01-29

JESUS​​ IS ABOUT​​ DOING, NOT​​ BELIEVING

Matthew 7:21; Matthew 25:34-40; James 2:14-17

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 1/29/23

 

 

AS GANDI STEPPED ABOARD A TRAIN ONE DAY,

ONE​​ OF HIS SHOES SLIPPED OFF AND LANDED ON THE TRACK.

 

HE WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE IT AS THE TRAIN WAS MOVING.

 

TO THE AMAZEMENT OF HIS COMPANIONS,

GANDI CALMLY TOOK OFF HIS​​ OTHER​​ SHOE

AND THREW IT BACK ALONG THE TRACK

TO LAND CLOSE TO THE FIRST.

 

ASKED BY A FELLOW PASSENGER WHY HE DID SO, GANDHI SMILED.

 

"THE POOR MAN WHO FINDS THE SHOE LYING ON THE TRACK,"

HE REPLIED, "WILL NOW HAVE A PAIR HE CAN USE."

(The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes)

 

(PAUSE)

 

SEVERAL YEARS AGO ROB BELL AUTHORED A BOOK​​ 

CALLED​​ LOVE WINS.

 

WRITING AS AN EVANGELICAL,​​ BELL MAKES A STRONG, BIBLICAL CASE

THAT GOD'S LOVE IS MUCH MORE​​ INCLUSIVE​​ 

THAN MANY CHRISTIANS ALLOW.

 

A MAJOR INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK WAS AN ART EXHIBIT

ON PEACEMAKING HELD AT HIS MEGACHURCH​​ 

IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

 

ONE OF THE ARTWORKS FEATURED A PICTURE OF GANDI

AND A COMPELLING QUOTATION FROM HIM.

 

TO THIS WORK OF ART SOMEONE HAD ATTACHED A NOTE STATING

"REALITY CHECK: ​​ HE'S IN HELL."

 

THOSE OF YOU FAMILIAR WITH FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANITY

WILL RECOGNIZE THIS HARSH ASSESSMENT OF GANDHI AS SPRINGING

FROM A SINCERE BELIEF THAT IF ONE HAS NOT PERSONALLY​​ 

ACCEPTED JESUS AS ONE'S SAVIOR​​ ONE IS EXCLUDED FROM HEAVEN.

 

BELL'S BOOK​​ LOVE WINS​​ IS A POWERFUL​​ REFUTATION

OF THIS NARROW, EXCLUSIVE VISION OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.

 

AMONG OTHER THINGS, BELL MAKES THE POINT​​ 

THAT MANY​​ NON-CHRISTIANS ARE MUCH BETTER​​ 

AT ACTUALLY LIVING OUT THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS

THAN MANY CHRISTIANS.

 

ARE THESE PERSONS, LIKE GANDHI, GOING TO BE CONSIGNED​​ 

TO HELL SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T SAID THE RIGHT WORDS

ABOUT JESUS?

 

BELL THINKS NOT.

 

INFINITELY MORE IMPORTANT, IT'S CLEAR FROM SCRIPTURE

THAT​​ JESUS​​ DOESN'T THINK SO EITHER.

 

​​ WHEN ASKED THE DIRECT QUESTION

"WHAT​​ MUST I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?" --

JESUS DOES NOT RESPOND WITH A LIST OF​​ DOCTRINES

THAT ONE MUST BELIEVE ABOUT​​ HIMSELF.

 

NO, HE SIMPLY STATES THAT THE KEY TO HEAVEN

IS LOVE OF GOD AND NEIGHBOR.

 

TODAY'S READING FROM MATTHEW 25,

WHERE JESUS REVEALS THE CRITERIA OF GOD'S JUDGMENT

AS TANGIBLE ACTS OF COMPASSION

TO THOSE WHO ARE HURTING,

 

OPENS THE DOORS OF HEAVEN TO​​ ALL​​ THOSE --

OFFICIALLY "CHRISTIAN" OR NOT --

WHO PRACTICE LOVE OF NEIGHBOR.

 

THUS, ACCORDING TO JESUS HIMSELF,

GANDHI IS DEFINITELY “IN.”

