Sermon Archive

© by The Reverend Dr. Byron E. Shafer
A sermon preached at Rutgers Presbyterian Church
on October 2, 2005; 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A;
World Communion Sunday, Peace Making Offering
Scripture Lessons: Exodus 17: 1-7;Matthew 9:10, 14-15; 11:18-19

And besides, this lesson shows us a side of Jesus that we rarely talk about in church, and it's this: Jesus really loved parties. Wherever he traveled there was just a whole lot of feasting and joy. Indeed, in this lesson, Jesus speaks of his ministry as one long wedding banquet, at which he's the bridegroom (Matthew 9:14-15). And we also learn here that Jesus had developed such a reputation for "having a good time" that those who were unfriendly to him even accused him of being (quote) "a glutton and a drunkard" (Matthew 11:19).

Yes, Jesus loved a good party, and his ministry was filled with times of merriment and joy. Yet I've never ever seen a painting or a movie that depicts him "kicking up his heels" —eating, drinking, and laughing with others. Have you? The closest thing to that I know of is the 1977 drawing of "Jesus Laughing" by the American artist Ralph Kozak. I've reproduced it for you on p. 4 of this morning's bulletin, above the sermon title. Although Kozak's drawing is definitely not a masterpiece —far from it— prints of it have become best sellers! But even this uniquely joyous representation of Jesus depicts him as a solitary figure rather than as one who's enjoying the company of others.

If any of you know a painting or movie that shows Jesus actively partying, please do share it with me! But until such time, I'll have to continue wondering why artists have so completely turned aside from the opportunity to portray Jesus's joyous side.

Yes, some filmmaker needs to do for Jesus what Franco Zeffirelli did for Romeo and Juliet. It's now been some 30 long years since I last saw Zeffirelli's 1968 film version of Shakespeare's play, yet I can still picture in my mind many of the details of Zeffirelli's grand party-scene in which the star-crossed couple first catch sight of each other. Someone needs to offer us Christians an equally unforgettable visual image of a party-scene in which Jesus comes face-to-face for the first time with a wondrous array of amazingly diverse persons.

So what I like about today's Second Lesson is that at its heart lie not just one but two party-images: first, the image of "the Messianic banquet," and second, that of "the wedding feast." And I also like the fact that these two party—images illumine so beautifully the meaning of this particular day in our church's calendar, World Communion Sunday. Let me explain.

During the 500 years prior to Jesus's birth, the Jewish people had longed for that time in the future when, at last, the forces of good would triumph over the forces of evil. And their writers and image-makers had chosen to envision this great day-to-come through two primary images —first, God's festive banquet, presided over by the Messiah, with guests from every nation; and second, the joyous wedding celebration at which God and the people would be united as one. And here in Matthew 9, Jesus combines these two joy-filled images used for the great feast that's to mark the coming of God's reign on earth. Yes, here in Matthew 9, Jesus chooses to link the image of the Messianic banquet-to-come with the image of the wedding feast that's already underway through his ministry.

Now, according to the ancient Jews' envisioning of the Messianic banquet, God would at that future time serve people with sacred foods, capable of sustaining life-eternal (Isaiah 25:6-10). And the idea that one of the sacred foods to be served at this banquet would be bread was rooted in a passage from chapter 16 of the book of Exodus that speaks of the miraculous manna that God provided for the people of Israel while they wandered in the rock-desert of Sinai. Here at Rutgers we read and commented on that passage two Sundays ago.

Exodus 16 calls this manna "bread from heaven" (vs. 4). And its image of "bread from heaven" was subsequently taken up and used by early Christians to describe the bread of holy communion. For example, in the chapter from I Corinthians that's cited on this morning's bulletin cover, the apostle Paul calls Israel's manna "spiritual food" (I Cor. 10:3], and he goes on to associate this manna conceptually with the bread of holy communion (I Cor. 10:16b-17). In this same passage, Paul also draws on imagery found in chapter 17 of Exodus, the passage that was today's First Lesson. From that, Paul highlights the miracle-water that had gushed forth from a rock to sustain the thirsty Israelites, and he calls this water "spiritual drink" (I Cor. 10:4), which he then links with the spiritual drink that is the wine of holy communion (I Cor. 10:4b, 16a).

