What Kind Of Sword, Jesus?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
Many of us can quote the sayings of Jesus by heart. However, some of those sayings are harder to take than others. Take, for example, the passage in Matthew where Jesus states he had come, "not to bring peace, but a sword." How are we to take that? What did he mean? This seems almost to contradict his later words: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (John 14:27). What kind of sword was Jesus talking about? How do we as Christians respond to these words? Paul Bresnahan will write the main article, with Stephen McCutchan providing the response. Illustrations, liturgical aids, and a children's sermon are also provided.
What Kind of Sword, Jesus?
Paul Bresnahan
Matthew 10:24-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). This is one of the difficult sayings of Jesus and one that surprises me, given the spirit of the gospels. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus proclaims a new way of life in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). How is it then that Jesus suddenly becomes so eager to take on conflict?
Jesus did take on the cause of the outcast and rejected of the earth. When he did, he found himself in conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the doctors of the law, the Levites, the scribes, and the other "religious" folk of his time. Jesus found so many outside the embrace of the love of Jesus. This seemed to make Jesus especially ill-tempered. Nowhere is Jesus more ill-tempered, though, than when he thinks of the exploitation of children. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
Finally, after years of struggle with the Supreme Court and at so many other levels, the Attorney General of the State of New York has persuaded several large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to more effectively screen their services for child pornography. Protecting children, the vulnerable, the poor: this has the sound of Jesus to me; how about you? Maybe this is the kind of sword Jesus would like us to wield: namely to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Today let's think about what Jesus means by bringing "a sword to the earth."
THE WORD
The matter of conflict between the children of Isaac and the children of Hagar is a matter of historic record. Many count this lineage as the demarcation line between the Jews and the Arabs and thus is destined that ancient antipathy. There are many similar conflicted issues in the Old Testament. The treatment of the inhabitants of Jericho by Joshua is a dismal mark on the biblical record. The spirit of the imprecation against the Babylonians in the Psalter has a disturbing tone to it: "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against a stone" (Psalm 137:9). In fact, the number of reasons you can stone people to death is legion in the Levitical law code. Thus we come away from a full reading of the scripture with a sense that not all is "Christlike" in what we read, especially when we read in some parts of the Old Testament. The scholars often compare what they call the "holiness code" of the Old Testament with the "compassion code" of the New Testament.
When we come to today's gospel, therefore, we find ourselves jarred again by the sense that Jesus embraces the sword. However, if we take a closer look, we may find that when Jesus takes up the sword he does so on behalf of those who are vulnerable and outcast within the very "holiness code" that is set up by the Old Testament. Jesus warns us not to fear the one who kills the body but rather the one who kills both the body and the soul. The sword he takes up is the one that offers himself to give his life, but not one to take a life. After all, the same Jesus we hear talk of the sword in this instance also admonishes that those who live by the sword are just as likely to die by it (Matthew 26:52). Thus he spoke at the moment of his arrest, knowing the fate he faced.
Paul allows his readers to push the envelope all the way to sin in order to clarify the concept of grace. The reason that grace abounds for us is that we are no longer under the rule of law. For when we are baptized into Jesus, we are indeed baptized into his death. Thus as we die in a death like his unto sin, so too we are raised with him into a completely new life like his as well. This death and resurrection give us a reason to live, and once we have that reason, that resolve to live in Christ, we are a whole new creation indeed. While we may indeed fall from time to time, we cannot collapse ever again, for we are now buoyed up by the blood of Christ. This theology still puzzles many of us, because it sounds like we cannot sin anymore even though we do. However, Paul makes the point that once we have fallen into the hands of the living God, we will never be the same again... and this ultimately brings us to grace.
THE WORLD
We live in a conflicted world. That is an understatement. Our nation is at war, several of them in fact. Our nation is divided politically, religiously, racially, ethnically, economically, and by sex and sexual orientation. There is much that divides the human species. When I lived in Canada, it was language that divided the French from the English. On it goes.
None of us can live long in the church without noticing that congregations can easily become conflicted. Many clergy are becoming "expert" in conflict management and the "family systems" approach to the analysis of behavior in churches. No matter how diligently we try to manage our way, though, the irrational behaviors of some of the finest people we know and love become such that hurtful and damaging conflict becomes inevitable.
God knows that families feud. There are siblings that don't speak for years to one another. Mother and father can indeed be set against the child, brother against brother, and so on. Jesus was certainly right about that! However, did he mean that we would feud, or that we would contend for those who are the vulnerable in our midst?
