“Mere Words”
Nehemiah 8:1-3
Luke 4:14-21
1 Corinthians 12:12-28
I think that we have all experienced
a day, walking home from elementary school, when someone mockingly seized
upon something different about us, taunting us about it until it hurt,
really hurt. It may have been about our thick glasses or a thick
brain, perhaps it was about our height or weight or social graces, or
lack thereof. Many of us probably replied with: “Sticks and
stones may break my bones, but words can never harm me!” Really,
are we going to let mere words bother us?
Why is it then that we break into tears
as soon as we get inside the safety of our home? Even later as
someone asks what is wrong we still have trouble controlling our emotions.
I never broke any bones as a youth, but I did have some pretty nasty
injuries. Try and think about your three worst childhood injuries,
what happened, who was around you, what were the results? Do those
injuries cause you any pain today? Now, try and think about the
three worst words spoken to you in the same period: who said them, where,
how did you feel? Which do you remember more vividly? For
me, those words still hurt, still bother me, more than any injury.
Those mere words have had more of an effect on my life than all the
sticks and stones, fights and accidents combined.
Mere words.
About 539 BC, dated from both Biblical
and Persian writings, Israel is allowed to return to Jerusalem.
Israel had been in exile - all the educated were taken, all the skilled
craftsmen were taken; only those with few skills, useless to the Persians,
had remained in Palestine. The priests rebuilt the altar so that
they could again offer sacrifices to God. As soon as they started
to rebuild the Temple, those others who had settled in the area offered
to help. However, they were not of the same faith and were refused.
Conflict developed. In anger, they tried to stop the rebuilding
but failed and by 515 the Temple had been completed.
It is now around 450 BC. Ezra
and Nehemiah return to Judah and lead the people in revival: both spiritual
and nationalistic revivals. Part of the focus is to rebuild the
walls of Jerusalem: they provide status and protection; freedom to worship.
There is a shift from a single holy place to an entire holy city when
the walls, as was the Temple itself, are consecrated, not just dedicated.
There is another shift. As important
as individuals and leaders have been throughout the history of Israel,
the community starts to dominate. Surely, Ezra and Nehemiah are
important, but the people are given credit for rebuilding, not just
the leaders. A sense of the community of believers develops.
Today's passage marks another major
shift. Religion had relied on oral authority, word of mouth.
When few were literate, tradition was passed from generation to generation
by memorization. Decrees of kings were spoken. Yet here,
there are written letters from kings, written approvals and authorizations.
After all the years in exile the Torah, the written word of God, was
rediscovered. There were many cultures that had hymns and legends
about gods; only Israel had the word of God. And they had rediscovered
the written word, the scrolls, and they now had a holy place to read
them.
For those of us who enjoy traditional
worship, imagine this worship of 2500 years ago. All those who
can understand, men and women, gather together early in the morning.
There, on a raised platform, is the priest, Ezra. The written
word, the scrolls, are brought out and everyone stands as they are read.
They are read and then interpreted; interpreted in what we would call
a sermon, until noon. Many words, mere words, are spoken.
The reaction? People shout out
“Amen,” “I agree” and raise their hands in praise to God.
People wail and cry and bow their faces to the ground in worship.
These are not mere words. These are God's words that tell who
God is, define who they are. These are the words that had been
taken away from them in exile and are now restored. These are
the words that tell them how they should live and eat and treat one
another. These are the words that are the glue that holds together
this community of believers. Mere words.
But notice the new directions.
Do not just sit there and moan. Do not think of all that has gone
on in the past, the physical injury of exile, the plundering of a nation,
the failure to worship when there was no place in which to worship.
Do not bemoan what you have done wrong. Do not wail over how you
have grieved God in your ignorance. Instead, rejoice! Yes,
rejoice! The word of God is again proclaimed. Worship at
the temple, in the entire consecrated city, has been restored.
Rejoice! Go, eat the best meat
and drink the finest wines. Have a celebration! We have
heard the word of God! Oh, by the way, this celebration isn't
just about you. There are those who do not have meat to eat or
wine to drink; share, help them celebrate as well. Take care of
your neighbor for they desire to rejoice over these mere words as well.
These mere words seem to have stirred
the entire city, to open the ears of everyone who heard them.
Words that could not be ignored. Or to be blasé about them as
if, oh, that's cool and walk away. Ezra did not say that the people
were to go and think about them. All who heard, understood and
worshiped and celebrated the word of God.
Five hundred years later, we see some
of the same worship, some of the same reaction, to the words of God.
