St. Matthew’s Sermon 08-11-2019

Keep the Ball in Play!

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20, Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23, Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16, Luke 12:32-40

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God. Amen

Sometimes life gets hard. (Anyone disagree?)

And for me, when life gets hard I turn my thoughts to God and Christ; often searching the Bible for those perfect, comforting words that will lift my spirit and give me strength to keep moving forward.

But, now and then the reading I do will arouse more anxiety and insecurity than it does comfort.

It’s easy enough to have a list of favorite, short phrases to rely on, but frequently, if I keep reading past those particular verses, or include the preceding verses my mind wanders off in the wrong direction.

Of today’s 4 readings, three of them are perfect examples…

In Isaiah’s vision, God goes into a rant; a l-o-n-g rant. We only heard a fraction of it in today’s reading, yet like today’s sample, the whole message bounces back and forth between condemnation and promise of salvation. One moment we’re hearing the words “When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood”. And the next we’re given assurance “…though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool”.

Similarly, the Psalm for today (again we read only a part of it) gives us joyful assurances and points to the glory of God; “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth”! And then turns to unambiguous warnings; “Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver”.

And yet again, our Gospel reading switches from comforting words to what can be perceived as words of warning; from “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” to “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour” leaving us to wonder what happens if we’re not ready? Plus, at the beginning of chapter 12, that today’s reading comes out of, we find these words “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! (12:4-5) (Cringe)

Similar to the ever-changing conditions of life in the world, the Word of God can leave us feeling like a pinball in an arcade machine; bouncing around in the chaos of ringing bells of victory and warning buzzers of defeat; always hoping to gain the replay and not fall into the abyss from which there is no return.

Today’s selection from Hebrews is a welcome exception in today’s readings and, for the most part, in the book as a whole! There are a few, brief passages of warning, but from beginning to end the authors real focus is on lifting up a community of faith that has grown weary in their efforts to keep the ball in play. They’ve seen brothers and sisters fade away from the Church community and worship services; they are losing hope in their future as a community of faith and, with that, are themselves becoming disenchanted.

In this letter the author reminds the recipients of hope for their future by reminding them of the hope of those in the past. Of course the author begins with a lengthy dissertation on Jesus Christ as High Priest, but he also reaches back into the most ancient history of the people of God. Able is mentioned in connection with his acceptable sacrifice to God; Enoch, who did not die but was taken up by God; Noah, whose faith being shown in building the Ark, “…became an heir to the righteousness that is in accordance with faith”; Abraham, who, not knowing where he was going, in faith alone set out to claim the land promised to him by God and who, by faith  “…received power of procreation, even though he was too old–and Sarah herself was barren”; and Moses who, by faith, was hidden from being killed under Pharaoh’s edict and who, by faith, led the people of Israel out of Egypt. (11:4-25)

The author concludes this section by reminding the people that there are too many examples to list, wrapping things up with the words

“And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets– who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions,  quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, and put foreign armies to flight”. (11:32-34)

Hebrews reminds us that we come from a long line of faithful people and there’s a great history of fulfilled hope; countless stories of those who walked in faith before us, facing the same trials we face today. We have this history  to draw from when we have our times of doubt, weariness, and despair. And it is that hope that will enable us to always be ready, to keep the ball in play through the chaos of bouncing around amidst the ringing bells and buzzers of life until the hour, whenever it may be, that the Son of Man comes.

Thank God, our help in ages past, our hope for days to come.

Amen

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
1:1 The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
1:10 Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
1:11 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
1:12 When you come to appear before me, who asked this from your hand? Trample my courts no more;
1:13 bringing offerings is futile; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation– I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
1:14 Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become a burden to me, I am weary of bearing them.
1:15 When you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
1:16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
1:17 learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
1:18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
1:20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23
50:1 The mighty one, God the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
50:3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him.
50:4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
50:5 “Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”
50:6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah
50:7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
50:8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
50:22 “Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.
50:23 Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.”
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
11:2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.

 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going.
11:9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
11:10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.
11:11 By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old–and Sarah herself was barren–because he considered him faithful who had promised.
11:12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.”
11:13 All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,
11:14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
11:15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return.
11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Luke 12:32-40
12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
12:33 Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys.
12:34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
12:35 “Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit;
12:36 be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.
12:37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them.
12:38 If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.
12:39 “But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.
12:40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”