The story of Joseph and his brothers from Genesis tells a deep truth about every person. You can't tell what's in the heart. Maybe you know the story. Joseph's brothers were jealous, their father loved him more, and they got even with him. They sold him into slavery. They told their younger brother Joseph was dead. And they went on with their lives not worried about what would happen to Joseph. Times weren't easy for Joseph. He spent years in slavery in Egypt; he ended up in prison. But finally after years Joseph ended up in serving in the house of the Pharoah.

After many years later the tables were turned. Joseph was in a position of power and his brothers who'd sold him came looking for help. They came to Egypt seeking help. He recognized them; but they didn't know it was Joseph. He finally revealed his identity and they brought their elderly father.

When their father died Joseph's brother's were in deep fear. They'd been cared for by their brother as long as their father was alive; but now fear crept in. They worried because they feared what they didn't and couldn't know. What was in Joseph's heart. Would their brother still hold a grudge and now after their father was gone would he get justice. Joseph replied to his brothers not just with words but with action. What they'd meant for evil God had used for good. Now Joseph's heart was clear. He didn't turn his brothers out. He brought them closer in to himself.

The human heart heart is hard to pin down; its a lot like human faith in God. People of faith walk a fine line between what's seen and what's unseen. It's kind of like an old joke I found online about a preacher who was working on his sermon at home.

His son was watching him work hard trying to write a sermon.

"How do you know what to say?" he asked.

"Why, God tells me."

"Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"

We Christians are always trying to balance God's will with our own, our hearts and minds with God's heart and God's mind. We try and often fail to understand where God is calling us. Jesus has always had a powerful way of cutting through everything and getting beneath people's facades to see what's really inside of us. We have lots on the surface that we think matters. But Jesus is more concerned with your heart and your faith than how good you might appear to be or how religious you might act.

Listening to Jesus interaction with the Pharisees and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 14 allows us, 2000 years later, to hear the presumptions of power or weakness that existed in Jesus' day in Judah and to hear Jesus getting the heart of each person.

The Pharisees assumed they held a unique position in Judah. They were close to God because they followed the law completely and dedicated their lives to following God as the law and tradition revealed. They questioned Jesus from this position of power,

“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” Matthew 15:2 NRSV

Jesus responded to their questions naming their own broken laws. They assumed they were always faithful to God through but Jesus turned the law toward them...

... God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ ^5 But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’^ then that person need not honor the father. ^6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. Matthew 15:4-6 NRSV

Jesus words went to the very center of their lives and faith. Outwardly following the law was everything for them. But Jesus' would hear it. He used a different standard; what's inside the heart to judge a person. And now turning toward the whole crowd he challenged the Pharisees again. His disciples could tell that the Pharisees were offended. Jesus wasn't deterred by their offense. The unseen human heart is what matters. You can see what a person does, but you can never see what's inside of a human heart.

A new world view begins. In the old world view shaped by law ritual purity mattered; for Jesus purity of heart matters. In the old world view the appearances that other humans saw mattered; in Jesus world view the intentions that God sees matter. Jesus did not end the law; rather he put everything into a different perspective.

The Canaanite Woman presumed no position of privilege in her interaction with Jesus. She just believed he could release her daughter from demons; she begged for help. Jesus was silent. The disciples wanted to shoo her away. He answered her requests and not theirs, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24 NRSV The desperate mother kept begging. She was pushing Jesus begging him to reach out.

^ He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” ^27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” ^28 Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:26-28 NRSV

Jesus words about dogs and the children's food stun us. But she was not about to stop. She believed Jesus could heal her daughter. She was ready to hold on in faith trusting that he had the power to set her, body and soul, free. Martin Luther compared her to Jacob wrestling in the night in Genesis 32.

In this manner God is conquered when faith does not leave off, is not wearied, and does not cease but presses and urges on. So it makes its appearance in the Canaanite woman, with whom Jesus was wrestling when He said: “You are a dog, the bread of the sons does not belong to you” (cf. Matt. 15:26). The woman did not yield here but offered opposition, saying: “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” And so she was victorious and heard the excellent word of praise: “O woman, great is your faith!”

