Ordinary 29B
Oct 18, 2015
Ancho + Corona
Scripture:
Job 38: 1-7, 34-41 + Mark 10: 35-45
(This sermon has been transcribed from an audio recording)
In Sept, 2012, I was on my way to Nome, Alaska. I was waiting around in the Detroit airport, preparing for the many legs of the journey - my flight would take me from Detroit to Minneapolis to Seattle to Anchorage to Kotzebue and finally, to Nome. As I was waiting there, just past security, I saw over the windows a large Michigan flag hanging on the wall.
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| State Flag of Michigan |
Now, the Michigan flag contains the state seal, complete with a Latin motto, and as I had a bit of time to kill, I walked up and read the motto to myself. It reads: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice. It means, If you seek a beautiful peninsula, look around you. So I did look around me, and it was a beautiful peninsula. Later - many, many legs later - we were heading from Anchorage to Kotzebue, and the stewardess hopped on the intercom: "Thank you for flying Alaska Airlines," she said, "and welcome to God's country." Now, that's the first time I'd ever heard that expression, and at first, I thought it's the state motto, kinda like Land of Enchantment is the New Mexico state tourist phrase to bring people here - same idea, I thought "God's country" was it for Alaska.
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| State Flag of Alaska |
But it's not. Alaska means "The Great Land" - it has nothing to do with God's country, and since then I've heard it in multiple places and learned that it's usually referring to wide open expanses of land. Thus, I've heard it in New Mexico as many of you probably have too, referring to the wide open expanses of land here in New Mexico.
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| State Flag of New Mexico |
Why open land? Because apparently we don't see God in areas of population density. It's - it's as though, when people get together, God's not seen. As though we need to be away from people. Is God's presence masked by the freewill and choice that we all have? Is God drowned out by the swirling masses of humanity? These are questions. Questions that you will see are related to our story from Job today.
So, let's listen to this story from Job, chapter 38, some selected verses: 1 through 7 and 34-41.
The Lord answered Job from a whirlwind: Who is this, that questions my wisdom with such ignorant words? Brace yourself like a man, because I have some questions for you, and you MUST answer them. Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much, who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together, and all the angels shouted for joy? Can you shout to the clouds and make it rain? Can you make lightning appear, and cause it to strike as you direct? Who gives intuition to the heart, and instinct to the mind? Who is wise enough to count all the clouds? Who can tilt the water jars of heaven when the parched ground is dry and the soil has hardened into clods. Can you stalk prey for a lioness, and satisfy the young lion's appetites as they lie in their dens or crouch in the thicket? Who provides food for the ravens, when their young cry out to God and wander about in hunger?
Job has been crying out to God for 35 chapters - and finally, finally God responds. Job has been crying out to God to "lift this veil of darkness" from in front of Job's face - we talked about that veil of darkness last week. Job has been crying out to God to answer Job's subpoena to appear in court - I still think that's pretty audacious, to say, "God, appear before me - I'm serving you!" I don't know how you would serve God with a subpoena, but that's what Job's been trying to do.
And now, finally, finally, God does appear to Job - in a whirlwind - and starts asking Job questions that Job and all of us can only answer, "No, God, I wasn't there. No, I didn't do that. No, I can't do that. Only you can." Our little snippet of God's answer to Job today gives you a taste for these questions, and you'll note, it's a very abbreviated taste - this questioning runs on for three chapters, right up to chapter 41.
Job, through these questions, is taken from one end of the universe to the other, and then, on a zoology tour of the earth, looking at all the animals, and all the ways they interact together. Whether or not he's actually taken, and whether it's just the questions that are leading his mind there, he's got a very wide breadth of these answers of "No" that he's gotta be constantly saying to God. This "constant barrage of questions", as one commentator puts it, leaves you wondering what God's purpose is. Is God trying to overwhelm Job? Is God trying to make Job insecure?
Another commentator wrote, that if Job were the example given of God in Seminary, God would have failed pastoral care 101. None of these questions seem to answer any of Job's questions - at first glance. It's really easy to get overwhelmed with these questions.
