Tawa Baptist

Nurture

Scripture: Luke 10:25-42

Title: Nurture

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Eternal life – vv. 25-28
  • The Samaritan – vv. 29-37
  • The benefits of nurture
  • Conclusion – Mary & Martha – vv. 38-42

Introduction:

A number of the images the Bible gives us of God are images of nurture, care and protection – God is referred to as a Father, a Gardner, a Shepherd and even as a Mother Hen

Today we continue our series on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Over the last couple of weeks we have looked at inter-dependence

–         This morning our focus is nurture

Nurture is about caring for & protecting others, in contrast to abuse & neglect

–         Nurture facilitates inter-dependence and the growth of healthy relationships – without nurture we wouldn’t have inter-dependence

–         Last week I compared inter-dependence to a net – open and flexible

–         Well, if inter-dependence is a net, then nurture is tying the nots that hold the net together – nurture is mending the net

In Biblical terms nurture is about loving God and loving your neighbour

–         In Luke 10 Jesus tells a parable which illustrates what it means to love God and your neighbour – from verse 25 we read…

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ ”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.

A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him.

He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

“Which of these three do you think acted like a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

Eternal Life:

Our reading this morning begins with a question about eternal life

–         How do we inherit or receive eternal life?

–         Before we talk about that though we first need to have some idea of what eternal life is

To the First Century Jewish lawyer who asked this question eternal life was a future age or epoch in which God’s Kingdom would come in its fullness (as symbolised by the green upward arrow) – in contrast to this life now (as symbolised by the red downward curve)

–         Eternal life goes on forever whereas this life is finite – it ends in death

–         This diagram doesn’t tell the full story though

 

For Christians, eternal life is more than simply everlasting time into the future

–         For Christians – eternal life is the very life that God has

–         It is God’s own kind of life, divine life. [1]

 

In John 17 Jesus says in prayer, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

–         This tells us that eternal life is essentially a relationship with God

–         To receive eternal life then is to know God, not just in our head, but intimately, in our experience, and to have him know us personally too

–         A better image of eternal life might be the closeness between a mother and child, or the intimacy between two lovers or the bond between the dearest of friends

–         But even the closest and most functional of human relationships are only approximations – no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him  [2]

–         The point is: eternal life isn’t just about living forever, it is about enjoying a certain quality of life in relationship with God – abundant life, life with peace & joy and wholeness – Life which finds deep satisfaction & meaning through a close, loving connection with the Lord

–         We receive eternal life (we know intimacy with God) through Jesus

 

The lawyer asked Jesus about eternal life to test Jesus, maybe even trip him up

–         Jesus senses this and gets the lawyer to answer his own question

–         We inherit eternal life by loving God with our all and loving our neighbour as our self

–         Love God, love your neighbour – seems straight forward enough, except no one but Jesus has been able to do this perfectly

–         Asking us to sustain whole hearted love of God and our neighbour over a lifetime is like asking us to fly to the moon by flapping our arms

–         Without the transport Jesus offers we won’t even get off the ground

 

The Samaritan:

The lawyer is astute enough to realise that he can’t love everyone all the time but he still thinks he can love some people enough of the time – so he seeks clarification as to who his neighbour is

–         In other words, who do I need to love and who do I not need to worry about?

–         He probably expected Jesus to say, your neighbour is a fellow Jew who keeps the law and possibly even the resident alien who worships the Lord

–         Anyone who doesn’t fall into either of those categories you can ignore

 

Jesus doesn’t answer as expected though – he tells a parable which undermines the lawyer’s categories…

 

A man is walking down the hill from Jerusalem to Jericho – a notoriously dangerous 20 miles of road, with rocky outcroppings and sudden turns which provide ideal ambush spots for bandits [3]

–         Not surprisingly this man is stopped by robbers, stripped, beaten and left unconscious on the side of the road

–         Jesus doesn’t tell us the identity of the man – we don’t know if he is a Jew or a Gentile, a worshipper of Yahweh or a pagan – and the passers-by don’t know either

–         In that culture you could tell where someone was from by the clothes they wore and by their accent, but this man had been stripped naked and he couldn’t talk because he was half dead, so no way to identify him

 

A priest is walking down that road, sees the man and passes by

–         Jewish priests at that time normally served for about two weeks a year in the temple

–         Most likely this priest has just finished his duty and is on his way home, because he is headed down the hill, away from the temple in Jerusalem

–         Although the wounded stranger’s identity is ambiguous the priest has decided this man does not qualify as his neighbour

 

Next a Levite comes along, sees the man and passes by

–         Levites were assistants to the priests – they helped in the temple but had less status than the priests

–         The Levite also decides the wounded stranger does not qualify as his neighbour

 

Lastly a Samaritan comes along

–         Now, we need to remember that Samaritans and Jews hated each other

–         They were enemies – there was no nurture happening between them

–         To the Jews there was no such thing as a ‘good’ Samaritan

 

Last summer I read a novel by Anthony Doerr, called All the Light We Cannot See. It took a bit of getting into but in the end was a satisfying read

–         Set in Europe during World War 2 it tells the story of a blind girl living in Paris during the German occupation and also the story of a German orphan boy conscripted into Hitler Youth and eventually the SS

–         As the title of the book suggests there was good & bad behaviour on both sides – not all the Germans were terrible & not all the French were saints

–         There is light in everyone, only sometimes we can’t see it due to our prejudice

 

Jesus’ largely Jewish audience couldn’t see any light in the Samaritans, even though there was light there, and so what comes next in this parable is a complete shock to them – like hearing of a blind French girl receiving care and protection from an SS soldier in 1944

