Good Morning Friends,
The reading this morning is for me like walking along a familiar river of peace and though a woodland of familiar words. But the metaphors immerse me in a different reality each year when I step into them with the events in my life and world. The reading, though often the same text, is different in the hearing not so much because they are holy and alive, though they are, but also because I am alive and continually changing even in my understanding of faith. And what is amazing is that though my faith has changed, Christ’s faith has not. Christ as a living stone on the journey, a cornerstone for a temple in us, marks the way. So, it is not really about my faith in Christ, but the faith of Christ in all who would believe. I am referring to the faith that Jesus Christ had, and that because of his faith, he was obedient to God the Father. Without the faith of Christ, which led to his obedience, our faith is meaningless. And that brings us to the question of our faith in the church, for the church is often referred to, but not by all, as a mother. And though mother’s day is next Sunday, the connection is still worth mentioning. The connection between our spiritual life and the dogmas of faith and the life in a family and fellowship seem self-evident but let us consider how we have been institutionally formed. Perhaps we get a glimpse of this in Caravaggio’s painting of the Madonna of the Pilgrims which I have included for consideration. And indeed, I am mixing metaphors but so did Jesus. Regardless, the Church’s teaching on faith and morals can shepherd us along the path if they illuminate it and make it secure much like a good mother. In many ways we belong to this kind of relationship before we fully believe. The distance however must be walked with Jesus in maturity not as a child. So, our families and families of faith might work in helping us to believe by bringing meaning into our lives, but the ultimate focus needs to be on Jesus for without that, the other is insufficient. This Sunday we will have a Congregational Meeting at Moorings and next week we will honor mothers. So, as I contemplate this weekend…the music associated with the crowning of a new King of England and the five-pound weight of that headgear, and the race of horses at Churchill Downs on derby day, the joy of celebrating my grandson’s second birthday and the grief associated with the death of my daughter-in-law’s father and burial, I wonder, Just
How Do Shepherds, Jockeys, Kings and Mothers Keep Their Flock From Upstaging Jesus?
Scripture: Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:4-9 (NRSV)
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:1-12 (NRSV)
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem.
Acts 6:1-7 (NRSV)
but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy; and blaspheming, they contradicted what was spoken by Paul. Then both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you reject it and judge yourselves to be unworthy of eternal life, we are now turning to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, so that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'” When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the word of the Lord; and as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers. Thus the word of the Lord spread throughout the region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their region. So they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Acts 13:14, 43-52 (NRSV)
After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 7:9, 14b-17 (NRSV)
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
John 10:27-30 (NRSV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God—whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did—when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you.
2 Timothy 1:1-5 (NRSV)
Message: Like a shepherd and their sheep, a jockey and their horse, a King and his subjects, a child knows the voice of their mother so when her flock is confronted with others, her children, the shepherd’s sheep, the jockey’s horse, the King’s subjects know who to follow to avoid problems. It is worth mentioning that the hand the rocks the cradle, shepherds the world, and the church can have influence here like the metaphors we have been offering up. And like these examples, the voice of the church can be indelibly etched into the experience and bonding of a family and not just at births, baptisms, weddings, and funerals. The church can lead in powerful ways through confession and communion as well. And appropriately the scripture of the day is linked to the metaphor of the sheep and shepherd for this image complements the nature of the way the church is to lead. And this happens not in isolation but in the building blocks of our salvation in a family of faith. That Jesus loved his mother should be a guide to us here. But also, the life of others, like Timothy and Stephen, should instruct us in the importance of not just our mothers living on in us, but more importantly the faith of Christ living on in us though the Holy Spirit in the work of the called-out assembly of God we call church. Without a doubt mothers and fathers too leave a mark on us, but perhaps it was the faith and love of Christ in them, passed on to us as spiritual DNA, that keeps us from going astray and trying to upstage Jesus. This is the work of the church. It may not be a brand as on cattle but perhaps more like the ranchers who put identifying paint marks on their sheep to let others know to whom they belong. It is kind of like mothers, in a larger household, color-coding children’s cups, and socks and clothes or like jockeys being color coded to be identified at a distance. Yes, many things leave a mark on us in ways that make it clear to whom we belong. So too Jesus leaves a mark on us…the mark of one loved. Typically, when we fail to follow our heritage, we mess up. But if that heritage is not good, children need intervention. That is why adoption is also a Biblical theme. The hope is that we all become Godly people believing in the faith of Christ. Thankfully parents, shepherds, jockeys, Kings and even the local expression of church can set examples, but even if they do not, Jesus can still save. Friends, because we are loved by God, we belong to Jesus. And for some people but not all, this love is first experienced through the love of a mother who believes in a child of hope called Jesus. But if that was not your experience do not be concerned. Jesus loves you more than your mother. Walk the distance with him. Run the race and win the crown. It is a pilgrimage of promise guided by Christ if we persevere regardless of our station in life.
And So, there can be good mothers and bad mothers, good Kings and bad Kings, good jockey’s, trainers, and owners. But there is only one good shepherd worthy of our worship. There are devout women who serve and those who stir up persecution. So too there can be local organizations of faith that survive and thrive and those that fail. The Bible has examples of both. But we are to be attentive to God even as we engage in the world and its influences. Ultimately, we will hopefully realize that Jesus and His way is better. Still when the church loves with the love of Jesus, so that others know she is loved by Jesus, it is indeed a powerful and wonderful thing. So yes, we are to honor our mothers, but we are to honor Jesus even more and sometimes the church as well. We are to belong to a family of faith, so we might grow up in a love relationship with the Good Shepherd and believe. You see, we have been liberated by grace because of the changing of our mindset internalized in the formation of our life to not only enjoy life but to make something out of it. Here we are guided by a wisdom that comes from God in the form of the Holy Spirit of Jesus. For ultimately following Jesus is the only way to not go astray and not end up trying to upstage God. Maybe we can learn something from that Jockey who after 15 attempts at winning the Kentucky Derby yesterday finally won and yet when interviewed still took the time to first praise Jesus.
Pray our life is upright, and our intellect and heart open to welcome the light shed by the flock of faith called by God to assemble for a heavenly purpose. Pray we not fight against God but follow the Good Shepherd. Pray that the peace of the Lord is with us. Pray we are blessed with the Spirit of Revelation and Wisdom in scripture that is also in us so that we not to fall to any situation that would dishonor our parents or God. Pray we are filled with the joy and the victorious power of God over sin. Pray we listen with our hearts. Pray we honor our mothers by having an ear for Jesus’ voice and glorify God by following in the Way of Jesus. Pray we run the race and win the crown and when we do praise God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 