Building God's Kingdom: The Christian Challenge
Sermon
Sermons on the Second Readings
Series II, Cycle C
Object:
On December 26, 2004, the greatest natural disaster experienced in the world in over a century struck southern Asia. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter some 1,000 miles southwest of the island of Java, generated a tsunami that traveled outward at almost supersonic speed in all directions. It created death, destruction, dislocation, and mayhem for literally millions of people in some ten nations that border the northeast regions of the Indian Ocean. Thousands of people, tourists on vacation lying on the pristine white sand beaches in the area, local fisherman and their families plying their trade, children playing in coastal areas, trains ferrying people to many locations, were swept away by a tidal surge that came with a ferocity that can only be imagined. Amateur videos of the wave's progress from sea to land cannot capture the fear nor horror that must have run through the minds of many, who in literally a few seconds, lost everything material and had their lives transformed. This tragedy of biblical proportions killed, in the first month, some 165,000 people, but this was only the start. Millions were left homeless and the destruction was in the billions of dollars. Certainly, life for many will not return to normal, possibly for years, if ever.
The world community responded to the enormous need generated by this disaster in remarkable ways. Governments across the globe pledged money, manpower, and resources to stabilize the situation and prevent further misery from disease. Relief agencies of all stripes, secular and religious, have received record contributions. Churches, schools, and other institutions held special collections. Music, television, and film stars gave concerts and other events to raise additional revenue. All of these relief initiatives were launched without regard to nation, religion, ethnicity, race, or culture. People throughout the world have responded because of the obvious need and the desire to help. The world in a significant way has demonstrated its solidarity, that we are one, sisters and brothers, in the human community.
This world initiative to meet the need after a natural disaster, an example of international cooperation and ecumenical and inter-faith spirit should be an inspiration to the Christian community to seek unity and find ways to promote the message of Jesus to those who live in darkness and ignorance. Lent presents an opportunity to share the good news with others, but today's lesson from Paul's letter to the Romans makes it clear that our efforts will be best served by working as a team. As the apostle says, "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord of all is generous to all who call on him. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved' " (10:12-13). If the world can come together to aid victims of disaster, the Christian community should be able to make significant strides to find common ground with Jesus, as Saint Paul tells us, as our strong and unique foundation.
As many of us know, the Christian community at Rome was unknown to Paul when he wrote this letter. As he tells us in Romans 15, it was his intention to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Thus, he writes this letter to introduce himself to the local community. This was probably awkward for Paul, since all of his other letters were written to communities he had formed during his famous and perilous three missionary journeys through the eastern Mediterranean world. Yet, this, the longest of Paul's corpus, was not written to mollify the people, but presents some of the apostle's most fundamental theology. We hear one of those important topics in our lesson this morning.
Paul wants the Romans to know that Jesus is the center, the foundation, the source of all that he wishes to communicate. Thus, it is imperative that the community's members confess with their lips and believe in their hearts that Jesus is Lord. Paul is asking for a twofold commitment. First, he wants the Romans in speech and action to proclaim their belief in Christ. This exhortation was crucial, especially to those who lived in the imperial capital of the Roman Empire. Surrounded by temples and pagan images and living amongst Gentile nonbelievers, many of whom were most likely hostile to the "new way," the Christian community at Rome was severely challenged. Thus, Paul wishes to buoy their spirits by assuring them that their faith will lead to salvation. Second, Paul challenges the Romans to turn their lives over to Christ. Not only must one confess with the mouth, and by extension action, but one must believe in the heart. This can only happen through a process of conversion, as the Greeks called it metanoia or change of heart. This moves a step beyond confession. Paul ends this part of his teaching by saying, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." The apostle somehow knew what Jesus had taught in his public life, that while the road would not be easy, and many barriers and obstacles would have to be negotiated, those who hold out to the end will be rewarded. We recall Jesus' words (John 16:33b): "In the world you [will] face persecution. But take courage, I have conquered the world."
