Ask, Knock
October 1, 2006
Ask, Knock
Matthew 7:7-11
We've been working through the gospel of Matthew this entire Pentecost and post Pentecost season. Lately we have been working through the most famous sermon attributed to Jesus, the sermon on the mount. It is instructional and meant for those already part of the Jesus movement. These people were charismatic, itinerant ministers that floated around the regions preaching what Jesus had taught them and spreading the vision. This sermon is very instructional as to what types of things it requires us to do. We have been asked as followers to: forgo anger and retaliation, love our enemies, forgive those who have injured us, and control our criticism of others. How can we fulfill all these demands? And today's passage reminds…with God all things are possible…
Again this is not some literal passage that is naive at best to say, pray and all things are going to happen. It smacks of some flimflam preacher asking for the Lord to bless our million dollar strategy to grow the budget. It sounds as if we act in a prayerful presence we can get what we want. Even though there are many examples in Scripture of prayers not being answered. Paul prays three times asking for his affliction to be taken from him that he might be more capable of ministry. But, the response he receives is, God's grace is wide. It doesn't say the affliction was removed. And even Jesus asked for this cup to pass from him in the Garden of Eden and the response was, let God's will be done, not OK this evil will not be fulfilled. So, how is it even possible that we come to this passage today that says, just ask and it happens.
We come to this passage in response. We come to this passage in response to what has come before. This passage is the reminder of the Grace and Compassion of our God. God is not interested in our selfish agendas. God is not going to be manipulated by our prayers. We have a hard time living in this world. We have a hard time following these principals laid out for us: forgo anger and retaliation, love our enemies, forgive those who have injured us, and control our criticism of others and that makes the living difficult. Because there are natural consequences when we do these things. We break relationships, we isolate ourselves, we corrupt our systems, it infects our culture and our world. And, God doesn't just swoop in and bail us out of these things. Instead we are left to deal with the living. But, if we could only just pray. If we could pray to our God about having to work in this new framework we will begin to cultivate a graciousness with God. Then, when negativity hits us in the face, only then will we be able to deal graciously with those handing out the negativity. We are cultivating a Graciousness from God that will then pass through us and into our dealings with one another. This then makes us agents of God's transformational love in this time and place.
Today we're celebrating Our Churches Wider Mission offering Neighbors in Need. This offering goes to our National Church . It works to express the United Church of Christ's commitment to ministries of justice and compassion by speaking prophetically to those in power and advocating for the voiceless. In the spirit of Christ, we seek to confront evil in the world and to alleviate suffering through justice advocacy and direct service. Last year through this offering the UCC was able to give 96 grants to organizations throughout the US who are working for Justice by advocating for the voiceless. Our Scripture passage today says that we can not look at the world and say, too many problems, too big for me, we can't change anything, everything is in the toilet. Instead, the Scripture passage begs us to develop our prayer life. For when we do this kind of regular, committed praying we open ourselves to the graciousness of God. And, inspite of our own stories, we can again begin to see ourselves and others as neighbors. Allowing our lives to be filled with enough grace to withstand the difficulty of this living. It doesn't mean we can redirect natural consequences, or get what we want. It only means we will find possibility in the midst of dealing with the living. The man who began the American Missionary Association said, Expect Great things from God and Do Great things For GOD.
Praying every day is the first way to open ourselves to living in a state of grace. Through our study of Jesus ministry of mercy we are restored to each other and to God. This mends our hearts and repairs the world. And this Grace impels us to be for each other what God is for us: pardon and peace, blessing and delight. What a different experience of ourselves we would have if we opened ourselves to this grace. We must ask, we must dialogue with this God we love and who speaks still. Our prayers open us to possibilities we never imagined which allow us to put one foot in front of the other a bit more easily for we are given opportunity to shoulder the burden together.
Grace is sort of an abstract concept for our human understanding. But, it's the breathe out, when you're feeling overwhelmed. Grace is the falling down but not breaking any bones. Grace is the saying horrible things out of anger to a loved one and being forgiven. Grace is the opportunity to gather together as community week after week allowing a journey to happen not just a one time “saving” event that has no time to work on our living, being, perspective or vision. Grace is how we learn to love ourselves. The best of ourselves, the worst of ourselves and all that lies in between.
Another tangible way we can open ourselves to this grace is by doing Great things FOR God. Neighbors in need is a tangible opportunity to begin to change our world. We always want to be right. We want to bite back about our perspective, our vision, what we really meant to say. What if we instead took up the practice of just trying to hear what another is saying and then holding that in God's grace? What if we allowed God to help us make this living possible? What if we were allowed to transform ourselves and this world through a graceful presence…Would we be signs of a Creator who loves? Let it be so. Let us pray.