Imponderable, isn't it, when we think too much about it? The complexity of conflict can reduce us to tears of sorrow and cause us to grit our teeth in fury against those we love. What is it that goes so terribly wrong?
Then pride gets in the way. We won't speak to one another for long, long periods of time. Sometimes we even forget what it was that we were mad or hurt about, so long do we harbor our anger.
Then we forget to love. We forget to forgive. Most of all, we forget that we were given the ministry of reconciliation. This is at the core of the gospel message. When Jesus brings the sword, it is with the clear mandate that the ultimate reality will not be the wielding of that sword, but the armor of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation with which we equip ourselves for ministry. As the apostle to the Gentiles put it, "Put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11).
CRAFTING THE SERMON
So what kind of sword would Jesus have us wield, anyway? One news story that provokes some interest in this regard is the one about the Attorney General of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, who has been after internet service providers to purge their servers of child pornography for a good long time. Up until recently, the courts and the purveyors of this material have ducked the issue under the guise of freedom of speech and "local standards of decency."
The arguments have gone back and forth for years on the issue of pornography, but at least the vast majority of the public would agree that we should be able to draw the line with children. This matter seems to be uppermost in the mind of Jesus. Protecting the innocence of children seems very much in the thoughts of Jesus when he proclaimed, "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
The resolution to the matter in New York State has reached an interesting moment. Three major ISPs (internet service providers) have agreed to "set up a system to rapidly respond to customer complaints regarding child pornography. They will also donate a total of $1.125 million to be used for additional anti-child porn efforts within the attorney general's office and at the Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)" (PC Magazine 6/11/08). Those ISPs are no insignificant players on the stage of the internet; they are Verizon, Time Warner, and Sprint.
Dare we hope now that perhaps some kind of protection can be put in place for children on the dangerous internet superhighway? Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has also negotiated similar agreements with Facebook and MySpace. It seems that technology now makes it possible for ISPs to flag these kinds of materials and keep them in check at least to some extent. We can only hope that such will be the case.
This may indeed be the kind of sword that Jesus had in mind. No blood is shed, but the vulnerable and the young are kept out of harm's way. God knows that the church has been all too casual in keeping vigilant for children. Thankfully in these days, "Safe Church" programs are being launched across all denominations. Clergy and lay assistants are now required to submit to background checks and all who work with children receive training in being "watchful."
When I think of Jesus wielding the sword, I think of one who will put himself between the poor, the helpless, the elderly, the widows, the lepers, the outcasts, and the children and those who would do them harm or who would exploit them. The church is steadily learning to do this kind of work and to the extent that is does, I believe that Christ is thus glorified.
Thus, we love one another and protect the vulnerable while at the same time keeping wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Jesus warned us that we were going out into the midst of wolves. Thankfully now, the church and her people are learning: BEWARE!
Thankfully, we have a sword with which to wield on behalf of those Jesus loves. He loved them with his whole life... and so do we!
ANOTHER VIEW
I've Got a Secret
Stephen McCutchan
I would like to take a different line from our gospel lesson. "For nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing is secret that will not become known" (Matthew 10:26). That promise can be seen as both threatening and hopeful. Consider the power of secrets in our world.
Marriages are torn asunder because of secrets. Reputations are destroyed because of secrets. People commit suicide because of secrets. Whole communities can be ripped apart because of secrets. How many people have held power over someone else because of a secret that the person possessed? There are few opening lines that are more seductive than someone coming up to you and saying, "Do you want to know a secret?"
The psalmist repeatedly warned that the most destructive weapon an enemy had was a deceitful tongue. Secrets hold their power only as long as they are kept in the dark. Lies that are exposed to the light can be challenged and corrected. Lies that are spoken in secret eat away at the bonds of trust that are essential to community. That is why the scriptures are so harsh on the sin of gossip. Gossip is the sharing of supposedly secret, inside knowledge. Most often, it is damaging to one person or another, but because it is shared in the dark, its truth cannot be challenged. Why do we love to gossip? Often it is an attempt to build our own ego by demonstrating our inside knowledge. It also is an attempt to bond us to another by virtue of our sharing a secret about a third party.
