Eternal God, pour out your spirit upon us, that we might be sensitive
to your presence, attentive to your Word, and faithful always in your way.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord we pray. Amen.
When people looked at Anthony Jerome Webb, better known as “Spud” Webb, and
heard he wanted to play professional basketball, they laughed. After all he was
only five feet six inches tall. They thought he had no hope of a future in pro
basketball. He was just way too short. He was not recruited by any major
college, so he went to junior college instead, then on to North Carolina State.
The N. C. State assistant coach encouraged head coach, Jim Valvano, to consider
him. The two coaches went to the airport to meet Webb. Noticing a short man
approaching them, Valvano said to his assistant, “If that is Spud Webb, you’re
fired”
He turned out to be a great player for N.C. State, but people again laughed
when he said he wanted to turn pro. In spite of his height, (he was the third
shortest player ever in the NBA) his quickness and jumping ability served him
well for twelve seasons. In his first professional season he entered the
slam-dunk contest. Again people snickered. Yet he startled everyone, including
his fellow teammate and defending dunk champion, Dominique Wilkins, with some
amazing dunks. Even though Dominique was a full one foot and one inch taller,
Spud Webb won the whole contest.
Webb is now a widely sought after inspirational speaker and lecturer. Through
using the gifts and abilities he did have, one of which was not height, he
discovered a future and a hope. He now encourages many others to live into their
own future and hope using their gifts and abilities.
Speaking of laughing, when God announces to Abraham and Sarah that they are
to have a child, the message is so ludicrous that Sarah laughs. Abraham asks,
“Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who
is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Genesis 17:17) Abraham and Sarah were
people of great faith, and they had seen God accomplish great works in their
lives, but this was just too much to believe. They laughed. From our point in
history, we know the outcome of the story. Abraham and Sarah in fact do have a
son, Isaac. In spite of laughing in the face of God, they trust God and so they
receive a future and a hope, and as their heirs, we do too.
Our passage in Matthew’s gospel today is a continuation of the events we spoke
about last Sunday. In last week’s lesson Jesus runs on faith, his total trust in
God, and constitutes the Kingdom of God by restoring people to wholeness and
health. Jesus continues his life-giving work in today’s passage and also sends
his disciples to do the same life-giving work. Matthew has introduced us to only
five of the disciples at this point, but surprisingly now speaks of “the
twelve.” He clearly sees these twelve individuals in parallel with the original
twelve tribes. Thus, the implication is the ministry of the disciples is to give
a future and a hope to all of Israel.
In both of these passages, it is the Creator God, the one who brought order out
of nothing, who is at work. This new order, God’s Kingdom, or God’s will, is
God’s future and God’s hope, and it is offered to all of us. Like Abraham and
Sarah and the disciples, God will work in and through us, to bring about this
future and hope. As in the opening scene of scripture, where God brings a new
created order out of chaos, so God is acting in our lives again. Total trust in
God opens a future and a hope for each of us.
On this Father’s Day and Graduate’s Day I want to speak directly to dads and
grads. Here are four points which will give you a future and a hope. Perhaps
these ideas will be helpful for all others too.
We read daily about another corporate layoff. The economics are simple, really.
Run your employees hard, and when they begin to lose productivity due to
exhaustion, dump them so you can run others into the ground. The model of
“employee as consumable” says we do not matter.
First, listen. The “Meditation” quote in today’s bulletin from Gordon
MacDonald states, “The more a child becomes aware of a father’s willingness to
listen, the more a father will begin to hear.” This sentiment is true for
mothers as well as fathers and for all of us in all of our relationships. It
took me too long to realize, my kids didn’t want to hear my ideas, they wanted
me to listen to theirs. For all of us, dads, grads, everyone, our job is to
practice reception, not composition, especially when the other person is
speaking. If you are preparing your rebuttal while the other person is still
speaking, you are missing what they are saying. Dads, if you listen, then your
children will also. They will follow your example. Graduates, a lifelong pattern
of listening well before you speak will open for you a future and a hope.
Second, don’t complain about others, but act and address people’s needs.
Jesus sees that the people are like sheep without a shepherd. He doesn’t
complain. He sends shepherds. He contributes positive action. Too often we
parents are quick to yell at our children, “Don’t do that!” If they are about to
harm themselves or others, decisive action is needed. However, in many
situations, what our children need is a demonstration of the positive outcome we
desire.
A friend of mine is moving after twenty-some years in one house. His wife
told him that cleaning out the garage was his responsibility. He said at first
all he could see was that everybody else’s junk was piled in the garage. Then he
realized, “At least I don’t have to scrub oil spots off the floor because there
hasn’t been a car in there in twenty years.” Don’t complain; take positive
action. Graduates, you will face many obstacles. Don’t diffuse your focus by
complaining about others. Take positive action yourself. Look to every situation
you face, and try to offer life-giving action. To err is human. To criticize
others is too easy a way out. To offer positive life-giving action is to
participate in God’s new order.
Third, failure is not fatal. All of us are called to help the Kingdom
of God grow. We are to make positive, life-giving contributions to the world.
Evidently access to health care was bad in Jesus’ day, as it is today. In
today’s passage Jesus offers positive, life-giving action, and instructs his
disciples to do the same. We know the disciples weren’t always successful but
they were called to try again, to keep on serving, to continue to offer hope to
others. So also are we. Graduates, you will make mistakes. When you do, say,
“I’m sorry.” Then, try to learn and grow from the situation, and try again. My
friend, Don Harp from Atlanta says, “Husbands, forget your mistakes. There is no
need for two people to remember the same thing.” For all of us, failure is not
fatal. The only real failure is when we fail to learn from a situation. If we
aren’t failing some, we aren’t trying and we aren’t living.
Fourth, live with Christ now. If you live feeling guilty for actions
or words in the past, you will be robbed of your creativity. If you live fearing
what might be in the future, you will dim your sights and limit your potential.
The present is the place where God is meeting you. God is offering you
possibilities. Peace is found by simply trusting God in the present moment.
Abraham and Sarah had no idea who the visitors where that appeared at their
tent. However, they responded with gracious and generous hospitality, and
discovered they were in the presence of God and a future and a hope were opened
to them. As the writer of Hebrews put it, “Let mutual love continue. Do not
neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained
angels unaware.” (Hebrews 13:1,2) Those who were open and receptive to Jesus and
the disciples experienced hope and the future unfolded right in the present.
God’s desires for their lives, desires of health and wholeness, were theirs.
In the wonderful Charles Wesley closing hymn today, we offer Christ our
lives. In verse one we offer our full attention. In verses two and three we
offer to do his works, and in verse four we seek to walk with Christ all the way
into God’s Kingdom. Joy, hope and the future are all ours when we live with
Christ now.
I know of a father who every night when he arrives home, sits in the driveway
for a couple of minutes shifting gears. “Not the gears of the car,” he says,
“but the gears of my mind. I’ve been so preoccupied with business, I just sit
there for a minute or two reminding myself that the people I’m going to see
inside are the most important people I’m going to meet that entire day.” All of
us in families need such a time of shifting gears.
There was a boy who was filling out some official forms at school. On a line
where you were to put the name of a parent or guardian, he wrote his father’s
name. The line below said, “Relationship,” and the boy wrote, “Very good.” God’s
desire for us is that all our relationships be very good, for it is in good
relationships that we create a future and a hope.