 

When the Samaritan sees the wounded man he has compassion on him

–         Compassion is the feeling or motivation that accompanies nurture

–         Compassion moves us to care for and protect others

 

At some risk and inconvenience to himself the Samaritan gives the wounded stranger first aid – pouring wine & olive oil on wounds was common medical practice at that time

–         Apparently the Samaritan is not concerned with abstract debates about who his neighbour is – he sees a need and responds with care

–         Stopping to help the man is risky in that the bandits may still be lurking close by and could attack him also – but the Samaritan’s love is greater than his fear

 

Then the Samaritan puts the wounded man on his donkey while he walks beside

–         In that culture the one who rides the donkey is in the place of the master, while the one who walks alongside is in the place of the servant

–         So we have here a picture of the Samaritan taking the role of a servant – sort of like Jesus took the role of a servant to save us

 

The Samaritan takes the injured man to an inn and looks after him for the night – they didn’t have hospitals in those days

–         The next morning before leaving he pays the inn keeper two denarii to look after the man

–         Two denarii would have allowed the recuperating man to stay for a number of weeks – plenty of time to get better

–         But in case it’s not enough the Samaritan guarantees to reimburse any extra costs next time he passes that way

–         If the inn keeper was unscrupulous he could easily take advantage of the Samaritan’s kindness

 

We may wonder why the Samaritan doesn’t stay longer to care for the man

–         Well, he was getting the wider community involved

–         The Samaritan doesn’t try to do everything himself, he operates in an inter-dependent way

 

I expect also the Samaritan wanted to avoid any conflict

–         There is a scene in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves, where Kevin Costner finds a woman alone in the wilderness, bleeding

–         He uses his flag to bind her wounds and then carries her on his horse to find help

–         He comes across a tribe of Indians, the same tribe to which she belongs

–         There he is, dressed in his army uniform (looking like the enemy) carrying a badly injured member of their tribe

–         Some of the younger Indians misunderstand and attack him because it appears he caused the injuries

–         He didn’t of course – it was a case of all the light we cannot see

–         In that scene Kevin Costner is a Samaritan to the Indians

 

By taking the wounded man to an inn and staying the night the Samaritan took a risk – a bit like Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves

–         As a Samaritan in close proximity to Jerusalem he is in enemy territory and that makes him a target

–         Leaving, before his presence brought trouble, was a wise & prudent move – the Samaritan was loving his neighbour, without neglecting himself

 

Looking at the parable as a whole, the unidentified man in Jesus’ parable experiences abuse from the thieves, neglect from the clergy and generous nurture from the Samaritan

–         And he does this without any expectation of repayment – the wounded man has lost everything, he has nothing to offer in return

–         Despite their pedigree the priest and the Levite performed poorly, whereas the Samaritan had no pedigree but performed well

 

The benefits of nurture:

Now at this point you might be thinking – okay I can see how the Samaritan gives us a good example of nurture. He clearly shows practical love, care and support for the injured man

–         But while the Samaritan’s nurture was good for the man who had been beaten up, it’s difficult to see how it was good for the Samaritan himself

–         After all, the main point of this sermon series is care of our own soul

–         How does nurturing someone else, especially at great risk and expense to oneself, help the nurturer?

 

Well, nurturing others helps us in a number of ways…

–         Firstly, it makes us feel good inside – when we take care of others we feel more connected and less alone in the world.

 

Sometimes when we are hurting or in pain we can become quite self-absorbed and our perspective gets smaller & smaller until we find ourselves locked in self-destructive thought patterns – the temptation in grief is to self-pity

–         Nurturing others, looking to the well-being of others, actually enlarges our perspective and frees our mind, lifting our thought patterns out of the rut we sometimes get ourselves into

–         Self-pity leads us to neglect our soul. Nurture, of others, saves us from self-pity

 

Nurture also sets us free from slavery to an overbearing ego

–         By ‘ego’ I mean our sense of self importance

–         Someone with an over inflated ego thinks they are more important than they are – so they might, for example, worry too much about what other people think of them when in fact no one is giving them a second thought

–         Or perhaps they jump the queue or think the speed limit doesn’t apply to them because their time matters more than other people’s time or safety

–         Perhaps the priest and the Levite thought their needs were more important than the needs of the unconscious man on the side of the road?

–         Or perhaps they were overly worried about what others might think of them?

 

Now, having given examples of an over inflated ego it needs to be said, the ego isn’t necessarily a bad thing in itself – we need an ego (in this life at least) to protect ourselves [4]

–         If we had no ego (no sense of self-worth or importance) we wouldn’t value ourselves and would let others walk all over us

–         The ego acts as a kind of hedge – it protects us

–         Without an ego we are vulnerable to abuse & neglect – we would get hurt

–         But if the hedge of our ego grows too large it cuts us off from right relationship with other people

–         Nurturing other people trims the hedge – it helps to keep our ego under control so we don’t become disconnected from the people around us

 

The second greatest commandment is to, ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

–         Notice that’s it’s not, ‘love your neighbour as you neglect yourself’

–         Nor is it, ‘love your neighbour half as much as you love yourself’

–         It’s, ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’

–         In other words, you are just as important as your neighbour – no more, no less, so treat others the way you would like to be treated

–         Nurture of others regulates our ego and keeps us connected in an inter-dependent way

 

Another benefit to nurturing others is it brings us closer to God

–         As I said at the beginning of this message, God is a nurturer

–         Father, Gardener, Shepherd, Mother Hen – they are all images of nurture