What if we knew that on a certain day everything we had uttered in secret would be exposed to the light of day? Consider how such an event would set us free from the power of the secret. When a secret is exposed, it is rarely as powerful as a secret that is hidden. Imagine the freedom of not having to cover up for ourselves. When Jesus said, "For nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing is secret that will not become known." Jesus was promising us a life free from secrets. On the one hand, it would be embarrassing for us because we would have to cope with errors that we have made. However, in Christ that fearful life is resolved by the healing power of forgiveness. Once we had accepted the forgiveness offered to us, we would never have to be afraid of the power of secrets again.
In some ways, we already have that exposed life before God from whom no secrets are hidden. Yet we try to delude ourselves into thinking that we can hide from God. God awaits our confession of what God already knows because then we can receive forgiveness. In taking that step, we discover what can also happen with our neighbor. Through our acceptance of Christ's forgiveness and our offering similar forgiveness to our neighbors, we begin to taste the kingdom. Isn't that what is offered when we pray, "Forgive us our debts and we forgive our debtors"?
In our strife-torn world, we have the power to take the first steps towards peace.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Heresy is better than schism, the Episcopal bishop of Virginia said yesterday in a speech that gently chided church conservatives for imperiling the unity of the country's largest diocese over the consecration of the denomination's first homosexual bishop last November.
"If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy," said the Rt. Rev. Peter J. Lee to 500 Episcopalians meeting for the annual diocesan council at the Hyatt Regency in Reston.
"For as a heretic, you are only guilty of a wrong opinion," Bishop Lee said, quoting Presbyterian scholar James McCord. "As a schismatic, you have torn and divided the body of Christ. Choose heresy every time."
After delegates applauded him, he added, "I hope we will avoid both heresy and schism."
-- Julia Dunn, "Heresy better idea than schism?" The Washington Times, 1/31/04
* * *
Jim Wallis writes that when the South African government canceled a political rally against apartheid, Desmond Tutu led a worship service in St. George's Cathedral. The walls were lined with soldiers and riot police carrying guns and bayonets, ready to close it down. Bishop Tutu began to speak of the evils of the apartheid system -- how the rulers and authorities that propped it up were doomed to fail. He pointed a finger at the police who were there to record his words: "You may be powerful -- very powerful -- but you are not God. God cannot be mocked. You have already lost."
Then, in a moment of unbearable tension, the bishop seemed to soften. Coming out from behind the pulpit, he flashed that radiant Tutu smile and began to bounce up and down with glee. "Therefore, since you have already lost, we are inviting you to join the winning side."
The crowd roared, the police melted away, and the people began to dance. Don't go away, Paul says. Put on your armor and dance. I am inviting you to join the winning side.
-- John Ortberg, The Christian Century, August 9, 2003, p. 17
* * *
We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I feel or think, they would not love me." These carefully kept secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.
One of the most important things we can do with our secrets is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than before. Bringing our secrets into the light creates community and inner healing. As a result of sharing secrets, not only will others love us better but we will love ourselves more fully.
-- Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1996), p. 57
* * *
Three times in our Matthew passage today Jesus tells us, his followers, not to be afraid, to fear not (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31). Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian martyred during World War II, says that we must overcome our fear of death with our strong trust in our Lord:
The power which [our persecutors] enjoy for a brief space on earth is not without the cognizance and the will of God. If we fall into [their] hands, and meet suffering and death from their violence, we are none the less certain that everything comes from God. The same God who sees no sparrow fall to the ground without his knowledge and will, allows nothing to happen, except it be good and profitable for his children and the cause for which they stand. We are in God's hands. Therefore, "Fear not."
-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Macmillan, 1969), pp. 242-243
* * *
Jesus says to us in our gospel today: "What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light" (Matthew 10:27). In other words, during the "dark" times in our lives, we need to listen carefully to our Lord, because these are the times when he can reach our hearts most deeply, preparing us to be better able to help others on their journey of faith. Oswald Chambers says:
At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear Him.
"What I tell you in darkness" -- watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet.
When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.
-- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour, 1963), p. 45
* * *
Jesus says in our gospel lesson today, "Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:38). Martin Luther says of this passage:
God has appointed that we should not only believe in the crucified Christ, but also be crucified with him, as he clearly shows in the above Scripture and in many places in the Gospels... Therefore every Christian must be aware that suffering will not fail to come.
Then what is needed is to hold fast and submit oneself to it as I have said, namely, that one know that we must suffer, in order that we may thus be conformed to Christ, and that it cannot be otherwise, that everyone must have his cross and suffering.
