INVITING JESUS INTO A HEART CONNECTION

Mark 2:18-22; Ephesians 3:14-19; Revelation 3:20

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ July 14, 2024

BIBLICAL SCHOLAR N.T. WRIGHT WRITES ABOUT HIS FAMILY

MAKING GINGER BEER WHEN HE WAS A CHILD.

ALTHOUGH IT WAS NON-ALCOHOLIC, GINGER BEER

STILL PACKED A PUNCH IN TERMS OF FIZZ AND TASTE.

IT WAS MADE BY A PROCESS SIMILAR TO FERMENTATION.

WRIGHT SHARES HOW THIS PROCESS WAS SO POWERFUL

THAT IT WOULD SOMETIMES​​ EXPLODE​​ THE BOTTLES

IN WHICH IT WAS AGING.

HE USES THIS EXPERIENCE FROM HIS CHILDHOOD

TO ILLUSTRATE PART OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE LESSON,

THE VERSE ABOUT THE DANGER OF AGING NEW WINE

IN OLD WINESKINS.

OUR TEXT FROM THE GOSPEL OF MARK GIVES US

THREE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BUT CLOSELY INTERRELATED

OBSERVATIONS CONCERNING THE UNIQUENESS

OF JESUS’ MINISTRY, AND HOW IT IS REDICALLY DIFFERENT

FROM ANYTHING THAT CAME BEFORE.

IT IS SO DIFFERENT THAT WIDELY ACCEPTED CUSTOMS

REGARDING RELIGIOUS FASTING WERE UPENDED.

IT IS SO DIFFERENT AND SO NEW THAT IT​​ 

SIMPLY CANNOT BE ASSIMILATED TO WHAT IS “OLD,”​​ 

WHETHER AN OLD PIECE OF CLOTH OR AN OLD WINESKIN.

I’VE GIVEN PLENTY OF SERMONS DETAILING THE​​ CONTENT

OF WHAT IS SO​​ UNIQUE ABOUT JESUS’ MINISTRY,

WHICH I’LL​​ SUMMARIZE​​ BY SAYING​​ 

THAT JESUS CLAIMED THE AUTHORITY TO SPEAK FOR GOD,

AND, SPEAKING FOR GOD, JESUS MAKES IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR

THAT GOD IS DEEPLY INTO JUSTICE, COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS,

HEALING, NON-VIOLENCE, PEACE, AND LOVE.

ALL THESE QUALITIES OF GOD WERE​​ ALREADY​​ 

PRESENT IN THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES,

BUT THEY WERE OFTEN OVERLOOKED

OR GIVEN SECONDARY STATUS.

SPEAKING FOR GOD, JESUS INSISTS THAT THESE

OFTEN LOOKED “SECONDARY” QUALITIES

WERE BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT.

THIS MORNING, HOWEVER, I WANT TO FOCUS

ON THE FIRST PART OF OUR SCRIPTURE READING,

AND TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT WHAT JESUS IS GETTING AT

WHEN HE ASKS THE RHETORICAL QUESTION:

THE WEDDING GUESTS CANNOT FAST

WHILE THE BRIDEGROOM IS WITH THEM, CAN THEY?

WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE “MESSIANIC BANQUET”

IS A RELATIVELY MINOR BUT ACHINGLY BEAUTIFUL THEME

IN SEVERAL OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS.

IT LOOKS FORWARD TO THE TIME

WHEN GOD’S UNIQUE REPRESENTATIVE, THE MESSIAH,

WILL COME​​ IN PERSON​​ TO BE WITH HIS PEOPLE

AND LEAD THEM INTO A QUALITATIVELY NEW KINGDOM,

A KINGDOM WHICH​​ EMBODIES​​ THE VERY JUSTICE, COMPASSION,

FORGIVENESS, HEALING, NONVIOLENCE, PEACE, AND LOVE OF GOD.

IN DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS THE BRIDEGROOM​​ 

AT THIS WEDDING FEAST,

JESUS REVEALS HIMSELF AS GOD’S MESSIAH,

THE PERSON WHO WILL LEAD PEOPLE

INTO THIS NEW VISION OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

THIS KINGDOM IS CHARACTERIZED NOT BY​​ RITUAL OBSERVANCE

BUT BY​​ PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP.