So in early Christianity, the sacrament of holy communion was associated with ancient images of sacred food. And holy communion was linked as well with various other themes drawn from the rich imagery of the Messianic banquet and its joyous celebration—like, the vanquishing of death, the presence of the Messiah, and the participation of people from every nation.

Now, on World Communion Sunday, we lift up all of these motifs associated with the Messianic banquet, but we emphasize most especially the one about the participation of people from every nation. So the front cover of today's order of service portrays hands belonging to persons from a great variety of the world's races and ethnic groups, hands reaching out to receive the bread from heaven, the bread of the Messianic banquet, the bread of the great wedding feast. Yes, this is a day when around the world the party's at God's house.

Some of you who've had the opportunity to travel and visit Christian communities around the world may have in your mind some vivid images of how holy communion is celebrated in other nations and cultures. I've been fortunate enough to have had such opportunities, so today I want to share with you two of the images that fill my mind.

First, early this morning, in the holy city of Jerusalem, a party took place in the house of God known as the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Members of the Protestant community there passed quickly through the narrow, shuttered bazaars of the Christian Quarter of the Old City to gather for services conducted in Arabic, English, and German. There the people received a piece of fresh-baked pita, much like what we will serve on some of our trays today. They also drank from a common goblet of strong wine. And, as they partook of communion, they experienced the kind of hope and joy and peace that is able to overcome the sorrow and anger and despair that is so frequently felt by the Christians who live in that land. Yes, joy breaks out wherever God is present and people know it! Joy breaks out!

And second, in India, right now as we speak, the party is just winding down in another of God's houses. It's coming up on 9:30 pm in the Punjabi village of Baghela, and Christians there are just now concluding their communion service. You see, they're peasants who work seven days a week, and their worship has to be held on Sunday night. So today at sunset they came in from working in the fields and proceeded to prepare their "sanctuary"—that is, the open courtyard of the largest Christian home in the village. As part of that readying up, they removed from the courtyard most of the animals there, except for some live chickens that would be presented as offerings and the inevitable stray dogs. Next they laid down cotton rugs over the courtyard's bare ground. Then they washed their hands and faces, took off their shoes, and sat down on the mats cross-legged.

And for the past two hours, they have been joyfully singing psalms until they're hoarse, praying for other villagers, whether they're Christian or not, and listening to quite a long sermon. (Mine today would seem to them much too short!) And right now, delighting openly in God's blessings, they are gladly receiving in the palms of their hands first a piece of the flat, unleavened bread called "roti," very much like what we will serve on some of our trays today, and then a spoonful of water, water in which raisins have been boiled—which is as close as they can come to wine. [So if you find a raisin in the Irish soda bread that's on some of our trays today, let it remind you of these Indian villagers!] And right now, in that communion service in Baghela, heaven and earth are joining in an embrace of love and joy.

In other houses of God throughout the world—Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, North America, Australia, Antarctica— many more hands have reached out in joy for the bread from heaven. And right here—at still another of God's houses, the Rutgers Presbyterian Church—we are having our very own party. We have been praising God and lifting our voices in song. And we are now about to cheer our hearts further by offering money to support peacemaking and by offering food to bring wholeness and well-being to persons in need. And after that we will be adding our own hands to those portrayed on our bulletin cover. As each of us comes to the party at Christ's table, leaving behind the dry patches of our own wilderness experiences and our weariness from the fields in which we work, we will reach out to receive refreshment and renewal; we will reach out to partake of spiritual food and spiritual drink. For God is present at this joyful wedding feast, and we are present at this joyous banquet of our bridegroom—Christ, the Messiah.

Yes, this is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

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