Pentecost 2 year A Sermon 08
Isaiah 49:8-10 and 15
Matthew 6:24-34
Did you hear what Jesus said?
‘Don’t worry about your life... can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?’
Are you serious Jesus? Is Jesus really serious?
I think Jesus is serious. If we claim to be his followers we have to his teaching seriously.
‘Don’t worry about your life...’
I want you take a moment to name...to write down just one worry you have... no matter how trivial you think it is...you wont have to show it to anybody...
it’s your private worry
Jesus warns against fear and worry... more than he warns against anything else...except maybe hypocrisy.
Over and over again Jesus tells his friends
‘Do not be afraid.’
Now Jesus isn’t talking about the fear that protects us and makes us run away when an avalanche is roaring down on us off the mountain. That’s good healthy life preserving fear.
No, Jesus is talking about the nagging chronic ongoing kind of fear and worry that starts to take over our lives. The kind of fear and worry Jesus is talking about... distracts us from living lives of faith based on grace ...distorts our view of reality...and twists the truth.
And did you notice Jesus starts out with ordinary everyday worries doesn’t he.
‘Don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.’
The reality is Jesus says:
‘your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.’
Why is it... when there’s cyclones and earthquakes...
occupying armies... evil and injustice in the world...
why does Jesus start out with such trivial worries?
Well it seems to me... that Jesus knows if we don’t name them...and bring them out into the light of day...
even our little fears...can take over and start ruling our lives...
Instead of setting our minds on God’s kingdom...
we begin to live in the kingdom of fear and worry.
One of my favourite theologians puts it this way... Fear gets so much control over our lives... because we hardly ever recognise it... and name it for what it is.
Why don’t we recognise it?
Because fear will often dress itself up as something more acceptable...something nicer... for the sake of our self-esteem...because none of us wants to think of ourselves... as paranoid or neurotic or cowardly... or even timid.
So chronic fear has to disguise itself as something else...
to get us to embrace it.
Camouflaged in this way...fear and worry start to look like ordinary common sense... or prudent sensible concern.
Disguised this way...fear can take over our thinking with smoke and mirrors... tempting us to believe that by worrying... we can control what we’re afraid of losing. Worry tempts us with the illusion of control.
In the Bible we learn...
the only way evil can gain control over us...
is to disguise itself. Paul draws our attention to this... in his second letter to the Corinthians
‘no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades… as an angel of light.’
Do you ever find it a little embarrassing...
that casting out demons are a large part of Jesus’ ministry? But do you notice these stories...often have to do with... forcing the demons to name themselves...
Jesus commanding them to come out and identify themselves.
This is echoed in that verse from Isaiah we heard before...
‘Saying to those in darkness: show yourself!’
This same principle is important for us today...
as we try to follow Jesus and keep growing spiritually...
To stop our fears ruling over us... you might say we have to name our demons... identify our fears...
to grow spiritually... requires a commitment...
to exposing our fears to the light...
Jesus teaches... what psychology would eventually discover: that anything exposed to the light... will itself become light. Paul put it this way:
‘For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord
…everything exposed by the light becomes visible… for it’s light that makes everything visible.
This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."[i]
Paul understands that "dark" things, like fear and shame, can actually be used for our own good and transformation, if we just hold them up to the light. They can actually become a form of light!
In other words, we can’t just talk ourselves out of our fears. We can’t just pretend we’re not afraid. To begin the process of driving these demons out,
we have to name them and feel them for what they are and we have to expose their disguises and lies.
So why do you think Jesus begins this teaching about not worrying...with all this stuff about
‘you can’t serve God and money’?
Well, I think Jesus understood that fear... is almost always... the fear of losing something.
In many stories and parables Jesus logic goes like this...the more you have...the more you have to lose...
the more you have...the more you have to protect...
the more you hold on...cling to...and even hoard.
And I think Jesus wanted us to realise...
when we’re not used to letting things go...
when we’re not practiced giving things up...
the more fear and worry we’re going to have.
Maybe that’s why wealthy people...
tend to be "conservative" people...precisely because...
they have a lot to conserve.
To be on the safe side they have to be on guard... vigilant... suspicious and wary...
When we aren’t used to letting go, we can be pretty sure our entire life...will be controlled by fear.
Catholic theologian Richard Rohr calls learning to name and let go of our fears...‘the the art of "releasement,"
Releasement... I looked it up on Google as you do and I found this
Re`lease´ment: the act of releasing… as from imprisonment or duty.
Saying to those living in darkness...come out.
Jesus was onto this amazing spiritual principle of releasing what we’re afraid to lose. Naming these fears for what they are and releasing them to God.
The problem for Jesus’ disciples and for us is...
most of our fears are so trivial and habitual...
we don’t even know what we’re afraid of losing.
