Thinking Beyond Human

 

Thinking Beyond Human

 

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

The mystery and ministry of reconciliation 

 

5:16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we no longer know him in that way.

 

5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!

 

5:18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;

 

5:19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

 

5:20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.

 

5:21 For our sake God made the one who knew no sin to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

One of my dearest Lay Leaders—the late Robert Harper, Esq.—used to tease me after the Sunday sermon with “You have the most ‘favorite scripture passages’ of any pastor I’ve known.” I think about that comment often, and it makes me chuckle, especially as it causes me to remember Bob. He and I had an “unusual” relationship, in that I think I was an enigma to him, for many reasons. I was appointed to his church—the Coraopolis UMC—after my five-year stint as an associate pastor at St. Paul’s, alongside Ron Hoellein and Leah Bergstrom. It was my practice to study the history of a church and its community after being appointed there, so I could begin to build trust with the new congregation. Coraopolis UMC wise RIPE with great history, as the church was founded by the Rev. Josiah Dillon, who had a sweet thing for the daughter—Cora Watson--of the industrialist who basically founded what became Coraopolis, originally called Middletown. They soon married, and Dillon suggested changing the name TO “Coraopolis,” because there already was a “Middletown” in the region. Did he name it “Coraopolis” because of his love for Cora? Historians will tell you that, since Dillon was a Greek scholar, he chose “Cora-opolis,” as “cora” means young maiden, and “polis” obviously means “city.” Hence, “Coraopolis” means “City of the young maiden,” or just “maiden city.” Personally, having read more about Dillon, I would say the answer is BOTH. He was a clever and brilliant fellow, and the name “Maiden City” would be loved and accepted by the populus as honorable, AND it served to honor his young bride, as well. It CERTAINLY didn’t hurt that her dad—the wealthy industrialist—would love it as well. Bob Harper was absolutely thrilled that I knew all of this, and more, before my feet hit the pavement in Coraopolis. I was also an enigma to Harper because I was opinionated in ways that didn’t always jibe with his considerably educated opinions, and yet, I could hold my own in an intellectual discussion. Bob loved to do little cartoon drawings from his post in the choir behind the preacher. My “colorful” sermonizing style provided plenty of fodder for his penciled musings, many of which he would pass on to me on his way out. I’ve often wondered about the “editorial” cartoons he drew but never showed me…

 

I digress, (as usual). Again, one of Bob’s comments was about how almost every week I would pronounce that week’s lectionary passage as “one of my favorites.” Honestly, and without reservation, THIS passage from II Corinthians IS one of my favorites, if not the one at the top of the list, the least of which is that I know it is “Second Corinthians,” not “Two Corinthians.” This text is truly another “Gospel in miniature.” One of my favorite seminary professors, Dr. Robert Kelley, used to describe John 3:16, thusly, but I think this one gives it a run for its money, coming in second only because Paul wrote it, rather than it coming from the lips of Jesus. For me, the phrase: “…in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself…” in verse 19. That God sent the Son, Jesus Christ, to reconcile—fully accept and restore a relationship with—the WORLD, is huge. The WORLD object in this text says to me something that shoots down any idea that there is some magic prayer or “confession” that a person must say or make to become “saved.” People—of any tongue, nation, or even religion—are SAVED because of what God has done in Jesus Christ. THIS is God’s action, not ours, nor are we the gatekeepers of who may benefit from this eternal “gift.” AND it indicates that God CONTINUES to “save the world,” which is why we believe in a risen Christ, who, along with the Holy Spirit, is STILL WORKING for the goal that “none should perish.” AND we are not given to fully understand just how and in how many ways God is doing this reconciling work! Might the Christ be working wherever people are seeking God, however they understand God? Might the Christ be working his salvific miracle wherever people are being imperiled by war or hunger or hate? Might the Christ be the one opening doors, hearts, and minds to persons who have been historically marginalized by their sexual orientation or identity? Might the Christ be at work even in the hearts of those who think that what we have been “entrusted with” is not this reconciliation (as the passage says) but some kind of evangelical “gatekeeping,” making sure that only folk who “do it their way” get into the kingdom? The answer to all of these questions to Paul is a resounding YES! It was to the theologian Karl Barth, too, who wrote that Christ was God’s great YES to the world. He got this passage. The danger in wanting to layer dogmas and doctrines on top of “who gets in and who gets excluded” is that one doing this is “thinking from a human point of view.” 

 

Now, none of us can truly think from God’s point of view, but we do have some clues as to God’s mindset from the pages of holy writ:

 

*II Peter 3:9 says that God wishes that “none should perish.” “None” is pretty definitive.

 

*John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” That God “gave” or “sent” the Son into the world reminds us that it is the SON’S salvific work that has been unleashed, not ours.

 

*Paul said that we could tap the “mind of Christ” in Philippians 2:5

 

*Summarizing what Jesus taught and did: forgiving; saving; healing; and bringing about God’s Kingdom as a Beloved Community

 

It is the HUMAN mindset or point of view that gets us into trouble with the goals and mission of God in Christ Jesus. The human point of view goes something like this:

 

*The human point of view is territorial; it circles the wagons and defends

 

*The human point of view prioritizes VERY differently than the “mind of Christ,” often giving the highest priorities to the one doing the thinking, handicapping others

 

*The human point of view tends toward self-centeredness, which is ultimately the “original sin”

 

*The human point of view builds walls, while the “mind of Christ” builds bridges and tears DOWN walls

 

*The human point of view is tribal; the “mind of Christ” has one tribe

 

 

In our day, “A.I.,” or “Artificial Intelligence” is both all the rage, and is CAUSING rage. Some see it as the technological boon to humankind, while others view it as the roots of our undoing. What about A.I.?