-- Martin Luther, Daily Readings from Luther's Writings, selected and edited by Barbara Owen (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1993), p. 110
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Call To Worship
Leader: There is no one like you,
God of Abraham and Sarah.
People: We ask for signs,
and you fill us with surprises.
Leader: There is no one like you,
God of Hagar and Ishmael.
People: We cry out in our need,
and you listen to our voices.
Leader: There is no one like you,
God of each and every person.
People: We ask for power
and you give us the humility
to serve all your children.
Prayer Of The Day
God of those cast out
and of the abandoned,
you enter into the chaos of our lives
with the silence of love;
as we choke on bitter memories,
you touch us with healing;
when we wander
the wilderness of our world,
you bring us home to your heart.
Jesus Christ,
Sin's Conqueror,
into our deepest pain
where we can find no hope,
you dare to enter;
when we gasp in fear,
you reach out to hold our hearts;
when we face death,
you stride out of the grave
to lead us to the boulevards
of the kingdom.
Spirit of Gentleness,
you are the mist
shimmering over the valleys,
stirring the waters of creation;
you are the dew
bathing the flowers every morning,
anointing us with resurrection's grace.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayer to you, as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
Whether we whisper, weep, or shout, we can trust God to hear us and to respond. Even when we fail to follow Jesus -- especially when we fail to follow -- God does not turn away, but cradles us in the steadfast arms of mercy and grace. Let us confess our sins together, praying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
We confess to you, God our God, that some of the stories in the Bible trouble us more than the news we hear each day. Some of the words that Jesus speaks make us more uncomfortable than the cries of those in need in our communities. And while our baptism may be a sign of your invisible grace, many of those around us do not find us to be very gracious people.
Forgive us, Gracious God. Save us and give us the strength to be willing to take up whatever task you give us, and the faith to be willing to lose our lives for others, so we might find life forever with you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: This is the good news: God hears our prayers, our cries, and our confessions. God listens to every longing of our hearts. And, in Christ, we receive new life. We are free, free to walk in the light of the Lord.
People: This is what we will do. We will open our hearts to God's grace; we will live as people who have died to sin and live for Christ. Thanks be to God. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Birds and hair
Object: a birdcage with some birds in it, a hair from each child displayed on a white napkin
Matthew 10:24-39
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. (Matthew 10:29-30)
Good morning, boys and girls. When was the last time God thought about you? (let them answer) Was it when you got hurt and were crying really loud and everyone heard you, even God? (let them answer) Was it yesterday when you thought about praying before you ate lunch but then forgot about the prayer? (let them answer) Do you think God was thinking about you when you thanked your mother for giving you a big hug before you went to bed last night? (let them answer)
How many of you think God knows who you are and what you are doing? (let them answer) In the Bible there are answers to those questions. If you read the book of Matthew you will hear Jesus talking about how much God thinks about everything in the world.
I have a couple of beautiful birds in my birdcage. (show them the birds) Do you think God knows what the birds are doing? (let them answer) Think about how many birds there are and how many different kinds of birds are flying around every day. Do you think God can keep track of every bird? I call my birds Elmo and Murphy. Does God ever think about Elmo and Murphy? Yes, Murphy and Elmo can live in a birdcage or the big tree at the front of my house and the Bible says that God knows where they are and what they are doing.
Something else the Bible talks about is hair. Could I just have one hair from each of you? I will put each hair on this white napkin. (see if someone will help you take one hair from each child and ask the child to remember his/her hair) Just look at all of these different hairs. How many hairs do you think you have on your head? Do you think there could be 100? (let them answer) Maybe 1,000? (let them answer) I read that most people with a lot of hair may have 200,000 hairs on their head. Almost everyone with a full head of hair has at least 100,000 or 150,000 hairs. That is a lot of hair and a lot of counting. The Bible says that God knows how many hairs every one of you has on your head. Do you remember the hair that you put on the white napkin? (let them answer) According to the Bible, God knows that it is missing.
Do you think God cares about you? Do you think God is thinking about you when he even knows the number of hairs on your head? I think he does. And don't forget about Elmo and Murphy. They also know that God is thinking about them and they are as happy as you are happy to know that God is near you every minute of every day. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 22, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
What Kind of Sword, Jesus?
Paul Bresnahan
Matthew 10:24-39
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). This is one of the difficult sayings of Jesus and one that surprises me, given the spirit of the gospels. Earlier in Matthew, Jesus proclaims a new way of life in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5-7). How is it then that Jesus suddenly becomes so eager to take on conflict?
