I remember traveling from west central Kansas to Denver with my daughter when she was still quite small. As a preschooler, she had limited reading skills. Unfortunately, they were enough to allow her to read the speed limit signs and from Kanorado (small town on the border) on, she would periodically cry out, "Look Mommy, only six five to to Denver!" After explaining several times that we were still a long way from Denver, "only six five to Denver" turned into "Are we there yet?" She wanted to hurry up and get there; she was anxious to see her aunt, she was impatient. But it was also a question of boredom, of being tired of being in the car, of getting hungry and stiff, and weary.
Are we there yet? When is Jesus coming? When is God going to make things right? How long do we have to struggle, argue with one another, and wait for the Church to be whole and united in Christ? When will things be the way they should be? When we will know the answers to all our questions and understand what God is teaching us? When will things stop changing and just be the way they are supposed to be and just what is that supposed to look like? When will everyone agree (with me)?
From the beginning, there has been disagreement amongst people as to what it means to be faithful. For some it was what Jesus did: eating with sinners and tax collectors, speaking with women in public, or healing on the Sabbath. For other people, the dividing line became what Jesus asked of his followers, 'Sell all you have, give it to the poor and come follow me". For still others, it was what Jesus said: "I am the living bread that comes down from heaven". Those words in this last Sunday's Gospel were too difficult from some to listen to and accept. It says, "Because of this many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him." So Jesus asked the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" (John 6:66-67)
They stayed, even after denying Jesus, running away from the cross, and hiding behind locked doors. All but Judas continued in faith, witnessing and carrying on the work Jesus had given them to do because the Holy Spirit gave them the strength and faith to do it in spite of disagreement and even persecution. They didn't see the end of sin and brokenness and the coming of God's kingdom on earth but they held on with hope by the gift of faith.
No, we aren't there yet. We still have imperfect understandings, and we are all still sinners in need of forgiveness and healing. But we are to have hope - the promise of Jesus is sure. As James writes, "Be patient, therefore, beloved,... do not grumble against one another..." "Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed." (verse 16) Read James 5:7-9
How often we do misinterpret signs in our life. That is except for maybe one sign - the cross. In the cross we all see the very basic thing that Jesus has done something, given up his life for us. It's funny that, in all of our Lutheran gray areas and paradoxes, this is the one truth, the one readable and understandable sign for all of us to see. What is there to misunderstand? Jesus died for his friends. He calls us friends. That is surety. That creates faith. Faith is the response to what God has done, not blind belief in something you can't see. Why not try to emulate the love Christ has shown us?
ReplyDeleteHow hard it is for us to understand that one thing central to Christ: that the cross was done out of love. Jesus keeps repeating to us that we will be known by how we love one another. We are bound together by the love God has for us and unlike much of what passes for love in our world - this love is real and lasts! This kind of love we can only do with God's help.
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