As Ezra had stood and read from the Torah, or law, Jesus stands and
takes a different Scroll, that of the Prophets, often called Isaiah
for the first of the books, and reads from it. Everyone present
knew that these were revolutionary and important words for these were
the words of God. They had heard the promise of a servant leader
many times before. They could probably recite them from memory.
But, they had become merely words. Perhaps there was some hope
attached to them, perhaps they still had great symbolic meaning, but
they had become just mere words on the scroll.
Jesus, standing, read the words.
The words that we heard read: words about the Spirit of God upon the
servant, anointed to bring good news to the poor, release the captives,
heal the blind, proclaim the Lord's favor. People were impressed
as he sat down and interpreted them. What a sermon this was!
A simple sermon stating that “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled
in your hearing.”
Suddenly, these words came alive again.
These words from so long ago became alive in the person of Jesus.
They have been fulfilled. They are not just about history or symbols
or good ways to lead a life. These words, these mere words of
God, have declared the Lord's favor upon us!
Yet, do we let these words move us?
Do they cause us to shout “Amen” and wave our hands in praise or
bow down in worship or to cry over how we have led our lives?
Do we go out and celebrate when we hear these wonderful words, this
incredible good news that God has talked to us, God has made promises,
God has come and fulfilled promises! Rejoice! We have found favor
God! God loves us!
Or do we act like they are mere words?
What happens if we let these words open
our ears? What happens if we let them move us as much as those
cruel words of the neighborhood bully, or was it even a member of our
family, who hurt us with those words?
Each of us is different. Each
will react to these words of God in a different way. Some of us
have different talents, desires, spiritual gifts. Not better,
just different; different because God planned us to be different.
Some of us do glamorous things like the mouth singing great songs or
the hands painting beautiful pictures, or the feet taking us to exotic
places. But no mouth or hand or foot can live by itself.
The foot needs the eye to see where to go, the mouth needs the hand
to feed it just as the hand needs the nourishment that comes from that
hidden, oft ignored, digestive system.
Each of us is different, not better,
just different. Some think we are more important, but we each
need one another in the body of Christ. As much as we dwell on
the physical symbolism in Corinthians, it is not the physical body that
Paul is talking about just as it is not physical bread that we need.
God had given Israel bread, manna, and they still failed to understand.
We do not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the
lips of God. Individually, collectively. In the Temple,
in the consecrated city, on whatever ground upon which we stand, for
it is all holy ground.
We are not to celebrate alone when we
are able to hear, to understand, these words. For we are a community.
Some do need to be given a physical portion of the meat and wine so
that they too can rejoice. Others need to hear our words, words
of forgiveness for past wrongs or words of encouragement in present
challenges. We need to speak with our mouths words of support
to those who grieve as our hands symbolically speak with words of sharing
food for the hungry. We need to share words of comforting presence
as our feet take us to those in need. And you do. I have
heard and seen your words of love. I have heard words of encouragement
and affirmation; I have seen you take food to those unable to prepare
it; you pray for one another. Your feet take you to those in nursing
homes and hospitals. You teach and organize and care for others,
all in the name of Christ.
As Christ took what had become mere
words, albeit holy words, of the scroll and made them come alive, we
are to do likewise. For as many words of our own that we speak
in forgiveness or comfort or support, they are little compared to God's
words of forgiveness and comfort and support. It is when we let
these words, these words of Good News, of God's love, come alive in
our lives, be fulfilled here, today, that the world will understand
what it means to be a single body, united by 'mere words', in which
each is equally treasured for their role within the body. Then,
as we bring these words alive, people will hear them, will shout “Amen!”
with raised hands and bow down in worship.
Mere words. Those words from childhood
that still haunt you do not need to haunt you any more. We are
different, because God made us different. We have a safe home,
here, in God's house.
Words can heal as well as hurt.
We can speak healing words to each other. God still speaks words
that heal and restore, comfort and inspire. Let us rejoice when
we hear these words. Let us acknowledge that God's words have
the same power as when Ezra read or the Psalmist wrote or Jesus embodied
those words. Mere words that are fulfilled, again, with every
act of love, every act of love we share in Jesus' name.
Mere words, God's words.
Unity and diversity - we are given the words, each in our own way, for the common good.
We are one in the Lord, but we are not one and the same.
We have different gifts, for the common good
We
have the same word, but ..... different reactions????
January 21, 2007
Rev. Al Hammond
First Presbyterian Church
Logan, Utah