Sermon Title:  Faces in the Crowd:  The Religious Leaders

Sermon Text:  Luke 19:45-20:8

Sermon Date:  February 17, 2008

 

 

            I think the sermon title today is a bit deceiving.  Rod shared with you more about the different facets of Judaism than about the individuals who were the leaders of those facets.  I want continue on with that theme. 

            It isn’t really important to figure out who are the Sadduccees, Pharisees and Essenes of today.  What is important is to realize that while we do have differences, Jesus intends for us to get along regardless of them.  What is important is that we treat others in Christian ways, whether they are Christian or not.  Remember we are to treat each other as we want to be treated, not how they actual treat us.

            What is important to realize here is that they were different groups because of HOW they believed things worked.  And that hasn’t changed today.  We gathered in Atlanta at the New Baptist Covenant because of the very same thing.

            There were those there who believe that women should, not only not be ordained, but should only be allowed to teach children and women.  And that only men can be deacons.

            There were those who would re-elect Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton in a heartbeat and those who despise them both.

            There were those who believe that Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists are going to hell and those who believe that we all will be there together.

            There were those there who don’t even believe in heaven and hell and others who believe that to believe otherwise is a sin.

            There were those who believe that homosexuality is not a sin and those who do.

            There were those who believe that every word of Scripture is historically accurate and those who believe that while it is the divinely inspired word of God, historical accurate it isn’t.

            There were those who believe in the divinity of Jesus and those who do not but can claim him as the Messiah nonetheless.

            How do I know these things?  Because I know people in all of these categories.  And we have some of these differences right here at Lafayette First Baptist.  But still we find ways to move beyond them and worship together.

            That is one of the secrets of our 173 year history, although I doubt it was always the case or the intent.  This church has taken stands before and I hope will again.  We stood against slavery.  We have stood for the inner-city people and their problems.  We have stood the test of time because regardless of our differences, we come to worship God.

            That is why the Atlanta gathering worked.  We weren’t there to change each other.  We weren’t there to convict each other of the error of our ways.  We weren’t there to cast votes on presidential candidates.  We were there to learn from each other and worship. 

            A phrase that has come out of this is that we are now being called “Goodwill Baptists.”  What will happen in the future is yet to be seen, but I know that I have hopes that we will decide to focus on what we learn from each other, what we can do together and put aside thoughts that we all must come together in absolute unity.  That very thought is not only un-Baptist but also un-American.  That is why freedom of speech is in the Constitution.  That is why Baptists came to these shores.  They wanted their own voices.  To say that all Baptists must agree on anything is not only not going to happen, but it is wrong.

            Now having said that, the higher calling for agreement has to come in being a Christian.  Not as easy task, I know, but as Christians we are called to love our neighbor, whether we know them or not.  As Christians we are called to show our devotion to God by worshiping together.  As Christians we are called to stand for the oppressed and improvished.  Yeah, all of those are in the scriptures.

            Let me give you an example of how that all works together. 

            Last week I gave some historical background from the Old Testament regarding the Maccabee family from Rev. Bob Kaylor’s blog.  He said this:  “In about 175 BC, the Assyrian Greeks overtook Jerusalem and began to dictate what the Jews could and could not do in their worship. The king desecrated the temple, the center of worship and the symbol of national pride. This was clearly unacceptable, so in 167 the Jews began a revolt, led by the Maccabee family. They retook Jerusalem and, in 164 BC, cleansed the temple of pagan influence and re-lit the temple lamps. This act of revolution and restoration is what is commemorated each year during the festival of Hannukah—the candles representing the lights of the temple.” (www.bobkaylor.org)

            This is a menorah that is lit every Chanukah.  Chanukah is a Jewish religious holiday to commemorate how God gave the Maccabees enough oil to defeat the Greek-Syrians.  There was only enough oil in the temple for one day, but a miracle happened and the candle stayed lit until more could be obtained….eight days later.  Hanukkah has since been observed as a celebration of Jewish survival and religious freedom.