Such examples teach us that faith should not yield or cease urging or pressing on even when it is already feeling God’s wrath and not only death and sin. This is the power and strength of the Spirit. Luther's Works, Vol. 6 : Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 31-37, Vol 6:139 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999, c1970).

Jesus boldly invites us to hold on in faith. Now the outsider is truly the model for all people who are distant from God. She teaches us to hold on. She teaches us that the appearance doesn't matter to God, but the faith and the heart count for everything.

Pentecost 12 A Wrestilng in Deserted places Genesis 31, Matthew 14

We've got 2 great stories from our reading to talk about today. 1 night and 1 day when God intervened directly in people's lives.

God's there in our first story in Genesis and in our second story from Matthew. God's found right in the middle of human affairs and human events.

We start this first story about a man named Jacob who wrestled in the night by remembering his family tree...

Abraham and Sarah

Isaac and Rebecca

Esau and Jacob twin brothers

Jacob was coming home. He'd run away from his brother years before. Now he was on his way to meet and hopefully reconcile with his brother. Many year earlier he'd stolen his brother's blessing from their aged father. Jacob's brother Esau was so enraged that Jacob ran for his life to another country to stay with his uncle Laban. While he was there he work for his uncle for 14 years, taking Laban's two girls as his wives, and growing prosperous.

After many years with Laban he returned hoping to the land promised to Abraham and Sarah as their future homeland to reconcile with Esau. In the night he left his family on one side of the River Jabbock while he stayed alone on the other side. Some guess he sent his family first to meet his brother and make peace for him.

That night, while Jacob was alone, a mysterious individual came and wrestled with him through the night. Neither one would let go. Both kept on striving to win giving no ground through the whole night. As light grew in the sky the unnamed wrestler struck Jacob's hip putting it out of joint. Jacob still refused to let him go.

... he said to Jacob, “Let me go. The sun is coming up.”

Jacob said, “I will let you go if you will bless me.”

^27 The man said to him, “What is your name?”

And he answered, “Jacob.”

^28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob. Your name will now be Israel This name means “he wrestles with God.” because you have wrestled with God and with people, and you have won.”

^29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

But the man said, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed Jacob there.

^30 So Jacob named that place Peniel This name means “the face of God.”saying, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved.” ^31 Then the sun rose as he was leaving that place, and Jacob was limping because of his leg. Genesis 32:26-31 NCV.

Scholars have debated for years if Jacob's opponent was an angle or the very divine being. Jacob was a strong man who simply wouldn't let go of his opponent in this fight. Looking back at the story its seems pretty clear that Jacob could have been flattened if his opponent wanted to do it. But his opponent had to allowed him to wrestle all night long. This powerful other who could have laid him out flat; but he didn't, Jacob was allowed to hold on and struggle all night long.

Anyone who's wrestled in their faith can tell you its not easy; but they can also tell you that they weren't crushed as they wrestled. Jacob might have been in what seemed like the struggle of his life that night. He kept on refusing to let go not even knowing the name of the one he held onto through the night.

Jacob's not alone in wrestling in the night unsure even of the name of the one he's wrestling against. There are many women and men who've stayed up late in the night wrestling in prayer trying to understand God's will and God's calling for their lives. There are many who wrestle within themselves looking for certainty and not finding it. Wrestling is part of authentic faith, Jacob struggled not wanting to let go. Faith for all of us means holding on to God's promises no matter what; faith is believing and holding onto the promises of God even when it might seem that the promises don't count anymore.

A lot of guys can probably remember wrestling over a football at lunchtime on the grass in 6^th or 7^th grade. Maybe you remember the way the knees on your pants turned green from being dragged as you just held on refusing to let go even if the other person would just keep on dragging you trying to move forward. Jacob was wrestling physically and spiritually that night. He left with an injured hip as the final proof that his spiritual wrestling was real and true.

Sometimes we underestimate spiritual challenges. But they're just as real as our physical challenges. Jacob walked away from his night of wrestling with an injured hip, changed by the experience, we walk away changed too within our bodies and spirits from wrestling in the night in prayer.

