Peace and Quiet in an Upside-Down World
Sermon
Show-and-Tell
First Lesson Cycle A Sermons for Lent and Easter
Johnny is four years old and he stopped taking naps before his second birthday. From his 6:15 am wake up (all by himself, no alarm clocks) until his 8 pm bed time, Johnny is in perpetual motion. He is running or talking or both all day long, and he expects the same from everyone around him. You can't be around Johnny very long without feeling exasperated and exhausted, yearning for just a few minutes of peace and quiet. You may know Johnny, or someone just like him.
One Sunday after church Johnny's Dad was attempting to read the newspaper and Johnny, well, Johnny was being Johnny. Finally, Dad had reached his tolerance limit. Seeing a full size map of the world on one page of the paper, Dad had an idea.
"Johnny," he said, "You have a map of the world on your bedroom wall, don't you?"
"Yeah Dad, right between my pictures of Jesus and my picture of the Ohio State Buckeye football team!" Johnny exclaimed.
Showing him the map on his newspaper page, Dad said to Johnny, "Here is something really fun. See this map of the world? I'm going to tear it in pieces, just like a puzzle." As Dad began to tear the world in small pieces, Johnny eagerly declared, "I'm really good at tearing paper." and jumped in to help. Pretty soon Johnny and his Dad had the world in many pieces on the living room floor.
"Now here's my chance for some peace and quiet," thought Dad. "Johnny, let's pretend that these pieces of paper are puzzle pieces of the world. Your job is to put the world back together."
"Okay," said Johnny as he started to do just that on the living room floor.
"Not here Johnny," Dad replied. "Take the puzzle into your bedroom and let the picture on the wall help you figure out where the pieces belong."
As Johnny was scooping up the torn scraps of paper, Dad was imagining at least ten quiet minutes; maybe even longer if Johnny didn't ask his mom to help out.
Well, you can guess what happened. Before Dad could even finish reading last night's basketball scores, Johnny burst into the living room, jumped on Dad's lap, and cried out, "I'm all finished! Come and see! Come and see!"
With a sigh, Dad slowly pushed himself up out of his recliner and asked Johnny, "How did you do this so quickly? I thought that I would have more time to... oops, I mean that you would need more time to finish the puzzle."
With a gleam in his eye, Johnny said, "I gave up. I couldn't do the world by myself, Dad, so I turned those pieces upside down. On the other side was a picture of Jesus on the cross. When I put Jesus back where he belonged, the pieces of the world came together too! Quick, come and see!"
Hand in hand, Dad and Johnny stared quietly, in holy silence at Jesus Christ crucified. Peace and quiet in an upsidedown world! Here is a wonderful description of Holy Week that begins today, Palm Sunday. The crucified Christ holds the world together. Christ on the cross turns the values of the world upside down. The suffering of Christ shatters the way the world defines meaning.
Today, Palm Sunday, is a day in the church calendar when God clearly shows us what it looks like to follow Jesus. This day begins a week when our focus shifts from what we want, what we need, and what we must do, to what God has done, is doing, and continues to do. During this week God moves us beyond our expectations and into God's own promises.
Today begins with palms of praise for Jesus and concludes with the reality of the passionate suffering of Jesus. Today many children wave palm branches as Christians enter places of worship. During the service they might twist these same branches into a cross. It is the horrible and shameful cross, not the branches of the royal palm that God has made into the mark of victory over evil. During this week, the holiest of weeks, the week when God turned the world upside down, God twists leaves of palm into a cross of triumph. Our palm branches today will become the ashes of mourning placed on our foreheads next year on Ash Wednesday.
Our lesson from Isaiah adds some depth to help us grasp the holy and awesome power of this week. In this text, God reverses the world's expectations of success and shows what true faithfulness really looks like. Here Isaiah is addressing Jews who are living as exiles in Babylonia hundreds of miles from home. Their nation had been conquered, their city devastated, and their temple destroyed. They had become an object of ridicule to other nations. Shame permeated their thoughts. Their world was in pieces. Their only reality was daily suffering and humiliation. Here, Isaiah's words turn that world upside down. Here, Isaiah presents specific examples of what God's gift of faithfulness would look like to the exiles, to you, to your congregation, and to all God's people.
First, is the tongue of a teacher (Isaiah 50:4). Now, all prophets, including Isaiah, had many students; disciples who studied with them and expected to pass on to others the wisdom learned at their master's feet. As Jesus learned from the Father, so did he teach his disciples, who in turn taught others. Faithfulness is passing on to others the wisdom learned at the master's feet.
Second, faithful teaching first means faithful listening to the master every day. "Morning by morning he wakens -- wakens my ear to listen as those who were taught" (Isaiah 50:4). For Isaiah's disciples there and then and for Jesus' disciples here and now, faithfulness includes daily listening to the master. Have you ever heard a good teacher remark that they never really understood a skill or concept very well until they were required to teach it? Did you know that many medical schools train physicians using a "see it -- do it -- teach it" methodology? Many seminaries utilize that same model.