 

Computers can’t actually “think” in the manner of the human brain, but as they have become faster and able to access the monumental about of data available via the Internet, they are able to compile thoughts with this data to "appear” to think, or at least mimic human thought. HOWEVER, as humans seem to be eschewing critical thinking and are just accepting the opinions of others rather readily, A.I. is looking smarter, by comparison. It ISN’T, so don’t be fooled. Instead, BOOST YOUR OWN THINKING! A serious problem with A.I. and what it generates is that we dull our own thinking and accept what it spews out. By doing so, the best offerings of both humanity and technology are greatly diminished. Like a good source for a writer, or a great proofreader, for that matter, so A.I. may be a useful tool, but it is just a tool. I’ve read a few sermons written by A.I. and their store-bought cookies at best. Do your own work, preachers. Do your own work.

 

If we are to successfully “think beyond human,” or at least beyond our human limits, we start by seeking the “mind of Christ,” which is available to us because our Christ lives, and speaks his truth through the Holy Spirit. For the pew Christian, this means chucking your prejudices and “accepted” views of the world, knowing God has higher aims than writing off people. God would rather save and include them, as is clear from the pages of scripture. For the preacher, this means use your best exegetical tools and do your own work, in terms of writing your weekly sermon, AND expect that the Holy Spirit will join you in the preparation of same. It is both our calling AND our joy to help our people “think beyond human,” especially about life’s most important challenges and opportunities. Paul and the other “filterers” of God’s Word gave it their best shot; now it’s our turn, and our time.

 

And remember, thinking beyond human means being in pursuit of God’s ultimate truth. Don’t believe the lies that are being pumped out even faster than content from Chat GPT! Put your trust in Christ and the Holy Spirit, and do your critical thinking homework, Dear Ones! In deference to Maltese psychologist and philosopher, Dr. Edward de Bono, it’s time to “put on your thinking caps!”

The Price is Right!

The Price Is Right!

 

Isaiah 55:1-9

Come to the water 

 

55:1 Hear, everyone who thirsts; come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

 

55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your earnings for that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

 

55:3 Incline your ear, and come to me; listen, so that you may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

 

55:4 See, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples.

 

55:5 Now you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

 

55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;

 

55:7 let the wicked forsake their way and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 

55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.

 

55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

When I was a kid, either before I was old enough to go to school (and since we moved into “the city” too late for me to go to Kindergarten, I didn’t attend until the first grade), or later, if I was home sick for a day or so, I loved to watch the game shows on TV. There were only a handful of them, and they were quite primitive by today’s standards, but a couple of them endured, to become part of the history of the genre. One of these was “The Price is Right,” back then hosted by Bill Cullen, a Pittsburgh native. Obviously, it is still around, having had several hosts since the Cullen days, including a long stint by Bob Barker, and then comedian/actor Drew Carey. Part of the schtick of the show was that the audience contestants had to guess the prices of stuff and the one who came the closest to the actual retail price without going over, won. Because I grew up in a family of shoppers and perpetual bargain hunters, I was never close in my price estimates, as my family would NEVER pay “full retail,” and the bargain brain I had would always guess a price WAY lower than what the show stated as the “full retail” price. I remember thinking, even as a little kid, “MY family would NEVER pay that much for [whatever the item was].” Had I been a guest on the show, I NEVER would have won, believe me! But no “bargain” price is better than FREE!

 

This text’s prophetic utterance from Trito-Isaiah (“Third” Isaiah) is encouraging the Jews returning from exile with a word that God’s best blessings may be theirs, provided they return to the practice of worshiping ONE God (Yahweh) and following God’s precepts, to the end of forming a supportive, collaborative and faithful community. “Buying” wine, milk, and food “without price”? Sounds like God’s best plan for God’s people is a society where the poor don’t go hungry. Chastise ancient Israel all you want for some of their primitive practices, but friends, here we are in 2025, in the most prosperous country on the planet, and WE haven’t yielded to building this kind of a KIND society! In fact, we have whole millions of people who say things like, “I don’t want MY tax dollars going to feed those LAZY people! I WORKED for everything I have, and they should, too!” There is an unbelievable anger and resentment to those of us who HAVE helping out those who DON’T, or who are in need of life’s most basic elements. This “attitude” has given way to TONS of misinformation about our society’s needy. “They are lazy and don’t want to work,” is one you will hear, and it just isn’t true. ALL of the statistics and studies show that these people WANT to help themselves, but may need even the basics to GET a job, let alone get the transportation they may need to keep it. In fact, social scientists have pointed out that when this particular niche of our society IS given a job and the elements they may need—in some cases this might even include coaching—to DO their job, they not only develop the pride that comes with self-sufficiency, but they often become some of the most generous people reaching out to help others find what THEY found! The fact is, there are VERY few “freeloaders” who just choose to be on the public dole. ALL humans, according to Methodist founder John Wesley, have a built in measure of dignity and moral responsibility, and he would know, having worked and built a movement among the poorest of the poor, the addicts, the incarcerated, and the elderly. 

 

Let us not forget that many needy persons are in this situation because they have disabilities that hamper their ability to be self-sustaining. Some are widowed elderly, while others are just children, either orphans, foster children, or being raised by an over-stressed single parent. Some have been suddenly plunged into poverty by a medical condition that drained what resources they DO have, or who can’t make enough money in an entry-level job to pay their exorbitant school loan payments. And an “advanced” society like the United States of America not only tolerates this but allows itself to become ANGRY over the need to give these people a leg up? And now, what of the tens of thousands of government workers who are being summarily cast aside because an unelected billionaire thinks it will save money. WHOSE money will it save? No one will deny that the powers that be are gearing up for another tax cut, and as with all tax cut legislation, the richer you are, the bigger your cash and carry!

 

This was NOT God’s plan for Israel, according to Trito-Isaiah, and I seriously doubt it is God’s plan for a prosperous nation like ours. How dare any of you who denigrate the needy among us should call yourselves “Christian,” as Jesus’ own life and ministry would show he would have nothing to do with you. The sad truth is that I know MANY well-meaning folk who have become convinced or “bought in” to this heinous misinformation about the needy people in our country, that they are “lazy,” or that they “expect us to pay for them.” If this is what you believe, you are being played, and the end result will be that the people you have voted for are working a reverse Robin Hood scheme. They will take from the “least of these,” AND from YOU, and will find innovative ways to transfer this wealth to themselves and their “base.” 

