The Third Sunday of Easter                  April 6, 2008

Isaiah 4:1-12

Psalm 116:10-17

Epistle 1 Peter 1:17-23

Luke 24:13-35

The word “martyr” means “witness.” The martyrs of the early church, people who were tortured and killed for their adherence to the faith, function as witnesses to us today. The cruelty of the Roman officials is almost unthinkable: helpless people being thrown to ravenous lions to be torn apart and eaten or outraged wild bulls, to be gored and stomped to death. Usually the setting was in the public arena and it was great amusement for the populace. For them, blood letting was afternoon sport.

This little Epistle of I Peter speaks to this time of martyrdom. Tradition has it that it was written during the time of the Roman Emperor Nero. If you remember from your history lessons, he was the crazed, ruthless ruler who made Christians scapegoats for misfortune that had befallen the city.

It was a grim time to be a Christian. One verse earlier than what we have before us is this quote from Leviticus 11:44 in which Peter is referring to an earlier admonition from God to His people Israel: “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

In today’s passage, Peter is not talking about salvation: He is talking about holiness, holiness under fire. Holiness means to be different, to be set apart, to operate under God’s agenda rather than your own. Salvation is a free gift from God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross: Holiness is about behavior; Holiness comes about through behavior changes; Holiness is about determined effort.

Let’s look at this passage from 1 Peter 1, starting at verse 17:

Note the first short phrase, “If you invoke…” This is key. Invoking is a strong word. It implies something more that asking. The Greek term “enorkizo” is tied in with oaths and it means something which cannot be broken. There are consequences for perjury in a trial after an oath is taken. An oath taken at marriage is supposed to be permanent; to ask God for something at this level means that there will be consequences if you don’t hold to your side of the agreement. The more common English term “invocation” is used regularly for the opening prayer at some function, but its original meaning was to call God down from His throne on high. And if you did that, you’d better do it with fear and trembling, because there are expectations and consequences if you mess up or treat it lightly.

That sets the stage for the next phrase: “If you invoke the one who judges all people impartially, according to their deeds…” If you invoke God, be prepared to be scrutinized.  He does not fool around. If you call God into this, you had better be prepared to give a full accounting of your behavior.  This is not a casual thing.

Let me come at this from another perspective. There are two terms the Church uses to describe the availability of God: transcendent and immanent. Both are equally valid, but each speaks to a different understanding, and to be fully aware of the power and presence of God, there needs to be sense of the appropriate tension between the two.

Immanent means that God is always close, always supportive, always loving, always guiding, always protecting. This is the function of God the Holy Spirit.

Transcendent means that God is in heaven on His throne of Glory: He is at a distance, but when invoked and He chooses to come down from His throne, you had better watch out: something powerful, perhaps even terrible is about to happen.

Peter is referring to this manifestation of God: The transcendent God; If you invoke Him, He will come with power, but you had better be ready.

Let me give you an illustration from current events. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, the church to which Barrack Obama belongs, invoked God to damn the United States of America for the killing of Martin Luther King Jr., the experiment of giving syphilis to black men at Tuskegee Institute, the incipient racism which is bedded deeply in our culture, and so on. He also accused the American government of starting the AIDS virus to infect and perhaps destroy the black community. These are pretty outrageous things, except that the first three, the killing of Martin Luther King 40 years ago, using black men to experiment with syphilis and the history of racism are true.

Dr. Wright saw it in terms of the martyrdom of the early church, and he invoked God to do something about it. He used language that shocks, but by my reaction, which is outrage, and perhaps your reaction as well, we can sense the power of it all. He was invoking the transcendent God to rain destruction on our country; he was not asking for comfort from the immanence of God. He was not using some trite phrase that is a common swear word; he was invoking God to damn our country because of its past (and what he considers to be current) injustices. He knew what he was doing, and it is upsetting. He was wrong to do that, but you can sense the power of it.

This leads to the next phrase: “Live in reverent fear during the time of your exile…” Peter is likening the early Christians to the Jews during their time of exile in Babylon several hundred years earlier. He is telling them that they aren’t home yet, so you had better live in “reverent fear” until you do get home.

