Mary Did You Know?

There is a beautiful Christmas song that captures the wonder of holding an infant and looking into the eyes of infinite possibilities. It’s called “Mary, Did You Know?” In that song, the bold expectations that we have in Advent are sung because we know that this is not just a season of expectancy for an infant but for a savior. We have the vantage point of history whereby we can beg the question, “Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?” But what does Advent offer us who cannot feel such hope or are trapped in oppression such that hope is a luxury we cannot afford? 

No one would listen to a song that cried out, “Mary, did you know that your child would languish in depression such that death was hoped for?” A song that proclaimed, “Mary, did you know that your baby boy would be shot by police because he was too afraid to ask for help and too proud to act vulnerable?” would never receive any attention. So what does Advent have for those of us who are so pained by life that it’s hard to believe that a savior will be born? 

I’m not writing this so that you will engage me on the fine points of theology. I have answers to that question that satisfy both my faith and my longing on the dark nights of my soul. But I’m asking that question because I know that joy does not come easily for many and hope feels too dangerous for some. I’m asking that question because we should pause to hear the cries of those for whom expectant hope is too much to ask. Please don’t tell me how your Savior has walked you through the darkness. Instead, look around for those who need your love to hold them through the pain. Please be hope in the darkness for others. That’s the Christmas miracle I'm praying for tonight. 

Pathways and Promises

Ordinary 13A – A sermon based upon Genesis 22:1-14

Good morning. To be honest, I’ve struggled with this sermon all week because when I sat down to look at the lectionary texts, the one God kept whispering to me was the Genesis 22 story of God testing Abraham by telling him to offer his son as a sacrifice. I kept saying, “No, that one is too hard. We’re kicking off Vacation Bible School so let’s do something more inspiring.” But God being the never ending nudger and caller to growth wouldn’t let me get away with picking another text.

So here we are, looking at a story that has horrified people for thousands of years and continues to distress us with what it might mean that God would ask such a thing of us. Maybe kick off day for VBS is the right day to dig into a biblical story so complicated that we usually want to ignore it or explain it away.

So, what can we do to make sense of this story? I’ve read tons of commentaries and scholarly material this week and learned more about how many different opinions and views there are than any one thing. But let me give you a brief rundown of some of what theologians and scholars think about this.

Verse 14 reads, “So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’” So, some think the whole thing is just a myth because the passage ends with telling us how a mountain got its name and how a saying came into being. They say it never happened and it’s just a story to tell us a lesson. Well, whether or not it happened, the tougher part is figuring out what the lesson or lessons are.

Some scholars believe this is a symbolic story where the ancient Israelites living in exile would have understood themselves to be the “firstborn” that God would provide for and also Abraham who God was testing. This is also an interesting thought but what does that really mean to us today? So I kept digging.

Some say Abraham was willing to follow God’s command so unquestionably because he knew that God would intervene and not allow Isaac to be hurt since the boy was part of bigger promises already made by God. Well, maybe Abraham did hope for that but I doubt he truly knew for certain what would happen when they set out. Also, if he already knew, then the moral of the story would be, “if you already know what God’s doing in your life, just play along” rather than “God will provide.”

Many theologians are deeply concerned with misinterpretations of this passage as justification of child abuse. Seeing this text in too flat a way can lead to justifying the use of children as pawns in adult disputes such as divorces. Taking it too far can even lead to a complete perversion of the text and of God’s true will by proclaiming that God condones the use, abuse, and murder of children. However, this passage never says anything like that. In fact, 16 biblical passages firmly forbid human sacrifice and countless passages condemn the injury of children.

So, here we are… lots of opinions but we’re still mortified by the thought of God asking such a thing of Abraham. But I don’t think it’s just us in this time and place. It’s not that we’re reading with a New Testament orientation of a loving God and people of old weren’t. I suspect all people in all times and places have found this story horrific and maybe that’s part of the point.

