Sermon from Sunday, October 6, 2024
Speaker: Rev. Doug de Graffenried
Scripture: Hebrews 1:1-4
Sermon Transcript
It’s very likely that the book of Hebrews, unlike Paul’s writing, what you have here is probably a sermon that just appeared in its complete form in the New Testament. Here these words long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in many in various ways by the prophets. But in these last days he has spoken to us by a son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.
He is the reflection of God’s glory, the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of majesty on high, having become as much superior to the angels as the name he inherited, is more excellent than theirs. For instance, is the Word of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
A husband was not used to doing housework and decided he was going to be helpful. Decided to wash his old dirty, sweaty sweatshirt. After stepping in the laundry room, he shouted to his wife for help. What settings do I use on the washing machine? He asked. It depends, she replied. What does it say on your sweatshirt?
He yelled back. University of Alabama. I could have said Vanderbilt, but I can’t spell it. How many times have you heard the expression, what we have is a failure to communicate? You and I live in the middle of the information explosion, but two words information and communication are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out.
Information goes out from a system. Communication is getting through. And maybe that’s the problem in our culture today. We live in an information age, but not a communication age. There’s a lot of giving out, but there is very little getting through. And just because you’ve given it out. Doesn’t mean that you’re getting through to the people. A priest, a pastor, and a rabbi stood at the side of the road holding up signs, and the signs read like this.
The end is near. Turn around before it’s too late. The first driver sped by and yelled, leave us alone, you religious nuts! And from around the corner, the men of cloth heard the sound of a big splash. Do you think, said the rabbi, we should just put up a sign that says bridge out ahead.
You’re putting it out. But is it getting through?
Information. Was passed on as we developed words and symbols. Most of the Old Testament is fireside chat. The elders of the community would gather the younger ones around the community, and they would tell stories around the fire of the great heroes of the faith Abraham, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the prophet, Elijah and Elijah. Moses. And in that culture, words were a holy thing.
So the stories were passed on. Word for word for word.
Well, it’s language became more systematized and alphabets developed. They wrote on stone and then on papyrus and then deerskin and then finally paper. And in the 15th century, Gutenberg developed the printing press, and it all changed. And there was a Reformation and a Renaissance and the enlightenment and pretty much everything made stay the same until the invention of the telegraph.
And all things changed again, rapidly and completely. You could communicate across the country almost simultaneously. And some other inventions came along. The invention of or workable typewriter, of radio, of movies, of television in 1929. I wonder what they were watching in 1929. And things remained static until the computer and the software to go with the computer. And in 1989, this thing called the World Wide Web popped up.
And then instantaneous around the world communication. And then in 2007, the iPhone went to market. And now there’s some guy in Thailand. He’s pulling a plow through his rice paddies, got the oxen pulling, and he’s holding on to the pile with one hand looking at his iPhone on the other. Checking Bangkok for rice futures and how much money he’s going to make.
Right now on your being because I know they’re close. You have more computer power than NASA had in the 1960s, when they put men on the moon. All this information at our fingertips.
But we’re not communicating.
God, in many ways spoke to our ancestors. He spoke through the prophets. He spoke through the law. He spoke to the heroes of the faith in verse two. But in these last days he has spoken to us. The article is not in the Greek, and that’s important because some of your Bibles have a footnote. You’re wondering, why does it have a footnote?
Because what verse two says in Greek. But in these last days he has spoken to us by sun. God has committed sun talk. The prophets information weren’t communicating. The people were not living out what they were being told, rather than loving people. They were killing people rather than following grace. They formed into these legalistic tribes where you had to follow all these laws.
You can almost see God in heaven throwing up his hands in frustration, saying they’re not getting it. But I’ve got a plan. Paul, in writing to the church at Philippi, talks about the plan that he didn’t think equality with God was something to be exploited, but Christ emptied himself and he took on the form of a slave. He was born in human likeness, and being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
God said, I’ve got it. I’ll speak some language.
And Jesus, the Son of God, God in the flesh.
Came to communicate. Not share information but communicate. Come on to me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Jesus said, why are these people weary and heavy laden? What are they carrying around? They’re carrying around the burden of official Judaism. They’re carrying around the Ten Commandments, plus the 613 laws that came up as commentary on the Ten Commandments.
They’re carrying the weight of the law, and they can’t live up to it, because the rabbis and the scribes and the Pharisees make sure they’re not living up to it.
They’re worn out trying to figure out how to please God. And Jesus said, are you worn out by it? Are you weary of carrying your religion around on your back? Come on to me. I’ll give you rest. I’ll set you free. Jesus spoke the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He spoke the higher rules, a platinum rule.
Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friend. He gave us a pattern for living out our faith in our life together. He told Simon Peter when Simon wanted to brag about his forgiving, he said, Simon seven times is great. I’m glad you’re forgiving. Seven times but forgive 70 times. Seven times. Oh, come on, Jesus, really?
I keep forgiving the person that keeps doing the same thing. Jesus said, you got it, Baba. Keep forgiving. On and on and on. There’s got to be a limit to my forgiveness. Jesus said, no. 70 times seven is a way of saying in Hebrew an infinite number where Jesus, one day he’s at the home of Mary and Martha.
He’s showing up unannounced, and the disciples are there in the den, and the sister Mary is down in the den. She’s listening to Jesus’ talk and preach and pray and minister. And Martha, the sister, is in the kitchen practicing hostile hospitality. She is not happy. Her sister is listening to Jesus, and these disciples are shown up and she has got to fix something for them to eat.
Guys. Have you ever heard your significant other cook loudly in the kitchen? You know what it means, don’t you? When the dishes land with great force on the countertop, when the wooden spoon is clanging inside the bowl, and you can hear it when power tools the mixer in the blender start up in the kitchen. An excessive noise, you know you’re in trouble.
That is called hostile hospitality, dear. Can I help you? No, I’ve got it. Martha is making all this noise. Flour is flying and finally she’s had enough. And she storms into where Jesus is teaching. And she said, Lord. Make her get in the kitchen and help me. That’s what we do. We take our fight to Jesus and let him choose sides.
And Jesus says to Martha, Martha, Martha. You are distracted by many things. Mary has chosen the better portion. What to say to a workaholic culture. It’s okay to sit at the feet of Jesus and do nothing. We’ve got to produce a product. And maybe Jesus is saying to the church, church, you are distracted by many things. You just need one thing.
Come sit at my feet and learn. Come sit at my feet and let me communicate with you, not share information with you. Let me communicate with you. Jesus is in the boat with the disciples on the Sea of Galilee. These are professional fishermen. They spend their lives in boats on the Sea of Galilee and a storm pops up.
They’re used to storms on the Sea of Galilee, and they’re afraid. And Jesus is exhausted and he’s taking a nap back there on the back. And the disciples. Jesus, don’t you care? Look at what we’re going through, Lord, don’t you care? Wake up! Lord, don’t you care that we drowned? And Jesus stands up. Rebukes them for their lack of faith, by the way.
But he says peace, be still.
Do you think if you can calm a storm on the Sea of Galilee and calm the storms in your life? Peace, be still.
Both the Greek word and the Hebrew word don’t mean the absence of storms. They mean the ability to see it through, through the storms, that the storms do not distract, that the storms do not detract, that in Christ the journey will be completed. Or Jesus speaking in a cemetery one day his friend Lazarus has died. And they Jesus asked, where have you put him?
And Mary and Martha show him the tomb. And Jesus said, roll the stone away. And they say, Lord, it’s been four days. He thinks. Jesus said, roll the stone away. And Jesus says, Lazarus, come for. That’s our hope that one day God is going to call us out of the tomb. Call us by name. I suspect. And what we learn from these words of Jesus when he calls his friend up out of the tomb, is that death is not the final word.
Grave is not the final word. We’re like the Apostle Paul. Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death Is thy sting? Where O Grave is thy victory. Thanks be to God through the victory in Christ Jesus.
Or is he’s facing death? Jesus tells the tells the disciples, don’t let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. I’m going to prepare a place for you. And when I go, I will come again and take you to myself. That where I am, there you may be also. Or how about this one? Jesus, who has been denied by his disciples.
Jesus, who has been flogged by the Roman cohort. Jesus, who has had the crown of thorns placed on his head. Jesus, who has been nailed to the cross, says, father. Forgive them.
They don’t know what they’re doing.
That’s you and me. Those words from the cross were for you and me. For his. Jesus continues as he is resurrected. He’s ascended to the father. We’re told that we are to be his witnesses. We’re to now share the gospel of Christ in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. You shall be my witnesses. Go and witness.
Jesus was communicating.
Was it getting through?
Did any of it land in your heart?
That’s why we come to this table. God communicating. God reminding us that the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords has invited us to his table, has invited us.
To experience this feast. But he’s reminding us, even as he’s inviting us, that our sins are forgiven, that on the cross he died for you and me. Through he said, whosoever will, let him come. And so, this morning, as we receive this sacrament, I want you to understand that this is God communicating. And how simple is the message.