I believe the phrase, “The Fear of the Lord” is one of the more important and misunderstood phrases in scripture. It is not blind terror of a capricious, perhaps even sadistic God. Nor is it merely awe for the incredible power of God. Prov. 9:10 refers to the “fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom…” Prov. 1:7 states the “Fear of the Lord” is the beginning of knowledge.

Again, keeping the image of the transcendent God, the one who reigns on high and judges the living and the dead, I suggest to you that an aspect of judging is being fully known; it is the ultimate performance evaluation. This kind of fear comes from standing “buck naked” before the throne of Grace, with all the fear and trembling that engenders. It is knowing that every thought is being assessed; every thing done and left undone is part of the performance review. It is fear at that level. Until and unless we experience God at that level, I don’t think we will be completely converted. We’ll always be holding something back: “God you can have these bits of me, but I’m holding on to these parts.” This fear is knowing that all aspects of your being are claimed, and thus open for assessment. It’s really scary.

If we were left there, it would be a terrible thing. But Peter then moves into a wonderful direction. He talks about this transcendent, all powerful God, who knows the great extent of our short-comings, deciding to do something about it because we can’t.   That’s the next part of this passage. Follow along as I read, please:

“You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited

from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,

but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without

defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world,

but was revealed at the end of the ages FOR YOUR SAKE.”

This moves from the objective, evaluative, judging  of God to the loving presence of God. This all powerful, transcendent God comes to us as the gentle, forgiving, sustaining, saving immanent Christ. It is he who shows you how much you are loved, no matter what you do or refrain from doing. He will help you endure and one day he will deliver you.

Read what’s next: “Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set in God.” This is the foundational stuff of holiness. The foundation for being holy, to be set apart, is to trust completely, unequivocally in the God who is both transcendent and immanent, who both judges and sustains.

This is where behavior comes in again: “Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth, so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.” The author of the Epistle of I John speaks to this. He’s the one who tells us that obeying God is the means of loving God. (I John 2:5)

Obedience is an act of purification which leads to holiness.  It develops spiritual muscle memory. It’s akin to the reason basketball players do thousands of free throws and jump shots. So no matter what the stress of the game, the body will do exactly the same movement every time.

From another perspective, Brother Lawrence, a monk of middle ages, left a series of writings which eventually were entitled “Practicing the Presence of God.” He was a scullery monk, someone who scrubbed pots and pans all day, long before the development of detergents. He wrote of doing the most mundane thing to the glory of God. You practice being in God’s presence, you practice being holy, just as a ball player practices jump shots and free throws.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And His

commandments are not burdensome.” (I John 5:3)

There is an old phrase that I like, pirated from the 12 step people: “Holy people do holy things.” Whether you feel like it or not, act holy. It takes practice.

Finally, lay claim to your rebirth. Through the waters of baptism and your commitment to Christ, you “have been born anew…through the enduring word of God.” Know that God does see you through, because you are His.

As illustration, I want to use a piece of doggerel that I received in one of those forwarded emailings the other day.

When I say… “I am a Christian I don’t speak of this with pride.

I’m confessing that I stumble and I need Christ to be my guide.”

When I say… “I am a Christian I’m not bragging of success.

I’m admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.”

When I say… “I am a Christian I still feel the pain.

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.”

When I say… “I am a Christian. I’m not ‘holier than thou.’

I’m just a simple sinner who received God’s good grace, somehow.”

The members of the early church were comforted by the words of Peter. Many of them experienced martyrdom, and they were strengthened by these and other words.

If you are going through a tough time, think about what Peter said.

You can invoke the power of God, but you’d better do it with fear and trembling for there are repercussions.

Know that you are fully known and that is terrifying, for we all want to keep some things hidden.

Know that God knows your shortcomings, so He sent his son to bring us redemption.

Through Him you can really trust God.

Know that obedience is the means of loving God.

Never forget that as a baptized Christian, you have received the promise of rebirth which is our hope.

I pray we will receive comfort with these words.

Amen.