Biblical stories come to us with a richness and a history that teach us things about human nature and divine covenant in action. So when we see a story that doesn’t match our understanding of those, it catches our attention. See, lots of folks want to know how Abraham could do this without even asking God why? There’s nothing in this passage or the bible in general that calls for us to not ask God questions so we can understand more. So how did a father choose to do this without asking? And when we look at our own faith, we don’t understand how someone could have that kind of faith in the first place. Abraham’s actions stand out to us because they are inconsistent with what we know of human nature so it jars us. And to go a little further, we’re also jarred by the idea that if God would ask this of Abraham, what might we be asked to do? Would we rise to the occasion or go running the other way? And if God is testing Abraham does that mean that God doesn’t know the outcome of human free will?

There are just so many questions that make this passage stand out for further scrutiny. So, what do we make of all this?

Well, the first thing is to figure out what we do know for sure from the passage. One of the first things is to recognize that the biblical reader and God are the ones who know this is a test. Abraham, Isaac, and the people of the story do not know this is only a test. If they had known, they would have interacted very differently.

We also know that since this is only a test, God never intends to hurt Isaac. Keep in mind that Abraham has struggled with faith his whole life. God only wants to know about Abraham’s faithfulness and once that is established the next passage is where God promises Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars.

Another thing we know is that Abraham has come to a new level in his faith. He possesses a deep trust in God. Even when Isaac sees that something is obviously not right about the situation and asks about it, Abraham responds faithfully that God will provide. Again, I want to point out that this passage does not say that passivity and unquestioning are good. It’s just that Abraham didn’t question.

And another thing we know about this passage is from a literary device. Hebrew scripture, was arranged in ballad like songs. So, repeating words, sounds, and other emphasis are always there for a reason but we miss those in translation.

When we read this, we see some form of the verb “to see” 5 times. But when read in Hebrew, the arrangement is in such a way that we learn that sight and a kind of progress of “seeing” are deeply important to unraveling this passage. Abraham is shown to taking in more information through his sight. Revelation in this story is not as much about the words being said but about seeing something new or with greater clarity.

Okay, we’ve done all this biblical digging because we’re looking for what it’s going to mean in our lives. So from what we know, what can we extract as lessons for our lives? Well, I’d like to suggest two lessons we can take away. The first is the obvious one. God provides.

God’s provision for us and our lives is that of incredible abundance. In last week’s scripture message, we explored the ways we experience God’s refuge and strength within the church. But it’s not always easy to see and experience God’s provision. I mean we experience lost jobs, crime, disasters, oppressive sins like racism and classism, and we each carry deep sorrows for the way we’ve been hurt by the brokenness of the world. The way we experience the world, it’s hard to imagine how Abraham could have trusted God so much.

But we need to be clear to understand the sufferings brought about by human brokenness and free will are not the will or work of God. God’s work of giving is in the places that we heal those sorrows and pains. God’s provision is in relationship and community. And God does provide in ways that we could never have arranged for on our own.

Does it mean we can just go along hoping all will be well? No. All was well because Abraham continued to act in good faith and do what God had asked. Just like Abraham was walking the journey of action, so must we. God’s provision in most people’s lives is directly linked to our kindness, love, and compassion for one another. As partners of God in the body of Christ, we always hope but that hope is bound together with action.

This brings me to the second and less obvious point I think this passage has for us today. Earlier I said that one of the things we know about this passage is it’s evolving use of the verb “to see.” This progressive seeing and revelation points to something very important in our lives. I think the second point is that we are often led down paths based upon our current understanding but we are always responsible for keeping our eyes open to new revelation and paths as God opens them up to us.

Abraham was given a command by God and started down that pathway. See, Abraham lived around other cultures where child sacrifice was a common practice even though it wasn’t for his culture. Nevertheless, he could make sense of it at the time. Yet, he kept looking and therefore seeing more and more as time passed. By the moment when the angel intervened, Abraham may likely have understood that this was all a test. But regardless of what he believed, the point remains that he kept his eyes open to what God was continuing to reveal. This made him both faithful in his actions but flexible to adapt to a new path when it came along.

