Small But Powerful

Debbie Cato

Isaiah 50:4-6 and James 3:1-18

Peace Presbyterian

August 31, 2014

Small But Powerful

I spent quite a few years ministering to homeless families and children before God called me to be a pastor. During that time I met some wonderful people; beautiful people who weren’t as blessed as I was to have a safety net of healthy people in their lives to help them – including a church family. I was honored to be able to hear their stories and journey with them as they worked hard to get back on their feet and get their lives “together” - whatever that means; so that they could provide the kind of stability and home for their children that I was able to provide for mine.

Each of them had a different story; different stuff that had happened in their lives that resulted in them ending up homeless. Different circumstances led them to homelessness; but something in their histories were the same. There was one part of their stories that were similar. It never failed. I heard it over and over.

Each adult that came to us for help, had grown up in an environment where they were repeatedly told that they were worthless; that they would never amount to anything. Each person had been told – and shown through the actions of their parents or guardians or caregivers, that they didn’t deserve anything good in their life. As a result they had lived up to that prediction. They lived up to the expectations. Because they had been told they were worthless since childhood, they believed it with every fiber of their being. It was part of who they were. They had absolutely no self-esteem. When things started going well; a good job, almost graduating – whatever it was- they would unwittingly sabotage things – because after all; they didn't deserve it. They were worthless. They wouldn't amount to anything. It was heartbreaking.

It’s hard to teach self-esteem. Especially after a lifetime of negative messages. We believe the stuff that we’re told over and over and over. Especially as kids. Those messages stick with us. Even 50 years later.

This is a painful example of the power of speech to inflict personal harm. We all have our own memories. Words we have received. Words that we've given. Words that wound. Words last long after they have been spoken.

The Epistle of James includes the longest passage in the Bible about the role of speech in the life of a Christian. "We all stumble in many ways," says James; only the person who has "tamed the tongue" can claim Christian maturity. It isn’t easy; taming the tongue. Humanity has tamed the world of nature, James observes, "but no one can tame the tongue."

Human speech seems innocent enough. After all, the tongue is such a small part of the body. But its small size belies its powerful influence. James compares it to a bit that controls a horse or a rudder that steers an enormous ship. The tongue can burn like a raging forest fire, he says, incinerating everything that it touches. It corrupts both the subject and object of speech. What we say to one another, James writes, can be "full of deadly poison" that kills. Our words can kill the soul. The tongue is small. But it's powerful.

What we say reveals far more about us than about the recipient of our swords. We may think that our words are insulting the other person but they are really speaking volumes about our own heart. The scary part about toxic talk is that it reveals the character of our own inner identity.

THE TWO WOLVES

A CHEROKEE STORY

A young boy came to his Grandfather, filled with anger at another boy who had done him an injustice.

The old Grandfather said to his grandson, "Let me tell you a story. I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and hate does not hurt your enemy. Hate is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."

"It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. But the other wolf, is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper."

"He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, because his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, because both of the wolves try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked,

"Which wolf will win, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather smiled and said, "The one I feed."

If we don't let it go – our disappointments, our anger, our bitterness eats us up alive. We think we hide it but we don't. It comes out through our words to other people. Through our small but powerful tongue.

Toxic talk reveals the bitterness, the hatred, the anger and the fear that fills our own heart. In Matthew 12, Jesus said, "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The good person brings good things out of the good stored up in them, and the evil person brings evil things out of the evil stored up in them. But I tell you that people will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:34–37).  Ouch. Does that scare you as much as it scares me? “By your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.”

We can say we are sorry we said something but – we really can't take those words back can we? What is said, is said. The sting remains. We can't take back the hurt we have caused the other person. And we can't take back the condition of our own heart that has spilled out and revealed itself.

Our words create reality. Once our speech and descriptions take hold, they have tremendous power for good or evil. They can exclude or embrace; heal or humiliate; lift up or tear down.

How many of us have internalized self-hatred that resulted from repeated criticisms from a parent?

     Who hasn’t experienced the useless attempts to prove your self-worth

        against school yard bullying?

             How often have you been caught off guard by a cruel, harsh, hurtful rant of                         someone who took their anger out on you?

Perhaps the best cure for “taming our tongues” is to let go of our own past hurts; our own old anger and disappointments and bitterness to minimize the possibilities of hurtful words rolling off our tongues. Of course, we will never be perfect. We will still say hurtful things. But if you find yourself angry more often than not, or feeling bitter more often than joyful – perhaps there is something in your past that you need to let go of so that you can be free.

James reminds us that, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"

James commends a spiritual discipline that's good for our own selves and even better for our neighbor: "Everyone should be quick to listen and slow to speak" (1:19). Excellent advise. Hard to do – at least for me.

Silence can mean the absence of speech and the end of words, but it's also more than that. Silence is a way of waiting, a way of watching, and a way of listening.¹ Silence is a way of dying to self, which Jesus talked about so often – dying to self. In silence we die to the need to justify ourselves, to prove ourselves, to condemn others, or even just to be heard.

