On the Way to Wonder

Jesus opens his farewell speech to his followers from a position of power.  “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28:18)”  “therefore…” (roll of drums in the background), “Go.”  In Genesis the mandate for humanity was to be fruitful, multiply and care for the earth. But now the mandate is “go.”

         I note that again the mandate is outward focused towards community.  Faith is not just about my happiness or getting to heaven, it is also about how I interact with others.  I also note that there is not a qualifying statement like “go to your friends” but a general “go.”  As a sociologist, I cannot help but see the communal nature of life and God’s will.  Love is not love if it sits silent in my heart but it always seeks a way to “go” towards the other.  Help may be something I ponder but it only becomes reality as I reach out to another.  All the valued characteristics that we pray are growing in our lives are interactional.  The parable Jesus told was the Good Samaritan.  A man is beaten up and left to die.  Three men pass by on the other side of the road unwilling to help the person.  But a foreigner comes along and shows mercy to the wounded.

         We “go” at the directive of God.  It is not because it feels good and we benefit but more because it is God’s will that we be his representatives, his hands and his feet, and his heart tangibly in our world today.  Surprisingly, we will often feel better afterwards.  Our modern orators would say, “It is the right thing to do.” Perhaps today you are needing something from God and so you have prayed.  Often the answer will come in the form of someone caring about you.

         Jesus continues in his farewell but his first instruction is action based on his authority.  The “other” may not appreciate our reaching out but we reach out, not to be appreciated, but in response to how Christ reached out to us.  Perhaps take a moment and think who might appreciate an unexpected act of love like a note, a phone call, a smile, a thank you.  It’s not hard, “Go!”  Blessings.

Farewell blessings are interesting.  The Swahili farewell is “Mungu akubariki.”  That means “God bless you.”  The English “good bye” also means “God be with you,” but “bye” comes from “be with you every time.”  In our reading we are looking at how Jesus is bidding farewell to his followers.  He does not say, “It’s been great.  I hope we meet again in heaven.”  Matthew writes about that moment on the mountaintop in Galilee as Jesus starts his farewell with, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Matthew 28: 18)”

         Jesus starts his farewell with his trump card.  He’s the boss and what he is about to say comes from his position of authority, not as a friend and buddy.  He is not speaking as a bumper sticker on a car fender or as a mug in the cupboard to put a cup of coffee to calm your nerves when you feel stressed.  Jesus is speaking with authority.  He is not requesting or inviting or proposing.  He is not inviting comment.  He is speaking as God.

         I fear we have familiarized the spiritual world into cute cartoon fairies and Jesus has become more of a loving friend who walks with us, our good shepherd. Our tendency is to forget that the shepherd is also the one with the stick to fight the wolf and who has the responsibility to discipline the wayward.  I do not think that makes God the micromanager of reality, dictating each moment of our lives so that we are only pawns.  We have real agency but as Jesus bids farewell to friends, he reminds us that all authority is his in all realms of reality.  He is about to give his followers an impossible job, to change the world using all he has taught them.

         Perhaps today there is something in your life that is feeling impossible and insurmountable.  Perhaps you are feeling like a minority like the disciples.  Perhaps you are feeling unwanted and unpopular.  Or maybe it is just Covid, unemployment, and the ordinary problems of life.  It is good to stop and meditate on Jesus’ words, “All power is given to me in heaven and on earth.”  The situation may be beyond our ability to cope but it is not beyond his and he walks with us.  That is worth remembering.  Blessings as you journey.

Matthew continues.  The disciples have gone to their sacred space, the mountaintop, to meet with Jesus in Galilee after the resurrection.  “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (Matthew 28:17)” Ouch.  Some worshiped but some doubted.  The post resurrection experiences are watershed experiences.  The resurrection is a watershed experience today.  Some believe, we call it faith, and others doubt.