This is a huge lesson. God expects us to keep growing and to be open to new paths as something different is revealed. God leads us but may change what information we have as we are more and more ready to receive it. So, we must be willing to let God change what our understanding of faithfulness means.

And this is a tough one because we’re not always good with change, especially in the religious world. We cling to our comfortable beliefs and ministries. But that’s not what we are always called to do. The idea that “we’ve always done it this way” isn’t necessarily God’s will and guidance. What we’ve always done must be constantly under scrutiny for new revelation.

Now what that new revelation may mean, we’re going to have to explore another time. And from this passage, it seems like something we should always be exploring. But as we leave here today, maybe the questions can get us going. What is it in our personal lives that God might be opening a different door for us? What about our professional lives? What new thing or things is God opening this congregation to? How can that openness be a gift? And how can we support one another in the discomfort of transitions as we adapt to what God has in store for us?

Sisters and brothers, this is our charge: to be watchful, willing to grow, and live in the work of God’s provision. As we go from here, may God bless our seeing and understanding of the pathways that lay ahead of us. Amen

I, You, and We

I, You, and We <-- audio file of sermon based upon Jeremiah 29:1,4-7

Good morning. Last week we studied a pastoral letter from Paul to Timothy and his church. It was a letter of encouragement and a calling to stay connected with their core gifts and faith. This week we have a letter from Jeremiah which is also a pastoral letter but one that is prophetic. Paul’s letter was telling people how to cultivate faith here and now. Jeremiah’s letter is looking toward the future and setting out the vision of how to still be a thriving people in the future.

Even though we only read a small piece of this letter, it’s part of a larger letter that to the Jewish people while they were in exile. See, to really get the most out of this passage, we need to understand what was going on that Jeremiah was sending this letter. It’s a very painful time for the Jewish people. The Kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians and now the Jewish people have literally been deported to live in exile. Their homes have been taken, their religious center in Jerusalem has been destroyed, and everything they ever knew and trusted was turned upside down.

So here they are, living in Babylon amongst people and customs unknown to them but things aren’t safe and secure here either. This was a period of deep unrest throughout the fertile crescent. Empires had and would continue to rise and fall, taking lots of innocent people with them. The Jewish people were probably living amongst lots of people away from their homelands and the Babylonians could fall at any time uprooting them all once again.

This is a time of unrest, fear, and deep concern for their future. And it’s in this moment that Jeremiah writes to them saying,

Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

You see Jeremiah was telling them to continue to do the everyday things that it not only takes to survive but to thrive. Continue to have children. Continue to cultivate relationships. Multiply.

Now, we need to be clear that this was a very different time and place than where we live now. Relationships were usually not about love. Marriages in that time were more like contract law, trade agreements, and alliance building for the safety of people. Few people in the bible or any ancient texts are said to have married for love or even come to love their spouses because this is a very different time of desperation. But what is clear is that in land full of danger and a time when babies and mothers died 50% of the time, having children was absolutely essential for people to survive so Jeremiah was clear that they needed to increase, not decrease.

Which all this leads us to what I think is the most important verse in the passage where Jeremiah tells them, “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” “For in its welfare you will find your welfare”… That must have been pretty hard to hear as a Jew in exile. I imagine it was hard for Jeremiah to say. I mean, here’s this prophet who is usually offering messages of revolution and thundering power who is telling people to pray for and work for the betterment of the community they find themselves in. This must have seemed offensive to people who had been deported and robbed of the homes they once knew. But it is God’s message to them through the prophet Jeremiah nevertheless.

Just like Jeremiah knew their survival was wrapped up in continuing to have children he also knew that their future was now intertwined in the safety of the Babylonians. To work for peace in Babylon was to work for peace in their own homes and vice versa.