And living in fear is compounded for people immersed in our very secular in culture...
because they just assume...
there’s no one to release their fears to... [pause]
Without a belief in a God who calls us and our fears out of darkness...a God who cares for us compassionately... and loves us unconditionally
...there’s no reason to release anything...
and there’s every motivation... to hold on, to protect, and to hoard. Causing people cling desperately...
to things...to their reputation...their image...even other people.
And before you know it...fear becomes the major and controlling "demon" of our time.
Of course Jesus knew that the lives of highly religious people were often ruled by fear...and that religious people even use fear as a way to control or convert others. Naturally, we can think we can see this in other religions...but among Christians fear wears different disguises.
Like when people are told to believe or they’ll burn in hell. That’s not in Jesus teaching and when we use fear that way then fear becomes our religion and our lives are ruled by fear instead of love and grace.
When that happens we live as though we never read the words of 1 John that
‘perfect love casts out fear’
Unless we practice...noticing and naming and surrendering our trivial everyday fears,
its going to be hard to recognize the really big and really disguised fears... that control our politics, our economy... our religious views...fears that maybe even control the future of the planet.
In the shadow of terrorism, climate change, war and poverty... our world is overwhelmingly ruled by fear and not by love.
Denying our fears just gives them more power over us. If you don’t recognize your fear, you risk being totally manipulated it. Or as Jesus would say, "a reed shaken by the wind." Fear lures us and tempts us to put ourselves and our worries centre stage...
When we allow this Jesus’ way of loving and serving others... is lost to us.
Richard Rohr...the Catholic theologian I was talking about says. ‘We must name fear for the true blinding and evil demon it is... or it will govern our world.’
Jesus teaches us to love our enemies not fear them.
Jesus proclaims a God of saving love...not saving fear. Jesus demonstrated the principles of shalom...of peace...
with love and compassion and mercy...
and justice for everyone.
And Jesus shows us that to live this way...
is to set your mind on the Kingdom of God...
So what are we to remember from all this and what are we to do...
One: we have to identify what we’re afraid of losing.
Two: we have to release what we’re afraid of losing into the care of God.
Three: we need to we trust Jesus’ when he says: ‘your father in heaven knows what you need...so first set your mind on the kingdom of God and on his justice and peace...
and all these things will be given to you as well.[ii]
Blank slide Let us sing of this.
[i] Ephesians 5:13ff
In this sermon I have borrowed liberally from Fear Itself. by Richard Rohr, OFM. Sojourners Magazine, October 2004
Isaiah 49:8-10 and 15
Matthew 6:24-34
Did you hear what Jesus said?
‘Don’t worry about your life... can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?’
Are you serious Jesus? Is Jesus really serious?
I think Jesus is serious. If we claim to be his followers we have to his teaching seriously.
‘Don’t worry about your life...’
I want you take a moment to name...to write down just one worry you have... no matter how trivial you think it is...you wont have to show it to anybody...
it’s your private worry
Jesus warns against fear and worry... more than he warns against anything else...except maybe hypocrisy.
Over and over again Jesus tells his friends
‘Do not be afraid.’
Now Jesus isn’t talking about the fear that protects us and makes us run away when an avalanche is roaring down on us off the mountain. That’s good healthy life preserving fear.
No, Jesus is talking about the nagging chronic ongoing kind of fear and worry that starts to take over our lives. The kind of fear and worry Jesus is talking about... distracts us from living lives of faith based on grace ...distorts our view of reality...and twists the truth.
And did you notice Jesus starts out with ordinary everyday worries doesn’t he.
‘Don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear.’
The reality is Jesus says:
‘your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.’
Why is it... when there’s cyclones and earthquakes...
occupying armies... evil and injustice in the world...
why does Jesus start out with such trivial worries?
Well it seems to me... that Jesus knows if we don’t name them...and bring them out into the light of day...
even our little fears...can take over and start ruling our lives...
Instead of setting our minds on God’s kingdom...
we begin to live in the kingdom of fear and worry.
One of my favourite theologians puts it this way... Fear gets so much control over our lives... because we hardly ever recognise it... and name it for what it is.
Why don’t we recognise it?
Because fear will often dress itself up as something more acceptable...something nicer... for the sake of our self-esteem...because none of us wants to think of ourselves... as paranoid or neurotic or cowardly... or even timid.
So chronic fear has to disguise itself as something else...
to get us to embrace it.
Camouflaged in this way...fear and worry start to look like ordinary common sense... or prudent sensible concern.
Disguised this way...fear can take over our thinking with smoke and mirrors... tempting us to believe that by worrying... we can control what we’re afraid of losing. Worry tempts us with the illusion of control.
In the Bible we learn...
the only way evil can gain control over us...
is to disguise itself. Paul draws our attention to this... in his second letter to the Corinthians
‘no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades… as an angel of light.’
