II Corinthians 6:1-13

Scripture:                     II Corinthians 6: 1 - 13

Year B

June 19-25

June 24, 2012

June 21, 2015

Cross~Wind UMC

Title: Jumping the Shark

I commented before the sermon about the shootings in Charleston, SC. The young man was a racist who thought he could start a race war. Most of us would find it difficult to imagine how anyone could be in a church for an hour, hear people talk about God and pray, and then shoot them. As a youth, my dad would make racist comments. Even as a child, I could never figure how the color of the skin of a person mattered. At the same time, it says far more about that community that instead of race wars it started the community down a path of coming together. 

Father’s Day – Our men’s group had an interesting discussion about fathers. Of course, our hope is always that by involving dads in the life of the church, they will take an interest in their families and especially their children. As our discussion evolved, I realized that when it came to actual guidance for my life, my dad was largely absent. The first guidance I received as a boy was from the church family and from some teachers at school. The pastor of that church was male, the youth pastor was male, and I had a male Sunday School teacher. When I went to college, I developed relationships with several professors who became like fathers to me in certain areas of my life. As much as we honor the role of fathers in families as a church, I want to say a word to the men of this congregation. Some young people in our community are in search for guidance that you can give. 

Going deeper

II Corinthians 6: 1-13

II Corinthians 6:1-13 continue the theme of reconciliation with God. In verses 1-2, the apostles are serving God by extending the appeal God is making in Christ. ¹ As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain (that is his efforts in speaking and their efforts in listening would be in vain). ² For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! Their failure to stand with Paul is a failure to experience reconciliation with God. For God says in Isaiah 49:8-9 that at an acceptable (favorable) time God has listened to them and on a day of salvation, God has helped them. They are to look carefully, for now is the acceptable time, the day of salvation. The text applies to this moment in history, as if the servant songs in Isaiah find their fulfillment at this moment. The saving work God has come through Christ.

In verses 3-10, Paul supports the appeal. Paul is urging the Corinthians to work with him as well. Paul offers his credentials. Those disputing with Paul subvert the gospel. He offers this list as a way of defending his ministry and offering an example to others. The passive tense here says he does not seek suffering. Rather, suffering comes upon him. Reading this list in the light of church history and of the suffering church throughout the world today, many faithful servants have had these experiences. Isaiah said the servant of the Lord would encounter trouble, so Paul now reiterates his hardship. ³ We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, ⁴ but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: Paul and his companions first endured suffering from others through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, second, in self-discipline seen in labors, sleepless nights, hunger; third, they commend themselves with good characteristics and tools they seek to cultivate and display in the course of their ministry ⁶ by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, ⁷ truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; fourth, they commend themselves in the paradoxical nature of suffering for God, the judgment of people overturned by God, ⁸ in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; ⁹ as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see-- we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; ¹⁰ as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Verses 11-13 offer a gentle conclusion, urging the improvement of relations between them. ¹¹ We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; our heart is wide open to you. ¹² There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. ¹³ In return-- I speak as to children-- open wide your hearts also. He longs for proper reciprocity in this relationship.

Introduction

            Today, I am wondering about the risks of following Jesus.

            In fact, this month, the theme that keeps playing around in my mind and heart involves the difficulties that we may face as Americans in following Jesus. Things are changing rapidly in our culture. I am going to use the term “secular” to describe the process. It started centuries ago, as we separated institutionally the church from the State. This was a good thing. However, Americans have long had a positive relationship with the church and its values. It understood the importance that if we are to have freedom, we need to have citizens who live by certain beliefs and values. The challenge today is that many people in the culture today look upon Christianity today as part of the problem. They want freedom from what they believe Christianity places upon them.

            I want to use the image of jumping the shark to describe the issue. How far are you willing to go?

 “At precisely what moment did you know it was all downhill for your favorite TV show?”

It can happen. You enjoy a show, but the writers take the show a certain direction, and the audience simply cannot follow. 

I vaguely remember enjoying the Flintstones. Then, the Great Gazoo joined the cast. It was all downhill after that.

I also enjoyed Happy Days, which aired from 1974-1984. For those too young to remember, it was a show about the 1950’s. Fonzie was the cool one in the group. However, in one episode, as Fonzie would save the day once again, the episode had him water skiing with his leather jacket, jumping over a shark in the water. I remember thinking before it happened, “Oh no, they are not going to do that.” Then, they did. The show was never the same. Since then, “jumping the shark” has been a phrase used to describe that moment when a show took a turn, and the show would never be the same, the audience could not walk down that path. [Here is a link to the jumping the shark part of the episode.]

It strikes me that one can “jump the shark” in many ways. Staying in the entertainment business, I want to talk with for a few moments about whether being a Christian can be a “jump the shark” move for a career.

Patricia Heaton, the two-time Emmy Award-winning actress from the hit TV show Everybody Loves Raymond, seems to think so. Identifying yourself as a Christian can lead to exclusion and fewer work opportunities. Our culture expects one's faith, at least Christian faith, to be a private matter. Our culture also expects the Christian to compromise their values in order to advance their career. I think that is why many will expect the person of faith to surrender personal values for the sake of fame, celebrity, and money. Anyone who is an openly observant Christian raises red flags.

Justified or not, she says that Christians are often stereotyped as not as much fun, straight-laced misfits or radical fundamentalists. Despite the setbacks, Heaton is determined to hold onto her faith even if there is a personal and professional cost. To her, it is worth it.

