Delivered August 10, 2008
by Pastor Eric Henderson
Wednesday night during a meeting, I noticed a patch of skin that looked different or diseased or something on the back of someone's hand. I didn't say anything, and if anyone else noticed they didn't say anything. Thursday morning when I was shaving, I again noticed a small red spot on my face that's been there for a year or two. I didn't do anything and if others have noticed few have said anything about it.
Had I been a rabbi or priest in Galilee during Jesus life, I would have carefully examined the irregular patch of skin on my friends hand and pronounced him clean, or unclean and prescribed a remedy which might have meant separation or isolation from other people so that no one else risked infection. For certain, another priest or rabbi would have carefully examined my face to make the same determination. If I or my friend would have been diagnosed with anything close to the progressive disease known as leprosy, according to the law, we would have needed to wear torn cloths, let our hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of our face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!' As long as we had the infection we would remain unclean. We would need to live alone; outside the town, city, village, ... .
In an hour or less, I'm going to eat food. I have no clue where it came from, who touched it, or what all is in it. And I'll eat it with anyone who wants to join me.
Had I been a rabbi or priest in Galilee during Jesus life, I would have been Jewish. I would not have come into this building or would not have eaten any food because you are Gentiles and by law just coming into this place I would have defiled myself.
Jesus was both a Jew and a rabbi or teacher who knew all the laws. He was baptized by John and asked some fishermen to go everywhere with him and learn from him. Then he started traveling throughout Galilee teaching, preaching, casting out demons, and healing people. After preaching a long sermon on a mountain about how to live in the kingdom of God, or kingdom ethics, Jesus had some fascinating encounters.
As you listen carefully or follow along in Mt. 8 be ready to answer the question:
"What is the message or good news in this story?
Matthew 8: 1 - 13
When Jesus had come down from the mountain, great crowds followed him; and there was a leper who came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Then Jesus said to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
When he entered Capernaum, a centurion-a Gentile military officer, came to him, appealing to him and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress." And he said to him, "Shall I come to your house, a Gentile, and cure him?" The centurion answered, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,' and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,' and the slave does it." When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, "Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you according to your faith." And the servant was healed in that hour.
Last Sunday we completed a series of sermons from the prophet Micah. He had visions of a day a time when people from all nations would gather to God and learn God's ways of justice, mercy and walking humbly with God. Micah had a vision of faith that God would change the world, the current mess into a world in which people rested after a day of work without fear, and everyone's needs were met. Jesus and Micah are in agreement. Jesus came and started preaching and teaching about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven. And who is welcomed? Everyone is welcome and those of faith enter.
I understand the good news of these stories in Mt. 8 as:
Jesus willingly chooses to open the Kingdom of Heaven to all people of faith seeking wholeness, or reconciliation, with self and God.
The humility and faith of the leper opened the way for Jesus to heal his body and restore contact with others. The bold faith of the centurion in Jesus power opened the way for a Gentile to be held up as an example of faith and member of the kingdom of heaven and his faith opened the way for another to be healed of body. Both were progressing from isolation to inclusion. Both moved towards Jesus.
After I had been a pastor for about 10 years I needed a retreat and was seeking God's help to make a decision. As I was reading scripture and a book titled Soul Keeping, God spoke to me and reminded me that I was unconditionally loved and part of the kingdom of God whether I was a pastor or not. I realized that my faith had gradually shifted from Jesus gracious invitation to be a child of the kingdom to myself and what I was doing. I was saying in affect that by what I did, or by faith in myself, God would grant me a place in the kingdom. Faith had subtly shifted from Jesus' willingness to heal and welcome me to myself. No matter what we do, how unclean we're considered, Jesus will respond to us as we humbly come with confidence in Jesus willingness to heal and welcome us.
About 5 years ago I was in a group with 4 other seminary students and the leader. Two of the other students were in their twenties and I was a little older (I'm 55 years old). In that group we listened to each other's life and faith stories and told our own. The 20 year olds said that they didn't feel worthy to tell their faith stories with someone their parent's age who had already been a pastor. But the leader assured them several times that they had a place in the group and their story was just as important as anyone else. Both placed enough confidence in the authority of the leader that they did participate in the group in all ways.