Do you ever find it a little embarrassing...
that casting out demons are a large part of Jesus’ ministry? But do you notice these stories...often have to do with... forcing the demons to name themselves...
Jesus commanding them to come out and identify themselves.
This is echoed in that verse from Isaiah we heard before...
‘Saying to those in darkness: show yourself!’
This same principle is important for us today...
as we try to follow Jesus and keep growing spiritually...
To stop our fears ruling over us... you might say we have to name our demons... identify our fears...
to grow spiritually... requires a commitment...
to exposing our fears to the light...
Jesus teaches... what psychology would eventually discover: that anything exposed to the light... will itself become light. Paul put it this way:
‘For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord
…everything exposed by the light becomes visible… for it’s light that makes everything visible.
This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."[i]
Paul understands that "dark" things, like fear and shame, can actually be used for our own good and transformation, if we just hold them up to the light. They can actually become a form of light!
In other words, we can’t just talk ourselves out of our fears. We can’t just pretend we’re not afraid. To begin the process of driving these demons out,
we have to name them and feel them for what they are and we have to expose their disguises and lies.
So why do you think Jesus begins this teaching about not worrying...with all this stuff about
‘you can’t serve God and money’?
Well, I think Jesus understood that fear... is almost always... the fear of losing something.
In many stories and parables Jesus logic goes like this...the more you have...the more you have to lose...
the more you have...the more you have to protect...
the more you hold on...cling to...and even hoard.
And I think Jesus wanted us to realise...
when we’re not used to letting things go...
when we’re not practiced giving things up...
the more fear and worry we’re going to have.
Maybe that’s why wealthy people...
tend to be "conservative" people...precisely because...
they have a lot to conserve.
To be on the safe side they have to be on guard... vigilant... suspicious and wary...
When we aren’t used to letting go, we can be pretty sure our entire life...will be controlled by fear.
Catholic theologian Richard Rohr calls learning to name and let go of our fears...‘the the art of "releasement,"
Releasement... I looked it up on Google as you do and I found this
Re`lease´ment: the act of releasing… as from imprisonment or duty.
Saying to those living in darkness...come out.
Jesus was onto this amazing spiritual principle of releasing what we’re afraid to lose. Naming these fears for what they are and releasing them to God.
The problem for Jesus’ disciples and for us is...
most of our fears are so trivial and habitual...
we don’t even know what we’re afraid of losing.
And living in fear is compounded for people immersed in our very secular in culture...
because they just assume...
there’s no one to release their fears to... [pause]
Without a belief in a God who calls us and our fears out of darkness...a God who cares for us compassionately... and loves us unconditionally
...there’s no reason to release anything...
and there’s every motivation... to hold on, to protect, and to hoard. Causing people cling desperately...
to things...to their reputation...their image...even other people.
And before you know it...fear becomes the major and controlling "demon" of our time.
Of course Jesus knew that the lives of highly religious people were often ruled by fear...and that religious people even use fear as a way to control or convert others. Naturally, we can think we can see this in other religions...but among Christians fear wears different disguises.
Like when people are told to believe or they’ll burn in hell. That’s not in Jesus teaching and when we use fear that way then fear becomes our religion and our lives are ruled by fear instead of love and grace.
When that happens we live as though we never read the words of 1 John that
‘perfect love casts out fear’
Unless we practice...noticing and naming and surrendering our trivial everyday fears,
its going to be hard to recognize the really big and really disguised fears... that control our politics, our economy... our religious views...fears that maybe even control the future of the planet.
In the shadow of terrorism, climate change, war and poverty... our world is overwhelmingly ruled by fear and not by love.
Denying our fears just gives them more power over us. If you don’t recognize your fear, you risk being totally manipulated it. Or as Jesus would say, "a reed shaken by the wind." Fear lures us and tempts us to put ourselves and our worries centre stage...
When we allow this Jesus’ way of loving and serving others... is lost to us.
Richard Rohr...the Catholic theologian I was talking about says. ‘We must name fear for the true blinding and evil demon it is... or it will govern our world.’
Jesus teaches us to love our enemies not fear them.
Jesus proclaims a God of saving love...not saving fear. Jesus demonstrated the principles of shalom...of peace...
with love and compassion and mercy...
and justice for everyone.
And Jesus shows us that to live this way...
is to set your mind on the Kingdom of God...
So what are we to remember from all this and what are we to do...
One: we have to identify what we’re afraid of losing.
Two: we have to release what we’re afraid of losing into the care of God.
Three: we need to we trust Jesus’ when he says: ‘your father in heaven knows what you need...so first set your mind on the kingdom of God and on his justice and peace...
and all these things will be given to you as well.[ii]
Blank slide Let us sing of this.
[i] Ephesians 5:13ff
In this sermon I have borrowed liberally from Fear Itself. by Richard Rohr, OFM. Sojourners Magazine, October 2004
