[Propertalk] Fwd: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 4C

[Joe Parrish]

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-----Original Message-----
From: Judy <judy_boli at ecunet.org>
To: Propertalk <propertalk.topic at ecunet.org>
Sent: Sat, Feb 2, 2013 3:24 pm
Subject: [propertalk.topic] Sermon for Epiphany 4C


Dear Friends,

This Sunday’s sermon is entitled “All You Need Is Love” or “Love Makes
the World Go Round” and deals with the epistle (1st Corinthians
13:1-13) and the gospel (Luke 4: 21- 30).  Here it is:

We just heard the story of how Jesus’ family and neighbors in his home
town of Nazareth tried to throw him off of a cliff.  Talk about not
liking to hear the Word of God!  It reminds me of the Sunday school
teacher who was trying to teach his five and six year-olds about the
Ten Commandments.  After explaining the commandment to honor thy
father and thy mother, the teacher asked, “Is there a commandment that
teaches us how to treat our sisters and brothers?”  “Sure is!”
answered a precocious little girl with a toddler for a brother.  “Thou
shalt not kill.”  You know how the Bible says, “A little child shall
lead them?”  Well, the people of Nazareth needed to hear what the
little Sunday school girl said.  They didn’t want to hear that God
loved those Gentiles, and they surely didn’t want to hear about
Jubilee!  They only wanted to hear from their hometown boy that God
loved them, and their fury made them try to throw God’s gift of love-
his own Son- off a cliff.

This morning I’d like us to look at what God expects of us in terms of
love.  As you know, English has really only one word for “love,” but
Greek (the language in which the New Testament was written) has three:
“eros”- sexual love, “philia”- friendship love, and “agape”- Christian
love.  We’re talking about Christian love- the foundation of a
Christian’s relationships.  One of the best explanations of Christian
love was written by St. Paul when he was so frustrated by the unloving
behavior of his church in Corinth.  As you recall, Paul was one of the
greatest missionary bishops the world has ever seen.  He would start a
church, get it going dependably, ordain local leaders, and then travel
on to start another church somewhere else.  As soon as he left his
church in Corinth, the bad news started coming.  It seems that the
Corinthian church had divided into four cliques; those who had been
baptized by Peter, those who had been baptized by Apollos, those who
had been baptized by Paul himself, and those who spoke in tongues.
Not only did the groups not get along with each other, but those who
spoke in tongues thought they were superior to everyone else.  The
church was in a bad way, so Paul (since he couldn’t leave his new
church to come in person) sent them a letter, part of which we read
today.  His teachings on love are as true now as they were in the
first century, so let’s look at what God expects of us as his
children.

He starts by pointing out that no gift is any good to God’s Kingdom
without love- not languages or cooking or music or academics or having
a charming personality or understanding the Bible or prayer or being
the star quarterback on one of the Super Bowl teams.  It’s done with
love or it’s useless, according to the Bible (1st Corinthians
13:1-2).  Huge sacrifices for others are useless unless they are done
with the right motivation, and that motivation is love (1st
Corinthians 13:3).  Haven’t you ever known someone who was always
helping others, even making great sacrificial efforts, but you were
suspicious they had a selfish motivation- trying to buy or control
other?  This is an example of exactly this Bible truth.

In fact, it goes further than that.  This is how God, our Creator,
made us so our lives would work out well.  Say I buy a box of cake mix
and decide to make the cake my way.  Instead of following the
directions on the back of the cake mix box, I substitute vinegar for
the milk and use olives and bologna instead of the chocolate chips.
Is that the cake you want for your birthday?  The creator of the cake
mix knows how his cake should be made.  Well, our creator knows how
our lives should be made.  If we live our lives by God’s definition of
love, we will have good lives- if not; all the money in the world
won’t make us happy.  How many people do you know who go around
cheating their acquaintances, stealing their best friend’s boyfriends
or husbands or girlfriends or wives, gossiping about their neighbors,
getting mad easily and not forgiving, screaming and yelling and
cursing at family members, and on, and on, and on?  What kind of lives
do they have?  Sure.  They’re forever working out the consequences of
their behavior- and then they wonder why God doesn’t help them more.

So what exactly does this Christian love look like- this love that God
expects of us?  Let’s look at 1st Corinthians 13: 4-8.
	Love is:
	Kind
	Patient
	Never jealous
	Never boastful
	Never proud (Do you think you’re better than others?  Do you avoid
discussing things for fear you may be wrong?)
	Never rude.  (Are you someone who “lets it all hang out,” or do you
try to be tactful when you need to speak the truth in love?)
	Never selfish (Do you only think about yourself, or do you really
listen when others talk?)
	Never quick tempered.  (“But that’s just how I am!” or “That’s how I
was raised!” is no excuse.)
	It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.
	Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil.  (Gossips LOVE evil!
Do you gossip?)
	Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting.
	Love never fails!

Paul ends by reminding his Christian friends that everything they have
and do will be lost in death.  In other words, only what’s done for
God will last, and the things that are done for God are actions which
are done in love.

So, where are you?  Are you still making excuses- how you just can’t
live this way, it won’t work; people will take advantage of you,
etc.?

I’m going to close with a poem that each of us must answer every day
when we go to bed and when we meet our Lord when we die.  It is
entitled, “What Is the Gospel According to You?”
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Are read by more than a few.
But the one that is read most and commented on
Is the gospel according to you.
You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day,
By the things that you do and the words that you say.
People read what you write, whether faithless or true.
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
Do others read His truth and His love in your life?
Or has yours been too full of malice and strife?
Does your life speak of evil, or does it ring true?
Say, what is the gospel according to you?
				(Anonymous)

For anyone who is interested, this sermon and updated African-American
wisdom statements either is or will be posted on our parish web site.
The address is: http://www.stpaulsepisag.com .

Blessed preaching,
Judy Boli
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Saginaw, Michigan

 
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