 

TODAY’S SHORT TEXT FROM THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT

SIMPLY READS:​​ "NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, 'LORD, LORD',​​ 

WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN,​​ BUT ONLY THOSE

WHO​​ DO​​ THE WILL OF MY FATHER​​ WHO IS IN HEAVEN.”

​​ (Matthew 7:21)

 

JESUS' EMPHASIS ON​​ DOING, ON​​ ACTION,​​ ​​ 

IS QUITE CHALLENGING TO CHRISTIANS WHO SEE THEIR FAITH

MORE IN TERMS OF RIGHT​​ BELIEF​​ THAN IN TERMS OF RIGHT ACTION.

 

IN TODAY'S SCRIPTURE READING FROM MATTHEW,

JESUS USES THE ORATORY DEVICE OF​​ PROPHETIC​​ THREAT

TO UNDERLINE THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT HE'S SAYING.

 

WHAT IS PROPHETIC THREAT?

 

THE PROPHETS IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES --

JUST LIKE MANY OF US DID AS​​ PARENTS​​ --

THREATENED JUDGMENT OR PUNISHMENT

IF PEOPLE FAILED TO HEED THEIR​​ MESSAGE.

 

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE THREAT

WAS TO​​ SPARE​​ PEOPLE​​ FROM​​ PUNISHMENT,

WHICH WAS UNDERSTOOD NOT AS​​ GOD'S​​ STEPPING IN

AND "GETTING EVEN," SO TO SPEAK,

 

BUT IN TERMS OF THEIR OWN​​ SELF-DESTRUCTION.

 

THIS IS WHAT JESUS IS DOING HERE.

 

HE WANTS TO​​ SPARE​​ US, TO​​ RESCUE​​ US

FROM OUR OWN SELF-CREATED HELLS

AND​​ REMIND​​ US OF THE WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE.

 

"NOT EVERYONE WHO SAYS TO ME, ‘LORD, LORD,’

WILL ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN,

BUT ONLY THE ONE WHO DOES THE WILL​​ 

OF MY FATHER IN HEAVEN,”

 

IS JESUS' WAY OF TELLING US​​ 

THAT NOT EVEN A VERY​​ PERSONAL, VERY​​ EMOTIONAL​​ 

FAITH OR BELIEF IN HIM IS​​ ENOUGH

TO MAKE A REAL​​ CONNECTION​​ WITH HIM,

 

IS ENOUGH TO WARRANT THE CLAIM​​ 

OF BEING IN A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM.

 

WHAT​​ DOES​​ IT TAKE TO REALLY CONNECT WITH JESUS?

 

WHAT IS THE WILL OF JESUS' FATHER IN HEAVEN?"

 

"I WAS HUNGRY AND YOU GAVE ME FOOD,

I WAS THIRSTY AND YOU GAVE ME SOMETHING TO DRINK,

I WAS A STRANGER AND YOU WELCOMED ME,

I WAS NAKED AND YOU GAVE ME CLOTHING,

I WAS SICK AND YOU TOOK CARE OF ME,

I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME."

 

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WHAT MIGHT THESE WORDS LOOK LIKE​​ IN ACTION TODAY?

 

LET'S LOOK AT ANOTHER STORY ABOUT​​ SHOES.

 

SHANE CLAIBORNE, WHO SPENT A SUMMER​​ 

IN THE SLUMS OF CALCUTTA WITH MOTHER TERESA,

WROTE THE FOLLOWING:

 

"PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME WHAT MOTHER TERESA WAS LIKE.

 

DID SHE GLOW IN THE DARK OR HAVE A HALO?

 

SHE WAS SHORT, WRINKLED, AND PRECIOUS,

MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE ORNERY --

LIKE A BEAUTIFUL, WISE OLD GRANNY.

 

BUT THERE IS ONE THING I WILL NEVER FORGET --

HER FEET WERE DEFORMED.

 

EACH MORNING DURING MASS I WOULD STARE AT THOSE FEET.

 

I WONDERED IF MOTHER TERESA HAD LEPROSY.

BUT I WASN'T GOING TO ASK, OF COURSE.

