Day 1450 - Let’s Put Some Light on It

A summary of a sermon given at First Presbyterian Church, Spring City, TN, November 27, 2016

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
New Testament Reading: Matthew 24:36-44

In these passages in Isaiah and Matthew we see how every divinely inspired writer expresses their message in the context of their own reality. Both speak of “end times” but one is upbeat the other almost morose.

Matthew’s reality is the personal reality of the disciples who have known and been called by Jesus and soon will see him die, and see the subsequent evidence of his resurrection. Matthew’s focus is on future return of the future holds for those who understand this reality of the consummation of the reign of kings.

Isaiah speaks from the impending chaos brought by Assyria and Babylon. He gives us his sense that God is at work building something new and he is using Assyria and Babylon as tools to purify Judah and Israel, and the rest of the world for the future wonders of grace he will pour out on all the people who hear and come to learn. Isaiah oversees the end of the era of the last king.

Because of their different perspectives, one looking forward to the grand unification in the post-regal era and speaking principally to the corporate, or national bodies, the other looking beyond the cross speaking primarily to the personal world of the disciples. That perspective paints irony on the passages making the Old Testament passage one principally of hope beyond human judgment where we expected only judgment, Mathew on the other hand has a judgmental character that cannot be ignored.

Isaiah 2:1-5 concludes, “…come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!” If there is a message in the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, it is “the Lord will take care of those who come to learn in Zion.” That image from Isaiah immediately brought a sermon title to mind, “Let’s put some light on it…”  

If we had clear eyes and guiding light, what wonders of the future would we behold? Would we rather learn what path to follow to ensure we get to the wonders, or just stay uninformed until it all happens and hope you are on the right road?

I think Isaiah strongly resembles Paul, speaking not of the kind of light I’ll call reason that causes you to be troubled by what you see when you look around, but of the kind of light we discussed two weeks ago, the kind I call wisdom. With wisdom when you look around you might see what is really going on. We are still grappling with Isaiah and Matthew’s issues today, reason or wisdom. Reason puts you in the mind to judge. Judging makes you lose sight of God because you are trying to usurp God.  Wisdom in the mind lets God do the judging while you enjoy the grace he brings.

(Just for illumination here is a little history. Isaiah speaks to Jerusalem and Judah in the time of conquest by Assyria and Babylon. You probably know that the 12 tribes of Hebrews were a single nation only for three kings. After Solomon they split into the ten tribes of North, called Israel, and the two tribes of the South Judah and Benjamin that formed the nation of Judah whose royal city was Jerusalem.

Assyria was at its peak in the time of Isaiah, stretching from the Island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea all the way to modern day Iran. Israel wanted to conquer Judah but Assyria was fighting the Egyptian empire and that warfare put Israel in a pincher with all sorts of intrigue since Assyria had eyes on both Israel and Judah. Eventually Israel fell to Assyria. Though weakened by its war with Egypt and other local powers Assyria was knocking on Judah’s door.

At the same time Babylon was rising in the South a and had eyes on both Judah and the Assyrian Empire. Things could not be grimmer for Judah as Isaiah told Judah God was purifying the people of Israel and Judah using Assyria and Babylon. They were his tools in this national, or collective tragedy. In the midst of this chaotic time of war Isaiah proclaimed a positive future where Jerusalem (also called Zion) becomes the beacon to all peoples.)

Note the use of the plural form of “people.”  The usage means Isaiah is not just talking about Judah and Israel but people of all nations.

(More history: Matthew writes in the time 500 years after the Babylonian captivity. He also writes after Jesus faced his own crucifixion. Even in the faith of resurrection, in chaos it was a time to wonder when will the Son return? Luke tells us Jesus assured people that faith will justify everyone who asks, but lamented will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he returns? Even though he has offered words of assurance that he has brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth and begun the overthrow of the old world, people doubt.)

Now, we haven’t read the judgment in the first chapter of Isaiah. I am going to leave it to you, and encourage you, to read it on your own if you promise to use it as a history lesson and not as a tool to judge. In this opening chapter the Lord indicts Israel and especially Judah for reducing the entire state of worship in Jerusalem to a complete abomination, a sacrilege. They have twisted and turned the worship the Lord instructed and expects inside out and dirtied the Temple. .

