Sunday, January 30, 2022

Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Jeremiah 1:4-10 (17-19)
Psalm 71:1-6 (7-11)
1 Corinthians 12:31b-13:13
Luke 4:31-44

‘They will fight against you, but they will not prevail against you; for I am with you’, says Yahweh, ‘to rescue you.’

Spiritual gifts assessments can be a great way to discover the direction of your life and work in God’s kingdom. Some are questionable and lead to strange outcomes, but many are well written and informative. One assessment I have used is made up of sixty questions with five answers that range from “Very true of me, consistently” and “Rarely true of me.” The assessment looked for the more practical gifts like those found in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. There are many other gifts, including the miraculous gifts, but when we are trying to discover the work to which God is calling us, the practical gifts help us see ways we can serve God and our neighbors in this world.

What we see in these questions is different points of view. There are sixty questions looking for twenty gifts with three questions each. One question looks at the gift from God’s point of view. Another looks from someone else’s point of view. The third looks from your point of view.

Here’s an example:

Question #12 said, “When I see a person in need, I am moved to assist them.”

Question #32 said, “I feel an urgency to provide housing for the homeless, food for the starving, comfort for those in distress.”

Question #52 said, “People have been surprised by how at ease I am while working with those who are suffering in mind, body or spirit.”

As you see in these questions, the first one recognizes God’s gift, the second looks at your emotions and self-identification of the gift and the third shows God using others to encourage and give you the opportunity to use the gift.

These are the three questions for the gift of Mercy. The first question said, “I am moved,” giving credit to the source of the gift moving us to do something. The second, “I feel an urgency,” focused on the emotional, self-identification of the gift. The third, “People have been surprised,” indicated that others recognize the gift in your actions. You might mark one of these questions highly, but the others low. The text takes an average of the three questions to find your placement on the spectrum of that gift. You may think you don’t have it, but the assessment can show you that God has a different idea.

We gave the spiritual gifts assessment to a group of youth a few years ago. Despite the fact that they are young, the assessments were incredibly accurate. The test showed that the young people had the very gifts we were beginning to see in their lives. It was interesting to watch them take the assessment. In many cases they have not yet had the opportunity to experience the things that were asked. They were not asked for their opinions on church policy. They did not have the opportunity to offer hospitality. They weren’t very knowledgeable about the Bible and certainly didn’t think they were wise.

Many of their answers were timid; several complained that they had no gifts. We know this is not true, but these young people had just not yet discovered the talents or any opportunities to use them. Music, writing and artistry are perhaps the easiest talents to spot, even at such a young age. But how would they fare when it came to hospitality, leadership and the pastoral gift? It was amazing to see that even these gifts became obvious in the results. As a matter of fact, within the small sampling of students, we saw an incredible variety of gifts, each one having something different to offer the congregation and the world.

I can hear them echoing Jeremiah, “Ah, Lord Yahweh! Behold, I don’t know how to speak; for I am a child.” Yet, in our passage for today, God says to Jeremiah, “Don’t say, ‘I am a child;’ for you must go to whomever I send you, and you must say whatever I command you.” Unfortunately, all too often we look at our youth as immature and unready. We do not give them to opportunities to use their gifts or even help them to discern their gifts, thinking they are too young. Yet God calls all those whom He has anointed with the Spirit into ministry, young and old alike. It is our task to guide them into their discipleship, help them grow in their understanding and in their faith, and give opportunities for service and the respect they deserve as they follow God’s calling for them.

The Old Testament lesson is about Jeremiah’s call from God to be a prophet. Jeremiah trusted God enough to argue with Him. “I can’t do this,” he said. He, like Moses, did not feel he was eloquent in speech and therefore was unqualified for the task. “I am too young.” We don’t know how hold Jeremiah was at this time; most of the commentaries give the possibility that he may have been just in his teens, but all suggest that “young” in this case may simply mean that he was not old enough to take on such an important role in God’s kingdom. Priests became priests at about thirty years of age, although they may have been working in the Temple as apprentices for many years. How could a teenager, or even a young adult ever hope to be heard by his elders?

