Posted on by Cheryl Norman

The Trouble with Comparisons

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 26, 2025

Scriptures: Joel 2:23-32; Ps 65; 2 Tim 4:6-18; Lk 18:9-14

Back in the late 80’s, as I was working on my doctorate in psychology, my next door neighbor was working on hers in Early Childhood Education. Her dissertation research examined how 4th grade children manage comparisons with their peers. As any of us who have raised children would know, 4th graders (10YO’s) are already comparing themselves to the kids around them. They compare clothing, book-bags, shoes, haircuts, lunch bags and what’s in them, grades, athleticism, etc. 

It even starts earlier than 4th grade, doesn’t it? Very little children compare cookie or cake size. Don’t we hear about it if their sibling or friend gets a bigger piece than they do? To keep the peace, we have to be sure things are doled out fairly. When my grandson, Noah, was 3-4YO, he would run a distance and then tell us adults that he was faster than Usain Bolt, the 8 time Olympic Gold medal sprinter from Jamaica. Our family thought his comparison was adorable because it was so unlikely, but it just goes to show how “hard-wired” is this tendency we have to compare ourselves with others.

Hoping we come out as well as, or perhaps even better than others seems to be a permanent factor in our fleshly natures.

Consider this: For those of you who follow professional tennis, Valentin Henequin (a photographer living in France), looks like and is frequently mistaken for tennis champ Novak Djokovic.  He appears to be Novak’s doppleganger, an unrelated identical twin. As a result, tourists often ask him for selfies. But a woman named Kayla Nicole had a totally different reaction to having a doppleganger. She dated Travis Kelse just before he began seeing–and is now engaged to–Taylor Swift. Kayla, who is frequently negatively compared to the singer on social media, finds it exhausting, and says it has lowered her self-esteem. Being compared to—or comparing ourselves to others—can be dangerous and destructive. Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Mark Twain took it one step further insisting, “Comparison is the death of joy.”

Think for a moment about the Biblical examples of brothers who compared themselves: Cain was so jealous of his brother that he killed Abel. Jacob cheated his twin, Esau, of his birthright as well as their father’s blessing. Joseph’s brothers were so jealous of him that they sold him into slavery, fully expecting the experience would kill him. There were two pairs of brothers among Jesus’ 12 Apostles: James and John, Peter and Andrew.

James and John created a ruckus among the other 10 when they asked to sit at Jesus’ left and right hands in His Kingdom. We are not told directly about whatever animosity may have arisen when He singled out Peter as “the Rock.” (The series, “The Chosen” depicts Peter as a clear leader, so it may be that they all deferred to him because of his obvious gifting.) 

(Concept borrowed from “The comparison Complex,” www.proclaimsermons.com, 10/26/2025).

But the point is that we are not meant by God to compare ourselves to others. The only way we are to measure ourselves is against the standard or yardstick that the Lord has for us. How does He see us? What does He want of us? This is the only measurement of comparison that really matters.

In our Gospel lesson today (Luke 18:9-14), Jesus reveals what He thinks when we compare ourselves with other people. He is on His way to Jerusalem to die when he tells the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican (Tax Collector). As I have said here before, this is His final chance to teach His disciples about His Kingdom and how we should behave in it. He is no longer focused on evangelizing the Jewish nation. Instead, He is trying to deepen the faith of those Jews who believe in Him. His time is short, so we can assume He is teaching concepts He thinks are important for them to have to sustain their faith when He is gone. 

There are only two men in this story: The Pharisee, a man at the top of the religious ladder of his day; and the Publican or tax collector, a social bottom-feeder. Jesus shares how the self-righteous Pharisee compares himself to the tax collector. We don’t know if he was praying out loud or silently, but Jesus knew what was in his heart. Rather than talking to God, he appears to be making a speech about himself to himself. In verse 11 he boast

Lord, I’m thankful that I am not like other men. The guy is puffed up with arrogance, isn’t he? He might have said, “Thank you that You called me to be a Pharisee; I am so grateful to You, Lord!” He could have also prayed, “Thank you for so guiding my steps that I never became a robber, an evildoer, an adulterer—or even a tax collector, bless their hearts. I mean, there but for the grace of You, Lord God, go I.”

Then Jesus compares the Pharisee to the Tax Collector: This poor fellow knows he’s a sinner! He is humbled and humiliated by his past, his present, his bad choices, his wrong actions. He is so aware of his deficiencies before God, that he cannot even raise his eyes to heaven. He knows that he has denied his nation as a treasonous Roman collaborator. He knows he has alienated himself from his own people. The Romans let tax collectors set their own salaries above what they collected for them. The downtrodden Jews saw this as legalized robbery, because tax collectors profited at the expense of their countrymen. He also clearly knows he has neglected God and sinned against Him. His prayer is one sentence: “God have mercy on me, a sinner,” or “God be merciful to me a sinner” (v.13). This is the early forerunner of “The Jesus Prayer”: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Over the millennia, this prayer has been uttered from foxholes, places of danger, and in the midst of traumatic situations.

Jesus clarifies the lesson from this parable in verse 14–I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.  Jesus is teaching us that social comparison (comparing ourselves to others) is dangerous. Like the Pharisee, we often consider ourselves to be better than the one to whom we compare ourselves. We tend to think things like, “At least I’m not as fat as that person,” or, “I’m not as big a gossip as that one.”

The Pharisee had a pride problem, and we know how God hates our pride! The Pharisee was also a religious leader and teacher who lacked compassion on those God had given him to shepherd. Jesus is also teaching that the best way to come before God, in worship or in prayer, is to be humble. We are to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift us up (James 4:10); And (Micah 6:8), what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Our other lessons today show us many reasons why we should be humble and compassionate as we relate to God and to others:

A. The prophet Joel (2:23-32) supplies 5 reasons:

1. God is faithful to His people.

2. God provides for His people. The Jews’ agricultural economy depended on rain. He promised them abundant food, which we enjoy as well.

3. He restores to us what the evil one has stolen from us. I went to Seminary in 1996 with an IRA of $28,000. But my teenaged daughter got sick and we were without health insurance. Also, our house turned out to be a money pit. I had to cash in my IRA (resulting in a financial penalty), and take on a fulltime job. When I graduated from Seminary 5.5 years later, the college I worked for had put money into a retirement IRA. I left seminary with exactly $28,000 in that retirement account. I knew in my heart that the Lord had graciously replaced what the “locusts” had stolen from me.

4. In the end times, He will pour out His Holy Spirit on all people, men women, sons, daughters.

5. And, most importantly, (v.32)🡪Everyone [at the end of time] who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 

B. King David tells us 5 reasons in Psalm 65:

1. God answers our prayers.

2. God forgives our sins.

3. God has chosen those of us who believe in Him to dwell with Him forever.

4. Our God is an awesome, all-powerful, and righteous being.

5. And as Joel will later echo, God provides for those who love Him.

C. Paul, in 2 Timothy 4:6-18, gives us 4 reasons:

1. Paul does not fear dying and neither should we because we know God loves us and that He has given to us each a ministry which He has empowered us to complete.

2. Paul had a lot of friends. Our God has surrounded us with friends in the church for the spiritual journey.

3. Even when our associates betray or disappoint us, God never gives up on or abandons us.

4. And He delivers us from danger and sustains us through attacks by the evil one.

This week, let’s try to be aware of when we are comparing ourselves to others. Let’s remember to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, recognizing that when we think we are better than others, it is the sin of pride at work in us. Let’s also be grateful to the Lord for…                  (1) Rescuing us and providing for us; (2) Loving us so faithfully; (3) Forgiving us; (4) Empowering us; (5) Restoring our relationships, material goods, and God’s peace and joy that Satan occasionally has stolen from us; And (6) Protecting us from “ghoulies, ghosties, long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night.” 

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Profiles of Humility

Pastor Sherry’s message for February 9, 2025

Scriptures: Isa 6:1-13; Ps 138; 1 Cor 15:1-11; Lk 5:1-13

Remember Muhammed Ali?  The famous boxer who used to humbly claim, “I am the greatest!”?  Well, the story is told that he was seated on a plane getting ready to take off, and the flight attendant noted he wasn’t using his seatbelt.  She politely asked him to fasten it.  He replied, ”I’m Superman and Superman don’t need no seatbelt.”  To which she responded, ”Superman don’t need no airplane either, so please fasten your seatbelt.”   

 (Steve Jones, “God’s Spiritual Stimulus Plan—Humility, www.sermomcentral.com, 2/6/25.)  

By the way, a parishioner of mine told me (following this sermon) that her father was a city bus driver in Louisville, Kentucky, for years, and that Muhammed Ali (aka, Cassius Clay) rode his bus daily as a child going to school.  Her father said the great boxer had always had a tendency to brag about himself.

 A second story regarding humility involves Benjamin Franklin:  Apparently he once… “made a list of character qualities that he wanted to develop in his own life. When he mastered one virtue, he went on to the next. He did pretty well, he said, until he got to humility.  Every time he thought he was making significant progress, he would be so pleased with himself that he became proud.”

(“Illustrations on Humility,” the Disciplers Blog, 2/7/2025.)

It’s hard to be humble, isn’t it?  But our Scripture passages today provide us with some pretty strong reminders that the virtue of humility pleases God.

