If you ever happen to listen to Positive 89.3 on Saturday nights, you know that Joe Polek and I often enjoy sharing humorous stories from the news between the songs that we play. If you listened last night, you would have heard us talking about a variety of mistranslations with humorous results. We got started on mistranslations because I had found a news article about a recent tourism publication from the City of Jerusalem. Boldly proclaimed on the front of the brochure were these words: “Jerusalem! There is no such city!” Tens of thousands of copies had been distributed before the mistake was realized—the correct translation? “Jerusalem--there’s no city like it!”
Some of my other favorite mistranslations include:
• A warning to motorists in Tokyo: "When a passenger of the foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet at him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage, then tootle him with vigor."
• In a Tokyo hotel: Is forbitten to steal hotel toweles please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read this notice.
• In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: "Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists".
• When translated into Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin’ good" came out as "eat your fingers off".
• Denmark: in a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions
• Apparently skiers (and their ski-boots) were making lots of noise after hours in this Austrian hotel, so they posted this sign: "Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.
• in a hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily
• Serbia: in a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.
I don’t know about you, but I think I’ll pass on that elevator—United States comes pretty late in the alphabet, so I’m not sure I’d ever get to my “wishing floor!”
Translation is really quite difficult—as I’ve worked at the General Store this summer, I’ve enjoyed getting to know Saulo and Fernanda, the two Brazilian employees who work with me behind the sandwich counter. As they try to pick up English, they struggle most with our idioms and figures of speech. Often it takes far longer for us to communicate clearly, because we have to eliminate the short-cuts that we use in our every-day speech.
As I thought about translations and the difficulties of communicating between two language groups, I began to think about how difficult it seems to fully understand God. Whenever we begin to use words to describe God’s eternal attributes, we find that our language falls short. Words cannot contain or adequately represent God’s nature or His will for us. When we attempt to wrap our finite brains around His finite being, we quickly discover that we are not really up to the task.
After all, even the Apostle Paul—the most prolific writer in the New Testament, and the most effective missionary and church planter of his day indicated that he didn’t have a full grasp on God—that he didn’t really know everything there was to know. He describes this truth in First Corinthians 13, verse 12: Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
I find great encouragement in knowing that even Paul felt as though he had only attained a portion of the knowledge of God. As I struggle to wrap my finite brain around the infinite God, I am grateful to know that the day will come when I will see my Savior face to face, and that I will know God fully—as fully as He now knows me.
As we look at human history, we become aware that God has tried to communicate with His people in many ways. The Old Testament is really an accounting of the ways in which God spoke to His people (and their response to His communications). We know that Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden, giving us a picture of the clear and constant communication which God desires with His people. But we also know that Adam and Eve turned from God in order to do things their way, and that line of communication was severely impaired.
We can read of how God spoke directly to Noah and Abraham, how he used dreams and visions to communicate to Jacob and Joseph. We know that He spoke to Moses from the burning bush, and used Moses to speak to Pharaoh. When Pharoah refused to listen to Moses, God used all of creation to attempt to communicate with him, through the plagues which came on Egypt. Later in Moses life, God spoke to him on top of a mountain, and then carved words onto stone tablets for Moses to take back to the people. God spoke to Samuel in an audible voice—even though Samuel mistook His voice for that of Eli the priest.
Throughout much of Israelite history, God spoke to prophets, priests, and judges, and commanded them to speak to the people on His behalf—some of these communications took the form of object lessons—breaking jars, eating scrolls, laying next to a clay model of Jerusalem for over 14 months, or packing luggage in the middle of the night. God even used enemy kings to attempt to communicate with His people, but they continued to live in disobedience to Him.
In fact, one of the general themes of Old Testament scripture is that despite God’s continued attempts to speak to His people, they often failed to get the message…. Even though God continually used familiar images, visions, and object lessons—His people continued to ultimately fall away. Sure, they’d return to righteousness for a time, but it wouldn’t be long before idol worship and disobedience crept back into the predominant culture.
And yet, we know that God does not give up on us. The Old Testament notion of hesed, or steadfast love, means that God keeps His promises. He loves us even when we fail Him. He not only keeps His end of the covenant, but does whatever it takes to complete our end of the covenant for us. In other words, He is willing that none should perish. He would really rather die than live without us.
Which brings us to our scripture lesson today, found in the book of Hebrews. I invite you to hear these words from Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1-4:
1In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. 3The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
In the past, God had spoken to His people in a variety of ways—prophets, visions, voices, object lessons, and more. However, the time came when He decided instead to speak through His Son—the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His being.
I think that it’s fair to suggest that up until this point in time, all that humanity had seen were glimmers and glimpses of God’s glory—even Moses could only see the back of God on top of Mt. Sinai. But on that cold Bethlehem night, the exact representation of God’s being entered the world. The Nicene Creed would say, “very God of very God, begotten, not made.” In other words, Jesus was truly Divine—nothing less than God. He was not a created being like the angels or the rest of humanity, but was fully God—and yet chose to take on the form of a human child, so that we might better understand the God who was trying to reach out to us.
