Penetcost 14 Let Brotherly Love Continue, with help!
Sept. 2
† In the Name of Jesus †
Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ!
Piano Man…
The young musician, week after week, sits and observes the people. There is John, a bartender and wannabe actor; Paul, the workaholic author; Dave, a lifer in the US Navy; rushing from one table, to another, are the waitresses, perhaps with their dreams reduced to simply being rescued; and businessmen, either celebrating the big deal, or drowning their sorrows, as another week passes, without success. The manager smiles, for many have gathered to find some sort of refuge, some sort of sanctuary. Finally, there is the old man, who has lost his past, who asks the young musician on a Saturday night, “Son, can you play me a melody, I’m not really sure how it goes. It’s sad, and sweet, and I knew it complete, when I wore a younger man’s clothes.
Bottom line, as the young man sings, “they are sharing a drink called loneliness, cause it’s better than drinking alone…”
Compare that to another place, Sunday Morning at nine, rather than Saturday Evening. Are the problems so different? Don’t we have people that dream of doing bigger and better things? Of people who spend or spent their life in carreers, dedicated to protecting their fellow man and country, yet once that service is past, have fears and problems re-adjusting? Do we have people coming together, to celebrate the success they have had, or to find encouragement because of another “same ol” week of loneliness and failure? Yeah, we do. All of it. But there is something very different, here.
In both places, people gather from every walk of life, rich and poor, wealthy and financially unsecure. Full of joy, and in dark despair. Looking for fellowship, or love, or perhaps, both. It is easy to see from the piano bar stool, or from the pulpit. But there is something different here. There is hope…
As a kid, I had two dreams. Because of the song Piano Man, to be a good enough pianist to play in such a place and give people a break from life for a while. Or to be a pastor, and give them a different break from this life, indeed another life. There are breaks, and there are breaks….
We are a community of faith, the body of Christ, the people of God. And in today’s passage, we tasked with a direction, that will draw people here, to find that which they seek, whether they think they will find it, in the bar, or in their business, or whether they doubt they will ever find it again. For what they look for is here, among we who gather in His name.
The Challenge – Let Brotherly Love continue
Philadelphia & Philozenia
Paul Says”
Those in Bondage,
Those mistreated
Honor Marriage –
Don’t be greedy.. Romans called generosity a gift
As the author of Hebrews starts chapter 13, he uses two related words. The first is Philadelphia - which is a compound of adelphous, meaning brothers, and philo – meaning love. The second, which we are told not to forget to do, is often translated as “be hospitable to strangers”. The word there is Philo-zenia – zenos as in strangers, philo, again, as in love, or show love to.
We are to love those who come to us, as brothers, people we know and care for well, but we are also encouraged to love those who are strangers. The passage goes on to define a few people who meet those words, either brothers/sisters, or strangers.
Those in prison, or in bondage. We think first of those behind bars, but we all know people entrapped by their lives as well. Trapped in bodies that don’t function, or in situations where they seem to have no choice. A version of the golden rule applies- to realize we share in their imprisonment. We need to show love to those mistreated, those who literally are treated evilly. The implication is clear – if we truly share in their lives, then we should be suffering with them, attempting to relieve the suffering. As 1 Corinthians 12 encourages us
It gets more direct, as the writer commands us to look marriage as the holy gift it is, and to guard it, so that no one can tarnish, or corrupt, or turn that relationship into something rotten. I think, that in this society, marriage is no longer considered a honorable estate, a precious gift of God. Yet we know – from the very beginning, that is what it is meant to be. Yet the world would rob and cheapen it, promoting various forms of sexual immorality like pornography or championing sex outside of marriage, to those that wreck marriages in adultery, or in mistreating their spouses. We are called to treat marriage different, to hold it up – as God gives two people to each other, to be a blessing, and a joyous pleasure to each other.
If we are called to be a community, then the warning about to keep away from greed, the love of money, or for that matter our time, and talent, also makes sense. For how can we look towards loving our brother, or the stranger in need, if our true love is money? How can we consider needs and the way we can show love, if we remove from consideration, the very options that God has given us, so that we could help!
