November 10, 2013 [Green] Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 (UMH 857) 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Luke 20:27-38 Marriage and Sex the Ultimate Curve Ball
A successful major league batter gets a hit only 30 percent of the time he comes to bat. One of the ways pitchers lower these chances even further is by throwing a curveball. A curveball is a pitch that appears to be moving straight toward home plate but that is actually moving down and to the right or left by several inches. Obviously, a pitch that curves is going to be harder to hit than a fastball that is moving straight. Any baseball pitch begins with how the pitcher grips the ball. To throw a curveball, a pitcher must hold the baseball between his thumb and his index and middle fingers, with the middle finger resting on the baseball seam. When the pitcher comes through his motion to throw the ball, he snaps his wrist downward as he releases the ball, which gives the ball topspin. The spinning action created when the pitcher releases the ball is the secret behind the curveball. This spinning causes air to flow differently over the top of the ball than it does under the ball. This imbalance of force is called the Magnus Effect, named for physicist Gustav Magnus, who discovered in 1852 that a spinning object traveling through liquid is forced to move sideways.
To play the game correctly you have to watch the spin. In public relations, spin is a form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure. While traditional public relations may also rely on creative presentation of the facts, "spin" often implies disingenuous, deceptive and/or highly manipulative tactics. For years businesses have used fake or misleading customer testimonials by editing/spinning a customers clients to reflect a much more satisfied experience than was actually the case. Another spin technique involves a delay in the release of bad news so it can be hidden in the shadow of more important or favorable news or events.
The Sadducees in this text were all concerned about marriages and the after life and who is going to married to whom and Jesus breaks all that up because he says in describing heaven. Know I do believe that the Question of Marriage for these Religious Leaders was all about the Spin. How could they stop folks from focusing on the promises of God and Get caught up in the marriage question. How could they take the focus off of the poor, the hungry, the Social Justice issues of the day and focus on who is sleeping with whom?
The same thing is going on today. With the Question of Same Sex Marriage. You see Marriage equality in the beginning was not then a priority of gay activists. Rather, they focused on decriminalizing consensual sex between same-sex partners, securing legislation forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations and employment, and electing the nation’s first openly gay public officials. Indeed, most gays and lesbians at the time were deeply ambivalent about marriage.
For the Republican Party in the 1990s, gay marriage was a dream issue that mobilized its religious-conservative base and put it on the same side as most swing voters. Objecting that “some radical judges in Hawaii may get to dictate the moral code for the entire nation,” Republicans in 1996 introduced bills in most state legislatures to deny recognition to gay marriages lawfully performed elsewhere. (Such marriages were nonexistent at the time.)
The issue proved an enormous election-year boom to Republicans. Americans at the time rejected gay marriage by two to one, and opponents generally were more passionate than supporters. At the same time, the issue proved vexing to Democrats. Approximately 70 percent of self-identified gays voted Democratic, yet some of the party’s traditional constituencies, such as working-class Catholics and African Americans, tended to strongly oppose gay marriage.
The Sadducees were attempting to back Jesus into a corner regarding his preaching about the afterlife. A woman was not allowed to marry multiple men. This resulted in adultery. If heaven existed, their logic went, then the woman who married multiple men would have committed adultery in heaven (thereby disallowing her admittance into heaven--creating a paradox).
The other question that the Sadducees were missing was the questions of the rights of the women in general. Women's rights and economic development are highly correlated. Today, the discrepancy between the legal rights of women and men is much larger in developing compared to developed countries. Historically, even in countries that are now rich women had few rights before economic development took off. The literature on the economic consequences of women's rights documents that more rights for women lead to more spending on health and children, which should benefit development.
But as he always does Jesus turns the questions up side down or down side up, Jesus said, “Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death.
You need to know that Jesus was saying that heaven the after life is going to be different have a different life and They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it.
All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, ‘God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!’ God isn’t the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive.” (Luke 20:34-38 MSG)
Let me see if I can help you understand with this illustration.
Sharon learned the hard way that having a husband was not the key to happiness. Six years into her marriage, Sharon's husband recovered from an accident that nearly killed him. Then he decided it was time to live his life to the fullest. With no regard for his family, he quit his job, no longer provided for Sharon and her children and stayed out nightly ‘til 3:00 a.m. with no explanation of his whereabouts. Not knowing where to turn, Sharon escaped the turmoil by divorcing him.
