I begin my sermon
today with a short story by William Aitken which comes to mind when I hear the
request of some Greeks to Philip in our Gospel reading this morning, “Sir, we
wish to see Jesus.”
A pastor in
Kansas shared his concerns with the church custodian about something strange
that was happening at noon each day. A shabby elderly man had been entering the
church, staying a few minutes and then leaving. What was he up to ? Some church
members had become concerned and had suggested locking the church during the
week– expensive furnishings and all, you know. The custodian was asked to watch
out for the man. and question him about his activities.
For several days
the caretaker watched. As regular as clockwork the man came & went. Nothing
was missing from the sanctuary. Nothing was harmed. Finally at the end of the
week, the caretaker accosted the man. “Look here, friend, what are you up to
going into our church every day?” “I go to pray”, the old man replied quietly.
“Come on now”,
the caretaker said sternly. “you don't stay long enough to pray. You just go up
to the altar and then leave. I've been watching you.” “That's true”, he
replied. “I don't pray very long. I don't know any of those long, fancy
prayers. I just come up and say, “Jesus, it's Jim.” I wait a moment and then go
away. It's just a little prayer, but I'm pretty sure he hears me.”
Some time later,
Jim was injured in an accident & admitted to the city's charity hospital.
He was placed in a ward with several other destitute men. This ward was
normally a tough assignment for the hospital nurses. The men were generally
cross and miserable, sometimes even abusive. As the days passed, however, the
staff began to notice a change in the attitude of the patients. Anger subsided.
Complaints turned into compliments. One morning as laughter was heard in the
ward, a nurse came in to find out what was going on. “What's happened to all of
you? Where has your usual grumbling gone?”
One man said,
“It's Old Jim, he's always so happy.” Another joined in, “I know Jim's in pain,
but he's happy all the time. He makes me ashamed to fuss and complain.” The
nurse crossed the long, crowded ward to Jim's bedside, and with a questioning
look and a half- smile she asked, “What is it that makes you so joyful?”
Jim smiled and
said, “I'm happy because of my visitor.” “Visitor?” the nurse asked in
puzzlement. “You have no family. You've never had a visitor.”
“Oh yes I have”
Jim said. “I have a visitor every day.” His eyes brightening, Jim continued.
“Every day about noon, he comes and stands at the foot of my bed and says,
“Jim, It's Jesus.”
Have you seen
Jesus, my Lord, He's here in plain view. Take a look, open your eyes, he'll
show it to you.”
Another man,
another place...writing from prison to a small Christian community in a port
city on the Aegean Sea, St. Paul had this to say, “I count everything as loss
because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I
have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse, in order that I
may gain Christ and be found in him.” (Philippians 3:8)
Interesting
perspectives aren't they? The first a poor man who is constant in faith, day
after day, “Jesus, it's Jim” “Jim, it's Jesus”...simple, direct, unpretentious.
The other, a more sophisticated and articulate theologian from another era, who
says simply, “knowing Jesus is the only thing that's worth anything.” What
joins the two across the centuries is their close personal friendship with the
Lord.
When Jesus chose
his 12 apostles, he invited them into friendship. The Gospel of John in
particular, stresses the importance of the friendship between Jesus and his
disciples. In chapters 13-17, Jesus retreats to the upper room for the Last
Supper with his inner circle. Here he shares his inner hopes and dreams, and
his love for his disciples. In chapter 15:15 Jesus says to them: “I call you
friends.” His relationship with Peter, James, John and the rest is deep and
very important to Jesus. All of the marks of friendship are present: Shared
intimacy; forgiveness and the acceptance of foibles; presence at critical
times; laughter and celebration.
When Jesus was
crucified, his disciples were devastated, not simply because an inspirational
teacher was being taken from them, but because he was THEIR FRIEND.
I'd like to share
with you a short reflection describing 3 different levels of friendship. Level
one is that of acquaintance. This is when you know another person
because of proximity. They could be a neighbor with whom you occasionally chat
when you're walking the dog; someone who sits in a pew near you on Sunday
morning; or someone you may chat with at the coffee machine, but who, should
they move away, you are not likely to maintain any contact with. We may have
many acquaintances. They are relationships of convenience, courtesy &
general politeness. The conversation usually stays on safe topics with low
emotional content. They may be very pleasurable, but they're not very deep.
Level two is that
of companionship. Companions share a goal, a task, a hobby or a need and
consciously schedule time together to pursue them. While they may never get
very deeply into a sharing of vulnerabilities or emotional struggles,
companions enjoy one another's company and develop a sense of trust in one
another.
Level 3 is that
of established friendship where the real you is known by the other person, and
where you feel free to tell one another just about anything. This knowing and
being known is a result of having spent time together and talking at a deep
level because you respect and trust that person. Sadly, this kind of
friendship, though fairly common amongst women, is rarer with men because it
requires a large investment of time and attention, trust and
self-disclosure.....qualities that are alien to the competitiveness that
characterizes many male relationships. In established friendships, our normal
human flaws become evident, but they do not hinder relationships.
The experience of
the disciples, of Paul, and of “Old Jim” is that of a level three relationship
with Jesus. As what level would you rate your friendship with the Lord? -
acquaintance, companion, or established friend? Spiritual growth in the
Christian faith is all about moving towards a level 3 friendship with the Lord,
where we know and feel the deep and abiding love of God; where we can confess
our weakness and shortcomings without shame or fear; where we can share our
innermost aspirations, longings and desires and feel understood.
Like any
friendship, a relationship with Jesus requires devoting time and energy to
being in his presence through prayer, scripture reading, worship and openness
to the Holy Spirit. If we are to move beyond acquaintance to companionship, and
perhaps eventually to an established friendship with Jesus, we need to believe
and trust that it is deeply worth our devotion and energy, and commit
time to cultivating it day by day.
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