         We have those experiences in life that impact the direction we are heading.  If we say, “I do” to marriage, our life changes forever.  I often joke that I did not read the fine print in the marriage contract.  A baby is born and life changes.  We accept a job and life changes.  I love Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Less Traveled.”  Two paths in a woods lead in two different directions and the person chooses the one less traveled.  It has made all the difference.   When faced with the resurrected Christ we choose, worship or doubt.

         I like this definition of what Christians mean by worship that I found on the Internet,

          “Put simply, worship is declaring the greatness of someone or something. … It is the act of giving up your own glory to make sure everyone knows that the thing being worshiped is pretty awesome.    To put it even more succinctly, worship is bowing down to lift up.”

So doubt is questioning the greatness, the right to glory, the truth of something.  Not everyone believes or worships.  So ponder for a moment what you worship, what you think is great, what you are willing to bow down before.  I can believe Pres. Biden is president of the United States but I may not bow down to that belief.  The disciples believed the reality of the risen Christ and it led to worship, to bowing down to lift him up.

         Bowing down is a relinquishing of our rights.  I bow down and worship by going to church on Sunday rather than sleeping in.  I bow down and worship when I sing music that focuses me on eternal values.  I bow down when I respect and take care of that which has been entrusted to me by God, sharing and loving.  If you are discouraged today, think of the things, people, places, and happenings that make you forget self and bow down in awe.  The disciples when they saw Jesus, alive, worshiped.  He meets us today.  Let us not be doubters but worshipers. 

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go,” shares Matthew in his Gospel.  Luke on the other hand has the disciples, the men of Galilee, going to a mountain outside Bethany.  When Luke writes the Book of Acts, he opens with Jesus meeting with the disciples but place is not specified.  The exact place may not be as significant as that all accounts indicate that the last sighting of Jesus was on a mountain by a large group of people.  It sounds very similar to Moses and the people of Israel gathering at Mt. Sinai.  Elijah too went to Mt. Sinai to meet with God.  Sacred spaces are places that we today might call “thin places” where the spiritual and the ordinary seem to meet.

         In Kenya a large tree standing by itself might be recognized as a sacred space and often there would be a leg of goat dangling from the limb, a sacrifice to the gods.  We consider churches, mosques, synagogues as sacred spaces and places of refugee.  They are places of prayer.  They are places of symbolism.  Churches often have a cross, a Bible, an altar, a baptismal font, and perhaps instruments of music. Candles set a calm, meditative atmosphere.  Bibles and literature are available for reading.

         The disciples went to a mountain-top, where ancestors had gone, where earth touhes heaven to meet with Jesus. Where do you go when you want to spend time with God?  Actually, I have my recliner chair where I can have a cup of coffee, read and meditate in the morning or retreat to when I come home from work.  The routine sets a spiritual rhythm in my soul. God can meet us anywhere and often in the unexpected places but having designated places that our bodies know to relax and reflect is also a good spiritual discipline

         What places are special or sacred to you?  What characterizes the space?  Do you have routines or traditions that help your soul unwind?  Perhaps take time to reflect on times of spiritual encounter and think of common themes that characterize these encounters.  God invites us to call upon his name, “(Psalm 50:15) Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”  2 Peter 5:2 tells us to “cast your cares on him for he cares for you.”  Spend some time today in your special place and meet with the one who holds your life in his hands.

A modern song written in the 1960s by Bill and Gloria Gaither has encouraged me when I feel low and discouraged.  I imagine Peter and the disciples having gone through all the stress of the crucifixion, crushed hopes at the death of Christ, and then mixed emotions at his resurrection and who were now facing a newly structured future understood existential angst.  On top of that, Peter had denied Jesus at the trial and so carried personal guilt and shame. This week we pondered how the resurrected Jesus reached into Peter’s life, named the problem, love of God or love of self, and restored him.  Who do we serve?  Jesus reached out to Peter, restored relationship and commissioned him to “feed my lambs.” 

