Sunday, May 28, 2017

Sermon for May 28



The reading

Galatians 3:1-9, 23-29
3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified!  The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having started with the Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? Did you experience so much for nothing?—if it really was for nothing.  Well then, does God supply you with the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?  Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,"  so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you."  For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed.
3:23 Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed.  Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith.  But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.  As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.  And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise.



The message

This is our second week looking at Paul’s letter to the Galatians and to the whole church. In last week’s introduction, we looked at the main point of this letter. It is really an extended presentation of Paul’s view on the question “did a person need to convert to Judaism, keep the Old Testament laws and rules or be circumcised in order to be a Christian”.   It was a question of who belonged in the kingdom of God. Could the kingdom of God be open to all in a way it was never thought of before? This was the first major division in the church.  It was settled and resettled multiple times (with Paul and others choosing to not adhere to the decisions). There were people on both sides, groups of apostles and early leaders who insisted that some or all of the Jewish traditions were necessary before conversion to Christianity. After all, Jesus keeps the Jewish law and teaches others to keep it (in more spiritual, authentic ways). The covenant God makes with Abraham is supposed to be permanent, lasting generation to generation forever.  James, Peter and the church in Jerusalem are the defenders of this view. There were others who insisted no, God had done something new through Jesus, a new covenant so important and complete, the old rules no longer applied.  Paul is the one who is often entrusted to express that belief that Jesus life, death and resurrection alone was enough. He argued this point directly to non-jewish communities where the law and circumcision are obstacles to hearing the comfort and joy of the Gospel. Paul also argued this point to the leadership in Jerusalem. This was big, a shattering change to the religious world and it needed to be supported with evidence, argument and scripture. Today it would be like saying “we did not need to baptize people or say the Lord’s prayer”.      

Today, We are now at the heart of Paul’s argument that the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus is enough for the forgiveness of sins and salvation of all people. Paul has moved on from discussion of circumcision to the question of Abraham.  After all, when God made the covenant with Abraham,, it’s pretty clear “the jewish people, Abraham and his descendants will be God’s people”. That covenant with its identity, selection and obedience will be shown through circrucsicion and the law.  The word Gentile means non-jewish people, the people Paul is preaching to, baptizing and welcoming into the kingdom of God are literally not descendants of Abraham.  How can they be included in the promises of God.  To answer this, Paul focuses on what exactly Abraham did, why he was so important.  After all, Abraham did not do miracles, Abraham did not part the Red Sea like Moses and lead the people of Israel out of slavery, Abraham did not do signs of great power like the prophets Elijah and Elisha, Abraham did not  heal the sick, raise the dead or convert entire nations. What Abraham did was believe God’s promises, God’s amazing word that your barren wife will bear a son, your descendants will be as numerous as the stars, there is a land for you.  Paul goes on to say that believing is what makes children of Abraham. Abraham "believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,"  so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you”.   After all, its Jesus who says Don't just say to each other, 'We're safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.

Paul’s letter to the Galatains can be seen as a letter to everyone, to the leaders in Jerusalem and around the known world.  This is not just debating some academic or intellectual point, this is bringing comfort and assurance of God’s salvation to an anxious and confused community.  This is an immediate pastoral care need.  The new believers in Galatia who have heard and understood and believed Christ’s death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and salvation of all people were under attack.  People had come to the community, infiltrated their ranks and taught them otherwise.    
Paul starts this conversation (well conversation isn’t the best word to describe this, more of a nasty one sided scolding). Paul writes  You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you.  This word bewitched is a translation of the Greek word “Baskainw” which means to “be bewitched, captured, tricked by black or dark magic. Here, it could also be simply used to mean “deceived”.  Paul cannot understand how people who started in the true Gospel, the good news salvation by faith in Christ’s death and resurrection, could now be all over the place. How could they fall back into beliefs that Christ was not enough, that Jesus only half saved them, that circumcision or other things were also neccessary.    

Personally, I find myself doing that a lot. I look at Christianity today, the beliefs that many people hold, and I honestly think, you fools, who has tricked or bewitched or deceived you into thinking that Jesus was a feel good, self help guru, God loves a particular people or group more than others, God rewards the rich and punishes the poor, the world is ending next month, you can have Christians without a cross, a Christian community based on fake news or whatever else there is out there.   

Calling people who see things differently stupid or fools is a common part of  life today but its not the lesson of this reading.  It’s what Paul does about it that inspires, teaches and corrects us. Paul proclaims Christ in the face of these things. Insisting that Jesus is enough, pointing to the cross and resurrection, pointing to God’s word, correcting the lies and confronting those who spread them.  

