JESUS UNDERSTANDS HIMELF AS THE EMBODIMENT OF GOD’S LOVE
Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:16-21
Rev. Paul Wrightman 1/21/24
RACHEL NAOMI REMEN WRITES IN KITCHEN TABLE WISDOM:
“WHEN I WAS SMALL,
GOD WAS STILL DISCUSSED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I REMEMBER ONE ASSEMBLY IN WHICH OUR PRINCIPAL,
A FUNDAMENTALIST,
DELIVED A FIRE-AND-BRIMSTONE KIND OF SERMON
TO THE ENTIRE GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
SHE READ A PASSAGE FROM THE BIBLE TO US
AND TOLD US IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE KNEEL AND PRAY
THREE TIMES A DAY
BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO REMIND GOD
THAT WE WERE THERE.
THINKING BACK,
SHE MAY NOT HAVE SAID THIS IN SO MANY WORDS,
BUT THIS IS WHAT I TOOK AWAY.
YOU PRAYED BECAUSE YOU HAD TO MAKE HIM LOOK AT YOU.
IF GOD TURNED HIS FACE FROM YOU,
SHE TOLD THE HUSHED ASSEMBLY OF CHILDREN,
YOU WOULD WITHER UP AND DIE, LIKE AN AUTUMN LEAF.
AND THIS PART I AM SURE OF,
SHE ACTUALLY HELD UP A LARGE DRIED AND WITHERED LEAF.
EVEN AS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD IT SEEMED TO ME
THAT GOD HAD A LOT OF OTHER THINGS ON HIS MIND BESIDES ME.
AND IN BETWEEN THE TIMES THAT I WAS PRAYING,
HE MIGHT BLINK AND THEN WHAT WOULD BECOME OF ME?
I REMEMBER THE FEAR, THE ENORMOUS TERROR.
WHAT IF GOD BLINKS?
I BECAME SO OBSESSED WITH THIS QUESTION, SO FEARFUL,
I WAS UNABLE TO SLEEP. (End Quote)
LET’S LEAVE RACHEL NAOMI IN THIS IMPOSSSIBLE POSITION
FOR NOW. WE WILL COME BACK TO SEE HOW HER GRANDFATHER
RESCUES HER BEFORE THIS SERMON FINISHES!
RIGHT NOW THE POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE
IS THAT THE FEAR TACTICS THAT HER PRINCIPAL USED
ON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN
IN ORDER TO SCARE THEM INTO PRAYING
WAS ACTUALLY A FORM OF CHILD ABUSE.
PRAYER HAS NOW BEEN REMOVED FROM OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
BUT THE UNDERLYING DYNAMICS OF PORTRAYING GOD
AS A BEING WHO NEEDS TO BE PLACATED AND FEARED
ARE VERY MUCH ALIVE-AND-WELL
IN MANY CHURCES THROUGHOUT OUR LAND.
IN PREVIOUS SERMONS, I HAVE TRIED TO MAKE THE POINT
THAT GOD IS CONSISTENT
AND THAT GOD FOLLOWS GOD’S OWN RULES.
BASED ON NO LESS AN AUTHORITY THAN JESUS HIMSELF
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THREE FIRST PRINCIPLES,
OR FOUNDATIONAL FACTS ABOUT GOD:
GOD ALWAYS ACTS THROUGH CREATIVE NONVIOLENCE;
GOD’S FORGIVENESS IS LIMITLESS;
GOD’S LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL.
BASED ON THESE THREE FIRST PRINCIPLES,
WE HAVE MADE THE STRONG ASSERTION
THAT ALL THE VIOLENCE ATTRIBUTED TO GOD IN THE BIBLE
IS SIMPLY THE PROJECTION OF OUR OWN HUMAN VIOLENCE
ONTO GOD AND INTO THE SCRIPTURES.
WE HAVE SEEN HOW THE REAL JESUS
WAS TOO BIG AND TOO RADICAL
EVEN FOR THE FINAL EDITORS OF THE GOSPELS TO HANDLE
IN SEVERAL PLACES,
AND HOW THEY CUT HIM DOWN TO SIZE, SO TO SPEAK,
BY PROJECTING THEIR OWN VIOLENCE ONTO HIM.