God answered. He “bowed down” to listen to Jeremiah. You might have experienced something similar from the point of view of God. You felt a tug at your pants or skirt and looked down to see a small child with a face full of expectation. You acknowledged them, and they tugged a little more to get you to come down to their level. They wanted to tell you something, so you bow down or kneel to look them in the eye. It might have been hard. It might have hurt your back or knees, but it is worth every ache and pain to hear that child say something delightful like “I love you.” I can imagine that you wrapped your arms around that child and said, “I love you, too,” because it is impossible not to respond to that overflowing heart with an overflowing heart.

We might be tempted to ignore those children when they tug on our pants or skirt because they are just children. What could they possibly say that would be worth bowing down to them? Sometimes, though, the most important thing we could hear comes from the mouths of babes. Their words can even be prophetic.

God heard Jeremiah’s concern and answered him. “Youth and inexperience do not disqualify you for the job to which I have called you. Do not be afraid, I am with you.” See, God does not call us to do something for which He has not prepared to provide. God’s prophets do not speak from age or experience, but from the heart and will of God. God then touched Jeremiah’s mouth and said, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. Behold, I have today set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to uproot and to tear down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”

If you’ve ever read the book of Jeremiah all the way through (it is hard), you’ll know that he was a prophet of doom (that’s why it is hard.) His words were not well received. He had few friends. It isn’t a life anyone would choose, made even worse by the lack of authority by human standards. Who is Jeremiah to speak these words? The false prophets gave a much better sounding message. We would all rather hear about peace than destruction. We would rather go about the status quo than hear the need for repentance. His warnings about the wrath of God were so uncomfortable that they did not hear that grace and mercy could be found in humble submission to God. Even though Jeremiah warned that they would face God’s judgment, he also promised that there was hope. Forgiveness and cleansing would come, a new day would dawn, and God would restore His people.

Jeremiah loved God and he loved His people. He warned the people about the coming doom because he wanted them to live the blessed life that God intended for them. They were God’s people; how could they not respond? Even though Jeremiah was young, how could they not “bow down” to his tug on their robe to hear the most important words that they could hear?

I have been in churches that have given the youth more responsibility, but it isn’t easy for them. There are unfortunately always some elders who do not respect them or their ideas. It is true that we have to guide the young and teach them because they do have a lot to learn. God knew it would be hard for Jeremiah. The World English Bible translates verse 17, “You therefore put your belt on your waist...” This can also be translated “gird your loins.”

What does that even mean? We understand that it means to prepare for what is to come, but this is a phrase that is a little lost to us. There are pictures available that show how to gird one’s loins, but I’ll try to describe it. In those days they wore tunics, not pants. They were often long, almost to the ground, making it difficult to do battle or hard work. To gird the loins, one lifted the fabric of the tunic above the knees and gathered the fabric toward the front so that the back us snug against the buttocks. They then pulled the excess fabric underneath and between the legs to the rear, then they divided the fabric with half in each hand, wrapping it around the waist and tied in the middle. It felt much like a diaper. This not only gave them freedom of movement, but it gave a little extra protection to the loins, the vulnerable mid-section of the body.

Girding one’s loins was not just about wearing a belt and being prepared. God was encouraging Jeremiah to trust that He would provide all he needed to accomplish the work He was calling him to do.

We are so much like Jeremiah. Though we may not be young, God’s people have always had excuses for arguing with God about the work He is calling us to do. Abraham and Sarah thought they were too old. Moses didn’t think he was eloquent enough. Jonah was angry and didn’t want to share God’s grace with his enemy. We argue, too. Are we too busy? Too sick? Too tired? Are we too young or old? Are we the wrong gender? Are we in the wrong place? Is this the wrong time? We think we know better than God, and so we offer Him our reasons why His plan just won’t work. We reject His call because we are not enough like Jesus.