After exhorting the Romans in their belief in Christ, Paul then challenges the community to place its efforts in solidarity with other believers. As he wrote to the Ephesians (3:6) that the Gentiles were co-heirs with the Jews, as inheritors of God's promise, so now Paul rejects those who make distinctions in the community. One's origins have no bearing; all that matters is belief in Jesus. Salvation comes through Christ. Again, Paul seems to have learned what Jesus told his apostles in response to Thomas' question (John 14:6): "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Christianity, as we all know, is a great privilege. We have the privilege of being members of the community of faith, the church. We have the privilege of the sacred scriptures, from which we have just heard and that, if we wish, we can read and meditate upon each day. We have the privilege of the sacramental life, special signs from God of the Lord's presence with us. We have the privilege of knowing that God is our Good Shepherd. Acting like a "Hound of Heaven," as British poet Francis Thompson put so powerfully in his epic poem, God relentlessly and diligently searches for our souls. While 99 percent will receive a grade of A+ in school, that is not satisfactory for God. God will leave the 99 in the desert and search for the one lost sheep. Yes, we have the privilege of Jesus, the great physician, who is with us every moment and each step of our lives.
The great and multiple privileges of the Christian life come with significant responsibilities as well. Baptism is our common call as Christians to live lives of holiness. We are called as well to be servants, to aid our brothers and sisters as did Christ, who came to serve, not to be served (Mark 10:45). Christianity calls us to be beacons of light and hope to a world often shrouded in darkness. In short, we are called to build God's kingdom through our united efforts. But we, as Paul suggests to the Romans, and Jesus states directly at the end of his Sermon on the Mount, we must build that kingdom, our spiritual house, on Christ, the foundation of life. With Jesus as the foundation, we are the Lord's coworkers. Saint Teresa of Avila, the great sixteenth-century Carmelite nun and church reformer put it this way in a famous prayer: "Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks with compassion on the world. Christ has no body on earth but yours." Yes, we are the hands and feet, the eyes and ears of Jesus in today's world. Therefore, we have a significant responsibility to work toward repairing divisions and seeking unity.
How can we construct the kingdom centered in Christ in our world? We do so generically by working together, not as individuals, personally or denominationally, but ecumenically as a community of faith. We begin by fostering an attitude of acceptance, working together and not with antagonism. We are all on the same team, which bears the name Christian, as assuredly as the world is on the same team, called humankind, to alleviate the suffering in south Asia. We must view ourselves, individuals, and faith communities, as belonging to a larger whole, seeking to use our talents toward the common good, not what I, or my specific faith tradition, may deem necessary. We must think globally but act locally, building God's kingdom by applying the message of Jesus. Proponents of the Social Gospel in the Progressive Era, people like Walter Rauschenbusch, Washington Gladden, and John Ryan, and, more recently, in the 1990s college students across the country had it right when they collectively asked, "What would Jesus do?" Our task of building the kingdom will present many challenges and we will be forced to stand against the tide of contemporary life that seeks, like the tsunami, to drown out our voice. This should be no surprise, however. Jesus told his followers, "You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Thus we must persevere and never lose hope.
Building God's kingdom in our world is not for the faint of heart. It is a task that takes courage, strength, and persistence. Let us never think that if the task is too difficult we can relax and let others take the lead. No, Jesus the foundation of our faith and the one to whom we will return, demands more from us. As the scripture (Luke 12:48b) says, "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded." Thus, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work, in a common unified effort. The reality of our call and the need to respond is made clear in a humorous and illustrative story: Fred Everybody, Thomas Somebody, Peter Anybody, and Joe Nobody were neighbors, but not the type that most would want to know. They were odd people and difficult to understand. The way they lived their lives was a shame. These men all went to the same church, but most would not have wanted them as parishioners. Everybody went fishing on Sundays or stayed home and spoke with his friends. Anybody wanted to worship, but he was afraid that Somebody would speak with him. Thus, guess who went to church -- that's right, Nobody. Actually, Nobody was the only decent one of the lot. Nobody did the parish census; Nobody joined the Parish Council. One day there was an announcement in the parish bulletin for people to apply for a position as a teacher in the Sunday school program. Everybody thought Anybody would apply; Anybody thought Somebody would apply. So, guess who applied? You are right, Nobody!