 

Sunday, May 21, 2017

sermon for May 21



The reading 

Galatians 1:13-17; 2:11-21

1:13 You have heard, no doubt, of my earlier life in Judaism. I was violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it. I advanced in Judaism beyond many among my people of the same age, for I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors.  But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, I did not confer with any human being, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were already apostles before me, but I went away at once into Arabia, and afterwards I returned to Damascus.

2:11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned;  for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.  But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?" We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. But if, in our effort to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have been found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! But if I build up again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.

The message

In many ways, Paul’s letter to the Galatians picks up where we left off last week. Since the conflict over the question “does a Christian need to keep the Jewish law” is the reason Paul writes this letter to the Galatians (and the whole church really) I’d like to review what happened when this issue was debated in Jerusalem (as reported in Acts 15, last week’s reading). Paul and other Christians convert and baptize a group of non jewish people without any mention of the Jewish law or the demand that people be circumcised (in this case, Paul ignores an earlier decision by the church in Jerusalem that keeping the law was not required for non jewish Christian converts, but circumcision was).

Today, circumcision is a very common procedure for religious, health and hygiene reasons. There is really no polite way to describe it but in case anyone is not sure what we are talking about it, circumcision involves the removal of the foreskin from male genitals.  In the old testament world, this practice was common for health and hygiene reasons in many places.  For the Jewish people though, it takes on a new and spiritual meaning, it becomes a sign of the covenant or agreement with God and a sign that they are included in it.  After all, according to Genesis, God told Abraham to circumcise himself, his household and his slaves as an everlasting covenant in their flesh. Those who were not circumcised were to be 'cut off' from their people (Genesis 17:10-14).  A believer not being circumcised was a big deal, it meant no longer being part of the covenant God made with Abraham.  It meant there was a new covenant God made with people through Jesus life, death and resurrection (which is exactly what Paul argues).  For Paul, anything that is added to the saving work of Christ is an unnecessary distraction, people were saved by grace, not the law and not any ritual.

This is a major, significant change, probably the biggest shake up in history of Judaism. A lot of 
people were not ready to take that step. After learning about Paul’s conversion of gentiles without circumcision, a group comes from Jerusalem and protests, publically confronting Paul, brining anxiety and doubts to the new converts. They cannot resolve the issue so there was another council meeting in Jerusalem to discuss the question. There it is resolved that Gentiles did not need to convert to Judaism first, or keep the law or even get circumcised.

It would seem like the question had been settled but not really. People are still upset, scared and confused by the decision. Just like Paul ignored the earlier decision of the group, others ignore this one. There were still people teaching that circumcision was required for Christians.  They   attacked others over this point, questioned the validity of new converts faith and the surety of their salvation. After all, this ritual was essential, ordered by God as a sign of God’s promises and part of the Jewish faith for over 1500 years. Paul or anyone else was not going to say or do something different.  It had all of the elements of a sacrament (God’s command, physical sign)  

This letter to the Galatians gives a fuller picture of Paul’s view, that we are saved by grace, not the law, that the law is an obstacle to gentiles, This is not pure philosophy or theology, the new church in Galatia was a place under criticism and attack from an unidentified group of teachers who are telling them they needed to be circumcised.  We do not know if these are the same opponents who Paul faced off with in Jerusalem or another group.

At times, Paul’s  letter to the Galatians can be aggressive and condemning.  Overall it is an arugment meant for a wider community, for the whole church.   Paul reviews his life, talking about his time as a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church and then a Christain missionary, ripped from his former life and beliefs though an encounter with the risen Christ (an event that would have shocked the religious authorities, Paul was one of the their own, until he wasn’t).  But when God, who had set me apart before I was born and called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me, so that I might proclaim him among the Gentiles, He then reviews his relationship with them “I am astonished that  you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ

Paul goes on to write honestly about his relationship with the church in Jerusalem, about his years of advocating and debating and confronting them with the good news of what was happening in the gentile world.  After this, there is a complicated and lengthy argument from Paul about faith vs the law. Finally, there is a list of reasons against the requirement of circumcision and a celebration of Christian liberty. 

Galatians is really a long argument and evidence that a person is justified not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ.  This is written in a special language I call Paul speak.  Paul was a scholar and expert writer that used the highest traditions of Greek rhetoric and argument which is great but can be complicated for us to follow.  Basically, the cartoon on the front of the bulletin with 2 sheep talking is the point of this letter.   We are saved by God’s grace, by Christ’s death and resurrection, nothing else. 

\Image result for agnus day galatians

As Paul writes  But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood self-condemned;  for until certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. And the other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy, we are reminded that what we do matters. Peter is written off and dismissed as a hypocrite, saying one thing and doing another, believing one thing but being afraid to teach or do it. Peter’s weakness leads other astray, even Barnabas (a vital members of Paul’s missionary group) Today, this remains just as true, what we say and do matters, how we talk about, express our faith, what we do in this place, all matters.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Sermon for May 14



The reading

Acts 15:1-18

 Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders.  So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.  But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, "It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses."  The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter.  After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers.  And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us;  and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.  Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?  On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."  The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.  After they finished speaking, James replied, "My brothers, listen to me.  Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,  "After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up,  so that all other peoples may seek the Lord— even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called. Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things known from long ago.'

