The Healing Power of Christ on the Cross

Sermon

March 11, 2018

Fourth Sunday in Lent – Year B

Based on John 3:14-21

The Healing Power of Christ on the Cross

Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr

            Have any of you been snake bitten before? How about a spider bite? Bee sting or wasp sting? Those hurt don’t they. The sting is painful enough, but as the venom starts working its way through your body, the pain gets worse and worse. For some, the body reacts to those stings and bites so badly that if they don’t get medical treatment quickly they may die. The sting is bad enough. But that poisonous venom, that’s what really hurts.

            Sin is sort of like getting snake bit. I believe that’s what Jesus has in mind when we hear these words from John 3. Jesus compares his saving work to when Moses lifts up a bronze serpent in the desert. Sin and being snake bitten go hand in hand. You see, sin is more than just doing something bad. Sin is more like poisonous venom that lingers in you and will harm you, even kill you, if an antidote isn’t applied. Sin is like snake venom coursing through your veins.

            When Jesus talks about Moses lifting up that bronze serpent in the desert, he’s referring to this story we find in Numbers 21:4-9:

            From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” Then the Lord sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

            We can see how Jesus takes this story from Israel’s past as a symbol for what happens when Jesus is lifted up on the cross. The bronze serpent, when gazed upon with faith, brought healing. Just so, Jesus, the one who took on himself all the sin of the world when lifted up on the cross, brings healing to those who look on him with faith. They receive healing from the poison of sin. Yes, Jesus was lifted up on the cross so that no one might perish, but have everlasting life.

            This is the good news of the gospel! We can be healed from the corrupting poison of sin by looking upon Jesus and believing in faith that he can heal us. There is healing for our sin-sick souls. All who look upon the crucified Jesus in faith will be healed.

            Yet, so many people refuse to do this. So many people refuse to acknowledge the depth of their sickness and their need for healing. They know their lives aren’t right but they don’t realize how messed up they really are. They think that if they just try harder, that somehow everything will work out all right. Most of you have heard of Alcoholics Anonymous. The program has twelve steps toward recovery. The first step in the program is to acknowledge that you need help, that you don’t have enough power to help yourself. Many people acknowledge that their lives are a mess. But they will not acknowledge that they need help. It is hard to admit that you are helpless, that you can’t do life by yourself. We don’t have all the answers. We don’t have enough strength. We can’t make it through life on our own. We need help. The first step toward healing, whether it be from addiction or from sin, is to admit that you need help.

            What today’s scripture teaches is that those who admit that they are powerless over the effects of sin, and are humble enough to stand in the glaring light of God’s truth, warts and all, trusting in the healing power of Jesus, that they will receive healing from the poison of sin that is ruining their lives. This is such a crucial step, to humbly stand before Jesus, completely vulnerable, aware of how sick you are, hoping that Jesus won’t reject you but will heal you. John Wesley spoke of the “almost Christian.” An “almost Christian” is one who believes that Jesus saves us from sin. But the “almost Christian” has not become humble enough to stand before Jesus, fully aware of how much they need to be saved, and trusts that Jesus can heal them. An “almost Christian” believes Jesus can heal. A true Christian believes that Jesus is healing them.

            It is hard for us to admit how bad it is, how sick we really are. It is hard to let the light of God’s truth shine on us, in those dark places where we try to keep things hidden. We try to avoid being honest about how messed up we are by thinking to ourselves, “I’m not that bad a person.” We wouldn’t say we were as pious as Job but we are good people. But let’s look at Job for a minute. Job was so pious even God was bragging about him. But when the time of testing came, eventually, Job grew angry with God. The testing revealed in Job the sin of pride. Job could not understand why God was letting this happen to him. He didn’t deserve it. He demands of God to explain Himself. Then, God finally answers Job by blowing him away with a string of questions that reveals to Job how arrogant he was. The light of God’s truth shined brightly on Job. But instead of being defensive, Job recognized he had messed up. Job said to God, “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. I had heard of you, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” In spite of how pious he was, so pious God himself was bragging on him, the glaring light of God’s truth made him realize that he was not well at all.

