“Wrong Questions”

Matthew 10: 40-42

A man sitting under a walnut tree was wondering why God had placed a large pumpkin on a small vine and such a small walnut on such a big tree. While he was lost in thought, a walnut fell from the tree and hit the man on the head.

The man rubbed his head and said, “I’m glad there aren’t pumpkins up there!”

A man went to a psychiatrist. He said, “I’ve got two problems.” The psychiatrist said, “Okay, tell me all about it.” The man began, “Well, I think I am a Coke Vending Machine.” The shrink sat the man right down and started going through his usual assessment techniques, but nothing seemed to help.

Finally, out of ideas, the doctor jumped to his feet, took three quarters from his pocket, forced them down the man’s throat, grabbed the man’s head and shook him until he swallowed the coins, and said, “Okay, now give me a Coke.”

The man smiled at the doctor, shook his head and replied, “I can’t Doc. That’s my second problem; I’m out of order.”

When we look at God we need to see that His priorities are not ours. We need to hear Jesus teach us what is important. We need to see that God thinks eternally.

“Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of the prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple – truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Jesus is telling us of the logic of being a believer is eternal and not based on frail human ideology. Sometimes our problems come because we ask the wrong questions or concentrate on just being human. A few examples of the wrong question:

Why do people ask a person digging a car out of a snow-bank, “Are you stuck?” If they answer, “No, my car died, and I’m giving it a decent burial,” probably wouldn’t make sense.

Nor would being asked if you have a flat tire, when you’re wet, disgusted and irritated while changing said tire on a stormy night on a dark highway;

“Oh no,” you feel like replying, “of course not. I always rotate my tires at night on a busy road when it’s raining.”

Or, “Can you get cavities in your dentures if you use artificial sweetener?” Since there is a speed of light and a speed of sound, is there a speed of smell? Or, “The Scarecrow got a brain, Tin Man got a heart, Lion got courage, Dorothy got home, what did Toto get?” Lastly: What is a "free" gift? Aren't all gifts free?

In our text “welcome” and “welcomes” (hu-po-lam-bano) means “to greet and make at home, to extend the protection and hospitality of your home to others." (It can also be translated “receive” and receives.) It is meant as an extension of the commands to be both a good and loving neighbor to others.

But (ever notice in the Kingdom of God there is always a “but?”) the welcome must be in Jesus’ name. You can do all kinds of good things for people but it won’t be noticed in God’s Kingdom unless you’ve already given everything to God in submission to His will.

There isn’t some kind of reward program that returns parts of good deeds to be used in the future like some “heavenly reward club.” Butch is right in his message.

This passage speaks to both welcoming and supporting those whose who do God’s work and those who are learning it through instruction, example and faith. The idea is expressed in the Greek word “ge-nos-co” or learning by experience.

Tarassos (troubles), lead to genosco (learning by experience).

Jesus tells us that our first experience in His Kingdom will be by attempting to live it here on earth first. It will matter in how we treat others and ourselves.

Jared and his dad were playing a game of catch one afternoon, when Jared asked, “Dad, is there a God?”

The dad, named Joe, had the same helpless feeling he experienced on the high school baseball team when he lost sight of a fly ball in the blazing sun. He didn’t know whether to move forward, backward, or just stay put. A string of answers raced through his mind. In the end Joe went for honesty, “I don’t know,” he replied.

Yet Joe’s agnosticism failed to stifle his son’s curiosity. Jared dug a little deeper, “If there is a God, how would you know him?” “I have no idea, Jared. I only went to church a couple of times when I was a kid, so I don’t know a lot about God.”

Jared seemed deep in thought for a few minutes as the game continued.

Suddenly, he headed for the house. “I’ll be right, back,” he yelled over his shoulder. “I have to get something.” Jared soon returned with a balloon fresh he had gotten from the circus along with a pen and an index card.

“Jared, what in the world are you doing?” Joe asked. “I’m going to send a message to God – airmail,” the boy replied. Before Joe could protest, Jared started writing on the index card, “Dear God, if you are real and if you are there, send people who know you to Dad and me.”

Joe kept his mouth shut, not wanting to dampen his son’s enthusiasm. This is silly, he thought as he helped Jared fasten the card to the balloon’s string. “But God, I hope you’re watching,” he added to his silent petition. After Jared let go of the balloon, father and son stood with their faces to the sky and watched it sail away.