–         While we can’t earn eternal life by doing good works, we can (at times) find ourselves close to God when performing practical acts of love

–         The Samaritan in Jesus’ parable actually entered into the life of God when he helped the wounded man on the side of the road

–         Caring for others is what God does – in fact some people see in the Samaritan a picture of Christ himself

–         So when we provide nurture for others we are sharing in God’s work and therefore in his eternal life

–         The good we do, in love, never dies, it is eternal – the knowledge of that should feed our soul with everlasting meaning and purpose

 

Conclusion:

The other thing to say about nurture – and this is very important – is that we can’t care for others without first taking care of our relationship with God

–         Love of God goes hand in hand with love of neighbour

–         Caring for others apart from God is like trying to water the garden with only your spit – not very effective or sustainable

–         To water the garden (or to care for others) generously and properly we must be connected to the water mains

–         It is out of the reservoir of God’s love that we find the resources to nurture others

 

Immediately after the parable of the Samaritan, we read the account of Jesus at Mary & Martha’s house

–         You know the one – Martha becomes frustrated with Mary and with the Lord because Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to his teaching, while Martha is run off her feet providing care and hospitality for a house full of disciples

–         But Jesus defends Mary saying, “Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her

–         Martha may have been providing nurture for everyone else but it was in her own strength, apart from Jesus

 

On the face things it would appear that Martha’s ego was too big – my work of doing the cooking & cleaning is more important than listening to Jesus

–         But when we dig a little deeper I wonder if in fact Martha’s ego wasn’t too big, but rather too small

–         Perhaps Martha didn’t think she was important enough to sit at Jesus’ feet and receive his teaching, like Mary and the men

–         Perhaps Martha ‘loved her neighbour as she neglected herself’ and this left her feeling resentful

–         The point is: before we can nurture others we need to spend time in Jesus’ presence, nurturing our relationship with the Lord

 

I imagine the Samaritan was ministering to the wounded man out of his own experience of God’s love for him

–         It was because the Samaritan appreciated God’s generous care for himself that he was able to be so generous in his care of someone he didn’t know

–         And it was because he was doing it for God that he didn’t need a reward

 

Personally I find Jesus’ parable of the Samaritan very challenging – it sets the bar high indeed

–         Even with an appreciation of God’s grace for us we may be forced at times to pick and choose who we help and who we walk past

–         I don’t think Jesus wants us to harbour feelings of misplaced guilt – it is not always in our power to do everything the Samaritan did

–         Sometimes we are the one naked and bleeding on the side of the road – sometimes we might be the ones in need of help

–         Other times we don’t have the wine or the bandages or the mule or the money to help

–         At those times we simply do what we can with what we have and we don’t feel bad about what we can’t do – grand gestures are not always called for

I like what Mother Teresa says…

–         Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is nurture?

–         How does nurture support/facilitate inter-dependence?

–         What images of God as a nurturer do we find in the Bible?

3.)    What is eternal life?

–         How might eternal life be different from this life now (finite life)?

4.)    What would have been surprising to Jesus’ original audience about the parable he told in Luke 10:30-35?

–         Who do you identify with most in this parable?

–         Do you have a Samaritan story (of unexpected kindness)? Share it.

5.)    What stops us from seeing the light in others?

–         What helps us to see the light in others?

6.)    What is compassion?

–         What moves you to compassionate action for others?

7.)    What was risky and costly about the Samaritan’s care for the wounded man?

–         What was wise and prudent about the Samaritan’s care?

8.)    How does nurturing others benefit our own soul and well-being?

–         How is the balance between loving your neighbour and taking care of yourself going for you personally at the moment?

9.)    What does the story of Mary & Martha (in Luke 10:38-42) teach us about nurture?

 

 

[1] M.M. Thompson, Gospel of John, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, page 381.

[2] 1st Corinthians 2:9

[3] William Barclay, ‘The Gospel of Luke’, page 141.

[4] The inspiration for this train of thought came from reading Johann Hari’s book “Lost Connections”, page 238.

Tawa Baptist

Inter-dependence – Part 2

Scripture: Exodus 18:13-26; Mark 6:6b-13; Luke 19:1-10

Title: Inter-dependence – Part 2

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Moses transitioned from independence to inter-dependence
  • Jesus works inter-dependently
  • Jesus opens the door of inter-dependence for Zacchaeus
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Robyn teaches five year olds and is always on the lookout for good picture books to read to her class

–         Recently she bought a book which gives the plural nouns for various groups of animals – for example, a school of fish and a gaggle of geese

–         Many of the plurals I hadn’t heard of before – like a loveliness of ladybirds, that was new to me

–         Thought we might see if people here knew their plural nouns

–         We’ll start with something easy…

What is a group of cows called? (A herd, a drove or a team)

–         What about a group of wolves? (A pack)

–         What about a group of zebras? (A dazzle or a zeal)

–         What about a group of butterflies? (A kaleidoscope, flutter, or swarm)

–         What about a group of bacteria? (A colony)

–         What about a group of giraffes? (A tower)

–         What about a group of elephants? (A parade)

Perhaps you knew the answers to most of these but many I didn’t know, which might reflect the way NZ culture has shaped my thinking – that is, to focus on the individual rather than the group

–         None of the creatures we just looked at exist in isolation – they all function as part of a group within a wider eco system.

