Faith Hardware
Sermon
The Home Stretch
Matthew's Vision Of Servanthood In The End-Time
To hang a cabinet door, you need two hinges. Like a door, our faith hangs from two hinges: love of God and love of humanity. Jesus said:
" 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37--40).
These two commandments sum up all the commandments in the Bible, including the Ten Commandments. They connect us to God and each other, and both are vital to the life of faith. We might say these two hinges are the hardware of faith.
Hinge One: Love God
Jillian Larson lived the life most young people wish they had. Her parents loved her; her sister Karen was her best friend; they lived in the exclusive Brookside Terrace with many other physicians' families; she was personable and attractive; she made National Merit Finalist; even her tennis game was looking up.
People thought Jillian "had it all," but there was a hole in her life. Early in her teen years she began to believe that she needed a boyfriend in order to be happy. What started out as a cute "want" in middle school evolved into an obsession in high school. She watched as her friends dated, and jokingly named herself the "perpetually--single best friend" to all the girls who had boyfriends. She pretended it didn't bother her that things never worked out between her and guys.
In her heart it was much more than a joke. Her desire for a boyfriend gradually turned into other issues. She was always down on herself. Maybe if she were skinnier, maybe if she had better clothes, maybe if she could "party hearty," then she'd find the right guy. She hated herself for eating, she spent an amazing amount of money on clothes, and she tried to prove at parties that she could be bad enough to be dated. Everything she did, she did with the hope that somehow it would help her meet that man of her dreams.
It's not that she really lacked love in her life. She knew she was loved by God and her family and even her friends. This was different. She prayed for God's help. She prayed every night for a boyfriend. Each day she'd look for the answer to her prayers, but it never came. He never came.
The renewal notice arrived for her subscription to a teen fashion magazine. The notice said, "How are you going to know the hottest new fashions, how are you going to be popular and know how to get the hot boys without your subscription? Renew your favorite magazine for another year!" She crammed it into her backpack and headed out the door for a church youth retreat.
The theme for the retreat weekend was "God's Awesome Love." She'd heard it all before, but this weekend was different. For some reason, it really sunk in. God loved her! This truth came to life for her, as if she were hearing it for the very first time.
For years she had been thinking about finding a boyfriend, finding that first taste of romance, finding love. She had been desperately looking for a perfect love, and confusing her spiritual needs with her desire for a boyfriend. Now she realized that while she searched, God's love was - and had always been - right in front of her.
Jesus died for her! It was this unconditional love that she really craved - the love that would never break up with her, reject her, or make her feel insecure. Yes, she still wanted a boyfriend, but God's love was the love that she truly couldn't live without. She began to feel strangely free - free to relax and be herself, secure in God's love for her.
The retreat leader challenged them to find a way to respond to God's awesome love. Jillian reached into her backpack and tore up the magazine renewal notice. She'd been subscribing for too long to that path for love!
Jillian had been preoccupied with having a boyfriend, and had let that become the most important thing on her mind and in her heart. It had spread like cancer into other parts of her life, taking over more and more. Jesus said, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind' " (Matthew 22:37). This is the greatest and first commandment. It releases us from the bondage of our world, and the things that ultimately disappoint us, let us down, and even consume us.
What matters most to you? Think about your own life and what's most important to you. God invites us to let go of whatever is taking God's place in our hearts and souls and minds.
Like a hinge on a door, this commandment connects us securely to the love of God, and frees us to live as God intended. It keeps our lives from coming "unhinged" from the one love that gives us life!
Hinge Two: Love Humanity
Thuy Linh had been the nanny and housekeeper in Jillian's home for fifteen years. Every morning before dawn she rode the bus across town to the exclusive neighborhood where the Larsons lived, arriving in time for the Larson parents to get to their respective offices.
Jillian and her sister Karen had known Thuy Linh since they were preschoolers, and had grown up calling her "Mama T." She liked that, even though her own children were unquestionably the center of her life. Jillian and Karen would rather not think about Mama T having her own life and her own children, because they adored her so. Even now, as sophisticated high schoolers, they looked forward to after--school snack time with Mama T before they headed off to tennis lessons or to play practice.
Dr. Mary Larson, their mother, felt lucky that Mama T was always there for the girls. Their father, "JW" Larson, a local business owner, was pleased with the consistency Mama T provided the girls in the middle of their busy lifestyle.
The large church in town had a special outreach to Vietnamese people. Mama T and her family attended worship every Sunday in the gym while the Larson family worshiped in the sanctuary.
It was Lent. Maundy Thursday worship services were going to be combined this year - the Vietnamese congregation and the "regular" congregation worshiping together in the gym. Footwash--ing was a big part of the Maundy Thursday service in the church. As Dr. Mary Larson knelt before one of the chairs, she was startled to find Mama T seated before her.
As she washed Mama T's feet, she noticed deep scars across her left ankle and extending up her leg. How could she have never noticed them before? Ugly wounds had healed unevenly, leaving deep ripples of scarred skin in jagged folds. She had heard that Thuy Linh and her family had narrowly escaped from Vietnam, but she had never thought ...