Sharon then married a second husband who seemed compassionate about all she had been through in her first marriage. But five years into her second marriage, her husband became abusive toward her children and ended up having a three-year affair with another woman. When Sharon discovered the affair, she left the marriage and swore off men, wanting nothing to do with another marriage or relationship.
It was then that God began to show Sharon the kind of husband He could be toward her: her Provider, her Protector, her Counselor, her Friend. In Isaiah 54:5, she read:
"For your Maker is your husband—the LORD Almighty is his name….The LORD will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—a wife who married young, only to be rejected," says your God.
As Sharon began to grow in her relationship with God, she began to see the many ways He could husband her and she realized she didn't need to keep looking for a man to marry. She had all she needed in God.
"I told God I didn't need a man as long as I had Him!" Sharon told me, as she recalled her story.
That was when God unexpectedly brought Dave into Sharon's life. Dave was committed to God and was able to show Sharon what a godly marriage looked like. Together, Dave and Sharon now serve God through various ministries at their church. But Sharon is convinced she had to first look to God to be her husband, before she could recognize a godly man.
As she began to understand God's love for her, she was better able to recognize unconditional love in a man. As she saw who she was in God's eyes, she saw how she deserved to be treated by a man. God won't necessarily bring a man into your life just because you put Him first, as He did for Sharon. But God will fill that hole in your heart with a sense of fulfillment only He can provide.
Understand for instance, to many women look to a husband to truly know and understand them as no one else does. But even after years of marriage, he still can't understand your thoughts, predict your actions, and know exactly what to say when you’re feeling a certain way. That is still a task that is beyond him in his humanity. Yet, in Psalms 139:2, the Psalmist describes God by saying "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar." God actually knows your thoughts before you think them, my words before I say them, and my actions before I carry them out. On days you feel misunderstood and wish your husband understood you better, you can go to God and know He completely understands the intentions of you mind and heart.
The institution of marriage has never been more under attack. About half of all newly married couples end up in divorce. Here are some keys that can open the door to a happy or happier marriage?
1. Realize true love is more than chemistry or infatuation
One of the greatest mistakes two people make, especially two younger people, is to confuse infatuation with true love. Infatuation is the strong chemistry, or powerful love cocktail, that brings a male and female together. True love is not a sexual feeling that suddenly demands to be satisfied or a romantic desire to be with one person.
True love begins after the post-rapture state of infatuation, when the novelty of the new wears off and familiarity sets in. Some marriage partners become confused about this stage, assuming falsely that they chose the wrong mate. In fact, this is the point of a marriage when the reality of true love can set in. This is a common process in all marital relationships.
The Creator draws two people together through the normal chemistry of the body. From that point on, a husband and wife must begin to actually work on a happier marriage. True love comes from wisdom, experience and outgoing concern for the other person. It comes when a husband and wife settle into a shared relationship where each one gives of themselves to their partner and their marriage.
2. Use endearing responses
It may sound trite these days, but courtesy and kindness go a long way. Marriage partners can certainly improve their relationship by offering endearing responses and/or wishes to each other.
Although there are any numbers of endearing responses that a husband and wife can say to each other, we'll discuss three: "Please," "I'm sorry," and "Thank you." Sound simple? They are simple, but they are often difficult to say.
God loves gratitude. Being truly thankful helps others to love and respect us. Being thankful to God for His many gifts helps guarantee eternal life. We cannot get through this life without God and each other. We all need help, and that comes from others. An attitude of gratitude is important in our lives and never more important than in our marriages. Thank you for considering this thought. Show your spouse that you care for him or her with these endearing responses.
3. Make sure your communication says, "I care"
Do you show concern to your mate when you communicate with him or her? This might seem so mundane to you that you might dismiss it without any consideration. That would be a big mistake. Good communication with your mate shows that you are listening to him or her—you are showing respect.
When your mate is relating something to you, try not to ignore him or her. Instead take the time and deliberately show interest in what your spouse is saying, which is important to him or her. And it's not wrong for the person listening to question what's being said in order to clarify what he or she is hearing. That's just good, constructive conversation.
Good communication practices make for happier marriages. Your mate will love you for listening and for empathically trying to understand him or her.
Your marriage will become more secure if your communication says: "I care about you. You're important to me." Make sure your communication shows that you care for your mate.
