Sermon - 2019-05-12
Today is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The church calls it this because of the Scripture that is used within the service. Today we heard Psalm 23, a scripture that many of us hear at funerals and so it is through this scripture, that we are reminded not only of our loved ones but of the peace and comfort that God brings to us. That God is a source of comfort and peace. Now it is this image that many of us cling to and long for within our lives. However, this is not the only image of God that we have within our life. For God is so powerful that He has created us and all that exists. So we have an image of someone who is incredibly powerful. Or perhaps someone who looks like a scientist who is able to understand the complexity and simplicity of this world.
However, this also draws into question: How do you view God at work in your life? What do you expect from God?
A few days ago, I was thinking through something that was frustrating me. Something that was complex and simple and yet it something that kept haunting me to the point where I felt I needed to find a solution or an answer. In the midst of my thinking, I just thought,” Ugh, I wish God would give me the answer or at least a sign to the answer”. Yet even when I thought that, I began to look around and sat there for something that would be answer. Yet nothing came. I imagine we all have a moment like that in our life. Something that frustrates, scares or something that gnaws at us that we do not have the answer to.
However, this is so similar to the crowd coming up to Jesus and asking for a clear answer of, “Are you the Messiah?” The Messiah, the Chosen One of God, was a person who the Jewish people had been waiting and longing for. A person who would restore the people to greatness, who would be able to reconnect them to God and to be safe, secure from anything of this world. A people who were looking and longing for this Messiah to be the answer to all of their questions, expectations, and hopes.
However, this also draws into question: How do you view God at work in your life? What do you expect from God?
A few days ago, I was thinking through something that was frustrating me. Something that was complex and simple and yet it something that kept haunting me to the point where I felt I needed to find a solution or an answer. In the midst of my thinking, I just thought,” Ugh, I wish God would give me the answer or at least a sign to the answer”. Yet even when I thought that, I began to look around and sat there for something that would be answer. Yet nothing came. I imagine we all have a moment like that in our life. Something that frustrates, scares or something that gnaws at us that we do not have the answer to.
However, this is so similar to the crowd coming up to Jesus and asking for a clear answer of, “Are you the Messiah?” The Messiah, the Chosen One of God, was a person who the Jewish people had been waiting and longing for. A person who would restore the people to greatness, who would be able to reconnect them to God and to be safe, secure from anything of this world. A people who were looking and longing for this Messiah to be the answer to all of their questions, expectations, and hopes.
A people who were longing for a leader and who they got was Jesus.
Think about that, what do we expect from God in your life? How does that influence your view of God?
Now there are times in our lives that we long and want God to be the fulfillment of our expectations because we feel so helpless that God seems to be the only answer. The death of a loved one, a loved one suffering from an illness, or even in the midst of war. We look for God to be the source of security, peace and comfort. These are the qualities of the shepherd, yet we do not always get the shepherd. In fact, because of our expectations and longings of what God may be, we do not hear, see or understand what God is doing right here in the midst of our lives.
Yes, like the crowd gathered in the presence of Jesus, we ask the question of: Are you the Messiah? Are you the fulfillment of our hopes, expectations and where we should put our faith?
Yet Jesus’ answer is that he is but it is NOT the answer that we are looking for. Jesus enters, not with power and strength but with humility and compassion. Jesus restores but not with military might but with a direct touching of our hearts and souls. Jesus gets to the heart of the issue, the heart of the problem and to our own heart.
Delivering to us the message that we are loved by God in this midst of a world that causes us to wonder, are we loved? A message that we are valued by God, in the midst of a world that causes us to question our value. A message of peace in a world that says, let’s fight it out. Even to the point of death on a cross for the whole world to see that fighting is not the answer. For on that third day when the tomb and grave are overcome, we are given the answer to all of our questions and yet still we struggle to believe it to be true. That it would indeed be true.
Now we have some 2000 years of people reminding us that Jesus is the Messiah, yet even still today we may still ask the same questions due to our own expectations and hopes of God within our world. So today may you hear more clearly and hear it directly to your heart. You are loved, You are exactly who God wants and God is indeed with you always. Amen.
Think about that, what do we expect from God in your life? How does that influence your view of God?
Now there are times in our lives that we long and want God to be the fulfillment of our expectations because we feel so helpless that God seems to be the only answer. The death of a loved one, a loved one suffering from an illness, or even in the midst of war. We look for God to be the source of security, peace and comfort. These are the qualities of the shepherd, yet we do not always get the shepherd. In fact, because of our expectations and longings of what God may be, we do not hear, see or understand what God is doing right here in the midst of our lives.
Yes, like the crowd gathered in the presence of Jesus, we ask the question of: Are you the Messiah? Are you the fulfillment of our hopes, expectations and where we should put our faith?
Yet Jesus’ answer is that he is but it is NOT the answer that we are looking for. Jesus enters, not with power and strength but with humility and compassion. Jesus restores but not with military might but with a direct touching of our hearts and souls. Jesus gets to the heart of the issue, the heart of the problem and to our own heart.
Delivering to us the message that we are loved by God in this midst of a world that causes us to wonder, are we loved? A message that we are valued by God, in the midst of a world that causes us to question our value. A message of peace in a world that says, let’s fight it out. Even to the point of death on a cross for the whole world to see that fighting is not the answer. For on that third day when the tomb and grave are overcome, we are given the answer to all of our questions and yet still we struggle to believe it to be true. That it would indeed be true.
Now we have some 2000 years of people reminding us that Jesus is the Messiah, yet even still today we may still ask the same questions due to our own expectations and hopes of God within our world. So today may you hear more clearly and hear it directly to your heart. You are loved, You are exactly who God wants and God is indeed with you always. Amen.
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