Isaiah 1:1-31 is some of the harshest language of condemnation you will read in the entire Bible. It is truly a “take no prisoners” text. The Lord even asks, “why do you dare even enter the ground of my Temple? He orders, “Trample my courts no more!”  (Temple is Jerusalem, Zion, Holy of Holies, God’s house.) It is fair to say, God is “mad as a hornet.” It reads a little like the Matthew 3:1-12 lectionary passage.

Yet, Isaiah in his next breath, in the first 5 verses of Chapter 2, gives the message of hope in the most ideal future we can envision. “In days to come the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; all the nations shall stream to it.” There will be permanent peace between nations.

The very fact that Isaiah says Israel, Judah and “all the nations shall stream to it is a radical message that will be repeated by Isaiah again, and again. This New Jerusalem is a place for all nations. Through Isaiah, God is rewriting his covenant to expand it beyond the Hebrews. Perhaps he is describing a new Jerusalem beyond the city of Jerusalem.

This new Jerusalem comes with a price and a finality to it. When you read these next few lines, you must put aside any ideas that come to mind about using this passage or my words to batter people about judgment. Verse 4 clearly states any judgment and arbitration is by the Lord.

Isaiah says “Many” people will come. Does her mean this technically literally? Is he suggesting that not everyone will respond to the call?

What we read, however, is a positive message for the people who come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” The message is that the Lord knows what this city shall be and who its inhabitants shall be and how they will live. He is intent appears to be that he will populate this new kingdom with people who will learn and follow his ways.

When I say, “Let’s put some light on it,” I’m thinking about the situation this way. If I walk into a dark room, I only have to flip the light switch “on” to find my way around, it is pretty easy. Moses both say it is easy to find the Law, it will be written in your heart. In our Christian language, Jesus puts it this way, “It is easy to find faith, you do not have to get it by yourself, it comes to you by the Holy Spirit.  When you look and find it written in your heart, you know you’ve got it.” The whole point of grace is God works the light switch, not us.

Isaiah though talks of the promise of a future king, saying, “For out of Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” The message is if you have ears, listen, if you have eyes, see. If you come, hear and see, you will learn what you need to know when the time comes to walk with the Lord.  Many, not all people will hear the call to come and learn.

Isaiah ends his message on hope. When this occurs there shall finally be peace for those who hear and understand. He tells us that all we have to is have faith and let the Lord put some light on the subject. Verse 5, “⁵O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

Last week I talked about what I call the sordid history of kings in Judah and Israel. The history of those kings is the history of people who chose to reject the rule of God (1 Samuel 8). Isaiah speaks in the unfolding time when the Lord ended the reign of their kings and promising a new thing of wonder coming from Zion/Jerusalem, the house of David.  All peoples shall have the truly Divine King who will judge and arbitrate for everyone with justice.

Is it too outrageous to have faith that this will happen? - That grace will come in – that people will not just be “taught the ways” but the Lord will shine such an illuminating light that their eyes will will be opened to wisdom so they understand what is really going on, the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Heaven.

For me, it is an uplifting promise on this first Sunday of Advent, a message that points beyond the birth of Jesus and beyond the cross to the time when we see the God of the living.

I often find that the lyrics of music capture messages so well because music is poetry and poetry strives to capture the emotional content of reality. Prose like text books can reduce reality to boring facts and equations.

I have a favorite group on musicians called, The Blind Boys of Alabama. They sing primarily gospel music with a very personal touch. The poetic justice of a group of blind musicians singing about the Light of God is striking.

One song they sing so dramatically captures Isaiah’s message of hope in the future for the peoples of the world embodied in the grace of Jesus Christ. It captures the essence of faith that this new message requires. It puts some light on the sad reality that some may understand and learn but some may turn away from the light. It relieves a burden that we can rely on the Lord decide that issue, but it also reminds us that we, our life, may be that light for others.

Listen to the lyrics of “People Get Ready originally sung by the Impressions and written by Curtis Mayfield, but on the Blind Boys of Alabama’s album, Higher Ground:”

People get ready, there's a train a-coming.