THUS, THE RITUAL OBSERVANCE OF FASTING IS OUT,

OUT FOR AS LONG AS THE BRIDEGOOM IS​​ PRESENT.

ALREADY AT THIS VERY EARLY STAGE IN HIS MINISTRY,

JESUS KNOWS THAT HIS TEACHINGS, HIS ETHICS, AND HIS KINGDOM

ARE TOO NEW, TOO RADICAL, AND TOO REVOLUTIONARY

FOR THE RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENTS OF HIS DAY

TO EMBRACE, AND THAT HE WILL BE PUT TO DEATH

FOR BEING THEIR CHAMPION.

​​ 

THUS, HE SAYS​​ THE DAYS WILL COME WHEN THE BRIDEGROOM

IS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM, AND THEN THEY WILL FAST

ON THAT DAY.

I SUSPECT THAT WHEN JESUS SAID THIS,

HE HAD NOT YET GROWN INTO THE AWARENESS

THAT HE WOULD BE RESURRECTED,

AND THAT HIS PERSONAL PRESENCE WOULD​​ CONTINUE

TO BE AVAILABLE TO ALL PEOPLE THROUGH GOD’S HOLY SPIRIT.

AS WITH ALL OF US,

JESUS DID NOT YET KNOW HOW HIS STORY WOULD END.

WE​​ HAVE THE​​ BENEFIT​​ OF​​ HINDSIGHT,

AND KNOW THAT THE PERSONAL PRESENCE OF JESUS

IS​​ JUST​​ AS​​ AVAILABLE​​ TO​​ US​​ AS IT WAS TO HIS​​ FIRST​​ DISCIPLES.

THEY​​ HAD JESUS PRESENT IN​​ BODY​​ WITH​​ THEM,

WE​​ HAVE JESUS PRESENT IN​​ SPIRIT​​ WITH​​ US.

LET’S LOOK AT THIS WHOLE NOTION​​ 

OF JESUS’ CONTINUING PRESENCE IN MORE DETAIL.

ROGER VON OECH IN HIS BOOK​​ A KICK IN THE SEAT OF THE PANTS,

SUGGESTS:

“TAKE A LOOK AROUND WHERE YOU’RE SITTING

AND FIND FIVE THINGS THAT HAVE BLUE IN THEM.

GO AHEAD AND DO IT.

WITH A ‘BLUE’ MINDSET,​​ 

YOU’LL FIND THAT BLUE JUMPS OUT AT YOU:

​​ 

A BLUE BOOK ON THE TABLE, A BLUE PILLOW ON THE COUCH,

BLUE IN THE PAINTING ON THE WALL, AND SO ON. ​​ . . .

IN LIKE FASHION, YOU’VE PROBABLY NOTICED

THAT AFTER YOU BUY A NEW CAR,

YOU PROMPTLY SEE THAT MAKE OF CAR EVERYWHERE.

THAT’S BECAUSE PEOPLE FIND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR.”

LET’S APPLY THIS PRINCIPLE,

THE PRINCIPLE THAT PEOPLE FIND WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR,

TO OUR AWARENESS OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD, OR JESUS,​​ 

OR GOD’S SPIRIT, IN OUR LIVES.

SOMETIMES GOD​​ SEEMS​​ STRANGELY​​ ABSENT​​ IN OUR LIVES.

BUT IS THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER THAT​​ GOD​​ IS, INDEED, ABSENT,

OR SIMPLY THAT​​ WE​​ HAVE LET OUR “GOD” MINDSET

ATROPHY, OR NOT DEVELOP AT ALL?

IF​​ WE​​ WERE TO DEVELOP MORE SENSITIVITY TOWARD​​ GOD,

TO GET ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH AS GOD, SO TO SPEAK,

WE MIGHT SOON BEGIN TO EXPERIENCE​​ 

GOD’S PRESENCE​​ EVERYWHERE.

JACQUELINE WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO LIVED TO TAKE CARE

OF HER DAUGHTER, WHO WAS WHEELCHAIR BOUND.

WHEN HERE DAUGHTER DIED, JACQUELINE NOT ONLY LOST

HER PURPOSE FOR LIVING, SHE LOST HER LIVING COMPANION.

