Sometimes creating a sermon feels like pulling teeth. You can work and struggle and think and think and think about a Bible text and not come up with anything that seems meaningful to proclaim today. Sometimes when creating a sermon the biblical texts are so complex and there are so many subtleties that you don’t even know where to start. The challenge becomes how to preach it without oversimplifying things, or ignoring important parts. And sometimes it feels like sermons just write themselves. It is as if the Bible text just flows right into living it. That is the case with the story of Zaccheaus today.
You may have learned the song of Zaccheaus in Sunday school when you were a little kid; about how he was: a wee little man, a wee little man was he. He climbed up in a sycamore tree. The Lord he wanted to see. But Jesus tells him to come down because he’s coming to his house today.
That simple song captures what is going on in the text. We’ll remember that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem with his disciples. Along the way there have been crowds around him. There have been supporters and opponents. Jesus has given many teachings that are difficult to understand. Right after a particularly difficult teaching a rich ruler approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. This man shows that he is righteous. He has followed all the rules since he was a kid. He’s a model of upstanding citizenship. But Jesus tells him that what he has to do is to sell everything, give the money to the poor, and then come follow him. We do not like hearing this from Jesus, but Jesus never was too worked up about sugar coating the truth for those who heard him. So we’re told that the rich ruler became sad and went away.
Last week we read about a blind man asked Jesus to cure him. In that case the blind man did not approach Jesus the way the rich man did. How could he have in the midst of a noisy crowd? But Jesus stops and commands that the man be brought to him. Upon receiving his sight, the blind man glorifies God in happiness and follows Jesus. He was the exact opposite of the rich man.
This week we read about Zacchaeus. The parallels with earlier rich man continue. The story of the rich man began with us being told that he was a ruler. Now the story of Zacchaeus begins with us being told that Zaccaeus is a ruling tax collector. Unlike the ruler who strode up to Jesus and asked him a question, Zacchaeus runs ahead and climbs a tree. He can’t get to Jesus. This is due to two things. First, and obviously, he is short. He’s like the kid at a parade who can’t see over the crowd to see what is passing by. And two, as a ruling tax collector he would have been especially disliked by the crowds. No one was going to make room for little Zacchaeus to be in the front of the crowd.
Zacchaeus doesn’t want to ask Jesus any particular questions. He just wants to see Jesus pass by. Yet still, Zacchaeus is on a quest to see Jesus. He has to go ahead and climb up a tree. While I’ll always maintain that climbing trees is fun, dignified men do not usually make a habit of climbing trees. If the rich ruler was stately and poised as he approaches Jesus, Zacchaeus is childish and embarrassing. He wanted to see Jesus. But did he want to be seen by Jesus? Did he really want to be pointed out to the public as he’s up a tree? The scene is somewhat comic.
But here we get a twist. We’ve been told that Zacchaeus is on a quest to see Jesus. But now we learn that Jesus is also on a quest for Zacchaeus. Unlike the rich man who came to Jesus of his own accord, and unlike the blind man who had to be brought to Jesus by others, Jesus comes to the place where Zacchaeus is up a tree. Jesus gives a command. “Zacchaeus,” (notice that Jesus knows Zacchaeus by name!) “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.”
Zacchaeus is commanded to come to Jesus. And to come fast. And to be told that he will be hosting Jesus that very day. Jesus did not ask if he could come to Zacchaeus’ house. Jesus tells Zacchaeus that he is coming to his house! (I certainly hope Zacchaeus had the place clean and tidy!)
Remember what happens with the rich ruler. Jesus tells him what he must do – he must sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, then come follow him. Now contrast that with Zacchaeus. Jesus has told Zacchaeus what to do – come down and host him at his house. That is all the Jesus has told Zacchaeus to do. In response Zacchaeus comes down from the tree. He is happy to welcome Jesus. And then, without further prompt or command from Jesus, right there in the midst of the crowd in the town Zacchaeus replies.
Here we must depart from our English translations because they twice add a word that is not in what Luke wrote. Our text says, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will repay back four times as much.”
Except the word “will” is not in what Luke wrote. Luke wrote something more along the lines of Zacchaeus stating to Jesus what he already does, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I repay back four times as much.”
Thus, when Jesus calls Zacchaeus down from the tree it is not a conversion experience for Zacchaeus. He does not suddenly change his mind about his lifestyle. Zacchaeus is already living by the principles of God’s kingdom.