 

ONE DAY A SISTER ASKED US, "HAVE YOU NOTICED MOTHER'S FEET?"

 

WE NODDED, CURIOUS. ​​ 

 

SHE SAID, "HER FEET ARE DEFORMED

BECAUSE WE GET JUST​​ ENOUGH​​ DONATED SHOES FOR EVERYONE,

 

AND MOTHER DOES NOT WANT ANYONE​​ 

TO GET STUCK WITH THE WORST PAIR,

 

SO SHE DIGS THROUGH AND FINDS THOSE.

 

YEARS OF WEARING BAD SHOES HAVE DEFORMED HER FEET."

(Shane Claiborne,​​ The Irresistible Revolution)

 

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WE KNOW THAT IT TOOK A WHILE FOR JAMES,​​ 

THE BROTHER OF JESUS, TO BECOME A FOLLOWER OF JESUS.

 

APPARENTLY IT WAS THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION

THAT FINALLY CONVINCED HIM​​ 

THAT THE​​ WAY​​ OF​​ JESUS​​ WAS THE WAY OF​​ LIFE.

 

ALREADY IN JAMES' DAY --

JUST A FEW YEARS AFTER JESUS' LIFE, DEATH, AND RESURRECTION --

 

THERE WERE THOSE CLAIMING TO BE TRUE BELIEVERS

WHO EMPHASIZED HAVING FAITH​​ IN​​ JESUS

OVER LIVING ONE'S LIFE​​ WITH​​ JESUS.

 

JAMES SEEKS TO CORRECT THIS VERY EARLY TEMPTATION

TO BASE ONE'S FAITH ON​​ DOCTRINE​​ WHEN HE WRITES:

 

"WHAT​​ GOOD​​ IS IT, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

IF YOU SAY YOU HAVE​​ FAITH​​ BUT DO NOT HAVE​​ WORKS?

 

CAN SUCH A FAITH SAVE YOU?

 

IF A BROTHER OR SISTER IS NAKED AND LACKS DAILY FOOD,

AND IF ONE OF YOU SAYS TO THEM,​​ 

'GO IN PEACE; KEEP WARM AND EAT YOUR FILL,'

 

AND 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."

(James 2:14-17)

 

VERY EARLY IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH

WE SEE A PARTING OF THE WAYS IN TERMS OF WHAT IT TAKES

TO BE A TRUE FOLLOWER OF JESUS.

 

JESUS AND HIS BROTHER, JAMES, TELL US

THAT​​ LIVING​​ LIFE,​​ DOING​​ LIFE, ACCORDING TO JESUS'​​ WAY

IS THE WAY TO A REAL CONNECTION WITH JESUS AND GOD.

 

THE WRITER OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN AND ST. PAUL TELL US

THAT THE WAY TO A REAL CONNECTION WITH JESUS AND GOD

IS BY​​ BELIEVING​​ THE RIGHT STUFF​​ ABOUT​​ JESUS.

 

IT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR FROM THE WORDING OF TODAY'S​​ TEXT

FRO MATTHEW WHICH SIDE OF THIS THEOLOGICAL DIVIDE

JESUS HIMSELF WOULD FALL ON.

 ​​​​ 

​​ IF I'M GOING TO TAKE THE RISK OF FOLLOWING SOMEONE,

NAMELY JESUS, I'M GOING TO WANT TO FOLLOW​​ 

THE​​ AUTHENTIC​​ WORDS OF THAT PERSON,

MANY OF WHICH ARE RECORDED IN THE GOSPELS

OF MARK, MATTHEW, AND LUKE,

 

AND NOT​​ THE​​ PARAPHRASES​​ OF JESUS' WORDS AND ACTIONS

THAT WE FIND IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN OR THE LETTERS OF PAUL.

 

IT COMES DOWN TO THE​​ DIFFERENCE​​ BETWEEN

BELIEVING IN JESUS, AND ALLOWING THAT BELIEF

TO​​ TAKE​​ THE​​ PLACE, AS IT WERE,​​ 

FOR OUR ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM,

 

OR BEING SO CAUGHT UP IN THE BEAUTY​​ AND GOODNESS OF JESUS

THAT ONE WANTS TO LIVE, TO ACT,​​ IN​​ TANDEM​​ WITH HIM.