 

The prophet asks the poignant question in verse two: Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your earnings for that which does not satisfy? Put another way, why do you resent those who need a little help when you have more than you need—in many cases WAY more than you need.” God’s society will not look like that, and the prophet is writing to tell Israel that God’s version of the just society will be the one that will eventually prevail, with or WITHOUT their participation or cooperation. And if God moves forward to bring about this just society (Beloved Community) WITHOUT them, they will be the “odd man out,” not the needy. Friends, we need to hear this in 2025! Look, not all of us can write big checks to help the poor, but we CAN pay our taxes and rejoice when they help out needy fellow Americans rather than just build more cruise missiles. We also can offer moral support by not denigrating and berating those who have such needs. A little pity and empathy go a long way. Even less hostility and anger greatly damages our society and will get GOD angry. Friends, this is NOT a game show!

 

This passage has one of the most powerful reminders of the workings of God’s mind, one that most of us are at least somewhat familiar with: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. God is a forgiving God, and God may even be a patient God, giving American society time to “come around” to a more compassionate view of the “least of these,” but I seriously doubt that God will too long tolerate the naysayers and the name-callers putting their acerbic ideas up in the air and calling them “the will of God.” I’ve heard WAY too many people who see themselves as “righteous” or “religious” quoting the “verse,” “God helps those who help themselves.” Friends, this is not in God’s Word, it’s Groucho Marx, from one of his comedies. God precisely WANTS to help those who CAN’T help themselves at this point in their lives, and God wants US to partner with God to make it happen! THIS is what Israel and subsequent “audiences” are hearing in this passage from the prophet.

 

Verse three begins with three words that give us the key to the whole enchilada: “INCLINE YOUR EAR…” This means, “Listen up, people,” as God wants us to hear GOD’S plan for a just and righteous society, not take OUR OWN plan—one that benefits us most of all—and write it on the sky and call it “God’s plan.” The text is plain: For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. That phrase, “incline your ear” says it all: we are called to listen for GOD’S voice, not that of any President, podcaster, or pundit, and we may not initially LIKE what we hear. Run from it, if you like, but at your own peril. 

 

“Hear, everyone who thirsts; come to the waters!” EVERYONE, not just those of you who can afford it. In God’s kingdom, regardless of how poor you are, or what your politics are, or what your sexual orientation may be, the price is ALWAYS right! Amen.

Don't Go Belly Up!

Don’t Go Belly Up!

 

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Our citizenship is in heaven 

 

3:17 Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.

 

3:18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears.

 

3:19 Their end is destruction, their god is the belly, and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things.

 

3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

3:21 He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

 

4:1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

 

I have long been a fan of Elon Musk because of his brilliance in literally “creating” the electric car world, advancing the cause of solar power, and most especially, launching SpaceX as an independent and highly successful space transport system. His Falcon 9 boosters launch almost every other day with payloads for various governments and corporations, and as you have most likely seen, SpaceX keeps the costs low by returning those same boosters safely to earth, to be reused numerous times. (I follow launches through an app on my smart phone called “Next Space Flight,” which alerts me every time a launch is pending, anywhere in the world.)

 

In today’s text, Paul warns the Philippian Christians about allowing their “belly” (wealth, lust, literal hunger) to become their “god,” or the main, guiding force in their lives. This is exactly what appears to be happening with Elon Musk, my former “hero.” With his billions going to his head, along with the power they have bought him—right into the Oval Office, in fact—he has succumbed to this “belly god” thing, hasn’t he? A man who impressed me with both his brilliance AND his humility a few years ago has been transformed into an egotistical, race-bating, lying and slanderous man who has been put in charge of a willy-nilly slashing of the federal budget and work force, ranging from the social safety-net programs to the support of our military veterans. And to what end? More for his hungry “belly.” A billionaire and the world’s richest man, he is in charge of cutting government spending with the goal of freeing up funds for planned big tax cut. And if things stand true to past forms, this tax cut will benefit the wealthiest Americans most of all, even IF it provides some relief for those of us in the “great unwashed” ranks of society. (The belly-god people hold on to power by throwing the poor “dogs” a bone, from time to time.)

 

But there are consequences to selling out to one’s “belly hunger.” Musk’s Tesla is falling on hard times, with its vehicle sales and stock prices cratering. And speaking of falling, his SpaceX “Starship” venture has been exploding and raining flaming debris on a large section of the Caribbean! When is the last time you heard anything about his innovative solar roof tiles, his impressive battery technology to store solar power, or his truly fascinating “Neurolink”? Even for a genius, giving in to your “belly lust” for power, and coming to believe you are the ONLY ONE who can “fix” anything, extricates you from your own signature achievements, which may then fall into disrepair. 

 

We have certainly seen many of our favorite celebrities done in by this belly-lust, haven’t we? The rare Tom Hanks types, who have managed to keep both relationships and career stable and to some degree humble, become notable by their seeming ability to eschew the belly-lust for power. Neither do they seem to be swallowed up by the considerable wealth their success has brought them. Some famous figures like Warren Buffett have made commitments to donate sizeable portions of their largess to charity or noble causes like climate change or poverty. In their rare case, that their own bellies are “full enough” has enabled them to look beyond their own needs to see that they have been “empowered” to help the world in other ways. In the movie “Contact,” a wealthy multi-billionaire industrialist named S.R. Hadden bankrolls scientific ventures aimed at unlocking secrets of the universe. He confesses, though, that as his life is being eroded away by cancer, he has “taken much” from the world, and now wants to “give back” before his days are done. The fictional S.R. Hadden historically mirrors American industrialists—what have been dubbed “robber barons”—like Andrew Carnegie, who “gave away” much of their wealth before they died. In Carnegie’s case, much of it went to establish community libraries, while interestingly, some was used to install “state-of-the-art” pipe organs in churches throughout the Pittsburgh/Allegheny County area. This “guilt washing” is a very different type of philanthropy; in the scriptural metaphor, it is almost a kind of regurgitation of their ”belly-lust,” for it was their hunger for wealth and power that led them to “fill their bellies” in the first place, and their latter-day guilt over how they accomplished that that led to the “vomiting up” of some of their larder. 