            Dorotheos, a great spiritual teacher from many centuries ago, taught from experience that the closer we draw to God, the more evident it becomes to us of how sinful we truly are. We all live with blinders on, even those of us who have given our lives to Jesus. We have heard and believed the gospel, but have we seen God? If we did, would we not realize just how corrupt we still are? Surely, like Job, we would despise ourselves and repent in dust and ashes if we stood before the glaring light of God’s truth. We would beg to look upon the cross of Christ and be healed from the poison of sin coursing through our veins.

            We have to let the light of God’s truth shine upon us. It will be painful. Like all of you, I believe in Jesus. I trust in Christ alone for my salvation. But when the searchlight of God’s truth gets flipped on, I join Adam and Eve and run for cover! Am I the only one? How hard it is to be completely honest before God and acknowledge how sin sick we are, even as believers. In Psalm 26:2, the psalmist sings, “Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and mind.” How many of us would want to endure that kind of test?

            For many of us, including me, we have to increase our trust in the power of Jesus to save us from our sin. We have to trust not in our own goodness, but rather trust in God’s mercy, who sent Jesus to be the one who can draw the poison of sin out of us. This is the good news for us: we can’t save ourselves, but God can save us. God has provided the remedy for the sin sickness that is killing us. We can look upon the cross and be healed, believing that if we look on the cross and trust in the healing power of the cross of Christ, that we will have everlasting life. The poison of sin is drawn out of us when we gaze upon the cross of Christ. That is what Jesus taught. And it is a mystery. We don’t know how it works. But it is what God has revealed to us. The cross of Christ is the means by which we are healed from sin. The more we can truly believe that with all our heart, the more we are able to let our lives stand before the bright spotlight of God’s truth and be able to say, “Do not look on my many sins, but have mercy on me, O God, in your loving compassion, and save me.”

            I know it can be scary. It’s scary to acknowledge that we are hopelessly messed up. It’s scary to confront the painful truth of ourselves. It is scary to acknowledge that our lives, which may last seventy, eighty years, even longer, are but a puff of wind, a flower that blooms during the day but at night dries up and withers away. It is scary to admit that all our hopes and dreams, our successes and disappointments, our goals and plans, are but a flash in a pan. The years of pain, rejection, and abuse we are inflicted with, the wearing away of our bodies, all leads to death. It’s scary to admit that we are going to die.

            Sarah Foulger offers a powerful perspective on this. She finds it interesting that God has Moses make a bronze serpent, that which the people feared most. The people didn’t want to see poisonous snakes. They were frightened of them. Those poisonous snakes were the source of so much death. But, if they could muster up enough courage to gaze upon what they feared, the poisonous snake, then they would be healed. If they could confront their fear, and realize that the power of God can overcome what they fear, then they will be healed.

            Foulger makes the connection for us. We fear rejection. Christ was rejected. We fear pain. Christ suffered. We fear being abused. Christ was abused. We fear death. Christ died. As we gaze upon Christ on the cross, we realize that our fears of abuse, pain, suffering, rejection, even death, can all be overcome because we can know that God does not condemn us. God does not condemn us, God loves us. God does not reject us, God forgives us and claims us as one of His children. We come to realize that God’s love for us is steadfast. Nothing can separate us from God’s love except our own choice. We discover that the poison of abuse, suffering, rejection, and death, has lost its sting in Christ who conquers. We need not be afraid of anything, because perfect love casts out fear. And to live without fear is to live a full and abundant life.

            This is the gospel. We can stand in the glaring spotlight of God’s truth, and allow our life, our thoughts, our deeds, be tried by God. And we can be assured that we will flunk that test. Yet, God loves us anyway because God knows of what we are made. God knows that we are but dust and ashes. We can be assured that God loves us, in spite of our many shortcomings. We can always look upon the cross of Christ and be healed.

            I invite you to pray with me:

For God alone my soul waits in silence;

From him comes my salvation.

He alone is my rock and my salvation.

My fortress; I shall never be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance and my honor;

My mighty rock, my refuge is in God.