THUS WE HAVE THE ABSURD SITUATION IN MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
OF JESUS TEACHING UNLIMITED FORGIVENESS –
A TEACHING THE LIKES OF WHICH HAD NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE –
AND THEN THREATENING THAT GOD WILL TORTURE THOSE
WHO DO NOT PRACTICE LIMITLESS FORGIVENESS THEMSELVES.
(See Matthew 18:21-22, 34-35)
THE POINT IS THAT IF JESUS REALLY TAUGHT
UNLIMITED FORGIVENESS,
HE COULD NOT ALSO HAVE TAUGHT
THAT GOD INFLICTS TORTURE ON THOSE WHO REFUSE TO FORGIVE.
SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL THE VIOLENCE
CONTAINED IN THE BIBLE AND ATTRIBUTED TO GOD?
WE SHOULD SIMPLY SEE IT FOR WHAT IT IS –
VIOLENT HUMAN BEINGS MAKING GOD INTO THEIR IMAGE.
ONCE WE SEE THE VIOLENCE IN THE SCRIPTURES FOR WHAT IT IS,
WE CAN LAY IT ASIDE, SO TO SPEAK,
AND CONCENTRATE ON THE RADICAL TEACHINGS OF THE REAL JESUS.
IT HAS LONG AMAZED ME THAT THE MAJOR MYSTICS,
OR PRAYER-PEOPLE, OF THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION –
PEOPLE LIKE JULIAN OF NORWICH QUOTED
IN THE “AS WE GATHER” SECTION OF TODAY’S BULLETIN –
COME UP WITH EXACTLY THE SAME
FIRST PRINCIPLES ABOUT GOD THAT JESUS DOES.
AND IF SCRIPTURE IS INCONSISTENT
IN PORTRAYING GO’S NONVIOLENCE, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE,
SO MUCH THE WORSE FOR THOSE PARTS OF SCRIPTURE
THAT CONTRADICT ITS ESSENTIAL MESSAGE.
IT DOESN’T TAKE A GENIUS
TO FIGURE OUT THAT IF GOD IS INCONSISTENT,
THEN THAT INCONSISTENCY IS DUE
TO THOSE STRUGGLING TO WRITE ABOUT GOD,
AND NOT TO GOD IN AND OF GODSELF.
IT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS THAT IF SOMEONE TAUGHT
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THIS PLANET
THAT GOD’S FORGIVENESS IS LIMITLESS
AND GOD’S LOVE UNCONDITIONAL,
THEN THOSE ARE THE FIRST PRINCIPLES,
THE UNPARALLELED INSIGHTS, WE RUN WITH.
ANY INCONSISTENCIES, ANY PLACES IN SCRIPTURE
THAT PICTURE GOD AS LESS THAN NONVIOLENT,
LESS THAN UNCONDITIONALLY FORGIVING AND LOVING,
CAN SIMPLY BE LAID ASIDE.
SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME
“HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE THAT YOUR TAKE
ON JESUS AND GOD IS RIGHT?”
TO THIS I WOULD ANSWER THAT ACTIONS
SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
THE FACT THAT JESUS WENT TO HIS DEATH
EMBRACING NONVIOLENCE
AND PRAYING FOR THOSE WHO WERE CRUCIFYING HIM,
“FATHER, FORGIVE THEM;
THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE DOING,” (Luke 23:24)
ARGUES FOR THE ABSOLUTE CONSISTENCY
BETWEEN JESUS’ TEACHINGS AND JESUS’ ACTIONS.
SO ALSO DOES THE FACT THAT THE RESURRECTED JESUS
IS PORTRAYED WITH HIS WOUNDS STILL INTACT.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME JESUS
AFTER THE RESURRECTION AS DURING HIS MINISTRY.
ANOTHER REAON TO ARGUE FOR JESUS’ ABSOLUTE CONSISTENCY
OCCURS IN OUR TWO SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR TODAY.
JESUS GIVES US NOTHING LESS THAN HIS MISSION-STATEMENT,
AS IT WERE, IN HIS PROCLAMATION
AT THE SYNAGOGUE IN NAZARETH.
HE SPECIFICALLY ASKS FOR THE SCROLL OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH,
AND CHOOSES TO DESCRIBE HIS OWN MINISTRY
USING ISAIAH’S WORDS.
WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT,
WHAT AMOUNTS TO THE MOST IMPORTANT THING
THAT JESUS DIDN’T SAY,
IS HIGHLIGHTED IN BOLD IN YOUR BULLETIN.
