"Hardest and Best Lesson of All" by Rev. Peter Heinrichs
February 3, 2019
Luke 4:21-30 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
The heart of Luke’s Gospel is larger than any particular story about Jesus. The Gospel invites each of us to realize that there is also a truth larger than our own particular story. We need look no farther than the communion service we will experience in a few moments to see what the Gospel is pointing toward. Our communion is based on Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, the one that took place on the night in which he was betrayed and arrested. We appreciate communion because of its truth-telling, its acceptance and its forgiveness. Communion takes us out of our-selves and lifts us up into a place where all things are held in an astonishing kindness and innocence. Our fears, our doubts, our own experiences of betrayal…all held. All put to rest.
The heart of the message recognizes that, despite our best intentions and efforts life often hurts. It’s a relief, to be honest, to say the words out loud: Life hurts. Communion reminds us that the hurt of life is held in the kindness of God. Jesus says his own death is held in the kindness of God. If even for a moment we can hold our own stories up to the light of truth, we become aware of something in us that “sees” the hurt yet is not overpowered by it. The pain is seen and acknowledged, yes. It is not denied or suppressed. And yet, there is peace. This something in us is so much bigger than the pain. And in this something, the seeing-kindness of God, the power of the pain to diminish us gives way.
You can’t think your way through this. You are not a problem to be solved. You are not a destination to be trudged toward. There is no prize to be awarded “some day” when you pass the “spiritual smarts” exam.” There is only right now. Now is the opportunity you have to say ‘yes’ to God’s kindness. To allow God’s kindness. To follow Jesus’ pointings and the pointings of your own life story. Your story, you see, is a life curriculum that has been set out just for you. One lesson after another, designed to help you learn to see yourself as God sees you. To awaken to what has held you all along.
Despite its discomfort and pain, life is happening for you; not to you.
This, for me, has been the hardest and best lesson of all. Life happens for me and not to me. I am not a victim here – though sometimes I have wondered! Hard because I have learned more from what I didn’t expect in my life than from what I thought I wanted. Cancer, divorce, a huge forgiveness moment in my life—have taught me far more than umpteen years of studying books and taking tests. I now value my lessons more than I can say: self-honesty, a listening heart, trust in the kindness of God. This is the curriculum of the Universe! This is the Book of Life! And because I am still learning, I find lessons to work on every day. (I call them “forgiveness opportunities.”) The lessons come for my benefit. They show me what I am actually accountable to – not to be right or perfect or safe or admirable – but to make a home in me for self-honesty, a listening heart and trust in the kindness of God. And just think – what I learn comes free of tuition, loans and grades!
Yes (You may well ask), every day I still find myself getting tangled up in my own same-old stuff. But I now know that even entanglement can be seen – and held without making it wrong or bad. In this holding of everything without judgment, I am free and at peace. Immersed in God’s kindness. Ready not to hold back or live small!
Can you imagine God watching you and thinking about you: Mmm. This one’s done holding back and living small!
Let me now return to today’s particular story about Jesus and his hometown folks. Jesus has poked at the stories people hold on to so tightly – the fear-based stories that explain how life happens a certain way. Jesus pokes and they react with rage. They run him out of town, try to toss him off a cliff. But Jesus “passes through the midst of them and goes on his way.” For fear and rage are not in charge of Jesus. He walks a different path. And so, my friends, can we.
Amen
February 3, 2019
Luke 4:21-30 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many lepers[a] in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
The heart of Luke’s Gospel is larger than any particular story about Jesus. The Gospel invites each of us to realize that there is also a truth larger than our own particular story. We need look no farther than the communion service we will experience in a few moments to see what the Gospel is pointing toward. Our communion is based on Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, the one that took place on the night in which he was betrayed and arrested. We appreciate communion because of its truth-telling, its acceptance and its forgiveness. Communion takes us out of our-selves and lifts us up into a place where all things are held in an astonishing kindness and innocence. Our fears, our doubts, our own experiences of betrayal…all held. All put to rest.
The heart of the message recognizes that, despite our best intentions and efforts life often hurts. It’s a relief, to be honest, to say the words out loud: Life hurts. Communion reminds us that the hurt of life is held in the kindness of God. Jesus says his own death is held in the kindness of God. If even for a moment we can hold our own stories up to the light of truth, we become aware of something in us that “sees” the hurt yet is not overpowered by it. The pain is seen and acknowledged, yes. It is not denied or suppressed. And yet, there is peace. This something in us is so much bigger than the pain. And in this something, the seeing-kindness of God, the power of the pain to diminish us gives way.
You can’t think your way through this. You are not a problem to be solved. You are not a destination to be trudged toward. There is no prize to be awarded “some day” when you pass the “spiritual smarts” exam.” There is only right now. Now is the opportunity you have to say ‘yes’ to God’s kindness. To allow God’s kindness. To follow Jesus’ pointings and the pointings of your own life story. Your story, you see, is a life curriculum that has been set out just for you. One lesson after another, designed to help you learn to see yourself as God sees you. To awaken to what has held you all along.
Despite its discomfort and pain, life is happening for you; not to you.
This, for me, has been the hardest and best lesson of all. Life happens for me and not to me. I am not a victim here – though sometimes I have wondered! Hard because I have learned more from what I didn’t expect in my life than from what I thought I wanted. Cancer, divorce, a huge forgiveness moment in my life—have taught me far more than umpteen years of studying books and taking tests. I now value my lessons more than I can say: self-honesty, a listening heart, trust in the kindness of God. This is the curriculum of the Universe! This is the Book of Life! And because I am still learning, I find lessons to work on every day. (I call them “forgiveness opportunities.”) The lessons come for my benefit. They show me what I am actually accountable to – not to be right or perfect or safe or admirable – but to make a home in me for self-honesty, a listening heart and trust in the kindness of God. And just think – what I learn comes free of tuition, loans and grades!
Yes (You may well ask), every day I still find myself getting tangled up in my own same-old stuff. But I now know that even entanglement can be seen – and held without making it wrong or bad. In this holding of everything without judgment, I am free and at peace. Immersed in God’s kindness. Ready not to hold back or live small!
Can you imagine God watching you and thinking about you: Mmm. This one’s done holding back and living small!
Let me now return to today’s particular story about Jesus and his hometown folks. Jesus has poked at the stories people hold on to so tightly – the fear-based stories that explain how life happens a certain way. Jesus pokes and they react with rage. They run him out of town, try to toss him off a cliff. But Jesus “passes through the midst of them and goes on his way.” For fear and rage are not in charge of Jesus. He walks a different path. And so, my friends, can we.
Amen