This morning we read in the prophet Isaiah (50:4): "The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary." Our words can do so much good. How wonderful it is when you are really down; exhausted; at the end of your rope – to hear kind, loving words.

As much as words can hurt – words can also be life changing.  How many can still remember a compliment made by an elementary school teacher even though it was made many decades ago?  Perhaps you are even who you are today, doing what you do today, because a teacher or some other adult in your life took an interest in you; saw something in you; was kind to you; encouraged you. For me – it was my Grandma Potter.

And as you might expect, Proverbs are full of wisdom about words:

Proverbs 12:18: "The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."

Proverbs 16:24: "Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Gracious words are a honeycomb. Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

What does God want? God wants holy living and in today’s passage, James lifts up a number of markers of the evidence of God- given wisdom in the life of individuals. These include:

     Gentleness and humbleness;

          Pure and peaceable living;

               A willingness to yield to others; not always having to be right;

                     Full mercy to one another and good fruits;

                          No trace of partiality or hypocrisy.

These traits often come out in how we speak to one another. These are difficult traits to live into. They speak of a life that is not ego- driven; not grasping or envious. These are traits that come from wisdom from above; traits that come from focusing on God and not focusing on ourselves or other people. This kind of holy living is a way of life.

Our primary calling – our primary purpose for being, is to be the children of God and the children of God are actually supposed to be living holy lives. We have to ask ourselves if God would want His children using words to hurt or to conquer or even to protect ourselves or get ahead. As beloved children of God, relating to one another as people created in the image of God, we are called to be humble and gentle, pure and peaceable, yielding, full of mercy and good fruits, willing to hold our tongues rather than use our words to hurt. These are the marks of those that are wise and mature

in faith. Easy to talk about. Hard to do. That's why they call this a faith journey. But it's not an excuse not to work on taming our tongues – a small but powerful part of our anatomy. Perhaps the most hurtful part of our body. Certainly a key component to holy living.

Let us all pray that we might act as ones who are wise and mature of faith.

May His Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. Amen.

1 John Chryssavgis in his book "In the Heart of the Desert."

See-Thru Faith

Rev. Debbie Cato

Proverbs 22:2; 9; 22-23, Ezekiel 33:30-32 and James 2:14-26

Peace Presbyterian Church                                                                                                                                                August 24, 2014

See-Thru Faith

Like most parents, my parents used catchy phrases to instill wisdom and life lessons in us kids. You might be familiar with them. “Honesty is the best policy.” “The early bird gets the worm.” Or “Work before play.”

Today’s readings from Proverbs are a collection of wisdom and life lessons for all the ages that offer ways to live a life of honesty and integrity where honor, justice, and good reputation are prized. They are rules for ethical living. They are a call to act generously, reputably, honestly, and justly; as persons of a God who cares deeply for the poor.

This collection of wisdom about how we are to treat one another fits well with James' thesis of holy living. If you remember from last week, James insists that we be not only hearers of the word but also doers. James says that if we are only hearers, we deceive ourselves and have no faith at all.

In today’s reading, James expands on this idea of hearing and doing. He insists that “faith alone” is not adequate without the “deeds of faith”. He says that faith is more than just believing. Faith is a response to God out of obedience and love. Faith ought to be visible by its fruit – the way that we live, the things that we do and say, our attitudes and our behaviors. James says that our faith ought to be who we are; not just something that we believe.

We talked last week that James is focused on this question of “So, what?You say you have faith, you believe in Christ but so what? What does that mean for your life? What does a Christian life look like? What is this holy living?”

So I was thinking, what do us Christians look like to the world – to people who aren’t sitting here with us this morning? What do we look like to all those people that don’t know we go to church? Can people outside the church tell that we are Christians? Do we stand out in the world or do we look the same as everybody else? What ought our Christian faith look like?

I don’t know if you have ever eaten or even heard of Entenmann bakery products. They are in the same grocery aisle as Hostess donuts and the other “health food”!

Well, Entenmann’s started out as a small family bakery on Long Island in the late 1800’s. The Entenmann family baked fresh breads, rolls and cakes and delivered them door to door by horse and carriage. The baked goods arrived in white paper boxes tied up with red strings. The packages looked so nice and inviting, that when the pastries arrived in their homes, families were excited to eat the goodies. But there was one problem! The customers couldn’t see inside the white paper box so they had to poke a hole in the package to see the goodies.

When Martha Entenmann realized that customers couldn’t see the goodies, this was unacceptable to her and before long, she invented the see-through cake box. Soon all the baked goods from the Entenmann Bakery arrived in see-through boxes so that everyone could see the goodies inside without poking a hole in the white paper box. After this, sales went crazy and this small bakery in Long Island began selling their baked goods in stores from New York to Miami and beyond. Even here on the West coast. I actually noticed that there is an Entenmann Bakery Outlet store on River Avenue.

