September 3, 1995	Starting at the Bottom	Jeremiah 2:4-13

Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16

Luke 14:1, 7-14

The greatest things that have ever happened in the Christian faith have always started out unperceptively small. The beginning of the Methodist movement was like this. It started with two brothers, students at Oxford University in England. All John and Charles Wesley did was get together with a few other students on a weekly basis and pray for each other and encourage each other. They did this so regularly and helped each other to manage their time to successfully that they became known as "Methodists." And then, following John Wesley's return from America, he experienced a life changing event at a meeting on Aldersgate Street, in London. Suddenly, he came to the simple and very basic realization that God accepted him, not because of his good works, but by grace, alone. It was such a simple concept. But, when John Wesley started to tell others about it, the Methodist movement quickly grew and became a life changing force in England that probably saved England from the kind of violent revolution that took place in France. And when the movement came to America, it quickly grew to become what would be for many years the largest Christian denomination in the United States.

Last Sunday I pointed out that God often calls the least in the kingdom of God in order to do God's work. This Sunday's scripture lessons tell us more about this. First, we are told in our Old Testament lesson that if we are going to be God's people we must follow God's principles, rather than our own. Secondly, our Epistle lesson tells us that if we are going to be Christ's disciples we must be careful about our treatment of each other, essentially following the Golden Rule. And, finally, our Gospel lesson tells us to be humble – to take the lowest place.

But, first, let's take a look at what Jeremiah had to say to the people of Israel. In our Old Testament lesson for today we see how Jeremiah reminds the people of God, himself, set them up as a nation. But then he points out how quickly the people of God started to go their own way – following other Gods. The priests, Jeremiah said, stopped asking the people to look toward the Lord for their guidance. Instead, they were led to worship worthless idols. Jeremiah railed at this, exclaiming: "Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror! My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken God, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

Like the Israelite people, we too may be reminded of our spiritual roots. In fact, it is a good thing to remember them from time to time, to ask ourselves, "Where did we come from spiritually, and how did we get to where we are, today?" The Israelite people were led by Moses and God by Egyptian bondage through the waters of the Sea and through the Wilderness until they got to the Promised Land. As we look at our own personal journey, we may even ask ourselves where we may be right now: Are we in Egypt? Or, are we walking through the Sea? Or, are we in the Wilderness? Or, do we already think we've made it to the Promised Land?

This is an interesting question, when you think about it. Most Christians, when they are really honest with themselves, find themselves fluctuating between all four. There are times in my life, for instance, when I may feel that I am in Egypt in need of God's salvation and liberating work. And then there are the joyful times when I feel I'm actually walking through the parted waters of the sea, celebrating the miracle of God's liberating work. And then there are the times when I find myself in the Wilderness, being trained and tested by God. And then there are the moments when I feel I've actually reached the Promised Land, confident that I am doing what God has prepared me to do. But, then, life goes on and the challenges of living and God's movement in my soul takes me back to Egypt, or to the sea, or to the Wilderness, once again.

The problem comes for some of us when we get stuck on this journey. Some people get stuck in Egypt. They actually become dependent upon their bondage, whether it be alcoholism, or an unhealthy relationship, or some other bad habit or co-dependency. And some people get stuck in the parted waters of the sea, getting so caught up in the celebration that they never get out to do the work of God's faithful disciples. And then some people get stuck in the Wilderness. continually going through the testing and the learning but never taking the opportunity to put it to work as the people of God. But, then, there are those who get stuck in the Promised Land. And I'd like to talk about that for a few moments.

The problem with the people of Israel in Jeremiah's day was that now that they were in the Promised Land they had forgotten the important lessons of Egypt and the Sea and the Wilderness. Being in the Promised Land, they figured they had it made. There wasn't anything else they had to do. They were fine just the way they were. And that is up truly upset and concerned the prophet Jeremiah. This is what caused him to say, "They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

There is a real danger in us getting stuck in the Promised Land. For too quickly we may begin to think that we have it made; that we are righteous; that we're doing alright; that there isn't anything about us that needs to be changed. We forget our need to admit that perhaps the Promised Land we're in may be more like an Egypt from which we need God to deliver us. This happens when we're self-righteous. This happens when we forget the cry of the needy and the weak. This happens when we feel a need to protect our turf from those who we consider unworthy to take our place. This happens when we don't think we need Sunday School, anymore or when we think we've reached the pinnacle of our Christian perfection. It is then that we need to realize that we're no longer in the Promised Land; that we're in Egypt once again. It is then that we need to call upon God's power to deliver us and long for the parted waters of the sea. It is then that we need to yearn for a return to the Wilderness so that one day we may, yet again, know the glory of the Promised Land.

Secondly, our Epistle lesson tells us that if we are going to be Christ's disciples we must be careful about our treatment of each other. The Apostle Paul, writing to the Hebrews of Rome, didn't want them to get stuck on their spiritual journey. He knew that what keeps us moving is love. And so he said to them, "Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters." And then he quickly rattled off a list of examples of how we might love each other. He told them to be good hosts to strangers and to remember those Christians who are in prison or being mistreated for the sake of Christ's ministry. He told them to honor marriage and remain free from sexual immorality. He told them not to allow a concern for money to affect the integrity of their ministry. He told them to remember their religious leaders who, in spite of suffering, bring the word of God.

What would the Apostle Paul rattle off to us to keep us moving on our journey, to remind us of ways to better love one another? As Paul told them to entertain strangers – would he point out to us the strangers in our midst? How are we at entertaining strangers? Could we do a better job at welcoming visitors to our church on Sunday morning? Or, how are we at supporting those who are out on the cutting edge of Christ's ministry, perhaps even being mistreated because of their stand for Christ – for those who are the victims of discrimination, or victims of AIDS, or victims of domestic violence, or victims of poverty? And, just as Paul told the Hebrews to be free from sexual immorality, what would he tell us about the things we like to watch on television? What would he tell us as we see congressmen and senators and others around us accused of sexual misconduct? What would Paul point out in our own life that needs to be changed in this regard? And, just as Paul told the Hebrews not to allow a concern for money to affect their integrity for ministry, would he not tell us the same thing? For God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"

Our gospel lesson for this morning describes Jesus in the house of a prominent Pharisee. And it says that Jesus was being carefully watched. The Pharisees were trying to find every little nit-picky thing about Jesus they could so that they could discredit him. For, indeed, the Pharisees were afraid of losing their power. But, Jesus aware that he was being watched, turned to the Pharisees and told them that when you go to a wedding feast you shouldn't take the place of honor because someone even more honorable may have been invited to the feast. How embarrassing it would be if the host of the feast had to tell you to give up your seat. So, Jesus suggested that it would be better for you to take the lowest seat. That way, you would be honored when the host of the feast asked you to take a higher seat.

God wants us to keep moving in our journey through life. If we think we have it made, if we think we deserve the highest seat, if we think the Promised Land is just for us, then we're stuck. But, loving others, washing another's feet, giving up your seat to someone else, keeps us moving, keeps us humble, and keeps us close to God.

Amen.