Rejected - John 1:1-18 - 1-5-20

Sermon podcast from this past Sunday, January 5, 2020, at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL.  John 1:1-18.  Jesus is on the side of the rejected.

Video Sermon Preview:

"Rejected" podcast 

Rejected

This (and last, sort of) week's Bible reflection (Unlikely Do Over) provided the beginning for this week's Sermon at St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Downers Grove, IL.  My energy really kicked in at the end . . .
"Rejected" podcast

Unlikely do over

Here's last week's Bible reflection again.  Yesterday we had a snow day in Downers Grove - so we're gonna have a do over.  I posted this last week. Here it is again --

Stories of unlikely heroes, unlikely champions, and even unlikely happy endings make wonderful books and films.  The story of a likely winner who ends up . . . winning doesn’t have the ability to hold an audience. (Does the same story two weeks in a row have that ability, I wonder?)
 

What if  the main character in the (slightly less) recent remake of "The Secret Life of Walter Middy" had been an adventurer to begin with.  And what if they had just wanted to find something more adventurous?  Maybe interesting, but not exactly something inspirational. Good storytelling thrives on the unlikely finding a way to happen -- giving the audience what they want.

In this (uh, last) week’s Bible reading from John 1:1-18, Jesus is described as the one who is most important, yet who takes on and unlikely role.  It’s a familiar view of Jesus, present in his rejection in his hometown in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 

Why couldn’t the story be that Jesus is the savior of the world without being an unlikely one?  Is it because by becoming a suffering human  he is better able to identify with all those who suffer?  Is it because if he had been a person of wealth or power on earth that no one would ever believe that he came to bring good news to the poor? 

Maybe the story isn't compelling enough without unlikeliness and struggle. Maybe that's why the story stays.  (Maybe that's why I want to repeat it again this week. . . .)

Unlikely

Stories of unlikely heroes, unlikely champions, and even unlikely happy endings make wonderful books and films.  The story of a likely winner who ends up . . . winning doesn’t have the ability to hold an audience. 

What if  the main character in the recent remake of "The Secret Life of Walter Middy" had been an adventurer to begin with.  And what if they had just wanted to find something more adventurous?  Maybe interesting, but not exactly something inspirational. Good storytelling thrives on the unlikely finding a way to happen -- giving the audience what they want.

In this week’s Bible reading from John 1:1-18, Jesus is described as the one who is most important, yet who takes on and unlikely role.  It’s a familiar view of Jesus, present in his rejection in his hometown in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 

Why couldn’t the story be that Jesus is the savior of the world without being an unlikely one?  Is it because by becoming a suffering human  he is better able to identify with all those who suffer?  Is it because if he had been a person of wealth or power on earth that no one would ever believe that he came to bring good news to the poor? 

Maybe the story isn't compelling enough without unlikeliness and struggle. Maybe that's why the story stays.

Rejected

This week's (it seems as if it was last year, though!) Bible reflection post (Everyone roots for the Underdog) provides much of the beginning thoughts that now continue as Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"Rejected" text
"Rejected" podcast

Everyone roots for the underdog

Here's this week's  Bible study post:

Stories of unlikely heroes, unlikely champions, and even unlikely happy endings make for the best books and films.  The story of a likely winner who ends up . . . winning doesn’t have the ability to hold an audience.  Just think if the main character in “Rudy” had been a star football player who simply wanted to play well.  Or what if the character of Neo in "The Matrix" had always known exactly what to do to defeat the machines?  Good storytelling needs an underdog and a victory to give the audience what they want.

In Jesus there’s a true, and great, underdog story. In this week’s reading from John 1:1-18, Jesus is described as the one who is most important, yet who takes on the role of the unknown underdog.  It’s a familiar view of Jesus, present in his rejection in his hometown in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  It’s also a familiar story of an anointed one, echoing the words of an underdog savior found in Isaiah 50-53. 

The question I have through all of this is, however, why couldn’t Jesus have been someone who is the savior of the world without being an underdog?  Is it because by becoming a suffering human   he is better able to identify with all those who suffer?  Is it because if he had been a person of wealth or power on earth that no one would ever believe that he came to bring good news to the poor? 

Or is it maybe because God gets good storytelling better than humankind ever could?

Grace Upon Grace

Last year I wrote a Bible study blog post for i.ucc. (I had to say that once -- it was only earlier in the week, but it was last year . . . ) The post, based on John 1:1-18, is called "Full of Grace and Truth." Now that blog post is part of the beginning of Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational UCC in Somonauk.
"Grace Upon Grace" text
"Grace Upon Grace" podcast

Full of grace and truth

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc:

It’s still Christmas season – let’s talk about another Christmas story. This time without the manger.

John 1:14: And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

There you have it! The Word became flesh and lived among us!

Word = Logos in Greek
Word = dabar in Hebrew

Both carry with them something much stronger than a word. Logos and dabar are power, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Jesus – the power, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God became a person.

And there is much more. But here’s just one thing.

Full of grace and truth.

Grace = charis in Greek
Truth = aletheia in Greek

Charis kai alethia (grace and truth) is a Greek translation of a similar phrase in Hebrew: Hesed we 'emet. It’s not exact, but that phrase carrys with it the ideas of steadfast love and truth. Or maybe unconditional love and truth.

Jesus – the power, wisdom, knowledge and understanding of God became a person. And that person was full of God’s steadfast, unconditional love – and truth.

This is the same Jesus that reminds us to love God and to love everyone.

No exceptions. No loopholes. No excuses.

Merry Christmastide!