 

Today we continue our series on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Last week we looked at inter-dependence with particular reference to Paul’s image of the body of Christ as an inter-dependent unity

Inter-dependence is about depending on one another – it is mutual reliance

–         To be inter-dependent is to function as part of a group and not in isolation

Today we explore some other Biblical examples of inter-dependence in practice, beginning with Moses – please turn with me to Exodus 18, page 79 towards the front of your pew Bibles

 

Moses transitioned from independence to inter-dependence:

Moses was famous for leading the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and for giving the Law, including the 10 commandments

–         In Exodus 18 the Israelites are living in the wilderness when Moses receives a visit from his father-in-law Jethro. From verse 13, we read…

13 The next day Moses was settling disputes among the people, and he was kept busy from morning till night. 14 When Jethro saw everything that Moses had to do, he asked, “What is all this that you are doing for the people? Why are you doing this all alone, with people standing here from morning till night to consult you?”

15 Moses answered, “I must do this because the people come to me to learn God’s will. 16 When two people have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide which one of them is right, and I tell them God’s commands and laws.”

17 Then Jethro said, “You are not doing this right. 18 You will wear yourself out and these people as well. This is too much for you to do alone. 19 Now let me give you some good advice, and God will be with you. It is right for you to represent the people before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 You should teach them God’s commands and explain to them how they should live and what they should do. 21 But in addition, you should choose some capable men and appoint them as leaders of the people: leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. They must be God-fearing men who can be trusted and who cannot be bribed. 22 Let them serve as judges for the people on a permanent basis. They can bring all the difficult cases to you, but they themselves can decide all the smaller disputes. That will make it easier for you, as they share your burden. 23 If you do this, as God commands, you will not wear yourself out, and all these people can go home with their disputes settled.”

24 Moses took Jethro’s advice 25 and chose capable men from among all the Israelites. He appointed them as leaders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people on a permanent basis, bringing the difficult cases to Moses but deciding the smaller disputes themselves.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

On the wall here we have some examples of bottle necks

–         A bottle neck is a narrow point which slows the flow of something – whether that’s liquid out of a bottle or people through a wall or traffic on the road

–         Sometimes bottle necks are good – they give us more control over things

–         Other times though bottle necks are just frustrating – like when you are driving south into Otaki or north into Pukerua Bay

 

Inter-dependence is different from independence

–         To be inter-dependent is to function in harmony with a group

–         To be independent is to rely on yourself and therefore to operate separately from the group

Independence is narrow, restrictive, unyielding and inflexible – like a bottleneck

–         By contrast inter-dependence is more open and flexible – like a net

 

Although Moses was the leader of the Israelites – he wasn’t really functioning as part of the group, at least not at first

–         Moses’ leadership style was independent and this created a bottle neck to justice

It is not surprising that Moses should operate in an independent way

–         He was raised in an Egyptian palace apart from his people

–         When he did try to help his people they rejected him and he spent the next 40 years working on his own as a shepherd in the desert

–         Moses was used to doing things in an independent way

–         Now it’s not that Moses did everything independently

–         He certainly didn’t operate independently of Yahweh – Moses worked in partnership with the Lord and with his brother Aaron

–         But somehow that didn’t translate to his leadership of the nation of Israel

When it came to settling disputes (large & small) Moses did it all himself

–         To borrow from Paul’s metaphor of the body, Moses tried to be the head, hands and feet

–         Moses’ independent approach made everyone dependent on him and dependencies are generally not healthy

–         As a consequence Moses was over worked and the people became exhausted and frustrated as they waited for days to have their case heard – justice delayed is not justice

 

Often when we are in the thick of it – head down and tail up – we lose sight of the bigger picture

–         As an outsider looking in, Jethro could see that Moses needed to delegate more and so he suggested an inter-dependent network of judges

–         This network of judges would catch any of the bigger issues for Moses to handle (with God) and all the smaller more routine things could be managed by the judges – competent people of good moral character

This was a far better system because it released both Moses and the people from an unhealthy dependency

–         It meant that justice was no longer the sole responsibility of Moses – justice was now everyone’s responsibility

–         Previously it was only Moses who had to think about God’s will

–         Now thousands of people in the community were thinking about it

–         In this way inter-dependence creates a kind of safety net

–         If you fall independently, without a safety net, the landing is painful

–         But if you fall inter-dependently, with a community of mutual reliance underneath you, the landing is not fatal

 

Of course this shift from independence to inter-dependence required Moses to listen with humility to Jethro and to trust and empower other people

–         And that’s the difficult part isn’t it – inter-dependence should make us feel safer but ironically it sometimes makes us feel more vulnerable, because we aren’t in control of other people. What if they let us down?

–         Well, inter-dependence is like a net – sometimes a fishing net rips or develops a tear. When that happens we don’t throw the net away, we mend the net – we face the truth, we forgive each other and we move on

 

Okay, Moses offers us one example of someone who transitioned from independence to inter-dependence. What about Jesus – how did he operate?

 

Jesus works inter-dependently:

Please turn with me to Mark chapter 6, verse 7 – page 53 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         Unlike Moses, Jesus didn’t try to do everything himself

–         Jesus gathered a team of disciples (or apprentices) around him and trained them to carry on his work

–         These disciples, men & women, came from a variety of backgrounds – they were a diverse group with one thing in common: they trusted Jesus

–         From Mark chapter 6, verse 7 we read…

Then Jesus went to the villages around there, teaching the people. 7 He called the twelve disciples together and sent them out two by two. He gave them authority over the evil spirits 8 and ordered them, “Don’t take anything with you on the trip except a walking stick—no bread, no beggar’s bag, no money in your pockets. 9 Wear sandals, but don’t carry an extra shirt.” 10 He also told them, “Wherever you are welcomed, stay in the same house until you leave that place. 11 If you come to a town where people do not welcome you or will not listen to you, leave it and shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them!”

