Community
Church Sermons
The First Sunday After
Epiphany – January 9, 2005
Acts 10:34-43
What in the world is a good Jewish boy doing in the home of a Roman centurion?
The Roman army occupying Israel in those days was an insult to the nation. Not only were the Romans cruel and abusive, but they were Gentiles – worse than Gentiles, really. They were dogs.
And yet here, in the early days of the Christian Church, a former Jewish fisherman by the name of Simon Peter is extending the right hand of fellowship to Cornelius – a Roman army officer – a Gentile – an enemy of his people - a dog! How can this be?
Only by the grace of God – and by the life-changing experience Peter had of meeting God in the life of a man by the name of Jesus! And so Peter explains his bizarre behavior to those in the Church who think he’s gone over the edge. Why am I reaching out in love to one who, by all standards, should be excluded from the kingdom of heaven? Well, Peter reminds his fellow Christians about Christmas!
“Don’t forget the
word God sent to Israel, preaching good news of PEACE by Jesus Christ…”
Do YOU remember the message God sent in Jesus?
Peace!
Peace be with you!
Peace on earth, good will toward all!
That’s why a good Jewish boy was reaching out in love that day to a Roman centurion. And that’s why I want to ask you an important question today about this peace promised in Jesus.
Do you think there will ever be a day when the world will be at peace? Someone has calculated that the 20th century was the most violent century in history. I think you’ll agree that the 21st century has started off on the same foot. Terrorism. War. Genocide. Crime. Racism. Nationalism. Individualism. Family conflict. AIDS. Tsunamis.
Do you think the day will ever come when the world will be at peace?
Our Christian faith calls us to such conviction. We are called to remember that the story of God’s relationship with us begins with a beautiful world created out of chaos. And the newly created world is “very good!” There in the Garden we see God’s intention for both humans and nature – wholeness and harmony! But then the story continues, describing the disastrous result of human pride. Brokenness and conflict become the way of the world. Violence and inhumanity appear. And it is this broken and conflicted world that you and I and our children experience and live in today.
Even so, our faith tells us to not give up because God has not given up - on us, or our world! In the Bible, God promises renewal and restoration that will culminate one day in peace! And that future peaceful world God intends for us is so beautifully described in Revelation 21 and 22. I hope you read about it often for hope and inspiration!
So we have God’s original peaceful creation on one side of us, and God’s new creation of peace on the other. But what about now, in-between those times?
Well, now is a time for salvation and reconciliation. This is what the Gospel is about – the Good News that God is at work in our world today bringing about the new world of peace. And, of course, that is why – at the birth of Jesus – the angels sang, “Peace on earth, good will toward all!” The gift of Jesus – as Peter pointed out - is the proof that God is sowing the seeds of peace among us even now.
Do you know what it is to be a follower of Jesus? Well, one way of saying it is that following Jesus is to join with God in the bringing of peace to the whole world as announced at Christmas! “Peace on earth, good will toward all!” This is what Peter was doing with Cornelius.
The trouble is, most of us today don’t really understand what this peace is!
Peace is not the ending of war. Peace is not a political alliance that avoids conflict. Peace is not the absence of violence. Neither is peace that sense of serenity that we seek in our hearts during troubled times. Peace is not what parents get when the kids have finally fallen off to sleep at night! Each of these highly desired things can be a part of peace, but they are not themselves peace. Peace is much greater!
The Hebrew word for peace in the Bible is shalom.
If you have ever traveled to Israel, or been in the company of Jewish friends, chances are you’ve been welcomed with the word, “Shalom!” Shalom is often used as a greeting – sort of a way of saying, “Hello!” - but that’s not what the shalom greeting really means!
Shalom means wholeness,
completeness, security, health, prosperity, peace, well-being, unity,
contentment!
And to greet another person with the word shalom is to proclaim a blessing upon that person that includes all those things! “Shalom! May you be blessed with wholeness, completeness, security, health, prosperity, peace, well-being, unity and contentment!” That’s a mouthful! And it’s a heartful! To wish another person shalom is a powerful act of the most complete love imaginable!
So the angels sang God’s amazing
song about what the birth of Jesus means: “SHALOM!”
And they sang it not just to some, but to EVERYONE. “SHALOM TO ALL WHO DWELL ON EARTH!” This means that true shalom – true peace - excludes nobody from the circle of wholeness, completeness, security, health, prosperity, peace, well-being, unity and contentment! Not even Roman centurions! And we should understand that so long as there are people denied those gifts, there will not be peace on earth.
But let’s get back to our continuing Christmas question. “Peace on…EARTH?” Do you think true shalom will ever really come to this troubled world in which we live?
I do. And I believe that shalom will come to this hurting world of ours because it has come already.
I ask you to remember today how
Isaiah described the coming Messiah as the Prince of Peace - the Prince
of Shalom. And recall how Jesus often stepped into peoples’ lives and
situations and said, “Peace! Shalom! My shalom I give to you!” And he
welcomed the people into the circle of shalom. He fed them. Shalom! And
healed them. Shalom! And forgave them. Shalom! And set them free
from oppressive powers. Shalom! And protected them. Shalom! Jesus
ministered shalom to the people! He brought wholeness, completeness,
security, health, prosperity, peace, well-being, unity and contentment into
their lives according to their need. That is the story of his beautiful
sinless life! He lived as the Prince of Shalom.