Let's not be Everybody, Somebody, or Anybody. Rather, let us seek to be a Nobody, working not for ourselves but for others. Let us take up the challenge of building God's kingdom in our world upon Christ, the rock foundation. We have a good example of how disaster brought the world together. Let us not wait until disaster strikes the Christian community, but let us act now so the scriptures may be fulfilled and Jesus' plan can come to full fruition: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:21).
The world community responded to the enormous need generated by this disaster in remarkable ways. Governments across the globe pledged money, manpower, and resources to stabilize the situation and prevent further misery from disease. Relief agencies of all stripes, secular and religious, have received record contributions. Churches, schools, and other institutions held special collections. Music, television, and film stars gave concerts and other events to raise additional revenue. All of these relief initiatives were launched without regard to nation, religion, ethnicity, race, or culture. People throughout the world have responded because of the obvious need and the desire to help. The world in a significant way has demonstrated its solidarity, that we are one, sisters and brothers, in the human community.
This world initiative to meet the need after a natural disaster, an example of international cooperation and ecumenical and inter-faith spirit should be an inspiration to the Christian community to seek unity and find ways to promote the message of Jesus to those who live in darkness and ignorance. Lent presents an opportunity to share the good news with others, but today's lesson from Paul's letter to the Romans makes it clear that our efforts will be best served by working as a team. As the apostle says, "There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord of all is generous to all who call on him. For, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved' " (10:12-13). If the world can come together to aid victims of disaster, the Christian community should be able to make significant strides to find common ground with Jesus, as Saint Paul tells us, as our strong and unique foundation.
As many of us know, the Christian community at Rome was unknown to Paul when he wrote this letter. As he tells us in Romans 15, it was his intention to visit Rome on his way to Spain. Thus, he writes this letter to introduce himself to the local community. This was probably awkward for Paul, since all of his other letters were written to communities he had formed during his famous and perilous three missionary journeys through the eastern Mediterranean world. Yet, this, the longest of Paul's corpus, was not written to mollify the people, but presents some of the apostle's most fundamental theology. We hear one of those important topics in our lesson this morning.
Paul wants the Romans to know that Jesus is the center, the foundation, the source of all that he wishes to communicate. Thus, it is imperative that the community's members confess with their lips and believe in their hearts that Jesus is Lord. Paul is asking for a twofold commitment. First, he wants the Romans in speech and action to proclaim their belief in Christ. This exhortation was crucial, especially to those who lived in the imperial capital of the Roman Empire. Surrounded by temples and pagan images and living amongst Gentile nonbelievers, many of whom were most likely hostile to the "new way," the Christian community at Rome was severely challenged. Thus, Paul wishes to buoy their spirits by assuring them that their faith will lead to salvation. Second, Paul challenges the Romans to turn their lives over to Christ. Not only must one confess with the mouth, and by extension action, but one must believe in the heart. This can only happen through a process of conversion, as the Greeks called it metanoia or change of heart. This moves a step beyond confession. Paul ends this part of his teaching by saying, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." The apostle somehow knew what Jesus had taught in his public life, that while the road would not be easy, and many barriers and obstacles would have to be negotiated, those who hold out to the end will be rewarded. We recall Jesus' words (John 16:33b): "In the world you [will] face persecution. But take courage, I have conquered the world."
After exhorting the Romans in their belief in Christ, Paul then challenges the community to place its efforts in solidarity with other believers. As he wrote to the Ephesians (3:6) that the Gentiles were co-heirs with the Jews, as inheritors of God's promise, so now Paul rejects those who make distinctions in the community. One's origins have no bearing; all that matters is belief in Jesus. Salvation comes through Christ. Again, Paul seems to have learned what Jesus told his apostles in response to Thomas' question (John 14:6): "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Christianity, as we all know, is a great privilege. We have the privilege of being members of the community of faith, the church. We have the privilege of the sacred scriptures, from which we have just heard and that, if we wish, we can read and meditate upon each day. We have the privilege of the sacramental life, special signs from God of the Lord's presence with us. We have the privilege of knowing that God is our Good Shepherd. Acting like a "Hound of Heaven," as British poet Francis Thompson put so powerfully in his epic poem, God relentlessly and diligently searches for our souls. While 99 percent will receive a grade of A+ in school, that is not satisfactory for God. God will leave the 99 in the desert and search for the one lost sheep. Yes, we have the privilege of Jesus, the great physician, who is with us every moment and each step of our lives.