12 So they went out and preached that people should turn away from their sins. 13 They drove out many demons, and rubbed olive oil on many sick people and healed them.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

On the wall here is a graph which illustrates the law of diminishing returns

–         The vertical axis measures output or return, while the horizontal axis measures input or effort

–         Up to a certain point (point number 1) you get a good return for your effort, but after that point the rate of return starts to decrease and so you get less return for your effort

For example, imagine you are contracted to pick apples, but you don’t get paid by the hour you get paid by the number of apples you pick

–         You might find that in the first half of the day you are able to pick 1000 kilos of apples

–         But as the day goes on, you get more weary and the apples get thinner on the trees and you find you can only pick 500 kilos in the second half of the day

–         Although you are putting in the same amount of time & effort your return in the second half of the day diminishes significantly

–         That’s one example of the law of diminishing returns

Eventually there comes a point when it doesn’t make sense to carry on by yourself – you need to stop and rest or change one of the other variables like getting someone to help

–         You could carry on working after 10pm but it would become counter-productive because you would be tired and grumpy the next day

–         You could go 18 months without a holiday but it would become counter-productive because you would lose perspective and joy

 

In Mark 6 Jesus doesn’t try to do everything himself – he empowers his disciples to help him in an inter-dependent way

–         First Jesus gives them authority to do the job and then he sends them out to heal people and preach repentance

–         Six teams of disciples working in multiple orchards can pick more apples than one Messiah – Jesus overcomes the law of diminishing returns

Two things Jesus recommends here to encourage inter-dependence…

–         Firstly, the disciples are to minister together in pairs

–         There were a number of reasons Jesus sent his disciples out two by two

–         For instance, 2 witnesses gives more credibility to the message than 1

–         More importantly though, having a companion guards against loneliness

–         At the end of the day we need someone to talk to and understand us

Like the philosopher says in Ecclesiastes chapter 4…

–         Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But if someone is alone and falls, it’s just too bad, because there is no one to help him. If it is cold, two can sleep together and stay warm, but how can you keep warm by yourself. Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.

  

The other thing Jesus tells his disciples is: don’t take food or money to provide for yourself, rely on the locals to provide for you

–         Remember that inter-dependence is mutual reliance – it’s a two way street where both parties give and take

–         The disciples would give healing and deliverance and a message for salvation, while those they ministered to would give food and shelter and friendship in return

–         Now this wasn’t a hard and fast rule for all time – later on Jesus told his disciples they should be prepared and provide for themselves – but on this occasion the disciples went in vulnerability and trust

 

Jesus opens the door to inter-dependence for Zacchaeus;

We see Jesus relying on the hospitality of locals in Luke 19 – please turn with me to page 105 toward the back of your pew Bibles

–         In this passage Jesus opens the door to inter-dependence for Zacchaeus

–         From Luke 19, verses 1-10, we read…

Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way. 5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, “Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today.”

6 Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy. 7 All the people who saw it started grumbling, “This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!”

8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much.”

9 Jesus said to him, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

There was a 12 year boy who was being bullied at school

–         His parents went to his teacher to talk with him about it

–         The teacher listened and then went home to sleep on it

–         The next day he asked the boy (who was being bullied) if he would like to try out for the school cricket team – the teacher happened to be the coach. The boy was keen and joined the team

–         He wasn’t the best player on the side but he turned up to practice regularly and showed commitment to his team mates

–         Things changed for him after that – he made some friends and didn’t have to sit alone at lunchtime

–         He became less afraid and less of a target – the kids that had been giving him a hard time lost interest in him and the bullying stopped

 

Zacchaeus was alone in a crowd

–         I’m not sure if he was the bully or the one being bullied – I expect it was a bit of both

–         Zacchaeus couldn’t see Jesus because of the crowd – if people liked him or respected him they would have let him through, but Zacchaeus isn’t allowed through – he has to climb a tree to see Jesus, extremely undignified and humiliating for a man in that culture

–         People excluded Zacchaeus because they saw him as colluding with the enemy (those Roman bullies) who oppressed them with taxes

–         He was perceived as a parasite – someone who depended on the community without giving anything back

–         Zacchaeus wasn’t connected in an inter-dependent way

 

But Jesus changes that by inviting himself to stay at Zacchaeus’ house

–         Now what we need to understand is that in Middle Eastern culture hospitality is an extremely important social obligation

–         To host someone important is an honour and a privilege, like getting to meet Harry & Megan or Jacinda & Clark

–         Not only that but the host carries the reputation of the whole community on their shoulders

–         If the host doesn’t do a good job then this reflects badly on everyone else

–         The people of Jericho don’t like that Jesus has gone to Zacchaeus’ house for two reasons:

o   They don’t think Zacchaeus is worthy of the honour

o   And they are anxious that Zacchaeus will make them look bad

–         But Jesus is more concerned for well-being than reputation, both Zacchaeus’ well-being and the well-being of the whole community

 

Interestingly Jesus doesn’t need to tell Zacchaeus to repent – the grace Jesus shows in honouring Zacchaeus opens Zacchaeus’ heart in generosity

–         Zacchaeus is really responding to Jesus’ generosity

–         “I will give half my belongings to the poor and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay him back four times as much”  

–         And Jesus replies, “Salvation has come to this house today, for this man also is a descendant of Abraham”

–         In other words, Zacchaeus belongs – he is not a parasite – he is needed, with something good to offer the community of God’s people