The message

(No manuscripts this week, so I’ll try to write out what I talked about. I did not mention Mother’s Day but we sang all Hymns written by women to celebrate the day)

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I participated in a conference just like this one in ancient Jerusalem almost 2000 years ago.  We had the annual Synod Assembly for the Metro NY Synod of the ELCA (a meeting of the pastors and some members of the 200 or so churches that are part of the Metro NY Synod).   During this meeting, we prayed together, worshipped together, shared communion, listened to each other, approved a budget (and talked about how we use our resources), debated the future of a church in Staten Island in a complicated situation, and learned about all of the different ministries and work of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the larger church organization we are part of).  I can’t say this event is exciting for me but there is something amazing and joyful about being connected to so many passionate, faithful and excited people.

This morning, the church assembly in Jerusalem we hear about in Acts only had one matter of business to attend to.   They were in the middle of the first big church fight, a debate on the question “do you need to become Jewish, be circumcised or keep the law to become a baptized follower of Jesus and be part of the kingdom of God”.    

There were 2 sides and two main figures.  First there is Paul. We heard about him over the past few weeks.  He was called Saul and was a persecutor of the church. Saul was a prominent Pharisee and part of a renowned family of Jewish leaders.  He was there at the stoning of Stephen (the first Christian martyr, the first person killed for proclaiming Christ is our savior). Saul saw the new faith as a corruption of and threat to Judaism.  He sought to catch, arrest or kill any converts to it.   On the way to find and persecute Christians in Damascus, Saul has an experience of the Risen Christ, he is knocked off his horse and struck blind. He hears Jesus call him “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me”.  Saul is instructed to see someone in the city, there his sight is restored, his name is changed to Paul and he becomes one of the great missionaries in the church (as well as the author of many letters that are part of the New Testament.).

For Paul, this question of “do you need to keep the Old Testament law before becoming Christian” was clearly no.  He was a apostle to the gentiles and saw converting them to Judaism first as unnecessary, even as an obstacle. We were saved by grace, by being joined to Christ’s death and resurrection, not by circumcision or keeping the law.  There was a new covenant and way to be part of the kingdom of God. Paul saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jews and Gentiles ( non-Jews) the same way, his position was verified by God. 

On the other side, there is Peter and the church leaders in Jerusalem.  Sure, Jesus challenged the religious authorities and communities on how they kept the law but Jesus never exactly says “stop keeping it”, Jesus kept the law, even the last supper was the observance of the Passover.   This was a big decision and the early church leaders wanted to get it right.  At the same time, Peter has seen the Holy Spirit descend on the gentiles, on people who had no idea what the law was, let alone kept it.  Peter also had a vision.  On the way to Macedonia to pray with a group of new Gentile Christians, Peter sees a blanket filled with pigs and other animals that were ritually unclean and could not be eaten according to the law. God tells him “kill and eat”.  At first Peter refuses, saying they are prohibited.  Again God says “kill and eat” and Peter says “no, I have never broken the dietary law”. Finally God says again, I imagine a little nasty this time, I’m God, it’s my law and im telling you to 
break it, to kill and eat, you better do it”.         

This question was already debated and answered once before (Gentiles were welcome, no conversion to Judaism necessary, all they had to do was be circumcised).  Paul does not adhere to this agreement and baptizes gentiles with no required circumcision.  People come from Jerusalem and say “hey wait a minute, not so fast, we decided they must be circumcised”  Paul and others once again say, that is an obstacle and they are saved by Christ alone.

The people disagreed, leaders and members, new and old, cannot figure it out and so they widen the conversation, going to Jerusalem to debate the question.  What happens in Jerusalem can be a model for all of us today in how we communicate and treat each other.  In Jerusalem, long standing things are challenged,  experiences count (reports of what happened from James, Paul, Peter and Barnabas are central to the discussion), decisions are checked and verified by Scripture, people listened to each other (even though they did not like each other) and prayed together
.  
Ultimately it was decided that conversion to Judaism, keeping the Old Testament law or even circumcision were not necessary for Christians. This was a big decision, one that forever changed the church and one that has impacted the faith of hundreds, thousands, millions and then billions of people for all time.  The early leaders of the church had to make sure they got this one right.  In the end they decide for welcome, for inclusion, for getting rid of any obstacles to people entering the kingdom of God, to baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to let God’s grace work and let God’s love do new and amazing things.