You don't need no baggage, you just get on board.

All you need is faith, to hear the diesels humming.

Don't need no ticket, you just thank the Lord.

People get ready, for the train to Jordan

Picking up passengers, from coast to coast.

Faith is the key, open the doors and board them.

There's room for all, among the loved the most.

There ain't no room, for the hopeless sinner.

Who would hurt all mankind just, to save his own.

Have pity on those, whose chances are thinner

'Cause there's no hiding place, from the Kingdom's throne.

So people get ready, for the train a-comin'

You don't need no baggage, you just get on board

All you need is faith, you hear the diesels humming

Don't need no ticket, you just thank, you just thank the Lord.

I believe, I believe, Yes Lord, I believe.

These words of assurance have as much comfort to us today as the words Isaiah proclaimed 2,500 years ago did to Israel, Judah and the world.

Friends don’t do anything less than ask that the Holy Spirit to illumine us, that it puts some light on understanding the ways of the Lord so we can walk in them and give us peace, now and forever.  Amen.

Day 1442 – Long Live the King!

A summary of a sermon preached at First Presbyterian Church, Spring City, TN, November 20, 2016

Old Testament Readings: 1Sam. 2:12-17, 8:1-19

Gospel Readings: Luke 22:66,70-71, 23:1-4,33-43  

Here we are at Christ the King Sunday, the end of the liturgical year. The lectionary this year marks it with Luke’s text about the crucifixion and  Jeremiah 23:1-6 that takes on Zedekiah and his cohorts for leading the people astray. That passage is too political for me given the proximity to our last Presidential election. But a passage such as 1 Samuel noted above as the preface for the gospel reading puts the events of the fall of Judah and fate of Zedekiah into a unique view of the contrast of human rulers and what is hoped for in Advent (and that too is a cautionary tale about the last election). Exploring the history of Hebrew kings is particularly relevant since Luke seems to go out of his way to tie the scriptural history of the Hebrews to the presence of Christ in the world as Jesus.

 Two other things about Luke’s gospel help the perspective of thinking about Christ the King Sunday. First, from chapter 9, Luke has led us on the journey of Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem. Today we stand before Jesus on the cross with an inscription nailed to the cross above his head, “King of the Jews.” (All four gospels tell it). The second thing is that Luke's effort to connect  Jesus to the outcome of Jewish scriptural history in a sense, saying this collection we call the bible is the record of the relationship between God and Humanity.

So, how is the lectionary passage from Luke about the crucifixion of Jesus tied to both Christ the King and the approach of Advent when we anticipate the birth of Jesus ?

On one hand a careful look suggests the crucifixion and Advent for Christians focus us more on the promise that Jesus will return than on his birth. The connection between crucifixion and Christmas seem outwardly contradictory events except by that inscription on the cross, “The King of the Jews” and the proclamation at his birth that he is the King of Kings. That points to the long period of waiting of the Jews for the King, or Messiah, after Zedekiah, the “Jewish advent" if you will.  

But the crucifixion turns the entire idea of “King” upside down. What king would allow one’s own death while holding the power to prevent it? There is more to this than meets the eye. For Luke “more” is the connection of the crucifixion to Jewish royal history that reveals the nature of the true King, and puts the Advent into a far broader context.

How does the history of Hebrew kings connect with our modern time in the USA when we have no kings. Do we have a king?

Let’s see if the history of Hebrew kings is intertwined with the celebration of the coming of Jesus first to Israel and then the World, and his death on the cross - and the answer to the previous question.

Context is always a powerful friend to understanding. When the Hebrews journeyed to Promised Land, the Lord told Moses (in Deut. 16:18-20) to appoint judges in all the tribes and towns to make decisions under the Law with impartiality and justice and who took no bribes. The history of all those judges up to the time of the kings is in the book of “Judges.” Judges ends with these words, “(Judges 21:25), “In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” 

Knowing human nature, are we surprised to hear grumbling in 1 Samuel 8 that the new priests did not follow in Samuel’s ways, but turned aside after gain; they "took bribes and perverted justice?”