            Jews often display their menorah where it can be easily seen from outside the house in response to a mitzvah (commandment from God) to publicize the miracle. 2 The Schnitzers are a Jewish family in Billings, Montana (population 83,000 at the time). 4 Following the mitzvah, they had stenciled a Jewish menorah on the window of their son Isaac, aged 5. On December 2, 1993, someone threw a piece of a cinder block through the window. It and broken glass fell on Isaac's bed, but fortunately caused no injury. The Schnitzers called the police. The investigating officer suggested that they remove the symbol. This caused a crisis in the home: how could they remove a symbol of Jewish religious freedom in response to fear of further religious harassment.  (This story comes from http://www.religioustolerance.org/menorah.htm

            Margaret McDonald, executive director of the Montana Association of Churches, read of the incident in the local newspaper. She imagined what it would be like to have to tell her own children that they could not have a Christmas tree or a Christmas wreath because it might cause an attack on their home. She recalled an event in Denmark during World War II when the Nazis ordered all of the Jews in the country to wear a yellow Star of David so that they could be easily identified. The King of Denmark and many of its non-Jewish citizens took the initiative of wearing a yellow star themselves. The Nazis were unable to easily identify the Jews. (I don’t think this story is actually true, but what a powerful idea to imitate!)

            McDonald took action. She phoned her minister, the Rev. Kieth Torney at the First Congregational United Church of Christ -- a liberal Christian denomination. She suggested that their Sunday school students fabricate paper menorahs for their windows at home as a sign of solidarity with the Schnitzers. He contacted other clergy across Billings. During the following week, hundreds of menorahs appeared in the windows of local homes as Christian families publicized their solidarity against religious bigotry. The police chief, Wayne Inman, was asked whether this might cause further criminal acts. He responded "There's greater risk in not doing it."

            On December 8 this editorial in the Billings Gazette stated:

            "On December 2, 1993, someone twisted by hate threw a brick through the window of the home of one of our neighbors: a Jewish family who chose to celebrate the holiday season by displaying a symbol of faith—a menorah—for all to see. Today, members of religious faiths throughout Billings are joining together to ask residents to display the menorah as a symbol of something else: our determination to live together in harmony, and our dedication to the principle of religious liberty embodied in the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. We urge all citizens to share in this message by displaying this menorah on a door or a window from now until Christmas. Let all the world know that the national hatred of a few cannot destroy what all of us in Billings, and in America, have worked together so long to build." 6

            The Billings Gazette published a full-page image of a menorah in their newspaper. By the end of the week six to ten thousand homes became decorated with menorahs.

            The bigots did not withdraw quietly. Someone shot at the sign of the local sporting goods store which displayed the message "Not in our town! No hate. No violence. Peace on Earth." Bricks and bullets broke some windows at the Central Catholic High School whose marquee read "Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish Friends." Folks from town felt the need to organize a vigil outside the synagogue during Sabbath services. Somebody shot an arrow and killed a cat belonging to a family who had displayed a menorah. The United Methodist Church had a menorah display and suffered some broken windows. Car and house windows at six non-Jewish families were broken. Someone left a note saying "Jew lover" on a car. But, eventually the harassment faded away.

            A year later, Fellowship, the publication of the Fellowship for Reconciliation, noted that "...families all over Billings took out their menorahs (once again) to reaffirm their commitment to peace and religious tolerance. The light they shared in the community must be continuously rekindled until hate has been overcome." (from http://www.religioustolerance.org/menorah.htm)

            Several thousand years ago the Jewish religious community banded together to destroy Jesus.  In 1993 followers of Jesus banded together to carry on the traditions from those religious groups and ensure their religious freedom.  Isn’t it amazing how the love of Jesus can change our hearts?

 

Prayer:

Jesus, who among those religious leaders of your time would have believed that all these years later your followers would defend their time-honored traditions?  Who among those religious leaders of your time could have imagined that today you could still engage us and fire up in us the desire to love and serve God?  Maybe that is what they were afraid of….that you would indeed stir up the waters and urge us to enter in.  That you would urge us to stand against oppression.  Stand against poverty.  Stand against violence.  Stand against bigotry.  Stand against injustice.  And to stand for love, and equality, and grace and mercy for all. 

During the Lenten season and all the days that follow…..remind us that standing with you means to stand for others.  Amen.