 

Spiritual “giants” aren’t immune to this belly-lust, either. The Christian realm is overflowing with examples of evangelical “luminaries” who got greedy or power-hungry and destroyed their ministries. Billy Sunday, about whom some say was the model of Sinclair Lewis’s novel “Elmer Gantry,” comes to mind, as does Jim Bakker, the founder of the television ministry, “The PTL Club.” He and his weird wife, Tammy Faye Bakker, built an evangelical empire in Charlotte, North Carolina, only to lose it all to multiple bouts of belly-lust. As a pastor in my first church, I found that more than one of my parishioners had succumbed to the temptation to become a “life member” of Jim and Tammy Bakker’s giant Christian “Disneyland” in Charlotte, sending hundreds and hundreds of dollars their way, only to lose their ”membership privileges” when the Bakkers were prosecuted and their “Heritage USA” complex was sold to a Jewish businessman. Even beyond the initial scandal, the indigestion from belly-lust didn’t rest, as while Jim was in jail, Tammy Faye divorced him and ran off with the general contractor of “Heritage USA.” 

 

[I might add a personal side note here. In my prior career, working as the director of small, non-profit cable TV enterprise that produced local TV shows and aired them on local cable TV stations in Venango County, we aired Bakker’s “The PTL CLUB” program, which was sponsored by a local church. In the late 1970s, we received this show from PTL Ministries on expensive video tapes each week. After airing the Monday-Friday nightly program, we would package the tapes and send them along on the “bicycle,” meaning on to the next cable station that would air them. As Bakker’s PTL Ministries company continued to grow, at one point, we were not being told where to ship the tapes to next, and they began to pile up in our storage room. I called PTL and spoke with a supervisor named Jim Hightower, who asked me if we could erase and reuse these tapes in our TV production work. I told him we certainly could, as these were expensive items, and the tapes from PTL were “top of the line.” “Fine,” Hightower said, “we’re just rollin’ in it down here (meaning money!) and if you can use ‘em, KEEP em’!” It was then that I could see that PTL Ministries was heading for a bellyache of IMMENSE proportions!]

 

I get a weekly email from an organization called MinistryWatch that reports on various financial impropriety and scandal in Christian ministries. It is so sad to read their account of WAY too much belly-lust going on in “the church.” Embezzlement, marital infidelity, sexual misconduct with children and youth, are just a few of the things happening because people may so easily allow their “belly” to become their god. In 1887, British Lord Acton wrote to Bishop Creighton of the Anglican Church, warning him that both public and religious leaders should be held accountable because “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!” He was perfectly describing the “discomfort” of belly-lust.

 

We may be living in a world today where belly-lust and the “Belly God” reign supreme. Not only do we indulge UNBELIEVABLE grabs of power and wealth by politicians and billionaire industrialists, shopping magnates, and “content creators,” but we “commoners” shell out HUNDREDS (even thousands?) of dollars for tickets to sporting events and concerts because the “entertainers” involved rake in piles of money for their often sub-standard output. Are we not “feeding” their belly-lust by doing so? I just got a notice from my cable TV company after the first of the year that my “annual” rate increase would again be almost 10%, meaning that I am currently paying more for my TV service than I paid for a car payment during the first 20 years of my marriage! I may be the next one to “cut the cable.” These prices are going UP because every single programmer needs to feed their growling belly, er bank account.

 

Paul is writing this stuff to his friends in the church at Philippi for good reason: the early church was not only not IMMUNE to this “god of the belly” phenomenon, but it was ripe for it. The budding Christian church, unlike the rather structured synagogues and temple of Judaism of the day, had little “official” structure and almost no accountability. It relied on the higher “ethics and morals” of the teachings of Jesus, but as they say, “When the cat’s away, the mice will play,” and until the early church built in some structure and accountability, belly-lust was awfully strong, and the newest converts were often weak against its hunger pangs. And, of course, the fledgling church was also ripe for those who wanted to prey upon it, and that is at least partly what Paul is speaking to in this passage. I know, as Christians with a conscience, we all may say, “How could they do that?” Well, look around. Have you heard of SCAMS over the phone, the Internet, or via texts going on today? And who are the victims? Often the most vulnerable among us, especially senior citizens and the less educated. It happens in the church, too, as many of these con artists KNOW that religious people are often too easy in doling out trust and too guilty if successfully scammed to report it to the authorities. This is a fertile field for scammers! In his day, Paul loved the folk at Philippi and didn’t want them to be either victimized or controlled by people with terminal belly-lust. We feel the same way today about our loved ones, but the only way to remain diligent is to be AWARE of its power and “reach,” and be willing to share information designed to protect each other and the church against such exploitation. This is why groups like Ministry Watch exist, as well as financial giving watchdogs like “Charity Navigator,” which is a great online tool to “check out” any organization you may wish to support. 

 

Friends, none of us is immune to making our own desires or personal lusts into a god at whose “feet” we worship. I’m amazed at how even a moderate amount of sudden financial gain or acquisition of power can change a person. Years ago, we had a member of our home church who was stricken with a disability due to an errant medication. She became paraplegic, and received a multi-million dollar settlement from the drug company. As our church was involved in a building campaign, the woman offered a generous gift to assure that all aspects of the new building would not only meet the current ADA guidelines, but would have various helpful “conveniences” included. However, once her settlement was “in the bank,” an attorney advising the woman STRONGLY urged her to renege on the gift, governed by his own “fear” of her running out of money. It was his belly-lust that quenched the Spirit, in this case. Likewise, one of my saddest stories from 36-plus years in ministry tells the tale of WAY too many families that were negatively affected by an inheritance, even very moderate ones. The belly-lust generated by a few tens of thousands of dollars, even, put brothers and sisters, or children and parents at loggerheads with each other, and/or seemed to turn generous, caring individuals into fearful, overly paranoid ones, or even into spendthrifts, buying things they had “lusted” after for years, or using their “found wealth” to move into larger quarters, none of which they could support when the inheritance ran out.

