|
Click to hear this sermon sermon080525
A story is
told of a young boy whose sister was very sick.
Self: God and My Whole Self - Deuteronomy 10: 12-22; Mark
12: 28-31 - May 25, 2008 Everett J. Bassett - Cicero United
Methodist Church
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A story is
told of a young boy whose sister was very sick. The doctor told the boy that
they needed for him to give blood so that his sister could get well. Would he
be willing to do this? The young boy was clearly afraid, but quietly said,
"Yes." After the transfusion, the boy lay still for a while, and then
asked, "When will I die?" It dawned on the doctor that he had not
explained the procedure very well to the boy. The boy had believed that once he
gave up his blood for his sister, she would live, and he would die. The doctor
quickly explained otherwise to the young boy, and then realized that he had
been in the presence of a great love - a love of a boy who would give
everything to save his sister.
It's
appropriate to reflect upon that kind of love on this weekend when we remember
the sacrifice of those who were willing to give their lives in service for
their country, and the cause of freedom. Especially we remember those who did
indeed make that supreme sacrifice. Their love and devotion is not forgotten today:
It's also
appropriate to remember the little boy's courage in this service when we gather
around the Lord's Table for Communion. At this table we recognize the depth of
God's love as Jesus gave His Body to be broken, and His Blood to be shed on the
cross, a sacrifice made all the more meaningful by the realization that he did
it for us. It too was an act of supreme love and devotion that has been the
model for great acts of courage.
The story of the young boy, the memory of veterans of war,
and especially the sacrifice of Jesus for the sins of the world - these lead us
to some soul-searching questions -like, To what do you devote your life? What
calls forth your courage, love, and devotion? How can you honor those who have
given so much?
I saw a young
woman interviewed at a college, and she said, "I believe in God, but I'm
not nuts about him." I wish the reporter had asked her what she meant by
that, because I suppose it could mean a lot of things. But I suspect it means
in some way that she assents to the fact that there is a God somewhere, and
that's alright with her as long as God doesn't bother her- as long as it
doesn't require any change in her, or devotion, or sacrifice. There's a human
side of me that wants to respond, "Well, then maybe God's not so nuts
about you." But, in fact, I believe just the opposite. I believe that God
sent His Son for that young woman, and Jesus gave His life for her. And for
you. And for me. That's God's sacrifice. What does that call forth in us?
I would
like to suggest that the only response worthy of such a gift is devotion. It's
what Jesus called for in what he Himself identified as the greatest
commandments. He didn't make them up; He quoted them from the Old Testament:
"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul
and all your mind and all your strength." And, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself." Most of you know that I've been preaching on these
verses for several weeks, breaking them down to represent various aspects of
ourselves - heart, soul, mind, strength, neighbor - these could represent our
emotional, spiritual, mental, physical, and relational selves all in service
to God.
I was
amazed to read some unrelated literature this week, and to read that there is
an Indian proverb - I don't know if it's true Indian, or Native American - but
here's what it says: "You are a house with four rooms - physical, mental,
emotional, and spiritual. You should go in each room every day, if only to air
it out." So what Jesus was teaching is wisdom that rings true in other
cultures as well. These various rooms in us have been the framework for my last
few sermons, along with the teaching about loving your neighbor. There are just a few comments I'd like to
make to wrap this series up.
First,
while it is convenient to talk about our various aspects one at a time, they
are in fact all wrapped up together. Body and soul, feelings and mind,
relationships - they all intertwine and there is no way to separate them out.
Like the Indian proverb says, we visit all the rooms every day, and one leads
to the other. You can't separate emotions from thoughts, physical wellbeing
from spiritual, relationships from emotions, and so on. Jesus' point was that
your whole being -- everything about you -- belongs to God.
Secondly, I
think in every sermon, I ended up commenting on how wonderfully made we are.