HER COTTAGE IN THE COUNTRY SEEMED AS EMPTY AS AN EGGSHELL.

OCCASIONALLY A FRIEND WOULD CALL OR A NOTE WOULD ARRIVE,

BUT MOST OF JACQUELINE’S TIME WAS SPENT IN OPPRESSIVE,

ONGOING SOLITUDE.

HER HEALTH DIDN’T ALLOW HER TO CIRCULATE VERY MUCH,

AND HER BEST FRIENDS WERE NOW ALL IN HEAVEN.

ONE DAY JACQUELINE’S BIBLE OPENED TO PHILIPPIANS 4:5

AND FOUR WORDS STRUCK HER FORCIBLY: ​​ THE LORD IS NEAR.

IF SO, SHE THOUGHT,​​ I SHOULD BE MORE AWARE OF IT.

“LORD,” SHE PRAYED, “I’M GOING TO USE MY GOD-GIVEN

IMAGINATION TO VISUALIZE HOW VERY PRESENT YOU REALLY ARE.

HELP ME TO​​ REMIND MYSELF​​ OF THE REALITY OF YOUR NEARNESS.”

THAT EVENING, AS SHE RETIRED, SHE SAID,

“I’M GOING TO BED, NOW, LORD.

WILL YOU PLEASE WATCH OVER ME AS I SLEEP.”

THE NEXT MORNING ON AWAKENING, SHE SAID,

“GOOD MORNING, LORD. ​​ THIS IS THE DAY YOU HAVE MADE.”

SITTING DOWN WITH HER HOT TEA, SHE READ THROUGH

THE FOURTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS AGAIN,

UNDERLINING VERSE 5, THEN SHE PRAYED​​ ALOUD FOR A LONG TIME.

AT NOON, SHE SAID, “NOW, LORD, LET’S WATCH THE NEWS

ON TELEVISION, SO YOU CAN SHOW ME THINGS IN THIS WORLD

I CAN PRAY FOR.”

JACQUELINE AND HER LORD WATCHED THE NEWS TOGETHER,

THEN SHE PRAYED FOR FLOOD VICTIMS IN THE DELTA,

A NEWLY-INSTALLED PRESIDENT IN AN AFRICAN COUNTRY,

AND FOR A MAN SENTENCED TO LIFE IMPRISONMENT.

AT SUPPER, SHE BOWED HER HEAD

AND THANKED THE LORD FOR HER FOOD,

BUT SHE DIDN’T FEEL THAT HER PRAYERS

WERE TRAVELING​​ UP​​ TO HEAVEN.

SHE FELT INSTEAD THAT SHE WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE

SITTING​​ ACROSS​​ THE TABLE FROM HER.

GRADUALLY HER ATTITUDE WAS TRANSFORMED.

THE LONLINESS LESSENED, HER JOY INCREASED,

HER FEARS DIMINISHED, AND SHE NEVER AFTERWARDS

FELT THAT SHE WAS ALONE IN HER HOUSE.

JACQUELINE WAS LEARNING HOW TO ABIDE IN THE PRESENCE.

THIS IS A SO-CALLED “EXPERIMENT” WE CAN ALL TRY.

INSTEAD OF TELLING OURSELVES

THAT GOD HAS ABANDONED US WHEN GOD SEEMS DISTANT,

PERHAPS WE NEED TO​​ REVERSE​​ THE EQUATION

AND FACE THE FACT THAT WE ARE THE ONES

WHO HAVE ABANDONED GOD.

AS WE ALL KNOW, IT’S SO EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN BUSYNESS

AND LET OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SLIP,​​ 

OR TO LET OURSELVES GET CAUGHT UP IN RESENTMENT

OVER WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE UNANSWERED PRAYER

AND PUT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD ON A VERY BACK BURNER.

SOMEONE HAS FAMOUSLY ASKED THE QUESTION

“IF YOU FEEL DISTANT FROM GOD, WHO MOVED?”

JESUS TEACHES THAT GOD WILL NEVER, EVER MOVE AWAY FROM US.

THEREFORE THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION IS THAT

WE ARE THE ONES WHO HAVE MOVED AWAY FROM GOD.