ISAIAH SEES AND PICTURES GOD AS PUNISHING JUDGE
WITH HIS PRASE “AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD.”
JESUS, WHEN QUOTING THIS VERY SECTION
OF THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH
TO ESTABLISH HIS OWN MISSION
AND TO REVEAL HIS OWN IDENTITY,
POINTEDLY LEAVES THESE WORDS OUT.
IN A WAY PARALLEL TO PREFACING AN OUTMODED LAW
IN THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT BY SAYING “YOU HAVE HEARD,”
AND THEN FOLLOWING IT WITH “BUT I SAY TO YOU. . .”
CORRECTING WHAT CAME BEFORE WITH A RADICAL NEW TEACHING,
JESUS IS HERE CORRECTING ISAIAH’S TAKE ON GOD
BY PURPOSELY FAILING TO QUOTE HIM ON GOD’S VENGEANCE.
IN THE SAME WAY THAT CHRISTIANS CAN NO LONGER
CLAIM GOD’S AUTHORITY BEHIND
“AN EYE FOR AN ETE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH,”
BECAUSE JESUS HAS OVERTURNED THAT LAW,
AND GIVEN US IN ITS PLACE
“DO NOT COUNTER VIOLENCE WITH MORE VIOLENCE,”
(See Matthew 5:38-39)
IN THAT SAME WAY CHRISTIANS CAN NO LONGER QUOTE
THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES OR THE BOOK OF REVELATION
WITH REGARD TO VENGEANCE
BEING ONE OF GOD’S CHARACTER TRAITS.
WHY? --BECAUSE JESUS HAS REPUDIATED THAT UNDERSTANDING
BY FAILING TO MENTION THIS ASPECT OF GOD’S BEING
IN HIS READING OF ISAIAH.
WE KNOW FROM THE LITERATURE QUOTED
IN THE ISRAEL OF JESUS’ DAY
THAT THE FAVORITE BOOK OF THE BIBLE BACK THEN
WAS THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE FAVORITE PART
OF THIS FAVORITE BOOK WAS THE VERY PART
THAT JESUS CHOSE TO QUOTE.
AND THE FAVORITE PART OF THAT FAVORITE PART
WAS THE VERY PART THAT JESUS CHOSE NOT TO QUOTE:
“AND THE DAY OF VENGEANCE OF OUR GOD.”
IMMEDIATELY AFTER JESUS FAILS TO MENTION THIS
WE ARE TOLD THAT AN ANGRY MOB FROM THE SYNAGOGUE
TRIED TO MURDER HIM BY PUSHING HIM OVER A CLIFF.
MANY SCRIPTURE SCHOLARS SURMISE THAT THEY DID THIS
PRECISELY BECAUSE JESUS HAD INSULTED THEM – AND GOD –
BY REWRITING SCRIPTURE BY LEAVING OUT WHAT FOR THEM
WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART.
BUT THERE’S MORE.
LATER ON IN LUKE’S GOSPEL
WE COME ACROSS THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE:
“WHEN THE DAYS DREW NEAR FOR HIM TO BE TAKEN UP,
HE SET HIS FACE TO GO TO JERUSALEM.
AND HE SENT MESSENGERS AHEAD OF HIM.
ON THEIR WAY THEY ENTERED A VILLAGE OF THE SAMARITANS
TO MAKE READY FOR HIM;
BUT THE SAMARITANS WOULD NOT RECEIVE JESUS.
WHEN HIS DISCIPLES JAMES AND JOHN SAW IT, THEY SAID,
‘LORD, DO YOU WANT US TO COMMAND FIRE
TO COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND CONSUME THEM?’
BUT JESUS TURNED AND REBUKED JAMES AND JOHN.”
(Luke 9:51-54)
THIS IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT TEXT,
NOT ONLY BECAUSE JESUS DECISIVELY REPUDIATES
THE DESIRE FOR VIOLENCE ON THE PART OF JAMES AND JOHN,
BUT ALSO BECAUSE JESUS’ REFUSAL
TO CALL DOWN FIRE FROM HEAVEN
IMPLICITLY REJECTS ALL THE STORIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
WHERE GOD REPORTEDLY DOES JUST THAT.