 

So, beyond the caution Paul gives us of the lure of belly-lust, what are we to learn from this passage of scripture? Paul suggests we develop a “hunger” for the Kingdom of God, of which he reminds us we are citizens. If we hunger after the teachings of Jesus, and after the contented, Christian life, our psychological “tummies” will be satiated with grace rather than “grease.” As many of you know, I went on a personal “crusade” to lose 50 pounds and make myself healthier. With counsel from my dietitian/wife, I used an app to keep close track of what I ate and to properly portion my intake to lose a pound a week. Now that I am at the weight I set as my goal, I have remained diligent, and STILL use the app daily to record what I’m eating, and have set it to “maintain.” This is a decent metaphor for how to keep our spiritual “tummies” happy—monitor what you are doing to “feed” them, worship with other believers and interact with them, as they are a much healthier “environment” for you! You won’t be tempted to give in to the belly-lust yearning so easily! In my healthier eating goals, it meant staying out of McDonalds, Taco Bell, or a the bakery section of our market, and learning to eat smaller portions. You can figure out your own spiritual parallels to these “eating” behaviors—I trust you. I had a dietitian to help me along the way in my weight management quest. WE have the living Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and a “cloud of witnesses” (our fellow Christian friends) to keep us on “our program.” Just remember: when your tummy “growls,” you can either fill it with good, nutritious “foods” and a reasonable amount of them at that, or give in to the belly-lust and order up a couple of Big Macs, fries, and a Coke. Spiritual interpretation? Stay away from Joel Osteen and start your morning with one of the Apostle Paul’s epistles with a side of Richard Rohr! Bon Appetit!

 

The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle Has Landed

 

Deuteronomy 26:1-11

Saved from Egypt 

 

26:1 "When you have come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess and you possess it and settle in it,

 

26:2 you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his name.

 

26:3 You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time and say to him, 'Today I declare to the LORD your God that I have come into the land that the LORD swore to our ancestors to give us.'

 

26:4 When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the LORD your God,

 

26:5 you shall make this response before the LORD your God: 'A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous.

 

26:6 When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us,

 

26:7 we cried to the LORD, the God of our ancestors; the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression.

 

26:8 The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders;

 

26:9 and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

 

26:10 So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O LORD, have given me.' You shall set it down before the LORD your God and bow down before the LORD your God.

 

26:11 Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the LORD your God has given to you and to your house.

 

A land flowing with milk and honey. Sure sounds inviting, doesn’t it? Many years ago, a friend and I went to Phoenix, Arizona, rented an apartment, got jobs, and “explored the country,” as they say. I had never been to Arizona, and with its daily sunshine (it rained ONCE during the months we lived there), almost non-existent humidity, and beautiful, desert landscapes, it first appeared as a paradise to this Western Pennsylvania “oil boy.” And don’t get me wrong, I truly enjoyed my time in Arizona, especially some of the female company I found there, but after the initial “luster” wore off, there were a few realities with which to deal. First of all, my early morning trek to my job on Indian School Road from our place in Scottsdale was a chilly one. It would often be in the high 40s at 6:30AM (I had to be at work by 7:00AM), so I would wear my leather-sleeved varsity coat, and with almost zero humidity, it felt FREEZING in the shadows. By the time I came home in the afternoon, it might be 105 degrees, so I would carry my varsity coat on a stick in front of me, so no part of it would touch my body. I went golfing one weekend with a friend, and on one hole, my ball sliced over a fence into the desert at the highly-irrigated course’s fringe. From the green fairway I could see my ball on the other side of the fence, but right next to it was a medium-sized Diamondback Rattle Snake. Needless to say, I took a Mulligan. One day, I noticed the exterminator spraying around the eaves of our one-story apartment building, and I asked him what he was spraying for. He said, “Here, come with me.” He took me to the still under construction apartment down the alley behind our place, and pointed up under the eaves there. “We haven’t started treating this place yet, since they are still building it, but do you see those guys?” “Those guys” were a bunch of Black Widow spiders! This land of “Milk and Honey” had some surprises. Another thing…we had arrived in Scottsdale during the Summer, and found great quarters in a fairly new apartment complex that had been built for the “snowbirds,” the folk who moved into the Arizona climate from the North, during the Winter months. Landlords were happy to rent these places to any decent human during the Summer and Fall months, but come the first of December, our rent would have gone up TEN fold! It didn’t matter, though, as all of the “snowbird” apartments were already spoken for. SO, our “milk and honey” land would force us home to Western PA, just after Thanksgiving. 

 

Israel and their promised land had similar “hidden” issues, though more of theirs were about the responsibilities that come from occupying a new land. While it might have been “flowing with milk and honey,” it would also mean a lot of work to keep it protected, productive, and to develop a lifestyle and ethic that would be honoring to the “landlord”—God. Furthermore, the Hebrew code of hospitality would require the residents of Israel to welcome “strangers and sojourners” (immigrants and drifters) into their land, care for them, and even treat them with all of the rights of citizenship. (Knowing what modern Israel has been doing with Palestinians and other residents of the West Bank, one must wonder what in the world happened to this code? I realize that this latest war was triggered by an attack from Hamas, but honestly, one must wonder if the REAL cause of the hostility was the marginalizing, and “land-grabbing” Israel has been foisting upon the West Bank residents. Having visited with some of these people while on an educational trip to the Holyland a few years back, I can certainly see why they do not feel “welcomed” by the state of Israel.) 

 

This week’s news included a story about an unmanned, robotic spacecraft that managed to soft-land on the Moon, after which it sent back some impressive photographs of its surroundings. The Moon is littered with similar spacecraft that did not finding landing such a soft proposition, so this “Blue Ghost,” as it’s called, made news. The story reminded me, an incurable “space geek,” of humanity’s first successful manned lunar landing by Apollo 11 in the Summer of 1969. Neil Armstrong’s historic report that “the Eagle has landed” kind of became a catch phrase for almost any successful arrival for travelers the world over. I’m sure Israel had some version of this pronouncement when they finally set foot in the promised land. While their world might have been flowing with milk and honey, these things were not on tap! It would take a lot of husbandry and work to tame even this world, AND, as I mentioned earlier, a strong allegiance with their heavenly landlord. When they skipped or scrimped on either of these responsibilities, things didn’t go well for them. 