AND ONCE WE REALIZE THAT, IF WE ARE SINCERE

ABOUT REALLY WANTING TO KNOW GOD

AND TO ABIDE IN GOD’S PRESENCE IN THE FIRST PLACE,

WE CAN DO WHAT JACQUELINE DID:

WE CAN USE THE EVERYDAY CIRCUMSTANCES OF OUR LIVES

TO PRACTICE SEEING GOD WITH US IN EACH OF THEM.

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SAYINGS OF JESUS

HAS FOUND ITS WAY INTO THE MOST PROBLEMATIC

OF NEW TESTAMENT BOOKS, THE BOOK OF REVELATION.

THE RESURRECTED JESUS IS SPEAKING AND SAYS:

“HERE I AM! ​​ I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK.

IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR,

I WILL COME IN AND EAT WITH THEM, AND THEY WITH ME.”

(Revelation 3:20)

HERE WE FIND THE THEME OF THE MESSIANIC BANQUET AGAIN,

A BANQUET TO WHICH WE ARE ALL INVITED.

ALL IT TAKES TO EXPERIENCE THAT BANQUET

IS TO HEAR JESUS KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF OUR HEART

AND TO INVITE HIM IN.

OFTEN IT TAKES A CHILD,

OR AN ADULT WITH A CHILDLIKE ATTITUDE,

TO REMIND US OF WHAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE,

CRUCIAL STUFF LIKE JESUS WANTING TO BE

INVITED INTO OUR LIVES.

SUE MONK KIDD WRITES:

“WHEN I WORKED AS A NURSE ON THE PEDIATRIC WARD,

BEFORE I LISTENED TO THE LITTLE ONES’ CHESTS,

I WOULD PLUG THE STETHOSCOPE INTO THEIR EARS

AND LET THEM LISTEN TO THEIR OWN HEARTS BEATING.

THEIR EYES WOULD ALWAYS LIGHT UP WITH AWE.

BUT I NEVER GOT A RESPONSE TO EQUAL FOUR-YEAR-OLD DAVID’S.

I GENTLY TUCKED THE STETHOSCOPE INSIDE HIS EARS

AND PLACED THE DISC OVER HIS HEART.

‘LISTEN,’ I SAID. ​​ ‘WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT IS?’

HE DREW HIS EYEBROWS TOGETHER IN A PUZZLED LINE

AND LOOKED UP AS IF LOST IN THE MYSTERY

OF THE STRANGE TAP-TAP-TAPPING DEEP IN HIS CHEST.

THEN HIS FACE BROKE OUT IN A WONDROUS GRIN.

‘IS THAT JESUS KNOCKING?’ HE SAID.

I SMILED.

SOMEWHERE, MAYBE IN SUNDAY SCHOOL,

DAVID HAD OBVIOUSLY BEEN TOLD

THAT LOVELY OLD ILLUSTRATION

ABOUT JESUS STANDING AT THE DOOR OF OUR HEARTS, KNOCKING.”

SUE MONK KIDD ENDS HER REFLECTION BY SAYING:

“DEAR LITTLE DAVID. ​​ YOU WERE EXACTLY RIGHT.

INSIDE YOUR HEART, AND EVERY HEART,

THERE IS THE FAINT, PERSISTENT SOUND OF JESUS KNOCKING.

FOR JESUS COMES TO EACH OF US EVERY NEW DAY

WANTING TO SHARE ITS MOMENTS WITH US.

AND MAYBE IT IS ONLY THOSE

WITH THE FAITH AND WONDER OF A DAVID

WHO HEAR THAT KNOCKING BENEATH

THE CLAMOR OF A BUSY WORLD, AND OPEN THE DOOR.”

THE CONTINUING PRESENCE OF JESUS

PRESUPPOSES THE REALITY OF JESUS’ RESURRECTION –

THE FACT THAT HE IS NOT DEAD AND GONE,

BUT JUST AS ALIVE TODAY AS WHEN HE WALKED

THE DUSTY ROADS OF GALILEE WITH HIS FIRST DISCIPLES.

PEOPLE OFTEN ASK ME HOW THEY CAN KNOW FOR SURE

THAT THE RESURRECTION REALLY HAPPENED.