 

As I said last week, healing, wholeness, growth – these things don’t happen in isolation, they happen in community

–         If you injure your finger the doctors don’t seek to heal the finger by separating it from the hand – no, they keep the finger attached because the finger is an inter-dependent part of the body

 

We don’t know how the community responded to Zacchaeus after Jesus’ visit but if they were smart they would have included Zacchaeus

–         Someone had to collect the taxes – better to have that person on your side than against you

 

Conclusion:

Moses and Zacchaeus were similar but different

–         They were similar in that they both operated alone – they weren’t connected to their communities in an inter-dependent way

–         But they were different in that Moses was alone because of his independence – he tried to do everything himself without help

–         Whereas Zacchaeus was alone because of his dependency on the community – he took from people without giving anything back

–         Independence and dependence are roadblocks to inter-dependence

In both cases it took a third person with an outside perspective to shine light on the problem so that the solution became obvious

–         In Moses’ case that third person was Jethro and in Zacchaeus’ case it was Jesus

 

We also notice that in both cases the solution was found in sharing power

–         Moses delegated judicial power so that others had authority to help resolve certain disputes

–         And Zacchaeus dispersed power in the form of money to the poor and to those he had cheated

–         Inter-dependence is achieved through generosity – by letting go of power & control and sharing what we have with others

 

What I like about Jethro & Jesus is the grace with which they handled the situation – they did it in such a gentle, respectful and kind way

–         Jethro didn’t force Moses’ hand

–         And Jesus didn’t force Zacchaeus’ hand either

–         At the end of day inter-dependence needs to be a free choice

–         What will we choose?

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is inter-dependence?

–         In what sense is inter-dependence like a net? (as opposed to a bottleneck)

3.)    What problems did Moses’ independent approach create? (both for himself and others)

4.)    How did Moses transition from independence to inter-dependence?

–         What might we need to do to become more inter-dependent?

5.)    How did Jesus overcome the law of diminishing returns in his ministry?

–         What made Jesus’ approach to mission (in Mark 6:7-13) inter-dependent?

6.)    How did Jesus open the door to inter-dependence for Zacchaeus?

–         What did Zacchaeus do to walk through that door?

7.)    How were Moses & Zacchaeus similar?

–         How were they different?

8.)    How did Jethro and Jesus approach Moses and Zacchaeus respectively?

9.)    Who do you identify with most – Moses, Zacchaeus, Jethro or Jesus? Why?

 

 

 

 

 

Tawa Baptist

Inter-dependence

Scripture: 1st Corinthians 12:12-27

Title: Inter-dependence

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Inter-dependence defined
  • 1st Corinthians 12:12-27

o   Unity with diversity

o   Equality with affection

  • Conclusion

 

Introduction:

On the wall here we have a picture. Take a look.

–         Put up your hand if the first thing you noticed was a woman standing on a stage wearing a white dress and talking to a large crowd

–         Interesting, you can put your hands down.

–         Now put your hands up if you noticed the crowd first and then only later noticed the woman on stage.

This is a classic social science experiment

–         The theory goes that, generally speaking, people from a western culture tend to describe the individual on stage first, while people from an eastern culture are more inclined to see the crowd first

–         This is because western culture is usually more oriented to the individual and eastern culture is more oriented to the group [1]

Here’s another example of collective thinking vs. individual thinking

–         On the wall here we have a picture of a crowd of people at a sports match

–         Tell me, is the man I’ve circled there happy or unhappy?

–         Who thinks he’s happy?

–         Who thinks he’s not happy?

–         Some people might think he is sad or grumpy because all the people around him are clearly not happy but he’s actually celebrating because his team is winning, while all the other people around him are cross because their team is losing

One more. Is the guy with his face in his hands happy or sad?

–         Hands up if you think he’s happy

–         Who thinks he’s sad?

–         I’m not sure if he’s happy or sad because I can’t see his face

–         Most likely he’s happy because the people around him are happy

–         But it’s possible he’s sad because the others are laughing at him

–         The point is: our read of a situation will differ depending on whether we are inclined to think collectively or individually

When social scientists do this kind of experiment on children they find that kids with a more individualistic way of looking at life have no problem thinking that an individual might be feeling differently to the group around them

–         While those kids with a more collective mind-set don’t read the individual’s face – they read the collective face of the group

–         They take it for granted that everyone in the group will be feeling the same way – because ‘we’ has more influence than ‘me’

Today we continue our series on well-being and care of the soul, using the acronym: HEALING.

–         Each letter represents a word which, when properly applied, is life giving to the human soul…

–         Hope Energy Appreciation Lament Inter-dependence Nurture & Giving

–         Today our message focuses on inter-dependence

 

Inter-dependence defined:

Inter-dependence is about depending on one another

–         Or said another way, inter-dependence is mutual reliance

 

Inter-dependence is different from independence

–         To be independent is to rely on yourself and therefore to operate separately from the group

–         To be inter-dependent is to function as part of a group

–         With independence comes isolation, loneliness and a loss of identity

–         But with inter-dependence we get a sense of purpose and belonging – we know who we are and where we fit

 

Inter-dependence is also different from dependence

–         Inter-dependence involves relationships of mutual exchange, where everyone gives and receives – it’s a two way street

–         Everyone needs the others and everyone has something to offer the others

–         Dependence, on the other hand, lacks mutuality – it’s a one way street

–         With dependent relationships there is an imbalance of power and therefore a greater risk of abuse

–         Conversely, with inter-dependent relationships, there is a better balance of power and greater mutual respect

 

I started today’s message by talking about how eastern cultures tend to think collectively, while western cultures are more inclined to think individually

–         There’s pros & cons with both systems

–         The problem with extreme collectivism is that you tend to get uniformity – people are forced into a mould and are not free to be themselves, supposedly for the greater good

–         At the other extreme, with individualism you tend to get freedom without responsibility or restraint and people’s relationships suffer for it

–         Inter-dependence combines the best parts of collectivism & individualism enabling people to be themselves while still valuing others – so you are more likely to get healthy, functional connections with other people

 

1st Corinthians 12:12-27

To help us explore this concept of inter-dependence our Bible reading today focuses on 1st Corinthians chapter 12

–         1st Corinthians was a letter written by the apostle Paul to Christians in first century Corinth.