Sometimes I think that’s what the church is like. Most of us would like to live our faith inside our church with our Christian brothers and sisters where we are comfortable. Where we think alike – or mostly alike! But, when the world “looks inside us” – remember you and I are the church – do they see the goodness of our faith? Do they see Christ? Or is our faith hidden in a white paper box tied up with ribbon?

What should a Christian look like to the world? That’s the question that James asks us – individually and as a church. James is telling us there is more to it – this Christian thing – than staying in our churches and worshiping God, reading our Bible at home, or praying every morning and night. Don’t misunderstand me. These are all good things to do! Don’t stop! These disciplines help us continue to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ. But what ought our faith, look like?

James insists that we be not only hearers of the word but also doers. He insists that “faith alone” is not adequate without the “deeds of faith”. He says that faith is more than just believing. Faith is a response to God out of obedience and love. Faith is a response out of gratefulness for all God has done for us; for the ways He has transformed our lives. James says that faith ought to be visible by its fruits’ – the way that we live, the things that we do and say, our attitudes and behaviors. James says that our faith ought to be who we are; not just something that we believe.

This isn’t a new idea James just came up with – something he made up. Much of the Old Testament law teaches how God’s people are to treat others – particularly the poor and needy. The Ten Commandments is about how to love God and how to love and respect and treat one another. This morning we read how the prophet Ezekiel admonished the people who sat around and listened to the Word of God but then did not obey it; they did not do what the Scripture taught them. When the religious leaders ask Jesus what the greatest commandment is, Jesus says, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself”. We see this same theme again in 1 John 3: 18: “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.”

The very character of God is love. So I ask you, how can we love without doing?

Paul says that saving faith brought us into union not only with the Jesus who died, but also with the Jesus who rose from the dead; if we truly died with him, then we must just as truly live with him. The very nature of faith in the living Christ can only define faith as a living faith; with good works which ‘necessarily spring out of a true and lively faith’. To say we are Christians means that we are followers of Christ – literally “little Christs.” We are to live as Christ lived and the gospels are full of example after example of how Jesus lived what he taught. We are to do the same.

James’ has clear teaching that faith is the primary thing - the hallmark of the Christian, the irreplaceable priority. Faith is God’s foundational gift. It is the common mark of all Christians – faith in Christ. It is the continuing reality, running like a story-line through all the experiences of Christian life. And, it is the root from which the fruit of our faith grows. When we mirror God’s word with our deeds then we are living out our faith.

We receive faith through the grace of God so is it not reasonable that we ought to be fruitful with this amazing gift? Is it so hard to venture that our gratefulness show itself through love to others? Is it possible to love as God wants us to love without doing? We must not just hear the Word. We must also be doers of the Word.

James shows how our faith is false if we refuse to help those in need. Professing that we

believe; professing that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, without living out our faith Monday through Saturday is self-deception. You see, there is a delusion that we can hear the Word of God without doing. Authentic faith is faith acted upon.

James’s passionate insistence that faith must be translated into practice seems obvious. Yet the evidence is overwhelming that this reminder needs to be made repeatedly and urgently – over and over again. There is something deep inside us that lead us to presume that knowing the right truth or holding the right position is enough to make us righteous. The tendency to find refuge in religion – refuge in our faith – and a resting place within our community of faith remains constant. The mark of a “good” Christian easily becomes affirming the right confessions, the use of religious language, and the memorization of scripture. These are certainly pious actions. But to sit in worship “in the name of Jesus” and then walk out the door and leave it all behind confuses religion with authentic faith.

One of my favorite quotes is something that St. Francis of Assisi said over 800 years ago. He said, “Preach often. And when necessary, use words.” The way you live, the way you are, the very core of your being ought to preach the good news of Jesus Christ to all you meet – without saying a word. We ought to be a living testimony to the love and grace of God. We’ve all heard the saying that actions speak louder than words. “Preach often. And when necessary, use words.” Don’t just talk about it. Do it.

I was talking with a woman recently who is a survivor of domestic violence. She told me that when she was married she and her husband would go to church every Sunday. They were “good” members. Often, he would beat her in the morning before they left for church and then scream and yell at her while he drove. But when they arrived in the parking lot, he would put on his “church” face. Back in the car, after the service ended it would start all over again.

She told me how one day she got up the nerve – “got up the nerve, mind you” – to go talk to her pastor. She said that she sat in his office and cried and cried while she told him about all the abuse. She told me how she took off her sweater so he could see all the bruises on her arms. And then she told me how he prayed for her and sent her on her way – never doing a thing to help her. She said she never went back to church again, until last year – 11 years after she went to her pastor for help. It broke my heart.