The evidence of these wounds stunned her. She hesitated, and glanced up at Mama T. With her characteristic warmth, Mama T nodded for Mary to proceed. It was okay to touch her feet; the pain was years in the past.
As Mary washed Mama T's feet, she stroked them gently. And then the tears began. How could someone have done this to another human being? And how could she have never noticed before? She bowed her head so her long hair would hide her tears, but they rolled off her cheeks and onto Mama T's feet.
Over the years Mama T had given untold hours of care to Jillian and Karen, and yet Mary had shown only professional courtesies to Mama T herself. As Dr. Mary Larson knelt there on the floor of the church gymnasium, her hair soaked with tears, she felt a mixture of love and gratitude for this dear woman seated before her.
Dr. Mary Larson had been so preoccupied with her own life, that she had completely overlooked another human being right in her own household. Jesus said, " 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' " (Matthew 22:39). God's love breaks down the isolation of individualism, and unites us with each other.
That day a change began to happen in the Larson home. The professional contract Mary and JW Larson had for Mama T's services became a relationship with Mama T and the household became more like a family.
Think about all the people in your life, ranging from family members to casual acquaintances to the general public. God invites us to a lifestyle of relationships, showing love to our sister and brother human beings as we love ourselves.
There is an implied template for behavior in Jesus' words. He assumes we treat ourselves well and with respect, so he urges us to treat our neighbor as ourselves. Valuing the preciousness of humanity goes both ways, as healthy self--love and self--respect move out from ourselves to others.
Like a hinge on a door, this commandment connects us securely to human love. It keeps our lives from coming "unhinged" from the relationships with others that flesh out God's loving purposes for us.
Two Hinges Of Faith
Want to know how to love God? Open your heart and soul and mind to God. Like young Jillian, see what's most important there and let go of whatever is replacing God's reign in your life.
Want to know how to love your neighbor? Open yourself to other people. Like Mary Larson, discover our common bond of humanity and begin to share the love which unites us equally under God's love.
Which is most important?
Prioritizing the Law has been fodder for debates for more than two millennia. It was one of the issues that the Pharisees raised with Jesus, hoping to snag him on the complexities of the question.
But Jesus brought an age--old debate into sharp focus for all time. What's more important: loving God or loving neighbor? The answer is: both. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets," said Jesus (Matthew 22:40).
Jesus saw them as two hinges on the same door. Everything hangs from both of them, and therefore both are vital to a vibrant faith. God's love, given and received, is our faith hardware.
May it keep us "hinged" in grace and abundant life.
" 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37--40).
These two commandments sum up all the commandments in the Bible, including the Ten Commandments. They connect us to God and each other, and both are vital to the life of faith. We might say these two hinges are the hardware of faith.
Hinge One: Love God
Jillian Larson lived the life most young people wish they had. Her parents loved her; her sister Karen was her best friend; they lived in the exclusive Brookside Terrace with many other physicians' families; she was personable and attractive; she made National Merit Finalist; even her tennis game was looking up.
People thought Jillian "had it all," but there was a hole in her life. Early in her teen years she began to believe that she needed a boyfriend in order to be happy. What started out as a cute "want" in middle school evolved into an obsession in high school. She watched as her friends dated, and jokingly named herself the "perpetually--single best friend" to all the girls who had boyfriends. She pretended it didn't bother her that things never worked out between her and guys.
In her heart it was much more than a joke. Her desire for a boyfriend gradually turned into other issues. She was always down on herself. Maybe if she were skinnier, maybe if she had better clothes, maybe if she could "party hearty," then she'd find the right guy. She hated herself for eating, she spent an amazing amount of money on clothes, and she tried to prove at parties that she could be bad enough to be dated. Everything she did, she did with the hope that somehow it would help her meet that man of her dreams.
It's not that she really lacked love in her life. She knew she was loved by God and her family and even her friends. This was different. She prayed for God's help. She prayed every night for a boyfriend. Each day she'd look for the answer to her prayers, but it never came. He never came.
The renewal notice arrived for her subscription to a teen fashion magazine. The notice said, "How are you going to know the hottest new fashions, how are you going to be popular and know how to get the hot boys without your subscription? Renew your favorite magazine for another year!" She crammed it into her backpack and headed out the door for a church youth retreat.
The theme for the retreat weekend was "God's Awesome Love." She'd heard it all before, but this weekend was different. For some reason, it really sunk in. God loved her! This truth came to life for her, as if she were hearing it for the very first time.
For years she had been thinking about finding a boyfriend, finding that first taste of romance, finding love. She had been desperately looking for a perfect love, and confusing her spiritual needs with her desire for a boyfriend. Now she realized that while she searched, God's love was - and had always been - right in front of her.
Jesus died for her! It was this unconditional love that she really craved - the love that would never break up with her, reject her, or make her feel insecure. Yes, she still wanted a boyfriend, but God's love was the love that she truly couldn't live without. She began to feel strangely free - free to relax and be herself, secure in God's love for her.