Jim Caviezel, who portrayed Jesus in The Passion of the Christ, is an ardent Roman Catholic. Mel Gibson, the director, warned him it could hurt his career. Deciding it was the role of a lifetime, he was willing to take the risk. "We all have our crosses to bear," he decided.

After playing the role of Jesus (to very good reviews) Caviezel was unable to find another director willing to cast him in a movie. For a while, he earned his living as a motivational speaker, often talking with congregations and confirmation classes about the cost of being true to one's faith. In his case, there was a statute of limitations on the cost of discipleship: Caviezel was recently cast in the hot new television series Person of Interest.

Rich Lowry observed a few months ago in the New York Post (commenting on Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow) that it is crazy, but it is now cutting edge to be a clean-cut guy, and counter-cultural to be an outspoken Christian.

On facebook in 2012, a friend posted a comment by Rich Kirkpatrick, noting the criticism of Tim Tebow coming from other Christians. His post said that for him, the problem is not with Tim Tebow, who simply seems to be living his faith. Rather, the problem is how we treat celebrities who are Christians. He uses the analogy of the “champion” in ancient times, the person who fought on behalf of the rest of us against an enemy. Think David versus Goliath on this one. His point is that in this case, we like it when Tim Tebow, or any other famous Christian, lives “radical discipleship,” but we approach it as if he is our champion, living a life we do not want to live and fighting a battle we do not want to fight.

Here is my point. It is OK to “jump the shark” if you do it because you sign up to be an openly committed follower of Jesus Christ.

Application

I want to share two things that I want to keep in the back of mind, as I reflect on the ministry of this church. I hope you will as well.

First, we should not assume that Christianity-Lite is what people want these days.

Sign on lunchroom wall:
Always Give 100%
12% Monday
23% Tuesday
40% Wednesday
20% Thursday
5% Friday

Here is an analogy. Thousands of people today are willing to take on possible hardship. That is a lesson the church should learn. The celebrities I mentioned are just one example.

My point is simple. People are willing to take up a challenge and endure hardship, if a worthwhile vision captures them.

David Brooks, writing in The New York Times ("It's Not About You") discusses this as it relates to young people.

"If you sample some of the commencement addresses being broadcast on C-Span these days, you see that many graduates are told to: Follow your passion, chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself. This is the litany of expressive individualism, which is still the dominant note in American culture.

"But, of course, this mantra misleads on nearly every front. ... Most successful young people don't look inside and then plan life. They look outside and find a problem, which summons their life. A relative suffers from Alzheimer's and a young woman feels called to help cure that disease. A young man works under a miserable boss and must develop management skills so his department can function. Another young woman finds herself confronted by an opportunity she never thought of in a job category she never imagined. This wasn't in her plans, but this is where she can make her contribution.

"Most people don't form a self and then lead a life. They are called by a problem, and the self is constructed gradually by their calling."

The people, called by a problem, as Brooks puts it, may not know what the problems will be, the nature of the opposition, the obstacles to surmount, but they have decided they are willing to take them on.

Being a Christian is something like what Brooks describes here. Fortunately, we do not live in a nation in which being a Christian will lead to physical persecution, as Paul describes here. We need to pray for those Christians in our world who do. However, we need to be willing to pay the price of following Jesus.

In my teens, the “problem” that affected the course my life would take was that I wanted to understand better what it meant to follow Jesus in my life, and I want to help other people follow him. What is the problem that calls Christians? As Paul writes of it in II Corinthians, we see a humanity separated from God and from each other, in need of reconciliation. We see in Jesus Christ the way to such reconciliation. Are you willing to walk down that path, no matter what?

Second, Paul is encouraging us to keep on keeping on.

You have probably heard the words of Prime Minister Winston Churchill -- Britain's WWII leader -- to "never give in." He evidently said those words to young people when he visited Harrow School in 1941 after they had endured a particularly rough series of Blitzkrieg attacks:

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy."

Here, Paul's "bent, but not broken" message is pertinent to the key of endurance and survival:

 "Through glory and dishonor; bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, and yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything" (II Corinthians 6:8-10).

"Never, never, never, never, give in except to convictions of honor," he might have said.

Conclusion

Finally, let us face it: Paul was not feeling the love. In fact, this is the part of the passage that touched me. Regardless of the external challenges in being a Christian, here is the internal pain. It can happen, not from the external persecution, but from what happens within the church. Listen to him:

"Our heart is wide open to you. There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return -- I speak as to children -- open wide your hearts also" (6:11-13).

Paul and friends had been through a lot and the Corinthian believers, well, they simply did not give the honor and respect they should. He was their spiritual father, and they were his spiritual children. Yet, they were turning away from him. They were fighting so much with each other, and turned their fighting toward him. Paul is letting us know that being a counter-cultural revolutionary can be lonely. Paul in verses 4-10 says nothing about being unloved. He doesn't say, "As loving, yet unloved." But here he's saying it: "We love you, but are unloved by you."

Those in the trenches of ministry, so to speak, need to know that we pray for them and support them.

Now that I think about it a moment, each of us are in the trenches (I hope), trying to figure out how to live a faithful Christian life in the setting in which we find ourselves. We need to help each other by opening our hearts to each other, remembering each other in agape love as we work toward the radical, revolutionary cause to which God has called us.

Amen.