand by Jesus, because even when I don’t understand what he’s doing—why he heals some and not others, why some suffer more than others, or why his timing isn’t the same as mine—I continue to be astounded beyond measure at the power of Jesus in the lives of those around me.

Jesus cast out the demon that was plaguing the Syrophoeneican woman’s daughter. He opened the ears of a man who was deaf and gave him the ability to speak for himself. He raised Jairus’ daughter when others had given up on her.

And I’ve also seen the love of Jesus heal families that had been torn apart for years. I’ve seen Christ’s forgiveness heal friendships threatened by hurt feelings and betrayal. I’ve seen grieving parents find healing at the foot of the cross, knowing they do not suffer alone. I’ve seen the Word of God heal hearts weighed down by depression, addiction, rejection, and anger.

Sisters and brothers, the Good News I can’t stop preaching, the News I can’t stop telling you about, the Good News I will zealously proclaim just like the friends of the deaf man healed by Jesus, is this: No matter who you are, there is healing in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Say it with me: Jesus heals.

Whether you’re an insider or an outsider—Jesus heals.

Whether you have much faith, or just a little—Jesus heals.

Whether you’ve been in church all summer or you’re just finding your way back—Jesus heals.

Whether you can come to Jesus on your own strength or if your friends have to lift you up—Jesus heals.

When everyone says you’re a lost cause—Jesus heals.

When you’re on your knees in desperation—Jesus heals.

 The love of God, which we have seen in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, has the power to cast out demons, heal hearts, open minds, and free tongues for bold proclamation. Our Lord does everything well—he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.  Thanks be to God! Amen.

Sunday, September 2, 2012: Those are the Rules

Sermon – Mark 7, James 1, Deut 4

Year B – Sunday, Sept. 2^nd, 2012

Law (and Gospel) – Those are the Rules

PREACHER: Pastor Paul F. Cannon

Good morning!  And happy Labor Day weekend to you all!  Labor Day is a day where we celebrate the rights and accomplishments enjoyed by workers in this country, that other countries don’t have.  I know that Labor Day is also the last chance for many folks to catch up on the some sleep, host a BBQ, and head over to the lake cabin one last time before winter!...but then there’s the rest of us who go to church instead!  So a special welcome to you all today.

And if you didn’t feel like you should have gone to the cabin 5 minutes ago, you will now, because I hate to tell you, today is going to be all about … the Law! … So Everybody close your eyes for a brief second, take a deep breath… If you want to escape, now-is-your-chance… And since I don’t see anybody leaving, you must be braver than I thought you were. Because there is truly nothing in the world more tedious and boring than laws. 

Now I know that there are some of you who might consider yourselves to be proud rule followers.  Some of you might even be in charge of making new laws!  And then there are others of you who might be more like myself, who prefer to break laws.

All you rule breakers out there, go ahead and shout it out the answer: if you see a speed limit sign says 35mph zone, how fast do you want to go? (40mph?).   

Or if there is a big red button with a note on it that says “ …Don’t press this button,” what do you want to do?  Push the button!  Of course!  Why on earth would there be a button with a sign like that if it didn’t do something really awesome!

And if you’re like me, then you hate dealing with all those rules that actually get in the way of accomplishing the original intent of the rule.  For example, I remember in college I was meeting with a study partner in the library, which had these really nice little rooms that you could check out and use for your own purposes.  And of course, these rooms had time limits – and the intent of these limits was to make sure that multiple groups could get in and use the room (if necessary). 

So we get this room on the top floor, the fourth floor of the library. We’re studying in the room, and it’s getting late.  People are filing out the doors and we are just about the only people left in the whole building when we notice that our time is about up! Nobody was waiting for our room to empty.  Nobody was even there. So my partner looks and me and said “You wanna run down there and reserve another session?” “Nah” I said, “We’ve only got 5 more minutes of work.  Let’s just finish up.  Nobody’s waiting for this room.”  

So five minutes go bye, we finish our studying, and we walk down the four flights of stairs.  And I hand the key back to the librarian.  And she says to me “That will be $5 please.” … “Five dollars?” I ask, “I thought the rooms were free.” … “Oh they are, but you were late in returning the key.”  

Now I was indignant about the whole situation because I was in college, and I had values, and ethics, and principals, , and $5 could buy you a large one-topping pizza from Papa Johns.  So I gave that librarian an earful about how there wasn’t even anybody waiting for the room ….and so I yelled at her—giving her some dirty looks—feeling both vindicated and angry. What the librarian’s infuriating response?

“I’m sorry sir, those are the rules.”