A.  Let’s look first at the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-13).  This story recaps his call, by the Lord, to become a prophet.  The context for Isaiah is the death of the good king, Uzziah.  Uzziah had ruled the Southern Kingdom (Judea and Jerusalem) for 52 years, from 791-740 BC.  He subdued Israel’s traditional enemies, the Philistines (ancestors of today’s Palestinians), the Arabs, and the Ammonites.  And, as long as Uzziah sought God and did not get too proud, he led the country into a period of peace and prosperity.  When Uzziah died, however, Isaiah was grieved and worried for the future of Judea.  Fortunately, Isaiah took his worry to the Temple, where he placed it on God’s altar through prayer.  No doubt he was lamenting. “Lord, what shall we do? What will happen to us all now?”  

The Lord responds to him with a vision and a calling.  The vision is of God on His throne.  The Lord is so immense that the train of His garment fills the Temple.  God wants to reassure Isaiah that all is well:  Isaiah’s earthly King is dead, but his heavenly King is alive and well and sovereign over all things.

Isaiah also sees 6 seraphim—in the Hebrew, the name means to burn—flying about the Throne.  While the job of the cherubim is to protect the holiness of God, the job of the seraphim is to seek out sin and destroy it.

(J. Vernon McGee, Through the Bible Commentary on Isaiah, Thomas Nelson, 1991, p.68.)

This is important because Isaiah immediately becomes aware that he is a sinful man who has seen God himself.  He knows from Moses’ dialogue with God in Exodus 33:20, that—No one may see Me and live.  No sinful being may exist in the physical presence of the Living God.  So he cries out (verse 5, NLT)—It’s all over!  I am doomed, for I am a sinful man.  I have filthy lips and I live among a people with filthy lips.  Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.  Isaiah is honest—he admits and takes responsibility for his sinfulness.  He doesn’t blame his environment, his parents, or any sinful associates.  He humbles himself before God.

God then directs a seraph to cleanse Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal from the altar where sacrifices for sins are carried out.  Prior to Jesus’ once- and-for-all-perfect sacrifice of Himself, an animal was chosen to be offered in one’s place.  The sinner consigned his/her sins to the animal’s head, the priest slit the animal’s throat, drained its blood, and placed its body on the sacrificial altar to be burned.  The life blood of the animal paid for the sin of the human.  The burning or live coal the seraph brought to Isaiah came from the altar at which such atonement for sin was made.  McGee goes on to assert that this act foreshadowed the coming cleansing we would all experience through the shedding of Jesus’ blood (Ibid., p.71).  Remember the words of the old hymn, “What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.”  Instead of hurting Isaiah, Christ’s future (to him) finished work on the Cross cleansed and healed him.

Then the Lord calls Isaiah to a frustrating work in which he will convey God’s words to a people group who will neither listen to nor receive what the Prophet has to say.  Again, Isaiah humbly agrees to answer the call–Here I am; send me–even though it is to a mission that will feel very frustrating.

B.  In Psalm 138, King David offers thanksgiving to the Lord for His love and protection.  He says in v. 1—I will sing your praises before the gods.  By gods, David was referring to the false gods of Israel’s neighbors, Egyptian, Philistine, and Canaanite gods.  For us, today, the meaning is anything we put ahead of God in our lives (McGee, p.156 of his commentary on the Psalms).  This could be money, power, status, influence, certain relationships with people, and addictions.

In verse 2, he goes on to praise God for His love and His trustworthiness.  In verse 6, he insists—Though the Lord is great, He cares for the humble, but He keeps His distance from the proud.

There it is, the theme of humility and how it pleases God.  Later, James, the half-brother of Christ, will write (James 4:6)—God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Similarly Peter will state (1 Peter 5:6)—So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. 

C.  St. Paul, in his 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians (verses 1-11), refutes the first heresy to arise in the infant Christian Church: That there was no resurrection.  He carefully enumerates all the folks who saw and interacted with the risen Jesus.  There were more than 512 eye-witnesses.  Then he, himself, saw Jesus on the road to Damascus.

Next, he humbly recounts (vv.8-10, NLT)—Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time, I also saw Him.  For I am the least of all the apostles.  In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I persecuted the Church.  But whatever I am now, it is because God poured out His special favor on me….

Some say Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was the greatest of all the apostles; but here he humbly reminds us that if he is so, it is only due to the grace and forgiveness of Christ.

D.  Finally, we have the example of Peter (also of James, John, and Andrew, Peter’s brother) in Matthew 5:1-11.  Jesus uses Peter’s (and Andrew’s) boat to address the crowd of His followers.  The fishermen are cleaning their nets, but they are also listening to Jesus.  He dismisses the crowd and urges Peter to pull away from the shore and launch his nets again.  It’s daylight and they have already fished all night with no results.

They are tired, and Peter seems crabby.  He knows from experience that the fish they sought tend to swarm only at night.  He must wonder, “What’s the point of going back out now that it’s daylight?”

But Peter does as Jesus says and is amazed to haul in a gigantic haul of fish!  They bring in enough to tear their handmade nets.  They land enough to nearly sink Peter’s boat and that of the Zebedee brothers, James and John.  Peter recognizes both the miracle of the catch and that Jesus has the surprising power to accomplish miracles.  Like Isaiah before him, he immediately becomes aware of his sinfulness.  He humbles himself.  He feels so unworthy, he even asks the Lord to leave him.  But Jesus instead invites him—all 4 fishing partners, in fact–to become “fishers of men/people.”

Peter humbles himself and Jesus makes him a disciple—an apostle.

The Prophet Micah (6:8) has asserted that the way we please God is…”to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”   Ali lacked humility, Franklin–like us–struggled to attain it, but Isaiah, King David, Paul, and Jesus’ Apostles all demonstrated it.  It is a virtue we can develop.  It is something we can intentionally cultivate and attain.

How do we do it?  King David was right:  (1) Put God first in our lives.  We decide to try to please Him.  (2) Then we recall James 1:17 (NLT)—Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, Who created all the light in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow [meaning He is not mercurial but is the same yesterday, today, and forever].  Whatever we do that might make us proud is actually something God prompted in us, inspired, or helped us to do.  Then, we must willingly give Him the praise for every good thing we accomplish and every good thing we experience.   Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Alleluia, Alleluia!

©️2025 Rev. Dr. Pastor Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Who can Pull Us up out of the Pit?

Pastor Sherry’s message for August 11, 2024

Scriptures: 2 Sam 18:1-33; Ps 130; Eph 4:25-5:2; Jn 6:35, 41-59

In the first church I served, we were to have composed our sermons by Tuesday so we could alert the Music Director, who would then choose music that complimented and reinforced the message.  This about killed me. I am often struggling to finish my sermon by Friday night or Saturday afternoon.  So I have relied here, at Wellborn Methodist Church, on the Holy Spirit to guide the selections our musicians make.  This morning, Joy’s anthem, “Undo,” by a band called “Rush of Fools,” was perfect.  Isn’t that just what we look to Jesus to do for us?  We need Him to pull us up out of the pit.  As the song says, “Turn me around, pick me up, undo what I’ve become.  You’re the only One who can undo what I’ve become.”

Paul, in our New Testament reading today (Ephesians 4:25-5:2), continues to remind us that as Christ-followers, we are to put away our old fleshly life, and adopt a new way of living that imitates the life of Jesus. To that end, we are to (1) be truth-tellers, not liars; (2) control our tempers rather than let anger drive our behavior; (3) say things that are good and helpful rather than foul or abusive (limit criticisms and eliminate cursing!);

And (4) be kind to others rather than spew out bitterness, rage, anger, slander, or any evil behavior (like holding grudges).  As imitators of Christ, therefore, we are to live lives characterized by love, and that demonstrate self-sacrifice, just as Jesus did. This is a tall order, isn’t it?  It’s a high standard to try to attain.  But this should be the life standard toward which we each aim.  If not, we find we fall into a pit of our own making, and we need the divine rescuer, Jesus—Who we just might call “The Great Undo-er.”

As you know, we are in an election year and it would be very easy to locate examples of each of the fleshly behaviors Paul warns us to avoid in the behaviors of various candidates.  But rather than do that, let’s look to King David’s family, and the legacy of violence and rebellion exhibited by his relatives in 2 Samuel 18:1-33.  Our passage opens with King David telling his army commanders to take it easy with the young man Absalom.  Why? What’s the deal with Absolom? To find out we have to rewind and review some earlier chapters:

Remember that some years prior, Amnon, the eldest of David’s sons, raped his half-sister, the beautiful Tamar.  David was angry about this, but did not avenge Tamar.  Perhaps he was still feeling guilty about his own sexual immorality with Bathsheba.  Perhaps he thought, “Who am I to punish him for actions I also took?  Maybe he realized this was part of the playing out of the consequences of his past sin.  The prophet Nathan had told him—even though God had forgiven him— Now, therefore, the sword [violence, rebellion] will never depart from your house [dynasty; extended family] (12:10).  Maybe David feared taking any punishing action would bring about more bloodshed. So, even though he could have insisted Amnon marry Tamar, thereby legitimizing her status as a wife, David did nothing.

This apparent inability of King David, to discipline his wayward son Amnon and to help restore his daughter Tamar, incensed Absalom, Tamar’s full brother.  Absalom slyly and covertly plotted revenge against Amnon for 2 years.  He invited Amnon, together with his father’s other sons by other wives, to a sheep-shearing festival at his country home.  Absalom got Amnon drunk, then had him killed.  Now, just as David had had Uriah killed so he could marry the pregnant Bathsheba, Absolom has had another person kill his half-brother.  David must realize Absalom’s murder of his eldest mirrors his own homicidal act. Furthermore, Absolom has demonstrated that murderous rage leads to bitterness and to evil behavior.