Oh yes, shalom has come already!
And shalom is here in the
world right now! It is here because Jesus taught Peter and us that we are to be
shalom-makers to each other and to the world. Jesus said,”
Blessed are the peacemakers – the shalom-makers - for they will be called sons
and daughters of God.”
And all around us in the world today, the children of God are ministering shalom to humanity.
Shalom can be found right here in this church, although you may not recognize it at first glance. One way is through the commitment our founders made to establish an interdenominational church that accepts everyone, and tries to be as inclusive as the love of God. This is simply an expression of shalom! Christians sometimes don’t understand this, thinking that the church should divide and exclude on the basis of some theological, or denominational, or moral, or even socio-economic standard. I guess we are afraid of catching something from people who are not like us. Well, Jesus never did that. Jesus extended shalom to everyone. He accepted into the circle of his love Jews and Samaritans alike - believers and unbelievers - tax collectors and sinners. And welcoming them into his fellowship, Jesus worked to bring them wholeness and all those other gifts of shalom. This is what our church tries to be and do.
Our church is not a perfect
church by any means, but it is committed to practicing the shalom of God.
This is not an easy thing to do, and there are many who think we’re crazy. Or
worse! But in the midst of a world so torn apart by hateful divisions and
unjust barriers, it is a glimpse of peace. You are a living picture of
“Peace on earth, good will toward all!”
And shalom is not only in this church, but it is here in this world, although we sometimes overlook it.
I feel very blessed to know
Shauna Oden who is a member of our church, and the director of our local Habitat
For Humanity. Shauna – and many, many people from our church - work together to provide affordable
housing for economically-deprived families. That is shalom! And just
recently, I met Susan Parrish who is the director of the Anderson County Habitat
For Humanity. You may know that the church in Oak Ridge housing their
offices burned to the ground a few weeks ago. They lost just about everything
they need to administer the building program there. Well, Susan told me that
one of the first people to contact her with an offer to do whatever was needed
to help them back on their feet was Shauna Oden! That is shalom! When
you open your arms to others, and – like Jesus, the Prince of Peace - meet the
needs of peoples’ lives so they can receive wholeness, completeness,
security, health, prosperity, peace, well-being, unity and contentment, you
are a shalom-maker! And all around us in the world, there are people who
are extending shalom to those who do not right now enjoy the wholeness
of life God intends. Consider, if you will, the team of people from our church
that Bill Morgan will be leading to Jamaica next month to help children who
have no hearing and no language! That is shalom! And think about how the
people of the world are today joining together to minister to the needs of the
tsunami victims. It is an amazing moment in the world’s history as people put
aside their differences in order to bring about wholeness in the midst of
catastrophe. And as all of us together
reach out to help, we are practicing shalom! And isn’t it a beautiful
thing to see? And I hope that when you see on television the images of those
who are suffering under the weight of this tragedy, you might just whisper a
one-word prayer for them. What do you think it is? Shalom!
Oh, shalom is all around us, and one day, God’s shalom will be established everywhere!
So how can you and I practice shalom in our own everyday lives, and become a part of the song of Christmas?
Well, first of all, you and I must get better acquainted with God! Some of us here today have never heard that God is interested in people having good safe housing – or health care – or the chance for a good job – or a peaceful world – or clean water – or a good education – or any of the other qualities of life by which people are made whole and complete and happy. But this is exactly what the Bible says God wants for us. This is shalom! And if you have not gotten to know the God of shalom whose Son came to be the Prince of shalom, you’re really missing out on the power of our faith! Go home and read your Bible again. Come and study Jesus’ life. Make it a New Year’s resolution to find out what shalom is all about.
So let’s get better acquainted
with God! And then, let’s get acquainted with our neighbors.
The much-loved and widely respected rabbi Abraham Heschel has said that we must learn to see other people as fellow human beings who have much in common with us. Even though we may be different ethnically, or religiously, or politically, we both have a heart, a face, a voice, a soul. We both have fears, and hopes, and a capacity for compassion and understanding. We have the kinship of being human together.
And as humans, all we really seek is to be whole in body,
mind and spirit. We all seek shalom!
So let’s get acquainted with what our neighbors need in order to experience shalom.
And then, finally, let’s join hands with our neighbors and work as Jesus did, through the power of the Holy Spirit, making shalom real:
Wholeness,
Completeness,
Security,
Health,
Prosperity,
Peace,
Well-being,
Unity,
Contentment!
This is the song of Christmas!
SHALOM TO ALL ON EARTH!
And as you and I extend the peace of God to this broken and hurting world around us, let us not be afraid to explain ourselves this way:
WE OFFER YOU PEACE IN THE NAME OF JESUS, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.
“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth SHALOM, good will toward all!”