So the rich ruler we met a few weeks ago thinks he is living by the principles of God’s kingdom by following a set of religious rules. He was seen to be an exemplary citizen. But this ruler tax collector, who as a tax collector was seen as a sell-out to their enemies, is actually living by the principles of God’s kingdom.
In other words, Zacchaeus has already been giving to those who cannot return the favor. And where Zacchaeus does discover mistakes, he rectifies the situation according to the most stringent standards. You would think that someone like Zacchaeus would be using his wealth and power to buy himself a social status and good reputation despite his occupation. But he has not been doing that. He’s been using his resources in ways that he does not get kickbacks of any sort.
In the story of Zacchaeus we find a man who is disliked by society yet who is actually living a godly life. He is seeking Jesus by climbing a tree, then discovers that Jesus is actually seeking him. He obeys every one of Jesus’ commands immediately and happily. Jesus then says, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and save the lost.” We just saw that in action. Jesus has sought out one whom society considered to be lost.
Yes, Zaccheaus gives us a rich and fun story that almost writes itself into a sermon. And with equal ease it tells us how we are to live.
To the extent that you have wealth and possessions, do not use them for self-protection or to leverage yourself into a higher social rank. That’s what the rich ruler did. Like Zacchaeus, use them to build up those who lack power in society. Don’t waste your time and energy worrying about appearances or your reputation. God sees and God knows. It doesn’t matter what other people think.
Live like that and you will be like Zacchaeus, on a quest to see God. But don’t expect it to be the way you think. Many people seek to find God and know God’s will. They do so by climbing all sort of symbolic trees: they go on retreats, seek spiritual guidance, read books, and the like. There’s nothing wrong with that. Just like there’s nothing wrong with a grown man climbing a tree. But don’t be surprised in your quest for God that you discover that God is also on a quest for you. Don’t expect God to climb up your tree to be with you. Most likely, like Zacchaeus, God will call you down from the tree and back into the ordinary, yet complex, messiness of life. God may come to your house, even if it is an untidy mess. There God will proclaim blessing. And there God will give you deep and lasting joy.
Monday, November 17, 2025
Tuesday, November 11, 2025
November 9, 2025 What Is Blindness? Luke 8:31-43
Let’s say you get the very difficult news that you need brain surgery. Brain surgery is delicate and often difficult work. There are significant chances of infection, decreased brain function, paralysis, and death. So you go to meet the surgeon in the surgeon’s office to discuss the situation. What do you expect when you meet with the surgeon?
You expect someone who is probably middle aged or older. You imagine someone who is: clean-cut, professionally dressed, poised, and articulate. When you step into the office you expect to see it well laid out and orderly. You expect there to be diplomas and certificates hanging on the wall giving proof of the surgeon’s education and qualifications. It would be nice to see some award sitting around for accomplishments, research, and advancement of the field. All of these things give you confidence that your life and your future are going to be in good hands when you are in surgery.
So how would you feel if it turns out that the surgeon’s office is in the property maintenance shed of the hospital? The office is dirty and cluttered. There are engine parts lying around. It smells like oil. The surgeon then walks in: dirty, unkempt, and smelling of alcohol. The surgeon spits in the trash can and then pulls out earbuds. You hear a faint sound of bluegrass music.
How are you feeling about your surgery now? How would you feel if you were told this is the top surgeon in the world for the operation you need? They would be mixed feelings for sure! I’d probably ask for directions to the surgeon’s office because surely this couldn’t be the person!
There’s something along these lines going on in our gospel reading though. The people we expect to know what is going on don’t. And the person we’d expect to know nothing does.
Let’s remind ourselves of the last few chapters of Luke’s gospel and what we’ve heard the last several weeks. Jesus has been giving teachings to the twelve apostles, and to the crowds, and to some critical Pharisees. We learn that they’re all struggling with what Jesus is saying. However, since the twelve apostles are the closest and they get inside information from Jesus regularly, we expect them to have good knowledge of who Jesus is and what Jesus is doing. Yet that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Our gospel reading began with Jesus taking the twelve aside for some private instruction. He tells them what’s coming up in Jerusalem. He will be: arrested, humiliated, beaten, and executed. Then on the third day he will rise again. This is not the first time he has told them this. He told them something similar right after the Transfiguration recorded in chapter 9. But they didn’t get it then.
