These are Hard Words, Jesus

Last week I was reading through the texts with the ELCA's Churchwide Assembly in my thoughts and prayers and realized that there was no way that I couldn't speak to what happened.

Pentecost 12B – Aug 23, 2009
John 6:56-69, Eph 6:10-20

“These are hard words…who is able to hear them?”
I’m not surprised to hear these words out of the disciples as Jesus comes to the conclusion of the “Bread of Life” discourse. These words of Jesus are hard words, in fact they are downright offensive. What do you mean you want to us eat of your flesh and drink of your blood?? We’re not cannibals!! How can you say that you are bread that has come down from heaven? We have seen you grow up under the watchful eye of your parents, Mary and Joseph. Our kids ran around with you when you were little. How is it that a person can even claim to be bread? This does not make sense, and on top of it you want us to eat of your flesh and drink of your blood?
These are truly hard and offensive words. They are as hard for us to hear now as they were for the disciples who walked with Jesus. We say week in and week out “this is the body of Christ given for you, this is the blood of Christ shed for you.” Doesn’t that sound a little weird? And yet every time we gather at this table, we gather to eat the flesh of Christ and drink of his blood.
These words from the “bread of life discourse” are not the only hard and, possibly, offensive words that Christ has for us. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, we are to be hospitable to the outcast and the down trodden, we are to be last though we wish to be first. Cut your hand off if it causes you to sin, Christ says…give away your possessions and give the proceeds to the poor.
These are hard words…who is able to hear them?
This past week, the Church Wide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America met in Minneapolis. If you listened in to the live feed or watched the videos of the plenary sessions, I’m sure you noticed that some hard words were spoken, especially during the discussion of the formerly proposed but now adopted Statement on Human Sexuality and Resolutions on Ministry Policy which have been in the process of being constructed for some time now.
From those who were both for and against the adoption of the sexuality statement and resolutions on ministry policies, individuals brought scripture passage after scripture passage which they were using as proof texts for their side of the debate. There were confessions of homophobia, confessions of gender and sexual identity, souls were bared, tears were shed, leaving taking and divisions were threatened, hearts were wrenched and opinions debated as amendments were brought before the plenary, and amended and the amendments that had been amended were amended again. And as I listened in, and followed twitter and facebook updates, I realized just how hard all of these words are on a church that is very divided on the topic of human sexuality, on a country and a world that are, for the most part, equality as divided on whether human sexuality is good or bad, what the entire scope of human sexuality is and where we draw the line on what we are willing to agree and disagree and agree to disagree on.
These are hard words…who is able to hear them?
Regardless of what side of the debate on the statement on human sexuality and resolutions on ministry policy people were on, hard words were spoken and ultimately a decision was made by those whom were selected to represent the Church Wide body. Going in, we all knew that regardless of the decisions that were prayerfully made at the church wide assembly in Minneapolis this past week, some were going to be left disappointed by either an amendment, or a resolution or the statement itself. And some did leave disappointed by the adoption and defeat of amendments, the adoption of resolutions regarding ministry policies in the ELCA and adoption of the statement on Human Sexuality.
And this morning we hear Christ’s words echoing in our ears, “is this offensive to you?” “is this a stumbling block for you?” “Do you want to go away too?” And if we’re honest with ourselves and our neighbors, the painful and difficult answer to these questions is yes.
Yes, Christ’s words are offensive to us and difficult for us to hear. It is offensive to be told that we are to eat flesh and drink blood for that is the bread which leads to eternal life. It is offensive to be told that if we become angry with a person that we are in essence committing murder. It is difficult to be told that we are unable to come to Jesus unless brought to him by God. Yes, Jesus, your words are offensive to us.
Yes, following Christ is difficult and it is not always fun and we stumble. We don’t always want to love our neighbors as ourselves, we don’t always want to separate ourselves from things that cause us to sin. We want to trust in ourselves more than we trust in God to make things come out how we want them to. We often are hesitant to give what we have to those in need…we are often hesitant to even give our first fruits back to you, Jesus. Yes, following Christ is a difficult thing to do. And yes, we too want to turn on our heels and go away.
Following Christ, hearing his difficult words and reflecting on the painful realities of our sinful lives is hard work. If it wasn’t hard, Joshua wouldn’t have ordered the Israelites to choose whom they would serve. It if wasn’t difficult to be a follower of Christ, Paul would not have found it necessary to tell the Ephesians to put on the armor of God so that with truth, righteousness, peace and faith, they could persevere in difficult times.
We are in the midst of difficult times. We are in the midst of a time in which a church, our church, has shown a visible division in how it sees the role of homosexual clergy in doing the work of God. We are in the midst of a time in which individuals and congregations are discerning whether or not to remain a part of this church body, while others are finding reconciliation and a new welcome to a place where many have felt alienated for so long. We are in the midst of a time in which people in this congregation are divided on this issue as well as others. This is a difficult time. We are divided.
And yet in the midst of the divisions caused by human hands, we have great unity. We are united in that we have spoken the words of Joshua “as for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord.” We are united that we have put on the armor of God, faith, righteousness, peace and truth. We are united in that we are able to hear the difficult words of Christ and still confess with Peter “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Sin and human nature may divide us and cause us to stumble but God has brought us near to Christ and given us the ability to hear the difficult words that he has for us. God has brought us to a place where we share the peace with one another and become reconciled with one another before gathering at the table to receive bread and wine, body and blood and to rejoice that Christ gave of his life so that we can stand in the midst of the saints that have gone before us and for that moment, our divisions do not exist. In the moment we come to the table, we stand kneel next to one another, not caring who thinks what about what for we all come to the table at the urging of the spirit. A Spirit that unites and Spirit that reconciles and heals.
We have a lot of work to do, church. But are off to a good start…for we are united in our service to God, and our confession that Christ holds the words of eternal life, and our presence at the table. Thanks be to God, Amen