TO NAME JUST TWO OF THESE STORIES,
THINK OF THE FIRE THAT GOD SUPPOSEDLY SENT
TO DESTROY THE CITIES OF SODOM AND GEMORRAH,
AND THE FIRE THAT THE PROPHET ELIJAH
SUPPOSEDLY CALLED DOWN FROM HEAVEN
TO DESTROY THE PRACTIONERS OF A COMPETING RELIGION.
JESUS IS DOING SOMETHING INCREDIBLY RADICAL HERE:
HE DOES NOT HESITATE TO CORRECT BOTH THE TORAH,
THE MOST SACRED BOOKS OF THE JEWISH RELIGION,
AND TO CORRECT ELIJAH,
THE MOST POPULAR PROPHET IN JESUS’ DAY.
THE EASE AND AUTHORITY
WITH WHICH JESUS MAKES THESE RADICAL CORRECTIONS
IS SIMPLY BREATHTAKING.
GOD, AT LEAST FOR JESUS,
SIMPLY CANNOT BE DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF VENGEANCE.
IT HAS LONG STRUCK ME AS IRONIC
THAT CONTEMPORARY JUDAISM,
AT LEAST THOSE STRANDS OF THE JEWISH TRADITION
THAT ARE NOT FUNDAMENTALIST,
HAS ALSO LET GO OF THIS ASPECT OF GOD’S BEING,
WHILE FUNDAMENTALIST AND MANY EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS
CONTINUE TO PREACH THE VENGEANCE OF GOD’S PUNISHMENT.
GIVEN THE CURRENT WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS,
I NEED TO MENTION IN PASSING
THAT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE TO LOVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE
AND THE JEWISH RELIGION WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
CRITICISING MANY OF THE ACTIONS OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
I WANT TO BRING JESUS’ RADICAL TEACHING ON GOD’S LOVE
HOME IN A PERSONAL WAY
BY REMARKING ON HOW HEARTBREAKING IT IS FOR ME
WHEN NOT A FEW PEOPLE EVEN HERE AT COMMUNITY CHURCH
TELL ME HOW THEY FEAR THAT WHEN THEY DIE
AND MEET THEIR MAKER,
THAT MAKER IS GOING TO REJECT THEM
BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN “GOOD ENOUGH.”
I WANT TO SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS
“IT’S NEVER A MATTER OF USN BEING ‘GOOD ENOUGH,’
BUT ALWAYS A MATTER OF GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.”
TO ALL OF US, VERY MUCH INCLUDING MYSELF, I WANT TO SAY,
“IT’S TIME FOR US TO ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL
LET GO OF OUR FEAR OF GOD,
AND FINALLY ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE LOVED BY GOD.”
YOU’LL REMEMBER THAT WE LEFT THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD
RACHEL NAOMI REMEN IN AN ACUTE STATE OF FEAR AND TERROR
BECAUSE THE PRINCIPAL OF HER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HAD INTIMATED THAT IF GOD WERE TO TURN GOD’S FACE
AWAY FROM US, WE WOULD WITHER UP AND DIE.
RACHEL NAOMI FOUND HERSELF STUCK ON THE QUESTION
WHAT IF GOD BLINKS?
SHE WRITES: “I BECAME SO OBSESSED WITH THIS QUESTION,
SO FEARFUL, I WAS UNABLE TO SLEEP.”
SHE CONTINUES HER STORY:
“MY PARENTS WERE YOUNG SOCIALISTS
WHO CONSIDERED RELIGION TO BE “THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES,”
AND MY GRANDFATHER, WHO WAS A RABBI,
WAS MY ONLY CONNECTION TO A REALITY
LARGER THAN SOCIAL WELL-BEING AND THE CLASS STRUGGLE.
WHEN I WAS THIS SMALL,
I ACTUALLY THOUGHT OF GOD AS A FRIEND
OF [MY GRANDFATHER’S], LIKE THE MEN
WHO CAME OVER TO SMOKE CIGARS
AND PLAY GIN RUMMY IN OUR KITCHEN WITH MY FATHER.
AS THESE FEARS WERE NOT SOMETHING
I COULD DISCUSS WITH MY PARENTS,
I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL MY GRANDFATHER VISITED.
IT WAS PROBABLY ONLY A FEW DAYS,
BUT I REMEMBER THE WAITING.
I DON’T THINK YOU CAN FEEL
SUCH ANGUISH AND ALONENESS AS AN ADULT.
YOU HAVE TO BE VERY YOUNG.
