Build Up Hope

Message on Sunday, June 16 at First United Methodist Church in Rocky Mount, NC

Imagine attending a dinner party where many well respected people of your community would be in attendance.  The guest of honor is someone who's been creating a lot of buzz lately, someone new to town.  Someone who has some amazing accomplishments and is known to be a great teacher.  You know for sure you'll get to hear one of his awesome stories about the kingdom of God and you'll be in the presence of other great teachers and theologians who can ask thought-provoking questions.  The company, the meal, and the discussion are sure to be good!

Imagine you are the host of such a party.  Imagine how much more respected you will soon be in your community for hosting such an event and for being friends with the guest of honor.  As the guests begin to arrive, you greet each one and show them to the dinner table.  You show your guest of honor a seat as well.  And just as it seems like everyone you've invited has arrived, SHE comes in...the woman who is a known sinner.  Just who does she think she is coming in here uninvited?  What is she doing?  Why is she going straight up to Jesus?  Doesn't she know that he's our special guest?  He doesn't have time to bother with her when all these community leaders are here to see him.  Why is she crying?  I can't believe it...she's getting on her hands and knees and crying over his feet.  Who does she think she is, taking her hair down at a dinner party?  And washing Jesus' feet with her hair and tears.  Some people just have no self dignity.

This scripture is one that sticks out to me - it's memorable because I just am not sure of what to do with it.  I'm not sure of what to do with Mary's willingness to expose in such a vulnerable way for Christ.  To walk into a room of dignified, respected, learned men - to get on her hands and knees and cry at the feet of Jesus -and to take down her hair and wash his feet with tears.  It's absolutely shocking - and that's when I realize that Mary Magdelene understands things that I don't and I want to know what she knows.  I want to love Jesus in a way that causes me to worship Him without abandon.  To sit at His feet and let it all out.  To expose myself to Him and be healed by him and to accept His love and forgiveness in a way that changes me and causes me to want to share that change with others.

I am drawn to missions for similar reasons that I am drawn to this story of redemption.  My first exposure to international missions was as a child.  My parents took me on a Volunteers in Mission trip to Puerto Rico, then to Costa Rica, Mexico, Belize, and Bogota Columbia.  It was great exposure to the world beyond Eastern North Carolina.  But more than that, it was great exposure to Christ.  I remember being heart broken that I had everything I needed and wanted, yet there were people in the world who had nothing.  It made me feel guilty and sad.  I didn't know what to do.  And then God showed me something.  He showed me the joy people had for Him and for worshipping Him.  He showed me a realness in worship that I hadn't noticed before - even though I went to church every Sunday with my family for as long as I can remember.

What made people with so little material wealth so joyful in Christ? 

What would make a sinful woman wash the feet of Jesus with her hair and tears?

⁴⁰ Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” ⁴¹ “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii,^[a] and the other fifty. ⁴² When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” ⁴³ Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus^[b] said to him, “You have judged rightly.” ⁴⁴ Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. ⁴⁵ You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. ⁴⁷ Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Is Jesus saying that the woman’s sins are forgiven and not Simons?  Or that Simon is less of a sinner than the woman?  I don’t think that’s exactly the point here.  Jesus asks Simon which forgiven debtor is the most appreciative - and it's the one with the largest canceled debt, the one who was more able to recognize the need for canceled debt.  Neither debtor did anything to earn the canceled debt.  Both were the recipients of a free gift of grace - yet one of them had a deeper awareness of the gift because he had a deeper awareness of his need.

I learned that the joy in Christ that I saw in the people I met on short-term mission trips was there because they had a deeper reliance on Christ a deeper awareness of the need for Him.  They were free from the entanglements of material wealth that so often gets in the way of recognizing our need for Christ.  I know little of Jesus because understand little of my need for  Jesus.  I cling to wealth, education, worldly success, my own accomplishments - instead of Jesus.  And when I'm faced with someone who has the gift of seeing beyond those things, I realize I am the sinner in great need of Christ. 

While the woman in this story bore the outward reputation of a sinner, Jesus saw her pure heart and complete love for Him.  Jesus asked Simon, "Do you see this woman?"  What a strange question...but did Simon really see this woman?  Did he even really see Jesus?

It is so easy to walk through life blind to spiritual matters.  It is so easy to trust in our own abilities than to trust in Christ.    It is so easy to simply go through the motions of religion and never really see Jesus.

The very next  chapter in Luke says it like this in verses 9 and 10.

“The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables so that, though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.”

Jesus knows that His message is one that all hearts will not receive.  He knows that all hearts are not ready to receive.  There are layers to his messages.  There’s more beneath the surface.  And if you simply look at what’s on the surface, or the outside – you may just miss the kingdom message entirely.