Absalom hits the road and is exiled from his father for 3 years.  Scripture tells us that, all that time, David longed to see Absalom—now his eldest, his heir, his favorite—and mourned his absence (13).  Curiously, though, he did not send for him.  Absalom is as good as banished.  In effect, David has now lost his 2 eldest sons—1 dead, 1 exiled. 

In a complicated strategy, Joab, David’s cousin and general, (14) manipulates David into calling his son home.  David agrees, but does not invite Absalom into his presence (Is he holding a grudge?).  Another 2 years go by and Absalom grows embarrassed and increasingly embittered.

Let’s examine David’s behavior toward Absalom:  David is uncharacteristically unforgiving!  He has nursed an offense toward his son.  The King has to be urged by his cousin to recall Absalom to Jerusalem.  Then, 2 years later, he has to be again urged by Joab to reconcile with Absolom.  So, 5 years after Absalom kills Amnon (7 yrs. after the rape of Tamar), David finally summons him.  The King greets him with a kiss, but this is too little too late.  The damage to their relationship has been compounded.  Many cultures in the Ancient Near East then, as now, were “Shame-based cultures” (Honoring the family was the supreme virtue). A son, even a prince, did not shame his father. By taking a father’s right to discipline Amnon, Absalom has shamed the King.  David had exhibited his corresponding displeasure by not inviting his son back home, thus shaming Absolom.  (Contrast this with God’s example of the father in the Prodigal Son story.)  Privately David loves Absolom and misses him, but publically his pride has taken a hit, and he harbors an offense against Absalom.  He builds up a wall in his heart, and he emotionally abandons his heir.

Now let’s look at Absalom’s behavior toward his father:  After having taken himself into exile for 3 years, then feeling ignored for another two, Absalom is embittered. Like Father, like son.  He too has registered a hit to his pride. He too has taken offense and held onto it.  He too has established walls in his heart against his father.  From all of this, it’s a simple step to betrayal.

  So (15) describes how Absolom campaigns—over the next 4 years—to win over his countrymen. He was exceedingly handsome and famous for his beautiful, luxuriant hair. Though he had slain his ½ brother at his own table (a huge violation of Ancient Near East hospitality rules), he is now nice as can be to everyone. It’s a presidential campaign! He is kissing babies, promising tax cuts, and telling people what they want to hear. He is also trying to usurp his aging father’s public popularity.

Then, before David even suspects what is happening, Absalom launches a coup, and a Civil War erupts between the followers of the father and those who are loyal to the son (Chapters 16-17).  David, the seasoned warrior, flees the city (He desires no fighting in Jerusalem). He has his experienced and loyal army with him (Green Berets, Navy Seals). One of his Mighty Men, for instance, was Benaiah. He was famous for having jumped into a pit on a snowy day, where he killed a lion with only his spear (1 Chronicles 11:22).  David’s military was brave, bold, and highly skilled. They beg David, due to his age, not to go into battle with them. They realized that if the king were captured or killed, Absolom would win the war. So David agrees, sees them off, but asks them to spare his son’s life (18).

Now remember Absalom is not a warrior (he is instead a shrewd politico). Lacking an army, he has to call in Israelite citizens to bear arms for him. These are like the “national guard.”  They have some training, but limited experience. The armies encounter each other in a large forest.  Absalom’s forces pick this place, but it is not a wise battle-site, as trees, hills, and cliffs appear to have impeded troop movements. David’s veterans overcome the larger, inexperienced forces.  Absalom may have been trying to retreat or desert, when his rich, lush hair entraps him. Even though Joab, David’s cousin, had been told to capture but not kill the rebel prince, he insubordinately kills him anyway and buries his body in a pit (adding insult to injury). By the way, isn’t this the same cousin who brought Absolom back to Jerusalem, only to murder him 4 years later? Perhaps Joab reasoned that Absalom was a trouble-maker who would never fall into line; that he would always present a threat to David’s reign.  Whatever his motivation, he ruthlessly brings a sad chapter in King David’s life to an end. Joab, a second cousin, kills a second cousin. And a bereft King David loses his favorite son and heir.

What might God be saying to us today through Paul, Absolom, and King David?

      (1) What do we do when relatives take offense? We cannot hang on to offenses. They expand over time. They harden into bitterness.  They shrivel our hearts and set our spirits up against God. We must recognize and take responsibility for our own sins of pride.  We must forgive the offense and pray for the person who offended us. We must make an attempt to make amends. From the perspective of time and distance, we can see where either Absalom or David could have attempted to mend the breach.

       (2) Isn’t it true that we reap what we sow?  David kiiled a man so that he could have that man’s wife. In the very next generation, one son is sexually immoral, ravaging a woman who was not his wife. The second son kills the first.  God forgave David and forgives us of our sins, if—like David—we just humble ourselves and ask it of Him. Nevertheless, He often lets us experience the fruit or consequences of our mistakes, either in our own lives, or in our children’s or grandchildren’s generations. I have seen this so often in my counseling practice.  Similar sin patterns run down the generations in a given family. One family may be characterized by multiple suicides, another—like the Kennedys—for violent deaths; another for pornography, adultery, and serial affairs.  Intergenerational sin patterns that are not recognized and repented of can be and are passed down.

        (3) We want to forgive, before it’s too late. I picture King David wailing, keening his grief, sobbing with regret, wishing he had handled Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom differently.  The child born of David’s adultery died, but three of his other children’s lives were also ruined.  I believe he must have been so sorry that he had not been as competent a father as he had been a king or a warrior.

(4) Who could have pulled King David out of the pit of despair?  It is the same God who pulls us up out of the pit. Psalm 130:1-2—Out of the depths [the pit] I cry to you, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice.  Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.  We turn to the Lord for help. As Jesus advises in our Gospel lesson (Jn 6:35, 41-59), we stay intimately connected to our Lord, through communion conversation, and worship.

When we find ourselves in the pit, let’s remember to call upon the Lord.  As the song says, “He is the only one to undo what we have become.” Let’s ask Him for wisdom and discernment; for strength to endure (resilience); and for assistance in living a life like that of Jesus.  Amen!

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Be Careful What You Ask of God

Pastor Sherry’s message for June 9, 2024

Scriptures: 1 Sam 8:1-20; Ps 138, 2 Cor 4:13-5:1; Mk 3:20-35

The story goes that Wally, from Wellborn, Florida, was vacationing in New Mexico.  He knew there was a famous, annual Chili Cook-Off scheduled for the next day. He arrived and thought to himself, “Lord, how I would love to be a judge of this!  All kinds of great chili recipes and all the beer you can chase it down with…sounds like my kind of heaven!”

As it happened, the man slated to be the 3rd judge had come down with the flu, so our Wellborn friend—standing in just the right spot—got asked to take his place.  “Thank you, Jesus!” he said to himself.  He just couldn’t get over his good fortune!

Here are the scorecard notes from the event:

Chili #1—Mike’s Maniac Monster Chile:

1.) Judge #1—A little too heavy on the tomato.  Amusing kick.

2.) Judge #2—Nice, smooth tomato flavor.  Very mild.

3.) Wellborn Wally—Holy Cow!  What’s in this stuff?  You could use it to remove dried paint from your driveway!   Took me 2 beers to put the flames out.  I hope that’s the worst.  These New Mexicans are crazy! 

Chili #2—El Rancho’s After Burner Chili:

1.) Judge #1—Smoky, with a hint of pork.  Slight jalapeño zest.

2.) Judge #2—Exciting BBQ flavor; needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

3.) Wellborn Wally—Keep this out of the reach of children.  I’m not sure what I’m supposed to taste besides pain.  I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver!

Chili #3—Alfredo’s Famous Burn-Down-the-Barn Chili: 1.) Judge #1—Excellent firehouse chili.  Great kick!

2.) Judge #2—A bit salty.  Good use of peppers.

3.) Wellborn Wally—Call the EPA!  I’ve located a uranium spill.  My nose feels like I have been snorting Drain-O.  Pour on the beer before I ignite!

And on it went—until Mike, complaining that his stomach had imploded—passed out.  (Sorry but I cannot credit the source of this story!  I came across it about 12-15 years ago on the internet.  Back then, I was preaching about 6-8 times a year for vacationing pastor friends and did not think—since my sermons were not being reprinted—to provide footnotes.)  The moral of the story:  Be Careful What You Ask of God.

Our OT lesson, 1 Samuel 8:1-20, makes a similar point.  Let’s examine it:

Samuel, the Prophet, followed the last of 12 Judges to rule Israel.  He provided leadership much like that of Moses ad Joshua, and had done an excellent job until he decided to retire.  Apparently without consulting God, he appointed his two sons to succeed him.  You may remember that he had seen the wickedness of Eli’s (the priest who had mentored him) sons and that God had removed them from power and set Samuel in their place. In what must have surely been a senior moment, he forgot (1) only God—not any person—appoints leaders over His chosen people, Israel; and (2) how incompetent and unworthy his own two sons were.  This is a sad commentary on human memory…or perhaps human ego.  Someone once said, “If we don’t remember history, we are doomed to repeat it.”  Eli’s boys had seduced female assistants at the Tabernacle and had taken the best sacrificial meat (God’s portion) for themselves.  Samuel’s boys were almost as bad.  They took bribes from the worshippers they served and they perverted justice.