In understanding who Jesus is, it’s equally important that we understand who He is not. The author of Hebrews spends a fair amount of energy referencing Old Testament prophetic scriptures, in an effort to clarify that Jesus is divine—and not just an angel. Hear these words from Hebrews 11, verses 5-14:
5For to which of the angels did God ever say,
"You are my Son;
today I have become your Father"? Or again,
"I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son"? 6And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God’s angels worship him." 7In speaking of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
his servants flames of fire." 8But about the Son he says,
"Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever,
and righteousness will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy." 10He also says,
"In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end." 13To which of the angels did God ever say,
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet"? 14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
May God add His blessing to the reading of His Word.
Clearly, as the exact representation of God, Jesus is superior to the angels. The angels are created beings, Jesus was eternally existing before time began. The angels are servants of God, Jesus is seated upon a throne. The angels are sent as agents of God’s prevenient grace to lead people to salvation—their objective is to worship God and to point people to God. Jesus is very God of very God, begotten, not made.
Our culture pays lots of attention to angels and the spirit world, with television shows, figurines, and poems all about angels. Now, there’s no need for Christians to ignore angels or question their existence—but the author of Hebrews indicates that angels are not primarily here to minister to Christians, but to non-Christians. Angels exist to bring people to Christ. As followers of Christ, we are not really in need of angels, for we have something far greater within us all the time—the Spirit of Christ.
While the angels are spiritual beings, they are not beings of authority—they are not rulers over either this world, or the world to come. The author of Hebrews continues his explanation in Chapter 2, beginning in verse 5:
5It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. 6But there is a place (Psalm 8) where someone (King David) has testified:
"What is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
7You made him a little lower than the angels;
you crowned him with glory and honor
8and put everything under his feet?
In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
10In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. 11Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. 12He says,
"I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises."
The Word of the Lord.
So, even though Jesus was superior to the angels, for a time He became a little lower than the angels so that He might be the perfect representation of God to us—that God might clearly communicate with us, through the person of Jesus the Christ. But here’s the catch—we know that Jesus didn’t physically stay here on earth. The author of Hebrews says that Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor. And yet, the irony of the statement is that Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor because He suffered death—it is precisely because of His shame that He has been given honor, because of His suffering that He has been given glory, because of His death that He has been given life.
Here’s the good news of the Gospel—Jesus goes before us on this journey of life, death, and resurrection. He is the author of our faith—and the finisher of our faith. He is the first—and the last. He is the alpha—and the omega. He is the beginning—and the end. Our faith is found only in Jesus—as the only perfect and complete revelation of God on this earth. Our journey follows His—those who wish to save their lives must first lose them, those who want to be first must first be last, those who want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven must become like little children—not at all unlike God who became a little child in order to communicate with us.
Christianity is about re-orienting our lives to reflect the life of Jesus—that we might also represent God to the world around us. As we chase after the Rabbi, we not only learn what the Rabbi knows, but we learn to be like the Rabbi—going where He goes, speaking to those He speaks to—living lives of love and sacrifice so that others might live.
And, even though Jesus has returned to Heaven, we know that we are not alone in this journey. Neither are we alone in our attempts to accurately represent God to those around us—for Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to us as a comforter and constant companion. The Spirit of Christ is now the representation of God on earth—working through the Church as the visible and tangible Body of Christ.
And, God knew that we would still need tangible reminders to help us know that we are not alone. He knew that we would still need help translating the enormity of God into language that we could understand. He knew that our finite brains would need help wrapping themselves around the infinite nature of God.
Perhaps that’s one reason He gave us the sacrament of Holy Communion—so that we could have the tangible elements that we could see, touch, smell, and taste—in order that we would remember that God goes with us wherever we go. In the bread, we remember that Jesus’ very real body was hung upon a cross, where He shed very real blood—so that our sins could really be forgiven. In the same way, His very real body rose again from the dead—in order that we might experience eternal life in the Kingdom of God.
In a moment, we will share together in that Sacrament—a tangible reminder that the very presence of God goes with us wherever we go. Any who can affirm their faith in Jesus as Savior are welcome to participate in the feast—for it is His table and His food. And, as you come, may you be given the grace to be God’s representative upon this earth—wherever you go.
Our affirmation of faith this morning will be in the form of our prayer chorus—reminding us that Jesus died for each of us—thinking of us as He took the fall on our behalf. As we sing, you’re invited to come and kneel here at these altars in preparation for a time of prayer. After prayer, the elements will be offered first to those at the altars, and then those in the pews will be invited to come and receive the elements and return to their seats as we partake together—celebrating our unity within the Body of Christ.
Would you stand with me as we affirm our faith in the exact representation of God’s glory—Jesus the Christ?
Benediction: Ephesians 3:17b I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
(Listen to this sermon online @ http://www.capenazarene.org/ftp/sermonaudio/cecn_100106_representation.mp3. Or, you can subscribe to the weekly podcast at http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=129585252)
