Jesus as Friend

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Jesus as Friend
Series: Meeting Jesus Again - Part 1
2023 - A Lenten Journey

John 15:15; Matthew 9:9-12, 11:19

(based on the book Freeing Jesus, by Diana Butler Bass)

I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you.

John 15:15 (CEB)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

Craig J. Sefa

Jesus as Friend

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What comes to mind when you think of a friend?  Do you make friends easily or do you find yourself relatively isolated?  Do you feel accepted, included and truly loved among your friend circle, or do you generally find yourself surrounded by acquaintances, colleagues or others who may not really know you for who you are?  No matter how many friends you have, how often do you feel lonely?

For years, loneliness has been a growing epidemic in American culture.  Consider just a few statistics below from the Barna Research Group (www.barna.com/research/friends-loneliness):

In 2018, a study from health insurer Cigna found that most Americans report feeling lonely, left out and not known. This research mirrors a host of other reports and commentary on the increasing isolation of Americans.

The majority of adults has anywhere between two and five close friends (62%), but one in five regularly or often feels lonely. 

The interactions Americans have with their neighbors (those who live within easy walking distance)—which happen either weekly (39%) or daily (28%)—are usually friendly but consist mostly of a brief greeting with very little interaction otherwise (37%).

Given our cultural tendency toward individualism, isolation, lack of trust and vulnerability, overfilled schedules, fear of rejection, and countless other factors that play into our limited friendships, it may be difficult to relate when we hear Jesus calling his disciples “friends.”

Jesus, after all, is in heaven, sitting at the right hand of the Father, just like we say in our Creed every Sunday.  We know a lot about him from the Bible or from our childhood Sunday School teachers, but do we really know him.  If we’re honest, sometimes it may feel like he’s just too far away to be called a “friend.”

Religious leaders often mocked Jesus for being a “friend of sinners” (Matt 11:19).  In other words, Jesus was one of those people who hung out in “the wrong friend circles.”  I’m sure we’ve all met someone like that.  At first we thought maybe they could be a good friend, but then we found out who they hung out with, or something they believed that we didn’t like, or they’re affiliated with the wrong political party, the wrong religion, or any other number of groups we would prefer to stay away from.  Is it possible that if Jesus were still on earth, we might avoid him too, if for no other reason than we didn’t want to be associated with his friends?

Reflect this week on what friendship really means to you.  Try talking to Jesus as a friend.  Hang out with the kind of people Jesus hung out with.  Ask others about their friendships and why they would or would not consider Jesus a close friend.  Really listen to their stories. 

Deep down, what emotions come up when you think of Jesus as friend? 

What do you hear Jesus, your friend, saying to you?

Seeing Beyond the Frame

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Seeing Beyond the Frame
Series: Called - Part 6
Matthew 17:1-9

While he was still speaking, look, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love. I am very pleased with him.

Listen to him!” 

Matthew 17:5 (CEB)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

Craig J. Sefa

Seeing Beyond the Frame

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Jesus has called his disciples and they have followed him for nearly three years.  They have hung on every word, shared in his ministry of healing and reconciliation, seen countless miracles, and generally committed their lives to his teachings.  So why now, after three years of dedicated discipleship, do they finally hear a voice from heaven?  And why, of all things God could say in this supernatural vision, are they reminded to “listen to him?” 

In the previous chapter we find Peter declaring exactly what this heavenly voice says.  “Jesus, you are the son of God.”  They already knew.  If they hadn’t been listening to him, Peter could have never come to such a conclusion and they wouldn’t be on the mountain in the first place.

It’s one thing to listen to Jesus when all is going well.  It’s easy to listen when we are reveling in the affirmation of the crowds that are growing every day as more and more people are fed and healed.  It’s easy to listen when  we are secure in the knowledge that Jesus can calm any storm and even death is no match for his power and authority.  It’s easy to listen when it seems like everything is under control and nothing can stop us from establishing God’s kingdom on earth.  But when all is going well, are we really listening to Jesus?  Or could it be that we are listening to that voice that tempted Jesus in the wilderness, promising ongoing approval and affirmation, comfort and security, power and control?

This mountaintop experience with Jesus comes right on the heals of a cryptic teaching about being willing to lose one’s life in order to save themselves.  Jesus has already realized that his death was both inevitable and immanent.  They could not stay on the mountain and the valley into which they would descend was quite literally the valley of the shadow of death the Psalmist so eloquently describes. 

So here’s the big question.  Will we listen to Jesus when the direction he leads leaves us powerless and weak?  Will we listen to Jesus when there is no promise of security or even survival?  Will we listen to Jesus when we not only lose the approval of the crowds, but even when we face outright rejection as their shouts of “Alleluia” turn to enraged chants of “Crucify!”

God has a way of showing up in our lives in the moments we most need it, even when we don’t recognize it.  The disciples had no idea what was coming, but their need to truly listen to and trust in Jesus would be more crucial and more challenging than ever.  They didn’t always get it right.  A few would still argue over who would be the greatest in the kingdom.  Some would deny and betray him.  Others would simply fall asleep or walk away.

In the end, that mountaintop experience would pale in comparison to the glory they would see when he showed up in a locked room and held out his nail scarred hands saying, “Do not be afraid.”  It’s hard to listen when you are being led straight to a cross and a grave. 