 

So it was the with beautiful, yet hostile land Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin found at the Sea of Tranquility. Aldrin dubbed it “magnificent desolation,” so it was. These first lunar astronauts—and the 10 who would follow them on subsequent missions—had to bring along their own “friendly” environment and amazingly technical space suits in which to explore the unfriendly terrain. They “invented” a unique way of “bunny-hopping” as the best way to navigate in bulky space suits in the one-sixth gravity of the Moon, and while there was some levity around the many times those 12 men lost their balance and fell onto the lunar surface, any of those spills could have been tragic, had they cut open their suits on a sharp rock, of which there were many. There were a few other surprises that even “Houston” didn’t know about, too. First of all, the fact that there is no air, water, or wind on the Moon meant that the soil and the rocks suffered from no “smoothing” by erosion. The lunar “dust” was made up of tiny, very sharp particles that made it stick together almost like it WAS laden with honey, AND it stuck to everything it touched, such as the fabric of the space suits. This fact is why the suits got so very DIRTY, and stayed that way, and why so much of it got into the two spacecraft. It’s also why the whacky “deniers” questioned the veracity of the moon landing, as they argued that the “real” Moon had no water, and they believed the presence of moisture to be the only explanation for the “tackiness” of the lunar soil. Also, the astronauts were surprised and a bit “concerned” that, when they finished their Moon walk, repressurized the Lunar Module, and took off their space suits, they found the plentiful lunar soil had a quite pungent odor similar to gunpowder. (No one had ever smelled the Moon before.) This stuff fascinates me! The Eagle’s landing on what was certainly the “promised land” for NASA and President Kennedy’s goal turned out to be a place of “magnificent desolation,” indeed, much like what Israel found when THEY landed in their promised land.

 

So, where are we going with this sermon? Well, LENT is a time to resurvey the “promised land” and to square up with the landlord! We all want the experience the “milk and honey” aspect of such a place, but are we willing to take on the responsibilities of land stewardship, hospitality to the “sojourners” we may encounter, and are we prepared for the occasional “beastly” challenge that may come along even in a blessed land? Preparation is a key word for the Lenten season. Our United Methodist liturgy uses the phrase, “Invitation to the Lenten Discipline,” and this invitation uses words such as “devotion,” “spiritual preparation,” “reconciled by penitence and forgiveness,” “restored,” “renew our faith,” “examination,” and even “self-denial” in its challenge to us as to how we “prepare.” It is SO important to understand—even as this particular liturgy does—that “self-denial” is not about giving up something stupid like PIZZA for Lent, but is instead challenging us to put our own needs and concerns on the “back burner” while becoming more attentive to the needs of others around us, and most especially the wider needs of the faith community. Some fast during Lent, which is a serious spiritual discipline, but the role of fasting has more to do with this self-denial aspect than it does with “bribing God to act,” as some try to use fasting to do. Yes, Mahatma Ghandi went on a hunger strike to get his people to not use violence against the British authorities, but Lenten fasting is NOT the same thing as a politically motivated hunger strike. Again, Lent is again a time to take stock, reassess the current reality of our spiritual life, and recommit ourselves to serving God and others. Confession and repentance is certainly part of that, but they are just the “opener,” not the end result of our Lenten disciplines. 

 

Had the Eagle just landed on the Moon, and never got off of it, we would not be celebrating the historic accomplishments of Apollo 11 and her crew. I sometimes think this is what the church does—either celebrates too early or starts the hand-wringing over its difficulties LONG before the mission is over. Like Apollo 11’s Lunar Module, the church needs to GET UP and relaunch itself for its mission to go forward, let alone ever be completed. Had the Eagle only landed and never blasted back off the Moon, we would be holding an annual memorial service, remembering the lives of the two expired astronauts. Frankly, we have WAY too many churches that are just holding memorial services for their dying church, rather than looking for innovative ways to “relaunch” it into the mission. Lent IS a time for such relaunching, AND it is a time to innovate. If there ever was a time when the Christian church needed critical, creative thinkers, that time is now. And while Lent is also a time we can petition the “Landlord” for more improvements to our situation, we should take a fresh look at the “lease” (God’s Word) to see what is expected of us!

 

Friends, as this text says, we ALL want to “celebrate the bounty” of the promised land, and we should, but such “bounties” only come about because we plant and tend to the crop before the harvest can come. May we all find a renewed energy and interest in BECOMING the Beloved Community that beckons the sojourners and strangers to come! Amen!

  

The Lighthouse

 

The Lighthouse

 

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

Jesus is transfigured on the mountain 

9:28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray.

9:29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.

9:30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.

9:31 They appeared in glory and were speaking about his exodus, which he was about to fulfill in Jerusalem.

9:32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep, but as they awoke they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him.

9:33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us set up three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah," not realizing what he was saying.

9:34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were terrified as they entered the cloud.

9:35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"

9:36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen.

9:37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.

9:38 Just then a man from the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child.

9:39 Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him.

9:40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not."

9:41 Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and put up with you? Bring your son here."

9:42 While he was being brought forward, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

9:43a And all were astounded at the greatness of God.

