“A People God”
June 30, 2024
Seminarian Henry Norkplim Anyomi
Opening Prayer
Precious God, our help in ages past and our hope for years to come, You are here and that’s all that matters. Here we are, ready vessels for Your use. Here I stand, a pot upon the Potter’s wheel, shape me, mould me, break me, use me. Let whatever You speak through me bring edification and direction. Be with us; help us know that You are God. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Message
I was away last Sunday, but was very grateful to have been able to catch Rev. Becca’s sermon via Facebook. How awesome is our tech team! Thanks for your service in the Lord … A portion of the sermon titled, “Faith in the Midst of of the Storm,” stood out to me which I made sure to note down:
“Maybe faith is the ability to know that storms will arise and to be willing to set out in the boat anyway.”
– Becca Migliore, June 2024
“Sea of Galilee,” “storms,” and “setting out” are but few words I lifted from that sermon. Today, we continue from where we left off last Sunday. Our first reading portrays an acknowledgement of sin, a cry for help, a plea to God to hearken and to forgive, a wait, a hope in the Lord … An eclectic psalm, it relates to levels individual and communal; mortal and divine, somber and hopeful … Though often used in Church circles as a penitential psalm for purposes of confession and repentance, biblical scholars think Psalm 130 surpasses that – that it is “at the heart of Scripture,” pertaining to the human predicament and its dependence on divine grace. Martin Luther is said to have called it “a proper master and doctor of Scripture” in that it “teaches the basic truth of Scripture.”
The author of Psalm 130 isn’t known but the psalm itself belongs to a category of psalms called, the Songs of Ascent. Those were psalms or songs which were sung during festivals in ancient Israel or used by priests as they went up flights of steps into the Jerusalem sanctuary for worship. Diving into the psalm proper now, we are able to discover what worship of God and relating with God meant before or after exile. Generally, we come to understand that Israel's walk before God was not a straight path – it involved meanderings, detours, bends, and storms. We know from various eras in the Hebrew Bible/the Old Testament that at both individual and corporate levels, Israel sometimes fell short of God’s standards and lived unjustly. But because of God’s promise to Abraham and Sarah, God would lead the Israelites back to God no matter how far gone they were in their transgressions. So again and again, the Israelites would fall, but again and again God would help them back to the right course, whether it be through sending a prophet, helping the leadership to unearth an ancient covenantal scroll, the report of a neighbor, or something else. So, Israel’s walk with God turned and meandered, but it persisted.
The expression, “out of the depths” caught my attention in my pre-sermon readings. I thought of it as a lowly place, a valley, an abyss, a tumult, or a trial. But knowing that the psalter “cried,” I reckoned that this was not like any other trial – a certain trial of trials, perhaps. So I set out to learn more from commentaries and I came across a perspective I thought would be worth sharing:
The depths is an abbreviation of “depths of the sea” and is metaphorically used to reflect a “drowning in distress, being overwhelmed and sucked down by the bottomless waters of troubles.” In “the depths of the sea,” “death prevails instead of life as prospect and power” and “the authentic word about existence is “I am lost.”
Being lost … is something that I believe most of us could relate to, especially in our days of GPS, Google/Apple Maps, to mention a few. And as I talk about this, episodes of my personal struggles in the past to find a new address or to navigate a new environment are “dancing” before my eyes, but I will resist the temptation of discussing those here. But you probably can relate … The text, however, touches on something more profound – lost in the “depths of the sea.” Lost where no mortal hand could save. Hidden from the view of all who could redeem – drowning at the very bottom.
The paradox in this psalm is that Israel chooses to not despair, but wait for the Lord. That’s very counterintuitive, especially when deluged by one’s past – iniquity, addiction, wasted years, wrong beliefs, wrong choices; missed opportunities – and encumbered by the consequences of such a past – exile, ill health, loss of loved ones, bankruptcy … But why the psalter chooses to wait for the Lord isn’t so much about them and what they may or may not have done as it is about God’s steadfast love and great power to redeem. The psalter knows that though we humans tend to be fickle and changing, God is steadfast in love and unchanging in might. And just as good always prevails in the face of evil, God’s able and unfailing arm will redeem, especially at the most critical moment of life. God’s love isn’t like anything humans do or have; it is unceasing as Lamentations puts it. Then, it kept going after ancient Israel, and today, it keeps coming after all who genuinely trust God and believe in God’s word for their life.