On my first trip to El Salvador - I was determined not to like it!  I was looking only at the surface of things.  God had already given me a job to do in Rocky Mount and I was not excited about my husband's choice to try to move my life to El Salvador.  On the airplane ride over God and I had a little conversation - he called me out on my closed heart and I promised Him that I'd visit El Salvador  open to what He would show me there.  I opened my heart to the possibility that He could be calling me too.

So, when I got there, I took in the sights.  It wasn't what I expected, but it wasn't bad.  It was kind of nice.  It reminded me a lot of my first visits to Costa Rica about 20 years ago.  And then I met the people, and the children.  And I played and played and played with the children.  And I began falling in love.  As my visit came close to ending, Brian took me to worship at Neuva Jerusalem, the Methodist church closest to our home.  This church is currently led by a female pastor.  Something  I had never seen before in my experiences with churches in Latin America.  The pastor's name is Marta and her smile lights up a room.  God's light radiates from her. 

As the band was warming up, the tune was very familiar.  It was the Spirit Song - and I knew it was communion Sunday and I knew that God was making a home for me in Ahuachapan, El Salvador.  And from that moment, it only got better.  When communion was served, the children were served first.  A beautiful image of Jesus' heart for children and instructions to "let the children come."

For three years, I've struggled with the question, "Why El Salvador?"  There's ministry and mission to be done right here in Rocky Mount, right here at First Methodist.  Why El Salvador?

And then I see how God has gifted Brian in ways that are custom-made for ministry in El Salvador.  His spiritual gift of tongues that allows him to easily learn a new language without one formal lesson in it.  His wisdom in leading groups and keeping them safe and healthy in a foreign land.  And his ability to make new family with people of a culture different from what I know.  I trust that God has, is, and will continue to gift me in similar ways as I trust Him in this move.

But why such an extravagant expense and sacrifice in moving our lives to El Salvador?  Just in the money we spend in airfare alone, I'm sure we could have built two homes for at least two families in need.  Wouldn't that have been a better use of our resources? 

But then I am reminded that it's not the material things that cause change.  It's a living, in your face relationship with Jesus.  We are called to live in relationship with Christ and His people.  And for me and Brian, we are called at this time to live with God's people in El Salvador. 

Recently, God brought me to this passage - "So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing."  1 Thess 5:11

The Message says it like this....

"Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it."

Build Up Hope.  As Brian and I have discussed what ministry and missions mean to us, we talk about this concept of building up hope.  When a team travels from the US or Costa Rica to offer medical clinics in Salvadoran neighborhoods for free, God's love shines and hope is built.  When a team travels to build a home for a Salvadoran family, hope is built.  When a team travels to take food bags to families in need, hope is built.  When a team travels to simply take time to play with children hope is built.  Brian once told me a story of a family that he got to visit to tell them that the church would like to build them a home.  He went with the President of the church, Juan de Dios Pena.  They were warmly greeted by a family who thought they were simply coming for a visit.  When Juan told them that a team wanted to build a home for them, the woman began crying.  She said for three years, I've prayed that God would provide for us a safer home.  And He sent you.  You are an answer to my prayers.

Another time he told me about a group that brought Bibles to give away.  Brian took them to the park at the center of town and they gave them to various people walking by.  One man stopped and praised God for his new Bible.  The last page of his Bible at home had just fallen out and God has provided him a new one! 

Both of these are examples of Hope Built.  Tiny ways in which God was able to use people as vessels of His blessings.  Signs that He hasn't forgotten our brothers and sisters in El Salvador.  Signs that they are loved and their prayers are being answered. 

So, I'm not exactly sure of all that I will be doing in El Salvador, but I do know that I will be open for God to use me as a Hope Building Vessel.  And I pray that I will go with eyes open to really see Him.  And I pray that He will provide me opportunities to share with you what I see so that your hope can be built too!

You see, what Mary Magdelene knew was that in serving, there is receiving.  She humbled herself to wash her Master's feet and she received the blessing of assurance in His everlasting love and forgiveness.  The love and forgiveness was already hers.  It wasn't a result of her service, but in humble service, she was able to receive. 

Where is God calling you to humbly serve Him?  You don't need to fly to El Salvador, Africa, or Costa Rica to serve the Lord or to build up hope.  Are you being nudged to come worship at the Monday morning breakfast, or to serve lunch on Thursdays to children in neighborhoods right around our church, or to pack a food bag for next month's Tuesday bag ministry, or to sit beside an elderly person in a local nursing home, or to read to a child living at My Sister's house, or to counsel a new mother at the Pregnancy Care Center?  The list can go on forever...but I know for sure that God has a place carved out and specifically designed for you.  A place for you to be a Hope Building Vessel.  Are you willing to take some time to sit at His feet, poor out your heart, and receive his blessing?  Are you willing to ask him today where he is leading you to serve?  Or to renew your committment to where you are currently serving?

I invite you to take this next hymn as a time for prayerful reflection...either from your seat while singing along, or at the altar on your knees.  Spend a moment asking Him where he has for you to build up hope in the life of another.