Trust in him at all times, O people;

Pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

            - portions of Psalm 62

Committing to God's Code of Conduct

Sermon

Mar. 4, 2018

Based on Exodus 20:1-17

“Commitment to the Code of Conduct”

Rev. Dr. Kevin Orr

            Someone once came up to Jesus and asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” And Jesus answered, “The greatest commandment is to love God with your heart, mind, soul, and strength. But there is another one equally important, which is to love your neighbor as much as you love yourself. If you follow these two commandments, you are living right.” Love God, love neighbor. The key word is “love.” If you live a life of love, then you are living within God’s will. It could not be more simple, right? Well…it’s easy to say. It’s easy to remember that living right means to love. But it’s not always easy to do. We sometimes don’t feel very loving. There are some people we find extremely difficult to love. We have had our love spurned and it broke our heart, making us leery of making ourselves vulnerable again. Sometimes love requires doing or saying difficult things. Love is easy to say, a word that gets thrown around a lot. I love you and I also love rocky road ice cream. Love has the power to transform the world. Love also can be demanding. Love is what makes life worth living.

            Love is also a great way to understand what the Ten Commandments are about. These commandments are more than just what you see on those billboards when driving along the highway or something people argue about being displayed at county courthouses. These commandments are not meant to be an exhaustive list of do’s and don’ts. No, these commandments emerge from a place of love. They are intended to serve as a set of guidelines that help us understand what living a life of love looks like. They are a teaching rubric. I want us to take some time today and revisit the ten commandments and think about their purpose and intent. There’s no time to explain each commandment. So I invite you to focus with me on why these commandments exist and how they can guide us in our journeys through the wilderness.

            The ten commandments are grounded in what God did for Israel. God saw what the Egyptians were doing to the Hebrew people, how they were enslaved and oppressed. So God called forth Moses to lead the people out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. God initiated all this. God saw their oppression. God raised up Moses. God worked amazing signs of power. God led them through the wilderness. God brought them to Canaan, to their land of freedom. God did all this.

            Now that God had done all this, having delivered them from bondage and brought them to a land where they could live in freedom, the question for Israel became, “How can we demonstrate our gratitude? Because you are our God, how do you want us to serve you?” See, this is the important point to remember about these commandments. God had acted to save the people from slavery. God acted first by claiming Israel as God’s people. Israel was the recipients of God’s gracious act of liberation. It was only natural for the people to want to know how the God that delivered them wants them to live. They couldn’t just say, “Thanks, God. We’ll take it from here. Why don’t you go on and find some other people to save.” That’s ridiculous. They owe their freedom to God. Without God they would still be enslaved. It was only right and natural for them to want to know how they might serve the God who had freed them. And so, God provides the people these commandments to help them get a sense of what was expected of them. God gave these commandments so that they have some direction on how to properly love God and love one another as a community.

            What God gives Israel in these commandments is a kind of hedge. By that I mean a boundary line. If you stay on this side of the hedge all is good. But if you cross over the hedge you are straying into dangerous territory. One way to look at these commandments is God saying to Israel, “Whatever you do, make sure you obey these commandments. If you do these things, stay within the lines, you’ll be good.” Also, note that these commandments are all about action. They are about worshipping God instead of any other gods. They are about not making idols. They are about keeping the Sabbath, honoring your parents, not killing, or committing adultery, or coveting your neighbor’s stuff. These commandments are about how you live your life. There is nothing about having correct beliefs. There is no theology in these commandments. These commandments are all about how we do life together. They are commandments that provide boundary markers that keep a community together, that keep a community ordered, that keep a community healthy, safe and life-giving. These commandments provide boundaries that make possible the flourishing of love for God and for your neighbor as yourself. If you want to be a part of a community of love, these commandments set up a hedge of protection for such a community. When the people ask their liberating God, “What do you want us to do?” God’s reply is, “Obey these commandments, and you are doing what I want you to do.”

            So what about us? God gave these commandments to a specific people in a specific time in history. Are we meant to follow these commandments as well?

            First of all, the God of Israel is our God too. As Christians, we believe there is only one God, the creator of the heavens and the earth, the source of power, the source of love and life. There is no other God. Our faith is not one that affirms the existence of a multitude of gods and goddesses. We believe there is only one God.