Try something this week. Morning by morning, read the scripture lessons your congregation will use during Holy Week. Then take a moment to reflect on what the Lord is showing you about yourself, your congregation, your community. If possible, try this exercise with another person. You could do this together, or even "on-line" via email or other social networking sights. Faithfulness includes both the ear and tongue of the teacher.
Third, what specifically do you hear and teach? Why does God give us "the tongue of a teacher"? Isaiah states, "... that I might know how to sustain the weary with a word" (Isaiah 50:4). Who are the weary and exhausted around you? Who are the exasperated and frustrated? Who are the grieving and lonely? Who are the oppressed and despised? Who are the sick and suffering? Who are the humiliated and ashamed? Perhaps you consider yourself described here as well.
So, then how can you sustain these folks when you are also losing your own strength to carry on? What possible word can sustain you yourself, let alone others?
In the language of the Old Testament, dabar, or "word," also means "force" or "thing." The spoken word contains a tangible power within it. We have all heard the childhood retort to personal insult: "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me." Most of us still, literally, feel the pain from taunts we heard years, even decades ago. However, the sustaining word is a loving action. For example, John's gospel begins like this: "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God" (John 1:1). Then John writes, "and the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). This "word" was actually God's own person, living among us. The word itself became the loving presence of God in our midst.
When seminary students begin their ten week hospital training most are afraid that they will not know what words to say during crisis situations. Quickly they learn that sustaining the weary with a word often looks like providing a comforting and compassionate presence when no words are possible. "Don't say something, just stand there!" they are advised by supervising chaplains. "Don't babble words, re-present God's Word (Jesus)," they hear from professors. Who needs to be sustained with God's word in your congregation?
Finally, we cannot be faithful on our own. As Isaiah proclaims in the midst of vicious insults and brutal ridicule, "The Lord God helps me. Therefore, I have not been disgraced" (Isaiah 50:5-7). The Lord does indeed give us the courage and determination to face impossible obstacles so that we can declare with Isaiah, "I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be put to shame" (Isaiah 50:7).
Can you see the Passion / Palm Sunday Jesus in this text from Isaiah? Can you see Jesus here in the willing suffering? In his face set like flint marching firmly and into Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)? In listening to his father as he kneels in the garden and breathes his last on the cross?
We can't be faithful on our own. Only Jesus did that. However, like the one in our lesson, we are not left alone to cope with suffering. Four times in these five verses Isaiah reminds us; the Lord God gives the tongue of a teacher (v. 1), the Lord God opens our ears (v. 1); the Lord God helps me (vv. 7, 9).
Today we see the Lord God helping us, sustaining us, teaching us, and inviting us to share his life-changing journey to the cross. Today begins the week when the Lord God turns our broken and fragmented world upside down and rearranges its pieces into a cross of love and a face of forgiveness. Today God begins a week of show-and-tell that changed the world forever. Amen.
One Sunday after church Johnny's Dad was attempting to read the newspaper and Johnny, well, Johnny was being Johnny. Finally, Dad had reached his tolerance limit. Seeing a full size map of the world on one page of the paper, Dad had an idea.
"Johnny," he said, "You have a map of the world on your bedroom wall, don't you?"
"Yeah Dad, right between my pictures of Jesus and my picture of the Ohio State Buckeye football team!" Johnny exclaimed.
Showing him the map on his newspaper page, Dad said to Johnny, "Here is something really fun. See this map of the world? I'm going to tear it in pieces, just like a puzzle." As Dad began to tear the world in small pieces, Johnny eagerly declared, "I'm really good at tearing paper." and jumped in to help. Pretty soon Johnny and his Dad had the world in many pieces on the living room floor.
"Now here's my chance for some peace and quiet," thought Dad. "Johnny, let's pretend that these pieces of paper are puzzle pieces of the world. Your job is to put the world back together."
"Okay," said Johnny as he started to do just that on the living room floor.
"Not here Johnny," Dad replied. "Take the puzzle into your bedroom and let the picture on the wall help you figure out where the pieces belong."
As Johnny was scooping up the torn scraps of paper, Dad was imagining at least ten quiet minutes; maybe even longer if Johnny didn't ask his mom to help out.
Well, you can guess what happened. Before Dad could even finish reading last night's basketball scores, Johnny burst into the living room, jumped on Dad's lap, and cried out, "I'm all finished! Come and see! Come and see!"
With a sigh, Dad slowly pushed himself up out of his recliner and asked Johnny, "How did you do this so quickly? I thought that I would have more time to... oops, I mean that you would need more time to finish the puzzle."
With a gleam in his eye, Johnny said, "I gave up. I couldn't do the world by myself, Dad, so I turned those pieces upside down. On the other side was a picture of Jesus on the cross. When I put Jesus back where he belonged, the pieces of the world came together too! Quick, come and see!"
Hand in hand, Dad and Johnny stared quietly, in holy silence at Jesus Christ crucified. Peace and quiet in an upsidedown world! Here is a wonderful description of Holy Week that begins today, Palm Sunday. The crucified Christ holds the world together. Christ on the cross turns the values of the world upside down. The suffering of Christ shatters the way the world defines meaning.