Sadly, despite more time and teachings, they still don’t get it. Luke is pretty emphatic about how they don’t get it at all. In just verse 34 Luke has a threefold statement that they didn’t understand. He says, “But they understood nothing about all these things…” That’s the first assertion. Then the second, “…in fact, what he said was hidden from them…” That’s the second assertion. “…and they did not grasp what was said.” That’s the third assertion. It’s all in one sentence but said three times over… they didn’t get it at all!
We shouldn’t be too hard on these guys. It all makes perfect sense to us because we know the end of the story. It was pretty much impossible for them to understand. Yet that is part of the point. The kingdom of God that Jesus promises to be making real is so out of sync with the way the world works that we deem it impossible. Even today, knowing the end of the story, it is very hard to believe: God’s greatest accomplishments, and the reality of God’s kingdom, come most powerfully in the form of suffering, shame, and helplessness. The values of the kingdom of God are about humility; not self-advancement. We ultimately ask how God could possibly bring about forgiveness and salvation that would change the world… by being completely passive in the face of humiliation and death.
So, the disciples, with their inside information on Jesus, are along the lines of what we expect a skilled brain surgeon to look like. Yet they don’t get it. The next person we meet is more like the person you’d meet in a maintenance garage. Yet despite this, he seems to have remarkable insight into who Jesus is.
Immediately after the failure of the disciples to understand the scene shifts to a blind man sitting by the roadside begging. Commentator Joel Green says a blind beggar like this would be seen as “social refuse.” (New International Commentary on the New Testament, Luke, 662) His physical malady would have been interpreted by many as proof of God’s displeasure for him. (After all, doesn’t God reward the good and punish the bad?) Being blind, he had no skills or purpose. He was basically a drain on society. He was probably an embarrassment to his family. He had no role in the world. He had to live off the charity of others. If it weren’t for the way the Jewish people put a priority on almsgiving for those who couldn’t provide for themselves, he would probably have been neglected to death.
He’s begging by the roadside. Then he hears a crowd going by. He asks what is happening and he is told that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.
How would he, a blind beggar, living near Jericho, have even heard of someone from Nazareth; (which was considered to be a hick town) over 70 miles away? Then he shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Notice he doesn’t say, “Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me!” He says, “Jesus, Son of David…” How would he, an uneducated, socially expendable, blind beggar, come to have this insight into Jesus’ identity? And even more so, to know to ask the Son of David for mercy. He should know about as much about Jesus as a car mechanic would know about brain surgery. Yet, in Luke’s gospel, this is the first person to recognize Jesus as the Son of David, and to understand all the prophesies that go with it.
We as the readers aren’t told how he knows this. This is a little trick of Luke’s. Often the ones who you’d expect to have insight don’t. And the ones who have no reason to know, do. The kingdom of God truly does come to the lost and least of the world. Perhaps because they cannot play the games of power and influence the world runs by they can more readily see God’s kingdom.
Then there’s a little twist in the story. Upon hearing the blind man shout out for Jesus we’d expect Jesus to go to him. After all, how is a blind man to find his way to Jesus in a crowd? But Jesus stands still. Jesus orders that the blind man be brought to him.
Why is this so? Perhaps Jesus is making a point. We read that those who were in front of the blind beggar ordered him to be quiet. Yet now when Jesus commands that he be brought to him, those in front must either help in bringing the blind man, or they must stand out of the way so that others can bring the blind man to Jesus. Whatever the case, even before the man is healed of his blindness, the word of Jesus is changing his life situation and giving him importance and place in the world. No longer will he be both blind himself and overlooked by society.
When he arrives at Jesus, Jesus asks what he can do for him. We are reminded that this blind man has had remarkable insight into who Jesus is. What would he want? To be able to see again to be sure! Yet he is already seeing some things better than the whole crowd.
Jesus says, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” I’m pretty sure this man’s faith was his openness to the will of God and the belief that God saw him.
The man is immediately healed. He then does two other things. One, he follows Jesus. Two, he glorifies God.
Contrast this blind man with the rich ruler we read about a few weeks ago. The rich ruler had it all: money, morality, respectability, prestige. Jesus told him he had to give it all up and then come follow him. But the man left and was sad. Here the blind man, who had nothing in the world at all, glorifies God and follows Jesus. The two men are opposites.
Sadly, the most capable of the world often cannot see God at work. Perhaps they are the wealthy or the smart or the young and good looking. The more you can look to yourself for fulfillment the less you think you need God. Then it is the weak, old, broken, and overlooked who can see God at work.