So the Administrative Counsel or the Call Committee of that time approached Samuel (vv.4-5) and with all of the subtlety of a New Mexican chili, they said, “Samuel, you are old” (he was all of 65).  Didn’t they know that 65 is the new middle age?  Didn’t they recall that Moses lived to 120 and Joshua, to 110?  So 65 was hardly old.  They were trying to justify their demands.  They were inventing excuses!   They added, “Your sons are reprobates!”  This was true.  But the right thing for the Administrative Counsel, or the Call Committee, and even for Samuel to have done would have been to consult God:  Lord, who is Your choice of the next leader or the next prophet over Israel?  Instead, they arrive at their real agenda:  Make us a king, like all the other nations.  They want to be like everyone else.  What parent hasn’t heard this refrain:  I need a phone, a brand of jeans, or a car/truck just like everyone else has?

Now the selective amnesia has jumped to the people!  Have they forgotten that they were singled out to serve God from the time of Genesis 15?  What about when God says in Exodus 19:5–>Although the whole earth is Mine, You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  They had a special and a unique relationship with God.  He ruled over them and they were His people.  As long as they obeyed Him, they enjoyed His provision, protection, and presence.

But Samuel is feeling rejected, so he takes his disappointment to the Lord (v.6).  The Lord tells him essentially, don’t take it personally. It’s not you they are rejecting; it’s Me.  They’ve got a covenant with Me, the Ruler of the Universe.  I have provided for them, daily.  I have protected them, better than any human king could.  It’s ironically true that the only time Israel lacked protection was whenever they would rebel against God.  Time and time again, it was their idolatry and their disobedience that brought them military defeat.  God was always able to care for them.  

But, by this time, they want a human to take God’s place. Amazingly, God tells Samuel to let them have what they want.  Samuels’ mind must have traveled to Deuteronomy 17:14-20—in which God specified what a king should be like: (a) He should be chosen by God; (b) He should be an Israelite; (c) He should be a covenant-keeper (a member of the Jewish faith); and (d) He should live a simple lifestyle—none of this owning 10 palaces, 20 chariots, and 3 yachts sort of thing. 

Furthermore, God also tells Samuel to warn them that having a king will cost them in ways they may not anticipate.  (In other words, be careful what you ask for!) Samuel proceeds to tell them a king will abuse power (there are 5 he [meaning a king] will take’s in the text):  (1) He will reign over them/or oppress them; (2) He will take your sons for soldiers/or institute a military draft; (3) He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers.  Perfumers was an Old Testament euphemism for concubines.  Samuel was warning them that their daughters will go into servitude, of one form or another.  (4) He will take the best portion of your fields, vineyards, and olive groves, your cattle and donkeys—for his personal use.  And, finally, he will take a 10th (in taxes) of your flocks—and you yourselves will become his slaves. Remember, we have long held in America that the power to tax is the power to destroy.

Knowing all of this—being forewarned by God Himself—they still say they want a human king.  Be careful what you ask of God.  Like Wellborn Wally, they get what they thought they wanted.  But look at the heartburn!  They had Saul, then David, then Solomon, all of whom started well and finished badly—though David did repent and reconcile himself to God.  The Kingdom then split into Northern/Israel (10 tribes) and Southern/Judah (2 tribes).  Israel went on to have a succession of 20 kings, all of them bad.  Judah also had 20 kings, only two of whom proved to be good, God-fearing, and honorable, Josiah and Hezekiah.  This was not a stellar record!  God then allowed the flood of the Assyrians in the North and the Babylonians in the South to end the Israelite monarchy.  God cleaned house in 578 BC!  There were no more kings in Israel until the King of Kings, Jesus, arrived on the scene more than a half century later!

The lesson, again, is be careful what you ask of God.  He knows better than we do what we need.  But He also gives us free will.  He lets us decide for ourselves.  Paul reminds us in Romans 1 that, when we insist, God lets us have our way.  Unfortunately for us, when our way differs from God’s, we step out from under His protection and His provision.  And the consequences can be dire.  If only they were no more painful than Wellborn Wally’s   mammoth indigestion!  Think about the times you took control of your life out of God’s hands.  I can.  It wasn’t pretty.  I wish I had made better choices.  I wish I had let go of my own control and let God.  But isn’t it true that “trial and error” learning can be very effective—Once burned, twice learned.  The lesson sticks with us for a long time, but the cost is also often very high.

Let’s take a lesson from our ancestors of the faith, the Israelites.  They were so sure they needed a human king.  1st & 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, and 1st and 2nd Chronicles all report the trouble that decision brought upon them.  The next time you are tempted to make a major decision for your life, run it by Jesus.   When we trust in humans, we may find our freedoms diminishing.  But as our 2 Corinthians and Gospel (Mark 3:20-35) lessons tell us, our Lord Jesus expands rather than restricts our lives.  Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we who believe in Him now step confidently from this life to an even better one.  Jesus also expands the meaning of family.  Our faith in Christ binds us together more powerfully than blood ties.  We love and serve a Savior Who loves and blesses us when we seek Him.  Amen!   

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams 

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Palm Sunday/Passion Sunday

Pastor Sherry’s message for March 24, 2024

Scriptures: Isa 50:4-9a; Ps 31:9-16; Phil 2:5-11; Mk 14:1-15:47 

I have a pastor friend whose father had a sister; my friend calls her Aunt Mildred.  She never threw anything away!  When challenged about keeping ketchup packets from McDonalds or a program from some neighbor’s child’s 3rd grade school recital, she always said, “Well, you might need it someday.”  These are the words of what we might call today a hoarder.  Maybe you have one of these in your family.  My kids and I can name two.  My friend says he and his siblings would tease her, “But you have to be able to find “it” in order to use “it” when you needed “it.”

However, the joke was on them:  she apparently knew where all her “its” were.  If they asked her for the 1945 phone book for Wellborn and Suwannee County, she would reply something like, “It’s in the back bedroom, in the left hand corner of the closet, third shoebox from the bottom, in a plastic bag.” and she would be right.

My friend believes that God is somewhat like Aunt Mildred.

He appears to have a passion for saving, not stuff, but people!  Due to our frustrating tendencies to sin and sin again, He could have consigned us to some dumpster or heap of trash somewhere, at any point in time.  Instead, He insists—like Aunt Mildred—that we are worth saving.  In fact, He considers us so valuable that He decided we were worth dying for. 

Additionally, He knows where everyone He has saved is because He flat out loves us all!

          (Fairless and Chilton, The Lectionary Lab, Year B, 2014, p.132.)

Our Scripture passages today all emphasize how much Jesus was willing to suffer to save us.  Let’s check them out:

A.  Our Isaiah lesson (50:4-9a), comprises the 3rd of Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs,” and predicts some of the ways the “Suffering Servant” (Jesus) will suffer About 750-700 years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah correctly foretold the coming of the Messiah and how He would die to redeem humankind.  Because the Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah, they really didn’t know what to do with these passages.  They thought they might depict the life and death of various prophets, or even the collective experience of the nation—though neither of these explanations really fits.  This side of the Cross, we know these passages (Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; and 52:13-53:12) refer to Jesus and especially to what He would undergo (His Passion/emotional spiritual, and physical distress).

He will be obedient to the will of the Father, even though it included His torture and death.  Verse 6 of Isaiah 50—I offered my back to those who beat Me, My cheeks to those who pulled out My beard.  I did not hide My face from mocking and spitting.  This verse tells us He would endure beatings.  He was beaten by the Jewish Temple guards during the night; then He was beaten again by the Roman soldiers early in the morning.  He would be spit upon, in His face, on His bloody body (God Himself, so horribly desecrated!)  He will have His beard pulled out.  But, verses 7-9a—He will trust in God, His Father, the entire time.  Jesus remained so constant, so faith-filled through it all.

B.  Our Psalm (31:9-16) was written by King David.  The portion we read today is a prayer in which he seeks the Lord’s deliverance from a very powerful foe.  It is also very aptly describes what Jesus probably suffered on the way to His crucifixion at Golgatha, and even as He hung suspended from the Cross:  Verse 9— Be merciful to Me, O LORD, for I am in distress….verse 10—My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; My strength fails….verses 11-12—Because of My enemies, I am the utter contempt of My neighbors; I am a dread to my friends—those who see Me on the street flee from Me.  I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery.  He is experiencing despair, abandonment, and grief, but He does not succumb to them.  In verse 14, he reminds Himself, But I trust in You, O LORD.  I say, “You are my God.”  And He reaffirms for Himself, (v.15) My times are in Your hands   We can trust in the Lord to sustain us through the most difficult times because He is only a prayer away (meaning He is present to us).  He loves us, and He sent His only, beloved Son to die to save us.

C.  Paul shared with us what scholars believe is an ancient hymn of the early Church (Philippians 2:5-10).  It was probably a statement that newly baptized Christians had to memorize as it succinctly summarizes exactly what Jesus did for us, and how the Father regarded His saving work on our behalf.  

Paul wants us to be as humble and as obedient to the Father as Jesus was. He obeyed His Father in everything, even up to and including His manner of death.  Though totally righteous and holy, He died like a tortured, despised criminal.

Paul also desires that we appreciate the depths of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf:  He gave up His heavenly prerogatives as King of the Universe–the One who spoke creation into existence–to be born in a stable, to a poor, young, homeless couple, in a ragtag and oppressed 2/3rds world nation.  Instead of demanding respect and a wide following as a great and exalted leader, He humbly behaved as a servant to all.   

No wonder the Father has honored Him above all things, declaring that His name commands total obedience, from every being, in every sphere of the universe!