This is what James is talking about. “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” but yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Talk is cheap. It’s easy and it’s safe. But we Christians – those of us who call ourselves followers of Christ must live like Christ lived. I think often it’s the simple things that reflect a living faith. It’s smiling at people you meet on the street and actually saying hi. It’s treating the clerk who’s checking you out at the grocery story like a real person and asking them how their day is going. Thanking them for helping you. It’s sending a note to a shut-in or better yet –visiting them. It’s helping someone who needs some help. The mom trying to get her kids and her groceries into the car. The elderly neighbor. The troubled kid.

But it's also going deeper. It's taking risks. It's asking the question: Are we being good stewards of our building and grounds? How is God calling us to use what He has given us? Where is He calling us to use our gifts and skills? What needs in the community could we step out and meet?

We took a risk with youth this summer. It was something very new to us. It fell in our laps and we took a chance. We weren't sure if it would work. We weren't sure that we even knew what we were doing. But it has been amazing – a gift to each of the leaders who has been involved. And we have touched the lives of young people in North Eugene. We have felt the presence of the Holy Spirit each and every Wednesday.

I think that every night before we go to bed, we need to ask ourselves this question: Did I exhibit the love of Christ in my interactions today? Did I exhibit the love of Christ in my interactions today – with my family, my friends, and the strangers I met along the way.

We must get out of our boxed faith and allow Christ to be seen in the world – in our community. We must untie the pretty little bow and let people look inside. We must be vulnerable. We cannot claim to live by the faith of Jesus Christ or the law of love if we are not doers of the Word. Maybe if the world could “see” the goodness of Christ in us through our actions, God’s kingdom on earth would expand and grow just like the little family bakery did. Maybe if we were doers of the Word, people would be drawn to the church eagerly wanting to hear the gospel. Maybe there would be a revival in our churches if we were out in the community being the church; being doers of the Word.

So I ask you, what do we look like to the outside world? Do we stand out in the world or do we look the same as everybody else? When the world looks into your box of faith, do they see Christ?

May His Kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Don’t Be Deceived

Reverend Debbie Cato

James 1:16 - 27

Peace Presbyterian Church

August 17, 2014

Don’t Be Deceived

This Sunday is the beginning of a series of readings from the Book of James. About 7 or 8 or so of us have been studying James after fellowship time this summer and we've been having some really great conversations. I've learned a lot from what the others are gleaning from James and I think the others will agree that they are also learning a lot from our study. I decided to turn our conversations into a sermon series! We will spend the next five Sundays looking at James' understanding of the Christian life. This is his primary concern. The shape of the Christian life. What ought the Christian life look like? The Book of James is five short chapters and the study group has taken 8 weeks to get through these 5 short chapters! They are short but they are very deep.

James assumes that we have already faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; that we already believe, and he asks the question, so what? So what does this mean for our life? He is aware that people sometimes confine their understanding of faith to a simple series of truth claims—something limited to our heads or our intellect. For James, this is inadequate. Faith isn't just about knowing stuff; it isn't just about head knowledge. The faith that James is talking about is faith that is active in a person's life; a faith that’s alive; faith you can see.

James insists that true faith is whatever is actually active or obvious in your life. For James, faith that is not active is not faith at all. And in this, James agrees with Paul, who wrote to the church in Galatia, ⁶ “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Faith expressing itself through love.

James spends the first few verses explaining that God is the giver of every perfect gift. God nurtures us, gives us gifts, and provides directions for our lives. God supplies all the good things in our lives. Based on who God is, calls us to holy living – and The Book of James teaches us what this holy living looks like. Holy living. Yikes!

There's a prayer I used to keep on my refrigerator that speaks to the depth of my own holy living. Of course, I'm a pastor - “a reverend.” I certainly don't expect you “lay people” to be as holy as I am – but I thought I would share it with you – you know, something for you to work toward!

Dear Lord,

So far today I've done all right.
I haven't gossiped, cursed, or lost my temper.
I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish or over indulgent.
I am really glad about these things.

But, in a few minutes Lord,
I am going to get out of bed,
and from then on,
I'm probably going to need a lot more help.

Thank You,
In Jesus' Name. AMEN (Author Unknown)

I absolutely love that! Can you relate? My attempt at holy living often lasts until I wake up in the morning – and then I open my mouth!

As I told the folks in the Bible study – we are on a journey. And anyone – anyone who thinks they have reached perfection, is fooling themselves. And that is what today’s passage warns us about. “Do not be deceived, my beloved.” Do not be deceived.

Do not to be deceived by who we think we are. BUT – James' angle may surprise you!James understands that people don’t always live as the people they are in God. He speaks about a lack of connection between hearing and doing; between who one is and what one does.