Should we be surprised that the Hebrews asked for a king given the poor leadership of judges and priests?

I know some pastors are preaching judgment of the nation this morning using either the 1 Samuel passage, or Jeremiah 23:1-6 as a testimony against one presidential candidate or the other, or are reasons to say the country needs to get back to God. Whatever truth that may be, it not only trivializes the history of Israel given to us in the Bible, but also seriously misreads the message of that history for us today.

The history and predictions of 1 Samuel 2, 8 encapsulate the entire, sordid history of human kingship. The Lord called judges, priests and kings who were anointed and consecrated to do justice for the people but the judges fell victim to their own greed and desires. There was an almost continuous dereliction of duty of those who inherit the mantle of leadership.

I ask again, knowing human nature, should we be surprised?

If you read 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel you will find the first three kings Saul, David, and his son Solomon, all fell victim to human weakness that led them to rule in their own self-interest, not the Lord’s or the people’s. Saul did not fully obey the Lord in war, David had his general Uriah killed and took his wife Bathsheba. Solomon began his reign loyal to justice but ended up corrupted by wealth. It led to the schism of the Hebrew people into the Israel, the Northern Kingdom, and Judah, the Southern Kingdom. Schism and dereliction of duty continued over 22 generations of kings of Judah and Israel. A few defended Israel and Judah. A few created great wealth in Israel. The overwhelming number were party to palace intrigues and assassinations of fathers by sons and brothers. They ruled in periods of great national weakness until Israel was destroyed by Assyria and then Judah was taken into captivity by Babylon. The last king of Judah was Zedekiah. He fled at night as Jerusalem fell only to be chased down by the Babylonian army. He was brought before King Nebuchadrezzar and forced to watch soldiers slaughter his sons. Then with that image of slaughter burned into his mind, was blinded by his captives, bound in chains and taken to Babylon (2 Kings 25:3-7, Jeremiah 39:1-7, 52:5-11.)

Zedekiah's disgrace marked the beginning of a “Jewish advent” as a reminder to the Hebrews about God’s message to the people through Samuel in 8:18 that captures the tragedy of kingship that led to captivity in the foreign land of Babylon,

“And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

The Hebrew people waited for the true king over the next 500 years, mostly in captivity or subjugation until the time of Jesus.

Luke’s story shows the waiting was not in vain, God’s work and compassion for his people did not end with Babylonian captivity. Luke has led us from Galilee where Jesus set his eye on Jerusalem to that city itself. Today we stand before him on the cross that holds a solitary proclamation, “King of the Jews.” (v38) (This inscription is cited in all four gospels.) Whether Rome put up the inscription to mock the Jewish leaders or the Jewish leadership to mock Jesus is unknown. What we do know is that the proclamation is a fitting conclusion as we enter the Advent season next Sunday awaiting the celebration of his birth.

In his trial by the religious leaders (remember Eli’s sons), Jesus induces them to admit by not answering his question that he is the Son of God and likewise induces Pilate to acknowledge him as the King of the Jews. He provokes the Gentile governor and these Jewish leaders to reveal the Lordship of the true King, the Son of God.

This revelation connects the good news of Jesus into the fulfillment of Jewish royal history back to Samuel’s time.  The reality of Jesus is that when we acknowledge Jesus is born, and died, Lord, the King of the Jews and Son of God on this Christ the King Sunday, we celebrate the end of the history of Hebrew kings and the beginning of anew history with the Lord.

We may say the captivity of Zedekiah is the end of the royal history of the Hebrews, but in actuality, the crucifixion is the culmination of the royal history of the Hebrew people with the ascension of the King of Kings.

The crucifixion is a reversal of justice on a cosmic scale. The history of Jewish Kings begins with the people rejecting the reign of God in 1 Samuel 8:5, “… your sons do not follow in your ways; appoint for us, then, a king to govern us, like other nations.” Now, here at the crucifixion, the leaders of the very people who longed for a true king are party to the crucifixion of the only all-powerful King. And this King sits not on earth but over all.

If this crucifixion is a culmination of Jewish royal history, how does it apply to us in the modern day when we have no king?  It does it with a strong dose of irony.