There were “out-of-the-depth” situations during Jesus’ time too and our second reading gives us a snapshot of them. After exorcising a man with an unclean spirit outside Jewish territory, Jesus comes back home to the region of the Sea of Galilee, probably Capernaum. Instantly, a crowd gathers around him; among them, Jairus, a leader of the synagogue, a man of high repute, one can say. There is drama because Jairus sets aside his title, credentials, and reputation – he pleads with Jesus to come quickly to heal his daughter who was gravely ill.
In keeping with Mark’s character as a compact writer, we only know that she was little, about twelve years old, but it would take a comparison with Luke’s narration to know that she was his only daughter. Immediately, our understanding is further illuminated! Perhaps we can better empathise with the leader and his desperation – she was the only girl! This man was lost – in the depths of sea – and what does the Seeker and Saviour of the lost do? He lingers because power has gone out of him! Lol. I can understand the confusion of the disciples and I’m sure I would have been perplexed too, had I been there!
But Jesus knew exactly what he meant. It wasn’t about him and the power he carried, but another out-of-the-depth story. He had heard yet another cry en route to fixing the little girl’s circumstance. Yes, there had been an SOS from Jairus, but he couldn’t play deaf to another distressed soul that needed his touch. A soul with a peculiar story; a destitute, perhaps, in the eyes of onlookers. Medically, she was a lost cause; physically, she was frail and out of shape; religiously, she was unclean; financially, she was bankrupt; gender-wise, she was disqualified and required a male sponsor; emotionally, she was probably very stressed, having pursued her healing for twelve solid years! So, in saying “power has gone out of me,” Jesus was simply flipping the script saying, "I've heard her cry,” contrary to what the system expected. “Now I want to see the face behind the healing, to hear her story, to learn about her motivation,” Jesus may have thought to himself. Dear friends, amid the insatiable needs of the crowd, it was the piercing cry of an ailing and ceremonially unclean woman that stopped Jesus in his tracks!
Jesus would eventually make it to Jairus’ and heal, or rather raise, Jairus’ little girl, as the second reading revealed. Indulge me for a moment as I examine Jesus, God’s Son, in light of both miracles – the little girl’s and the woman’s. I may have overthought it, but I was wondering what Christ’s physical contact with both characters might mean.
On the one hand, he is touched, without notice, by a woman perceived as “unclean,” and on the other, he elects to touch the dead body of the little girl – also considered “unclean.”
I may not know what Jesus was thinking when he dismissed the woman without taking issue with her touching him with her “unclean body,” nor do I know why he chose to visit Jairus’ house in person. One thing stands out to me, however – Jesus walks with messed up people. God wants to jump into the trenches with us! A doctor who calls their patient, “daughter,” isn’t doing business as per usual. A miracle worker who takes the hand of the dead to raise them is sending a message. The business and message of the Lord here is one of relationship, one of connection, one of love, one that says, “I don’t mind your mess; I’m your person.” And while God is at it, God brings us along, with the encouragement to “only believe.” That is an invitation to work alongside God, so we can better understand ourselves and the work God is doing in our lives.
To close, like ancient Israel, the woman, and the little girl, God is inviting us to a new way of thinking – to see God as one who knows the depths in which we are in our respective lives. God, the One on whom all of ancient Israel called, the One who was constantly encircled by crowds of people, is able and available, and doesn’t mind our mess. God is our person and will go with us into the trenches of our lives, we need only to believe. Friends, God hears us right where we are and wants to be with us in our present situations. Would we allow God? May God’s grace enfold us so that God’s work can have free course in our lives. Amen!
In closing, God’s exhortation to us is that rest is God’s gift. No matter how desirous and hardworking we are, we can’t access the rest that God promises without Christ, due to our human imperfections and demands. With Christ at the center, however, we escape abuse, receiving God’s grace to be the best we can be. Friends, the good news is, as we speak today, this rest is available in our midst, thanks to Calvary’s Cross.
And all we have to do is receive. In this life and that which is to come, may God’s name be praised for freeing us from our burdens and offering us peace in their stead. Alleluia! Amen!
Closing Prayer
God in Heaven, You are the God who sees us. Thank You for Your living and abiding word which has buttressed Your connection with us. In the midst of the various needs represented here today, prove Yourself mighty, as we continue to put all trust in You. You are God, You know just what to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
|