Two days later, Joe and Jared pulled into a free car wash that a church was holding as part of their outreach into the community on a Saturday morning. “How much?” Joe asked as they neared the line of buckets, sponges and hoses. “It’s free,” the guy told him. “No strings attached.”

“Really!” Joe exclaimed. He was intrigued by getting something for nothing. “But why are you doing this?” “We just want to show you God’s love in a practical way.”

It was as if that simple statement opened a hidden door to Joe’s heart. The look on his face was incredible, “Wait a minute,” he practically shouted. “Do you know God?” “Yeah, we’re Christians,” the man replied. “I guess you’re the answer to one of the strangest prayers God’s ever received,” Joe said.

Yesterday nobody asked who the money was for, they pitched in to help, no strings or conditions. Just welcoming others in Jesus name; the Grace of God.

Jesus said, “Go and do likewise!”

We welcome others in Christ’s name and support the work of His Kingdom.

Amen

VALUE ADDED

Matthew 10: 24-39

Last week I was amazed at how long a fly hung onto my windshield wiper as I was driving down the National Pike. It led me to “google” houseflies.

I learned that the housefly is the most talented flyer on the planet — superior to any bird, bat, or bee. According to a scientist, “a housefly can make six turns a second, hover, fly straight up, fly straight down, fly backwards, do somersaults, land on the ceiling, and perform various other show-off maneuvers. And it has a brain smaller than a sesame seed.”

Flies are also loaded with sensors. In addition to their compound eyes, which permit panoramic imagery and are excellent at detecting motion, flies have wind-sensitive hairs and antennae. They also have three light sensors, called ocelli, on the tops of their heads, which tell them which way is up. Roughly two-thirds of a fly’s entire nervous system is devoted to processing visual images.

If God put so much information processing into ordinary houseflies, imagine what it means for each of us to know that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

Think for a second - If I offered you a dollar bill, would you take it? What if I wadded up the bill and threw it on the ground — would you still want it? What if I stepped on it, kicked it, and even spit on it? Could you still go to the store and spend it?

The answer is yes. That bill has value because of what it is, not because of how it looks, where it’s been, or what it has been used for. A crisp, clean dollar bill is worth the same amount as an ugly, old, abused one.

Jesus tells us many times that even though you may feel like you’ve been stepped on, beat up, or kicked around, even though you may feel dirty, unworthy, or useless,  be encouraged, that like the twenty-dollar bill I just talked about — no matter what you’ve been through, you still have value to God!

Let’s hear Jesus teaching on how much value we have (Matthew 10: 24-39):

"A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master.

If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one's foes will be members of one's own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.

Jesus has made the greatest offer known to humanity; but in order to receive it you have to commit to never ever accepting any other offers again from anyone else.

I will admit that my admiration for Senator John McCain has decreased over the years since I served under him in the Navy. But he once said, “Courage is like a muscle. The more we exercise it, the stronger it gets. I sometimes worry that our collective courage is growing weaker from disuse.”

He went on to say, “We don’t demand it from our leaders, and our leaders don’t demand it from us. The courage deficit is both our problem and our fault. As a result, too many leaders in the public and private sectors lack the courage necessary to honor their obligations to others and to uphold the essential values of leadership.”

I think McCain’s words serve as a wonderful summary of Jesus’ words from this passage from Matthew 10: 24-39. The value we have to God remains in being a true and reflective witness and disciple of Jesus.

As long as we have the courage to be a disciple we grow in love and value!

No compromise, no slacking off, no excuses, no allowances for “well, just this once…” The courage to hold to the truth and what’s right.

God doesn’t expect us to be perfect but He expects us to be consistently faithful and true to the values of His Kingdom and truth. In a funny way God expects us to live in such a way that we wouldn’t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip!

A psychology professor at the University of Maryland knew his students expected a  long, difficult, final exam. To play with their minds a little (what do you expect from a psychology professor?) he put ONE question on the final exam. He watched the reactions of the students as they all opened the exams and saw the one question. Initially they all looked relieved, but as the difficulty of the question began to sink in, those relieved faces sagged to confusion and consternation.