            But also, let’s face it. The ten commandments provide an excellent code of conduct for us. These commandments are not all inclusive. They don’t cover every possible ethical challenge. And we can always boil it down to the bumper sticker: Love God, love others, love self. That’s it in a nutshell. But these ten commandments provide a bit more explicit direction for us as to what loving God and loving others looks like. They are boundary markers for us as well. We can be assured that if we abide by these ten commandments that we are on safe ground, that we are living a life of love that honors God.

            Still, we have to acknowledge that abiding by this code is not always easy. Just for a few examples, in these times it is extremely difficult to keep the Sabbath. Long gone are the days where everything is closed on Sunday. It seems in these days many of us have to be flexible and choose some day other than Sunday as a day of rest, but even then we are tempted to run errands and respond to email. One day a week of “doing nothing” just feels wrong in a society where we are driven to always be doing something productive with our time. And Jesus challenges us by saying things like, “You have heard…’You shall not murder,’ …but I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment…You have heard…’You shall not commit adultery,’…but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” In an age of fake news, it’s pretty simple to retweet false information about people, or repeat stuff we read in the news about what anonymous sources tell reporters, also known as gossip and hearsay. Is not the passing along of falsehoods and half-truths bearing false witness against your neighbor? And there is endless debate about what “you shall not kill” means and how to apply that, even the translation of the word: is it kill or murder? Is it ok to kill one person in order to save the lives of many? So, yes, this is an excellent code of conduct. But life is often messy and the application of these commandments is not always simple. Love, just like life, is complicated.

            God knows how hard this is for us. God knows that the power of sin, which has been broken by Jesus, is still active and effective. God knows how we struggle sometimes with knowing what is the right thing to do, much less actually do what we know to be right. God knows that we don’t always act with love. God knows that sometimes we harm others without intending to. God knows that sometimes when we are hurting, or confused, or tired, or angry, or afraid, that we are not our best selves and do and say things we later regret. We sometimes get it wrong. We are prone to miss the mark. None of this is a surprise to God. This is why God’s grace is so amazing. This is why it is good news that God is quick to forgive. This is why God is patient with us. This is why God’s Spirit dwells within our hearts, always working to heal, to stir up our conscience, to deepen our awareness, to mature us and make us wiser. We are works in progress and God is constantly working on us. And the work that God has begun in us will be brought to completion.

            I think what it all comes down to is whether or not we will commit to this code of conduct. We’re never going to be perfect. I know it is part of the Wesleyan tradition we are a part of to expect to be made perfect in love in this life. When I was ordained, I had to say “yes” to that question. I do expect to be made perfect in love in this life. This means that every thought, word and action is led by love. Being perfect in love doesn’t mean not making mistakes. It means acting out of a place of love. But that’s not always easy. Sometimes the repeated failures of living out of a place of love becomes discouraging. Sometimes we are tempted to give in or give up. But God does not give up on us. And if we don’t give up on God, if we don’t give up on love, keep ourselves committed to this way of life, then it will be o.k.

            Also, remember that this commitment to follow these commandments is a commitment we make with God and with each other. You might remember last week I talked about how we are called to be a cross-carrying community. We are to confront and work through our suffering together. To survive we have to come alongside others who love us and who can ask us the question, “Where does it hurt?” The same is true for our commitment to God’s code of conduct. We make this commitment with each other and look to each other to help us when we aren’t sure what is the loving thing to do. Peer pressure has a role to play. What I mean is, it’s a lot easier to follow through with commitments when you are surrounded by people who share the same commitments. One of the reasons why I go to the gym on a regular basis is because I know some regulars there and I don’t want them to be wondering about why I haven’t been around lately. I have to show up. We are a community that has committed ourselves to observe the commandments of the God who loves us. How might we apply peer pressure with each other to live by these commandments? Now, you know what I mean. I’m not saying we need to be bullying each other or guilting each other to live by God’s commandments. That wouldn’t be loving, now, would it? The only point I’m making is that we can’t help but influence each other, for good or ill. So we have the potential to influence each other in how we live out our commitments to God.

