Sermon for April 9th, 2023 - Revision history

Iraneal at 05:23, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T05:23:24Z

Iraneal at 05:19, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T05:19:09Z

Iraneal at 04:33, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T04:33:01Z

Iraneal at 03:45, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T03:45:14Z

Iraneal at 02:36, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T02:36:39Z

Iraneal at 01:23, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T01:23:55Z

Iraneal at 01:19, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T01:19:36Z

Iraneal at 01:00, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T01:00:15Z

Iraneal at 00:17, 9 April 2023

2023-04-09T00:17:18Z

Iraneal at 23:34, 8 April 2023

2023-04-08T23:34:22Z

@@ Line 83: / Line 83: @@
 In the same way, the foreign immigrant is unlike me in every way, he is different, he is "other"...until we break bread together, until we walk a mile together, until we forge a relationship, and then my "other" becomes my "brother" as I begin to see the world through his eyes, his burdens become my burdens, and we carry them together.
-====Conclusion====
+====THE CONCLUSION====
 Fearless.  That's how the earliest Christians were known.
 Fearless when they preached the message of Christ before crowds of thousands in the marketplace.
 Fearless in the courthouse, in the prisons, and in the palaces.
-Fearless in caring for each other, for widows, and for the poor.
+Fearless in caring for each other, for widows, orphans, and the poor.
-Fearless, when they were thrown into arena with the lions and the gladiators.
+Fearless, when they were thrown into the arena with the lions and the gladiators.
 Fearless, when they were tried, sentenced and crucified like Jesus.
 Fearless in the way they lived life, and fearless in the way they left it behind.
@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 Not of their own accord...but through the one who said to them, "Do not be afraid."
-The one who conquered death and defeated fear, so that we might live and die...fearlessly.
+The one who conquered death and defeated fear, so that we, too, can live and die...fearlessly.
 Happy Easter, First Presbyterian Church.  He is Risen!