Can we?
If you are like me, as I wrote this sermon, I thought about these words, encouraging us to love our brothers, our neighbors, yeah, even strangers. I wanted to say, hey Lord, can we talk about this some?
While I love helping people – well, as long as the people are those I love more than my brother, and that includes you all, I am not sure I am so sure of this stranger thing. I mean – the very idea of strangers is that they are…. Well strange to me! How do I show them love and hospitality and keep my family and my finances safe? Or is God wanting us to become stepping stones and patsies?
Not only are there people I don’t want to help, I am not so sure I always do that which is loving towards them! Sometimes because I make a mistake, and do what I think is loving, or sometimes – the most loving thing is too difficult, or requires a different mindset. I would love to make arguments, my idea of loving is different than theirs, there were more people in need, they didn’t tell me they were going to the hospital, doncha know!
Even as I wrote this section of the sermon, I had to deal with such people, Uggghhh - not sure who I am more upset at – them, or me because of my actions. Definitely me! What help is there for me? If I am to love the brother, and the stranger, where is the help?
The Catch - with help
Content – because you know God is with you
Content – because of the different altar
Content because of the different city
Marked with Him – outside the city
It is in our passage, specifically hear these words again,
“be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
The author quotes a passage from Psalms, and reminds us, that we do not go through this life alone, but the very presence of God is with each of us. We are in communion with God, the Holy Spirit accompanies and indeed guides us in life. Fear, is eliminated by the trust we have in our Father.
What difference should this make? All the difference in the world. We aren’t, as the song says, sharing a drink called loneliness, because it is better than drinking alone. Instead, our cup overflows with His goodness and mercy as David wrote. Even when in the valley of the shadow of death, He is there, guiding and comforting.
Remember the other two comparisons in Hebrews, the two altars, the two cities.
The first the altar of the past, representing the abused old covenant. The old altar, where people began to see the sacrifices as something they did to earn forgiveness, rather than celebrate forgiveness being given to them. That altar was bloody, and the carcass of that which was sacrificed for sins, was taken and burnt outside the camp. It represents as well, all religions of man, where man looks to his own actions to save him, rather than the presence of God in His life. The sacrifice and yes, the very temple becomes vain, meaningless, boring ritual, because there is nothing to it. It was even used, after there was no altar or ark of the covenant left, for the altar, ark and temple had become gods, worshipped instead of the God, who promised to meet them there!
But the body of the one sacrificed on the cross for us, was sacrificed outside the camp already – not in the temple. There, it didn’t remain, death couldn’t hold our Lord Jesus! He triumphed over sin, satan and death! As the last chapter in Hebrews said, despite the shame – it was for joy he went there.
We too have gone there, in our baptism, joined with the death of Christ, that we might be raised again! We are united in the shame of the cross – that place where sin was paid for, not just put off. As well, we have the hope that as Christ rose from the dead and it was powerless over Him, so shall it be for us!
That is the key to the city as well. We don’t need Jerusalem of this world, it is no longer necessary, and simply represents the fall of mankind, rather than God calling men back into union with Him. Instead, we look to the city that will last forever, the city of God, where all his people, the very bride of Christ will gather together, in the full joy of His presence.
If our baptism joins us to Jesus death and resurrection, if, as promised it delivers to us, the ever present Holy Spirit, we can rejoice. Look behind you, now, you on the left look right, and your on the right – left! Now look in front of you, even if you have to at me. All the people there, that you have seen, are as part of you, as your hand, as your eye, as your spine! They are indeed your brothers and sisters, loved in the same way, restored to life and to holiness by the work of Christ.
Now, look at the back door. Out there is the world, a world that needs the love we can share with them.
For He has loved us, and made us one. A family that knows the peace of God, and longs to make strangers realize that they can be part of this family as well.
For Jesus has made it possible.
He has given us so much, including the unsurpassable peace of the Father, and Jesus guards our hearts and minds, all of them, for we have been made His people. AMEN? AMEN!