            So which commandment do you need to work on the most? I wonder if there is a particular commandment that you are struggling with. I know a lot of people struggle with keeping the Sabbath. Maybe if you are honest you may have a few idols you sometimes place ahead of God. Or maybe you struggle with bearing false witness or you sometimes covet something your neighbor has. Take a moment now and reflect on the commandments. Let me read them to you in a simplified format I came across:

1.      Worship only the Lord God.

2.      Don’t worship idols.

3.      Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain.

4.      Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy.

5.      Honor your parents.

6.      Do not commit murder.

7.      Do not commit adultery.

8.      Do not steal.

9.      Do not lie.

10.  Do not covet what other people have.

            Which one of these speaks to you as one you need to focus on? Is there someone you can talk to about this, who can encourage you and keep you accountable? If you are drawing a blank, I invite you to keep thinking about it. Talk to God about it in prayer. Ask God to help you keep your commitments to this code of conduct, even as you express your gratitude to God who loves you and will never abandon you.

John Wesley on suffering

It has been so long since my last post. I have gotten away from typing a manuscript for my sermons, so I haven't been posting them. The blog will now be a place to put thoughtful writings I come across.

As Lent approaches, I found this passage from John Wesley's sermon, "On the Holy Spirit." This is a beautiful expression of the necessity for suffering in our lives, because it is through suffering that we are able to tap in to real hope, acknowledge the truth of ourselves, and discover the blessing of the Holy Spirit within us.

"You want a reason why you should renounce the world. Indeed you cannot see the prince of it walking up and down, "seeking whom he may devour;" and you may be so far ignorant of his devices, as not to know that they take place, as well in the most specious measures of business and learning, as in the wildest pursuits of pleasure. But this, however, you cannot but see, that the world is not still a paradise of God, guarded and ennobled with the light of glory; it is, indeed, a place where God has determined he will not appear to you at best, but leave you in a state of hope, that you shall see his face when this world is dissolved.

However, there is a way to rescue ourselves, in great measure, from the ill consequences of our captivity; and our Saviour has taught us that way. It is by suffering. We must not only "suffer many things," as he did, and so enter into our glory; but we must also suffer many things, that we may get above our corruption at present, and enjoy the Holy Spirit.

The world has no longer any power over us, than we have a quick relish of its comforts; and suffering abates that. Suffering is, indeed, a direct confutation of the pretences which the flattering tempter gains us by: For I am in human life; and if that life contains such soft ease, ravishing pleasure, glorious eminence, as you promise, why am I thus? Is it because I have not yet purchased riches to make me easy, or the current accomplishments to make me considerable? Then I find that all the comfort you propose is by leading me off from myself; but I will rather enter deep into my own condition, bad as it is: Perhaps I shall be nearer to God, the Eternal Truth, in feeling sorrows and miseries that are personal and real, than in feeling comforts that are not so. I begin already to find that all my grievances centre in one point: There is always at the bottom one great loss or defect, which is not the want of friends or gold, of health or philosophy. And the abiding sense of this may possibly become a prayer in the ears of the Most High; -- a prayer not resulting from a set of speculative notions, but from the real, undissembled state of all that is within me; nor, indeed, so explicit a prayer as to describe the thing I want, but, considering how strange a want mine is, as explicit a one as I can make. Since, then, suffering opens me a door of hope, I will not put it from me as long as I live: It helps me to a true discovery of one period of my existence, though it is a low one; and bids fairer for having some connexion with a more glorious period that may follow, than the arts of indulgence, the amusements of pride and sloth, and all the dark policy of this world, which wage war with the whole truth, that man must know and feel, before he can look towards God. It may be, while I continue on the cross, I shall, like my Saviour, put off "principalities and powers;" recover myself more and more from the subjection I am indeed in (which he only seemed to be) to those wicked rulers, and to "triumph over them in it." At least, it shall appear, in the day when God shall visit, that my heart, though grown unworthy of his residence, was too big to be comforted by any of his creatures; and was kept for him, as a place originally sacred, though for the present unclean."