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 #If you're afraid of overly complicated buildings....you might have a complex complex complex.
-In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) have an encounter with an angel of the Lord, and with the resurrected Jesus. Throughout the passage, the two women are terrified.  The angel tells them, "Don't be afraid" and then Jesus tells them "Don't be afraid" but you get the idea that's easier said than done.
+In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) have an encounter with an angel of the Lord, and with the resurrected Jesus. Throughout the passage, the two women are fearful, if not terrified.  The angel tells them, "Don't be afraid" and then Jesus tells them "Don't be afraid" but you get the idea that's easier said than done.
 Neither Mary is mentioned again in Matthew or in the later books of the New Testament, but there is an old tradition in the Orthodox Church which relates how Mary Magdalene, later in life, was invited to a banquet held by the Roman Emperor Tiberius.  Upon greeting the Emperor, Mary held up an egg in her hand, saying "Christ is Risen."  The emperor laughed at her, and said that was about as likely as the egg in her hand turning red.  The legend says that the egg immediately turned red, and Mary fearlessly began to share the gospel with everyone in the emperor's household.
@@ Line 31: / Line 31: @@
 When someone says to you, "Don't be afraid," how does that make you feel?  Does it work?  Do you believe them?
-For me sometimes it has the opposite effect:  "This is your captain speaking. We had a minor problem with the left turbine, but don't be afraid--everything is under control."  Well, I wasn't afraid before, but now I am! If you really had things under control, why would you call my attention to the danger?
+For me sometimes it has the opposite effect:  "This is your captain speaking. We had a minor problem with the left turbine, but don't be afraid--everything is under control."  Well, I wasn't afraid before you said that...
 It also depends a lot on WHO exactly is telling you not to be afraid, and what the situation is.  I have two younger brothers (they are twins) and whenever one of them says, "Don't worry--this is perfectly safe!" it usually means that something is about to fall apart, catch on fire, or explode.
-Sometimes when people say, "Don't be afraid," what they really mean is, "I'm afraid, too." While sympathy is nice, it doesn't really and the power to change anything, and so the fear remains.
+Sometimes when people say, "Don't be afraid," what they really mean is, "I'm afraid, too." While sympathy is nice, it doesn't really have the power to change anything, and so the fear remains.
-No, I think that in order to convincingly and credibly say, "Do not be afraid" of something--for those words to actually inspire and deliver confidence, the person saying them has to have one of three things that those who are afraid do not have:   Power, Knowledge, or Experience.
+No, I think that in order to credibly say, "Do not be afraid" of something--for those words to actually inspire and deliver confidence, the person saying them has to have one of three things that those who are afraid do not have:   Power, Knowledge, or Experience.
 Think back to the last time someone said "Don't be afraid" and because of their words, you knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that it would be okay.  Perhaps it was a parent when you were younger, a teacher or a mentor, or some authority figure in your life.  Chances are, you believed them because you knew they actually had the power to protect you from what you were afraid of, or they had personally experienced what you were going through (and therefore you knew they could guide you through it), or they had information (unknown to you) that was relevant to your situation.
@@ Line 75: / Line 75: @@
 ====THE LORD====
-I said earlier that there were three fears, and three things that can help us overcome those fears.  There's actually one more in our text today.  When the two women first encounter the risen Jesus, he too, tells them, "Don't be afraid."  Why would they be afraid of Jesus, their friend, their teacher, someone they knew pretty well?  The simple answer is, because he's different now.  In the gospel of Luke, Jesus walks almost all the way to Emmaus with two of his disciples before they finally recognize him.  But it's more than physical appearance--Both Marys recognize Jesus immediately, but where before they knew him as their friend and teacher (and *maybe* they kind of bought into at least some of that Messiah stuff...) know there is no doubt that Jesus is who he said he was:  God's own son, the savior of the world--and that puts distance, awe, and fear between them.
+I said earlier that there were three fears, and three things that can help us overcome those fears.  There's actually one more in our text today (BONUS!).  When the two women first encounter the risen Jesus, he too, tells them, "Don't be afraid."  Why would they be afraid of Jesus, their friend, their teacher, someone they knew pretty well?  The simple answer is, because he's different now.  In the gospel of Luke, Jesus walks almost all the way to Emmaus with two of his disciples before they finally recognize him.  But it's more than physical appearance--Both Marys recognize Jesus immediately, but where before they knew him as their friend and teacher (and *maybe* they kind of bought into at least some of that Messiah stuff...) know there is no doubt that Jesus is who he said he was:  God himself in human flesh, the creator, redeemer, and sustainer of the world--and that puts distance, awe, and fear between them.
-This is the fear of the "other" (what is different from us).
+This is the fear of the "other" (what is different from us).  In the Old Testament, "fear of God" (or reverence) is considered a good thing, but it's still a fear.  Other examples are the fear of foreign cultures and customs; racism, discrimination, and religious intolerance; even the fear of insects and spiders is a fear based on how grotesquely *different* they are from us!
-*What makes us fearless?
-*RELATIONSHIP
-The guards have "power" but no experience of Jesus. The women have experience of Jesus, but no power, and no knowledge (understanding) of God's plan.
+====Conclusion====
-Can we believe in Jesus' resurrection today?
+How and Why?  Because they had power. They had knowledge.  They had experience.  They had relationships.
--Can't prove it one way or another.
--But why would the followers of Jesus and the first century martyrs go so willingly (and fearlessly!) to their deaths if they did not have some reasonable assurance that death was not the end?
+Not of their own accord...but through the one who said to them, "Do not be afraid."