Regardless of where we fall, we are blessed to be able to see God. God is the source of true sight – not meaning the ability of our eyes to take in light and comprehend things – but the insight into God’s nature and God’s promises. Humans cannot get there on their own. It must come from God. We are ultimately needy then. Regardless of how the world treats us, we need God.
You expect someone who is probably middle aged or older. You imagine someone who is: clean-cut, professionally dressed, poised, and articulate. When you step into the office you expect to see it well laid out and orderly. You expect there to be diplomas and certificates hanging on the wall giving proof of the surgeon’s education and qualifications. It would be nice to see some award sitting around for accomplishments, research, and advancement of the field. All of these things give you confidence that your life and your future are going to be in good hands when you are in surgery.
So how would you feel if it turns out that the surgeon’s office is in the property maintenance shed of the hospital? The office is dirty and cluttered. There are engine parts lying around. It smells like oil. The surgeon then walks in: dirty, unkempt, and smelling of alcohol. The surgeon spits in the trash can and then pulls out earbuds. You hear a faint sound of bluegrass music.
How are you feeling about your surgery now? How would you feel if you were told this is the top surgeon in the world for the operation you need? They would be mixed feelings for sure! I’d probably ask for directions to the surgeon’s office because surely this couldn’t be the person!
There’s something along these lines going on in our gospel reading though. The people we expect to know what is going on don’t. And the person we’d expect to know nothing does.
Let’s remind ourselves of the last few chapters of Luke’s gospel and what we’ve heard the last several weeks. Jesus has been giving teachings to the twelve apostles, and to the crowds, and to some critical Pharisees. We learn that they’re all struggling with what Jesus is saying. However, since the twelve apostles are the closest and they get inside information from Jesus regularly, we expect them to have good knowledge of who Jesus is and what Jesus is doing. Yet that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Our gospel reading began with Jesus taking the twelve aside for some private instruction. He tells them what’s coming up in Jerusalem. He will be: arrested, humiliated, beaten, and executed. Then on the third day he will rise again. This is not the first time he has told them this. He told them something similar right after the Transfiguration recorded in chapter 9. But they didn’t get it then.
Sadly, despite more time and teachings, they still don’t get it. Luke is pretty emphatic about how they don’t get it at all. In just verse 34 Luke has a threefold statement that they didn’t understand. He says, “But they understood nothing about all these things…” That’s the first assertion. Then the second, “…in fact, what he said was hidden from them…” That’s the second assertion. “…and they did not grasp what was said.” That’s the third assertion. It’s all in one sentence but said three times over… they didn’t get it at all!
We shouldn’t be too hard on these guys. It all makes perfect sense to us because we know the end of the story. It was pretty much impossible for them to understand. Yet that is part of the point. The kingdom of God that Jesus promises to be making real is so out of sync with the way the world works that we deem it impossible. Even today, knowing the end of the story, it is very hard to believe: God’s greatest accomplishments, and the reality of God’s kingdom, come most powerfully in the form of suffering, shame, and helplessness. The values of the kingdom of God are about humility; not self-advancement. We ultimately ask how God could possibly bring about forgiveness and salvation that would change the world… by being completely passive in the face of humiliation and death.
So, the disciples, with their inside information on Jesus, are along the lines of what we expect a skilled brain surgeon to look like. Yet they don’t get it. The next person we meet is more like the person you’d meet in a maintenance garage. Yet despite this, he seems to have remarkable insight into who Jesus is.
Immediately after the failure of the disciples to understand the scene shifts to a blind man sitting by the roadside begging. Commentator Joel Green says a blind beggar like this would be seen as “social refuse.” (New International Commentary on the New Testament, Luke, 662) His physical malady would have been interpreted by many as proof of God’s displeasure for him. (After all, doesn’t God reward the good and punish the bad?) Being blind, he had no skills or purpose. He was basically a drain on society. He was probably an embarrassment to his family. He had no role in the world. He had to live off the charity of others. If it weren’t for the way the Jewish people put a priority on almsgiving for those who couldn’t provide for themselves, he would probably have been neglected to death.
He’s begging by the roadside. Then he hears a crowd going by. He asks what is happening and he is told that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.