The great and multiple privileges of the Christian life come with significant responsibilities as well. Baptism is our common call as Christians to live lives of holiness. We are called as well to be servants, to aid our brothers and sisters as did Christ, who came to serve, not to be served (Mark 10:45). Christianity calls us to be beacons of light and hope to a world often shrouded in darkness. In short, we are called to build God's kingdom through our united efforts. But we, as Paul suggests to the Romans, and Jesus states directly at the end of his Sermon on the Mount, we must build that kingdom, our spiritual house, on Christ, the foundation of life. With Jesus as the foundation, we are the Lord's coworkers. Saint Teresa of Avila, the great sixteenth-century Carmelite nun and church reformer put it this way in a famous prayer: "Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which Christ looks with compassion on the world. Christ has no body on earth but yours." Yes, we are the hands and feet, the eyes and ears of Jesus in today's world. Therefore, we have a significant responsibility to work toward repairing divisions and seeking unity.
How can we construct the kingdom centered in Christ in our world? We do so generically by working together, not as individuals, personally or denominationally, but ecumenically as a community of faith. We begin by fostering an attitude of acceptance, working together and not with antagonism. We are all on the same team, which bears the name Christian, as assuredly as the world is on the same team, called humankind, to alleviate the suffering in south Asia. We must view ourselves, individuals, and faith communities, as belonging to a larger whole, seeking to use our talents toward the common good, not what I, or my specific faith tradition, may deem necessary. We must think globally but act locally, building God's kingdom by applying the message of Jesus. Proponents of the Social Gospel in the Progressive Era, people like Walter Rauschenbusch, Washington Gladden, and John Ryan, and, more recently, in the 1990s college students across the country had it right when they collectively asked, "What would Jesus do?" Our task of building the kingdom will present many challenges and we will be forced to stand against the tide of contemporary life that seeks, like the tsunami, to drown out our voice. This should be no surprise, however. Jesus told his followers, "You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 10:22). Thus we must persevere and never lose hope.
Building God's kingdom in our world is not for the faint of heart. It is a task that takes courage, strength, and persistence. Let us never think that if the task is too difficult we can relax and let others take the lead. No, Jesus the foundation of our faith and the one to whom we will return, demands more from us. As the scripture (Luke 12:48b) says, "From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded." Thus, we need to roll up our sleeves and get to work, in a common unified effort. The reality of our call and the need to respond is made clear in a humorous and illustrative story: Fred Everybody, Thomas Somebody, Peter Anybody, and Joe Nobody were neighbors, but not the type that most would want to know. They were odd people and difficult to understand. The way they lived their lives was a shame. These men all went to the same church, but most would not have wanted them as parishioners. Everybody went fishing on Sundays or stayed home and spoke with his friends. Anybody wanted to worship, but he was afraid that Somebody would speak with him. Thus, guess who went to church -- that's right, Nobody. Actually, Nobody was the only decent one of the lot. Nobody did the parish census; Nobody joined the Parish Council. One day there was an announcement in the parish bulletin for people to apply for a position as a teacher in the Sunday school program. Everybody thought Anybody would apply; Anybody thought Somebody would apply. So, guess who applied? You are right, Nobody!
Let's not be Everybody, Somebody, or Anybody. Rather, let us seek to be a Nobody, working not for ourselves but for others. Let us take up the challenge of building God's kingdom in our world upon Christ, the rock foundation. We have a good example of how disaster brought the world together. Let us not wait until disaster strikes the Christian community, but let us act now so the scriptures may be fulfilled and Jesus' plan can come to full fruition: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:21).
