SOMETHING TO HOLD ONTO
May 10, 2010
Welcome to this fireside service in the Road Church Parish hall and the message of the week.
Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say,—Father, save me from this hour? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. John 12:27
Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world. He had always loved his own, and he loved them to the very end. So during the meal Jesus got up, wrapped a towel around his waist, put some water into a large bowl, and began washing his disciples’ feet. John 13:1-5.
Jesus said, do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. John 14:1
The phrase, Do not let your hearts be troubled, caught my eye like a flashing neon sign. These are words we need to hear right now. These are the kind of words mothers say to their small children when they feel fearful, helpless, small. In this pandemic all of us feel small. We are in the grip of something much bigger than us. We are sheltering at home. Doing our part to flatten the curve of increasing sickness and death in our community. We are trying hard not to become a statistic ourselves. Each day is a challenge. They are all the same. (April 40 or May 10?)
Life has become difficult. The simplest tasks have become complicated and stressful. Stopping at the gas station, or shopping at a supermarket, means wearing a mask and gloves as though we were visiting an intensive care unit. We are anxious about our health, our finances, our future. Our anxious hearts rob us of energy by day, and rob us of sleep at night.
Now, more than ever, we need something to hold onto that will calm our fears, bring peace to our hearts, and make our days count. Jesus was facing the biggest crisis of his life when he said, do not let your hearts be troubled. How he dealt with his own crisis, can help us through our own.
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem he knew his days were numbered. He said to himself, “My soul is very troubled. And what should I say?—Father, save me from this hour! No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Jesus’ hour was the hour of his execution. But he was determined to face his fears. His final week in Jerusalem was lived in the shadow of his impending death. He was a dead man walking. He spent his days sparring with his religious opponents. His sleepless nights were spent outside the city hiding somewhere on the Mount of Olives. He spent his final evening in the city with his disciples in a secret location. It was a somber gathering, like a wake. They ate a final meal together. He announced that one of them would betray him. They were shocked, confused, frightened. Jesus’ remedy for his troubled soul, and theirs, was to get up from the table and wash his disciples’ feet. This was an act of humble loving service. Then he said, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Believe in God. Believe in me.
Jesus gives us Faith in God, and Love of neighbor as a remedy for troubled hearts. Faith and love work together. Faith gives us something to hold onto. Love gives us something to do. When children are troubled or frightened, parents give them something to hold, or something to do. It always makes things better. In the same way, when our hearts are troubled, God gives us Faith to focus our thoughts. And, He gives us Love to focus our actions. Faith working through love casts out fear. Faith and love give us something to hold onto.
Elephants are intelligent and sensitive creatures. A trainer knows an elephant is prone to panic in unfamiliar circumstances. If he were to lead it through a public place, it would soon become distracted or frightened by information overload. So, he will give the elephant a bamboo stick to hold in its trunk. The elephant likes this and holds it tight. As soon as the elephant wraps his trunk around the bamboo, he begins to relax. He is not tempted by tables of ripe fruit in the open market. He is not distracted by strange sights and smells, or frightened by sudden noises. With his bamboo stick held securely in his trunk, the elephant strides through the market like a noble creature: calm, collected, focused. Do you remember the story of Dumbo? As long as he held a feather in his trunk, he could fly! In the same way, Faith gives us wings that lift us above the distractions and fears of life.
“HE BEGAN TO WASH THE DISCIPLES’ FEET” John 13:5
When Jesus was troubled in his soul, he took hold of his disciples’ feet and washed them. Holding their feet and lovingly washing them was good for his soul, and theirs. Washing feet was the menial work of a household slave. But this humble act was one of the greatest things he ever did. He showed the disciples how much he loved them. He put love in the center of their situation. When love is central to our lives, our hearts remain calm through troubling times.
“THEY TOOK HOLD OF HIS FEET” Matthew 28:9
When Jesus said, “Believe in God. Believe also in me.” He put faith at the center of things. When two women fled in fear from the empty tomb on Easter morning, Jesus met them on the road, and they took hold of his feet. Holding his feet tightly in their arms banished their fear and bolstered their faith. Faith calms our fears by centering our thoughts on higher things. Faith gives us a clear sense of duty. Believing in God is like holding a bamboo stick. It keeps us from grabbing at every distraction, or worrying over every little thing. Rather, we walk through them: calm, collected, and focused. Faith working through love is like holding Dumbo’s feather. It lifts us up above our troubles and fills our days with worthwhile, amazing work. Jesus said, “Fear not little flock, for it is your heavenly father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” it is is the power of God, where faith working through love can redeem our days. Hold on to the Faith, Hope and Love that God has given you. And May the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with all of you.