         Gaithers wrote the hymn during a time of social upheaval – drugs, Vietnam, Civil Rights and they were bringing a child into this uncertain world.  It is not unlike today.  We hear daily about the pandemic, about immigration, about diversity and environmental calamity.  Those are just a few of the external factors and do not count the internal guilt and shame we carry.  Because “he” lives, I can face tomorrow because I can forgive, I can love the difficult, and I can attempt the impossible.  Jesus’ resurrection makes a difference.

God sent his son. They called him Jesus
He came to love, heal and forgive.
He bled and died to buy my pardon.

An empty grave is there to prove my savior lives.

And because he lives I can face tomorrow.
Because he lives all fear is gone.
Because I know he holds the future,
And life is worth the living just because he lives.

I once heard it explained in a sociology class that guilt is when we fail ourselves, but shame is when we fail our community.  Most of us know that horrible weight of guilt when we are less than what we know we should be, when we do something that compromises our values, or make decisions that lead us down the wrong path.  We have no one to blame but ourselves.  The disciple Peter was guilty and carried a load of shame.  At the trial of Jesus, before the crucifixion, three times Peter was confronted by local people who asked Peter if he was not indeed a friend of Jesus.  Three times he denied.  Love drove him to the trial and fear led to compromise.  Now Jesus is risen and he comes to Peter after Peter has fished all night and caught nothing.  Jesus helps Peter and gives the gift of presence but how is the air going to get clear to restore healthy relationship?  Our past mistakes corrupt our present relationships.

         We know this scenario and know the awkwardness of having to repair a broken relationship.  Who goes first?  How do we confess and repent?  Jesus, after having breakfast with the disciples, turns to Peter and breaks the ice with a question in John 21: 15.  “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?”  Jesus goes to the core of the issue.  Love of self or love of God?  Three times Jesus asks the question so there can be no mistake what Jesus is talking about.  Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you” twice.  The third time Peter responds, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Jesus does not give Peter a lecture but instead gives him a task, “Feed my sheep.”

         Guilt is so heavy and forgiveness so hard to believe and receive.  It is as the other puts trust in us that relationship begins to grow again, renewed and strengthened.  The skeletons in our closet seem to pop out and upset things at the oddest moments.  One of the greatest gifts that Jesus in the resurrection gives us, is the gift of forgiveness.  We know we have eternal forgiveness with God with whom we are promised to spend eternity – sin has been paid for, but we also given the power to forgive others and ourselves.

         Perhaps there is a weight you have been carrying around deep inside your soul.  Forgiveness is not changing the past but leaving the past in God’s hands to give retribution or to continue directing our future in new ways because of the bad turns we made.  Jesus does not want us to carry those past burdens but wants us to be good shepherds, caring to the best ability for others he brings into our lives.  Resurrection means we can have renewed life and relationships now.

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Peter (John 21: 15)”

Proof of the reality of the resurrection was first seen as testimonies about sightings of Jesus alive, began to pour in.  Later, by the Sea of Galilee, a new level of resurrection power became evident.  The disciples had fished all night and caught nothing.  Jesus calls from the shore to cast the nets on the other side and the nets are filled.  Jesus is not just alive; he is now speaking into lives and changing them in new ways. After the disciples recognize him, come to shore with an abundant catch of fish, and fellowship over breakfast, Jesus turns to Peter.  Jesus does not want to just be recognized as alive but he now starts to bring new life to his followers.  He is now beginning to create a kingdom of people transformed by the reality that he is alive.  Jesus gives hope to the tired, food to the hungry but then goes beyond physical needs to the emotional health of Peter. Peter is carrying a load of guilt.  He denied Jesus at the trial, three times.

         Physical health is important but emotional, social, psychological health is necessary to create a healthy community.  Barriers between people as well as barriers within us are as important as physical limitations like exhaustion and hunger.  The resurrection is about eternal life but it is also about a healthier life here and now.  We can all be riding on the same bus to a destination but if we can’t live together, it is a very uncomfortable ride.

         So how do we define health?  “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”  Choose three adjectives that describe each dimensions of health for you today.  For example, I might describe physical health as: energy, strength, and good sleep.  Choose three of your own words to describe each dimension: physical, mental, social.  This is a good place to start prayer for yourself…and for the other with whom you are traveling.  God bless you on your journey.

