The Gardener

Mark 8:27-38

Here is a little of what the garden produced this year. Its amazing, the abundance that comes from God's earth. Just a few months ago we planted the seed and now we have food. On the surface it looks like my family did this. I mean we ordered and planted the seed. We tried to keep the weeds out to give room for the plants that we wanted to grow. And we harvested the crop. But the land we used belongs to another. The farmer whose land we rented watered the garden when it was needed. So who is the gardener? Is it Diane who was the mastermind of the design of the garden and did the largest share of the work? Was it the combined efforts of our children that did most of the labor? Was it the land owner who provided the space and watered the plants so they could survive? I certainly don't take credit for being a gardener. I don't take credit for this.

Our life is a garden. Which parts of your life do you take credit for? Which part did you do all by yourself?

Now, I have taken biology in high school and I have a basic understanding of things. But I had no idea one could know so much about growing apples before I moved to Ludington. I could listen to Darrell for 5 minutes and increase my knowledge of apple trees by 10 fold. Its amazing. But with all that is known, I have yet to hear of a synthetic apple seed. I have yet to hear of a way of growing a new plant with out a seed or a part of another plant. And so every tree and plant and animal and person on this planet gets traced back and back before we knew anything at all. In this we have to acknowledge the mystery of God in all what we are.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; Understanding is good but it is not the final judge of truth. If you understand things are just as they are. If you don't understand, thing are still just as they are. Whether you believe in something does not change the ultimate truth.

I had a conversation with a couple of atheists this week. It seems their main stumbling block to belief was the fact that they just couldn't believe some of the things that the bible says. The ultimate truth of the Holy Scriptures was lost to them. The mystery of the glory of God filling the whole creation is beyond their 5 senses and so they cannot accept it. But just because they don't believe, does not change the reality that God exists, that God loves them and that God is calling them back into relationship with him.

Paul says in the Book of Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Stepping outside of the pattern of this world is a difficult thing for most people. When you step outside the pattern of this world you step into a life of unknowns. When you choose to accomplish things that can only happen if God intervenes then you are stepping into a world of faith. Living a life of faith can be stressful if you need always to be in control and you need to always understand. But the more you trust in God, the more you will see God's action in your life, which in turn will build your faith. That is the renewing of your mind!

Remember the story of Mary at Jesus' tomb? She was thinking in terms of the patterns of this world until Jesus shook her out of it. Mary was there crying because she believed Jesus to be dead. Hope was gone. She was feeling the sting death. John 20:15 "Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

He was not the gardener. It was Jesus. The one she loved. He is alive? She had to abandon what she understood to be true and accept what was really true.

Those atheists that I had a conversation with...The interesting part, to me, was the fact that they started the conversation. I posted a comment on twitter about the cross of Jesus. I wrote “The cross is the ugliness of sin; it's the beauty of grace; it's the certitude of judgment; its the promise of forgiveness.” Withing minutes I had several comments denouncing what I had written. And so the conversation began. But the question I have is this: If these folks are so against the idea of God and of religion, why are they subscribing to what I write. I mean I post under the name of Pastor Jon Pohl on twitter. My posts are unabashedly christian in nature. So why would an Atheist choose to read what I write. I think I know the answer.

Its because 6the very real presence and love of God goes before us and prepares the way. They fight it because its real. It must be a very difficult position to hold-not believing in God, when God's presence fills the earth. It must be like living in San Diego and not believing in the Pacific ocean. Believing isn't even the hard part. James 2:19 says You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. Believing is not enough. In the the book of James it says That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. “Confess with your mouth” What does that mean? It means you own it! It means you admit that it is true! Not only have you come to believe but you are willing to proclaim it.

When you proclaim it. When you take a stand for it. There will be those who will want to knock you down. When proclaim the truth there will be those who will challenge you.

Those atheists who were challenging me about my faith- I read some of their profiles they publicly proclaim that they want to smash religion they want it to go away. I think they believe they can do it. But do you know what I did. I engaged them with the truth that does not change. I confronted them with a faith that does not fail. I am not the gardener may not even be the seed planter. But I did what I could to let the soil of their souls to be prepared to let the spirit of God grow in them. And that is what we are all called to do in a variety of ways.

In today's Gospel lesson Jesus asks the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter got it right. “You are the Christ!” Peter correctly identified Jesus for who he was not only did he believe it but he proclaimed it. Now we all know of Peter's later failure during Jesus trial. Luke 29: 6 says, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But all was not lost.

The confession is required, but if you have failed in the past to confess Jesus as Lord all is not lost. Peter found his voice. Peter later boldly proclaimed Jesus name. He gave his life for his confession for Jesus. And Jesus built the church on Peters confession.

How is it with you today my Brothers and sisters? Our identity as Christians is in our proclamation of Jesus. Who do you say Jesus is? Is Jesus the historical figure that started a revolution 2000 that changed the world? Is Jesus the figure that gets talked about once and a while but usually only on Sundays? Or is Jesus the life-giving, life-transforming Lord of Heaven and earth? What you say about Jesus matters. What you say wont change who Jesus is. But what you say will determine your relationship with him.

Jesus says, “Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingd0om of heaven. Only the ones who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, may will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' .

Remember Jesus parting words to his disciples, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit..”

Let us always be ready to answer the question that Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?”