Messages from the Body

Here is a sampling of some of the messages that have made a special impact at CCiPH, and that have been transcribed or written in manuscript.

Most weeks in our equipping assembly, at least one man has been asked to prepare a message that will build up believers. Often, the message is taken from the liturgical Gospel reading of the day, or it is a life message that God has been working into the fabric of that man. It is included here to build you up.

"Come to Me": The Jesus Problem

Message from Michael Wilson on August 17, 2003

Sunday, August 17,2003

Readings: Psalm 118, Galations 3:6-14, John 5:30-47

"...come to me..."--Jesus

The words in today's Gospel that I want to strike a match on are found in verses 39-40...

"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." --John 5:39-40

In these verses, Jesus was talking to some very upset (homicidal) fellow Jews who had most recently come into conflict with him over the Sabbath day healing of an invalid at the Bethesda pool. Stuff really hit the fan when Jesus called,"...God his own Father, making himself equal with God." (verse 18).

"...you refuse to come to me to have life." These people had come to Jesus, but for something other than "life", something other that what Jesus was willing or able to give them. Why had they come to him? Why were they talking to him? What did they want from him? What did they want for him? {Why do we come to him? What do we want from him?}

Coming to Jesus--being with Jesus, quite honestly, it seems to have been a bit of a mixed bag. It is interesting to look at the encounters that Jesus had with people in the Gospels. Some of the encounters were initiated by Jesus, many were a result of the amazing "buzz" of popularity and acclaim that grew around him. A popularity which it seems Jesus tried very intentionally to suppress, but to no avail. [rabbit trail #1: I have to wonder why it was that Jesus tried to keep people from talking about the miracles he had done for them, why he commanded the demons who called out that he was the Son of God to be quiet? Could it be he saw the danger of opinions being formed about him by popular notions duplicated and distributed by some sort of mass communication (such as it might have been in that age) rather than by true one on one encounters?]

At the beginning I said that being with Jesus seems to have been a mixed bag. Let me run through a list of some peoples reactions to encounters with Jesus; these are all taken from the book of Mark, I think you'll get the idea:

Some of what came in Jesus' wake.

-amazement and questioning-- In Mark 1, Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, "the people were amazed at his teaching." vs.22...and as he teaches, a man possessed by an evil spirit interrupts and Jesus casts out the evil spirit, "the people were all so amazed, that they asked each other,' What is this...?' "-Mark 1:27

-outrage-- A few days later, Jesus heals a paralytic who has been lowered through the roof of a crowded house where Jesus is holding forth, Jesus offers forgiveness of sins to the man and then heals him. " 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming.' "- Mark 2:7

-embarrassment and accusation--In Mark 3, Jesus' family attempts an intervention of sorts...trying to stop things from getting out of hand,"...his family went to take charge of him, for they said,' He is out of his mind.' " -Mark 3:21, "He is possessed by Beelzebub."- Mark 3:25, "He has an evil spirit..."-Mark 3:30

-terror and (more) questioning-- ...from his own disciples, in the boat, after waking up Jesus and his calming the storm, "They were terrrified and asked each other, 'Who is  this...?' " -Mark 4:41

-fear ("please go away")--the people of the Gerasenes region, upon seeing the "crazy" man who lived among the tombs and had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there dressed and in his right mind..."They were afraid...the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region." -Mark 5:15-17

-offense--Jesus goes back to his hometown..." 'Isn't this Mary's son?...' and they took offense at him." -Mark 6:2-3

-overwhelming amazement--Upon healing a deaf mute man in Mark 7,"People were overwhelmed with amazement, 'He has done everything well', they said."-Mark 7:37

-satisfaction--Upon feeding a hungry crowd of 4,000 people, "The people ate and were satisfied."-Mark 8:8

-confusion and avoidance--Jesus' own disciples again, after hearing him foretell his betrayal and death, "They did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it."-Mark 9:32

-"a fallen face", sadness--A rich and devout young man came to Jesus, they talked, it says, "Jesus looked at him and loved him." One verse later we read,"...the man's face fell. He went away sad."-Mark 10:22

-astonishment and fear (again)--On the way up to Jerusalem in Mark 10,"...the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid."-Mark 10:32

Encounters with Jesus produced a huge range of emotions and responses in those he was with; why should we not expect the same in our time?...in our world?...in our own private lives?

The Jesus Problem.

Option 1. Do not come to Jesus, do not follow Jesus.

The people Jesus was talking to in our Gospel reading, John 5, refused "to come to him for life." Why wouldn't they come ? The rich young man in Mark 10 came to Jesus but chose not to follow  him. Why couldn't he, why did he go away sad?  Why do any of us not follow Jesus (whatever "following Jesus" may mean)? Do we have too much to lose by coming to Jesus, following him; by believing him to be who he said he was?

U2's last album was entitled, All That You Can't Leave Behind... what can I not bear to  leave behind to follow him? What do I have that means too much to me...that has cost me too dearly that if following Jesus means leaving it behind, I could not bear to do so?  wealth? pride? status? a sense of being right? who knows?

That rich young man in Mark 10, he ran to Jesus and fell on his knees before him! What was he looking for from Jesus? What did he want? Did he just want to know that he was right, did he just want some kind of reassurance...some kind of endorsement? It appears that what Jesus wanted was for him to Follow. It ended badly.

I'm afraid that I identify more with this rich young man than I would like. I want to know that everything is going to be O.K. I want to know that I did good. I want to know that I'm right. I want to know that I'm done...on some deep level, done. I want some some kind of divine endorsement so I can get on with the rest of my plans having taken care of eternity early...kind of like paying off a bothering debt so as to no longer need to worry about it.

The Jesus Problem.

Option 2. Come to Jesus, follow Jesus.

If we choose to come and follow Jesus as his disciples did, inevitably we come with our own agendas and preconceptions, hopes and fear. When these agendas and preconceptions, hopes and fears meet up with Jesus, things are going to happen.

Those people we talked about today who had encounters with Jesus, what did they do when what Jesus said and did confused, offended, amazed, bewildered, frightened, saddened and upset them? What do I do?

It seems that the disciple's daily encounters and close relationship with Jesus yielded anything but stability, confidence, or emotional smooth sailing. In Mark 4, after Jesus calms the storm, they were terrified. In Mark 9, it says they were confused, they "did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it." Then after witnessing Jesus' encounter with the rich young man's sad leaving and hearing Jesus' words about how difficult it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God, "The disciples were amazed" , one statement from Jesus later, "The disciples were even more amazed..." and bewildered to boot, they said to each other," Who then can be saved?"

They were bewildered, but they had followed Jesus up till then and they kept on following him after; following even through the fog of questioning and confusion.

Now, having heard what I've heard,

Now, having seen what I've seen

Now, having felt like I've never felt

or now, feeling nothing at all...what am I going to do?

Do I follow? Do I keep on following, or not?

Speaking on behalf of the often unsure, more blind than not followers of Jesus, I would like to encourage us to, "come to (Jesus) to have life" , to call out to Jesus from our places of blindness.

There is a wonderful moment at then end of Mark 10...Bartimaeus, a blind man, he's calling out to Jesus who is in a big crowd on their way out of Jericho...Bartimaeus is making a loud nuisance of himself, Jesus stops and says, "Call him." Then someone went over to Bartimaeus and said these wonderful words, " 'Cheer up! On your feet! He's calling you.' "

"Throwing his coat aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus." -Mark 10:50

Might I but scatter interfering things--

Questions and doubt, distrusts and anxious pride,

And in thy garment, as under gathering wings,

Nestle obedient to thy loving side,

Easy it were to love thee. But when thou

Send'st me to think and labor from thee wide,

Love falls to asking many a why and how.

Easier it were, but poorer were the love.

Lord, I would have me love thee from the deeps--

Of troubled thought, of pain, of weariness.

Through seething wastes below, billows above,

My soul should rise in eager, hungering leaps;

Through thorny thicks, through sands unstable press--

Out of my dream to him who slumbers not nor sleeps.

         -George MacDonald (from, Diary Of An Old Soul)

Maybe It's Faith

(Tasha Golden)

I wish I had more to say; it's such a quiet room

But today I can't give voice to anything but doubt

It starts down deep inside me - in my blood and in each cell

and it makes its way to the blank look in my eyes, the questions on my lips

I wish I had less to say; it's such a crowded room

But the sun came up this morning, and it all began again

The compulsion is inside me - and it beats against my doors

Seeps into my sterile, polished closets, brings the skeletons outside

CHORUS:

And there was a time I would have covered my face, would've turned away

Would've broken my bones trying to get out the door

But here it is, come and take a (good) look, get it out of the way

Maybe it's faith when I just don't know for sure

I wish I had a thousand books to fill in what I'm missing

and a thousand days to read them, and a time-back guarantee

Cause it starts down deep inside - every breath and every fiber

and it makes its way up to my empty stare, and the tears on my face

But I wish I'd never read a word; the answers were too easy

And I'm grown enough to know that there's more mystery than proof

The longing is inside me, and it stirs the dust of faith

Cries out to me about my hollow nature, my desperate human need

CHORUS

And it's a little more earthy than I'd like to believe

Like the holes in God's hands, like the dirt on God's feet

But I'm not alone, and that is comfort more

Than I ever found pretending I know anything for sure

CHORUS

Repent: The Key to Healing and Miracles (Mark Scherer, Nov. 2002)

Doing Versus Being in the Kingdom (Jay Horn, Aug. 2002)

The Kindness of God Leads to Repentance (Ben Gregory, Feb 2003)