Jesus knew something about wrestling too. Jesus was looking for a place to be alone, a place to pray and seek comfort from God. Tings were going very badly for Jesus. He'd been rejected in his hometown (Matthew 13:53-58) His cousin and forerunner John the Baptist was beheaded (Matthew 14:1-12). Now he wanted to find place to be alone.

Jesus had gone away from the crowds looking for a quiet place. Jesus had good reasons to look for a quiet place. There's a spot along Lake Galilee where nothing grows and no animals can be grazed. That's where Jesus was going, a deserted place, a place with hard inhospitable volcanic soil that's unfit to grow anything.

Jesus was looking for quiet; but the crowds came looking for him. Someone spotted his boat out on the water and started on foot knowing, because the lake wasn't so far across, from east to west, exactly where he'd gone.

Everyone in the crowd had their own reason to come looking for him. Some came believing Jesus would heal, some came wondering what he would teach, some came hoping they could meet him and hear him, some came just because their parents said they should come. Some came seeking revolution and Jesus taught the crowd who'd gathered out in that deserted place for some time. There's no mention in Matthew about what he taught, just that he taught for some time that day.

As the day passed the disciples started worrying about food for the crowd. Jesus replied to their worries, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:16 NIV) They were flummoxed naming what little they had. We can say the same things in our daily ministry. We don't have enough money, time, people, knowledge, experience, patience, will, or strength. Jesus replied to the disciples doubts instructing them to go ahead and pass out the food to everyone. Craig S. Keener observed,

God is not intimidated by the magnitude of our problem. The disciples saw the size of the need and the littleness of the human resources available; Jesus saw the size of the need and the greatness of God's resources available. Often God calls us to do tasks for him that are technically impossible-barring a miracle. IVP NT Commentary Series Matthews

Jesus miracle didn't start with human faith. It started with the power of God to create and to keep on creating. Jesus' power alone was enough to feed thousands. The disciples faith wasn't needed; but God will to make it happen was. There are plenty of times in the church when we would be wise to remember that Jesus' strength was revealed often in the Gospels when things were going from bad to worse.

God's involved in ordinary everyday life just as much as he is involved in the miracles that catch all of us by surprise. God provides for us. Sometimes its as blatant as 5 loaves and two fish turning into a meal for thousands with baskets full left over to spare. Sometimes the miracle is hidden within creation.

Everett Cook, a retired Pentecostal minister running a street mission, confronted an associate who had a growth on his nose but refused to see a doctor. "God will heal me," the man insisted.

"If you needed a miracle, God would give you one," Everett retorted, "but right now he's given you a doctor and medical insurance. You need to use what he's given you."

The next time they met the man's growth was much bigger, but the man still insisted, "I am healed." The third time they met the growth had spread further, and finally the man was thinking that perhaps he needed to see a doctor.

God performed a miracle when he created the world and set its laws in motion, and we are often wise to start with natural means when those are available. God performs miracles to meet our genuine needs, but he will not perform them merely to entertain us. IVP Matthew Commentary.

People still come to church looking for Jesus.

We are Christ's body after all. We are the place where his Word is preached, we are the people who wrestle trying to understand God's will and trusting that we are walking in his ways even if we can see him.

People come looking for a chance to meet God and looking for a place to belong. People come looking to be changed looking to meet the very God alive in our world. Thank God he comes just as he promised in bread and wine right into our midst.

Pentecost 11 A Parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13

Over the last two weeks the Gospel readings have included some of Jesus' parables.

This week we have five more of Jesus parables to listen to and read over and over. Jesus is inviting us to imagine the kingdom of God through his words. As we listen our imagination catch glimpses of something majestic and awe inspiring that may not see everyday; but that is just as real even if we don't perceive it.

A little over a week ago our family was driving back to a motel in Hot Springs South Dakota after seeing the night lighting ceremony at Mount Rushmore. We thought that it was a neat way to end the day. But we were going to see something even more unexpected. As we drove through Cave of the Winds National Park the two cars, about a half mile in front of us on the highway, slowed way down almost, but not completely, stopping. I woke my bride up not sure what was going on and put on the breaks myself. As she looked ahead she spotted a buffalo on the right side of the road next to one of the other cars. It was big and dark, and just as we prepared to pass by the first buffalo we looked to the left and saw two others silhouetted in the moonlight on a small ridge just a few feet from the road.