He asks us to picture ourselves standing in front of a mirror. We are to pause there as James asks, "Do you see who you are?" Ordinarily, standing in front of a mirror might mean that we see ourselves as thin or overweight, blemished, disheveled, wrinkled, or scarred. But that is not what James is getting at. Instead, we are to think about ourselves in light of what has just been said. Do you see who you are? You are someone who has been blessed by God's gifts; someone who has been brought to new life through God's Word—a person who is a first fruit, (the best fruit!), set aside as someone who belongs to God, created in the very image of God. Do you see who you are? Do you really see who you are

What happens when you forget who you are? Who's you are? Life typically takes another course. If you forget how much you have been given, why would you give anything to others? If you forget how much you have received, then life is reduced to a search to get what you can while you can. You may find the situation of the orphan and the widow to be regrettable, but conclude that this is the way the world is and you need to get what you can while you can. Or what if you forget that God's Word has given you new, bringing you into a renewed relationship with the God who made you and wants you as His own? If you forget what God's Word gives you, then what you do with your words doesn’t really matter very much.

So, James instructs Christians about daily life. Daily life as a Christian. He is keenly aware of the power of human speech – both to build up and to destroy. “Be slow to use your tongue, or bad-mouth others,” James warns. Why is he especially concerned with the way we use words?

When I was serving in Wyoming, I had the opportunity to work with a gentleman named, David LoLeng from the PC(USA) Evangelism Office in Louisville, KY. I was the moderator of the Presbytery's New Church Development and Evangelism Team and we were rolling out this wonderful denominational evangelism material statewide called ENGAGE. David and I traveled around the state doing regional workshops on ENGAGE for the churches in Wyoming. Anyway, David told a story about standing in a video store line waiting to rent a video. He was standing behind a woman who was being belligerent to the sales clerk who was waiting on her. She was cursing her out and yelling and being very rude and obnoxious. The sales clerk was a young woman and after being verbally abused for a while, the clerk said she needed to get her manager and she walked away. The woman in front of David turned around and said to him, “Can you believe how incompetent these people are?”

David noticed that she was wearing a shirt that had the logo & name of a local mega church on it with their slogan “World Changers” on it. He said he took a moment and prayed and then he said, “Do you think you should be talking to the sales clerk like that? You are being rude & disrespectful.”

David said the woman got really angry at him and started cursing him out and yelling at him. When the sales clerk returned, the woman got what she wanted and then left, but not before making a couple of other ripe comments. After she left, the manager said to the clerk, “That’s why I hate Christians.” That's why I hate Christians. “Be slow to use your tongue,” James advises.

“Sticks and stones may hurt my bones but words will never hurt me.” Remember that little childhood rhymn? How untrue that is. How many of you remember cruel, hurtful words that were said to you 10, 20, 30 years ago that still hurt? “Be slow to use your tongue.”

James was a keen observer of human nature and he paid close attention to the details of everyday living. He noticed generous acts, the small gifts, the gestures and the words we use. He knew that such small acts are the nuts and bolts of everyday life, holding together the foundation on which we build community and social harmony. The way we use words can make a big difference in the way we relate to one another; the way we get along. Certainly the way we represent Christ. James knew that our words reveal what’s really in our hearts; our motivations,; our intentions; our beliefs. Destructive anger can poison our own lives and can poison the community. Human anger will never produce results that make things right. Destructive anger can never be the means for illuminating God’s presence or make room for divine goodness in our lives. It will never produce God’s righteousness.

James is a wise man. He knows that there is a difference between those who just hear the Word of God and those who hear and also obey. James, says, ²² “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James is saying that when we only listen to God’s Word, we deceive ourselves if we think we know what it means to follow God. Rather, we must listen AND obey. We must listen and DO what it says. For James, it’s simple: “every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. Faith without works is dead.

James contends that the integrity of our faith embraces both neighbor and self. Of course, this isn’t a new idea with James. When Jesus was being tested by experts of the law, he was asked by the Pharisees what the greatest commandment was. Jesus replied, ³⁷ "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:37-39

It’s not enough to just hear the Word of God. For James, it’s like saying “I really believe in Jesus’ I really believe in the resurrection,” but then give no evidence of such faith in dealing with his or her neighbor.¹

James promises that hearers will be blessed in their doing. The one who only hears is deceived, but the doer is blessed. The doers can rejoice in knowing that their actions, born out of the Word of God, demonstrate saving faith.

What are you? Are you a hearer or a doer? What are we as a church? Is Peace Presbyterian a hearer of the Word or a doer of the Word? What would people think of us if we wore our church shirts out in public? Let’s not be deceived.

              May His kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

1 Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 4. Aaron L. Uitti. Pg. 17.

You Gotta Get Outta the Boat!

Rev. Debbie Cato    Matthew 14:22-33                                   Peace Presbyterian Church     August 10, 2014

You Gotta Get Outta the Boat!

Did you know that the Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake? It's about 13 miles across and seven miles long. In Jesus day, there was a continuous ribbon of settlements and villages around the lake, thriving fishing businesses, and plenty of trade and ferrying by boat around the lake. Much of Jesus’ ministry occurred around the Sea Galilee and in the beautiful surrounding countryside. He recruited four of his disciples from the shores of the sea. It is thought that Jesus’ preached the Sermon on the Mount from a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It was along these beautiful shores that Jesus did much of his teaching and performed many of his miracles.

