Rev. Dustin ParkerHow does He Know me?
As I began to post this sermon, thinking about church yesterday, my mind drifted to my childhood, to talking to Fr. Alex about my desire to become a priest (I grew up in the RCC) He asked me why, my answer was simplistic, I wanted to teach people about Jesus love, and give them the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. Many years later, along with many other obligations of ministry, that is still what I love to do.
I do that now, perhaps with less skill than many others, the cost higher than a 8 year old could imagine. Struggling to find the words, struggling to help them realize the depth of the gift given to them, as they approach the altar. "this is the Lamb of God.." we sing.
Yesterday, it seemed to click. the hands stretched forth to receive the His Body and Blood - they knew their need, they knew that God saw them, and would meet that need.
These are the kind of days pastors and priests live for,
This is the sermon from that day... a walk in the footprints of a man who struggled, as we do, who wrestled with God, and was seen, and found, and was amazed by Immanuel. I pray it strengthens your faith - and as always - feel free to leave questions and comments.
Godspeed
d†
How do YOU know me?
John 1:45-53 & Psalm 139
† IMMANUEL †
May we realize the grace, the peace and mercy and love that floods our lives, as God reveals to us, as He did to Nathaniel, that He sees us.
This message is one that you need to hear from another’s perspective, unfortunately, he is unavailable to be here, so I will need to tell you his story, how everything changed. I will tell you how he viewed the events of that day, when Nathaniel realized what John the apostle wrote – that we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father.”
And so I ask you patience, and for you to use your imagination – to hear Nathaniel instead of Dustin, To understand how Jesus desired to search for and found Phillip, so Phillip could search for and find Nathaniel, so Nathaniel could discover the God, who was His LORD – even while Nathaniel wrestled with him…
(Pause)
My struggle –
I, Nathaniel, need you to understand how oppressive those days were, and how those of us who tried to be faithful struggled. We weren’t the first to struggle with what life dealt us, and I doubt we shall be the last.
Yet there were days, when we looked around us, and we wondered, “had we been abandoned by God”; and if we were no longer His people. Our governments were oppressive – both the Roman government and the Hebrew government. Our spiritual leaders were either naively blind to the struggles of life, or they drove us to rebel against that which oppressed us, and both were blindly without hope. Our community was mostly those who worked as suppliers of food, or the merchants who brokered it, for we sat at the source of the Jordan, and in the shadow of one of the great cities of Herod.
My own troubles at the time., well let’s just say I didn’t find rest from the oppression of the world in my personal life. Too many personal struggles there as well, with sin and my situations. The gathering of God’s people didn’t see to provide rest either - too many people I and the others in my synagogue had to help, to many who needed our assistance. There were days I just wanted to yell at God until He heard me and took action, or just find the nearest tree and sit under it, wondering in despair if anything would ever change in my life. Some days I wished I could just give up…
I knew everyone struggles like this at times, in our scriptures we are named after one of our forefathers – and his name was changed from Jacob, to Isra-El - which means “the one who struggles with God!” We’re a nation, a people, who have been through this before – and while that offers some.. hope?, it doesn’t provide comfort in the middle of our struggles. In fact, there are times where I think my struggles with God, are evil, that they are evidence that I am not good enough . I think maybe I deserve to feel so abandoned. I hated to wrestle with God, to complain and whine and yell and argue.. Yet what other option did I have. Even though I was a jew – I was first a son of Israel..the one who wrestled with God.
There were days I wished I was Jacob, our father who struggled with God – face to face – mano –e- mano… I could even deal with the pain..of His pressing me – for then I would have known… He was here, and He saw me… and He knew…….and cared.
My call
What a day that was, when Phillip came looking for me – searching for me. He found me when I was in one of those low places, and to be honest, when he came up to me with that huge grin – telling me he had good news… I just wanted to smash it off his face!
Then of all things – he claimed he found the Messiah - the one hope that we were waiting for – as patiently as we could – the hope that would deliver us from all the oppression – he said he found him – and he was from Nazareth?
Really Phillip? Nazareth? You might as well say he’s from Cerritos, or Norwalk.. or Whittier! A place far from the temple, far from success – where there was such a mixture of people with so many views? From Nazareth? Really?
A prophet like Moses – who would deliver us from slavery to oppressors, and deliver us to God – that’s what this Nazarene would do? Really, Phillip?
The Anointed One, who prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah promised in days as dark as ours? The Son of Man of whom Ezekiel spoke? The One who would bring life to my dead dry bones, and take my heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh? That’s the Messiah you’ve found – who comes from…. Nazareth? Really?
Okay, I’ll come and see, I said, At best – it could be a good laugh that would get me out of my funk…
My being gathered
As we approached this man, he said the most amazing thing, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
Now, for most people – this play on words is easily overlooked, but for me – it struck me hard, opening up my heart to pain and struggles I thought I hid so well. You will note that my brother apostle John only writes this term once in his gospels – you see we are referred to as Judeans, or Jews, and by the term Hebrews. Israelite was a term for our brothers in the 10 northern tribes when our nation divided, leaving us descendants of Israel through his son Judah left. It wasn’t used for us.. even though Judah was Israel’s son.