–         Ancient Corinth was a little bit like modern Las Vegas or Los Angeles – it had a reputation for being morally bankrupt

–         The church in Corinth had a few problems too and Paul was writing to help them sort things out

–         Two of the problems it seems were disunity & inequality

–         The church was not functioning in a healthy inter-dependent way

–         In 1st Corinthians 12 Paul reminds the believers of God’s design for the church and their need for one another, using the metaphor of the body

–         From verses 12-27 we read…

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized with one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honourable we treat with special honour. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honour to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate this Scripture for us

 

When we look at how God has designed the natural world we see he has done it in an inter-dependent way

–         For example, the trees rely on the soil for stability & nourishment

–         At the same time trees feed the soil with compost and prevent erosion

–         Trees and soil are very different but they need each other

–         Bees harvest nectar from flowers and in the process they fertilise the flowers and contribute to the fruitfulness of the tree

–         Bees and trees are very different but they need each other

–         These are examples of relationships of mutual reliance

–         What we notice in nature is that one part of an eco-system relies on every other part – so the bees aren’t just relying on the trees, they are also relying on the soil to support the trees, just as the soil is relying on the bees to fertilise the trees and keep the cycle of life going

–         The human body is like an eco-system with many different parts each relying on every other part – a diverse inter-dependent unity

 

One of the problems with the church in Corinth was disunity

–         Paul seeks to address this problem by giving the Corinthian believers a positive example of how the church is supposed to function

–         The church is like the human body – a diverse inter-dependent unity

 

Unity with diversity

Paul starts with unity – he reminds the Corinthians what they share in common – primarily Christ and the Holy Spirit

–         All Christian believers share the Spirit of Jesus sort of like all human beings share the air we breathe

–         Or like all the different parts of a person’s body share the same blood type and DNA

 

The other thing the Corinthian’s share in common is their need

–         Each person has need of the others and no one person can function or serve God’s purpose apart from the others

–         Paul is essentially saying their differences are a good thing

–         The body couldn’t function without diversity – everyone is needed

–         Inter-dependence requires unity with diversity

Two things that undermine inter-dependence are inferiority and independence

Paul deals with inferiority in verses 15-16

–         In Middle Eastern culture certain parts of the body are given higher status than other parts [2]

–         For example the foot is considered unclean and inferior to the right hand

–         But Paul argues the foot can’t exclude itself from the body because it feels inferior to the hand

–         The foot serves a valuable and necessary function just as the hand does

 

Sometimes we don’t like the way we are made or gifted – we might prefer to be something we are not

–         Or perhaps we don’t feel like we are as good as others – we may struggle with a lack of self esteem

–         Our value and our belonging does not depend on how we feel about ourselves – our value & belonging depends on God – it is simply given

–         Inter-dependence requires us to accept ourselves as we are (even though we are different) and to accept the difference in others

–         Someone once said, in heaven we get to be ourselves – and I would add, without feeling inferior

 

The other thing that works against unity with diversity is independence, also known as self sufficiency

–         In verse 21 Paul says: ‘The eye can’t say to the hand I don’t need you and the head can’t say to the feet I don’t need you’

–         In this scenario Paul imagines the eye and the head thinking they can do it on their own, without the hands and feet

It should be plainly obvious that the eyes and the head need the hands and the feet and vice versa – but in case it’s not, let me demonstrate

–         If I try to throw this bag of marshmallows with just my eyes and my mind, without using my hands or feet, look what happens

–         Nothing – the bag goes nowhere

–         But if my brain sends a message to my hands to throw the bag, then my eyes line up the target and my feet keep me balanced [throw the bag]

–         Head, hands, eyes and feet all working together to achieve the goal

–         The point is no one can do it on their own

Self-sufficiency (or the DIY attitude) is embedded deep in NZ culture

–         Ironically we kiwis honour people for being independent, rather than for cooperating and being inter-dependent

–         You sometimes hear stories of self-made millionaires

–         Those stories are fables – they are fiction

–         No one gets anywhere in life without the help of others

–         Those millionaires have got where they are because someone gave them an opportunity and they ran with it

–         They gathered people around them, with different skills and gifts, and worked with them to achieve their goals

–         Our goal in the church isn’t to make millions of dollars but to show the love of God, in the person of Jesus, to the world

–         We can only do that as we work together in an inter-dependent way under the guidance and energy of Jesus’ Spirit

Inter-dependence requires unity with diversity

–         And inter-dependence leads to equality with affection

 

Equality with affection

In verses 22-25 Paul talks about equality in the body

–         Now let me be clear, Paul is not suggesting that people are equal in ability or function – he’s just said they are not

–         But he is saying people are equal in value or worth and therefore we should have equal concern for each other