Jesus did take on the cause of the outcast and rejected of the earth. When he did, he found himself in conflict with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the doctors of the law, the Levites, the scribes, and the other "religious" folk of his time. Jesus found so many outside the embrace of the love of Jesus. This seemed to make Jesus especially ill-tempered. Nowhere is Jesus more ill-tempered, though, than when he thinks of the exploitation of children. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
Finally, after years of struggle with the Supreme Court and at so many other levels, the Attorney General of the State of New York has persuaded several large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to more effectively screen their services for child pornography. Protecting children, the vulnerable, the poor: this has the sound of Jesus to me; how about you? Maybe this is the kind of sword Jesus would like us to wield: namely to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Today let's think about what Jesus means by bringing "a sword to the earth."
THE WORD
The matter of conflict between the children of Isaac and the children of Hagar is a matter of historic record. Many count this lineage as the demarcation line between the Jews and the Arabs and thus is destined that ancient antipathy. There are many similar conflicted issues in the Old Testament. The treatment of the inhabitants of Jericho by Joshua is a dismal mark on the biblical record. The spirit of the imprecation against the Babylonians in the Psalter has a disturbing tone to it: "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against a stone" (Psalm 137:9). In fact, the number of reasons you can stone people to death is legion in the Levitical law code. Thus we come away from a full reading of the scripture with a sense that not all is "Christlike" in what we read, especially when we read in some parts of the Old Testament. The scholars often compare what they call the "holiness code" of the Old Testament with the "compassion code" of the New Testament.
When we come to today's gospel, therefore, we find ourselves jarred again by the sense that Jesus embraces the sword. However, if we take a closer look, we may find that when Jesus takes up the sword he does so on behalf of those who are vulnerable and outcast within the very "holiness code" that is set up by the Old Testament. Jesus warns us not to fear the one who kills the body but rather the one who kills both the body and the soul. The sword he takes up is the one that offers himself to give his life, but not one to take a life. After all, the same Jesus we hear talk of the sword in this instance also admonishes that those who live by the sword are just as likely to die by it (Matthew 26:52). Thus he spoke at the moment of his arrest, knowing the fate he faced.
Paul allows his readers to push the envelope all the way to sin in order to clarify the concept of grace. The reason that grace abounds for us is that we are no longer under the rule of law. For when we are baptized into Jesus, we are indeed baptized into his death. Thus as we die in a death like his unto sin, so too we are raised with him into a completely new life like his as well. This death and resurrection give us a reason to live, and once we have that reason, that resolve to live in Christ, we are a whole new creation indeed. While we may indeed fall from time to time, we cannot collapse ever again, for we are now buoyed up by the blood of Christ. This theology still puzzles many of us, because it sounds like we cannot sin anymore even though we do. However, Paul makes the point that once we have fallen into the hands of the living God, we will never be the same again... and this ultimately brings us to grace.
THE WORLD
We live in a conflicted world. That is an understatement. Our nation is at war, several of them in fact. Our nation is divided politically, religiously, racially, ethnically, economically, and by sex and sexual orientation. There is much that divides the human species. When I lived in Canada, it was language that divided the French from the English. On it goes.
None of us can live long in the church without noticing that congregations can easily become conflicted. Many clergy are becoming "expert" in conflict management and the "family systems" approach to the analysis of behavior in churches. No matter how diligently we try to manage our way, though, the irrational behaviors of some of the finest people we know and love become such that hurtful and damaging conflict becomes inevitable.
God knows that families feud. There are siblings that don't speak for years to one another. Mother and father can indeed be set against the child, brother against brother, and so on. Jesus was certainly right about that! However, did he mean that we would feud, or that we would contend for those who are the vulnerable in our midst?
Imponderable, isn't it, when we think too much about it? The complexity of conflict can reduce us to tears of sorrow and cause us to grit our teeth in fury against those we love. What is it that goes so terribly wrong?
Then pride gets in the way. We won't speak to one another for long, long periods of time. Sometimes we even forget what it was that we were mad or hurt about, so long do we harbor our anger.
Then we forget to love. We forget to forgive. Most of all, we forget that we were given the ministry of reconciliation. This is at the core of the gospel message. When Jesus brings the sword, it is with the clear mandate that the ultimate reality will not be the wielding of that sword, but the armor of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation with which we equip ourselves for ministry. As the apostle to the Gentiles put it, "Put on the whole armor of God" (Ephesians 6:11).