It was here along these shores, that Jesus asked his disciples to provide food for the large crowd that had followed him when he attempted to go off and be alone after he heard the devastating news that his cousin John had been brutally murdered. With just five loaves and two fishes, a crowd of more than five thousand, were fed with twelve baskets left over. Right after this; right after everyone had eaten; Jesus told his disciples to get into a boat and go ahead to the other side of the Sea while he dismissed the crowds. I imagine he had some final words for them – maybe a final blessing, a few hugs and handshakes. I like to imagine what Jesus may have said and done in those final moments with the crowd. It's nice to imagine.

And then finally, after an incredibly long day, Jesus went to find some quiet time for himself. He went up the mountain alone to pray. Jesus time alone, his time to grieve and get his thoughts together was delayed, but the busy day did not prevent Jesus from spending time with God. He wasn’t too tired to pray. Finally, Jesus achieves his goal. He is in a deserted place by himself – praying and talking with His Father as he so often does during his ministry.

And that brings us to today’s passage. Jesus sends the disciples on without him – He tells them to get in the boat and cross to the other side. So, the disciples go down to the sea and they get into a boat. This same story is told in the Gospel of John where we are given more details. John tells us that darkness surrounds them as they begin rowing the boat the seven miles across the sea the long way. Suddenly, a storm blows up. Storms would do that on the Sea of Galilea. The sea becomes very rough and a strong wind buffets the boat back and forth, up and down. The winds increase and the sea becomes turbulent; the wild waves knock the boat around and with it the disciples. Water crashes over the top of the boat and soaks their clothes. The fierce wind billows around them. They row and row and row but no matter how hard they push against the oars, the waves push them back. They can’t go more than 3 or 4 miles no matter how hard they work. They are stuck in the middle of the sea, tossing and turning in the chaos of the water, unable to see anything in the darkness, and they become fearful. I love that – “they become fearful.” I would guess they were scared to death! The rushing sound of the wind and the waves is deafening. The disciples think they are going to die –lost at sea. And just when the terror is about to get the best of them; just when they think it’s over for them; Jesus comes to them in the midst of the chaos of the storm; in the midst of their terror.

Three miles from shore; rocking about in the boat in the middle of the sea, tossed about and swallowed by waves, they look out and see a shape. A ghost-like figure walking on the water towards them – walking on the water in the midst of the vicious winds and the wild waves. The wind is blowing water in their eyes and the boat is thrashing around in the waves. Imagine the deafening noise, the exhaustion from fighting the tenacious storm, rowing and rowing for hours. Things couldn't get worse but now - well now they think they see a ghost coming toward them – walking on the stormy water! Imagine their helplessness! Imagine the sheer terror they are feeling!

     And then they hear it. His voice. “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.”

          Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid. It is I.

Thus far, the disciples have remained nameless. It's been “the disciples” in the boat. But once Jesus identifies himself, it's Peter who answers him. Simon Peter , the risk taker. He was the first with an answer when Jesus asked, “Who do people say that I am.” Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God! Peter paid the price of being a risk taker when he presumed to correct Jesus' announcement of the rejection and death that awaited him. “Get thee behind me Satan!” Jesus said. No coincidence that these are two of the most quoted lines in all the New Testament: “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!” and “Get thee behind me Satan!” both attributed to Peter, the risk taker.

Peter says a number of strange things to Jesus but do you find his words to Jesus strange in this passage? He has been in a boat, tossed about in a turbulent storm for hours, unsure if he is going to live. Thinking that a ghost was approaching the boat walking on the waves, he hears Jesus' voice say, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” And Peter says, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Do you find that strange? Even for Peter? “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

If it is you, command me to risk my life, to tempt death, to walk out across 6,000 fathoms of dark, swirling, threatening sea.

Don't you find it strange that if Peter was uncertain that the voice from the storm was really the voice of Jesus – his lord, unless that voice commanded him - “Come out and join me, Peter. The water's great!”

But think about it. That really is how you will know Jesus. Jesus is the one who extravagantly and recklessly commands you to leave the safety of your boat, to step into the sea, to test the waters, and show what your faith is made of. That is Jesus. To serve Jesus, you gotta get outta the boat!

Do you know the hymn “Softly and Tenderly?” “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling. Calling for you and for me.” It's an old gospel song. Well, in today's scripture passage, Jesus is softly and tenderly calling you to risk your life, to throw caution to the wind, to step out of the boat and defy death!

I think Peter was a little bit crazy! He wanted to trust and believe Jesus so much. When he heard that voice in the middle of that horrible storm that night; when he was at the end of everything that he and the others could humanly do to save themselves, he saw the outline of that figure walking toward him and he heard a voice say, “Take heart. It is I. Do not be afraid.” The only thing that came out of Peter's mouth was “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And without hesitation, Jesus said exactly what Peter wanted him to say. “Come.” “Come to me, Peter. Come to me.”