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 #If you're afraid of overly complicated buildings....you might have a complex complex complex.
-In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) go to the tomb where their friend and teacher, Jesus, was buried.  On the way there, they experience an earthquake, which leaves them, well... pretty shook up (sorry for the pun!).  They see the large stone which had been covering the tomb rolled away and a heavenly being sitting on top of it.  The Roman Guards--highly trained and battle-seasoned men--freak out and play dead, but the Angel tells the two women, "Don't be afraid," and shows them the empty tomb.  They are still afraid. He sends them to Galilee with the message that Jesus is alive again, but before they can get there, the resurrected Jesus shows up in person. He, too, tells the women, "Don't be afraid," and like the angel sends them on to Galilee to share the good news with the disciples.
+In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) have an encounter with an angel of the Lord, and with the resurrected Jesus. Throughout the passage, the two women are terrified.  The angel tells them, "Don't be afraid" and then Jesus tells them "Don't be afraid" but you get the idea that's easier said than done.
 Neither Mary is mentioned again in Matthew or in the later books of the New Testament, but there is an old tradition in the Orthodox Church which relates how Mary Magdalene, later in life, was invited to a banquet held by the Roman Emperor Tiberius.  Upon greeting the Emperor, Mary held up an egg in her hand, saying "Christ is Risen."  The emperor laughed at her, and said that was about as likely as the egg in her hand turning red.  The legend says that the egg immediately turned red, and Mary fearlessly began to share the gospel with everyone in the emperor's household.
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 The angel gives the two Marys the good news that Jesus "is not here--he has been raised from the dead . . . and you will see him.  This is my message."  And yet, in the very next verse, we read that "they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy."  So they're joyful, but they're still afraid.  Why? Because even though they believe what the angel has told them (he backed it up with power and experience), it still makes absolutely no sense.  Think about how you would have responded: "Hey, your friend that died a few days ago...he's back!"  Part of me would be happy, but my very next question would be, "How? Is he back back...or like zombie back?"  In first century medical terms or 21st century medical terms, there just was no answer that could have made sense.
-This is the fear of what we don't understand. In the 16th century, we had a convenient label for those things:  Witchcraft.  Today, it might manifest as a fear of new technology; a fear illness or disease for which there is no known cure;
+This is the fear of what we don't understand. In the 16th century, we had a convenient label for those things:  Witchcraft.  Today, it might manifest as a fear of new technology; a fear illness or disease for which there is no known cure; or frightening questions for which there is no discernible answer:  Why did my child have to die? If God loves the world, why does he allow evil, pain, and suffering?  Why do I keep failing when I've been trying so hard? More than any other type of fear, I have seen this one drive people into paralysis and depression.  As human beings, we are naturally curious and inquisitive, so when our understanding falls short, we shrink back in fear.
-*What makes us fearless in the face of things we can't possibly understand?
+As much as I would LIKE to know why bad things happen to good people, I don't absolutely NEED to know that in order to live a good and happy life.  It helps that I believe there IS a reasonable answer to that question, known by the creator of the universe. Perhaps someday when my intellect is up to it, he may share it with me.  Or not.
-*KNOWLEDGE
-I said earlier that there were three fears, and three things that can help us overcome those fears.  There's actually one more in our text today.  When the two women first encounter the risen Jesus, he too, tells them, "Don't be afraid."  Why would they be afraid of Jesus, their friend, their teacher, someone they knew pretty well?
+The angel says to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus."  Sometimes the person we're looking for is more important than the answers we're looking for.
 ====THE LORD====
-*Fear of the other (what is different from us)
+I said earlier that there were three fears, and three things that can help us overcome those fears.  There's actually one more in our text today.  When the two women first encounter the risen Jesus, he too, tells them, "Don't be afraid."  Why would they be afraid of Jesus, their friend, their teacher, someone they knew pretty well?  The simple answer is, because he's different now.  In the gospel of Luke, Jesus walks almost all the way to Emmaus with two of his disciples before they finally recognize him.  But it's more than physical appearance--Both Marys recognize Jesus immediately, but where before they knew him as their friend and teacher (and *maybe* they kind of bought into at least some of that Messiah stuff...) know there is no doubt that Jesus is who he said he was:  God's own son, the savior of the world--and that puts distance, awe, and fear between them.
 *What makes us fearless?
 *RELATIONSHIP