As you walk through the valleys of your own life, are you listening for the voices of security, approval and control, or to the voice of Jesus, son of God?

Holiness in Action

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Holiness in Action
Series: Called - Part 5
Matthew 5:21-48

You have heard that it was said to those who lived long ago, Don’t commit murder, and all who commit murder will be in danger of judgment.  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment.

Matthew 5:21 (CEB)

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Craig J. Sefa

Holiness in Action

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 “The Bible clearly says…” 

No, not really. 

We hear and even say such authoritative and absolute statements about scripture all the time, but if we’re really honest, our certainty is not in what the Bible actually says or means, but in the particular interpretation of particular scriptures we have been taught most of our lives.  It would not take long talking with people from different backgrounds or different denominations to realize that people interpret scripture in very different ways.  If the Bible was so absolutely clear we wouldn’t be arguing about infant vs. adult baptisms or whether women can preach or even whether God actually created everything in 6 literal 24 hour days only 6,000 years ago despite the overwhelming scientific evidence for a much older earth. 

The point is not to fight to the death about who is right or wrong on any given scripture, but rather to understand scripture on it’s own terms and not demanding that it answer modern questions that the Biblical writers never even thought about. 

This week we find Jesus himself reframing or perhaps even “re-interpreting” several core scriptures that people thought were absolutely clear, including a few of the ten commandments themselves like murder and adultery.  When we think of “right” interpretations, these verses are about as clear as it gets, or is it? 

You have heard it said, do not murder, but I say do not be angry… You have heard, do not commit adultery, but I say do not lust…

The list goes on, but Jesus is making a point about how we are to interpret scripture.  It’s not enough to stick to the letter of the law.  It’s about the heart.  We can obey all the commands, follow all the right worship practices and sacrifices, celebrate all the right festivals and do everything exactly as the Bible says and still completely miss the point.

Underneath of Jesus’ re-interpretation of scripture is a question of the heart, a question of motive, a question of relationships, and a question of love.  What good does it do that you chose not to kill someone if you treat them as if you wish they were dead?  What good does it do not to cheat on your spouse when you’re constantly thinking about being with someone else?  What good is it to honor an oath when you can simply avoid making an oath and get away with lying or breaking informal promises all you want?  How can we truly understand the unconditional love of God when we are always seeking revenge against those who hurt us? 

Maybe the point of scripture then, is not to give us a checklist of do’s and don’ts to keep us out of trouble with God, but rather a guide for cultivating loving, grace-filled, thriving communities of people who bear the image of God while honoring and celebrating the image of God in one another. 

What if we interpret scripture through the lens of loving God and loving others instead of using scripture to excuse the many ways we choose not to love?

Salt & Light

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Salt and Light
Series: Called - Part 4
Matthew 5:13-16

“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth…

 … Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.”

- Matthew 5:13a, 14a (MSG)

Listen to this week’s sermon here:

Craig J. Sefa

Salt & Light

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In Jesus’ day salt was a precious commodity necessary for life, but not nearly as accessible to everyone as the salt shakers on our own kitchen tables.  Light, also, was crucial, especially in an agricultural society, but was of course limited primarily to set hours of natural daylight which changed throughout the year.

I wonder if something has been lost in Jesus’ metaphor in today’s culture where we are oversaturated with both salt and light.  An abundance of artificial light disrupts our circadian rhythms and can suppress our natural melatonin levels by up to 50%, causing trouble with sleep and a number of related health disorders.  Similarly, the CDC reports that nearly 90% of Americans 2 years old or older consume far too much sodium, with 70% of our salt intake coming from processed and restaurant foods often beyond our control.  Given the increase of high blood pressure and risk of heart attacks, strokes and other issues, doctors would rarely suggest that someone should consume more salt. 

Jesus says we are salt and light in a metaphorical sense, but cultural realities shape and change the way we understand such metaphors.  Could it be that in our world, people are craving a bit more darkness, an escape from light pollution, and a place to rest their eyes and their bodies?  Could it be that there is a movement to turn away from processed foods and lower salt intake to lower our blood pressure and increase our overall health?  If this is true, what implications might such a cultural oversaturation of salt and light have on our role as Jesus’ followers to be salt and light in the world?

I suggest that one of the biggest problems is that salt and light are found in overabundance in some places while lacking in others.  As Christians we tend to stay close to our own kind.  We gather all of our lights together in brightly lit sanctuaries, Christian concert venues, and other places those outside the faith would rarely come.  Perhaps these places have become so “bright” that most people simply avert their eyes as they would from a solar eclipse.  Instead of the welcoming light of a warm fire or candlelit space, they turn away squinting their eyes as we shine the spotlight on their differences or their “sin.” 

In the same way, we must remember that there is a big difference between being “salt” and being “salty.”  Too often the world finds Christians “salty.”  Rather than bringing out the natural beautiful flavors in this world God created and loves, we over salt and over season to the point where the feast of love and grace we have to offer becomes unrecognizable and unpalatable. 

Salt is valuable where the food is bland or where something needs to be preserved, but it does little good in the middle of the ocean when someone is dying of thirst.  Light is necessary to guide someone through the dark, but it does no good to shine a flashlight at the sun to help someone find their way. 

If we are to be useful as salt and light, perhaps we need to spend more time in the places it is most lacking.