On my vacation last week, Lisa and I visited Philly and we stopped in at my seminary; I got to chat with two wonderful professors and show Lisa around the campus…
and she was blown away by the artwork all around
—a painting of Christ by Sadao Watanabe,
an etching of Christ’s head by Albrecht Durer.
Now, if you don’t know who those artists were—don’t worry, I didn’t either…
And that was just it… that campus was the center of my life for four years… and I never once noticed these famous images of Jesus Christ…
I wasn’t alert to them.
Today, I want you to hear two things:
Be alert—know thyself and,
Be alert—don’t miss what God is up to.
Prayer
The scroll of Isaiah has a starling start to it
—in the midst of the Assyrian siege of the nation,
Isaiah of Jerusalem begins his Word of the Lord with a discussion about worship
—that there are worship practices that do not honor God. In fact, God rejects worship without ethics.
He is saying, in effect, “Don’t give me ceremony, instead cease doing evil.”
He is warning his community
—and all of those who see ourselves as within his tradition
—to be alert, be alert so that our worship doesn’t hide our sins.
Modernizing Isaiah for a moment he might write about worship like this:
“Gather to do Good.
Read God’s Word in order to transform your deeds.
May the Holy Meal move you to share.
You are sent out from worship in order to seek out the least, last, and lost.”
The reason we begin worship with either confession and forgiveness or Thanksgiving for Baptism—is so that we don’t kid ourselves, we don’t pretend like our intentions are always honorable, like we’ve went a week without fault or foible—like our lives aren’t one ongoing return to the font and Jesus’ promise there.
One of my favorite morning prayers begins, “forgive me for the sins I have so labored to hide from others that I have hid them from myself.” I love it because it is so true…
we humans are really good at putting the best construction on our actions, and the worst on those of our neighbors.
Be alert, Isaiah warns, so that you don’t use worship to hide from your sins and the sins of your society.
Be alert, as well, Jesus warns, in Luke’s Gospel, that that you don’t let your possessions possess you.
Don’t let markers of success in this world, wealth and padded purses, persuade you they are your Master,
or lull you into a false sleep of materialism, and you stop following Jesus!
Be alert so that you know yourself as you truly are, warts and all…
Be alert, but, don’t be afraid.
Ultimately, God calls us to be alert,
not to catch and punish others, or ourselves,
but so that we can see what God is up to!
So that God’s forgiveness and salvation and sustenance
—might be real for you,
real for us.
Be alert, because God is an unexpected kind of God
—God is going to show up in ways we’d never anticipate…
I’ve been reading a biography of the Civil War general Ulysses S Grant… now he and General Sherman, eventually won the Civil War preserving the Union… but only after every other general had had their crack at things
—neither general was an expected kind of war hero,
neither was the kind of leader anyone in the Union anticipated…
The powers that be thought West Point Professors, and “Self-Anointed North American Napoleons”, and General McClellen who asked to be referred to simply as “Little Mac,” were what would win the war…
but it was Sherman, who dealt with mental illness,
and Grant, who struggled with addiction all his life
—who won the day.
(as a side note the two formed a beautiful friendship, on account of their mutual struggles… Sherman went so far as to write, “Grant supported me when I was crazed, and I supported him when he was drunk.”)
Just as they were unexpected leaders,
God is an unexpected kind of God.
After all, the idea that a god would forgo worship…
that’s bizarre…
ethics before devotion… not the most common religious tradition in Isaiah’s day…
that’s why you gotta be alert and watch,
watch for the God who shows up,
not only in bread and wine, water and word,
but also in the midst of our daily choices,
our roles and responsibilities,
when we’re at our best
and when we’re at our worst.
Be alert!
Be alert, because our Lord Jesus will seem strange to us as well…
just as I missed these beautiful, famous, images of Jesus
—for 4 years!
So too, we can miss Jesus among us.
After all, the way Jesus describes his arrival among us, frankly, breaks the mold!
Jesus says he’s going to show up as a Shepherd (this is sometimes a way people talk about Kings in the ancient world)…
a Shepherd… who gives away his kingdom!
In other words, a Prince, a Shepherd, who pushes away fear,
whose father—the King—finds pleasure in giving us his Kingdom,
giving us the riches of the Kingdom of God! Be alert!
A Master, who, finding us awake and aware of his joyful return from the wedding feast
—a Master who then serves the servants…
this is Maundy Thursday kind of stuff
—Jesus kneeling to wash the Disciple’s feet, even the feet of Judas who would betray him… be alert!
A Thief, who is the Son of Man…
an exalted figure found in the book of Daniel…
a Thief, let us confess, who takes what is ours, and gives us what is his…
who takes our worship
—always ambiguous, even when faithful
—takes that which possesses us and stupefies us,
so that we do not know the goodness of God…
takes all of that
and gives us the stores of the treasury of Heaven
—his inheritance is our heritage
—goodness and justice,
rescue and defense,
encouragement and help
—forgiveness, salvation, blessing,
mercy and love!
Be alert,
because God is strange and wondrous
Be alert,
the Son of Man comes at an unexpected hour.
Amen and Alleluia!