The other point Paul makes is that equality is not achieved by treating every part of the body the same, but by treating every part differently, according to the unique needs of that part

The ‘weaker parts’ is likely a reference to internal organs

–         Your heart & lungs are less robust than say your hands & feet, but they are indispensable none the less, so they receive special protection behind a rib cage and under skin

Likewise the ‘parts that are unpresentable’ is probably a reference to the private parts

–         Your reproductive organs are not laid bare like your face, they are covered for the sake of modesty

–         God has given greater honour to those parts that lacked it so there should be no division in the body but that its parts should have equal concern for each other  

–         Equality and honour are achieved by respecting difference and treating each part according to that part’s need

 

In Mark 10, the disciples James & John, ask Jesus if they can sit at the special places of honour in his glory (one on his left and the other on his right)

–         Apparently they are not content with the part in the body they have been given – perhaps they are a foot and they want to be an eye

–         But Jesus doesn’t make them any promises – it is God who arranges the parts of the body as he sees fit

The other disciples are naturally indignant with James & John, so, to avoid division and ill feeling among the body of disciples, Jesus explains…

–         Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.

–         Jesus wants his disciples to have equal concern & respect or one another      

 

Of course the equality between believers isn’t cold, aloof or unaffected

–         The equality of inter-dependence is warm with affection

–         For if one part [of the body] suffers, every part suffers with it and if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it 

What happens to one part of the body affects the rest

–         If you have a tooth ache or gout or appendicitis your whole body feels it – not just your tooth or your big toe or your appendix

–         Likewise, if you take an amazing catch on the cricket field you feel good all over and people praise your whole person, not just your hands

 

Conclusion:

Healing, wholeness, growth – these things don’t happen in isolation, they happen in community

–         If you injure your finger the doctors don’t seek to heal the finger by separating it from the hand – no, they keep the finger attached because the finger is an inter-dependent part of the body

 

In his book, Lost Connections, author Johann Hari tells a true story which I think illustrates well what inter-dependence looks like in action [3]

Early in the 21st Century a psychiatrist named Dr Derek Summerfield went to Cambodia to do research on the psychological effects of living with unexploded landmines – does the constant threat of stepping on a mine lead people to greater levels of anxiety and depression?

–         Dr Summerfield had to explain to the locals that depression is ‘a profound sense of sadness that you can’t shake off’

–         The Cambodians thought about this and said, ‘Yes, we do have some people like that.’

There was one farmer, for instance, whose left leg had been blown off by a land mine.

–         He went to the doctors and they fitted him with an artificial limb but he still felt constantly anxious and filled with despair

–         When they realised how despondent this man was the doctors and his neighbours sat with him and talked through his life and troubles

–         Even with his new artificial limb his old job, working in rice paddies, was just too difficult

–         He was constantly stressed and always in physical pain which made him want to give up

 

Now, in our individualistic society, that man would have been treated independently – the doctors would have prescribed him anti-depressant medication and recommended counselling

–         In an extremely collective society that man would most likely be expected to harden up and get over it – for the greater good

–         There would be little or no accommodation to his individual need

 

But the Cambodians responded in an inter-dependent way

–         What this man needed was a new job – one that allowed him to support himself and continue contributing to the community, without being stressed out and in pain all the time

–         So they bought the man a cow and he became a dairy farmer

–         This was less stressful on his body and held fewer disturbing memories

–         In the months that followed his depression went away and stayed away

The man didn’t try and solve the problem by himself – he realised his need for others

–         Nor did he exclude himself from the community because of some false notion that missing a leg made him inferior

–         The solution was found by the community working together with the man to empower him to change his life

–         Inter-dependence you see, as opposed to inferiority or independence

When I reflect on this story I marvel at the care and compassion the community showed this man

–         They valued him as an equal and allowed themselves to be affected on a personal level so they were moved to act

–         Did everyone in the community get a cow? No – of course not

–         Not everyone needed a cow – we all need something different

 

What is it you need to function in an inter-dependent way?

–         Do you need to accept who you are in Christ?

–         Do you need to accept the difference in others?

–         Do you need to resist the temptation to go it alone?

–         Do you need to do less yourself and trust others to do their part?

–         Do you need to accept help from others?

–         Do you need to be vulnerable and allow yourself to be affected by others?

–         These are not easy things – inter-dependence is not always easy, but in Christ it leads to life.

 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

1.)    What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon?

2.)    What is inter-dependence?

–         How is inter-dependence different from individualism?

–         How is inter-dependence different from collectivism?

–         What are the benefits of inter-dependence?

3.)    How might we identify a dependent relationship?

–         How might we break a dependency and engage with people in a more inter-dependent way?

4.)    What problems in the church might Paul have been addressing in 1st Corinthians 12?

5.)    Paul offers the body as an example of an inter-dependent unity – can you think of other examples in creation or in the Scriptures or in your own experience?

6.)    1st Corinthians 12 highlights two things which undermine inter-dependence – i.e. feelings of inferiority and a desire for independence.

–         What else might undermine inter-dependence?

–         What gets in the way of inter-dependence for you?

–         What needs to change for you to live in a more inter-dependent way?

7.)    How is ‘equality with affection’ achieved?

–         What might this require of us individually and collectively?

8.)    Do you have a story of inter-dependence similar to the Cambodian one?  Share it.

 

 

[1] Johann Hari, “Lost Connections”, page 180.

[2] Refer Kenneth Bailey’s book, ‘Paul Through Middle Eastern Eyes’, page 341.

[3] Johann Hari, “Lost Connections”, pages 159-160