D. Finally, we have Mark’s (Peter’s) version of “the Passion of the Christ.”   Remember, Mark wrote for a Roman audience, to convince them that Jesus far surpassed their pantheon of pagan gods.  His Passion narrative emphasizes Jesus’…(1) Stoicism in the face of injustice and brutality; (2) His total command of the situation, even though His treacherous enemies conspired to murder Him; (3) His enormous self-control; (4) His obedience to His authority, His Father; and (5) the way in which He lived out prophesies spoken about Him from ages past (Romans would only learn this last as they later investigated the new Christian faith).  The centurion at the foot of the Cross, no doubt assigned to hundreds of crucifixion details, both marveled over the way in which Jesus died—neither begging, nor crying, but surrendering His spirit.  And, given that many Romans were superstitious, he noted such supernatural special effects as the eerie darkness from noon to three, the earthquakes, and the numerous tombs opening at his death.  The way Jesus conducted His life, and the very brave way in which He suffered and died, would have impressed the average Roman.

On this Passion Sunday, let’s agree to meditate on Jesus’ behavior and what he modeled for us as He endured the Cross.  His passion proves to us the depth of His love for us.  May we each never lose sight of that fact.  He has saved us (instead of stuff) and, like Aunt Mildred, He never forgets where we are.  Jesus endured the worst Satan could inspire evil men to do to Him, for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)—our redemption!

I think it is safe to say that we hate to suffer.  However, suffering seems–like death, taxes, and change–inevitable in this life.  During times of suffering, we want to remember–like King David and like Jesus–that God has everything well in hand.  He knows we may be worried about many things:  An inflation economy and runaway spending by Congress; rising and unarrested crime; the deluge of illegal outsiders rushing our southern border; the uneven and unfair application of justice in our courts; wars in Ukraine and in the Gaza Strip; let alone worries about health, our kids, our grandkids, the future.

But He holds us in His hands.  We can trust in Him because He is our saving, redeeming, and very present God.  Let’s focus on being as humble and as obedient to God as Jesus.  And, let’s give our Lord all the glory and praise He is due for loving us and for saving us.  Amen!  

©️2024 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Humility and Joy

Pastor Sherry’s message for December 17, 2023

Scriptures: Isa 61:1-4, 8-11; Ps 126; Lk 1:46b-55; Jn1:6-8, 19-28

Our Gospel today focuses on the role of John the Baptist as a forerunner to the appearance of Jesus.

“Two hundred years ago there was another man named John, a preacher of extraordinary power and influence in England and America. We know John Wesley as the founder of the Methodists. Surprisingly, however, Wesley was not the most popular preacher of his day. A man named George Whitefield preached to far more people than Wesley, baptized many more into the Kingdom of God and was a favorite of such prominent Americans as Benjamin Franklin.

“Whitefield and Wesley were the best of friends –[in fact they had met in college and, together with Charles Wesley, founded the Methodist denomination]– until they had a severe falling out over Whitefield’s strict adherence to Calvinist doctrine. Whitefield was asked following this falling out, “Do you expect that you will see John Wesley in heaven?”

“’No,’ answered Whitefield.

“’That’s what I thought you would say,’ his questioner replied.

“’But you don’t know what I mean,’ said Whitefield. ‘Wesley will be so far up there near the great Throne, I will never see him.’

“Such an answer takes a certain kind of divine humility.”

(Rev. King Duncan, www.Sermons.com, 12/17/2023)

Isn’t it great to know that a famous contemporary of the founder of our denomination was such an humble guy? George Grandison Whitfield led the Great Awakening, the first revival in colonial America, in the 1740’s. His theatrical, charismatic preaching brought many Americans to a saving faith in Jesus, just as Wesley’s preaching accomplished a similar feat in England. Whitfield is said to have preached “at least 18,000 times to perhaps 10 million listeners in Great Britain and her American colonies.” (Wikipedia citation on George Whitfield). In this example, Whitfield was as humble as John the Baptist. As we read in today’s Gospel, John the Baptist humbly redirected attention from himself to Jesus.

I think we can all agree that this kind of humility is fairly rare in our culture today, as well as very admirable. You all know by now that I love college football, but the sense of entitlement and arrogance among today’s players is causing me to rethink continuing as a fan. I heard this week that some players at my favorite school were consistently late to practice and did not work as hard as they should have in the weight room. They have full scholarships to an excellent academic institution, free condo apartments, free training table meals, and free tutoring, and yet they are too full of themselves to cooperate with their coaches and to settle into the program. Instead of appreciating their opportunities, they whine about too little playing time and bail out of the team to transfer where they are promised more money. How many other students would be thrilled to have what they take for granted. They are increasingly short on gratitude and humility.

But back to our Biblical example of humility: Let’s examine John the Baptist’s humility as described in John 1:6-8, 19-28. The Apostle John began his Gospel version of Jesus’ ministry by establishing that our Lord was both present at creation and spoke it into existence. He was and is the logos, the Word Made Flesh. The words coming from the Word established the foundations, the geography, the plants and animals of the world.

The Apostle John then inserts into his account the existence and mission of John the Baptist (vv.6-8) He came as a witness to testify concerning that Light, so that through Him all men might believe. He himself was not the Light; he came only as a witness to the Light.

From there, John goes on to describe (vv.19-28) a dialogue between John the Baptist and some Priests, Levites, and Pharisees regarding his identity. They wondered if he were Elijah, come back to earth. They surmised he might be the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18, a successor to Moses–though all the prophets from Moses until John the Baptist were successors to Moses. John the Baptist freely admits he is not the Messiah/the Christ. He also denies he is any of the others they suggest. Then he quotes Isaiah 40:3—which we read last week—and admits he is the forerunner to JesusThe voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.” He very humbly also states (vv.26-27)I baptize with water…but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

One among you—did that mean Jesus was there in the gathered crowd, ready to be baptized by JtB? Or does it mean that Jesus was already in Israel and they had not yet encountered Him? Whichever the case, this statement should have clued them in that the Promised Messiah was coming soon. Apparently, they didn’t believe him.

Nevertheless, what a joy for JtB to realize his job was to announce the coming of the Messiah. What a joy to know that he was supposed to get the hearts of the people ready to receive Him. And how humble to later say (John 3:28-30)I must decrease so that He [Jesus] may increase.

This theme of humility and joy continues with Mary’s Magnificat, our New Testament lesson (Luke 1:46-55). The pregnant mother of Jesus realizes a great honor is being given to her. Every Jewish girl hoped to become the mother of the Messiah. The angel told Mary she would have that honor. She would be what the ancient Greek Christians would later label the theotokis or God-bearer.

In her joy, she creates a song in which she praises God because (v.49)The Mighty One has done great things for me—holy is His name. But, with great humility, she moves quickly ahead to also applaud God for what He is doing through her for His people: She celebrates Him for His mercy to those who respect and revere Him; His past works of power/His miracles; His surprising, unexpected propensity to reverse worldly fortunes. Contrary to the ways of the world, He raises up the lowly, the humble, while He brings low the lofty and arrogant. Finally, she praises Him for His fulfillment of His promises (from Genesis 12 and 22) to Israel: There would come a righteous king from the lineage of David. This Messiah will bless all the nations on earth. Can’t you just hear her joy as she delights in the plans of God the Father and in the future redeeming work of her soon-to-be-born son?

Psalm 126 is an expression of joy for God’s rescue of His people from captivity in Babylon and for the anticipated restoration of Jerusalem. This psalm is a prophesy of things to come, but is written in what’s known as “the prophetic tense,” past tense for something that has not yet happened because it will take place. After 70 years, the Persian King Cyrus, a nonbeliever, will allow the Jews to return to and rebuild their country. He sent the returnees with armed soldiers for protection and included the gold that had been taken from the Temple to finance reconstruction. Ezra the priest would oversee rebuilding the Temple. Nehemiah, the king’s trusted spokesperson, will oversee reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem.

The returning remnant were overjoyed to be going home (vv.1-2)We were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. The returnees rightly and humbly acknowledge it is only God who could have effected their release from Babylon. The psalm hints, too, of Jesus’ 1st Advent, when He would come to free us from the penalty for our sins.

In our Old Testament lesson (Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11), the prophet summarizes what Jesus will do in both His first and second comings. Jesus came the 1st time to preach Good News to the Poor/the humble (in spirit and economically). He brought comfort. By paying for our sins, He brought blessed assurance. He also came to bind up or heal the broken-hearted. Jesus can heal any wound we received either as a child or as an adult. He is able. Additionally, He proclaimed freedom for captives (those who have been captured and harmed by the sins of others). He released prisoners (those whose own sins have put them in bondage).

Because of what He did in His first Advent, we can trust with faith that He will accomplish what is yet to be when He returns a 2nd time: He will judge between the good and the evil-doers. He will put down rebellion. He will eradicate evil. He will usher in the Millenium (1000 year reign of Christ). He will rule the world from Jerusalem. It will be a time of great peace and prosperity. He will provide peace and comfort to all those who mourn or grieve, exchanging their pain and grief for beauty, gladness, and praise. He will so strengthen them that they will stand as strong as oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. Additionally, they will be empowered to rebuild the ancient ruins…and renew the ruined cities….

When Jesus comes again in all His glory, He will greatly bless those who love Him, materially, physically, and spiritually. Both Advents are causes for humility and joy!

Do you see the twin themes of Humility and Joy in all of our readings today? As we celebrate Jesus’ 1st Coming, we want to be both humbled and joy-filled—Humbled because we have done nothing to merit God’s great loving care for us. He planned and fulfilled His divine rescue out of His amazing, saving love for us. The Incarnation is a miracle! Jesus agreed to come to earth, leaving all of His prerogatives in heaven to live among us in poverty, and to die a horrid death to atone for our sins. We want to be joy-filled because we owe God the Father and Jesus our gratitude and praise.

Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia, Alleluia.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

A Four-Day Journey

Pastor Sherry’s message for April 2, 2023

Scriptures: Isa 50:4-9a; Ps 31:9-16; Phil 2:5-11; Matt 27:11-66

Ironically, over 2000 years ago, the Sadducees had a tradition in which they believed the Messiah would show up four days before Passover. As a result, they kept the gates of the Temple open each year on this date so that He could walk right in and assume His rightful place. In fact, Jesus—the True Messiah–did choose to re-enter Jerusalem exactly 4 days before Passover, and proceeded to pray and teach in the Temple. By this time, many Jews had encountered Him. Many others had heard of His miracles, His healings, and of how He cast out demons. They were so taken by Him that crowds waited with joyous anticipation and with baited breath to see what He would do next.

The fact that Jesus chose that exact day to come back into Jerusalem would have driven the Jews’ expectations for their nation to a feverish height. They were sure He would overthrow the Romans, free them from oppression, and reign victoriously as King David had in ages past. But the Romans, too, would have heard the rumors and thus were anticipating an insurrection. They had called in reinforcements in case of an armed revolt. So tensions were very high in the city that day.

Today, we celebrate that historic day, calling it Palm Sunday–because the crowds waved palm branches in celebration of His arrival—or Passion Sunday, in anticipation of Jesus’ suffering and crucifixion, a brief 4 days later. The minor prophet Zechariah had predicted what would happen some 500 years before this event took place (9:9) Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. This is exactly Who Jesus was—their righteous Savior. This is exactly what happened. This is exactly how the Jews rejoiced: As Jesus rode in, the people shouted Hosanna (actually, Yasha anna in the Hebrew), which means, Save us, Lord! They were quoting Psalm 118:25-29 O Lord, save us! O Lord, grant us success. Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD…. The LORD is God and He has made His light shine upon us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD for He is good; His love endures forever.

On this day, they were excited and delighted! But 4 days later, they were demanding His death! By then, they had realized that Jesus had failed to meet their messianic expectations. As the “2 Bubbas and a Bible” explain it, “He was not 6 feet plus, with abs of steel. He rode into town on a baby donkey, not a warhorse. He went to pray at the Temple, not to protest at the palace. Jesus did not turn out to be their idea of a savior.” (Chilton & Fairless, Lectionary Lab Commentary, Year C, 2015, p.142).

But, as our Scriptures today highlight, He was our Heavenly Father’s Idea of a Messiah:

A. In Isaiah 50:4-9a, we read what is known as the 3rd Suffering Servant Song. Written some 750-700 years before Jesus’ birth, the prophet Isaiah predicts, exactly, what Jesus would experience and how He would behave as He faced and endured the Cross. Its theme is that Jesus came to earth determined to save us. He came into the world to pay the penalty for and to redeem us from our sins. He was instructed or trained for this by the Holy Spirit, and by what He read and meditated upon in Scripture (vv.4-5), the Old Testament writings available at that time.

Verse 6 tells us that His trial by the Sanhedrin led to significant suffering at their hands: They beat Him. They mocked Him. They spit in His face. They even pulled out the hairs of His beard. This was all before He was presented to Pilate for round two by the Romans.

What sustained Him? What helped Him to bear up under such torture? First, He knew His purpose. There was for Him deep meaning to His suffering. And, second, He trusted in His heavenly Father to assist and to comfort Him (vv.7-9) Because the Sovereign LORD [the Father] helps Me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set My face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame…He who vindicates Me is near…it is the Sovereign LORD who helps Me. His relationship and His intimacy with the Father are what propelled and compelled Him. This essentially kept Him emotionally and spiritually “bullet-proof” against the condemnation and the despicable treatment He received from the religious authorities and the forces of evil at work during His passion.

B. Philippians 2:5-11 is known as “the Philippian Hymn.” Bible scholars believe newly baptized Christians, in the early Church, memorized and recited this brief summary of exactly what Jesus did for us as a verbal profession of their faith. St. Paul included it in his letter because he wanted the church in Philippi (and us) to both understand and follow Jesus’ model of humility and obedience to the Father; as well as to realize the huge significance of what Jesus gave up—His heavenly/godly prerogatives— to become human like us. The One Who spoke creation into existence, the King of the Universe, was entrusted as a helpless infant to a poor, homeless, young couple. He lived His early life as a carpenter, eking out a living in an obscure, back-woods village. He Himself was sinless, but at the Cross He bore all our sins, past, present and future. The Great Shepherd humbled Himself and gave His life for us, His sheep.

As a result of His obedient self-sacrifice, God the Father has raised Him to the highest position of honor. At His name, every creature must bow. No person, animal, angel, or demonic entity has more power or greater authority.

C. Our psalm today (31:9-16) details Jesus’ thoughts on the way to and during His crucifixion. He abides in His Father’s love, praying to and calling out to Him in His mind: (V.9) Be merciful to Me, O LORD, for I am in distress; (V.10) My life is consumed by anguish and My years by groaning; My strength fails….(V.11) Because of My enemies, I am the utter contempt of My neighbors…(V.12) …I have become like broken pottery. He is experiencing despair, extreme pain, and grief, but He does not let it overwhelm Him, or turn Him against God the Father (V.14) But I trust in You, O LORD. I say, “You are My God.” Based on His faith, He goes on to reassure Himself, (v.15) My times are in Your hands.

If only we too could remember, when suffering, to pray to God and to trust in Him to sustain us during difficult, painful times.

D. Matthew’s version of Christ’s Passion is well worth meditating on this Holy Week. Traditionally, it begins in Chapter 26 at verse 14 and continues through the end of our Gospel reading today (Matthew 27:11-66). In today’s portion, we follow Jesus from His trial before Pilate, to His exchange for Barabbas, to His beating at the hands of Roman soldiers to His crucifixion, death, and burial. He had been betrayed and abandoned by all His friends–except John and a few female followers, including His mother. His Father registered His grief and judgment against the Jewish establishment with earthquakes, 3 hours of darkness ending with Jesus’ death; and splitting the Temple curtain from top to bottom. Then, anticipating Jesus’ glorious resurrection, the Father opened some tombs, and resurrected (v.52) …many holy people.

What a journey, in 4 days, from a celebratory welcome parade, to a funeral march, to an ignominious death between 2 criminals. Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins because He believed in Scripture, in His purpose, and because He trusted in His Father’s plan and in His Father’s love. By teaching, preaching, healing, casting out demons, dying a dreadful death in our place, He faithfully completed His 1st mission to earth. He has now returned to Heaven and is seated with the Father, awaiting with us the timing of His 2nd Coming. As we wait to greet Him, let us inspire ourselves with the words of the writer to the Hebrews (12:2-3) Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him [our salvation] endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

©️2023 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Our God Prefers Truth over Lying to Influence People

Pastor Sherry’s message for November 6, 2022

Scriptures: Haggai 1:15-2:9; Ps 145:1-5; 2 Thess 2:1-17; Lk 20:27-40

One of the things I most love about our God is that He is a straight shooter. He always speaks the truth, and nothing but the truth, even if folks don’t like it or don’t want to hear it. Truth, real truth, is often a scarce commodity. In this time of elections, for instance, we hear “facts” from a candidate that are called “disinformation”—or outright lies—by his/her opponent. Since they contradict each other, we end up wondering which one is telling the real truth. The same is true of newscasters. Remember the days of the great Walter Cronkite? He detailed the news without spin or opinion. We felt like we were hearing the truth and we trusted him. Telling the truth leads to trust in the person who tells it.

Two stories I read recently highlight this:

(1) The first concerns 2 outrageously wealthy and wicked brothers. They were consummate hypocrites, acting like they were such great Christians on Sundays, and contributing tons of money to various church projects—you know the type—while the rest of the week, they schemed and scammed at work, defrauded their friends and colleagues, and cheated on their wives. (These are the kinds of Christians that non-Christians point to, paint with a broad brush, and use to call us all hypocrites.)

A new pastor arrived who preached Biblical truths with passion and commitment. Under his leadership, the church grew so much that the congregation needed to enlarge their worship space. At about that time, one of these brothers died. The other brother approached the new pastor and offered to cover the entire cost of the building expansion, if the new pastor would claim at the funeral that the deceased brother had been a saint.

Now the new minister had discerned the truth about these two brothers. Nevertheless, he gave his word that he would call the deceased a saint. He took the check to the bank, where he immediately deposited it. He then said the following at the funeral the next day: “This man was an ungodly sinner, wicked to the core. He was unfaithful to his wife, hot-tempered with his children, ruthless in his business, and a hypocrite at church…but compared to his brother, he was a saint.”

(2) The 2nd story comes from a 4th grade class who wrote a letter to their teacher who was convalescing in the hospital from surgery: “Dear Mrs. Fisher, Your fourth grade class wishes you a speedy recovery by a vote of 15-14.”

(Both stories reported by Chuck Swindoll, The Tale of the Tardy Oxcart, Word Publishing, 1998, pp.587-588.)

Two of our passages today demonstrate God’s preference for truth-telling over lying:

A. Haggai 1:15-2:9. The prophet Haggai, another minor prophet, proclaimed God’s word to the Israelite remnant when they returned to the Promised Land after their 70 year exile in Babylon. He ministered during the same period as Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, and Zechariah. His book is the 2nd shortest in the Old Testament (only Obadiah is shorter).