How would he, a blind beggar, living near Jericho, have even heard of someone from Nazareth; (which was considered to be a hick town) over 70 miles away? Then he shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Notice he doesn’t say, “Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me!” He says, “Jesus, Son of David…” How would he, an uneducated, socially expendable, blind beggar, come to have this insight into Jesus’ identity? And even more so, to know to ask the Son of David for mercy. He should know about as much about Jesus as a car mechanic would know about brain surgery. Yet, in Luke’s gospel, this is the first person to recognize Jesus as the Son of David, and to understand all the prophesies that go with it.
We as the readers aren’t told how he knows this. This is a little trick of Luke’s. Often the ones who you’d expect to have insight don’t. And the ones who have no reason to know, do. The kingdom of God truly does come to the lost and least of the world. Perhaps because they cannot play the games of power and influence the world runs by they can more readily see God’s kingdom.
Then there’s a little twist in the story. Upon hearing the blind man shout out for Jesus we’d expect Jesus to go to him. After all, how is a blind man to find his way to Jesus in a crowd? But Jesus stands still. Jesus orders that the blind man be brought to him.
Why is this so? Perhaps Jesus is making a point. We read that those who were in front of the blind beggar ordered him to be quiet. Yet now when Jesus commands that he be brought to him, those in front must either help in bringing the blind man, or they must stand out of the way so that others can bring the blind man to Jesus. Whatever the case, even before the man is healed of his blindness, the word of Jesus is changing his life situation and giving him importance and place in the world. No longer will he be both blind himself and overlooked by society.
When he arrives at Jesus, Jesus asks what he can do for him. We are reminded that this blind man has had remarkable insight into who Jesus is. What would he want? To be able to see again to be sure! Yet he is already seeing some things better than the whole crowd.
Jesus says, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” I’m pretty sure this man’s faith was his openness to the will of God and the belief that God saw him.
The man is immediately healed. He then does two other things. One, he follows Jesus. Two, he glorifies God.
Contrast this blind man with the rich ruler we read about a few weeks ago. The rich ruler had it all: money, morality, respectability, prestige. Jesus told him he had to give it all up and then come follow him. But the man left and was sad. Here the blind man, who had nothing in the world at all, glorifies God and follows Jesus. The two men are opposites.
Sadly, the most capable of the world often cannot see God at work. Perhaps they are the wealthy or the smart or the young and good looking. The more you can look to yourself for fulfillment the less you think you need God. Then it is the weak, old, broken, and overlooked who can see God at work.
Regardless of where we fall, we are blessed to be able to see God. God is the source of true sight – not meaning the ability of our eyes to take in light and comprehend things – but the insight into God’s nature and God’s promises. Humans cannot get there on their own. It must come from God. We are ultimately needy then. Regardless of how the world treats us, we need God.
Monday, November 3, 2025
November 2, 2025 All Saints Sunday Luke 6:20-31
We don’t follow the texts for worship chosen by the Revised Common Lectionary the way many churches do. For many and various reasons we do our own thing. One of those reasons is that key verses are sometimes overlooked. For All Saints Sunday though, we are following the chosen Bible readings, and in one of those readings key verses are skipped. That reading is the first one from Daniel. You’ll notice that we read Daniel 7:1-3 and then skipped to verse 15. What are the verses in between?
Well, we did read from verse three that Daniel had a vision of four great beasts coming from the sea. The skipped verses are the description of those four beasts. They’re fantastic and terrifying, so skipping them makes some sense. But also in those verses is God’s judgment upon them.
I want to read those skipped verses because they set us up for a good message for All Saints Sunday, and also a good message for our day and time.
So, I’ll reread verses 2 and 3, and then go on with about half of the skipped verses:
I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it. Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth and was told, "Arise, devour many bodies!"
After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.
Those verses are a weird and terrifying vision. I can understand why they are skipped over. Yet there is an important message there.
The book of Daniel presents itself as prophesy, yet most of it was written after the events happened that it pretends to predict. That is the case here. Those four beasts refer to four kingdoms.
The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings. That is the Babylonian Empire which used winged lions in its art.
The second beast was a bear. The Median Empire is represented here as it threatened the Babylonian Empire.
The third beast was a leopard with wings. This is the Persian Empire who took down the Babylonians Empire.
The fourth beast is described as terrifying and dreadfully strong. That is the conquest of the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great’s empire was very short lived. Upon his death his empire split in two. One of those empires was the Seleucid Empire. The ten horns are the line of Seleucid rulers. The first of those rulers had coins made that depicted horns. The eleventh horn with eyes is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who disposed of other claimants to the throne.
