Sermons for the Month
Compassion + Power = Transformation
DATE: June 10th, 2007
SERVICE: 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
TEXT: Luke 7:11-17“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
The people "in-the-know" write that preachers have to address stories like the one told in today's Gospel lesson because in a world that discounts miracles such accounts produce more skepticism than faith. It's true that countless faithful Christians shake their heads in dismay over the "miracle-workers" that occupy the TV screens, and then wonder how the accounts of healing, exorcism and resuscitation in scripture are to be applied to today. These issues must be addressed, those "in-the-know" people write, because inquiring, thoughtful believers want to know. BUT, they then fail to explain how to do that. So, all I know to do is to read the story of Jesus bringing a dead young man back to life and then see what stands out. The first thing I notice is fairly obvious; someone who is dead is alive again. And, this happens not immediately after death, but when enough time has passed for his body to be placed on a bier, which is a platform for carrying it, and for the funeral procession to form. One writer looked at this story from the perspective of those carrying to bier, which gives an interesting point-of-view. Jesus has noticed the procession and offered what at first seems like a lame word of sympathy to the mother, telling her not to cry. "But then Jesus moved toward the young man's body. The pallbearers stood stock-still. They weren't sure what to do! The undertaker hadn't briefed them for this. They had never seen anyone stop a funeral procession on the way to the cemetery. Jesus reached out with his hand and touched the bier. And then he started talking to the young man's body. Had he lost his mind? Was he going to do something terrible? Was he going to defile this sacred moment and make this an even more terrible day for the old woman?" (1) Then, unlike the other story we read today of a child returning from death to life - in which the prophet Elijah carries on with cries of accusation, begging God to let the child live again - Jesus quietly speaks seven authoritative words. "Young man, I say to you, rise!" And, he does so. The first thing I see, then, is the astounding power of God. The second thing I see in this story is the compassion of Jesus. Remember, this woman is living a catastrophe. She has no husband and no other sons, which means she has no means of support. Remember too that the action here is totally on Jesus' initiative. There is no mention of faith, no request for help by the mother. Jesus saw her and he felt compassion. One commentator noted that this is the first time Luke refers to Jesus as Lord, as if to say that compassion is the essence of Lordship. It's interesting that the word compassion in Greek has its roots in the word "womb", implying that the feeling is born from deep within and is a part of ones very being. This is not a passing concern, but a deep desire to ease suffering that Jesus feels when he sees this widow. That's the second thing that stands out in the story. (2) It seems that if you put those two obvious things together - power and compassion - you can be sure that transformation is at hand. That, I believe, is what we in 2007 need to see in this account. Does that address the place of miracles in the 21st century? No, it does not. But, frankly, this Gospel lesson does not tell me if in 2007 God resuscitates people who have died. I do not believe that's its purpose, and debating about it seems to me to be a waste of time. What it does tell us is that when compassion and power are brought together in Jesus' name, for the sake of the suffering, amazing things do happen … still. I recently read the book In An Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff. You may recall that Bob Woodruff has just been named co-anchor of ABC's World New Tonight when, in January of 2006, while he was embedded with the military in Iraq he was the victim of an IED attack. Bob suffered a traumatic brain injury and other significant injuries, including a large rock that passed through his throat and came to rest against he carotid artery in his neck. It was astounding that his vocal chords were not permanently damaged by that rock, but even more amazing that it did not nick the artery and kill him. But, that's only a small piece of what's overwhelming about the account. A portion of his skull was removed to aid in the brain's healing and initially there was no way to know if he would regain his thinking and language abilities, or how mobile he would be. And then, while still in ICU, he developed pneumonia and the sepsis which nearly took his life. It's a story of his slow, often frustrating, yet miraculous recovery. He eventually is able to move without assistance, to talk and to think clearly. In her "afterward" at the end of the book Bob's wife Lee wrote this, "I believe there are many tools on the road to recovery - family above all, exercise, music and even the reassurance of touch. But they are mere handmaidens to the healing power of hope and faith. There is no question in my mind that prayer, faith and spirituality offered up on Bob's behalf contributed to his healing. …I believe all that collective faith helped Bob fight." (3) That, I believe, is an example of power and compassion being brought together for the sake of the suffering, and the result was transformational. Remember, though, that transformation is not always visible in such clear-cut ways as Bob Woodruff's recovery, sometimes it has to do with inner-strength, acceptance and being faithful in the midst of challenge. And, it's not always about illness or injury. Sometimes compassion and power come together to feed people, or to fight injustice, or to save the environment. There's an unending list of what can occur when people are moved by in-the-gut compassion to act in Jesus' name by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lee Woodruff's comments remind us never to underestimate how God transforms our heart-felt concern for others. As we reflect on today's Gospel lesson in which the power and compassion of Jesus combined to restore life the question is not, "Does Jesus still perform miracles just like that one today?" In fact, if that's all we wonder, than we are limiting the power and compassion of God at work among us. The question really should be, "How might power and compassion be combined in our lives, in Jesus' name, to breathe new life into the world?"
(1) Sermon Writer, Proper 5C, June 10, 2007, pg. 7, www.sermonwriter.com AMEN
(2) Lectionary Homiletics, Preaching Resources: Luke 7:11-17, Pastoral Implications by Wally Fletcher, pgs. 6-9, www.goodpreacher.com
(3) In An Instant by Lee and Bob Woodruff, Random House, Inc., New York, 2007, pg. 275.