The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany

11 Pentecost, August 9, 2009

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A number of my family were recently here for a visit, and it was a good visit. It was good to see them and spend time with them. But, invariably when my siblings and I get together we end up talking about the dysfunction in our family of origin. I have to admit, I am getting weary of these discussions; they depress me. It's not that I want to maintain any illusion that there was no dysfunction in my family. There definitely was. I'm pretty sure that all families can claim "dysfunction" to one degree or another. I just feel sometimes my siblings and I have talked it to death. I'm tired of it, and I'm over it, unless I'm deluding myself.

But having said that, I have to say none of us are staying in any kind of victim role. We are just trying to look honestly at our family and change patterns. But I am also convinced that it is God who ultimately leads us out of old patterns, leads us into forgiveness, and leads us into new life. The stories about David that we have been reading are about the great dysfunction in his family. We've kind of missed that in this reading because there is a lot that precedes the story we just heard. Let me briefly catch us up, so we get a sense of this.

David had a number of children from a number of wives, a recipe right there for dysfunction. Amnon and Absalom were brothers from two different mothers. Tamar was Absalom's sister from the same mother, and she was a beautiful girl. Amnon lusted for Tamar and one day lured her into his room, raped her and then discarded her in a very degrading and humiliating manner. Absalom hated Amnon for what he had done to his sister, and was also furious with his father, David, because he would not punish Amnon, because Amnon was the eldest son. Absalom ended up killing Amnon, which started a whole chain of events. Absalom developed an army of men in rebellion against his father David. This brings us to today's story in which the armies of David and the armies of Absalom have their final battle. Absalom we are told was left dangling in a tree, and was actually finally killed by David's General, Joab, even after David requested that Absalom's life be spared. David was utterly grief stricken upon learning of the death of his son. About as dysfunctional as you can get, I would say.

Some people find it confusing and disturbing that these characters in the Bible are so very flawed. But what they don't realize is, these characters are us. All human beings are flawed, deeply so. God doesn't love unflawed people, because there are none. We are told that David, this deeply flawed man, was deeply loved by God. The Hebrews in Egypt that God delivered from slavery and chose to be "His people" were not a holy group of people. They were a rag tag, motley dysfunctional group, who continually complained, and rebelled against God when He was rescuing them from their wretched condition. And they were not the ones who chose God; God chose them. It was by God's initiative that those lowly slaves were chosen to be God's people. It is the same with us. It takes some humbleness to realize it is by God's initiative that we are on this journey of faith.

God takes the initiative, but God does require a response from us. The response is not that we be perfect people. We can't be that. The response is one of faith, faith in God's goodness, faith that God will not reject us for our imperfections, faith in God's love. And we are called to have faith in God's power to give us what He promises. We are called to have faith that God is for us, that God is on our side. This faith is what must grow in us and it is the heart of our relationship with God.

This kind of faith was David's greatness. Despite all of his faults David had a deep relationship with God; his heart was completely open to God, every flawed part of it. Even in his deepest grief and failures David remained in relationship with His God. To remain in relationship, no matter what, this is the response that is required of us. When we are tired, when we have lost hope, when we are exhausted and feel like we can't continue, God comes to us and says, "I want you to eat." We are urged to come to Jesus and receive nourishment that will enable us to continue in a relationship with Him and continue with Him on our journey of faith.

There are times in our flawed lives when we lose hope and direction, when we are exhausted mentally or physically or both. But these times of darkness and despair can be times where God can breakthrough and give us insight and change our hearts. Sometimes it seems we experience breakdown before we can experience breakthrough - a breakthrough to hear the message of God. Sometimes this is what it takes to make our hearts ready. "Only when people are humble enough to recognize God's unique revelation in and to Jesus can they then taste the bread from heaven.

But God's initiative is always balanced in the Bible with an open and free appeal: anyone at all who is thirsty is invited to come to the water that is on offer; anyone at all who comes to Jesus will not be rejected"? Jesus was telling those questioning Him that what He was offering comes from heaven; it comes from God. We are being drawn by God in and through all the situations and circumstances of our lives. Jesus wants to awaken us to the depths of our hearts and put is in touch with the cry and deepest longing of our hearts. And Jesus is leading us to the fulfillment of that deepest longing. Jesus is saying if we eat and drink His truth - His way - we will find out and become who we truly are, who God created us to be. Jesus speaks for God; Jesus is the message of God; Jesus is God.

"Jesus [was telling that group] that even though we haven't seen the Father, if we look at Jesus we will see a reflection of the Father. When we see the reflection of the Father we will also see who we are. That is why Jesus is both God and man."? Yet the Bible is full of stories that suggest that we may have to experience a kind of death to awaken to this gift. This is so in order for us to realize that we have to give up striving for those things that will not bring us satisfaction or real life. St. Augustine said, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee." Holiness does not have to do with perfection, but rather, a willingness to go through the process of taking the journey with God into God.

This journey is a most incredible gift, the gift of eternal life. Eternal life that Jesus offers is sharing in the inner life of Jesus, that is, it is union with God. Jesus gave His very life for us in order that we might have this gift, and be nourished for this journey. What Jesus was saying to that group who were seeking food that does not last and does not ultimately satisfy, was that He was going to give His very life for them so that they would have food that did ultimately satisfy; that is how much God loves us. And He was also providing for us an actual physical eating. Here and now in this earthly existence. Because God knows we need these physical sacramental signs to help us remember His faithfulness and presence and nourishment, because God understands this journey is difficult for us.

The bread and wine of the Eucharist are a foretaste of the Eternal life God promises and nourishment for our journey into that life. To refuse to take this journey is to remain unfulfilled and ultimately to remain in dysfunction, pain, and suffering. I love these words of the Tazie song: "Eat this bread, drink this wine, come to me and never be hungry. Eat this bread, drink this wine, come to me and you will not thirst." Amen.