It was a once in a lifetime glimpse into the majesty of the prairie and great herds of buffalo who roamed there freely years ago. I wish now that we'd had our camera ready to get that once in a lifetime shot of two buffalo silhouetted by the full moon.

We came back through the same way the next day and got pictures in the daylight of buffalo in the very same field where we'd seen them the night before, but it was not the same at all this time. We had a glimpse of something majestic, and now in the day light it all seemed different. The buffalo were still huge and wild, but that moment of awe was gone.

Jesus words to the crowd gathered by Lake Galilee were an invitation to imagine the Kingdom of God. He talked plainly about the kingdom of God and comparing it to everyday ordinary mustard and yeast. Jesus told his listeners what the kingdom of God is like in his own terms. The crowds glimpsed the kingdom through his words. He didn't tell us the physical dimensions of God's kingdom; he told us it can start small like a mustard seeds. He didn't tell us the reach of God's kingdom he compared it to yeast's ability to transform flour and water from paste into bread. Mustard seeds are tiny; but Jesus said likened one to the kingdom of God pointing out the way something so small can grow into something so substantial and life giving.

Jesus talked about yeast's power to transform flour into risen dough for bread. When yeast is added to water and flour the basic ingredients are transformed into something more.

People yearn for moments of awe and wonder. We're spiritual beings who hunger for spiritual experiences. Real faith starts small and grows. We mistake faith for moments of awe and wonder. Faith's not chills running up and down the spine. Faith is believing that God can do what he says. In Matthew 13 Jesus revealed glimpses of God's Kingdom in the poetry of metaphors. He used words that we know are true because we believe. 2000 years later Jesus' words still start faithful imaginations running, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed..." "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast..."

Matthew 13 is really two different sets of parables. The first parables were spoken to a great crowd who came to visit him by the shores of Lake Galilee. The crowd was so great he went out a little way off shore in a boat to speak to them all.

Isaiah 6:8-9

Jesus friends ask him why he spoke in parables and he pointed all of them to Isaiah 6:8-9 about stubborn minds who heard but didn't listen. Then he just went on teaching parables. Martin Luther said that the parables, “...are like pictures of a sort, which show things to ... people as though before their very eyes Martin Luther, vol. 26, Luther's Works, Vol. 26 : Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4 26:433

The second set of Parables in Matthew 13 were spoken to the disciples behind closed doors. Some people say that Matthew chose these parables of Jesus for his Gospel as words of comfort and hope for the early church who faced turmoil and persecution.

Many commentators believe that Matthew wrote for believers who lived in a painful no mans land as members of the first century church. They were not accepted as Jews and they were not accepted as Romans or Greeks. They were on the outside and still they clung to their faith. I believe Matthew put Jesus words together reminding the early church just how much they mattered to God and just how valuable their faith was not only for them individually but for every member of the church.

^44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Imagine hearing these words if you've been forced out of your home and kick out of your family because you believe in Jesus Christ. Imagine the promise of treasure beyond any other for a believer who'd given up everything because they now believed that Jesus was the risen Lord.

^45 “ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; ^46 on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

Jesus knows what's in out hearts and minds. He knows what we value. He knows that we care about money and stuff and now he invites us to consider an earthly possession of great value, a pearl of great price, that would be worth the some total of everything else that we ever had or ever would have. Jesus didn't say this to the crowd; instead he spoke to his friends who would one day risk everything to share the Good News at the ends of the known world.

^

^47 “ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; ^48 when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. ^49 So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous ^50 and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus spoke these words to believers who would risk everything for his sake sharing the Good News that Jesus had died, risen, and that he would come again. He spoke these words inviting them to imagine the kingdom and those who would be inside and those who would be outside. He start simple, with every things, but his words invite us to see heaven and earth, paradise and hell not in our own terms but in terms that we can barely begin to imagine.

For 2000 years believers have pondered these stories. We've examined facet after facet of the God's kingdom. We look at these stories with wonder and fear as we glimpse our place in Jesus' kingdom through faith.