But so is the phrase “no deceit” a play on words – for that describes our ancestor Jacob – prior to his wrestling with God – when he thought he could manipulate everything – when he thought he could play God and make everything come out for his benefit. Oh the times were I wished I could have done that – but couldn’t draw myself too. I could have joined the resistance – as Simon the Zealot had once been, or given into the Romans as Matthew – our brother who once worked for the Romans as a tax collector. Just play games – and go along, and forget the fact that God has called us to be His people – and place our trust in Him!
He knew my struggles, the one’s I had when no one was there, no one could have known those dark moments of the soul – save the One who had promised us to always be there… to always hear our pleading and our prayers.
I asked – How do you know me – how do you grasp my struggles – how do you know that which lies darkest in my heart.. and he said… he said… this Jesus son of Joseph of Nazareth said… “before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, .. . I saw you…. (long pause)
I then realized, He is the one whom the prophets spoke, the Son of Man who would come to bear our burdens, our sins, our pains, and by His stripes we would heal – and be given life. How incredible – He saw me wrestling with Him, and didn’t strike me dead – what I always prayed for – He was there. That’s why I could get up- and walk away from those times under the trees. What I prayed for – I never realized was there..yet He was…
Now I know. He is the God who reigns and cares for those who struggle with Him.
He saw me, He knows me…
He loves me.
He would die for me – and He would rise – and we would bear witness – risen with Him, of all of His glory, which He would share with us… peace finally… glorious peace with the God who loves me. The God who cares.. and is here.
No wonder Isaiah prophesied that He would be called Immanuel…
How wondrous the truth of that name… God with us.
That’s our challenge..
So ends our message from Nathaniel, whose eyes were opened to God’s love in incredible ways… even in the midst of a struggle.
Jesus that day, scripture says decided – the verb form that is translated – His will, His desire.. was to Galilee. He searched, deliberately for Phillip – whom would, then follow His master’s example – search for and bring Nathaniel – not arguing – not defending the Lord he only had begun to follow – but inviting him calling him to come and see.
It is indeed, our turn to come and see, to lay before God our burdens – to hear that He sees us, that He is there… to let Him comfort us, and strip us of our concerns and heal us. There are others that need to be here – and that too is part of our burden – that we would have the Lord take it and search them out and call them here as well – this place few think anything good can come out of….
But for now – hear Him say to you – welcome to my feast – my friend who struggles with me… and know as Nathaniel did – He is your Lord.
AMEN…
I do that now, perhaps with less skill than many others, the cost higher than a 8 year old could imagine. Struggling to find the words, struggling to help them realize the depth of the gift given to them, as they approach the altar. "this is the Lamb of God.." we sing.
Yesterday, it seemed to click. the hands stretched forth to receive the His Body and Blood - they knew their need, they knew that God saw them, and would meet that need.
These are the kind of days pastors and priests live for,
This is the sermon from that day... a walk in the footprints of a man who struggled, as we do, who wrestled with God, and was seen, and found, and was amazed by Immanuel. I pray it strengthens your faith - and as always - feel free to leave questions and comments.
Godspeed
d†
How do YOU know me?
John 1:45-53 & Psalm 139
† IMMANUEL †
May we realize the grace, the peace and mercy and love that floods our lives, as God reveals to us, as He did to Nathaniel, that He sees us.
This message is one that you need to hear from another’s perspective, unfortunately, he is unavailable to be here, so I will need to tell you his story, how everything changed. I will tell you how he viewed the events of that day, when Nathaniel realized what John the apostle wrote – that we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father.”
And so I ask you patience, and for you to use your imagination – to hear Nathaniel instead of Dustin, To understand how Jesus desired to search for and found Phillip, so Phillip could search for and find Nathaniel, so Nathaniel could discover the God, who was His LORD – even while Nathaniel wrestled with him…
(Pause)
My struggle –
I, Nathaniel, need you to understand how oppressive those days were, and how those of us who tried to be faithful struggled. We weren’t the first to struggle with what life dealt us, and I doubt we shall be the last.
Yet there were days, when we looked around us, and we wondered, “had we been abandoned by God”; and if we were no longer His people. Our governments were oppressive – both the Roman government and the Hebrew government. Our spiritual leaders were either naively blind to the struggles of life, or they drove us to rebel against that which oppressed us, and both were blindly without hope. Our community was mostly those who worked as suppliers of food, or the merchants who brokered it, for we sat at the source of the Jordan, and in the shadow of one of the great cities of Herod.