@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 The earthquake in our story is a natural disaster, what used to be called an "act of God" (and in this case, it clearly is). The earthquake represents the fear of what we cannot control.  We spend a LOT of time worrying about those things in today's world:  Political instability, economic instability, global warfare, climate change, school shootings, terrorism...to name a few.  Now, I'm not saying we can't or shouldn't work toward societal solutions wherever and whenever we can--but the vast disparity between what we can do, and how much we worry is what makes these things out of our control.
-What makes us fearless in the face of things we cannot control?  Power.  Not wielding power, but rather putting our trust in the right source of power, the highest source of power.  In the world of the gospels, the highest earthly power, where most of the civilized world put their trust (or fear) was the power of the Roman government.  The Roman government that was violently occupying Israel, had just crucified Jesus, and was now guarding his tomb--all things the two Marys had no control over.  But when the angel of the Lord descended with an earthquake and rolled the stone away, the balance of power shifted.  The soldiers shook with fear, and the women
+What makes us fearless in the face of things we cannot control?  Power.  Not wielding power, but rather putting our trust in the right source of power, the highest source of power.  In the world of the gospels, the highest earthly power, where most of the civilized world put their trust (or fear) was the power of the Roman government.  The Roman government that was violently occupying Israel, had just crucified Jesus, and was now guarding his tomb--all things the two Marys had no control over.  But when the angel of the Lord descended with an earthquake and rolled the stone away, the balance of power shifted.  The soldiers shook with fear, and the women were given hope and purpose.
 ====THE MESSAGE====
-*Fear of what we don't understand
+The angel gives the two Marys the good news that Jesus "is not here--he has been raised from the dead . . . and you will see him.  This is my message."  And yet, in the very next verse, we read that "they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy."  So they're joyful, but they're still afraid.  Why? Because even though they believe what the angel has told them (he backed it up with power and experience), it still makes absolutely no sense.  Think about how you would have responded: "Hey, your friend that died a few days ago...he's back!"  Part of me would be happy, but my very next question would be, "How? Is he back back...or like zombie back?"  In first century medical terms or 21st century medical terms, there just was no answer that could have made sense.
 *What makes us fearless?
 *KNOWLEDGE

@@ Line 50: / Line 50: @@
 ====THE TOMB====
-*Fear of the unknown
+When we first encounter the two Marys, they are on their way to the tomb.  A tomb is a scary place.  It's dark, there is (presumably) a dead body inside.  It's a reminder of defeat, loss, grief, and (since Jesus was executed by the Roman government) it's a reminder of the unknown fate that lies ahead for those who followed him.  The presence of Roman guards underscores this fear.
-*What makes us fearless?
-*EXPERIENCE
+In fact, the tomb represents the fear of the unknown.  The fear of the dark.  The fear of change and uncertainty. The fear of death.  We all face that from time to time in life.
 ====THE EARTHQUAKE====
-*Fear of what we cannot control
+The earthquake in our story is a natural disaster, what used to be called an "act of God" (and in this case, it clearly is). The earthquake represents the fear of what we cannot control.  We spend a LOT of time worrying about those things in today's world:  Political instability, economic instability, global warfare, climate change, school shootings, terrorism...to name a few.  Now, I'm not saying we can't or shouldn't work toward societal solutions wherever and whenever we can--but the vast disparity between what we can do, and how much we worry is what makes these things out of our control.
-*What makes us fearless?
-*POWER
+What makes us fearless in the face of things we cannot control?  Power.  Not wielding power, but rather putting our trust in the right source of power, the highest source of power.  In the world of the gospels, the highest earthly power, where most of the civilized world put their trust (or fear) was the power of the Roman government.  The Roman government that was violently occupying Israel, had just crucified Jesus, and was now guarding his tomb--all things the two Marys had no control over.  But when the angel of the Lord descended with an earthquake and rolled the stone away, the balance of power shifted.  The soldiers shook with fear, and the women
 ====THE MESSAGE====