MOST OF​​ MY​​ EASTER SERMONS PRESENT

A GREAT DEAL OF​​ EVIDENCE​​ WHICH POINTS IN THIS DIRECTION –

THAT THE RESURRECTION REALLY HAPPENED

AND THAT JESUS IS STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE TODAY.

BUT​​ EVIDENCE – EVEN A GREAT DEAL OF IT –

CANNOT CONSTITUTE​​ PROOF.

ULTIMATELY BELIEVING IN THE RESURRECTION

WILL INVOLVE TAKING A STEP OF​​ FAITH.

NOTICE THAT I SAY​​ STEP​​ OF FAITH AND NOT​​ LEAP​​ OF FAITH.

I THINK IT’S TOO EASY FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE WILD LEAPS OF FAITH

BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE THAT WILL NOT ULTIMATELY HOLD UP.

BETTER, I THINK, TO TAKE A​​ STEP​​ OF FAITH

BASED ON A LARGE AMOUNT OF RELIABLE EVIDENCE.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE HAVE FOR THE RESURRECTION:

A LARGE AMOUNT OF RELIABLE EVIDENCE.

BUT RATHER THAN REHEARSING ALL THE​​ REASONS

FOR BELIEVING IN THE RESURRECTION,

I’D LIKE TO MENTION A​​ SIMPLER​​ METHOD

FOR ASCERTAINING ITS REALITY:

TRY DOING WHAT JACQUELINE DID EARLIER IN THIS SERMON

IN PRACTICING THE PRESENCE OF GOD.

WHEN GOD BECOMES AN UNDENIABLE FACT

OF OUR OWN LIFE​​ EXPERIENCE,

WE NO LONGER NEED INTELLECTUAL REASONS,

BUT CAN RELAX IN THE EXPERIENTIAL REALITY

OF GOD’S REAL PRESENCE.

THE FOLLOWING ILLUSTRATION BY MARILYN MORGAN KING

MIGHT HELP. ​​ SHE WRITES:

“WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER,

I WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF QUESTIONING MY FAITH.

LUCKILY, I HAD AN AUNT WHO WASN’T​​ AFRAID​​ OF​​ QUESTIONS.

ONCE, JUST BEFORE EASTER,

I ASKED AUNT ALTA ABOUT CHRIST’S RESURRECTION.

‘HOW DO WE​​ KNOW​​ JESUS REALLY CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD?

THE BIBLE SAYS HE DID, BUT HOW CAN WE BE​​ SURE

THOSE PEOPLE DIDN’T JUST SAY THEY SAW HIM?’

AUNT ALTA TOOK ME OUTSIDE TO A CLUMP OF GRAY,

DEAD-LOOKING BRANCES BY THE FRUIT CELLAR DOOR,

CUT OFF A COUPLE OF BRANCHES,

AND BROUGHT THEM IN THE HOUSE.

IN THREE DAYS, THOSE DEAD-LOOKING TWIGS

BLOSSOMED INTO A PROFUSION

OF BRIGHT YELLOW, GLORIOUSLY LIVING FLOWERS.

THEN AUNT ALTA EXPLAINED TO ME THAT,​​ JUST AS

FORSYTHIA BLOOMED WHEN WE BROUGHT THEM INTO THE HOUSE,

I NEEDED TO BRING CHRIST INTO THE CENTER OF MY LIFE.

SHE SAID THAT IF I’D DO THAT I COULD KNOW,​​ FIRSTHAND,

THAT THE RESSURRECTION WAS TRUE,

BECAUSE HIS LIVING PRESENCE WOULD BLOSSOM WITHIN ME.”

MATILYN MORGAN KING CONCLUDES:

“WHENEVER I FIND MYSELF THINKING OF JESUS

ONLY AS SOMEONE WHO LIVED TWO THOUSAND YEARS AGO,

I REMEMBER AUNT ALTA’S FORSYTHIA

AND TRY TO LET JESUS BACK INTO THE CENTER OF MY LIFE,

WHERE HIS LIVING PRESENCE BLOSSOMS ANEW,

DISPELLING MY DOUBTS.

WHEN THE BRANCES OF YOUR FAITH SEEM GRAY AND LIFELESS,

TRY BRINGING CHRIST BACK INTO THE ‘LIVING ROOM’

OF YOUR SOUL AND LET HIM SPRING TO LIFE THERE.”

AMEN.