Put it all together and the message is that God’s chosen people -small in number, weak, and fragile- will undergo centuries of being dominated and pushed around by great imperial powers. Those great imperial powers will rise and fall but the Israelites will endure.
And then… Daniel’s vision continues. Here are the rest of the skipped verses:
As I watched, thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
Here the vision changes to one of promise and hope. Despite feeling weak and powerless, God’s people have not been abandoned at all. God has protected them all along. And now God acts in judgment against all who dominated them.
Notice the people themselves do not have to take up arms. God’s divine judgment comes of its own accord. It is all God’s work.
Though the prophesy is not specific, it is hard not to imagine Jesus into the scene as the one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. To him is given an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that will never be destroyed.
What does all this mean for us today then? I hear many people frustrated, worried, and afraid of the way things are going in the world, especially the United States. Regardless of where you fall into our political spectrum, I find almost no one who’s actually happy even with their own party and its leadership. National and international politics are unstable, unpredictably, messy, and out of our control.
Now more than ever, for many of us, we feel like we are small insignificant pawns getting pushed around by the great forces of the world.
Perhaps adding to that is the general decline of Christian faith in America. Churches have dwindled for decades and many have reached the stage of closure.
What is happening in our world and in our faith?
We do well to remember that as people of God, this is not a new thing. The ancient Israelites were seldom in a position that was strong enough for them to confidently defend themselves. But God continued to watch over them and protect them from utter destruction. The early Christians were similarly weak and fragile in the vastness of the seemingly eternal Roman Empire. Yet God was with them as they struggled. The Roman Empire is long gone. So are pretty much all of its many religions. But Christianity remains and is spread throughout the world. God does protect us and guide us in the midst of things that make us feel like we are too small and insignificant to be of any purpose.
We are always held securely by God. We have nothing to ultimately fear by what goes on in the world around us. And remember, all the work of preservation and protection is also God’s work. It is not by our own efforts that we survive.
Which takes us to the question, what then are we to do? If we are powerless in the forces that sway the world, and God ultimately brings about this glorious secure future, then what role do we actually play? There we look what Jesus says in our gospel reading: He proclaims blessings on many who are overlooked and oppressed; and woes on many who are comfortable and powerful. Then he concludes, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you…” and onward.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not us being weak or timid. It is not about letting the world walk all over us as if we were doormats. What Jesus teaches is actually encouraging the weak to constructively stand up to the strong, and in ways that challenge the honor of the strong. It is about solidly standing on the promises of God and realizing everything else is of lesser consequence.
If following God leads to poverty, hunger, and weeping, then so be it. It is the greater honor and promise to serve our God. If we are hurt and battered and pushed about, then so be it. It is the greater power to do God’s work. And if we even be killed in the service of our God, then so be it. It is the greater glory to be held by God in eternity.
God scoffs at what we humans call powerful: money, status, weapons, and the like. God shows real eternal power in the work of Jesus – where self-gift on the cross brought about salvation and resurrection.
The prophet Daniel talked about great empires that appeared powerful and who menaced God’s people for centuries. All of those empires are gone. God’s people continue. The early Christians felt the same powerlessness in the face of Roman power. But God protected them and helped them grow. No matter what happens in the future of our nation, God’s love and God’s people continue. The solid enduring love of Christ goes on and on into eternity. On All Saints Sunday we remember those who struggled before us. We celebrate them. Our own lives continue the struggle. In time, we will take our rest too. And ultimately God will bring all things to his promised fulfillment.
Well, we did read from verse three that Daniel had a vision of four great beasts coming from the sea. The skipped verses are the description of those four beasts. They’re fantastic and terrifying, so skipping them makes some sense. But also in those verses is God’s judgment upon them.
I want to read those skipped verses because they set us up for a good message for All Saints Sunday, and also a good message for our day and time.
So, I’ll reread verses 2 and 3, and then go on with about half of the skipped verses:
I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles' wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being; and a human mind was given to it. Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks in its mouth among its teeth and was told, "Arise, devour many bodies!"
After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns. I was considering the horns, when another horn appeared, a little one coming up among them; to make room for it, three of the earlier horns were plucked up by the roots. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn, and a mouth speaking arrogantly.
Those verses are a weird and terrifying vision. I can understand why they are skipped over. Yet there is an important message there.
The book of Daniel presents itself as prophesy, yet most of it was written after the events happened that it pretends to predict. That is the case here. Those four beasts refer to four kingdoms.