He gave five messages to the people and each is precisely dated based on the reigns of the kings of Persia. The challenge which proceeds today’s reading (1:1-11) was given on September 1, 520BC. The people had encountered resistance from Samaritans and Arabs around them in their efforts to rebuild the Temple. So when the process became difficult, they wrongly assumed it must not be God’s will to rebuild at that time. God rebuked and redirected the remnant’s erroneous assessment (1:12-15) on September 24, 520. Essentially, the Lord told them, “Au contrare, mes amis. [This is the last that I remember of my high school French.] You have deserted your work on My house to work on your own houses. I am not happy with this! Don’t worry about the resistance because…(v.13) I am with you.” So they jumped to it! (v.15b) on the 24th day of the 6th month in the 2nd year of King Darius.

After they had gathered material and begun again to rebuild, the Lord encouraged the people, (2:1-9) on October 21st, 520. The elderly folks—who had been around to see the grandeur of Solomon’s Temple—were dismayed by how pitiful (to them) the reconstructed temple looked. Solomon’s Temple, which Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had destroyed, had been a “jewel box,” and one of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It had been constructed of marble overlaid with gold, silver and jewels. These poor refugees had no such gold, silver, or jewels; they rebuilt with just rock set upon rock. So God had the prophet tell the political leader, Zerubbabel, the religious leader, Joshua (a different Joshua from the one who had led the Children of Israel into the Promised Land), and all the people, Be strong…for I am with you. The Lord encouraged them by saying (vv.6-9) In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land [in other words, shock and awe everyone]. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations [Jesus] will come, and I will fill this house with glory [because Jesus will be teaching within it]. The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine…the glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house…and in this place I will grant peace.

So God conveyed to them the stark truth: “You have abandoned building My house because you got scared, then focused on your own houses. You need to get cracking on My house!” Once they did begin construction, they were disappointed with the results. Again, God redirected them. “I’ve got this. This house will exceed the beauty of Solomon’s Temple, though plain, because Jesus, My Son, will grace it with His divine presence.” Notice: God is honest with them but also tender and encouraging.

2. Luke 20:27-40. In a way similar to that of God the Father, Jesus rebukes and redirects the Sadducees. Remember, the Sadducees were the rich, urbane, religious liberals of the day. They dismissed the Pharisees as fundamentalists, and they curried the favor of the Romans for power and influence. They approach Jesus with a ridiculous issue: How likely is it that a woman would marry one brother after his elder brother had died, on and on through 7 brothers? Brothers 3-7 would no doubt decide she was cursed and would avoid her, or barren and would avoid her.

We see this with Judah’s 1st two sons. Back in Genesis 38, Tamar married Judah’s 1st son, Er. He was so wicked he was put to death by God.

Then, according to the law intended both to provide for and to protect widows—as well as ensure descendants for the dead man–Tamar married Judah’s 2nd son, Onan. Onan was also very evil so the Lord put him to death as well. Judah refused to allow Tamar to marry his 3rd son, Shelah, believing she might somehow cause his death too. My maternal grandmother married five times (but not to 5 brothers). Each died a natural death. Nevertheless, we teased her claiming that marrying her was the “kiss of death” for her husbands.

These Sadducees should have been familiar with this Genesis story, so would have known their example was preposterous. Additionally, as Luke points out, Sadducees didn’t even believe in an afterlife or in a resurrection.

Matthew and Mark both report that Jesus told them they neither knew Scripture nor understand the power of God (they didn’t believe in the supernatural or in miracles). Jesus doesn’t really address their ridiculous case, but instead demonstrates from Exodus 3 that Our God is the God of living persons. He says to them (v.37) But in the account of the bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord “the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” [all present tense]. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive. He is the God of all of us on earth and also of those who go on to heaven to dwell—in a different life form—with Him there. He rebukes them for their ignorance of God’s Word and their unbelief, but redirects them to the reality of resurrection.

So what is God saying to us today thru these passages? Among a number of possibilities are the following:

(1) I believe He is asking us, “Will we be honest with people?” Like our God is, like the new pastor in the story was, and like the children were. God the Father enjoined us not to lie, making slander or “bearing false witness,” the 9th of the 10 Commandments. We want to remember that Jesus called Himself the way, the truth, and the life. To our God, truth is not just a virtue or a concept, it is the person of Jesus! Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Truth, so He too both embodies truth and can lead us to the truth. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us discern what is true and what isn’t. We can also ask the Holy Spirit to give us the courage to speak the truth, in all situations.

(2) We want to speak truth, but we also want—as best as we can– to speak the truth in love. The Father rebuked the remnant, then also encouraged them. Jesus rebuked the Sadducees, then redirected them, addressing their core theological errors. In both stories I related, the folks involved told the truth, but without much love or compassion.

(3) Lying politicians, newscasters, and others need to beware. Jesus says of Satan, in John 8:44 that…[Satan] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lives. Lying helps us resemble the evil one in behavior. Lying is never a good idea. It offends God. Additionally, the truth generally always comes out, then the liar is shown for what he/she is.

This Tuesday, Election Day, let’s watch and see who the American people perceive are the liars, and may the truth-tellers win! And may we resolve always to speak the truth in love.

©️2022 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Why the Wait?

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 30, 2022

Scriptures: Hab 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Ps 119:137-144; 2 Thess 1:1-4,11-12; Lk 19:1-10

Habakkuk is one of the Minor Prophets (a short book at the end of the Old Testament, only 3 chapters long) whose major theme is faith/believing/trusting in God. Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah and lived from approximately 640-570BC. Instead of writing warnings to sinful Israel to repent, he delivered a series of dialogues between himself and God. In our reading today, he asks God (Chapter1),

1.) Why is there so much violence and injustice?

2.) How come You tolerate wrong-doing, LORD?

3.) Why don’t You do something?!!

Then, in Chapter 2, he asks, Why would you use an unjust nation (Babylonia) to punish us? True, I get that we are sinners who deserve punishment; but why would You use them? They are worse than we are, and they aren’t even believers!

Let’s focus on how God answers Habakkuk, because both the issues the prophet raises–and God’s responses–are very contemporary. To the question of why God permits evil, the LORD says, (v.5) Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. What could that be? In the short run, He is going to allow them to be chastised by/taken to “the Biblical woodshed” by being defeated and captured by the pagan Babylonians. This happened in 587BC. Jerusalem and the Temple were burned; the people who were not killed were chained and led off to Babylon as slaves. However, as the books Ezra and Nehemiah later attest, they were freed to return to the Land after 70 years of captivity. In the long run, however, it is a subtle prediction of the coming of Messiah. Jesus, God Himself coming to earth in human form, is indeed… something in your days that you would not believe. Jesus, Emmanuel—God with us–will be breaking into human history to both demonstrate God’s love for us and to save us from our sins.

To the question of why God uses sinful nations to punish His people—and bear in mind that we Christ-followers are His People, and that we do currently deserve punishment for a multitude of national and personal sins—the prophet says, (2:1) I will stand at my watch and station myself at the ramparts; I will look to see what He [God] will say to me. As a person of great faith, the prophet states essentially, “I don’t understand so I am going to wait on the LORD to make it clear to me.” Notice, he doesn’t say, “This is nuts! I’m just going to do what I need to do to take care of me and mine.” Instead, he waits in faith, trusting in God’s purposes for him and for us.

God does answer him: (2:2-3) …though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. What’s God mean by this? It is as though the Lord is saying, “Yes I am using a corrupt, immoral nation to discipline My People, but the day will come that I discipline them too.” Nebuchadnezzar was puffed up and arrogant. History reports that Babylon fell in 539 BC, overtaken by the Medes and the Persians. No nation lives outside God’s purview, not then and not now. The Lord truly is sovereign over all things. King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 8:11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. People wrongly assume that God is not watching, that He doesn’t know what’s going on. When it looks like He is tolerating evil behavior, it’s not an invitation to continue to do wrong. He is instead giving a nation time to come to its senses and repent.

So what is Habakkuk saying to us today? I believe he is making at least four important points:

1. Our God is very aware of all the sinful behavior around us (ours and others’).

2. God’s judgment may not come speedily, but it does come eventually.

3. In the meantime, our Lord is exceedingly patient, not wanting anyone to perish. He gives us all plenty of time and multiple opportunities to come to Him in repentance. And don’t we love and appreciate that about Him!

4. When we don’t understand why God is doing what He is doing, we should follow the example of Habakkuk: Be a watchman or watchwoman, and Trust in the Lord; Pray; and Wait.

Now, let’s turn our focus to today’s Gospel lesson, Luke 19:1-10, a perfect example of why God often chooses to wait.

Jesus is headed toward Jerusalem to be crucified. He enters Jericho, a town 20 miles NE of Jerusalem. Just prior to entering the city, Jesus restores the sight of the blind man, Bartimaeus. Next, He is on the lookout for a notorious sinner, Zacchaeus. Always guided by the Father’s will, Jesus goes looking for this man. This is a divine appointment.

Zacchaeus (ironically his name means pure) is…

1. The Chief Tax Collector for the region— As I explained last week–in reference to the prayers of the Pharisee versus those of the tax collector—tax collectors were despised by their countrymen because they were perceived as Roman collaborators/sell-outs/traitors, as well as thieves. The Mishna, a Jewish commentary on God’s Law, pairs tax collectors with murderers and robbers.