WHEN I FINALLY GOT MY GRANDFATHER TO MYSELF
I TOLD HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
SHAKING, I ASKED HIM THE FEARFUL QUESTION:
“WHAT IF GOD BLINKS?”
AND AT LAST MY TERROR OVERWHELMED ME
AND I LEANED AGAINST MY GRANDFATHER AND BEGAN TO CRY.
MY GRANDFATHER STROKED MY HAIR TO COMFORT ME.
DESPITE HIS GENTLENESS HE SEEMED DISTRESSED
AND EVEN ANGRY.
BUT IN HIS USUAL CALM WAY,
HE ANSWERED MY QUESTION WITH SOME QUESTIONS OF HIS OWN.
“NASHUME-LE,” HE SAID. . .
IF YOU WOKE UP IN THE NIGHT IN YOUR ROOM,
WOULD YOU KNOW IF YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER HAD GONE OUT
AND LEFT YOU ALONE IN THE HOUSE?”
STILL CRYING, I NODDED YES.
“HOW WOULD YOU KNOW THAT?” HE ASKED.
“WOULD YOU SEE THEM AND LOOK AT THEM?”
I SHOOK MY HEAD NO.
“WOULD YOU HEAR THEM?”
“NO.”
“COULD YOU TOUCH THEM?”
BY THEN I HAD STOPPED CRYING
AND I REMEMBER PUZZLING OVER HIS QUESTIONS
BECAUSE IT SEEMED OBVIOUS TO ME
THAT I WOULD SIMPLY KNOW THAT I WASN’T ALONE IN THE HOUSE.
I TOLD HIM THIS AND HE NODDED, PLEASED.
“GOOD! GOOD!
THAT’S HOW GOD KNOWS YOU’RE THERE.
HE DOESN’T NEED TO LOOK AT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE THERE.
HE JUST KNOWS.
IN JUST THE SAME WAY YOU KNOW THAT GOD IS THERE,
YOU JUST KNOW THAT HE IS THERE
AND THAT YOU’RE NOT ALONE IN THE HOUSE.”
DR. REMEN CONCLUDES:
“GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE HOUSE
IS AN INNER EXPERIENCE THAT NEVER CHANGES.
IT’S A RELATIONSHIP THAT’S THERE ALL THE TIME,
EVEN WHEN WE’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO IT.
PERHAPS THE INFINITE HOLDS US TO ITSELF
IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE EARTH DOES.
LIKE GRAVITY,
IF IT EVER STOPPED, WE WOULD KNOW IT INSTANTLY.
BUT IT NEVER DOES.” (End quote)
RETURNING BRIEFLY TO THE QUESTION THAT SOME HAVE ASKED ME:
“HOW CAN YOU BE SO SURE THAT YOUR TAKE
ON JESUS AND ON GOD IS RIGHT?
I WOULD POINT OUT THAT IT’S NOT MY TAKE ON JESUS,
BUT JESUS’ TAKE ON JESUS.
SIMILARLY, IT’S NOT MY TAKE ON GOD,
BUT JESUS’ TAKE ON GOD.
SO THIS QUESTION ULTIMATELY BOILS DOWN TO:
“CAN WE TRUST
THAT WHAT JESUS TEACHES US ABOUT GOD IS TRUE?”
PERSONALLY, I FIND JESUS TO BE
THE MOST TRUSTWORTHY PERSON TO EVER WALK THIS PLANET.
AND IF THERE’S ANY TRUTH AT ALL IN THE ASSERTION
THAT GOD BECAME A PERSON IN THE PERSON OF JESUS.
AND THAT GOD DID THIS PRECISELY TO REVEAL TO US
ONCE-AND-FOR-ALL GOD’S TRUE NATURE
OF NONVIOLENCE, FORGIVENESS, AND LOVE,
THEN WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO FEAR.
AFTER ALL, WE HAVE IT ON NO LESS AN AUTHORITY THAN JOHN,
THE SAME DISCIPLE WHO WANTED TO CALL DOWN
FIRE FROM HEAVEN, BUT WHO HAD APPARENTLY
HAD AN EXPERIENCE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
AFTER JESUS’ RESURRECTION,
WE HAVE IT ON NO LESS AN AUTHORITY
THAN THE APOSTLE JOHN THAT
“GOD IS LOVE. . .
THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE.
BUT PERFECT LOVE DRIVES OUT FEAR. . .”
(1 John 4:16, 18)
AMEN.