25 Jun SUNDAY, JUNE 25, 2023
The only way we can make sense of some readings is to see whether they hold true when compared to others. Another way of saying that is to ask if one text can “prove” the validity of another when held together side-by-side.
When Jesus said to the twelve, “A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master,” I think of Hagar from our first reading out of the Book of Genesis. Hagar was an Egyptian slave owned by Abraham’s wife, Sarah. She knew her place and that she would never be above her mistress or master.
In fact, this had been proven to her. As Sarah’s female handmaid, Hagar was obligated to do her bidding, even to become pregnant and bear a child by Sarah’s husband, Abraham. Hagar bore a child to whom she had absolutely no claim. Her son Ishmael, literally belonged to her mistress/master at birth.
Therefore, for Hagar to be sent away with the son to whom she gave birth was actually a blessing. Sarah’s fear and jealousy ended up serving God’s purpose. In fact, Ishmael being given by Sarah for Hagar to take meant Ishmael was hers, not her mistress/master’s after all.
Previously, the child deemed Abraham’s offspring could have been passed off as Sarah’s own, but now the secret was out. Everyone would know who the real mother was. Jesus might well have said to Hagar, “Have no fear of them; for nothing covered up will not be uncovered, no secret will remain unknown.”
Hagar was consumed with fear and rightfully so. Upon being banished, she lost all status whatsoever. No longer was she associated with a household or persons of wealth. Her only property amounted to clothing and temporary provisions. Her dwelling place was now the desert. Disowned, with her son near death, she feared the worst even though an angel of the Lord had met her once before on desert soil. Ishmael’s name means, “God hears.” Indeed, God does. Nothing escapes the eyes and ears of God. Therefore, we are not to fear those who may kill the body.
Remember the old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but _______.” What did that mean anyway? It was what we said, as kids, in response to mean words. It was our way of remembering that words cannot harm us exactly the same way sticks and stones might break our bones.
I’m not sure the old adage holds true anymore than what Jesus says. Words can hurt pretty horribly. How can we NOT fear those able to kill our bodies? The point must be to put each type of harm into perspective. Words can only hurt so much. Fear of death is one thing; fear of eternal damnation, quite another.
Just the mention of destruction turns Jesus on his heels. His heart turns incredibly tender. He starts talking about sparrows worth a half penny each being kept aloft without hitting the ground by his heavenly father. He mentions that the very hairs of our heads are singularly counted, one by one, then totaled.
So, “Do not be afraid,” he says, “for you are of more value than many sparrows.” Again, there’s a chance for our perspective to change. No longer must we fear what may happen or whether our lives will amount to anything. Why? Because God sees, God hears and cares about small things, big things and the smallest details of even bigger things.
Then Jesus wonders if we care for him and the Father. Will we take what words we’ve heard Jesus whisper in our ears and shout them from the rooftop? In Jesus’ time, everyone had a flat roof that you could access from inside or outside. If anyone shouted from up there, everyone would hear. It was the public broadcast/emergency alert system of Jesus’ day and time. 
These days, talk about faith seems as equally threatening as talk about politics. God forbid, we offend someone. I don’t know about you, but I wait for an invitation to speak freely. I listen to how people talk and pay attention to how they behave without my input.
Packed tightly side by side in a restaurant, I was close enough to eat off the man next to me’s plate without even reaching. As a result, I heard him say grace quietly once the meal was served. When I heard the cashier at Sav-a-Lot telling customers ahead of me, “Have a Blessed Day,” I figured that her choice, too, was intentional. In both cases, I felt kind of ashamed at my own reticence at being forthcoming in public. Why am I uncomfortable about putting faith on display through actions and/or words?
Am I that worried about coming across as pushy or faulted for assuming anyone else is sympathetic or shares my viewpoint? Apparently. I really don’t feel like arguing or being perceived as showy or an obnoxious self-righteous Christian.
And yet, I admire the ladies on Front St. who wave at passersby while sitting politely as they balance a large sign that reads “Free Bible Course.” I even admire proselytizers who knock door-to-door, though I’m equally desperate to convince them to go elsewhere ‘cause we’re already Christians. And even though I don’t agree with people who force drivers passing by to view enlarged, graphic disturbing images meant to shock the senses, I do give them props for putting what they believe boldly on display.
