Sermon - 2017-05-14
When I was growing up, I knew my great grandparents, when I went to visit them, they would always call me by my father’s name. When they saw me, they did not think that it was possible that they were seeing someone three generations after them. Now perhaps you have other reminders, you have aunts or uncles who will look at you and say by you are so much like your mom or dad. Through the ways, you look or even the ways that you act.
Now for many of us, when we hear that, it is something that we try to get away from. What do you mean I look like them?!?! Do I look that old? I mean they are nearly 40. While we are growing up, we want to be better, to know more than our parents, to accomplish more than our parents. Yet soon as we grow up, we begin to realize that we do have our parent’s features, their good qualities and yes even some of their bad ones. The old adage of: “An apple does not fall too far from a tree” is something that though we have heard it over and over again, now we realize that it is true and we realize what it means. Looking at pictures of my dad, I see where people were talking about. Perhaps some of you have noticed that when you glance in the mirror, you think, why is mom or dad staring back at me? Then you realize that it is you.
As Jesus gathers with his disciples, he begins to share with them what has been right there before them. The very thing that was so obvious but they had all failed to see. As they have journeyed, talked, learned and grown closer together with Jesus, they have grown closer to God. Yet when Jesus shares this with them, Thomas (yes, the same Thomas who is known as Doubting Thomas) says that they do not understand and want more. They want to be shown clearly on their terms and what they want.
Does this sound familiar? We are still Jesus’ disciples and yet we continue to ask much of the same questions. Where is God in all of this? What does God want me to do? Why are there so many screwed up people in the world? Yet Jesus answers Thomas with such a simple and profound statement, “I am the Way, the Truth and the life.” This profound statement points Thomas and all disciples back to Jesus and what Jesus is doing for them, through them and truly to do the work is a means of knowing God. Yet still, Thomas still wants more, just as we want more.
Jesus, you may have done this for me but can’t you also do this, and this and that too. Come on Jesus.
So once again Jesus addresses Thomas and even ourselves. Here I am, by knowing me, by learning and growing, you are knowing it all. I am hiding nothing from you. You are getting it all. Not just a part of Jesus, not just a part of God but rather who are getting the whole thing. So when Thomas is asking for more, it really means that he is missing what Jesus is truly telling him, Thomas is missing out on parts that either he does not want to hear or simply does not understand them. He is doing what I like to call Buffet Theology. Going up and picking what you want and what leaving behind what you don’t want. Then complaining when we get a stomach from eating too many desserts.
This is what makes Christianity so hard for us, it can go against our will of what we want. That is the reason that we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Will be done.” That over and over again, we would turn to God, to the way, the truth and life that Jesus has brought to us, given to us and now we can live out. While we are on this journey though, it can feel as though we are alone but know that is why we gather every single week. It is the reason that we are established as a community of believers, to care and support one another on this journey that we struggle and wrestle with. For when we go astray we need others to remind and point us back to Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord, now and forever. Amen.
Now for many of us, when we hear that, it is something that we try to get away from. What do you mean I look like them?!?! Do I look that old? I mean they are nearly 40. While we are growing up, we want to be better, to know more than our parents, to accomplish more than our parents. Yet soon as we grow up, we begin to realize that we do have our parent’s features, their good qualities and yes even some of their bad ones. The old adage of: “An apple does not fall too far from a tree” is something that though we have heard it over and over again, now we realize that it is true and we realize what it means. Looking at pictures of my dad, I see where people were talking about. Perhaps some of you have noticed that when you glance in the mirror, you think, why is mom or dad staring back at me? Then you realize that it is you.
As Jesus gathers with his disciples, he begins to share with them what has been right there before them. The very thing that was so obvious but they had all failed to see. As they have journeyed, talked, learned and grown closer together with Jesus, they have grown closer to God. Yet when Jesus shares this with them, Thomas (yes, the same Thomas who is known as Doubting Thomas) says that they do not understand and want more. They want to be shown clearly on their terms and what they want.
Does this sound familiar? We are still Jesus’ disciples and yet we continue to ask much of the same questions. Where is God in all of this? What does God want me to do? Why are there so many screwed up people in the world? Yet Jesus answers Thomas with such a simple and profound statement, “I am the Way, the Truth and the life.” This profound statement points Thomas and all disciples back to Jesus and what Jesus is doing for them, through them and truly to do the work is a means of knowing God. Yet still, Thomas still wants more, just as we want more.
Jesus, you may have done this for me but can’t you also do this, and this and that too. Come on Jesus.
So once again Jesus addresses Thomas and even ourselves. Here I am, by knowing me, by learning and growing, you are knowing it all. I am hiding nothing from you. You are getting it all. Not just a part of Jesus, not just a part of God but rather who are getting the whole thing. So when Thomas is asking for more, it really means that he is missing what Jesus is truly telling him, Thomas is missing out on parts that either he does not want to hear or simply does not understand them. He is doing what I like to call Buffet Theology. Going up and picking what you want and what leaving behind what you don’t want. Then complaining when we get a stomach from eating too many desserts.
This is what makes Christianity so hard for us, it can go against our will of what we want. That is the reason that we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Will be done.” That over and over again, we would turn to God, to the way, the truth and life that Jesus has brought to us, given to us and now we can live out. While we are on this journey though, it can feel as though we are alone but know that is why we gather every single week. It is the reason that we are established as a community of believers, to care and support one another on this journey that we struggle and wrestle with. For when we go astray we need others to remind and point us back to Jesus Christ, our savior and Lord, now and forever. Amen.
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