My own troubles at the time., well let’s just say I didn’t find rest from the oppression of the world in my personal life. Too many personal struggles there as well, with sin and my situations. The gathering of God’s people didn’t see to provide rest either - too many people I and the others in my synagogue had to help, to many who needed our assistance. There were days I just wanted to yell at God until He heard me and took action, or just find the nearest tree and sit under it, wondering in despair if anything would ever change in my life. Some days I wished I could just give up…
I knew everyone struggles like this at times, in our scriptures we are named after one of our forefathers – and his name was changed from Jacob, to Isra-El - which means “the one who struggles with God!” We’re a nation, a people, who have been through this before – and while that offers some.. hope?, it doesn’t provide comfort in the middle of our struggles. In fact, there are times where I think my struggles with God, are evil, that they are evidence that I am not good enough . I think maybe I deserve to feel so abandoned. I hated to wrestle with God, to complain and whine and yell and argue.. Yet what other option did I have. Even though I was a jew – I was first a son of Israel..the one who wrestled with God.
There were days I wished I was Jacob, our father who struggled with God – face to face – mano –e- mano… I could even deal with the pain..of His pressing me – for then I would have known… He was here, and He saw me… and He knew…….and cared.
My call
What a day that was, when Phillip came looking for me – searching for me. He found me when I was in one of those low places, and to be honest, when he came up to me with that huge grin – telling me he had good news… I just wanted to smash it off his face!
Then of all things – he claimed he found the Messiah - the one hope that we were waiting for – as patiently as we could – the hope that would deliver us from all the oppression – he said he found him – and he was from Nazareth?
Really Phillip? Nazareth? You might as well say he’s from Cerritos, or Norwalk.. or Whittier! A place far from the temple, far from success – where there was such a mixture of people with so many views? From Nazareth? Really?
A prophet like Moses – who would deliver us from slavery to oppressors, and deliver us to God – that’s what this Nazarene would do? Really, Phillip?
The Anointed One, who prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah promised in days as dark as ours? The Son of Man of whom Ezekiel spoke? The One who would bring life to my dead dry bones, and take my heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh? That’s the Messiah you’ve found – who comes from…. Nazareth? Really?
Okay, I’ll come and see, I said, At best – it could be a good laugh that would get me out of my funk…
My being gathered
As we approached this man, he said the most amazing thing, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”
Now, for most people – this play on words is easily overlooked, but for me – it struck me hard, opening up my heart to pain and struggles I thought I hid so well. You will note that my brother apostle John only writes this term once in his gospels – you see we are referred to as Judeans, or Jews, and by the term Hebrews. Israelite was a term for our brothers in the 10 northern tribes when our nation divided, leaving us descendants of Israel through his son Judah left. It wasn’t used for us.. even though Judah was Israel’s son.
But so is the phrase “no deceit” a play on words – for that describes our ancestor Jacob – prior to his wrestling with God – when he thought he could manipulate everything – when he thought he could play God and make everything come out for his benefit. Oh the times were I wished I could have done that – but couldn’t draw myself too. I could have joined the resistance – as Simon the Zealot had once been, or given into the Romans as Matthew – our brother who once worked for the Romans as a tax collector. Just play games – and go along, and forget the fact that God has called us to be His people – and place our trust in Him!
He knew my struggles, the one’s I had when no one was there, no one could have known those dark moments of the soul – save the One who had promised us to always be there… to always hear our pleading and our prayers.
I asked – How do you know me – how do you grasp my struggles – how do you know that which lies darkest in my heart.. and he said… he said… this Jesus son of Joseph of Nazareth said… “before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, .. . I saw you…. (long pause)
I then realized, He is the one whom the prophets spoke, the Son of Man who would come to bear our burdens, our sins, our pains, and by His stripes we would heal – and be given life. How incredible – He saw me wrestling with Him, and didn’t strike me dead – what I always prayed for – He was there. That’s why I could get up- and walk away from those times under the trees. What I prayed for – I never realized was there..yet He was…
Now I know. He is the God who reigns and cares for those who struggle with Him.
He saw me, He knows me…
He loves me.
He would die for me – and He would rise – and we would bear witness – risen with Him, of all of His glory, which He would share with us… peace finally… glorious peace with the God who loves me. The God who cares.. and is here.
No wonder Isaiah prophesied that He would be called Immanuel…
How wondrous the truth of that name… God with us.
That’s our challenge..
So ends our message from Nathaniel, whose eyes were opened to God’s love in incredible ways… even in the midst of a struggle.
Jesus that day, scripture says decided – the verb form that is translated – His will, His desire.. was to Galilee. He searched, deliberately for Phillip – whom would, then follow His master’s example – search for and bring Nathaniel – not arguing – not defending the Lord he only had begun to follow – but inviting him calling him to come and see.
It is indeed, our turn to come and see, to lay before God our burdens – to hear that He sees us, that He is there… to let Him comfort us, and strip us of our concerns and heal us. There are others that need to be here – and that too is part of our burden – that we would have the Lord take it and search them out and call them here as well – this place few think anything good can come out of….
But for now – hear Him say to you – welcome to my feast – my friend who struggles with me… and know as Nathaniel did – He is your Lord.
AMEN…
