First United Methodist Church
September 1st, 2024
Rev. Lauren Hall
Feasting with Jesus: Our Cravings Versus God's Gifts
In our Gospel today, Jesus is confronted by the scribes and the pharisees who have traveled 75 miles, from Jerusalem to Gennesaret because they heard rumors that Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands correctly, as required by the law. Realize, of course, that these Jewish leaders are way into the law, keeping the law, knowing the law, and enforcing the law.
Jesus counters their accusations by telling them that although they practice the law, they do not love with their hearts, and therefore they are the hypocrites, not the disciples.
In our own ways each of us has the potential to be a Pharisee about something. Obedience is certainly a virtue, but losing one’s perspective and merely keeping the law for its own sake is not healthy. You might even say that the devotion to the law that the Pharisees display is idolatrous.
When Jesus addresses the crowd, he tells them that nothing that goes into them can defile them, but rather what comes out of them. As usual, they don’t get it, so Jesus explains that sin (and he lists a number of specific sins), and evil intentions come out of one’s heart. Food, whether “pure” or “impure” just passes through one’s stomach and ultimately into the sewer. It’s what people do, not what they consume, that matters.
While Jesus is not trying to eliminate all the Hebrew food laws, he is trying to teach them that the food laws are not an end into themselves, rather they are the pathway that brings us closer to the living God.
Ritually clean hands, while rooted in a sound knowledge of the law, need to be the starting point of their faith, not the sum of it. According to Jesus, it’s what we do, the words we use and the way we behave that determines whether we are clean or defiled.
The “disconnect” between the Pharisees and faith, is that they miss the purpose of the law. Merely obeying the law, and seeing that it is publicly enforced, does not deepen one’s faith.
When noticeable, public obedience is the sum total of one’s religion, something very important is missing.
In the newsletter this month, I included a short devotion that reminds us that worship, like gardening, requires a collection of activities in order to be meaningful. We generally consider worship to be all the things we do here in the sanctuary – singing, praying, reading the Bible, hearing it interpreted, etc. These things are part of it, but true worship of God includes everything we do as a result of internalizing, or manifesting, God’s Word.
This week’s reading from James uses the phrase, “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers,” and suggests that the word of God is a gift that will be a first fruit, or an early manifestation of Christian faith, that is observable by others. James is not arguing for salvation by works; he is talking about a kind of integration of one’s faith, so that each person’s faith is taken into the world where it can be observed. His description of unstained faith, “caring for orphans and widows in their distress” is faith that shapes action. It is a lived faith and not merely believed faith.
James even offers a strategy to accomplish this. He says:
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
Listen, learn, and allow the facts to fill your thinking.
My father has always been able to build or repair just about anything. Whether it’s fixing a lawnmower, hooking up a computer, or installing a bathroom, he seems to know exactly what he is doing. I used to be amazed at his talent, but then I found out his secret. He follows the directions. If something is broken, he finds a book or looks it up on the internet, studies how it is supposed to work, and then figures out which part is keeping it from doing what it is supposed to do. Then he replaces it according to the instructions.
The Bible is a library of 66 books which reveal God’s intentions for humanity. James tells us to be quick to hear scripture. "Humbly accept the word planted in you.” Use your brain. When we listen to scripture, we receive the facts that are components of God’s plan for our lives. But James says that there is more to it than just inputting the facts.
Next we are told to be "Slow to speak."
Think about how healthy this order of behavior is. First, get your thinking straight and be quick about it. Then slowly begin to act or speak. Think, then do, James is saying. For example, if I want to learn how to swim, I can’t just jump into the deep water and pray that my arms and legs will keep me afloat. I have to take lessons or watch other people and then get into the shallow end to practice the strokes I have learned. Learn first, then practice. That’s the correct order.
It’s the same in the business world. Most businesses expect us to complete some level of education. They want us to learn first, and in most cases, they want some level of experience. Before we get into the cock-pit of a $20 million plane, we should have a clear understanding of how it’s supposed to work.
So when you think about it, shouldn’t our spiritual lives be ordered in a similar fashion? Learn first, read what the Bible actually says, then speak or follow it. It is important to listen to what God’s word says, but it is also important to do what it says. We can measure the effectiveness of our Bible Study time by the effect it has on our behavior or attitudes.
In his next piece of advice, James urges us to a third level of behavior beyond hearing and speaking. He urges us to be slow to anger, to not act on the basis of our feelings.
Anger is an emotion. And it’s not the only feeling of which we are capable. Fear is another. So is pain, awe, joy, jealousy, shame, disgust, emptiness, and confusion. Feelings are wonderful and powerful human experiences that enhance our lives. The word "emotion" is actually a Latin derivative that means "to move." Just like the wind in a sail moves a sailboat, emotions can move us to clap, to dance, to weep or do an act of war. "Express your feelings," James is saying. But do it after you've gotten the facts and acted rationally. "Be slow to anger."
James is giving us this advice because emotions are so unpredictable. He is not asking us to eliminate our emotions, but he is suggesting that we live our lives with some order and balance. “Think, act and then feel,” he urges. When my father wants to mow the lawn and discovers that the lawnmower doesn’t work, he doesn’t start ripping it apart as he shouts angry words. Instead, after he realizes that it doesn’t work, he studies to figure out how it is supposed to work, and then he proceeds to fix it. When he finally gets it working, he lives with the joy of knowing he accomplished something.
When we raise our kids, we know that we have to teach them that we don’t base our decisions on our feelings. It would be much easier to raise children if we did, because we would never have to make our children do things that they didn’t want to do. “Jimmy doesn't feel like going to school today, so I told him he didn't have to go." Enough of that and Jimmy grows up and can’t support himself or his family because he doesn’t feel like going to work .
In the same way we have to teach ourselves to live our lives faithfully, even if we don’t feel like doing some of the things God calls us to do. God’s plan for our lives calls for us to turn away from destructive habits that separate us from God. We are tempted by these transgressions because they make us feel good, or because it is easier to participate than to say no, but ultimately we have to recognize the sin of our ways and be willing to turn away from it.
James calls for us to turn our lives around. Quit feeling, acting on your moods, and later thinking. Rather think, act, and then feel, he teaches. "Let every person (no exceptions) be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger." Where this has not been the case, where we have allowed bad habits to take over, he asks us to "put away all filthiness and rank growth of wickedness." In short, James says, “Walk away from what you know is destructive. Be a peacemaker.”
We begin living our faith when the words that we read become active in our lives. Let us pray:
Loving and compassionate God, We can get so caught up in ritual and rules, that we forget the essence of your word for us. As we leave here today, remind us that we are called to truly be people of peace, not just to speak the words, but to practice lives of compassion and hope. You call us to stand for mercy, justice, love, forgiveness, hope, and peace. You want us to be people who care deeply about others and about this world. Help us to be ready to truly and joyfully serve you. Free us from selfishness and self-centeredness. Lift us to live lives of peace; for we offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Benediction
As Christ has fed and redeemed your life, now go into the world and be doers of the word. Go in peace and may the peace of God always be with you. AMEN.
