Sermon - 2018-09-02
Growing up, I was told over and over again. Wash your hands! Clean your room! However especially the last one, I hated to do it. I mean why clean up my toys when I am just going to pull them out and play with them again? Mom, don’t worry about vacuuming my room, you are just going to suck up the legos and they I am going to wonder what happened to them. Sometimes when I would find that my room had been cleaned I would get upset because my things were changed and it was not me who changed them. Yes in the midst of my life, I was told to do something but I did not realize the benefit was truly for me.
While thinking about this, I thought of this comic strip of Peanuts.
https://paramkour.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/2e3ad-peanuts-3.gif
Yes, in life we expect people to know what to do and how to do it but when it is not done, we get upset, frustrated, or angry. The expectations and outcomes that we were hoping for were not met. While in that midst, we struggle with what is wrong with the world, our self, and even how can we fix it. While growing up, I was told the “how”: Wash your hands! But I was not always told the “why”: so you stay healthy. Now it also never occurred to me, “Where is God in this?” It was a small task and yet even God cares about the small aspects of our life.
Today within our Gospel, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees. The Pharisees look at the way the disciples are acting and they are not acting according to the way we have always done things. They are not honoring the traditions of the old ways. They did not wash their hands.
However, Jesus takes their observation and turns it back onto the Pharisees. The Pharisees are so focused on the outward appearance of the mistake of the disciples. That they do not look at their own mistakes. They are so focused on how things are done, that they have forgotten the purpose and the why things are done. So while the Pharisees call out Jesus’ disciples on the outward appearance of not washing their hands. Jesus holds up the mirror of how it is they are living their lives. Jesus calls out the Pharisees for telling people what it is they should be doing in their life but God does not want perfect robots walking around. Rather Jesus reminds the Pharisees, that the law and traditions were meant to shape the heart of people into their relationship with God.
Now sometimes, we need to do an outward act like washing our hands so that while we are doing it, we are reminded of a greater purpose or meaning. However when that meaning or purpose is gone. An action is simply a hollow act, an item on a checklist and truly the heart of the person is not in it.
So let’s fast forward into today’s worship. Communion is something that the church and God’s people have done ever since the Last Supper. However, in those centuries, we have argued and acted just like the Pharisees. We have declared that the way we do communion is far more important than the meaning and what it is that is happening. Luther in understanding the meaning, wanted people to receive both the wine and bread, for the people had only received the bread for fear they would spill the wine. Luther saw that the people were not receiving both elements and along with it, they were not receiving the full meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Luther fought and argued so that today, we may receive the body and the blood of Christ in communion. That we may hear the words, of the works and actions that Christ himself has done for you. That those actions may have meaning in your life.
So today, wash your hands, receive the Lord’s Supper, and do the work that God is calling you to do in the world. However also cherish the meaning of these actions. The gifts that God is giving you and calling you to share for the benefit of the people, including yourself. Amen.
While thinking about this, I thought of this comic strip of Peanuts.
https://paramkour.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/2e3ad-peanuts-3.gif
Yes, in life we expect people to know what to do and how to do it but when it is not done, we get upset, frustrated, or angry. The expectations and outcomes that we were hoping for were not met. While in that midst, we struggle with what is wrong with the world, our self, and even how can we fix it. While growing up, I was told the “how”: Wash your hands! But I was not always told the “why”: so you stay healthy. Now it also never occurred to me, “Where is God in this?” It was a small task and yet even God cares about the small aspects of our life.
Today within our Gospel, Jesus is confronted by the Pharisees. The Pharisees look at the way the disciples are acting and they are not acting according to the way we have always done things. They are not honoring the traditions of the old ways. They did not wash their hands.
However, Jesus takes their observation and turns it back onto the Pharisees. The Pharisees are so focused on the outward appearance of the mistake of the disciples. That they do not look at their own mistakes. They are so focused on how things are done, that they have forgotten the purpose and the why things are done. So while the Pharisees call out Jesus’ disciples on the outward appearance of not washing their hands. Jesus holds up the mirror of how it is they are living their lives. Jesus calls out the Pharisees for telling people what it is they should be doing in their life but God does not want perfect robots walking around. Rather Jesus reminds the Pharisees, that the law and traditions were meant to shape the heart of people into their relationship with God.
Now sometimes, we need to do an outward act like washing our hands so that while we are doing it, we are reminded of a greater purpose or meaning. However when that meaning or purpose is gone. An action is simply a hollow act, an item on a checklist and truly the heart of the person is not in it.
So let’s fast forward into today’s worship. Communion is something that the church and God’s people have done ever since the Last Supper. However, in those centuries, we have argued and acted just like the Pharisees. We have declared that the way we do communion is far more important than the meaning and what it is that is happening. Luther in understanding the meaning, wanted people to receive both the wine and bread, for the people had only received the bread for fear they would spill the wine. Luther saw that the people were not receiving both elements and along with it, they were not receiving the full meaning of the Lord’s Supper. Luther fought and argued so that today, we may receive the body and the blood of Christ in communion. That we may hear the words, of the works and actions that Christ himself has done for you. That those actions may have meaning in your life.
So today, wash your hands, receive the Lord’s Supper, and do the work that God is calling you to do in the world. However also cherish the meaning of these actions. The gifts that God is giving you and calling you to share for the benefit of the people, including yourself. Amen.
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