October 27, 2024
Luke 6:43-45
I. Intro
-wrestling with this passage
-decided not to be frustrated but be thankful Jesus’ words continue to challenge, continue to necessitate questions and study
-also decided to take a page from northminster’s friend, Dr. James Lampkin’s book.
-many know Dr. Lampkin
-he was pastor of Northside Drive in Atlanta while I was seminary student
-mentioned his powerful All Saints Day sermon
-other sermon that stands out in my memory was one full of questions
-can’t remember the text or what was happening in the world, but Dr. Lampkin was honest about his questions
-in fact whole sermon was his questions, his conversation with God shared with us
-i’d never heard a pastor be so honest about his questions, confusion, his struggle
-not really what you’re taught in preaching class - supposed to have some sort of clarity to share - but it was honest and powerful
-I’m going to borrow Dr. Lampkin’s approach and attempt his honesty and share my conversation with God
II. I don’t like these verses
-that’s my first thought, God
-Not a new thought, often encounter verses that make me uncomfortable - who remembers the slug slime from last week’s psalm reading?
-Discomfort is part of reading Bible if you’re being honest
-But these verses hit different
-because Jesus is speaking and his words are so stark
-I am unsettled by the seeming inflexible binary he’s presenting
-God so much of your world is shades of grey - or more accurately, bright, technicolor rainbow hues
-I do not believe you ask us to be legalists in our approach to you or that require us to be literalists in our reading of the text
-But for all his compassion, all his inclusion, Jesus doesn’t mince words
-Originator of “let your yes be yes and your no be no”
-So what, God, does he mean here?
-Actually, no that’s not what I’m struggling with. Let me be honest.
-Loving Parent, you’re a God of chances. Infinite do-overs. Seeing what’s possible in the most difficult people.
-You built your relationship with humanity on deeply imperfect people like David
-thank you for that, by the way, he makes all of us look good
-My theology is built around the belief that you’re a God or radical redemption for all of your children.
-where’s the redemption in Jesus’ words?
-compassion?
-room for mistakes?
-Does Jesus really believe some people are good while others are evil? Do you?
III. I’ve been looking for explanations, interpretations to make the words make sense.
-Could it be that Jesus’ words are about his followers being people of integrity?
-that they shouldn’t be hypocrites or pretend to be something they are not?
-the verses just before this morning’s reading - sawdust and plank
-Jesus’ point that such behavior is “symptomatic of hyper-critical spirit that lacks self-awareness” and such inconsistency is unbecoming?
-Lord, is this fruit tree comparison a comment on hypocrisy?
-that only so much can hide behind hypocrisy?
-that eventually exposure will happen?
-God if this is the point I have even more questions!
-such as how serious does the hypocrisy need to be? And how long does exposure take?
-Is Jesus’ point that “one’s identity is determined by one’s source or origin” as we learn in John’s gospel?
-So between Jesus’ Spirit-nature and his actions we see his origin is “from above”
-he is from God, God’s son, God embodied
-But we’re not so dissimilar. Our nature is from you as we’re created in your image
- So does that mean our identity is child of god?
-My theology says so, but what do we do with the evil person Jesus talks about?
-Is the difference that as an incarnation of you, Jesus was perfect in a way that humanity isn’t capable of?
-I don’t believe in original sin or that humans have a “sin nature”
- But I do believe people are inherently messy mainly because of the free-will you gave us
-So does that mean bad people are ultimately your fault, God?
-That feels sacrilegious
-Or could it be that the words “good” and “bad/evil” are getting in my way?
-My brain does get hung up there
-those words don’t seem to offer room for the failings we all have
-more easily grasped translation from NT scholar, Luke Johnson: “A sound tree does not produce rotten fruit.”
-”A ‘sound’ tree is stable…[it] bends with the wind, is flexible, yielding excellent or average fruit, along with fruit that would not win awards for great color or shape.”
-”Being ‘sound’ is multifaceted, while being “good” or “bad” suggests univocal judgement”
-If we use this approach, being a tree helps us understand Jesus’ words as a calling to “stand on firm ground as we face each day’s choices moment by moment.”
-If these verses are about being a person of character Lord, I’m on board.
-I’m on board if the goal isn’t perfection or the avoidance of mistakes but stability and flexibility
-I’m on board if Jesus isn’t talking about goodness or badness so much as bending but not breaking in the blowing of life
-I’m on board as long as I don’t do this work alone.
-As long as the fruit that I grow benefits from the brightness of your sunshine and the gift of your rain.
-I’m on board but I need your help.
IV. Preaching like a tree
-Started with Dr. Lampkin
-I’d like to tell you the story of him telling me to preach like a tree
-Might have told you this story before, so if it sounds familiar pretend this is the first time
-Preaching as a seminary student he told me to preach like a tree
-Gave me a diagram
-I couldn’t do it. Too concrete. Like straight lines and cause and effect.
-Like to write but am not a poet. Want to hear and preach sermons with a clear message.
-Don’t need to get caught up in homiletical technique but I use the same basic format
-I could not preach like a tree
-One of the few times I didn’t turn something in on time. In tears I not only asked for more time, but to not have to preach like a tree.
-Dr. Lampkin graciously agreed and I went on to preach a sermon that was a C+ at best
-preaching like a tree came back to me as I struggled with these verses
-I still don’t think I could preach like a tree, but I think I understand Dr. Lampkin’s overall message through these verse
-a branch on its own is just that, but branches connected to a trunk, rooted in the ground is a tree
-and it isn’t just the tree itself that matters but the soil in which it grows and the nutrients in that soil
-so it is with preaching and so it is with people
-I’m not my worst sermon just as none of us are our unkindest words or worst choices
-We’re simply to complex and multifaceted to be reduced to a good-bad binary
-Does this mean that everything is allowed and there aren’t any repercussions for our mistakes?
-Of course not! Life is not a free-for-all all
-as followers of Christ there are expectations of us - our actions, our words, our intentions, our hearts matter
-We are called to be as much like Christ is possible
-hypocrisy has no place in our lives and we must be honest when we see hypocrisy in others, particularly those in leadership or positions of influence
-We must own and then remove the logs in our eyes
V. Conclusion
-Challenge of this passage is being the flexible, bendy, self-aware people Jesus calls us to be as his followers.
-Good News is two-fold: First, even with these expectations of his followers Jesus understands we aren’t one-dimensional, all good or all bad but a beautiful, messy, complex kaleidoscope of all the elements of humanity God created us to be.
-Second, as I hope I’ve proven by sharing my own wrestling with this passage, my own conversation with God about these verses, the words of Jesus can stand-up to our questions, our confusion, our need for time to find understanding.
-Our Creator makes no space for hypocrisy and a lack a self-awareness, particularly when those things hurt people. But there’s always room for questions, always space for struggling, always time to think, and pray, and even doubt.
- So let’s wrestle, struggle, ask questions and be the people Jesus calls us to be.
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