All, that is, except for one student. He read the question, tapped his pencil into his palm a few times, then quickly wrote something down on the test paper. He walked up to the professor, handed him the final, and walked out. The professor blinked in surprise, looked at what the student wrote, and smiled. The professor wrote "100%" on the top of that student's test.

The question: What is courage? The student's answer: “This is.” That’s what God wants – actions not promises. Reconciliation takes change – change takes courage.

If we do this we will close the distance between ourselves and God’s Kingdom. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that “Now everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

We should never forget that Jesus has taught us:

The foundation of ministry is character;

The nature of ministry is Service;

The motive for ministry is love;

The measure of ministry is sacrifice;

The authority of ministry is submission;

The purpose of ministry is the glory of God;

The tools of ministry are the Word of God and prayer;

The privilege of ministry is growth;

The power of ministry is the Holy Spirit;

And The model for ministry is Jesus Christ.

Have courage in Christ. Amen.

“The Blessing of Children”

Matthew 28: 16-20

The family children talked their mother into getting a hamster as long as they agreed to take care of the animal. Two months later, when Mother was caring for Denny the hamster, she made some phone calls and found a new home for him.

When they got home from school she broke the news to them and they seemed to take it well, but they did offer some comments. One of the children said, “He’s been around here a long time and we’ll miss him.” Mom agreed, saying, “Yes, but he’s too much work for one person, and since I’m that one person, I say he goes.”

Another child offered, “Well, maybe if he wouldn’t eat so much, and wouldn’t be so messy, we could keep him.” But she insisted, “Go and get his cage.”

With one voice and in tearful outrage the children shouted, “Denny? We thought you said Daddy!”

A 5 year old boy had a very precocious interest in motorcycles. Whenever he saw one, he would let out a howl of joy, accompanied by remarks like, “Look at that! Look at that motorcycle! I’m going to get a motorcycle someday.”

His father’s answer was always the same, “Not so long as I’m alive, you won’t.”

         One day, while the boy was talking to a friend, a brand new stylish bike zoomed by. He excitedly pointed it out to his friend and exclaimed, “Look at that! Look at that motorcycle! I’m getting one of those – as soon as my dad dies!”

Happy Father’s Day! Let’s read our Gospel lesson for today (Matthew 28: 16-20):

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

And  Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go thereforeand make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Several years ago I was asked to help raise money for a child who had cancer. He was one of four children to a mother who had 3 different men as fathers of her children, of whom none lived with her.

I remember asking her, “How do you keep them straight?” She said, “Luckily, I named each boy after their father.” Not quite the way God envisioned it. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be at that house on Father’s Day! And think of the problems that might occur when one father does something for a child that none of the other children got. It sounds like a recipe for heartbreak.

Because of circumstances like this there has been an effort to minimize the importance of, and impact on fathers within families. Over the last 15 years or so most social and psychological research has been designed to suggest that fathers are a “non-essential” part of families.

Recent studies are showing that at least 24 million children in the U. S. will go to bed tonight without their father present in the home. In addition, 45-50 % of all children born are to unmarried couples (it’s at least 70 % among African-American children). And studies report that 70 % of all adults 18-29 think having a child outside of marriage is okay.

There is a reason why God made it necessary to have both a male and a female to create a new life and raise children as a family. Fathers, as do every member of the family, offer a unique and irreplaceable contribution to a child’s development.

Today since its Father’s day we’ll focus on Fathers. Let’s look at 8 reasons fathers are good for Families:

(One) A good father provides financial stability.  (1 Timothy 5: 8) God has given FATHERS the mandate to provide for their family. In fact, children growing up in father-absent homes are 5 times more likelyto be poor.

(Two) A good father provides emotional security. You may heard it said that there is no such thing as "illegitimate" children – just illegitimate parents. In one very real sense that is true:  no child is morally responsible for the circumstances of his or her birth.  No child is to blame for the decisions of a parent.

But there are some children who very keenly feel that they have never been emotionally "legitimized":  that is, no father has stepped forward to claim them as his own, to say "This is my son, my daughter, and I care about them."  And the absence of that connection can create lasting psychic wounds.

(Three) A good father can provide a model of a healthy marriage. When we get our priorities straight, when our children understand that they are deeply loved but they do not come before our wife, they are given three invaluable gifts:

SECURITY; CONSISTENCY; and A HEALTHY MODEL OF MARRIAGE.