The God who sees and also hears still sees and listens. Does he ever hear you or I sharing what he’s told us? If not, I think Jesus displays a tender heart when he says in the gospel of Matthew that he’ll deny us if we deny him. I think what Jesus is really saying is that it’ll hurt both he and the Father if we won’t acknowledge them before others. If we continue to act like they’re not important, if we trust in other things and deny recommending them to others, they’ll be sad.
The children in VBS this week, like those who come up for children’s sermons, were so cute. Whenever I’d ask a question such as, “Who should you listen to, who should you trust, who should you believe or for that matter, began any sentence with, “Who should you…” they’d answer, “God or Jesus” before I even got out the next word.
Lest we envision a world of innocence, unicorns, and rainbows, Jesus shifts our thoughts back to reality by saying, “Don’t think my message will bring peace, win friends or necessarily strengthen the bonds of your relationships. Quite to the contrary, it’s likely people will turn on you or upon each other, even within your very own household.
Like Hagar, we will be tested. Upon discovering she was pregnant with Abraham’s child, something about Hagar changed. According to Sarah, she became prideful and looked upon Sarah with disdain. Then Sarah started to treat Hagar harshly, so Hagar ran away toward her home in Egypt.
An angel of the Lord, who may have been an angel/messenger of God or the pre-incarnate Jesus came and spoke with Hagar. The angel of the Lord who represented God explained how God saw and heard what she was going through, was aware of her unfair treatment and unfortunate circumstances.
It was the angel of the Lord who suggested Hagar name her son Ishmael and return home to Sarah, submit to Sarah’s authority and let God handle the outcome. Hagar was further assured that her son would thrive as an adult, would not only become a leader, but would be above his kinsmen.
Finally, Jesus says a couple more things in sort of a backward way. First of all, he warns the listening audience up front before they choose unwisely. He doesn’t want whoever’s listening to be disqualified or excluded, so in typical fashion, he declares what’s expected rather than punish people for being ignorant. In true form, the Bible gives warnings that if heeded, will eliminate all kinds of terrible outcomes.
Similar to the first commandment’s language of Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me, Jesus equates love with loyalty. He claims to deserve more love than any person may hold for father, mother, son, or daughter.
His words are tantamount to saying, “If you don’t love me more than you love them, the amount you love me will be less than what I’m worth. I’m worth loving more than you love them. Really I am,” he says. Jesus is trying to convince those listening of his worth, not make those listening feel unworthy.
Why? So we will share the same newness of life that awaited him after being raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Unless we are united with him by taking up the cross and following, we cannot be buried with him by baptism into death. United with him in death, we will certainly be united and resurrected with him, no longer enslaved to sin. No longer enslaved. Never to die again. Dead to sin, alive to God in Christ Jesus.
The English Standard Version of this passage reads, “…our old self [is] crucified with him in order that the body of sin [the rule of sin] might be brought to nothing, so we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” Baptism itself is an outward, physical symbol of inward spiritual conversion. It’s a way we publicly proclaim our belief and take a first step toward getting atop a roof and shouting.
So, what next step will you take to share the good news? What next step will you take to progressively grow in sanctification, be made more holy, move toward greater spiritual maturity, or conform more to God’s moral law in thought and action? Both Hagar and Christ modeled becoming humble, submitting to authority, and being rewarded for doing so.
Perhaps by loving and trusting Christ above all else, we too, will experience freedom from circumstances that bring trouble, cause heartache, make us want to run away, and stir up fears of rejection, suffering or loss. Let us pray.
Jesus, when you said, “Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it,” was that just another way of saying, “For my sake, let loose? Do you mean for us to not hold on to whatever we grasp tightly?
Also, LORD, we need help being more outspoken, brave, and bold when it comes to sharing our faith. Give us confidence and awareness of opportunities to acknowledge you before others. Thanks for always hearing and seeing not only us, but those we love as well. It’s great to know that wherever we go, there you are. In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.