Lines, boundaries and barriers are
easy. They tell us exactly where we need to be, what is and is not
acceptable behavior, and who may or may not participate. We
generally like lines, boundaries and barriers because they can define
us and they can simplify our lives. On the high end, we can use them
to explain why we do what we do. On the low end, we simply hide
behind them because “thems the rules.”
Lines, boundaries and barriers –
rules – are easy. And because they are easy we find it easy to
pick out those lines, boundaries and barriers from Scripture. It
doesn't take much effort to find all of the shalts, shalt nots and
other admonitions scattered throughout the Bible. It doesn't take
much effort to find those verses that condemn and banish certain
people. This makes it easy for us to point to the Bible Rules and
claim to those people whom we exclude, “Please understand, it's not
us. But thems the rules and I can't do anything about it.”
All of that is easy. What is much more
difficult is to find those instances where the rules aren't as
important as envisioning universal salvation. It isn't that those
instances are rare and well-hidden that makes them difficult to find;
it's that we think they are difficult to find because
we are too busy looking for the rules. We spend so much time looking
for and focused on the rules that we miss the generous inclusiveness
of God.
The Gospel of John gives us many
examples of God's generous inclusiveness if we are willing to open
our eyes and see it. Jesus brings life and light to all people. He
bestows grace and truth to all willing to receive it. He wasn't sent
to condemn, but to save. He treats women and foreigners as equals.
He says all who believe in him will be saved. He says he has other
sheep not belonging to this fold that he will gather in. And in
today's gospel he asks a couple of guys, “What are you looking
for?” and invites them to come and see what he's all about.
This last may not seem significant, but
considering that this is the first call story in John, it's more
significant than you might originally think. This sets the tone for
all of Jesus' encounters in that he doesn't ask if they are worthy,
nor does he verify if they believe the “right” things. In short,
he simply says, “Come and see.”
Come and see. All are welcome.
If we are willing to see this
universality, then we can also see it in Paul's letters. Today we
have the opening lines of his letter to the Corinthians. He
addresses it to those “called to be saints together with all those
in every place who call on the name of our Lord Jesus.”
Yes, Paul addresses issues and
behaviors in the church that are not healthy and problematic. Legal
debates, idols, food issues, ecstatic speaking, party factions and
denial of the resurrection were all things prevalent in Corinth at
that time. Paul did advocate to expel some of these behaviors that
were detrimental to the congregation, but in the big picture Paul is
reminding the people that a call to the church is a call to a change
in life. People can't be changed unless they are given access. And
it's in that universal access that we should be inviting people to
come and see because all are welcome.
This idea of stepping outside our
lines, boundaries and barriers, of ignoring them or of breaking them
down is not only a New Testament idea; it also shows up in the Old
Testament. And it shows up in today's reading.
Today's reading is taken from that
section of Isaiah that was written during the Babylonian exile.
Isaiah says that he was called by God before he was born to bring
Jacob back from exile and to gather all the scattered people of
Israel back into his loving embrace. This is clearly a call to
rescue the chosen people of God from their exile in Babylon and bring
them back into their homeland. But then God says something
interesting to Isaiah.
He says, “It is too light a thing to
raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore Israel; I will give you as a
light to the nations so that my salvation shall reach to the ends of
the earth.”
God himself is breaking down the lines,
boundaries and barriers that Israel is using to keep themselves
separate from everyone else. The lines, boundaries and barriers –
the rules – were set up as a way to give shape and structure to the
people of God. They were set up as an invitation to participate in
holiness. What they became was a way to keep people out.
The people on the inside used them
against the people on the outside in an effort to keep themselves
pure. They forgot that they were an invitation.
God attempts to correct that when he
tells Isaiah that his salvation shall reach to the ends of the earth.
This light being shone to all nations is an invitation to come and
see. Saying that his salvation shall reach to the ends of the earth
is another way of saying, “All are welcome.”
Over in Matthew 7, Jesus says that the
gate and road that lead to destruction is wide and easy, and many
take it; but the gate and road that leads to life is narrow and hard
and few find it. I’m beginning to wonder if we haven’t
misinterpreted that passage.
Lines, boundaries and barriers –
rules – are easy to find and are an attempt to make our lives
easier. It's often easy to hide behind them and claim, “Thems the
rules.” What's hard is seeing God's plan of universal salvation.
What's hard is loving our neighbors as ourselves. What's hard is
telling Others, “Come and see.” What's hard is living into an
ethos of All are Welcome.
When people go through the Bible to
find those easy verses that clearly say who is to be banished or not
allowed entry, I wonder. I wonder if blindly following those easy
verses will ultimately lead to destruction.
More importantly, I wonder if we are
ready to open our eyes and look for what we think are difficult
verses to find about welcoming the Other. And I wonder if we as a
congregation are really ready to enter the narrow gate and follow the
hard road that says, “All are Welcome.”
If we can do that, then I think we will
be better equipped to invite everyone to come and see so that God's
salvation may indeed reach to the ends of the earth.
Amen.
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