Readings

FIRST LESSON

The first lesson is from 2 Samuel Chapter 11, verses 1-15

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, "This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite." So David sent messengers to fetch her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."

So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing." Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die."

SECOND LESSON

The second lesson is from the Gospel of John Chapter 6, verses 1 through 21

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near. When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."

When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.

This Week's Sermon

Date: July 26, 2009

Title: Savior or King

Message Delivered By: Jim Stentzel

Let us pray:
We’re grateful to be in your presence, in your house, dear God. Bless us as we seek to renew and deepen our relationship with you, through your son, Jesus. Amen.
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You gotta appreciate the honesty of our loved ones….On the signboard out front it says

Jim Stentzel
Savior or King

So Cathy turns to me and whispers, “Honey, you’re neither.”

Whom do we seek, which do we really want: Savior or King?

Since we liberated ourselves from King George a couple centuries ago, and because we’re in church now, the answer might appear as obvious: “Savior, of course!”

But … if I look at my behavior. If we look at our behavior. If we consider the actions of many Americans: The answer to “Savior or King” is unclear, it’s muddled. There appears to be considerable popular support for a “hybrid” Savior-hyphen-King.

Maybe this fusion, or confusion, is what’s behind so many church-state conflicts….

First, about that King David affair. You remember, David tries to get Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to presume responsibility for Bathsheba’s pregnancy. Failing that, David sends him to the front-lines, where Uriah is killed.

Now, imagine if President Obama had an impulsive “Bathsheba encounter”. This story, too, would end with a killing…. That would be Michele wringing Barack’s neck.

I’m one of many Americans – including some of you, I suspect – who voted for a savior last fall. From some deep place of yearning and hope, I was ready for Barack Obama to do great things. Maybe not exactly feed the 5,000 or walk on water. But on Day One he would smite Philistine bank presidents and Wall Street CEOs, and put a final turn of the knife in the heart of American racism. He would chase lobbyist money-changers from the temples of power. Then, after lunch, he would sign into law a military personnel bill entitled “Please ask, I’ll tell.”

It’s actually good news that President Obama cannot be, and will never be, our savior. And the biblical Good News heard today is that Jesus refuses to be King….

The disciples gathered up the fragments of the five barley loaves and two fish, and they filled 12 baskets. When the crowd saw what Jesus had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”

When Jesus realized they were about to take him by force and make him king…. When Jesus realized they were about to take him by force and make him king… he withdrew to the mountain by himself.[adapted from John 6:13-15]

You know, in truth, Jesus would have been an extremely unpopular king. The Bible would have to be totally revised:
“On the third day he rose” would become “on the third day he was impeached.”

We can identify with that crowd of 5,000. We too are followers of Jesus, on a faith journey, yearning for a closer relationship = to touch, and be touched by, the healing hand of God. We too are spiritually hungry. That was one heckuva throng gathered near the Sea of Galilee … and they weren’t there because there was nothing good on TV. They, like us, were motivated. They brought with them a yearning, a hunger for the bread of life.

We can identify with the persons in that crowd because, like them, we too sometimes are overwhelmed by the mystery and power of Jesus.

But, look at what the crowd did then – and perhaps what we do today:

They were awestruck by the miracle. They loved the shared meal. But now they’d like to stop the action, to “freeze frame” God’s ongoing revelation. They try to halt the salvation story, even though it’s only Chapter Six.

They interrupt the New Thing Jesus is doing to search their memory banks. Where does this guy fit in?

They’ve heard talk about a Savior. But such talk has been difficult to understand, even for the disciples. Saviors are outside the box, full of mystery. They talk in parables and do all kinds of strange – and against the law – things.

So the crowd needed some other other name, role, explanation, category … anything that would help them make sense of this man Jesus.

The mental wheel-churning arrived at a simple conclusion:
“Let’s see …. He’s powerful…. Kings are powerful….
“That’s it! Yes! Jesus must be a king! Let’s make him king!”

When Jesus realized what was happening, he was outa there, headed for the hills.
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We pray “thy kingdom come” which, according to my third grade grammar teacher is future tense. But not a few American Christians believe the kingdom has come – and resides now in their suburban development. They freeze-frame a successful, middle-class, regally dressed King Jesus … one who just happens to look a lot like themselves. Then they ask Washington to certify their logic: “Christian Nation … King Jesus …. Hey, let’s make the union official!”

Probably even larger numbers of American Christians take their desire for a savior-king and project it onto persons of power – like my hope that President Obama would save us from ourselves.

Here’s the danger, the real, and still present, danger:

In our search for the “king we want,” we lose sight of the Savior we need….

That’s the trap that the crowd of 5,000 fell into; and that’s the trap that looks so tempting to us.

Our society, our nation, our churches face crises today that may get worse before they get better. Joblessness. Debt. Homelessness. Hopelessness. I’m sure God is trying to teach us something in these trying times…Some of us have a growing sense of vulnerability. Can the System survive? Can our Faith hold?

All I can say is, I think we’re in the right place,

MCC Key West is our spiritual home because here we can embrace one another in our vulnerability. This welcome, this embrace is empowering: It frees and inspires us to extend that love and care to the larger community: the hungry and homeless, the lonely and weary.

We’re not hung-up on some “king complex” …

Although, come to think of it: Joe, you would look good with a crown!
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I praise and thank God for the openness, and for the struggles, of this community. Weekly, daily, I’m reminded that Jesus is Suffering Servant, not Regal Authority.

I’m a board member of the ACLU Florida Keys Chapter. We fight hard to defend, and extend, hard-won freedoms. But today’s gospel message reminds us that some fundamental freedoms are beyond the scope of ACLU, or governments, or kings. The story of the 5,000 is about God’s abundance = about freedom from scarcity, freedom from hunger. The storm-tossed boat story is about God’s ever-present love = about freedom from fear and doubt.

These freedoms are gifts of God through our Savior – our Savior – Jesus Christ.

Let’s be thankful….

Let’s thank God that Jesus turned down that government job.