Jesus willingly spoke the words that needed to be said, both to the people in His hometown last week and to the people in Capernaum this week. They needed to know that they had mistaken expectations, that they were seeking the wrong kind of Messiah. They needed to know that God would not prove Himself and that God had more to do than meet their physical needs. There were those in the world who needed to hear the call to repentance, the invitation to confession, and the promise of forgiveness.

Jesus was a grown man by the time He entered the synagogue in His hometown, but He was still a son of the community. Of all the people in the world, we might expect family and friends to believe Him the most, but as He said, a prophet is not accepted in his hometown. They didn’t have faith because it was all too impossible to believe. How could this boy be the One? They were especially angry because Jesus refused to prove Himself with miracles. They wanted to throw Him off a cliff, but Jesus escaped and went to teach another congregation in the synagogue at Capernaum. They, too, were astonished by His lesson but they heard the authority in His voice and in His word. Reports about Him spread and the people came to Him to hear Him and be healed.

In the congregation was a man who had a demon. The demon spoke out against Jesus; it identified Jesus as the Holy One of God. In the previous passage, Jesus identified Himself as the Messiah when He knew that they wouldn’t believe, but then in Capernaum He rebuked the demon for saying the same thing in a place where people might believe. Jesus was careful about who revealed that He is the Messiah. While God chose Jeremiah to be His spokesperson, Jesus did not choose a demon. Would you believe a demon?

The demon left the man at the word of Jesus, and the people were amazed. “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” The word got out into the region about the things Jesus could do, and the people came to Jesus for more. The demons kept crying out “You are the Son of God,” but Jesus did not allow them to tell the people that He was the Christ. Jesus was not yet ready to be identified as the Messiah, certainly not by a demon. He had too much work to do.

After Jesus left the synagogue, He visited the home of Peter. Simon Peter’s wife’s mother was ill with a fever. She was sick in bed, separated from her family and her work by her illness.

Jesus went to her. I can almost imagine this scene as Jesus bowed down before the woman, perhaps kneeling on the ground beside her bed to be close to her. A child he loved needed to know He was listening and that He was with her. He rebuked the fever, and she was made well. Jesus felt the tug and responded to the faith of those who prayed for her with and overflowing heart. This story is almost a side note in today’s text, two verses about someone so important to Peter, bookended by the casting out of a demon and the healing of so many.

It must have been overwhelming for Jesus to have so many people seeking His healing touch. I think about the scene from “Jesus Christ Superstar,” when Jesus is confronted by lepers, cripples, and beggars, all wanting to be healed. In the play Jesus was crushed by their need, and he angrily told the crowd to heal themselves. I am not sure what Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber intended with this scene, but I see it as having come from the stories from Luke 4. Was Jesus overwhelmed? Perhaps. But there’s something more to these stories about Jesus being unable in Nazareth and being overwhelmed in Capernaum.

In verse 43, Jesus said, “I must preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for therefore was I sent.” The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus, but the people of Capernaum did not want Jesus to leave. He was making a real difference in their lives. He was healing their sick and He was casting out the demons. I wouldn’t want Him to go, either. However, Jesus knew that His work was more than healing, which is why He refused to prove His power in Nazareth. He came to preach the Kingdom of God. The Good News is more than what God can do for us today, in this world. It is more than what God can give to us. It is more than how God can protect us.

God’s Word says we are His children and inheritors of His Kingdom. Yet, we do not take Him at His Word; we desire physical blessings as proof. We are more concerned with flesh and blood than we are eternal promises and consequences. Jesus did not want the people to know He was the Messiah at that time because they were looking for a Messiah who would sit on a throne and lead their nation into a new golden age like David’s reign. They wanted a king who would fill their bellies and fight their enemies. Jesus was not that kind of Messiah. The message of God’s kingdom was different. It was eternal. He came to restore God’s people to their Father, not return the nation to a glory day.

He doesn’t call us to make things golden; He calls us to make things right.