Now this is a pretty hefty message in just a few short verses. A good summary of this passage might be, to truly prosper, we need to take care of our own house as well as the house of others by working for peace and safety. But what does this mean to us? In this country, babies and mothers survive nearly all of the time. Instead of dying at a rate of better than 50%, they survive over 99.5% of the time. And we have the privilege of entering into relationships for reasons of love, not just survival. So what does Jeremiah’s message of I take care of my house, you take care of yours, and we take care of each other’s houses mean here and now?

Well, I think it means quite a bit actually. It is true that we are a far more privileged people than what the Jewish exiles were. But we still experience our own sense of exile and if we don’t personally, I guarantee you that others around us do. Look around… there are people out of work and living in economic exile. Sometimes that exile even means moving to a new place that take away all that is familiar just to find work. There are others of us that make moves to accommodate family needs like caring for an aging parent or being near schools that are good for our children. But while these moves are the right thing to do, they uproot us from home and force distance between us and what is familiar. Still others experience emotional and literal exile of being marginalized because of race, class, relationships, age, violent neighborhoods, and so much more. We need only read the headlines of bullying and the sorrow of isolation to know that many are living in exile among us.

This passage offers us a key piece of wisdom in the face of all our life circumstances. Safety and peace are the pathway to the future. Our own homes are at their best when we make a place of peace and safety in which to grow, love, and live. Our neighbor’s homes are at their best when they are safe to be who they were created to be. Our communities are at their best when we know we’ve got each other’s backs.

On this day, it’s Domestic Violence awareness Sunday in the Presbyterian Church and I believe this passage most definitely has a message to us on that subject too. If safety and peace are the pathway to the future, then they are the pathway to the future for us all. It can’t be that only some of us are safe while others are not. That’s the whole thrust of this passage. “For in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

Domestic violence has staggering statistics.

• A woman is beaten every 15 seconds in this country.
• Domestic violence occurs at least once in two-thirds of all marriages.
• 600 people are victims of sexual violence each day in the US. Only 53% are reported to the police. Few are ever prosecuted.
• 40% of teenage girls age know someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
• More than three million children witness acts of domestic violence each year.

It doesn’t take long to become depressed when we take all this in. And statistically we all know people who are abused or are abusers… maybe even ourselves.

The statistics and the reality are so staggering that it’s hard to get our footing and figure out what to do about it. But this passage offers the key… safety and peace. Our own homes should be safe havens. If our homes currently have violence or relationships that aren’t loving and life filled, there is hope in redemptive love. Reach out for help. Reach to your neighbors. There is help and support. We can journey together and find strength as a community we didn’t know was there before.

If our homes are safe and loving places, make them available to others. Be the listening ear to our friends. Make it safe for our children to come talk with us as well as our children’s friends. We know that the first outcry for help usually comes to friends or to the parents of friends.

And don’t be afraid to do something. The effect of early and loving intervention in people’s lives cannot fully be accounted for. We are called to be in community… their welfare is ours. It is our job to offer support and be a safe haven. It is also our job to report crimes and seek professional intervention. But we are not called to be the saviors of others. We are not the police and therapist to our loved ones. We are their loved ones. But our community is large enough that we have professional organizations to offer help such as domestic violence shelters. If you are ever unsure of what resources are available, reach out to the police department, a pastor, a therapist, or someone else well connected with resources to help.

Sisters and brothers, Jeremiah tells us to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” In making our own homes and relationships safe places for thriving, we find our own welfare. In reaching out to others to help them have a home of safety, they find their welfare. I, you, we… we’re all wrapped up in this together. Whether it’s the emotional exile of depression or the exile of a violent home, we are in this together.

Seek peace. Be a safe harbor for others. And pray and work for the betterment and peace of the community. It was God’s will for the exiles and it’s still God’s will for our lives today. Amen.