CRAFTING THE SERMON
So what kind of sword would Jesus have us wield, anyway? One news story that provokes some interest in this regard is the one about the Attorney General of the State of New York, Andrew Cuomo, who has been after internet service providers to purge their servers of child pornography for a good long time. Up until recently, the courts and the purveyors of this material have ducked the issue under the guise of freedom of speech and "local standards of decency."
The arguments have gone back and forth for years on the issue of pornography, but at least the vast majority of the public would agree that we should be able to draw the line with children. This matter seems to be uppermost in the mind of Jesus. Protecting the innocence of children seems very much in the thoughts of Jesus when he proclaimed, "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea" (Matthew 18:6).
The resolution to the matter in New York State has reached an interesting moment. Three major ISPs (internet service providers) have agreed to "set up a system to rapidly respond to customer complaints regarding child pornography. They will also donate a total of $1.125 million to be used for additional anti-child porn efforts within the attorney general's office and at the Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)" (PC Magazine 6/11/08). Those ISPs are no insignificant players on the stage of the internet; they are Verizon, Time Warner, and Sprint.
Dare we hope now that perhaps some kind of protection can be put in place for children on the dangerous internet superhighway? Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has also negotiated similar agreements with Facebook and MySpace. It seems that technology now makes it possible for ISPs to flag these kinds of materials and keep them in check at least to some extent. We can only hope that such will be the case.
This may indeed be the kind of sword that Jesus had in mind. No blood is shed, but the vulnerable and the young are kept out of harm's way. God knows that the church has been all too casual in keeping vigilant for children. Thankfully in these days, "Safe Church" programs are being launched across all denominations. Clergy and lay assistants are now required to submit to background checks and all who work with children receive training in being "watchful."
When I think of Jesus wielding the sword, I think of one who will put himself between the poor, the helpless, the elderly, the widows, the lepers, the outcasts, and the children and those who would do them harm or who would exploit them. The church is steadily learning to do this kind of work and to the extent that is does, I believe that Christ is thus glorified.
Thus, we love one another and protect the vulnerable while at the same time keeping wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Jesus warned us that we were going out into the midst of wolves. Thankfully now, the church and her people are learning: BEWARE!
Thankfully, we have a sword with which to wield on behalf of those Jesus loves. He loved them with his whole life... and so do we!
ANOTHER VIEW
I've Got a Secret
Stephen McCutchan
I would like to take a different line from our gospel lesson. "For nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing is secret that will not become known" (Matthew 10:26). That promise can be seen as both threatening and hopeful. Consider the power of secrets in our world.
Marriages are torn asunder because of secrets. Reputations are destroyed because of secrets. People commit suicide because of secrets. Whole communities can be ripped apart because of secrets. How many people have held power over someone else because of a secret that the person possessed? There are few opening lines that are more seductive than someone coming up to you and saying, "Do you want to know a secret?"
The psalmist repeatedly warned that the most destructive weapon an enemy had was a deceitful tongue. Secrets hold their power only as long as they are kept in the dark. Lies that are exposed to the light can be challenged and corrected. Lies that are spoken in secret eat away at the bonds of trust that are essential to community. That is why the scriptures are so harsh on the sin of gossip. Gossip is the sharing of supposedly secret, inside knowledge. Most often, it is damaging to one person or another, but because it is shared in the dark, its truth cannot be challenged. Why do we love to gossip? Often it is an attempt to build our own ego by demonstrating our inside knowledge. It also is an attempt to bond us to another by virtue of our sharing a secret about a third party.
What if we knew that on a certain day everything we had uttered in secret would be exposed to the light of day? Consider how such an event would set us free from the power of the secret. When a secret is exposed, it is rarely as powerful as a secret that is hidden. Imagine the freedom of not having to cover up for ourselves. When Jesus said, "For nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing is secret that will not become known." Jesus was promising us a life free from secrets. On the one hand, it would be embarrassing for us because we would have to cope with errors that we have made. However, in Christ that fearful life is resolved by the healing power of forgiveness. Once we had accepted the forgiveness offered to us, we would never have to be afraid of the power of secrets again.