 

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DENNIS, FROM KATY, TEXAS, NEEDED SOME SAME-DAY

DRY CLEANING BEFORE HE LEFT ON A TRIP.

 

HE REMEMBERED A STORE WITH A HUGE SIGN,​​ 

"ONE-HOUR DRY CLEANERS," ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN,

SO HE DROVE THERE TO DROP OFF A SUIT.

 

AFTER FILLING OUT THE TAG, HE TOLD THE CLERK,

"I NEED THIS IN AN HOUR."

 

THE CLERK SAID

"I CAN'T GET THIS BACK TO YOU UNTIL THURSDAY."

 

"I THOUGHT YOU DID DRY CLEANING IN AN HOUR."

 

"NO," THE CLERK REPLIED,

"THAT'S JUST THE​​ NAME​​ OF THE STORE."

 

THOSE WHO CLAIM THE NAME "CHRISTIAN,"

OR "FOLLOWER OF CHRIST," NEED TO BE EXCEEDINGLY CAREFUL

THAT WE DON'T TURN THAT NAME INTO A​​ LIE.

 

JUST LIKE THE NAME "ONE-HOUR DRY CLEANERS"

TURNED OUT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A FRONT

TO GET PEOPLE TO COME INTO THAT BUSINESS,

 

CHRISTIANS NEED TO BE WATCHFUL​​ 

LEST THEY TURN THE NAME "CHRISTIAN" INTO FALSE ADVERTISING.

 

IT'S EASY TO​​ CLAIM, TO​​ BELIEVE​​ THAT JESUS IS "LORD,"

BUT SOMETHING QUITE DIFFERENT TO ACTUALLY​​ LIVE​​ ONE'S LIFE

WITH JESUS​​ AS​​ LORD.

 

SOME WILL SAY THAT THIS EMPHASIS ON DOING

IS A WAY OF TRYING TO​​ EARN​​ HEAVEN THROUGH GOOD WORKS.

 

IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE WE PLACE THE EMPHASIS​​ 

ON OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

 

ON THE ONE HAND, IF WE'RE CAUGHT UP IN DOING GOOD

IN ORDER TO​​ GET GOD TO "LIKE" US AND GIVE US HEAVEN,

 

THIS IS INDEED A FORM OF TRYING TO EARN OUR SALVATION.

​​ 

THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP BASED ON​​ FEAR​​ AND WILL ACCOMPLISH

NOTHING MORE THAN TO FURTHER​​ DISTANCE​​ OURSELVES

FROM​​ GOD.

 

ON THE OTHER HAND, IF WE'RE CAUGHT UP IN DOING GOOD

BECAUSE WE'RE CAUGHT UP IN THE GOODNESS OF GOD

AND WANT TO BECOME MORE AND MORE​​ LIKE​​ GOD,

THEN WE'RE​​ ALREADY​​ CAUGHT UP​​ 

IN A LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD,

 

AND THE WHOLE DYNAMIC OF TRYING​​ 

TO WORK ONE'S WAY INTO GOD'S GOOD GRACES

BECOMES HUMOROUS AND IRRELEVANT.

 

THIS​​ IS THE APPROACH TO GOD THAT JESUS WOULD HAVE US TAKE:

 

TO BE AND TO DO AND TO BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE GOD

NOT OUT OF​​ FEAR​​ OR​​ DUTY, BUT OUT OF​​ ATTRACTION​​ AND​​ LOVE.

 

I'D LIKE TO CLOSE WITH TWO ILLUSTRATIONS,​​ 

ONE THEOLOGICAL AND ONE PRACTICAL.

 

THE THEOLOGICAL:

 

BRUCE THIELEMANN, PASTOR OF FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH​​ 

IN PITTSBURGH, TOLD OF A CONVERSATION WITH A MEMBER

OF THE CONGREGATION WHO SAID,

 

"YOU PREACHERS TALK A LOT ABOUT 'DO UNTO OTHERS,'

BUT WHEN YOU GET RIGHT DOWN TO IT,

IT COMES DOWN TO BASIN THEOLOGY."