The retreat leader challenged them to find a way to respond to God's awesome love. Jillian reached into her backpack and tore up the magazine renewal notice. She'd been subscribing for too long to that path for love!
Jillian had been preoccupied with having a boyfriend, and had let that become the most important thing on her mind and in her heart. It had spread like cancer into other parts of her life, taking over more and more. Jesus said, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind' " (Matthew 22:37). This is the greatest and first commandment. It releases us from the bondage of our world, and the things that ultimately disappoint us, let us down, and even consume us.
What matters most to you? Think about your own life and what's most important to you. God invites us to let go of whatever is taking God's place in our hearts and souls and minds.
Like a hinge on a door, this commandment connects us securely to the love of God, and frees us to live as God intended. It keeps our lives from coming "unhinged" from the one love that gives us life!
Hinge Two: Love Humanity
Thuy Linh had been the nanny and housekeeper in Jillian's home for fifteen years. Every morning before dawn she rode the bus across town to the exclusive neighborhood where the Larsons lived, arriving in time for the Larson parents to get to their respective offices.
Jillian and her sister Karen had known Thuy Linh since they were preschoolers, and had grown up calling her "Mama T." She liked that, even though her own children were unquestionably the center of her life. Jillian and Karen would rather not think about Mama T having her own life and her own children, because they adored her so. Even now, as sophisticated high schoolers, they looked forward to after--school snack time with Mama T before they headed off to tennis lessons or to play practice.
Dr. Mary Larson, their mother, felt lucky that Mama T was always there for the girls. Their father, "JW" Larson, a local business owner, was pleased with the consistency Mama T provided the girls in the middle of their busy lifestyle.
The large church in town had a special outreach to Vietnamese people. Mama T and her family attended worship every Sunday in the gym while the Larson family worshiped in the sanctuary.
It was Lent. Maundy Thursday worship services were going to be combined this year - the Vietnamese congregation and the "regular" congregation worshiping together in the gym. Footwash--ing was a big part of the Maundy Thursday service in the church. As Dr. Mary Larson knelt before one of the chairs, she was startled to find Mama T seated before her.
As she washed Mama T's feet, she noticed deep scars across her left ankle and extending up her leg. How could she have never noticed them before? Ugly wounds had healed unevenly, leaving deep ripples of scarred skin in jagged folds. She had heard that Thuy Linh and her family had narrowly escaped from Vietnam, but she had never thought ...
The evidence of these wounds stunned her. She hesitated, and glanced up at Mama T. With her characteristic warmth, Mama T nodded for Mary to proceed. It was okay to touch her feet; the pain was years in the past.
As Mary washed Mama T's feet, she stroked them gently. And then the tears began. How could someone have done this to another human being? And how could she have never noticed before? She bowed her head so her long hair would hide her tears, but they rolled off her cheeks and onto Mama T's feet.
Over the years Mama T had given untold hours of care to Jillian and Karen, and yet Mary had shown only professional courtesies to Mama T herself. As Dr. Mary Larson knelt there on the floor of the church gymnasium, her hair soaked with tears, she felt a mixture of love and gratitude for this dear woman seated before her.
Dr. Mary Larson had been so preoccupied with her own life, that she had completely overlooked another human being right in her own household. Jesus said, " 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' " (Matthew 22:39). God's love breaks down the isolation of individualism, and unites us with each other.
That day a change began to happen in the Larson home. The professional contract Mary and JW Larson had for Mama T's services became a relationship with Mama T and the household became more like a family.
Think about all the people in your life, ranging from family members to casual acquaintances to the general public. God invites us to a lifestyle of relationships, showing love to our sister and brother human beings as we love ourselves.
There is an implied template for behavior in Jesus' words. He assumes we treat ourselves well and with respect, so he urges us to treat our neighbor as ourselves. Valuing the preciousness of humanity goes both ways, as healthy self--love and self--respect move out from ourselves to others.
Like a hinge on a door, this commandment connects us securely to human love. It keeps our lives from coming "unhinged" from the relationships with others that flesh out God's loving purposes for us.
Two Hinges Of Faith
Want to know how to love God? Open your heart and soul and mind to God. Like young Jillian, see what's most important there and let go of whatever is replacing God's reign in your life.
Want to know how to love your neighbor? Open yourself to other people. Like Mary Larson, discover our common bond of humanity and begin to share the love which unites us equally under God's love.
Which is most important?
Prioritizing the Law has been fodder for debates for more than two millennia. It was one of the issues that the Pharisees raised with Jesus, hoping to snag him on the complexities of the question.
But Jesus brought an age--old debate into sharp focus for all time. What's more important: loving God or loving neighbor? The answer is: both. "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets," said Jesus (Matthew 22:40).
Jesus saw them as two hinges on the same door. Everything hangs from both of them, and therefore both are vital to a vibrant faith. God's love, given and received, is our faith hardware.
May it keep us "hinged" in grace and abundant life.
