Sermons

"Role Model for the Kingdom"

Delivered from the Pulpit of First Congregational Church

by The Reverend Mark E. Long

on September 20, 2009

Lections:  Obad. 21

                  Rms. 14.16-22a

                  Mt. 5.17-20; 18.1-5; Lk. 17.20-21

This morning I am going to talk about the Kingdom of Heaven, by reflecting on who gets the keys.  It would seem to make sense that they would be "role models" for the Kingdom of Heaven.  If we follow them then all will be well.

The candidates for the list change throughout history.  Early on, the Christian martyrs who provided coliseum-style entertainment for Romans had to make the list.  Anybody want to follow them?  The Desert Fathers offer a more pleasant path to the Kingdom but they were "role models" for only a relatively small number of mostly women.  Not a very wide base on which to build a Kingdom.  But the Pope (now we may be on to something) had influence over nations of believers who hung on his every word, except there are all those nations of Protestant believers who believed nothing of the kind.  Shouldn't role models for the Kingdom have some sort of universal appeal?

After Jesus (as Christians we probably all agree he is the best role model), the broad range of candidates shows our independent streaks.  Yet we probably agree that the world needs good role models.

So are there other "role models" suitable to aid our ascent up the mountain so we can be part of building the Kingdom of Heaven on earth?  Good question but this may get us a bit ahead of ourselves.

Let's start with what is the Kingdom of Heaven?  There are a number of verses in the gospels that tell us what the Kingdom is like - treasure, a pearl, a net, a lamp - but none quite as clearly as Romans 14 which says, if you're looking for something tangible, quit looking, the Kingdom is "not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."  The Kingdom is a state of mind - really heart; it is a way of being in the world.

Now the scribes and Pharisees were ancient "law keepers" who seemed to have a good idea of how to be in the world - follow the rules God gives and a bunch of other rules of the "law keepers" and all will be well.

The scribes and Pharisees, as good "law keepers" do, know that the Kingdom is "not food and drink" but rather the "key" is how food and drink are handled.  Make sure the pots are ritually purified, and for certain don't eat what has been offered to idols - ever.  What surprises for the "Pharisees" of Rome in Paul's day who hear him say "it's all good, don't worry so much about it."

Don't worry about it?  But the laws, they sputter . . . the purity laws are the path to the keys to the Kingdom.  Isn't this what Jesus said?  We might imagine that these latter-day "Pharisees" have already heard, and memorized, what Jesus said about the Law that Matthew hears sometime later.

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets:  I have come not to abolish but to fulfill [the Law]."  And this may have been their favorite part:  "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."  I imagine at this point they are chastising Paul for his blind spot and reminding him of just who is who.

Maybe Paul knew Jesus' surprise ending to the story Matthew will hear.  Clearly they hadn't.  "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  I don't know; but Paul certainly says something very similar in his letter to the Roman churches.

Don't lose sight of the path to the Kingdom - to "pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding" - because you believe that you know what is important.  Your mind is concerned with the wrong things; you believe that you know how things are, what you have seen and heard, but you really don't.  You think that you know how to get the keys to the Kingdom; but you don't.  You think that you are the role models for the Kingdom; but you are far away.

Minds can play tricks.  There is an inner world reality that should make us second guess what we think that we see and maybe even hear.

How many of you know whether you are left or right brain dominant?  To remind you, "left brain" dominance is for rational types, and "right brain" dominance is for the creative ones among you.  Let's just leave it at that - this test will reveal which you are but that is not really my point.  The process of discovery is way more exciting.

On the internet, I have lately been fascinated (or blown away really) by a left brain/right brain dominance test.  It is deceptively simple; there is the silhouette of a female spinning (not very fast) on either her left leg in a clockwise direction, or her right leg in a counterclockwise direction.  Which way you see her spinning tells which side of your brain is in charge at the moment.

It seems most of the time people first see her spinning on her left leg in a clockwise direction - but hold on - for things are about to change; and not in the same way for all at the same time.  What we think is "out there," may not be.

The first time I saw her spinning on her left leg in a clockwise direction for a long time and thought this is a silly joke to get people to sit and waste time, somewhat like encouraging others to watch grass grow.  But surprises were ahead.  I read the advice of one of the "responses" to avert my eyes to another part of the screen and then look at the figure, so I tried it and suddenly - she switched - after I saw her switch once it became easier and I could even see her switch while I was still watching her.  So you say - maybe she was switching; it was just a joke.

It wasn't.  Three of us watched her later that night and the comments went something like "ok she is on her left leg," "she just switched," someone said; "no, she is still on her left leg," I said; "yes, she is on her left leg going clockwise," said the third of us, "wait she just switched to her right leg;" "no," I said, "I still see her on her . . . oops there she switched to her right leg;" "no," said one of the others, "she is on her left leg."  The comments started coming fast and furious when one of the women shouted out "she just jumped up in the air."  The other two of us just looked at her, and I said, "she jumped in the air?" followed by "no she didn't."  But I caught myself maybe she did . . . who knew what was real anymore.

It was great fun, but be warned; you may question your sanity or at least what you think is real.  It does for visual perception what Daniel Gilbert does in "Stumbling on Happiness" for what we think we hear.

What has this long digression to do with a search for a role model for the Kingdom of Heaven?  Nothing, I just thought it would be fun - no seriously, it points us directly to the role model of Jesus' choosing, at least according to the Gospel of Matthew.

In Chapter 18, Jesus is asked by his disciples:  "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" or, in other words, who is the role model for the Kingdom?  Jesus called over a child, pointed, and said:  "Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

We have heard this stuff before, how the children will lead us.  Much speculation has been made by preachers as to what this means.  They are innocent; they are, by nature, accepting of everyone; they have to learn bad behavior; they trust or believe without evidence or reason to do so.  But I have no idea why we have all these answers because Matthew tells us the answer:  "Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

It is the humility of a child that sets her apart.  She just sees and hears what she does, what to make of it she has not a clue.  It is what it is.  It could just as well be an invisible friend as a live one.  There is no overwhelming need whatever to claim that what she sees and hears is more the way things are than what another sees and hears.

Humility is the fertile ground on which peace and mutual upbuilding can begin to take place.  Humility puts us on the road to mutual respect, as I said a few weeks ago, the place where Congregational hearts should be called to meet.

We can argue which way we each see the female spinning as the reality for us all, or we can follow the way of the children and agree that what we see and hear may have more to do with what makes us up than what lies outside of us.  As Paul told the people of Rome, "the faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God."  Leave room for others who may see and hear it differently.

Do not be deceived, says the Gospel of Luke, "the Kingdom of Heaven is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!'  For, in fact, the Kingdom of Heaven is among you," at least [I will add] when you see and hear as children.

This is how I see children, our role model for the Kingdom.  Amen.