So, let's take a moment - slow down, take time to look at these carefully. Despite the whirlwind, despite the presumptive booming voice of God, God isn't telling Job anything new. Throughout Job's ordeal, he has claimed that God is magnificent, just, holy, and so on. Job has still claimed God, throughout everything. That's why Job wants God to appear, after all, because Job wants a good, fair trial, and Job trusts God to give that. And now, God is taking Job on a journey through creation to show how God is involved in everything.
There are three major threads that run through these questions that God asks: First thread - God has been present, is present, and will be present in the largest and smallest of all things. Second, God sets limits on chaos, but doesn't remove it. Third, God provides for creation.
God provides for creation. We see this in the questions, "can you stalk prey for a lioness?" "Who provides food for the ravens?" "Who tilts the water jar of heaven onto the parched earth?" God is clearly the one who does these things, and God is the one who is providing for all of creation in them. There are many more questions like this, these are just exemplar questions.
God sets limits on chaos. "God defines boundaries" is another way to put this. "Who determined the limits of the earth? What supports its foundations?" Who determined the limits of the earth, saying the earth should be the sphere with the atmosphere, and no further? God. Who determines where earth is placed in its orbital path? God. In the Goldilocks zone, as scientists like to call it, the place where we have liquid water abundant, heat and light from the sun, but not too much - just... right. God is the one who sets the limits on chaos around.
God is present, has been present, and will be present. "Who laid the cornerstone while the stars and angels sang for joy?" God is saying, "I was at the very beginning, I am now, and I will be."
Truly, from these, we can see that everything is God's country. God is present in greatest joy, in deepest suffering. In widest plain, in narrowest alley, God is present. God sets limits on chaos. Job thought he had lost everything - in fact, this is a point I've been making through and through, week-by-week, but truly, Job had not lost everything. He still had life. He still had breath. He still has friends, a wife. He had his speech, he had mobility, he had more than anything I can list here. Not everyone is so lucky. Even Job, as much as he had before that was taken from him, was loved by God. God loves all, from the greatest lion to the littlest raven, from the most beautiful star in the distance, to the depths of the human heart, God loves all of us.
God sets boundaries on Job - takes away some things, narrows the boundaries around Job, but hasn't taken everything away. Job had many options available - he has the freedom to act in many ways. Though his grief is crippling, he did not need to argue with his friends for many chapters. I think many of the Biblical scholars would appreciate that. Maybe ONE friend. Not three. This didn't need to happen for so long.
Nor did he need to remain in this ash-pit; for however long 35 chapters of arguing has taken. Job could have gotten up. But Job became so focused on God that he neglected everything and everyone else - his mind was so focused on connecting with God and proving himself innocent that he wasn't looking for other ways to live, other ways to be in the world. Instead of looking for God around him, Job looked only inward and upward.
God provides for creation. Even though Job had these other options, and God could have left Job alone, God provides for Job. God appears, exactly what Job has been asking for, God does. God didn't have to, but God does appear before Job, and brings Job on this tour of creation. God shows Job where God is active, what God is doing, has done, and will do. God is encouraging Job to look outward, to see God at work, providing in the world, instead of narrowly focused inward and upward. Look for God around you. If you seek God, look around you.
Our Gospel lesson from Mark tells us the other half of this equation: that not only do we need look around us to find God, but when we do find God, we need to listen to God. It's not just about finding God in the first place. Listening is just as important. Our Gospel lesson shows James and John angling to get the best seats at the glorious banquet they believe is coming soon. You can just see these two brothers, the "sons of Thunder" - I imagine they were loud and pushy, that's just how "sons of thunder" rings in my mind - sons of thunder, James and John, angling to go to Jesus, and say, "Hey, Jesus, grant us this thing..." Waiting for Jesus to say, "Ok, sure, you're my friends!" But no, he says, "What do you want?" He's canny, along this way. And they say, "Ok, well, we would like to sit on your right and left hand at the glorious banquet to come."