Gentiles have no divine king because they are outside God’s grace poured out on his chosen people. We have inherited the true King intended first for God’s chosen people whose leaders rejected him. The Lord poured out his grace in Jesus on all people of the world. 

But maybe I ought to back up a little for more context. If there is a message to the Hebrews and the world in all this sordid horrible history of their kings, it is “your kings can give you no help.”  As Psalm 121:1-2 says, “from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord.”

The crucifixion reveals this true nature of the Lord. This is a King who remained faithful to the life he told us to live to his end. He would not even drink the drugged wine to deaden his senses. This is a King who acts as a servant.

We can’t be overly critical of the Jews who doubted and mocked Jesus, “Save yourself if you are the King,” because their mockery deflects our own doubt, “Why would the Son of God and the King of the Jews who clearly has the power to prevent this impending crucifixion choose not to do so?”

 How do we make sense out of the account of the crucifixion that turns the idea of power of a King upside down, that reveres common understanding of power and leadership?

One of the great characteristics of the gospel and the life of Jesus are these events we call “reversals.” For example, every parable is a story that contain some reversal of common sense, e.g., the parable of the talents. Parables begin in a way that appeals to our common sense about the outcome, but a few words later when what really happens is revealed, it assaults our common sense.

Many of the sayings of Jesus are reversals, for example, “to lead you must serve,” “to be rich you must lose everything,” “do not fear the one who can take your life, fear the one who can take your soul, “To live you must die, “The poor shall inherit the kingdom, “blessed are you who are persecuted, you shall find reward in heaven.”

Every message from the life of Jesus is a demand that conflicts with the demands of the world. I do not think we can come to terms with this greatest reversal of celebrating his birth by considering his death and resurrection without our faith that the King of the Jews is the Lord of All. If there is only one message it is that those who persist in seeking justice are welcomed by the open arms of Jesus.

Think about what happened at the crucifixion. Jesus was flogged by Pilate, crucified with criminals, some of those people he declared he came to release. He was mocked by religious leaders, stripped of his clothes that were gambled away at his feet, and died after giving the gift of grace to one of the criminals at his side who proclaimed him Lord. When he was offered drugged wine to dull his senses what did he do? He refused and remained clearheaded to the end.  Part of his last words asked for pardon for what the ignorant had done to him. In the silence of his death, only the words of the centurion lingered, “Certainly this man is innocent.” He is the true King.

Advent is about the past and future. It is the celebration of his birth and our hope for his return. It marks the end of the longing for a true king by the Hebrews. It makes sense to celebrate the first and last King by the account of the crucifixion that sealed his Lordship and the anguish of Samuel that the people desire a human king. It justifies Samuel's anguish.

There is great irony and hope based on faith in this death and resurrection of the King. Paul says to the Corinthians that the resurrection is foolishness to the wise, to those who are perishing.  Paul says the world did not know God through wisdom, but through the foolishness of our proclamation, not by signs demanded by the Jews or wisdom by the Greeks, but the proclamation of Christ crucified, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength. (I Corinthians 1:18-25)

Do you know that the only record of any writing about Jesus during his lifetime is that inscription on the cross, it varies from Mathew to John, “This is Jesus, King of the Jews,” “King of the Jews,” “This is the King of the Jews,” and “Jesus the Nazorean, King of the Jews.” But all four gospels are consistent in one thing, Jesus is King of the Jews… and now the world. Finally, we have a King whose wisdom surpasses human rulers and whose gift of grace not only surpasses anything of human invention but trivializes every human effort at true leadership.

Nations may need to “get back to God” but nations are things of earthly rulers. The crucifixion is principally a personal message and acknowledgement that no matter how earnest, human kings will fail the test of true leadership. Nations are composed of and exist for God’s children who should heed the lesson of the crucified King even if their worldly rulers says otherwise.

As for the ancient demand for a king made to God through Samuel, now we have the King. We have the Lord and ruler whose humility and love demands allegiance of all.  Who shall we obey?  On Christ the King Sunday, let us celebrate the grace that blesses us all and commit to the Christian life.

Long Live The King in our hearts!  

Amen.