Without even thinking, Peter somehow gained his balance in that rocking boat, he stood

up and stepped over the edge onto the rolling waves and he began to walk toward Jesus. It was indeed Jesus, come to rescue him and the others. With confidence and assurance, looking straight ahead at his Lord, Peter took one step after another and walked toward Jesus in the midst of that stormy sea.

But then, Peter did what we all do. He took his eyes off Jesus. And when he did, he noticed how windy it was. He remembered the storm raging around him. He realized what he was doing – he realized he was walking on water and he began to sink. I'm going to drown, he thought. “Lord, save me!” he cried. Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand. He caught Peter and rescued him from the storm. “You of little Faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt?” When Peter and Jesus got into the boat with the others, the wind and the storm immediately stopped. It was over as quickly as it had begun. And the disciples worshiped Jesus saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

You know, many of the disciples were fishermen. Jesus recruited them to follow him and become fishers of people right from those shores. It would make sense that in their fishing careers they had experienced many storms on that lake. It would seem that they knew how to ride those storms out. We learned through John that early in the evening they rowed and rowed trying to get to the other side but the stormy waves kept pushing them back. It is likely that they even went in circles. These were likely big, strong men – putting everything they had into the oars, trying to will themselves forward and yet getting nowhere. But no matter how hard they rowed, they couldn't get anywhere. Not until Jesus got on board. As soon as Jesus was with them, the storm stopped and they reached their destination.

The church can be like that you know. We get so focused on doing what we've always done, the way we've always done it, that we don't even notice that we aren't getting anywhere. We are rowing in place. We are trying to get somewhere under our own strength with our own wherewithal and we haven't bothered to ask Jesus to if it's him. “If it's you Lord, command us to get out of the boat and come to you.” Just like Peter, we have to take risks. We have to be willing to get out of the safety of our boat – the things we are comfortable with, the things we have always done, and go where Jesus is calling us – trusting that he is there. Trusting that he will catch us.

Yes! We will make mistakes. We will do things that just won't work. We will fail. The great basketball player Michael Jordan said, “I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

In June, I preached a sermon about the Great commission; Jesus sending his disciples out to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Before Jesus ascends into heaven after his resurrection, he gives his disciples their mission. He tells them their ongoing work is to go out – go out and spread the Word; go out and share the good news; go out and make other followers. I gave you a copy of the mission statement for Peace and asked you to spend the summer praying about what God might be calling us to do – to be. I hope you’ve been doing that.

Thursday night, rather than a regular session meeting, the session will engage in a planning retreat – focusing on goals for the next year. Where is God calling us? Where do we need to stop rowing around in circles? Where do we need to get out of the boat and trust Jesus? I hope you’ll pray for the session – your spiritual leaders this week.

But this text isn’t just about the leadership of the church. It’s about all of us. Each of us is called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. At some point in our faith journey, sometimes more than once - We have to get out of the boat. We have to take risks. We have to do things differently. It’s you that Jesus is standing in front of and gently saying “Come.” The question is, will you listen? Will you get out of the boat?

Amen.

The Compassion of Christ

Rev.Debbie Cato  
Peace Presbyterian Church
Matthew 14:13-21
August 3, 2014

Our passage begins with “Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself.”   Whatever “this” was, Jesus wanted to go off by himself;  he needed to be alone.  What was the “this” Jesus had heard?  

Jesus had just heard the news of the brutal murder of John the Baptiser.  At the whim of Herod's wife,  John, Jesus'own cousin, was beheaded and he was sick with grief.  There can be no doubt that Jesus was tired and distraught.  His withdrawal “to a deserted place” was a strategy for self-preservation. Jesus was human.  Grief-stricken and shaken, he needed to get away for a bit.   He needed to withdraw to a deserted place away from the crowds.  Someplace where he could have time to absorb all that had happened.  Someplace where he could grieve the gruesome, pointless death of his counsin John in private; get his thoughts together.  So Jesus gets into a boat, planning to cross the Sea of Galilee, away from the crowds.  

We've all been there before, haven't we?  Bad news.  A difficult situation.  We want to withdraw; isolate.  Be alone.  We need space to think; to grieve; to be angry – maybe even to pray.  I hold really good pity parties for far less reasons than Jesus had that day.  And if I'm really honest, I have to admit that when I'm in the midst of my own grief and pain; when I'm feeling so low or exhausted that I want to be by myself; my primary focus is on me.  Not on others.   Not now, I think.  I have my own problems.  Save yours for later.  What about you?  Can you relate?