Now - that's all fine and dandy, except... do you know what this follows in the Bible? Jesus telling them that he's going to be tortured and killed. Jesus tells the disciples that he's going to be tortured and killed, and James and John's reaction is, "Hey, Jesus, we want to sit next to you." I don't think they're listening to what Jesus is saying. When Jesus tells them, "Are you ready to take this cup of suffering, this baptism of suffering that I have?" they say, "Yes, Jesus, we're ready!" And Jesus says, "Well, you will," referencing James' death. He has to tell them that, sadly, they're right, they will take part of this cup and baptism. But even though they do this, who is honored in heaven isn't for Jesus to say. Following that passage, he tells the disciples once again that it is the ones who serve - yes, the ones who serve even as far as slaves do - who will be honored in heaven.
Jesus, you see, is present with the disciples. Jesus is present, just like God is present. Jesus is present with the disciples, though he's not happy with their not listening to him, he is still present with them. He's present with James and John and with the other ten disciples. He doesn't leave them for another set, say, "Ok, you guys, that's the last straw, you haven't listened to me anywhere along the line, I'm going to go find another twelve. Maybe they'll listen to me over in Egypt - or in Syria - or in some other area near here. You guys are done." He doesn't do that. Jesus stays with them - and tries time and time again to get them to listen to what he's saying.
Jesus sets boundaries. Jesus won't tell James, John, and the other disciples, or whoever reported this story to Mark, who specifically will be honored in heaven. This gives us wonderful freedom within these boundaries. It gives us a freedom to think, "Hey, it might be you! It might be me! It might be my grandchildren, it might be my great-ancestors." There's a freedom in wondering, and that leads us to act in a good way, to act as God would have us act, to use our freedom to choose to choose wisely, to choose for God. He does provide the boundary, though, that it's about serving. Those who serve will be honored. Not those who take for themselves, who make themselves better, who puff up and wear the best of bow-ties, and top hats. No... it's those who serve.
Lastly, Jesus provides for the church. These stories, though they weren't understood originally, as we can tell by Mark's depiction of the disciples completely missing the point, were passed on, and give us a chance to understand them today. A chance - maybe we have it wrong, too - maybe we're not understanding completely either - that's fine. Jesus has provided throughout the years, giving us much to think and ponder on, and helps to guide our freedom and action to be more aligned with God's plan for us. Just like the disciples, after Jesus' death and resurrection, finally get it. Finally start telling people who Jesus is, and what that means, that God loves you, the Good News is that there is NOT an angry God - but a God who loves you - and you - and you - and everyone.
So, Job tells us to see God around us. Mark tells us to listen to God when we find God. God is telling us that God's Country isn't just Alaska, or New Mexico, or even America - God's Country is all the heavens, all the stars, all the planets, all the heavenly host, all the mountains, all the prairies, all the lakes, streams, oceans. All the people, all the rural areas, all the urban areas, and yes, even all the suburban and exurban areas.
If we want to see God, we have to look around us. Not just in our nature walks, our homesteads, and our isolated hunting and fishing, hiking and skiing trips, but also in our trips to town. Our talks with friends. Our interactions with people we meet at Knowledge Bowl, or Sports events, or anywhere else. Because God is present in it all. Is, has been, and will be. We look for God in our environment around us, and we will find God. Then, after we've found God, we should listen - and try to understand what God is telling us. Even if we don't get it immediately. Even if, like the disciples - and thank goodness we have their example - we don't get it on the first try... or the second... or the third... we need to listen to what God is saying, and get it, eventually, when the time is right.
You've heard it said, preach the gospel constantly; use words if necessary. I say, God is preaching the Gospel constantly, use your eyes and ears to see and hear it.
When you see and hear God's Word in all creation, that's when you can share God's word with others. Sing along to the tune. Mesh with harmonies of the stars and the depths of the human soul. If you seek the Good God, look around you. Amen.