Today, Palm Sunday, is a day in the church calendar when God clearly shows us what it looks like to follow Jesus. This day begins a week when our focus shifts from what we want, what we need, and what we must do, to what God has done, is doing, and continues to do. During this week God moves us beyond our expectations and into God's own promises.
Today begins with palms of praise for Jesus and concludes with the reality of the passionate suffering of Jesus. Today many children wave palm branches as Christians enter places of worship. During the service they might twist these same branches into a cross. It is the horrible and shameful cross, not the branches of the royal palm that God has made into the mark of victory over evil. During this week, the holiest of weeks, the week when God turned the world upside down, God twists leaves of palm into a cross of triumph. Our palm branches today will become the ashes of mourning placed on our foreheads next year on Ash Wednesday.
Our lesson from Isaiah adds some depth to help us grasp the holy and awesome power of this week. In this text, God reverses the world's expectations of success and shows what true faithfulness really looks like. Here Isaiah is addressing Jews who are living as exiles in Babylonia hundreds of miles from home. Their nation had been conquered, their city devastated, and their temple destroyed. They had become an object of ridicule to other nations. Shame permeated their thoughts. Their world was in pieces. Their only reality was daily suffering and humiliation. Here, Isaiah's words turn that world upside down. Here, Isaiah presents specific examples of what God's gift of faithfulness would look like to the exiles, to you, to your congregation, and to all God's people.
First, is the tongue of a teacher (Isaiah 50:4). Now, all prophets, including Isaiah, had many students; disciples who studied with them and expected to pass on to others the wisdom learned at their master's feet. As Jesus learned from the Father, so did he teach his disciples, who in turn taught others. Faithfulness is passing on to others the wisdom learned at the master's feet.
Second, faithful teaching first means faithful listening to the master every day. "Morning by morning he wakens -- wakens my ear to listen as those who were taught" (Isaiah 50:4). For Isaiah's disciples there and then and for Jesus' disciples here and now, faithfulness includes daily listening to the master. Have you ever heard a good teacher remark that they never really understood a skill or concept very well until they were required to teach it? Did you know that many medical schools train physicians using a "see it -- do it -- teach it" methodology? Many seminaries utilize that same model.
Try something this week. Morning by morning, read the scripture lessons your congregation will use during Holy Week. Then take a moment to reflect on what the Lord is showing you about yourself, your congregation, your community. If possible, try this exercise with another person. You could do this together, or even "on-line" via email or other social networking sights. Faithfulness includes both the ear and tongue of the teacher.
Third, what specifically do you hear and teach? Why does God give us "the tongue of a teacher"? Isaiah states, "... that I might know how to sustain the weary with a word" (Isaiah 50:4). Who are the weary and exhausted around you? Who are the exasperated and frustrated? Who are the grieving and lonely? Who are the oppressed and despised? Who are the sick and suffering? Who are the humiliated and ashamed? Perhaps you consider yourself described here as well.
So, then how can you sustain these folks when you are also losing your own strength to carry on? What possible word can sustain you yourself, let alone others?
In the language of the Old Testament, dabar, or "word," also means "force" or "thing." The spoken word contains a tangible power within it. We have all heard the childhood retort to personal insult: "Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me." Most of us still, literally, feel the pain from taunts we heard years, even decades ago. However, the sustaining word is a loving action. For example, John's gospel begins like this: "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God" (John 1:1). Then John writes, "and the word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). This "word" was actually God's own person, living among us. The word itself became the loving presence of God in our midst.
When seminary students begin their ten week hospital training most are afraid that they will not know what words to say during crisis situations. Quickly they learn that sustaining the weary with a word often looks like providing a comforting and compassionate presence when no words are possible. "Don't say something, just stand there!" they are advised by supervising chaplains. "Don't babble words, re-present God's Word (Jesus)," they hear from professors. Who needs to be sustained with God's word in your congregation?
Finally, we cannot be faithful on our own. As Isaiah proclaims in the midst of vicious insults and brutal ridicule, "The Lord God helps me. Therefore, I have not been disgraced" (Isaiah 50:5-7). The Lord does indeed give us the courage and determination to face impossible obstacles so that we can declare with Isaiah, "I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be put to shame" (Isaiah 50:7).
Can you see the Passion / Palm Sunday Jesus in this text from Isaiah? Can you see Jesus here in the willing suffering? In his face set like flint marching firmly and into Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)? In listening to his father as he kneels in the garden and breathes his last on the cross?
We can't be faithful on our own. Only Jesus did that. However, like the one in our lesson, we are not left alone to cope with suffering. Four times in these five verses Isaiah reminds us; the Lord God gives the tongue of a teacher (v. 1), the Lord God opens our ears (v. 1); the Lord God helps me (vv. 7, 9).
Today we see the Lord God helping us, sustaining us, teaching us, and inviting us to share his life-changing journey to the cross. Today begins the week when the Lord God turns our broken and fragmented world upside down and rearranges its pieces into a cross of love and a face of forgiveness. Today God begins a week of show-and-tell that changed the world forever. Amen.