Body, soul, mind, spirit, relationships - all have the potential to be
beautiful in the service of God. The opposite is possible too. We can abuse ourselves
terribly, in self-defeating, self-destructive ways. The heart can be stunted
when we harbor grudges, negative outlooks, poisoning habits. The soul can be
shrunk by neglect and sinfulness. The mind can be put out to pasture or filled
with worthless fodder. The body can be abused by lack of sleep, lack of
exercise, lack of discipline in food or harmful substances. And our
relationships to neighbors can be darkened by lack of compassion, lack of time,
lack of justice.
That's why
it's important to see the whole commandment. It doesn't stop at God and
neighbor. The second commandment reads, "You shall love your neighbor AS
YOURSELF." Self-love is also part of the Great commandments. I don't want
to go overboard here. I've heard some Christian teachers take this idea of
loving your self and turning it into a whole program of egotistical self-love
that almost borders on hedonism and selfishness. As I read these teachings of
Jesus, the emphasis is clearly on loving God and neighbor first. But Jesus does
say, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Loving yourself is intertwined
with all-the others.
And it's
such an odd world. On the one hand, we live in a society where we are
encouraged to do it all for our own happiness and advancement. Have it your way.
Look out for Numero Uno. You owe it to yourself. And so on. We are encouraged
to think about our own needs first.
On the
other hand, our self-esteem is under constant attack. I once saw a picture of
two signs on a Hollywood beauty parlor. One said, "The most beautiful
people in the world walk through these doors." The other said,
"Please use side entrance." Obviously an oversight, but isn't that
the message we get? There are the beautiful people in this world. There are the
brilliant people in this world, and the powerful people. But we are not quite
beautiful enough, not quite brilliant enough, not quite powerful enough. That's
just a lie! We are beautifully made by God - each of us. We are loved by a Savior
who gave His all for us. We are honored in God's eyes; and we should honor
ourselves - not in a self-indulgent way, but in a self-honoring way. We should
care for ourselves; only then can we truly love God and neighbor. It all works
together.
The third
comment about these verses is the one that I see as the final thought about
them. It's about that word that Jesus uses four times - 'all.' It's about
devotion. You shall love the Lord with all
your heart, all your soul, all your mind, all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself, which is just
another way of saying with all you
are. Nothing is held back. By the bar that Jesus set, it's not enough to say,
"I believe in God, but I'm not nuts about Him." Nuts about Him is
exactly what is commanded. No holding back. It's about all.
We do see
devotion in this world - good, innocent, evil.
There are people who drop everything and follow celebrities or sports
teams around. There are people who strap
bombs onto children and send them into crowded places. There are people who are unmovable about a political
cause or candidate, or a goal in their lives.
There are people who serve their country in deeply sacrificial
ways. Those are all examples of
devotion. William Willimon, now a United
Methodist bishop, but previously chaplain at Duke University, once asked a
student if he found a problem with so much drinking on campus.
"No," the student replied. "I
am pre-med. I hope to be a neurosurgeon. Alcohol kills brain cells. I need all
the brain cells I have to get where I hope to be." That's a good description
of healthy self-love. But it's also a good description of devotion. We see that
kind of diligence around for different causes.
What Jesus
is saying is that God needs that kind of devotion. Heart, soul, mind and
strength, and neighbors as yourself. All of those things. What other response
would truly honor the example of Jesus? And again, that's the challenge to us
from the examples of faithful and loving people who would give their very lives
in service and love.
In closing today, I'd like to invite us to read together a
piece I have found in a couple placesone of them identified it as the writing
of a young pastor in Zimbabwe, shortly before he was killed for his faith. It
is appropriate to read an affirmation of faith before coming to the Lord's Table.
Perhaps this can be such an act of devotion for us this morning:
"I'm
part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit's power. The
die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made -
I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back
away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is
secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth knees,
colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and dwarfed
goals.
"I no
longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or
popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on God's presence, walk by
patience, am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.
"My
face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way
rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be
bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded, or delayed. I
will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the
enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
"I
won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up,
paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must
go 'til he comes, give 'til I drop, preach 'til all know, and work 'til he
stops me. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing
me ... my banner will be clear!"
"You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your
mind and all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself. "Do this,"
. said Jesus, "and you shall live." May Christ have no trouble recognizing
you when he comes for His own. May your banner be clear and your devotion
unwavering.
|