In some ways, we already have that exposed life before God from whom no secrets are hidden. Yet we try to delude ourselves into thinking that we can hide from God. God awaits our confession of what God already knows because then we can receive forgiveness. In taking that step, we discover what can also happen with our neighbor. Through our acceptance of Christ's forgiveness and our offering similar forgiveness to our neighbors, we begin to taste the kingdom. Isn't that what is offered when we pray, "Forgive us our debts and we forgive our debtors"?
In our strife-torn world, we have the power to take the first steps towards peace.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Heresy is better than schism, the Episcopal bishop of Virginia said yesterday in a speech that gently chided church conservatives for imperiling the unity of the country's largest diocese over the consecration of the denomination's first homosexual bishop last November.
"If you must make a choice between heresy and schism, always choose heresy," said the Rt. Rev. Peter J. Lee to 500 Episcopalians meeting for the annual diocesan council at the Hyatt Regency in Reston.
"For as a heretic, you are only guilty of a wrong opinion," Bishop Lee said, quoting Presbyterian scholar James McCord. "As a schismatic, you have torn and divided the body of Christ. Choose heresy every time."
After delegates applauded him, he added, "I hope we will avoid both heresy and schism."
-- Julia Dunn, "Heresy better idea than schism?" The Washington Times, 1/31/04
* * *
Jim Wallis writes that when the South African government canceled a political rally against apartheid, Desmond Tutu led a worship service in St. George's Cathedral. The walls were lined with soldiers and riot police carrying guns and bayonets, ready to close it down. Bishop Tutu began to speak of the evils of the apartheid system -- how the rulers and authorities that propped it up were doomed to fail. He pointed a finger at the police who were there to record his words: "You may be powerful -- very powerful -- but you are not God. God cannot be mocked. You have already lost."
Then, in a moment of unbearable tension, the bishop seemed to soften. Coming out from behind the pulpit, he flashed that radiant Tutu smile and began to bounce up and down with glee. "Therefore, since you have already lost, we are inviting you to join the winning side."
The crowd roared, the police melted away, and the people began to dance. Don't go away, Paul says. Put on your armor and dance. I am inviting you to join the winning side.
-- John Ortberg, The Christian Century, August 9, 2003, p. 17
* * *
We all have our secrets: thoughts, memories, feelings that we keep to ourselves. Often we think, "If people knew what I feel or think, they would not love me." These carefully kept secrets can do us much harm. They can make us feel guilty or ashamed and may lead us to self-rejection, depression, and even suicidal thoughts and actions.
One of the most important things we can do with our secrets is to share them in a safe place, with people we trust. When we have a good way to bring our secrets into the light and can look at them with others, we will quickly discover that we are not alone with our secrets and that our trusting friends will love us more deeply and more intimately than before. Bringing our secrets into the light creates community and inner healing. As a result of sharing secrets, not only will others love us better but we will love ourselves more fully.
-- Henri J. M. Nouwen, Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith (New York: HarperOne, 1996), p. 57
* * *
Three times in our Matthew passage today Jesus tells us, his followers, not to be afraid, to fear not (Matthew 10:26, 28, 31). Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian martyred during World War II, says that we must overcome our fear of death with our strong trust in our Lord:
The power which [our persecutors] enjoy for a brief space on earth is not without the cognizance and the will of God. If we fall into [their] hands, and meet suffering and death from their violence, we are none the less certain that everything comes from God. The same God who sees no sparrow fall to the ground without his knowledge and will, allows nothing to happen, except it be good and profitable for his children and the cause for which they stand. We are in God's hands. Therefore, "Fear not."
-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Macmillan, 1969), pp. 242-243
* * *
Jesus says to us in our gospel today: "What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light" (Matthew 10:27). In other words, during the "dark" times in our lives, we need to listen carefully to our Lord, because these are the times when he can reach our hearts most deeply, preparing us to be better able to help others on their journey of faith. Oswald Chambers says:
At times God puts us through the discipline of darkness to teach us to heed Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and we are put into the shadow of God's hand until we learn to hear Him.
"What I tell you in darkness" -- watch where God puts you into darkness, and when you are there keep your mouth shut. Are you in the dark just now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? Then remain quiet.
When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else when you get into the light.
-- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour, 1963), p. 45
* * *
Jesus says in our gospel lesson today, "Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me" (Matthew 10:38). Martin Luther says of this passage:
God has appointed that we should not only believe in the crucified Christ, but also be crucified with him, as he clearly shows in the above Scripture and in many places in the Gospels... Therefore every Christian must be aware that suffering will not fail to come.