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. 5But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. 6He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.7Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you.” 8So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”
-==Fearless Easter Sermon==
+==Fearless==
 There are countless things that people have been afraid of through the years; many of them even come with a clinical diagnosis and a fancy name.  For example, have you ever heard of...
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 #If you're afraid of overly complicated buildings....you might have a complex complex complex.
-In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) go to the tomb where their friend and teacher, Jesus, was buried.  On the way there, they experience an earthquake, which leaves them, well... pretty shook up (sorry for the pun!).  They see the large stone which had been covering the tomb rolled away and an angelic being sitting on top of it.  The Roman Guards--highly trained and battle-seasoned men--freak out and play dead, but the Angel tells the two women, "Don't be afraid," and shows them the empty tomb.  They are still afraid. He sends them to Galilee with the message that Jesus is alive again, but before they can get there, the resurrected Jesus shows up in person. He, too, tells the women, "Don't be afraid," and like the angel sends them on to Galilee to share the good news with the disciples.
+In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) go to the tomb where their friend and teacher, Jesus, was buried.  On the way there, they experience an earthquake, which leaves them, well... pretty shook up (sorry for the pun!).  They see the large stone which had been covering the tomb rolled away and a heavenly being sitting on top of it.  The Roman Guards--highly trained and battle-seasoned men--freak out and play dead, but the Angel tells the two women, "Don't be afraid," and shows them the empty tomb.  They are still afraid. He sends them to Galilee with the message that Jesus is alive again, but before they can get there, the resurrected Jesus shows up in person. He, too, tells the women, "Don't be afraid," and like the angel sends them on to Galilee to share the good news with the disciples.
-Neither Mary is mentioned again in Matthew or in the later books of the New Testament, but there is an old tradition in the Orthodox Church that Mary Magdalene was once invited to a banquet held by the Roman Emperor Tiberius.  Upon greeting the Emperor, Mary held out to him in her hand an egg, and said the words, "Christ is Risen."  The emperor laughed at her, and said that was about as likely as the egg in her hand turning red.  The legend says that the egg immediately turned red, and Mary fearlessly began to share the gospel with all in the emperor's household.
+Neither Mary is mentioned again in Matthew or in the later books of the New Testament, but there is an old tradition in the Orthodox Church which relates how Mary Magdalene, later in life, was invited to a banquet held by the Roman Emperor Tiberius.  Upon greeting the Emperor, Mary held up an egg in her hand, saying "Christ is Risen."  The emperor laughed at her, and said that was about as likely as the egg in her hand turning red.  The legend says that the egg immediately turned red, and Mary fearlessly began to share the gospel with everyone in the emperor's household.
@@ Line 52: / Line 62: @@
-In order to convincingly and credibly say, "Do not be afraid" of something, the comforter has to have knowledge, power, experience that the comforted does not.
 The guards have "power" but no experience of Jesus. The women have experience of Jesus, but no power, and no knowledge (understanding) of God's plan.

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 #If you're afraid of overly complicated buildings....you might have a complex complex complex.
-In today's scripture passage, the phrase "Do not be afraid" is appears twice--first spoken by an angel of the Lord, and then next by the resurrected Jesus himself.  Now, that shouldn't be
+In today's scripture passage, the two Marys (Mary Magdalene and a woman identified simply as "other" Mary) go to the tomb where their friend and teacher, Jesus, was buried.  On the way there, they experience an earthquake, which leaves them, well... pretty shook up (sorry for the pun!).  They see the large stone which had been covering the tomb rolled away and an angelic being sitting on top of it.  The Roman Guards--highly trained and battle-seasoned men--freak out and play dead, but the Angel tells the two women, "Don't be afraid," and shows them the empty tomb.  They are still afraid. He sends them to Galilee with the message that Jesus is alive again, but before they can get there, the resurrected Jesus shows up in person. He, too, tells the women, "Don't be afraid," and like the angel sends them on to Galilee to share the good news with the disciples.
--Fear of what we cannot control - earthquake -->POWER
+Neither Mary is mentioned again in Matthew or in the later books of the New Testament, but there is an old tradition in the Orthodox Church that Mary Magdalene was once invited to a banquet held by the Roman Emperor Tiberius.  Upon greeting the Emperor, Mary held out to him in her hand an egg, and said the words, "Christ is Risen."  The emperor laughed at her, and said that was about as likely as the egg in her hand turning red.  The legend says that the egg immediately turned red, and Mary fearlessly began to share the gospel with all in the emperor's household.
--Fear of the unknown - the tomb --> EXPERIENCE
--Fear of what we don't understand - Angelic pronouncement -->KNOWLEDGE
--Fear of the other (what is different from us) - Jesus -->RELATIONSHIP