The Nazarene’s who first heard Jesus calling were deeply convinced that the LORD their God had chosen them out of all the peoples on earth to be His people, His treasured possession based on the covenant stated in Deuteronomy 7:6.
A wise grade school teacher once asked her students to form a circle and close their eyes. She explained that if your shoulder were tapped, you were to move quietly to the center of the circle that they had formed. She further explained that the chosen inner circle would be her helpers for the year. They would collect homework, sharpen pencils, clean the chalkboard, and help other students. Everyone was eager as they notice that their neighbors shoulders were touched and each student wondered, if he or she could be counted on . . . if they were worthy.
When you were finally touched and you knew that you were “chosen,” then you could open your eyes, move to the center of the circle, and watch the teacher slowly, lovingly touch every student in the class. Now you knew. Now you understood. We were all worthy of being helpers. She needed us all and loved us all. Maybe you have a similar experience like Keith Curran of Virginia. I believe that Jesus wanted to do the same for His childhood friends of Nazareth who came with anticipation to here their prodigy preach “a good one” and “heal a few folks too.”
It’s an Illogical Gift – this gift to be chosen. It’s especially illogical if you are part of our “frozen chosen” brethren and sisters. Even today there are “well meaning” (or is that “mean welling”) Christians who are bent on putting people in their proper place according to their interpretation of the Bible. By infamous slogans such as “infallible and inerrant scriptures” those with an agenda to make sure that they stay in “the chosen . . . the elected” category would send as many discredited lost souls as possible to a widow of Zarephath in Sidon or to a Syrian professional soldier like Naaman.
Jesus reminds us of people that God chooses, whom we might not choose: The LORD came to [Elijah], saying, "Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you." (1 Kings 17:8-9) Jesus teaches us how to confront others like us to accept the chosen-ness of people who are NOT like us. He invites us to return to God as the one who chooses to bless instead of our own self-serving, self-satisfied, belly-button gazing interpretation of the scriptures and God’s law.
The folks in Nazareth thought they had “good reason” push Jesus away and even threaten to kill Him. They didn’t have a lot of money, time, energy, or material possessions, and so they could easily let go of their claim to being the ONLY chosen ones of God! They were poor in spirit, but didn’t know it. They didn’t NEED to feel that they were better than other people – but they certainly WANTED to hold on to that wonderful, glorious covenant of God to bless all humanity as the chosen people of God without listening to the blessing of fulfillment of God’s promise in their very ears, in that very moment. American Christians want to be the chosen nation, but we must humbly allow God to choose anyone and everyone, if that’s what God wants.
Men need to allow women like the widow from Zarephath to be chosen. She could preach with her meager provisions to a prophet of God, Elijah. She could speak with action, better than words. All of you beautiful women of Dexter prepare our meals for meetings and gatherings.
Sisters, you don’t have to be restricted from God-given privileges and responsibilities. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians sound like the Nazarenes moves to that city in Spartan Greece. Possibly the women were a threat to the men, because they allowed the women “to have fruitful and meaningful influence over” them, and Paul “from himself” asked that Women not “have dominion over men and are not to teach men publicly, but [were] to learn in quietness with all subjection” (1 Corinthians 14:33b-35). Old Testament chosen women like Ruth, Esther and the Prophetess Deborah can easily dispel our onesided interpretation that tries to exclude women from doing what Billy Graham’s daughter does so well. I am so blessed that Annemarie goes with me into battle like Deborah went General Barak (4:14). Thank you, Anna, the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38), Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-46; 12:2-8), Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:26-56; 2:5-19; 48-51; John 2:1-10; 19:25-27; Acts 2:14), Mary Magdalene (Matthew 27:56, 61; 28:1-10), Susanna (Luke 8:3), Joanna (Luke 8:3; 24:10), Mary, the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12), Dorcas (Acts 9:36-42), Lydia (Acts 16:14, 15, 40), Priscilla (Acts 18:2, 26: Romans 16:3), Four daughters of Philip, all prophetesses (Acts 21:8-9), Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2), Euodia and Syntyche (Philippians 4:2-3), Lois and Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5), and Aged women, whom Paul asks to teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5).
Will not this church, this community of men and women act like chosen ones and confront a world that prefers to reject and snub others in the name of self-made lies of self-importance. Will you not BE “chosen seed of Israel's race, BE ransomed from the fall, hail Him who saves you by his grace, and crown Him Lord of all. Hail Him who saves you by His grace, and crown Him LORD of all. (UMH 155)
We need a Simple Acts of faith to understand and practice what it means to be truly chosen of God. Naaman first rejected Elisha’s healing instructions to wash seven times in the Jordan River. He said, "Are not . . . the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" [Naaman] turned and went away in a rage (2 Kings 5:12). The king of Syria had already chosen him to be a great military commander, but God chose him suffer leprosy and listen to his wife’s little Israelite girl so as to first learn about Elisha, who could heal him. Naaman made a choice to ask his king to go to Israel to be cured of his disease. Elisha didn’t even come out to greet him. Instead, he sent a messenger to give him the washing prescription. Like the Nazarenes, Naaman was furious that an important man like him would be treated this way, and he went away in rage. The Nazarene’s rage and rejection lasted maybe as long as it took for unnamed witnesses, to convert the townspeople as what non-Christian’s like Paul’s prosecutor Tertullus called “Nazarenes” in Acts 24:5. Less than thirty years after the people of Nazareth had rejected and almost killed Jesus according to today’s Gospel lesson, the Nazarenes had been like Naaman. They had listened to the LORD's servants, who reasoned with them that if they had been told to do something difficult, they would have do it. So Naaman complied with the prophet's simple directive, and he was cured. So the Nazarene’s finally complied with Jesus’ simple directive, and they were cured – in fact, they were blessed by naming the early Christian church with their community.
1. Ye who claim the faith of Jesus,
sing the wonders that were done
When the love of God the Father over sin the victory won,
When he chooses our own lives to represent His only Son.
2. Blessed were the chosen people out of whom the Lord did come;
Blessed was the land of promise fashioned for his earthly home;
But more blessed far the Christians whose dear church now bare Him whole.
3. Therefore let all faithful people sing the honor of God’s name;
Let the church, like mother Mary, preach in actions and words plain;
What Christ's mother sang in gladness let Christ's people live the same:
4. "Magnify, my soul, God's greatness; in my Savior I rejoice;
All the ages call me blessed, in his praise I lift my voice;
He has cast down all the mighty, and the lowly are his choice."
(based on UMH 197)
Dear Heavenly Father, Sometimes we wonder if You love us or can use our meager lives. Like a teacher in our life’s classroom, You touch every shoulder and call each one of us into Your inner circle. Though we do not feel worthy, we sense Your touch as You invite us into the circle of Your love.
We have allowed pride, vanity or arrogance to prevent us from doing something that would help ourselves or others. Like Naaman and like the earlier rejecting Nazarenes, we may feel insulted or belittled, when You ask us to include others in our group who aren’t like us or if you ask us to do something we think is beneath us.
We hear and obey You Father and we do simple acts of compassion, simple hope and community, so as to accomplish great things to Your glory. In the name of Jesus Christ, whose tasks in Your kingdom are never beneath any of us. Amen.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment