Sermons for the Month
Listening With Transformed Ears
DATE: August 17th, 2003
SERVICE: 10th Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Ephesians 5:15-20 and John 6:51-58“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN
Did you see a transformed person whenever you looked in a mirror this week? Last Sunday I challenged everyone to look in the mirror and to see beyond the obvious short comings. Instead, I suggested that we see reflected there a person who has been transformed by God's grace. Today I'm suggesting that we not only see with transformed eyes, but that we listen with transformed ears. There are many voices to be heard.
In today's Gospel lesson Jesus proclaims, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day."
Then we hear the voices of the Jews saying in response, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" The questioners are those who, having been fed a few fish and loaves by Jesus, want him to supply endless free food and are angry when instead he speaks of spiritual sustenance. What are these horrible statements about eating flesh and drinking blood, they wonder?
They cannot grasp that if Jesus becomes a part of them, if they believe he is more than a free lunch ticket, then their futures will be transformed. All this talk about true food and true drink and eternal life is not in their Top 10 list of what's important in their lives. They want the good life now - meals, homes, freedom. Their voices were loud 2000 years ago.
All these years later similar voices are heard as someone says, "Pastor, if you think that anything you have to say is even in the top 10 of what is important to people, if you think that it ranks right up there with their careers and families and vacation plans, then you are sadly disillusioned."
So to which voices do we listen? Is the voice of Jesus louder than the voice of the world?
Another voice is heard, that of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians. You have been transformed, he says. "You are holy and without blame before Him in love. You are fellow citizens with the saints. You are members of the household of God. You are a holy temple in the Lord." "So", his voice announces, "Walk worthy of the calling to which you have been called."
In Chapter Five he explains that walk. Walk in love. Walk in light. Walk in wisdom.
WALKING IN LOVE begins with following Jesus as our example. It involves sacrifice. There is no greed and no immorality, but thanksgiving is abundant.
WALKING IN (or AS) LIGHT means that goodness, righteousness and truth flows from us. We are a living contrast to the works of darkness, and thus expose them.
WALKING IN WISDOM means that we proceed with great care and diligence; we do not just wander aimlessly. We redeem the time that is ours, making sacred us of it. We strive to understand the will of the Lord. And, we are filled with the Spirit, which flows out of us in worship.
Paul proclaims that we, the transformed people of God are empowered by the Spirit do all this. Will we hear him with our transformed ears, or will we listen to those internal and external voices that say such a walk is impossible, unnecessary and boring? There are, after all, many voices to be heard. To whom will we listen?
When I was on vacation I happened to watch half of the popular television show, "Sex in the City". It was the first time I had seen it. The voices that came from it about how young people, particularly women, should look, and how casual intimacy can be, and how valuable material stuff is and how to escape life's pain were loud and clear.
There was no sign of sacrifice; however greed and self-gratification were abundant. I saw no hint of goodness, but a great deal of careless and wasted living, and no thanksgiving or real joy. As far as I could tell, the characters' lives were an endless hole of emptiness. And yet that's the voice that is being tuned in.
But not by everyone. I read the obituaries. I saw one in the Akron paper last weekend about a young woman who died suddenly in Uzbekistan and could not help but wonder about her. Evidently some editor wondered too, because there was an article in Wednesday's paper. As I read it all I could think of was the words from Paul we read today, "Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time…." S
he - Carrie Dulin - was a wise 28-year-old. The words rang out from the printed page about this former Peace Corp volunteer who was "a selfless and giving person … an inspiration to others … living proof that one person can make a difference." After five years in the Peace Corp, she remained in Armenia working for World Vision, the largest Christian Aid organization in the world. When she died she was one her way to be a project manager in Nigeria at a malaria clinic. Serving God by serving others was her life, and a neighbor said she accomplished more in 28 years than most people do in a life-time.
I only know her from the newspaper account, but it seems that she heard the voice of Jesus, and of Paul, and lived a transformed life that was transforming. I'm fairly confident in saying that her life was not an endless hole of emptiness.
The same may be said of us even if we do not find ourselves in Armenia or Nigeria. It all depends on whether we believe that in the midst of our imperfections God transforms us and empowers us to walk in love and in light and in wisdom.
We certainly are on the right path at this moment, because we have gathered today to hear God's transforming word. And, we are about to receive the living, transforming bread of heaven, Jesus, in the gifts of bread and wine. When we leave this sanctuary today we will be different people than when we came in. Do you realize that? God's transforming power in our lives is without limit, as are the possibilities for us to be used by God.
What do you suppose would happen if we took that seriously? Faith Lutheran Church's huge potential would become a transforming force and God's voice would be heard loud and clear above all the others … living proof that one church can make a difference. AMEN