The first beast was like a lion with eagle’s wings. That is the Babylonian Empire which used winged lions in its art.
The second beast was a bear. The Median Empire is represented here as it threatened the Babylonian Empire.
The third beast was a leopard with wings. This is the Persian Empire who took down the Babylonians Empire.
The fourth beast is described as terrifying and dreadfully strong. That is the conquest of the Greeks under the leadership of Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great’s empire was very short lived. Upon his death his empire split in two. One of those empires was the Seleucid Empire. The ten horns are the line of Seleucid rulers. The first of those rulers had coins made that depicted horns. The eleventh horn with eyes is Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who disposed of other claimants to the throne.
Put it all together and the message is that God’s chosen people -small in number, weak, and fragile- will undergo centuries of being dominated and pushed around by great imperial powers. Those great imperial powers will rise and fall but the Israelites will endure.
And then… Daniel’s vision continues. Here are the rest of the skipped verses:
As I watched, thrones were set in place,
and an Ancient One took his throne,
his clothing was white as snow,
and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
and its wheels were burning fire.
A stream of fire issued and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him. The court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire. As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
As I watched in the night visions,
I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.
To him was given dominion and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.
Here the vision changes to one of promise and hope. Despite feeling weak and powerless, God’s people have not been abandoned at all. God has protected them all along. And now God acts in judgment against all who dominated them.
Notice the people themselves do not have to take up arms. God’s divine judgment comes of its own accord. It is all God’s work.
Though the prophesy is not specific, it is hard not to imagine Jesus into the scene as the one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. To him is given an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that will never be destroyed.
What does all this mean for us today then? I hear many people frustrated, worried, and afraid of the way things are going in the world, especially the United States. Regardless of where you fall into our political spectrum, I find almost no one who’s actually happy even with their own party and its leadership. National and international politics are unstable, unpredictably, messy, and out of our control.
Now more than ever, for many of us, we feel like we are small insignificant pawns getting pushed around by the great forces of the world.
Perhaps adding to that is the general decline of Christian faith in America. Churches have dwindled for decades and many have reached the stage of closure.
What is happening in our world and in our faith?
We do well to remember that as people of God, this is not a new thing. The ancient Israelites were seldom in a position that was strong enough for them to confidently defend themselves. But God continued to watch over them and protect them from utter destruction. The early Christians were similarly weak and fragile in the vastness of the seemingly eternal Roman Empire. Yet God was with them as they struggled. The Roman Empire is long gone. So are pretty much all of its many religions. But Christianity remains and is spread throughout the world. God does protect us and guide us in the midst of things that make us feel like we are too small and insignificant to be of any purpose.
We are always held securely by God. We have nothing to ultimately fear by what goes on in the world around us. And remember, all the work of preservation and protection is also God’s work. It is not by our own efforts that we survive.
Which takes us to the question, what then are we to do? If we are powerless in the forces that sway the world, and God ultimately brings about this glorious secure future, then what role do we actually play? There we look what Jesus says in our gospel reading: He proclaims blessings on many who are overlooked and oppressed; and woes on many who are comfortable and powerful. Then he concludes, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you…” and onward.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not us being weak or timid. It is not about letting the world walk all over us as if we were doormats. What Jesus teaches is actually encouraging the weak to constructively stand up to the strong, and in ways that challenge the honor of the strong. It is about solidly standing on the promises of God and realizing everything else is of lesser consequence.
If following God leads to poverty, hunger, and weeping, then so be it. It is the greater honor and promise to serve our God. If we are hurt and battered and pushed about, then so be it. It is the greater power to do God’s work. And if we even be killed in the service of our God, then so be it. It is the greater glory to be held by God in eternity.
God scoffs at what we humans call powerful: money, status, weapons, and the like. God shows real eternal power in the work of Jesus – where self-gift on the cross brought about salvation and resurrection.
The prophet Daniel talked about great empires that appeared powerful and who menaced God’s people for centuries. All of those empires are gone. God’s people continue. The early Christians felt the same powerlessness in the face of Roman power. But God protected them and helped them grow. No matter what happens in the future of our nation, God’s love and God’s people continue. The solid enduring love of Christ goes on and on into eternity. On All Saints Sunday we remember those who struggled before us. We celebrate them. Our own lives continue the struggle. In time, we will take our rest too. And ultimately God will bring all things to his promised fulfillment.
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