2. He was also very rich because, in a pyramid system, he took a percentage of what every tax collector under his authority pocketed;

3. He was a man who had forsaken his religion in a quest for wealth;

4. Lastly, he was short in stature.

Zacchaeus learns Jesus is coming and wants to see Him (He appears to have a spiritual hunger, like the blind man, Bartimaeus). He runs ahead and climbs a sycamore-fig tree. This tree would have been between 30-40 feet high, with slick bark, and low, broad limbs that ran parallel to the ground. He could have viewed Jesus from that vantage point without being observed—or so he thought! Jesus, of course, knows he is there, stops, and calls to him to come down. Again, this is a divine appointment. Jesus’ mission has always been to reclaim the prodigals (Luke15:11-31—the Parable of the Prodigal Son), and to welcome the humble into God’s kingdom (Luke 18:9-14—the humble. praying tax collector of last week’s Gospel). Notice Jesus says to him, (v.5) Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today. Now I ask you, what’s with the must? Who can make Jesus do anything? Only God the Father has that kind of influence.

The people murmur….Jesus does not stay at the home of a Pharisee; nor does He appear to visit the most influential persons of the city. Instead he chooses to hang out with the most notorious and despised man there. The crowd considers him outside the possibility of redemption; but thank God Jesus does not write off any who are open to God. There appears to be a time lapse—we don’t know how long they conferred at Zach’s house. But Jesus (and His Father) recognized Zach’s spiritual bankruptcy. Jesus probably talked with Zacchaeus about our need for God and God’s willingness and ability to meet that need.

But whatever was said, Zacchaeus is transformed! He admits he has been robbing the poor and says he will give ½ of his wealth to make amends (compare this with the Rich Young Ruler who could not let go of his money to follow Jesus, Matthew 19:16-24). The Law required giving back what was taken and adding 20%. So a “fine” of 20% was considered generous. Zacchaeus is going to gift the poor with 50% of all he has. He also promises to give back 4 times what he defrauded others. He actually penalizes himself by meeting the standard expected of rustlers: In Exodus 22:1, if a person stole an ox, they had to replace it with 5 cows; if one sheep, 4 sheep were required. Zacchaeus demonstrates his new faith with his works (James 2:18). Jesus affirms his transformation by saying (v.9) Today salvation has come to this house….He also points out that Zacchaeus is a son of Abraham—no matter how bad a sinner; and that Jesus came (v.10) to seek and to save what was lost. (Remember the parables of Luke 15 one lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son, all of whom were located).

So why the Wait? Because God may be doing a new thing. So that sinners like Zacchaeus (and us) can be saved. So that we might fall in love with Jesus and desire to please Him. So that we become magnanimous, forgiving, and grace-filled toward Him and others. Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

©️2022 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams

Posted on by Cheryl Norman

Praying with Humility and Gratitude

Pastor Sherry’s message for October 23, 2022

Scriptures: Joel 2:23-32; Ps 65; 2 Tim 4:6-8, 16-18; Lk 18:9-14

I have preached here before on the fact that our God answers our prayers. He tends to answer in one of the following ways:

1. Yes, that’s something I am happy to do for you right away.

2. No, I am omniscient and know that would not be good for you.

3. Not yet.

a. I am working out all the intervening variables;

b. Or, I am waiting on you to develop further.

He also likes for us to have an humble attitude toward Him when we pray. In our Gospel Lesson today, Luke 18:9-14, Jesus contrasts the opposite attitudes of the Pharisee and the publican/tax collector.

The Pharisee was a man at the top of the religious ladder of the day. Was he praying out loud or silently? If out loud, how arrogant of him! He appears to be talking to himself, about himself, rather than dialoguing with God. His prayer is a soliloquy, a speech made by himself to himself. Lord, I’m thankful that I am not like other men (v.11)…YIKES! There’s his first mistake. He should have said, “Thank You that You called me to be a Pharisee; I am so happy to serve You and Your people, Lord!” He might have added, “Thank You for keeping me from becoming a robber, an evildoer, an adulterer, or anyone who mistreats others. I know that there, but for the grace of God, go I.” And he would have been very Christ-like to have requested of God, “Lord, I ask you to bless this tax collector and bring him to repentance for any theft or fraud he has committed.” Instead, being very self-focused and lacking humility, he considers himself a cut above other sinners.

The Publican or tax collector, was considered a low-life in that culture (definitely a sinner!). Unlike the Pharisee, however, he seems to have been very well aware of his deficiencies/his sins. He knows that he has denied his nation (as a Roman collaborator); he knows he has alienated himself from his countrymen. The Romans let tax collectors set their own salary, which they did by demanding a certain percentage above what he was required to collect for them. So typically, tax collectors charged extra, taking care of themselves at the expense of their own fellow citizens. Additionally, they didn’t think they needed God or were too ashamed to approach the Lord (We’ve all known people who have said, “If I entered the church, the roof would fall in.)

But notice his prayer, and contrast it with that of the Pharisee: The tax collector admits he’s a sinner! He is humble and humiliated by his past, his present, his bad choices, his wrong actions. He is so aware of his deficiencies before God, he cannot even raise his eyes toward heaven. His prayer is one sentence (v.13): God have mercy on me, a sinner, or God be merciful to me a sinner. This is where we derive The Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” It is a famous old prayer uttered from foxholes, places of danger, and traumatic situations.

I once was visiting some friends when someone they knew asked me to minister to their adult daughter. She had been car-jacked at night, kidnapped, and pistol whipped by two men. She feared for her life, sure she would be raped and murdered. She was a believer and knew to pray “The Jesus Prayer” throughout her entire ordeal. The felons took her to a deserted area, blind-folded her, and told her to remove her clothing. She was sure this was the end for her. Suddenly, however, she heard the sounds of the two men running away. She suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress afterward but also knew that God had saved her in answer to her prayer. We believe the men must have seen a large angel behind her who frightened them away.

So what is the right heart attitude? From what attitude should our prayers arise? Not that of the Pharisee—arrogant, going on about how great we are, how much we’ve done for God, how much better we are than others. Rather, Jesus says the right heart attitude, especially when we pray, should be one of humility–and of gratitude. He says in verse 14–For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted. We want to approach God humbly, acknowledging and confessing our sinfulness. And, we want to approach God with gratitude for His mercy and love:

Our other lessons today explain why we should pray to God with gratitude:

A. 800 years before Jesus, the prophet Joel warns the Southern Kingdom (Joel 2:23-32) that the Great Tribulation of God’s Judgment is coming. Actually—even now—we haven’t yet seen the End Times. The prophet assures the people that if they repent and turn back to the Lord, He will respond, take pity on them, and call off the conquering Babylonians.

He foretells that they will rejoice in the Lord because…

1.). He will bring life-giving rain (v.23);

2.) He will repay them (v.25) for the years the locusts [enemies; evil-doers] have eaten.

3.) He will provide them with plenty to eat (v. 26);

4.) He will “pour out His Spirit on all people (v.28), empowering them and us to accomplish miraculous things we could never produce in our own.

5.) Best of all (v.28), Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. This prophesy predates the saving work of Jesus Christ, but it does infer that redemption is coming.

B. In a similar vein, Psalm 65 is called a “Restoration Psalm” and also prophesies what will occur at Christ’s 2nd Coming: King David wrote it in celebration of God’s goodness to him/us. He knew, historically and personally, that God saves His people from our enemies. He also experienced God’s forgiveness for his (and our) sins. Furthermore, God also draws us near to Him—He wants to be with us!

David recognized that God answers our prayers with what he called (v.5) —awesome deeds of righteousness, and addressed the Lord as, O God our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas…. As a former Sociology major, I believe our younger American generations now—who do not know God—are suffering from what the French Father of Sociology, Emile Durkheim, called, anomie. This is a sense of purposelessness, of alienation. It occurs when people’s lives lack meaning, when they fail to see they have a reason for living. If unrelenting, it leads people to suicide and to other acts of desperation, like running people over in a parade, or shooting strangers in a grocery store. But for those of us who know and believe in God, we always have meaning and purpose in life (See Psalm 139), and, we are never alone!

Finally, David praises God for His loving provision for us.

C. 2 Timothy 4 constitutes Paul’s farewell address: He wants Timothy, his spiritual son, to know he has—(v.7)…fought the good fight, like a loyal soldier; I have finished the race, like an Olympic runner; and I have kept the faith—remember in our Gospel lesson of last week (Luke 18:8), Jesus wondered, When the Son of Man comes [when Jesus returns], will He find faith on the earth? Paul has kept the faith. He was, in fact, martyred for his faith. Paul is encouraging Timothy and us to keep our faith in Jesus, no matter what comes.

Why? Because death for us is not the final word/final chapter! It is a release:

1.) From the battles of life—or, “the rat race;” and

2.) From the frailty and failings of our mortal bodies. It is like a ship being untied from a wharf, freed to sail out to sea.

3.) And it is a release that frees us to accept our final reward, what Paul calls a crown of righteousness (v.8). It’s not a wreath of olive leaves, like the original Olympic winners got, or even a medal, like present day athletic stars. It is something Jesus, the Son of Righteousness, gives to each one of us who loves Him. Truthfully, I don’t know what it is, but I do know that I want it when my time comes. Death is not the end for those of us who love Jesus.

So why should we pray with gratitude in our hearts?

1.) Because our God is our creator, our provider, and our protector.

2.) Because He loves, forgives, and redeems us.

3.) Because He gives our lives meaning and purpose.

4.) Because He is present to us.

5.) Because He hears our prayers and responds to us

6.) And because He rewards us with a new and a better life—and some special reward–on the other side of death.

The next time you are feeling downhearted, discouraged, or alone, grab onto any one of those reasons to feel grateful to God. Remember, our God is for us, not against us. Thanks be to God!

©️2022 Rev. Dr. Sherry Adams