“Those are the rules.”  For some reason that sounds like something the Pharisees may well have told Jesus and his disciples.  In our Gospel reading today, Jesus just finished feeding the 5,000 after which he proceeded to walk on water and then go heal some sick people.  As you might imagine, all these miracles might make a person hungry!  So he sits down to eat with his disciples, who forget to wash their hands before they eat.  

And the Pharisees pounce on this!  “Umm, Jesus!” They say, “The law says that you are supposed to wash your hands before eating!” They might as well have said.  “Those are the rules!” And this is where college Paul would have loved for Jesus to go on a similar rant to the one he gave to the librarian, pointing out the fact that actually those rules were only intended for priests and therefore the disciples didn’t need to wash their hands.  It was an unjust expectation!  But Jesus doesn’t deny any wrongdoing.  He simply changes the conversation.

He quotes Isaiah who wrote “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”  Maybe the Pharisees had figured out the rules, but Jesus saw right into their hearts. Then, in one of the omitted verses from our text today, Jesus aims this really pointed statement to the Pharisees.  “You have a fine way” he says “of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!”  

If you think about it, that’s an odd thing to say.  The Pharisees were the ones who were following the commandment, after all.  They were the ones who were pure and clean and righteous.  They were the ones who had washed themselves.  They were the ones who knew how to play by the rules, NOT these unclean disciples!  So what commandment, exactly, were they breaking?

A few chapters later in Mark, you get your answer.  A scribe comes up to Jesus with an interesting question.  “Which commandment is first of all?” … Which is the most important?  It wasn’t a trick question.  It was more like a pop quiz.  The priests and Pharisees all would have quoted the exact same verses that Jesus said next.   Deuteronomy 6, verse 4: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”  And Leviticus 19:18  (of all places!):  Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”

Love.  That’s what the entire law boils down to.  And this most basic – most difficult commandment – is what the Pharisees failed at.  Their hearts were filled with hatred, anger and malice…maybe jealousy.  Jesus saw that. They failed to love.

And I can’t help but think, this is a really high bar to clear.  College Paul thought that he was pretty righteous as well.  Not only had he figured out why his actions weren’t sinful, but he thought that he could completely justify his tardiness by yelling at that poor librarian.  (What an jerk that guy was!).  If College Paul had thought about it, he might have even tried to justify himself from the text that we read today!  You see the librarian was really like the Pharisee and college Paul was really just being like Jesus who broke rules as well!  College Paul probably thought of himself as a really righteous renegade.  A modern day Robin Hood!  He was the one following the laws of common sense and decency! And Pizza. 

“But you forgot the most important thing.”  Jesus might have told college Paul,” You failed to love that librarian. Those are the rules.”

To love. It is the greatest commandment.  It is the most important law there is.  And unfortunately, it’s the hardest rule to follow.  You and I fail at this all the time.  We fail in more ways that we are even aware of.  Jesus words to the Pharisees might as well have been said directly to all of us.  “You honor me with your lips, but your hearts are far from me” He might say, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!” 

How many times have we been guilty of that?  How many times have we ignored the greatest commandments in the name of self-preservation?  In the name of protecting our own righteousness – our own purity, how have we failed to love others?  

I’m sure I could enumerate the ways that this church has failed this law, just as easily as you could.  Imagine what might happen if somebody walked through the doors of Bethany on a Sunday morning dressed a little slovenly.  It could be this person was a little dirty too.  Maybe you could smell a little bit of alcohol on his breath…Now, every single one of us could list the unnamed rules that that this man was breaking without trying very hard.  You’re supposed to dress up, at least a little bit when you come to church.  You should probably jump in the shower and put on a little deodorant.  You shouldn’t come to church drunk.  All true things!  But would he come here and feel love?  Even here in God’s house, it’s hard to imagine that he would.

I warned you that today was a day about law.  But I can’t stand up here and not give you some gospel as well.  The good news is this: your salvation does not depend on how much you love, but rather how much God loved you.  That much at least is clear. Our failings pale in comparison to God’s grace.  When we lose our ability to love, God steps in.  When we can’t even imagine a kind thought towards our neighbors, we find forgiveness.

And in reality, that is the ultimate scandal. That’s the ultimate rule breaking.  It’s not fair that people like us – people who can’t even follow the most basic commandment – receive grace that we don’t deserve.  And often you’ll hear people protest saying things like, “Surely, there must be something that we can do to deserve such a gift! Surely, we can justify ourselves and make ourselves righteous!”   

“Nope!” Jesus might say, “Those are the rules.”

Thanks be to God.