Our Sure Foundation

Transcribed from the sermon preached August 13, 2006

The Reverend Max Lynn, Pastor

St. John’s Presbyterian Church

2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705

Telephone 510-845-6830    Fax 510-845-6837

office@stjohns.presbychurch.net    http://www.stjohns.presbychurch.net

Scripture Readings: I Kings Phil 3:1-14 Luke 6:46-49

Solomon replaced David and set about building a temple to house the arc of the covenant. We see here is I Kings the extravagance of the temple, and some of the detail, which went into its construction. The temple would be destroyed and rebuilt two times in the nearly thousand-year span leading to the first Century. Herod the great, appointed by Rome, tried to establish his authority through a building program. He founded cities, and built palaces, most notably the palace in Jerusalem in 23 BCE. In 18 BCE, He also undertook the rebuilding of the temple more opulent even than Solomon’s. It was so grand that it would not be completed until 64 CE. The Southwest wall of the platform, the Dome of the Rock, is today’s Wailing Wall. Built on 35 acres of land, with arches, gates, porticoes, balustrades, stairways, pools, waterworks, with foundations nearly a mile around it was one of the greatest construction projects undertaken in the history of the Roman empire. (Bob and Mary Coote, Power, Politics and the Making of the Bible)

The new construction project inspired the “psalms of the steps” which are Psalms 120-134 in our current Bible. One psalm was read on each step leading up to the temples inner court. Psalm 150 is testament to the grand festival music of the temple under Herod.

But building projects were not the only way Herod tried to solidify his power. He was a brutal murderer. Just to mention his own family, he drowned his brother in law and murdered two of his own sons. On his death, his territory was divided among the three sons he didn’t murder. Galilee and Perea went to Herod Antipas who reigned there while Jesus was alive. Bob and Pauli Coot note in Power, Politics and the Making of the Bible, that “The Herodian Judean elite amassed their wealth in the traditional way: they creamed taxes and acquired lands as gifts from the rulers or through foreclosure on debt.”

No doubt Herodian rule and this mile square foundation being built for the temple is predominant in the minds of the people listening to Jesus. Certainly some of those listening to Jesus had been working on the mount at some point. Most people would have had family members who were conscripted into service to help build Herod’s temple and palace home, either as permanent or temporary slaves. Increased taxation on crops left a smaller portion to either make debt payments or feed their family. Certainly many would have first hand knowledge of losing their land to the ruling elite due to foreclosure on debt.

It is within this context that crowds gather around Jesus to hear him preach. Here in Luke we hear him say, " Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. But, woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your consolation…Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry." He then tells the people that contrary to popular example, they should love their enemies. …" If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them… And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be paid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back."

Jesus goes on to say, “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Why do you look for the speck in your neighbor’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck in your brother’s eye."

This teaching is followed by this morning's reading. It is not enough to say that Jesus is Lord. Not enough to proclaim that we worship God. We must follow the teaching he has just laid out. The great foundation of the people of Israel is not the awesome structure being built by Herod’s slaves, not the palace or even the temple which houses the law, but the loving action of faithful people. “One who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck the house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

It is also worthy to note that Luke is writing his Gospel in the eighties, following the destruction of the temple in 70. Thus, those hearing his Gospel read know that the great temple was destroyed once again, only six years after it’s completion, by the raging torrent of the Roman army.

Herod and his sons are building one of the greatest structures of all time, but Jesus says, the true foundation is love, justice, humility and forgiveness.

I wish our leaders who so readily confess to be followers of Christ would actually follow his advice. On 9/11 we lost 3,000 people, and took a pretty heavy economic hit. In our search for revenge and control of oil, we have killed at least 25,000 and more likely close to 100,000. Another 100,000 have been wounded. 2,592 Americans have died in the war. 14,000 have been wounded. And there is no end in sight. The military even now admits that the number angry enough to kill Americans in Iraq has increased four times since 2003. Who knows how much that number has increased globally? Do we feel safer? And of course, it is those who say they want fewer taxes and less government who are, at 306 billion and counting, are draining the national coffers to kill and maim. According to costofwar.com the median family income paid $4406 in taxes last year. $1,2057 went to military spending, plus anther $338 went to pay interest on our military debt. 2/3 of every tax dollar goes to military, payment of debt, and health care. Meanwhile, we deny our gluttonous consumption and demand for oil has an impact on God’s Creation, even as our cities are being washed away, and we draw closer to global war. How firm a foundation!

But our application ought not stop at the national level. Here at St. John’s we are beginning to plan for a financial campaign. Together we will decide what God is calling us to do, who God is calling us to be.

This is a wonderful building. Besides worship, bible studies, youth groups, movie nights, choir practice and meetings, we host a school, a preschool, a daycare, meditation, a boy scout troop, a youth orchestra, a senior center, meals, clothes and bathrooms for the homeless, five recovery groups, countless community meetings, concerts and weddings. On voting days we host two separate polls. I count 34 people who find their primary employment in this building. Over a hundred children are being cared for, loved and educated here. Over sixty people are being supported in their struggle to beat their addiction. A lot of good is done here in this building. It gets lot of use, a lot of wear and tear. Doors, sinks, ovens and toilets need fixing. Our sound system needs updating. I like the possibility of solar panels. It would be a great example of faithful stewardship, not only of the building but also of God’s creation, and it would help decrease our dependence on oil and the wars we fight for it.

Still, as great a building as this is for the community, the foundation of St. John’s is faithful followers of Jesus our Christ. 139 people who we worship and demonstrate who the God we worship is by what we do. Motivated by your faith, you go to college and to utilize the mind God gave you. As a musician you strive for perfect beauty in your art. If you are a lawyer you do some pro-bono work, or you help the disabled get services. As a teacher you help children learn to read, or help troubled youth raise their self-esteem. Perhaps you work to develop a way for poor immigrants pay less to a middleman to send money to their needy family. You work for child protective services, or adult protective services. If you work in the business world, your faith guides your behavior with your colleges, those you supervise and your clients. You work to pay a fair wage, deal honestly, hire the best person for the job regardless of their race, or whether they are circumcised, regardless of whether circumcision is even an option. If you are a mom or dad you sacrifice for your children and act as a role model. Part of what you model is caring for others outside your immediate family. You provide service and resources for the benefit of others, service not based on our ability to get some monetary or popularity payback.

All the things we could or would add up stake our claim in society, we must be ready to lose for Christ. In the end we gain by being willing to let go. Our foundation is not our education, not our art, not our job or income, not our magnificent building, not our health or even our family. The foundation for all these things is our faith in the God of grace and truth, the God of love and justice, the God represented in the person of Jesus Christ. At its base this means that no matter who we are, we are all on equal footing with God. No history, no qualifications necessary to join together around this table. You may have logged fifty years here at St. John’s, or just one day, given $34,000 or 34 cents. Our resume doesn’t earn us a better seat. Our sins and failings don’t disqualify us. All we have to do is come and join in. God will feed us with grace and fill us with the power and gifts we need follow in his footsteps, repenting and forgiving, giving and loving, working for peace.