Excitement can discombobulate us.  We might put on a shoe from two different pair in our hurry.  My son arrived at the airport with everyone’s passport but his own and had to return home.  I find the story of the disciples meeting Jesus at the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection, after a long night of fishing and no catch, having funny details.  When a man tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat and their net becomes loaded with fish, they realize it is Jesus.  Peter is so excited he puts on his clothes and jumps in the water to wade to shore!  They are so excited that they take time to count the fish.  153 fish were caught.  And in the excitement they are afraid to ask who it is because they know it is Jesus.  What a collection of weird facts.  Get dressed to swim?   Count fish in the middle of a celebration?  Fear mixed with excitement?

         John records this as the third encounter between the risen Christ and the disciples (John 21: 7-14).  Interestingly Jesus had a fire prepared with roasted fish on it.  The 153 fish were a bonus, an abundant blessing beyond what was needed.  Abundance.  When Jesus fed the 500 there was abundance left over.  It seems that Jesus does not just want us to survive the night, to break even, to satisfy the minimum expectation but Jesus is in the business of blessing us abundantly.  “I have come that they might have life, and that they ay have it more abundantly. (John 10:10)” For fishermen, fish roasting on a fire and 153 large fish more would certainly bring a sense of abundance. 

         How do we measure abundance today?  Unfortunately for many it is measured by their bank account.  For others it is measured by good grades or good health or famous talents.  Many just want to be loved.  When people can’t sleep, they are told to count sheep.  Perhaps a better challenge today when we feel so confined by masks and disease would be to count the blessings we have.  For a start, name a blessing for each finger on your hand – that’s a hand full.  “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine!”  Try for two hands full of blessing.  You are on your way to abundance!  

Have you ever had that feeling that what you’re doing feels awfully familiar?  We were meeting a friend for dinner but couldn’t find the restaurant on Friday so went through the instructions again – three times! and still ended up on a corner that did not seem right.  Frustration.  My daughter and I can put together a do-it-yourself cupboard and invariably the doors are backwards.  We have done it often enough that we just laugh now and start over.  Disciple Peter and friends have returned to Galilee, their home area to wait for Jesus who promised to meet them there, and have decided to go fishing.  That was their profession, their comfort zone.  A night on the Sea of Galilee would feel good after all they had been through.  Right?  In fact, they caught no fish and were tired.  A stranger on the shore yelled at them to toss their nets on the other side of the boat.  They did and the nets were loaded with fish.  John was the first to realize that they had gone through this experience before of fishing, catching nothing, and Jesus telling them to try the other side.  He looked at the shore more closely and recognized the risen Christ. (John 21:4-9)

         The truth is that God’s ways are not our ways but when we are tired and have been through a big experience, it is often that then we revert to the same ole fruitless efforts.  It does not come natural to forgive, to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile.  It does not come natural to spend a day a week connecting spiritually.  We want to play or get other things done when we are not at our profession.  Jesus calls to us and tells us to throw our nets on the other side of the boat, on the other side of a situation. It is often when we look in unexpected places and act in unexpected ways that we find the Lord going ahead of us.

         My kids loved for me to read the story of Balaam and his donkey.  The donkey refused to go forward because the donkey could see the angel with a huge sword blocking the way.  Balaam beat his donkey and God gave the donkey voice.  “Why are you hitting me?  I am trying to stop you from getting in trouble!”  Sometimes when we keep coming to an impasse, we need to try a new approach and to stop and ask where the Lord is in the experience.  

         That dawn long ago, Jesus was on the shore with a fish roasted for breakfast because he knew the disciples were weary from work and needed to eat before he could talk to them.  He knew their situation better than they and he knew their needs.  It is still true today.  We find the risen Christ in the unexpected turns of our lives and he feeds our souls – but it may not be what we expected.  He knows!  He cares!