4. Allow your marriage to mature
The Bible speaks clearly and decisively about our becoming mature, and that maturity takes patience. Conversely, we, because of our selfish nature, often look for instant gratification. Yet patience has a perfect work to perform, as we voluntarily choose to allow it to rule in our lives. That we must do.
There is no better or more critical place to build maturity through patience than in marriage. When a man and woman meet and the sparks start to fly, patience is the last thing they think about. Later, when those sparks fall back to earth, they can burn our backsides (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). In other words, if we fail to recognize the importance of patience needed to have a happy marriage, our marriage will not mature as God intended.
Sadly, most couples don't consider the need for their marriage to mature. They simply assume that it will always ride the crest of infatuation. They do not realize or accept that when the new wears off, truth sets in. About 50 percent of all marriages can't handle the truth. And the truth about marriage is the truth about happier relationships: It takes a lot of give and take, not take and take.
Don't be ruled by the desire for instant gratification. God wants us to learn to be patient with our mates. Allow your mate to be your best friend. Show respect for each other. Exercise patience. Allow your marriage to mature.
5. Strive to revive your marriage
I've seen the repair and restoration of marriages that appeared to be headed straight for divorce. One couple in particular, we'll call them Troy and Tonya, assumed that divorce was the only way out and that their former feelings of love had withered and were beyond repair.
My counseling with them began with small talk and the more we engaged in communication, the more they began to relax. As we progressed, we searched for mutual likes.
Then we addressed earlier times when they were in love and easily agreed with one another—how and why this time came naturally to them. After discussing the good times, we began to address the not-so-good times, like when they felt they began to disagree with one another. Although this was uncomfortable for them, they did openly discuss when they began to disagree and for what reasons.
Their interactive communication began to show how familiarity had set in. They began to take one another for granted. No more roses. No more meeting him at the door. No more turning the bed back at night. No more coffee and conversation every morning. No more hugs and kisses. No more holding hands. No more sitting beside each other on the couch, watching TV or reading a book. No more endearing thoughts expressed each day, like "I love you honey," or "Have a great day," or "I'll call you to see how your day is going." That’s what was killing their relationship the lack of real passion and interaction.
Conclusion; That what Jesus was dealing with the leaders of his day, they like the couple Tonya and Troy had spot dealing with what was really important Love of God. Jesus was saying the love of God is the most important.
So what was the greatest teaching of Jesus to the Sadducees? Let us then not be ashamed of the love of God. Too long have we hidden our light under the bushel of unobtrusive good works. We have made of our religion a holy relic, to be kept in a discreet plain box, brought out perhaps to be dusted on Sunday morning, but never to be exhibited to the unfriendly gaze and polite laughter of the world. But relics decay, and soon our box will be empty, and then perhaps we shall mourn our loss, and say "Religion is dead." And all the while God will be smiling sorrowfully at us, and His love will spring up again as a flower comes up in the spring, fresh and sweet-smelling. It will spring up in strange places where we never thought of looking, among the poor and the outcast, the uneducated and the foolish, the wayward and the heathen. And if we are awake and sensitive it will spring up, alive and gay, out of the dust of our own hearts, through the matted growth of our intellectual pride and worldly riches.
I have a vision for the world. I see a band of men and women going out unto all people, preaching this splendid news of God's love by word and deed, using all the resources of their minds, and of the knowledge of our day, but speaking principally to the spiritual hunger that grips the hearts of men everywhere. I see them preaching fearlessly - "Love God more than your country, more than your class, more than your race, more than your creed." I see them persecuted, and cast into prison, and put to death, but conquering all these things through the love that fills their whole being, leaving no room for mistrust, or fear, or pain. They shall absorb the world's hate and anger into their own bodies, and will give none in return, so that the streams of hatred that fly around the world, bounding and rebounding from the flinty surfaces of unredeemed souls, will dwindle and pass away. I see the hardness melting from men's souls, a new and eager look brightening in their eyes, a dissolving of old hates, a coming together in joyful unity.
Let us not despair of the world. It is God's world, and He has made it for Himself, as He has made us. Is our life threatened? It is not ours to withhold from Him. Is our peace, our comfort, our security threatened? These things have come between us and His glory, and we shall find the true peace, the true comfort, the true security that lies in His riches, not in ours.
With everybody listening, Jesus spoke to his disciples. “Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they’ll pay for it in the end.” (Luke 20:8, 45-47 MSG)