God has called us to be like Jesus, to share the Gospel with the world. He has called us to heal and restore, to warn people to repent, to invite them to confess and to offer them the promise of God's forgiveness. He doesn’t choose us because we are perfect for the job. He doesn’t call us because it fits into our schedule or because He thinks we are strong enough. He chooses us and gives us everything we need to make His work happen. Even when we complain, however, He bows down to hear us and He responds with an overflowing heart. “Do not be afraid, I am with you.” God chooses us and gives us what we need to do the work He has ordained for us.

But Paul adds a word of caution. God gives us His gifts for His purpose, not our own. And God’s purpose is wrapped in love. Sadly, I missed some of those precious moments when a child tug on my pants leg because I was too busy doing work I thought I was called to do. I was working a project for church or volunteering for my children’s class. I was typing a devotional at the computer. Sometimes I was busy with the everyday tasks that were part of my vocation as wife and mother: cooking food, folding laundry, vacuuming the floor. My kids are long grown, but I can still see their looks of disappointment when I shooed them away even though all they wanted was to give me a hug.

It is possible for some bible passages to become so familiar that we stop actually hearing the words. Take John 3:16 for example. John 3:16 is so familiar that many feel that we do not even have to say the words for the message to be received. Yet, it is not “John 3:16” that has saved the world. The word must be heard, repeated, over and over again. The words “John 3:16” are not enough and yet the passage is so familiar we do not even listen to it anymore.

The same can be said about today’s Epistle lesson. The passage, known as “the Love chapter” by many, is a passage that is used at many weddings. It is familiar. It is comforting. It is beautiful in its poetry, and it talks about love. Who would not want to identify their marriage with such a wonderful bit of wisdom? “Love is patient and kind.” This is so easy to say when you are in the throws of romantic bliss. What newlywed is not patient and kind? Love does not envy. Again, who would be envious when they are in the throes of passion? There is nothing better than the love between a bride and groom.

Love does not boast, and it is not proud. It is not rude or self-seeking or easily angered. Love does not keep any record of wrongs. On a couple’s wedding day, that might be true. What happens a week, month, or a year later? What happens after the first fight? What happens after the first failure of a spouse? Does that romantic love so evident on the wedding day still stand? Can this scripture still be referring to that couple at the seven-year itch? What about when their world has changed, like when children enter the picture or their financial situation changes. What happens when one spouse gets a really good job and dominates the finances? What happens when someone strays? Is love still patient and kind?

It is a beautiful passage to be read at a wedding and it our hope that those words will still be meaningful through the tough times, but the passage is not really about the kind of love we find in that passionate relationship. As a matter of fact, this passage is about a deeper, broader type of love. In last week’s passage, Paul was talking about the spiritual gifts, the gifts given to the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit to build up the believers and the church for the sake of the world. While those gifts are wonderful, the people had begun to set themselves apart based on their gifts. Some thought they were better than others. They were using their gifts in boastful and proud ways. They envied one another. They were not patient. They were angry and rude and self-seeking.

Paul writes, “Moreover, I show a most excellent way to you.” Paul told the Corinthians that the way they were missing the most important gift of all: love. Everything else was meaningless if they did not lay it on that foundation. Prophecy was a noisy gong without love. In other words, prophecy was meaningless and unheard if spoken without love. “John 3:16” is meaningless to the millions of viewers of NFL football, because it is not accompanied by active, tangible love. It is not prophecy to hold up a card at a football game. It is prophecy to speak those beloved words of God’s gracious love to a sinner who is seeking forgiveness, to touch their hand and their heart with the deep love of God through Christ Jesus.

The psalmist says, “Bow down thine ear unto me, and save me.” (ASV) It might seem degrading to ask God to bow down, especially when we think of protocols that require subjects to bow down to royalty. God is our King, but He is also our Father who without hesitation gives us His ear when we need His attention. When our children speak those words of love, we know that they trust us to take care of them. How much more can we be assured of the same with our Father in heaven? When we tug at His robe, He hears our concerns and answers, “I love you, my child. Remember, I am always with you.” We can then go forth in faith knowing that He will give us everything we need to share His Word with the world.