(Four) An active father provides parental partnership. Here's the dirty little secret of parenting:  if you do it right and responsibly, it is hard, time-consuming, exhausting work!  And any parent – dad or mom – who is trying to do it by themselves is operating under a terrible burden.

(Five) A model of masculinity. Young men and young boys need to know what a mature, responsible man looks like – how he think – how he acts.  Fathers offer their sons a uniquely masculine model that young men desperately need. 

But young ladies also need dads:  specifically, they need to experience the healthy love of a good father. If a young woman doesn't receive love and physical affection from a dad, she'll attempt to find it in the arms of a male who doesn't have her best interests at heart. A young lady who grows up in a female-headed home is 7 times more likely to have a child out of wedlock. 

(Six) A launching pad for the teen years. Teens are "in between" – they are temporarily stuck in an ambiguous, confusing state of being no longer a kid, but not quite an adult. They are developing and preparing to accept responsibility for their own life, building their maturity muscles.  And what makes this particular stage of life so maddening for parents is that in order to build those maturity muscles, teens need something to "push" against.  Guess what it is?  Their parents!

(Seven) Christian faith.  As a Father it is our privilege and responsibility to bring our children up "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6: 4). 

(Eight) The capacity to trust God. (Matthew 6)Jesus was especially fond of the image of God as a "Father:" that term is used only 3 times in all of the Old Testament to refer to God, but it is used over 300 times in the New Testament! 

In Luke 15 Jesus told the story of the Prodigal Son and his loving Father. In Matthew 6 (Sermon on the Mount) he refers to God as our "Father" some ten times in the first 18 verses. How can you know God as “Father” if you don’t know your own Father?

How do you start being a Father? What can set you on the right road?

Becoming a Father is much like learning to juggle and engage a balancing act!Ask yourself: What do I want to accomplish as a Father and what do I want to give my children?

It starts with the right relationship with God and asking “What does God tell us is important as a parent?” That is the bestowing of a blessing.

The Hebrew words for blessing is “berek,” “Baruk,” and “Berakah.” The primary Greek words are “eulogia,” and “makarious.”  These words mean extending good fortune, good faith, good prospects, and becoming a blessing for others. The words generally serve as a synergistic catalyst for good. The ultimate blessing is God’s Salvation through the Grace of His Son.

Fathers, Mothers, and Grandparents bestow blessings in Scripture, but the ones most sought are from the Father. There are at least 23 occasions that God or Jesus speaks direct blessings of favor on a person or a group of people. The earliest blessing from Genesis:

Genesis 1:22 - God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth."

Blessings includes words and physical affirmation. It can also include inspiration, wisdom, and a sense of acknowledging the child with an eye to the future (“you are our future and we …”).

The blessing may be financial, it may be through loving support, encouragement, nurturing, and it may just simply be presence. Regardless the child will know you love and care and will be there with them.

The greatest gift we can give others is time and children need that time.

But another blessing we also need to share with children is the simplest blessing of all – Heaven’s Blessing:

Romans 5:6-8 says “ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Lastly, remember that your reputation, just as Jesus’ Glory was received from His Father, affects your children. You become responsible to your children for who you are as an indicator of your child’s potential. Don’t we often say “like father, like son?” What you do and who you are affect your children.

Keep that in mind as you go about the joy and challenge of being a father. AMEN.

“The Danger of UNITY”  

John 17: 1-11 (NRSV)

In the 17^th Chapter of John’s Gospel Jesus is praying to God for 4 things: Jesus’ impending death and sacrifice; Jesus’ concern for His disciples, that they may be unified in Truth; He is praying for blessing for all future believers; and in expectation of a final end to the “world system” in the age to come.

We believers and non-believers alike need to listen to this prayer closely as it holds the key to eternity.

A Teaching Doctor is doing the morning rounds with his students in tow. He pauses before a patient and says, "This man limps because his fibula and tibia are badly arched. Bernie, what would you do in a case like this?" Bernie said, "Yeah, well, um...Yes, I think I'd limp too."

The little girl was sitting in her father's lap as he read her a goodnight story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. By and by she was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again.

Finally she spoke, "Daddy, did God make you?" "Yes, sweetheart" he answered, "God made me a long time ago." "Oh she said," then "daddy, did God make me too?" "Yes, indeed honey" he assured her. "God made you just a little while ago." "Oh" she said. Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it now isn't he?"

