Easter 6: Rev. 21:1-10, 22-22:5; John 14:8-14, 21-29
May 9, 2010
We have had some wonderful days recently with full sun, not too hot, not too cold, just right. There's plenty of moisture. The grass is a deep green and trees fully leafed out. The corn is up and going and bean planting right behind. Flowers are blossoming, gardens growing. This is the most beautiful time of year for me.
In the news this week was the death of Robin Roberts, the Hall of Fame pitcher from Springfield. It was inspiring to read what was said about him. He was the son of immigrant parents from Wales. He is remembered as a good and decent person who not only had a gift for striking out batters, but also for helping others.
Jason Werth of Chatham was one of those quoted about Roberts. He is the 3rd generation on his mother's side to play in the major leagues. His family story is an inspiration too despite the fact he hit a couple of home runs against the Cardinals this week.
Every time I drive by the Old State Capital at night with the lights shining on it, well, it seems almost like a Temple to me. And, of course, reminds us of Lincoln. When I catch a glimpse of Lincoln's home on the south side it too looks so pretty on a sunny day.
Another inspiration is to watch watch the children running, climbing and sliding on the pretty red-blue-yellow playground equipment here at church. Is it possible that there may be another Lincoln or Robin Roberts or Mother Teresa in the making here too? When you add all this up, the moment can feel as if we are living in the 'new Jerusalem' that John envisioned long ago where there is no pain or sorrow or discord or corruption. God rules and the earth is at peace. Praise God!
Of course we know that one or even a few heavenly days like this do not a "new Jerusalem" make. A murder trial was also chronicled in the newspaper this week. A terrorist bomb was found recently in New York City. An oil leak threatening the ecology along the Gulf coast is ongoing. A mine explosion in West Virginia killed 29. The earthquake in Haiti left an estimated 230,000 dead. Congress is getting ready to regulate Wall Street bankers who are blamed for precipitating the most recent recession. The war in Afghanistan is ongoing even as the one in Iraq is winding down. And as if this is not enough, Cub fans probably noted that Milton Bradley had another meltdown this week. However, this time he came back to ask for help.
All of this bad news and a lot of other things that could be mentioned simply remind us that despite those 'bright and peaceful days' that come along once in awhile the 'new Jerusalem' is still a long way off. There is an overabundance of pain and sorrow and strife all around. Before a new heaven and new earth, there's a lot of work to be done.
We live in times that have much in common with the world in which John wrote his vision in the book of Revelation. He lived and wrote in the context of the first century dominated by the power and glory of the Roman Empire for which he used a code name Babylon. He describes the Babylon of his time as horribly corrupt and immoral. It was led by terrible despots like Nero and Domitian and others. In Babylon good people were inflicted with pain and death if they didn't worship Caesar as the Son of God and Savior with a capital S. Many more were simply crushed by a system that had little regard for individual worth and dignity.
Today our world could be described like Babylon too. The corruption and greed behind the recent financial problems are a prime example. Terrible despots like Hitler, Sadaam, and Bin Laden are always ready to bring back the reality of the old Babylons of history to threaten and kill millions with no sense of justice or respect for human dignity. And how many times do we hear of those who are caught doing privately the very things that publically they crusade against? (Sports, politics, business, religion) Like John from the first century we live in a dangerous, mixed up world where it isn't easy to avoid becoming contaminated with it.
How can families today cope with all the temptations that are focused on feeding the appetite for personal gratification and pleasure? How do moms and dads prepare their children to build constructive lives using wisdom, common sense and solid values so as not to be fooled by the false promises of easy glory and success?
Often we get hooked into thinking that the answers for our problems start in Washington D.C. or State capitals like Springfield. But the kind of problems we have go deeper than what you can legislate. Legislation can penalize sin, but it cannot prevent it from happening. How do you protect someone from greed? Or how can you protect everybody from temptation? How can you prevent psychopaths from abusing others? We need laws to penalize, but the answer to the problems that make the laws necessary begins within the heart and soul of every person. This is what Jesus is about.
"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit." (Mt 7:18) "Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit." (Mt 12:33)
"What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person ..." (Mt 15:18-20) What Jesus is saying is that the heart must be made right first in order to cure sin and evil completely.
As Jesus prepared to depart from this world in physical form he prepared his disciples and taught them how to carry on and survive in his absence. "The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these because I am going to the Father."(Jn 14:12) Basically what Jesus started was a REFORMATION of the human spirit. This reformation didn't directly attack the system of the world as evil as it was at the time. But as this REFORMATION takes root in the hearts, minds, and souls of those who believe, it does change the way the world operates because the people who run it are changed.
To keep this reformation going Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach and remind his followers of everything he said. When he appeared in the Upper Room after the Resurrection he breathed the Holy Spirit upon them and said: "As the father has sent me, so I send you."
His instructions were not to hide away and wait for the end to come and the new Jerusalem to drop out of the clouds. He gave his followers the Spirit to do the works he did and even greater works. These are the signs of the spiritual reformation of Jesus and the beginnings of a new creation. As John saw and heard: "Behold, I am making all things new." (Rev 21:5)
Some of the words of Jesus the disciples followed: "Love one another as I have loved you."(Jn 13) "Forgive one another as I have forgiven you." 'Feed the hungry. Give drink to the thirsty. Welcome the stranger. Clothe the naked. Care for the sick. Visit the prisons.'(Mt 25) 'Proclaim liberty to the captives and let the oppressed be free.'(Lk 4) "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."
Jesus began his spiritual reformation at a time when the world was ruled by force of arms and corrupt pagan rulers. In contrast he possessed no weapons except words. And when his words irritated the religious leaders his life was snuffed out like a candle flame. To the naked eye he was a total failure. It was quite a leap of faith to go from the cross to proclaiming Jesus the Son of God and Savior of the world with a capital S and not Caesar.
One would think that the community Jesus started would have been too weak to endure for very long. Yet amazingly the Empire which so forcefully opposed him and his followers for nearly 300 years would eventually embrace him and the new religion he started. In 324 the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great would officially declare the Empire a Christian state.
At the time John wrote his vision this great reversal of fortune was hardly imaginable. The cost of being faithful to Jesus was so high that many undoubtedly gave up the faith and quit. But those who didn't were sustained by his vision of a greater triumph beyond the horizon that would make all the sacrifice worth the effort to be part of the 'new Jerusalem.'
Today we are the heirs of the JESUS Reformation. As a church of many families we are the custodians of what Jesus taught and what he did to make the tree good in order to bear good fruit. As moms and dads, as extended families and friends, our mission is to carry on his mission, passing along his righteousness to our children and their children's children until the old heaven and earth have passed away and the sea is no more.
Sometimes it is easy to become discouraged and overwhelmed with all the bad news. But then comes a day when the sun is bright, the grass is green, the crops growing and you're reminded of good people like a Robin Roberts, a Lincoln, a Clara Barton and all the loving moms and dads who spread the love of God while they walked the earth and made the 'new Jerusalem' a little closer than before.
Jesus is gone in the flesh, but he lives on through the Spirit in everyone who believes in him. May your Mother's Day be a 'new Jerusalem' kind of celebration where 'death, sorrow, crying and pain' are no more and the rejoicing of God's saints never ceases.