Every time I read any of the scriptures about Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, I think of this gospel song that I first heard sung by the gospel quartet, The Couriers, who used to make guest appearances at our church:

The Lighthouse (by Ronnie Hinson)

 

There's a lighthouse on the hillside
That overlooks life's sea
When I'm tossed, it sends out a light
That I might see
And the light that shines in darkness now
Will safely lead us o'er
If it wasn't for the lighthouse
My ship would be no more

 

It seems that every one about us says,
Tear that old lighthouse down
The big ships just don't pass this way anymore
So there's no use in standin' round.
Then my mind goes back to that one dark, stormy night
When just in time I saw the light
Yes, it was the light from that old lighthouse
That stands up there on the hill

 

And I thank God for the lighthouse
I owe my life to Him
Jesus is the lighthouse
And from the rocks of sin
He has shown a light around me
That I might clearly see
If it wasn't for the lighthouse
Tell me where would this ship be

 

Dara has always enjoyed lighthouses. In our parsonage in Coraopolis, which was basically a mansion on “mansion row” on State Avenue, there was a room on the first floor that was decorated in a “ship” motif, and we decided to keep that décor and used it to display our growing lighthouse collection. Most of the little lighthouse statues we had were of ones we had actually visited in our travels. In October of 2020, during COVID, when travel was rather limited, I arranged for us to spend a week in the lighthouse keeper’s house at the Cove Point Lighthouse on the Chesapeake Bay. Cove Point is still a working lighthouse, but is now automated, so the local historical society has renovated the keeper’s house and rents it out. It’s on a private, gated jetty on the bay, so it was a perfect, secluded place to spend a COVID vacation! Lighthouses have long been a symbol of the guiding light of the Son of God, as Hinson’s gospel song attests. There is something romantic and even spiritual about the lighthouse, sending out its beams of light to guide ships, give them their bearings, and keep them from running aground, isn’t there? On our first cruise out of the Port of Baltimore a couple of years after our Cove Point stay, we were able to locate that lighthouse from the deck of the ship as we sailed the Chesapeake toward the Atlantic Ocean. It was cool to see the beam from “our lighthouse” pulsing from the shore of that jetty!

 

We all know that Jesus proclaimed himself the light of the world, and then later “transferred” that light to us, suggesting that WE are the light of the world, as his witnesses. Truth is, we—at best—REFLECT the light of Christ to the world, but nonetheless, we have an opportunity to cast illumination on a world always teetering on darkness and ruin. In the story of the transfiguration, Jesus ACTUALLY GLOWS with the presence of the Living God, a light so bright, so powerful that it attracts not moths, but Moses and Elijah! It’s no wonder that Peter wants to turn the experience into a permanent shrine and just “stay” there. It’s where we get the term, “mountaintop experience,” isn’t it? But of course, the disciples and Jesus DID have to descend from the Mount of Transfiguration, and when they did, the spiritual darkness plaguing the world below hit them in the face, as they encountered the boy with a demon. 

 

None of us likes to come face to face with these kinds of harsh realities. Honestly, it would be nice if our most serious troubles could be neatly wrapped up in some evil spirit that could be “cast out,” affecting a complete healing or cleansing. However, real life is messier than that. Rarely are any of our troubles in manageable, neat packages, and more rarely still are they so easily “cast out.” As a pastor, I have been saddened by how many times a church member or a family has had to deal with layered challenges and complicated, interwoven troubles, be they physical, spiritual, or psychological. WAY too often in our contemporary society we see persons facing serious illness, coupled with inadequate health insurance or a dearth of available medical treatment anywhere near them. And on top of that, there are forces in our government that want to further reduce the healthcare people DO have, thinking it will “save money.” Not only has history shown that nothing could be farther from the truth, but this idea totally lacks compassion for our fellow members of the human community who find themselves in need. Maybe it’s time we think about building fewer bombers or cruise missiles, if we want to save tax dollars, rather than cut off peoples’ Medicare or Medicaid? Talk about a need for transfiguration!

 

There is something peaceful about a lighthouse, and the soft, yet essential light it casts out into the night. Lighthouses are quiet—they don’t make a sound, as they go about their business. And yet, their influence is quite profound, especially if you are a ship floundering on a stormy night near a shoal or a shore you know may be your undoing. Modern lighthouses have LED illumination or even electronic strobe lighting, but I have always enjoyed the rich history of the earlier lighting employed in these life-saving structures. Some lighthouses still use something called a Fresnel lens, which is a layered glass “globe” that results in both amplifying the brightness and narrowly focusing the light created by a bulb at its center. I think the Fresnel lens is a good symbol for the church of Jesus Christ! Are we not called to amplify and focus the life-giving light of Christ to the world, and to shine it in all directions into the darkness of the world? In the history of lighthouses, people were always improving these Fresnel lenses so they would do an even better job of “transmitting” the light of the lighthouse. We are in an era of the church when we, too, have a calling to IMPROVE the way we reflect God’s light, and yet instead, we are engaging in doctrinal “wars,” splits, and disaffiliations. Rather than build a better lens, we are breaking up the beam and scattering the light. God will judge us for this, I fear. 

 

As we ponder the miracle of the Transfiguration of Jesus, may be believe anew in the miracle of the Body of Christ. May we choose to “improve our serve” by building a better lens instead of hoarding our light under a bushel. Unlike modern lighthouses that no longer need keepers to tend them, OUR lighthouse—the church—needs us all, as well as our gathered spiritual gifts. Oh, and lighthouses do not restrict where their light shines, do they? ANY SHIP within eyeshot can see the light and be guided safely to harbor by it. ANY ship. Imagine how pointless it would be to have a lighthouse that could only be seen by certain ships. I just don’t know what some Christians are thinking, in this regard. The light is meant to guide and direct EVERY ship, and the light is not something to “possess” or “guard” like some theological doctrine. The light IS a guard, saving “ships” from crashing into the rocky shores of life. 

 

Years ago I heard an apocryphal story about a radio conversation from an American ship to Canadian authorities. It went like this:

 

Americans: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision.

 

Canadians: Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

 

Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

 

Americans: This is the aircraft carrier USS Lincoln, the second largest ship in the United States' Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by three destroyers, three cruisers and numerous support vessels. I demand that YOU change your course 15 degrees north, that's one five degrees north, or countermeasures will be undertaken to ensure the safety of this ship.

 

Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

 

There’s a message in this parabolic story for the church. If all we’re doing is throwing our “weight”—our “biblical authority” around—we’re not at all doing the work of shining the light of Christ, abiding by its guidance, and reflecting it to other “ships” that are floundering. WAY too often, in midst of the pointless theological battles and debates swirling around the church, I can hear the steady voice of God from GOD’S anchored-on-the-rock lighthouse returning the message, “Your call.” Amen.

 

Reunion

 

Reunion

 

Genesis 45:3-11, 15

Joseph forgives his brothers 

 

45:3 Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence.

 

45:4 Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt.