God created all of us – barefaced, bristle-faced, short hair, long hair and all. Yet we sometimes forget our common ground and seek to dwell on our diversity, which seems to be a distraction and a dividing line in the 21^st century. Jesus said:

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, ²since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.

³And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do.

⁵So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

⁶”I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. ⁷Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; ⁸for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

⁹I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. ¹⁰All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.

¹¹And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.

The blessing Jesus prays for is: That we may be one as Jesus and God are one.

That is, the quality of companionship between Jesus and God should be the measure of our companionship with each other. Shortening the quotation to: That all may be one; misquotes the verse as it omits the defining quality of the oneness to which we are called. It distorts the source of unity.

In order to fully grasp the meaning of this prayer, we need to take a brief look at what the Gospel of John means by "the world."  Then we can look further at the two dimensions of Jesus' prayer.

Throughout the Gospel of John the way the words "the world" are used could be expressed as "humanity and evil powers as a system."  It is not the world in the sense of creation but a sense of conflict between Jesus and the world.

Three times the phrase "ruler of this world" is used in John’s Gospel with the sense that the Evil One is in control of this world system. The world will hate Jesus and his followers, and it will rejoice when Jesus is executed. In other words, "the world system" is a pretty grim reality. Jesus is glad to be "out of here", and at the same time he is concerned for those he must leave behind.

Jesus said, "I have overcome the world!"  And because he has overcome the world, we, in Jesus, have also overcome the world. Jesus' prayer opens up a window to heaven's purpose "in the world."

There are many examples in our past that show us the dangers of being yoked with those who have different standards and conduct of behavior, those in the world.

America used to be united by ideals that held us to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as individuals first and as needed to gather to fend off threats to it. The rule of law was created to acknowledge those inalienable rights granted by a Creator.

Today most people ignore the Creator, ignore common values and laws designed to enhance freedom not deny some other person a free exercise of it because you think that the thoughts in their head condemn you.

Look around: Marriage is under attack – families are being destroyed – fathers are being called non-essential --- abortions are on-demand – the standards of behavior acceptable in society make a modest person blush in shame – alcohol and drug use are at an all-time high– politicians are celebrated not by what they have accomplished but the level to which they have destroyed their opponents.

Last week on memorial day weekend riots and black-on-white violence occurred in Miami Beach, Cincinnati, Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Memphis, Baltimore, Erie, Buffalo, Rochester, Providence, Detroit, Myrtle Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa. It’s so bad in Baltimore that one hospital has hired two new K-9 units to patrol it’s parking lot directly outside the front entrance.

None of this was reported in the local or national media, and it especially wasn't reported citing the racial nature of the violence. In Obama's America race is only an issue if it is white on black.

“Educators” who wrote the common core curriculum are now admitting it was written to counter “white privilege.” This curriculum will be shoved down the throats of public schools just as other such history rewriting efforts have been. (BTW are your children common? Do you want them educated and tested commonly?)

Is this something we Christians should willingly unite with and endorse? Can we be one with a culture and a church that turns its back on faith in Jesus Christ to celebrate and uplift human values, goals, and experience?

Listen to what Charles A. Spurgeon said a long time ago: "To remain divided is sinful! Did not our Lord pray, that they may be one, even as we are one"? (John 17: 22). A chorus of ecumenical voices keep harping the unity tune. What they are saying is, "Christians of all doctrinal shades and beliefs must come together in one visible organization, regardless... Unite, unite!" 

Spurgeon goes on to say, "Such teaching is false, reckless and dangerous. Truth alone must determine our alignments. Truth comes before unity.  Unity without truth is hazardous. Our Lord's Prayer in John 17 must be read in its full context. Look at verse 17: "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." Only those sanctified through the Word can be one in Christ. To teach otherwise is to betray the Gospel. When we choose to follow Jesus, it separates us from those who don't.”

Listen to this old Irish Benediction that suggests we need help to remember why we, as Christians, are called to a different standard:

May God bless those who love us. And for those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts. And for those whose hearts cannot be turned, May God turn their ankles, So that we may know them by their limping. 

Wouldn't it be nice for it to be that easy - to know those who don't Christ by their limping? But then on the other hand Jesus told us we'd know them by their fruit. Amen.