Then what is needed is to hold fast and submit oneself to it as I have said, namely, that one know that we must suffer, in order that we may thus be conformed to Christ, and that it cannot be otherwise, that everyone must have his cross and suffering.
-- Martin Luther, Daily Readings from Luther's Writings, selected and edited by Barbara Owen (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 1993), p. 110
WORSHIP RESOURCE
Call To Worship
Leader: There is no one like you,
God of Abraham and Sarah.
People: We ask for signs,
and you fill us with surprises.
Leader: There is no one like you,
God of Hagar and Ishmael.
People: We cry out in our need,
and you listen to our voices.
Leader: There is no one like you,
God of each and every person.
People: We ask for power
and you give us the humility
to serve all your children.
Prayer Of The Day
God of those cast out
and of the abandoned,
you enter into the chaos of our lives
with the silence of love;
as we choke on bitter memories,
you touch us with healing;
when we wander
the wilderness of our world,
you bring us home to your heart.
Jesus Christ,
Sin's Conqueror,
into our deepest pain
where we can find no hope,
you dare to enter;
when we gasp in fear,
you reach out to hold our hearts;
when we face death,
you stride out of the grave
to lead us to the boulevards
of the kingdom.
Spirit of Gentleness,
you are the mist
shimmering over the valleys,
stirring the waters of creation;
you are the dew
bathing the flowers every morning,
anointing us with resurrection's grace.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we lift our prayer to you, as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
Whether we whisper, weep, or shout, we can trust God to hear us and to respond. Even when we fail to follow Jesus -- especially when we fail to follow -- God does not turn away, but cradles us in the steadfast arms of mercy and grace. Let us confess our sins together, praying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
We confess to you, God our God, that some of the stories in the Bible trouble us more than the news we hear each day. Some of the words that Jesus speaks make us more uncomfortable than the cries of those in need in our communities. And while our baptism may be a sign of your invisible grace, many of those around us do not find us to be very gracious people.
Forgive us, Gracious God. Save us and give us the strength to be willing to take up whatever task you give us, and the faith to be willing to lose our lives for others, so we might find life forever with you, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Silence is kept
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: This is the good news: God hears our prayers, our cries, and our confessions. God listens to every longing of our hearts. And, in Christ, we receive new life. We are free, free to walk in the light of the Lord.
People: This is what we will do. We will open our hearts to God's grace; we will live as people who have died to sin and live for Christ. Thanks be to God. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Birds and hair
Object: a birdcage with some birds in it, a hair from each child displayed on a white napkin
Matthew 10:24-39
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. (Matthew 10:29-30)
Good morning, boys and girls. When was the last time God thought about you? (let them answer) Was it when you got hurt and were crying really loud and everyone heard you, even God? (let them answer) Was it yesterday when you thought about praying before you ate lunch but then forgot about the prayer? (let them answer) Do you think God was thinking about you when you thanked your mother for giving you a big hug before you went to bed last night? (let them answer)
How many of you think God knows who you are and what you are doing? (let them answer) In the Bible there are answers to those questions. If you read the book of Matthew you will hear Jesus talking about how much God thinks about everything in the world.
I have a couple of beautiful birds in my birdcage. (show them the birds) Do you think God knows what the birds are doing? (let them answer) Think about how many birds there are and how many different kinds of birds are flying around every day. Do you think God can keep track of every bird? I call my birds Elmo and Murphy. Does God ever think about Elmo and Murphy? Yes, Murphy and Elmo can live in a birdcage or the big tree at the front of my house and the Bible says that God knows where they are and what they are doing.
Something else the Bible talks about is hair. Could I just have one hair from each of you? I will put each hair on this white napkin. (see if someone will help you take one hair from each child and ask the child to remember his/her hair) Just look at all of these different hairs. How many hairs do you think you have on your head? Do you think there could be 100? (let them answer) Maybe 1,000? (let them answer) I read that most people with a lot of hair may have 200,000 hairs on their head. Almost everyone with a full head of hair has at least 100,000 or 150,000 hairs. That is a lot of hair and a lot of counting. The Bible says that God knows how many hairs every one of you has on your head. Do you remember the hair that you put on the white napkin? (let them answer) According to the Bible, God knows that it is missing.
Do you think God cares about you? Do you think God is thinking about you when he even knows the number of hairs on your head? I think he does. And don't forget about Elmo and Murphy. They also know that God is thinking about them and they are as happy as you are happy to know that God is near you every minute of every day. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 22, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