 

THIELEMANN ASKED, "BASIN THEOLOGY? ​​ WHAT'S THAT?"

 

HIS CONGREGANT ANSWERED,

 

"REMEMBER WHAT PILATE DID​​ 

WHEN HE HAD THE CHANCE TO ACQUIT JESUS?

HE CALLED FOR A BASIN​​ 

AND WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE WHOLE THING.

 

BUT JESUS, THE NIGHT BEFORE HIS DEATH,

CALLED FOR A BASIN AND PROCEEDED TO WASH THE FEET

OF THE DISCIPLES.

 

IT ALL COMES DOWN TO BASIN THEOLOGY:

WHICH ONE WILL YOU USE?”

 

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OUR PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION COMES FROM THE LIFE EXPERIENCE

OF PATRICIA MILLER, WHO WRITES:

 

"EACH DAY I WORKED IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM,

I BECAME MORE INSENSITIVE TO PEOPLE AND THEIR REAL NEEDS.

 

FIVE YEARS OF EMERGENCY ROOM EXPOSURE TOOK ITS TOLL.

 

THEN GOD INTERVENED.

 

I WAS REGISTERING A YOUNG WOMAN

WHO HAD OVERDOSED ON DRUGS AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.

 

HER MOTHER SAT BEFORE ME, UNKEMPT AND BLEARY EYED.

SHE HAD BEEN AWAKENED IN THE NIGHT BY THE​​ POLICE

TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL.

 

SHE COULD ONLY SPEAK TO ME IN A WHISPER.

 

'HURRY UP!' I SAID TO MYSELF

AS SHE SLOWLY GAVE ME INFORMATION.

 

MY IMPATIENCE WAS RAW AS I FINISHED THE REPORT

AND JUMPED TO THE MACHINE TO COPY THE MEDICAL CARDS.

 

THEN​​ GOD STOPPED ME, SPEAKING TO MY HEART,

'YOU DIDN'T EVEN LOOK AT HER.'

 

I FELT GOD'S GRIEF FOR THE WOMAN AND HER DAUGHTER THEN,

AND I BOWED MY HEAD, SAYING,

'I'M SORRY, LORD, I'M SO SORRY.'

 

I SAT BY THE DISTRAUGHT WOMAN​​ 

AND COVERED HER HANDS WITH MINE.

 

I LOOKED INTO HER EYES​​ 

WITH ALL THE LOVE THAT GOD COULD FLOOD THROUGH ME

AND SAID, 'I CARE. ​​ DON'T GIVE UP.'

 

SHE WEPT AS SHE POURED OUT HER STORY.

 

FOR YEARS SHE HAD DEALT WITH A REBELLIOUS DAUGHTER

WHO WAS A SINGLE MOM.

 

FINALLY, AFTER THE WEEPING STOPPED,​​ 

SHE THANKED ME FOR LISTENING.

 

ME -- THE COLDHEARTED ONE WITH NO FEELINGS."

(Patricia Miller, "The Emergency Room,"​​ 

Pentecostal Evangel, October 15, 2000)

 

THIS STORY IS A GOOD EXAMPLE​​ 

OF SOMEONE WHO CALLS JESUS LORD​​ 

AND,​​ HOWEVER RELUCTANTLY AT FIRST,

ACTUALLY DOES WHAT GOD​​ ASKS​​ HER TO DO,

 

WHICH IN THIS CASE MEANT TURNING OFF HER JUDGMENTALISM

AND BEING PRESENT TO ANOTHER PERSON IN NEED​​ 

BY SIMPLY LISTENING.

 

SHE WASN'T TRYING TO EARN HER WAY INTO HEAVEN.

 

SHE WAS MERELY ALLOWING HER ALREADY-PRESENT

LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD TO FLOW THROUGH HER

AND TOUCH SOMEONE ELSE.

 

THIS​​ IS THE KIND OF​​ DOING, THIS IS THE KIND OF​​ ACTION

THAT JESUS HOPES TO INSPIRE IN ALL OF US​​ 

WHO CLAIM​​ THE NAME "CHRISTIAN."

 

AMEN.

 

 

 

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