The crowds, motivated by multiple personal needs and interests, follow Jesus. When Jesus gets off the boat, the crowds are there with their sick and suffering in tow.  He can't escape.  They find him.  Matthew says that “Jesus saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and he cured their sick.”  Jesus; tired and distraught had compassion for the people and he cured their sick.1             He didn't turn them away.  He didn't tell them to go home; that he was taking a sabbatical.  Jesus own grief and exhaustion did not diminish his compassion to care about healing and feeding those in need.  Jesus had compassion.

Most of the time when we read this passage, we focus on the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand.  We focus on the five loaves and two fishes turning into enough food to feed five thousand men plus the women and children who were present.  But I think we miss something by jumping ahead.  We miss the reason that Jesus fed the people.  We miss the reason Jesus healed the people.    Remember, he had gotten into a boat to get away from the crowd because he was reeling in grief and disbelief. He wanted to get away to a deserted place where he could be alone.  But the crowd followed him.  Jesus could have sent them away.  He had good reason to.  But when Jesus saw the crowd, he had compassion.  Even his tremendous grief and exhaustion did not take away Jesus' compassion for those in need.  

When it becomes late,  the disciples want to send the people away.  It had been a full day.  

After all, they were in a deserted place, away from the city and sources of food.  Surely the people were hungry.  “Let them find a village so that they can buy food,” the disciples say to Jesus.  But Jesus would have none of this.  “YOU give them something to eat,”  Jesus tells the disciples.  “You give them something to eat.  It's up to you to meet the needs of the people,” Jesus announces.  

The disciples are shocked!  We can understand  because it also shocks us to understand that as disciples of Christ, we too are called to meet the needs of others.  The disciples look around but they can only find two fish and five loaves – hardly enough to feed themselves, much less a crowd of thousands.  Nevertheless, Jesus instructs them to feed the crowd.  Not only does everyone get enough to eat, but there are twelve baskets left over!  The disciples must have been quite surprised that evening at the miraculous power of God's love!2

I think there are several lessons for us to learn in this passage.  Most importantly is Jesus' compassion.  It is a compassion that cares deeply about the most basic needs of all of us.  God, who is the ultimate power of the universe, intends peace in the world, an end to hunger, the well-being of families, and spiritual wholeness for all people.

The second lesson is about being disciples – about the awesome responsibility that God has entrusted to us.  Jesus did not feed the five thousand.  He told his disciples to do it.  God has entrusted us to be the body of Christ – the hands and feet through which God's work is done in the world.  God does not work alone, but through people like you and me.  To follow Jesus is to express our faith in concrete acts of love, justice, and compassion toward others.  It is no accident that Matthew tells us that we will meet Jesus in reaching out to the “least” of our brothers and sisters – the hungry, the thirsty, and the imprisoned.3

Opportunities to be about the work that Jesus calls us to don't necessarily come at the most convenient times.  They are likely to come when we find ourselves most busy, most tired, most fearful about the future.  Often we just have to start.  We may not be able to see the ending – in fact most of the time we can't.  But if we don't at least start, we will certainly never get there.  For the  disciples in this story,  the only logical thing to do was to send that hungry  crowd away.  They could not fathom the possibility that all those growling stomachs would be satisfied with what began as a meager meal.  But they trusted Jesus enough to hand him the five loaves and two fish.  They handed him everything they had and pretty soon it was a party.4 

And finally, this story reminds us that we are doing God's work, not our work.  God will give us the power to work for good in the world.  When Jesus told the disciples to feed the five thousand, the disciples thought it was impossible.  The needs were so great and the resources were so few.  Haven't we felt the same way?  But when the disciples worked together and followed Jesus, they had more than enough.  There was a basket left over for each of them.

Too often we live out of our scarcity.  We think we don't have enough.  We don't have enough money; we think we don't know how; we're scared; we might fail....  we can go on and on with the reasons why not.  But we serve a God of abundance.  We are called to offer our limited resources to him to bless and multiply; not to hoard them for ourselves. We are called to obey Jesus' daring, ridiculous commands and trust that he will provide.   

This miracle of feeding the crowd occurs in all four gospels.  It must be important!  We should probably pay attention.  It is recorded in all four gospels because we need to hear it over and over again.  Why?  

Because over and over again in life, we stand in the shoes of the disciples in this passage:  surrounded by human need, faced with a challenge; thinking the need is too big; thinking we do not have the resources to stand up to the challenge.  Sometimes we feel our only option is to sit in our living room and try not to see the needs; to ignore the challenge.5    That is certainly easier.  But is it the right thing to do?  Does it show compassion?  The compassion of Christ?

The events that took place on that hillside in Galilee 2,000 years ago were a miracle to the disciples and to the five thousand+ people gathered together that day.  However, the deeper message is the miracle of God's love for the six billion people on our planet today and the miracle that we are called to be partners with God. 

   Partners in loving the people he puts in our path.   

        Partners in having compassion and meeting the needs he puts before us.6 

Not out of duty or obligation.  But because of the love and compassion Christ has shown us.  Over and over again.

May His kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.