 

45:5 And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

 

45:6 For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are five more years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvest.

 

45:7 God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors.

 

45:8 So it was not you who sent me here but God; he has made me a father to Pharaoh and lord of all his house and ruler over all the land of Egypt.

 

45:9 Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me; do not delay.

 

45:10 You shall settle in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your children and your children's children, as well as your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

 

45:11 I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have will not come to poverty.'

 

45:15 And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them, and after that his brothers talked with him.

 

This is NOT a reunion Joseph’s brothers were either expecting nor desiring. As we know from the story, their jealousy of Joseph and his special treatment by their father led to their selling him into slavery in Egypt, and faking his death to lie to their father, Jacob. Now, here they were, hoping to garner some food from the stores of Egypt because of famine in their land, and who do they meet, but their old “bro.” I’m guessing that once they recognized who this was, they were ready for the stockades themselves. In the vernacular, “We’re screwed!”

 

That Jacob, the father, had played favorites never helped the situation, back in the day. Jacob—one not known as having much discretion—had pulled the wool over so many peoples’ eyes in his life that it took an actual “wrestling match” with God to get serious. Unfortunately, when it came to child-rearing, he hadn’t learned much. Joseph was a gifted lad, indeed, but to shower him with gifts and praise in front of his siblings certainly helped percolate the eventual bad deed, on their part. The “coat of many colors” of the story’s fame, is more symbolic, than anything else. It’s a convenient story element or “shortcut” communicating dad’s favoritism, AND standing for how public Jacob was with it. Every loving parent has played the “favorite” card as a technique in parenting as a means of encouraging a child, but never overtly, and certainly never in front of any siblings, as this would be both stupid and cruel. Telling a child privately that there is something about them that you particularly are proud of can be quite uplifting, especially to a child who may be waning in self-confidence. Using the old “Why can’t you be more like your brother (or sister)?” is moving in the wrong direction, though. Jacob goes way beyond that. Sure, as a “man of God,” Jacob may have detected that Joseph had the “Prophet’s gift” on him, especially in the way he could interpret dreams and such, but rubbing Joseph’s brothers’ noses in it set the stage for Joseph’s exile to Egypt. Jacob, by the way, was one of those “Godly scoundrels” in the Bible, like David. While I like that God demonstrates time and time again that God can use anybody to advance the cause of the Divine Commonwealth, I do sort of question why so many of the “heroes” of the Bible have such a checkered past. We should remember that this history was largely written by men, and for whatever reason, many members of my gender LIKE the “scoundrels” and get excited when they “do good.” Note that even the Bible history is soft on the repercussions of their sin, to some degree. David sends Uriah the Hittite to his death on the battlefield so he can claim Bathsheba, and we don’t really hear much about how much pain that must have caused Uriah’s family, or even how it affected Bathsheba, because the story is all about David. 

 

Joseph was no paragon of humility, either. He parades his “coat of many colors” around his brothers, which includes bragging about the self-aggrandizing dreams he is having. In this, Joseph sounds much like the proverbial “chip off the old block,” as humility was never one of Jacob’s traits, either. (After all, he WRESTLES WITH GOD and complains that God CHEATED!) 

 

All good biblical stories are about redemption, aren’t they? I’m not one that gets excited about stories centering on judgment or retribution, as these don’t build community, though certain acts of law and enforcement may be necessary to maintain it. Some people like the apocalyptic stories we find smattered throughout the scriptures, but usually for the wrong reasons. Their original intent was to offer a persecuted, down-trodden peoples hope that God IS in charge, ultimately. Modern “fans” of it, though, often find fascination in the “fulfilment of prophecy” or see “justice” in the Second Coming, believing that Jesus will return to judge and “get even” with bad actors. I am not convinced that this is at all what is going to happen, as we believe in a forgiving, redeeming God, not one that “exists” to slam those whose path has taken them away from the divine will. Thankfully, the Joseph story in this text is truly one of forgiveness and redemption!

 

The brothers experience these values when they find themselves before the brother they sold into slavery over their jealousy. Joseph offers them redemption as a kind of “Christ” figure, acting out what Jesus would someday exclaim from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Joseph’s version was, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good,” meaning that Joseph’s ultimate “salvation” of Egypt, using his prophetic gift during the time of drought, also led to his reunion with his brothers, where he saved them and his father, too. 

 

I referred to Joseph as a “Christ figure,” meaning that he is the key redemptive element in this story. However, Joseph finds his own redemption here, too. Think of it—he could have decided to lock up his brothers and punish them for what they did to him, when they presented themselves unexpectedly before him in Egypt. The same people who get off on the “Second Coming” stuff might have liked it, had Joseph used his power and position to get even. But Joseph takes the high ground, forgiving his brothers, rejoicing in his reunion with them, offering the “What you meant for evil…” theological lesson, and literally saving them from starvation. Joseph chooses the better way. And while he does take a bit of a brief ego trip—referring to himself as the “Lord of Egypt”—he survives as a humble servant of the Most High God, and a loving sibling to his brothers.

 

The story may also serve as our own “reunion” with the values Jesus taught us, namely the aforementioned forgiveness and redemption. We are called to the “ministry of reconciliation,” in the words of the Apostle Paul, not as “enforcers” of God’s anger over the stumbling of our neighbors. Remember the parable Jesus told about the guy who owes his master a huge sum of money? During a jubilee year, the master forgives the man the great debt. However, rather than paying it forward, the forgiven man goes out and finds a poor schlepp who owes him a few dollars and DEMANDS that he repay it immediately, under the threat of being thrown into debtor’s prison. When the master hears of this, he has the man brought before him again, and he revokes his own pardon of him, telling his servants to “throw him into the outer darkness.” We have been warned about carrying grudges and relishing in retribution. 

 

We are also reminded yet again that God forgives and redeems us in Jesus Christ, and we must now choose how to pay it forward in our own lives. The story of Joseph and his brothers is yet another reminder of just who God is, and how the genuine people of God are to respond to our own redemption. Our final “reunion” is with our own conscience. May we, like Joseph, choose the better way to behave! Amen.