The centurion had enough confidence in Jesus authority or power that he come and ask for help. When we say we're not worthy, we've again shifted faith from Jesus to self and our worthiness. Jesus chooses to heal, to make us whole, to forgive, to open the kingdom on his authority and power. We are invited to join the centurion who had faith in Jesus power to heal, not his own.
Imagine with me that Jesus has come down and on any given Sunday where great crowds gather. As Jesus scans the crowd he hesitates to consider Ruth. Her cloths are clean and neat and by all appearances she looks healthy and blends in with everyone else. But inside, Ruth is bitter because all those years ago her husband did that which caused great turmoil and public shame for Ruth. She's worked hard to try to compensate, but inside is miserable and feels estranged from all the other women who have decent husbands. Ruth watches Jesus from a distance and has no plans to approach with a request.
And Jesus looks just a little beyond Ruth to George and Greta who fit right in with casual cloths and participating in the singing and praying right along with everyone else. But George and Greta came in separate vehicles and will chat with different groups later on and go home without saying much to each other glad for the relief of Monday when one goes to work one way and another the other way. Both are trying to live with the disgrace of past financial failure and a marriage that has more turmoil and tension than tenderness. Greta sometimes comes out of the crowd to approach Jesus who longs to make them whole members of the Kingdom of heaven.
Then Jesus notices that beyond and to the side are an attractive young couple who smile easily and warmly greet people around them. There cloths are the latest fashions and they look healthy and vibrant. But when no one is looking a cloud comes over Tyler's face because he takes medication for depression and anxieties but hates it. He's prayed, he's had others pray, he's counselled with the pastor and a professional therapist, he's read the Bible and led small groups, but still needs the antidepressant. And his smiling wife Tammy loves Tyler but is still trying to figure out how the man she dated and the man she's married to seem to be two different people. Both persist to ask Jesus for healing and Tyler finds he needs a smaller dose of antidepressant than before and Tammy has more peace with the reality that most of us give false impressions at times. Jesus longs to make them whole members of the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus looks all the way to the back of the crowd where the young people sit and pauses to notice John. John's a strong young man with health coming out of every pore. But not long ago, John was found by his parents sitting on a porch roof with a gun threatening to shot himself. John seems to be healthy, he's been baptized since that incident and regularly participates in the faith community but inside there's still the something that moved him to the point of wanting to end life. Jesus longs to make him a whole member of the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus now looks quickly at that couple over there who carry the deep pain of no children, and that man who isn't sure what to do with the knowledge that his brothers are gay and parents who don't know or won't admit it. Then there's the single man who desperately wants to be married, and the couple who desperately wishes they'd never been. Next is the couple who at one time were part of another church and tried returning but still feel that they really aren't accepted.
All of them have heard that Jesus heals and that faith is important. Some in the crowd have prayed by faith with groans that words can't express and a few have admitted their need and asked others to pray. Others in the crowd are sceptical about this healing power of Jesus and cynical when told all are invited to be part of the kingdom of God. They laugh at the thought of humbly approaching Jesus and asking for something. They're sure Jesus would turn his back, like some people have turned away in the past.
The good news is Jesus comes to the crowd, to us, and invites us to ask by faith for wholeness and healing in all parts of our life and welcomes us to the kingdom of God.
Jesus is waiting and watching the crowd, wondering who has faith to come. Jesus longs to make us whole in all ways and invites us to be a member of the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus chooses to heal us in all areas of our lives and welcomes us to be part of the Kingdom of God. Sometimes the healing and wholeness is quickly granted, sometimes healing and wholeness comes after many acts of faith over the course of our lifetime. For certain, Jesus longs for us to come by faith and ask for what we need for our self or the need of another.
You are invited to respond in a variety of ways. There are slips of paper for you to name your request. You could come and light a candle to represent a request of Jesus or put the part of the doll together as an act of faith that Jesus will grant healing and wholeness. I will be available to pray and anoint you for what you desire of Jesus. Or you may sit quietly or share something with the entire group. Let us respond to Jesus who chooses to come to the crowd, to us .
Petitcodiac Mennonite Church