We Can't Do This Alone

The love and forgiveness of Christ is the only answer to the world’s brokenness.

Yesterday, June 28^th 2014 was a historically significant anniversary. It was the 100^th anniversary of the assignation of Archduke Franz Ferdinand that triggered World War One. To be honest that date of that event was not in my working knowledge until the news reported about it this week. Before now June 28^th was just June 28^th. For some that date is a day of mourning for others it is a day of commemoration and for some it is a day to honor the assassin because they believe he was a freedom fighter.

Today also marks an anniversary of an event. Three years ago baby Kate went missing. I remember this date because it happened when we first moved to this area. We have been here three years now.

Somewhere in the air between Dallas and Detroit my daughter is making her way home. It’s her birthday today. So June 29^th is a day of celebration in my house but for the last three years it has also been a day that reminds me that the world is still broken.

Psalm 121 starts: “I look up toward the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the creator of heaven and earth! May he not allow your foot to slip! May your protector not sleep!”

As much as we want there to be peace and goodness in this world, evil, brokenness and sin persists. Let’s talk about the word sin for a minute. The word sin has been used as a weapon of accusation to define those who are outside of acceptability.  But the word sin means estrangement from God. Sin is anything that separates us from our relationship with God. I get questions from time to time about whether something is or is a sin. Is that thing more important than your love for God? Then yes it is. Does that thing point you in the direction of the love of God? Then no. It is not sin.

Sometimes, some people need a little further explanation, so Moses wrote down 10 really good examples of things to do and not do, that everyone would agree, would keep people on the right track toward God. You can find those in the Bible in the book Exodus.  Find chapter 20 and there you have it.

This is the last Sunday of our “Noah” series. The abbreviated version of this story we tell our children is a delightful story with a happy ending. The part I read earlier we leave out for good reason.  It’s ugly. It’s difficult. It’s not something, for which most kids are ready. It’s about brokenness.

God saw that the world was corrupt and full of violence so God decided to destroy the earth with a flood but one man found favor with God and it was Noah. God delivered Noah and his family from the flood. Happy ending. God set in the clouds a rainbow as a sign of his everlasting covenant. Happy ending.

Noah planted a vineyard.

I had a conversation with my friend who operated a winery for a time and is now a pastor.  She said that it takes about two years for vines to produce grapes for a harvest worth of making wine. She also said it would take about 6 months to make a good dry wine as they probably made back in biblical times. So it was at least two and half years since Noah his family survived the biggest Natural disaster ever. The bible says Noah got drunk. Was Noah’s mind on honoring God? Did Noah’s actions point his spirit toward God? Two and half years passed after God told the survivors to be fruitful and multiply. Babies were born, crops were planted seasons passed. The wine was ready to drink.

Just because the blessing comes does that mean the relationship with God is over? The flood is passed. God promised not to do that again. The wine is ready.

It is easy to see Christ’s saving love when someone who is so estranged from God through their behaviors comes to themselves and comes back to God.  It is miraculous to see such a conversion. But that story is the unusual one.  Most of us seem pretty good. Most hide their sin pretty well. Life is generally pretty good. The blessings of life flow; we meet life’s challenges; but in each one of us there is the potential for good or for evil. Each day and each moment we are given the choice to turn to God or to turn away from God.

If the purpose of the flood was to end sin, to end evil, or to end brokenness it is clearly a failure. Ham, Noah’s son and the father of Canaan, saw his father’s nakedness. A few verses are devoted to just How cursed Ham’s family will be because of this. This is the last interaction that we have with Noah and his family in this story. It says he lives 350 years after the flood but the last thing he does as far as the story goes is that he curses his grandson because of what Ham did.

Noah woke up and saw/learned what Ham did. It wasn’t just Ham it was himself. He had gotten drunk and passed out. Sometimes we forget ourselves we make decisions that don’t honor God. Not that God loves us less but that we remove ourselves from God presence. We focus on wrong things and go in wrong directions.

Clearly if the purpose of the flood was to eliminate sin, it failed. I have said all along that this is a story about how God saves. God made provision for Noah and his family to survive and to live abundantly. It a story that teaches us a lot but it is an incomplete story. It is incomplete because in the end brokenness persists.

The story only finds completion in Jesus Christ. Where there was brokenness in the story of Noah only a curse followed.  God sent Jesus to show us his unconditional love and forgiveness. Forgiveness never excuses sin. Forgiveness doesn’t make sin okay. When we forgive others it doesn’t make their sin acceptable. But it releases us to live our lives more fully. It frees us to love unconditionally.  

Part of Jesus’ formula for forgiveness is accountability.  If someone sins against you go to them. If they don’t listen bring a witness, if they still won’t listen bring it before the church.  It’s not that it’s just swept under the rug. Never, never, never. If you have been violated and someone asks you to just forget about it, to let it go then it hasn’t been dealt with. The only way to defeat evil is to stand up to it in the name of Jesus Christ. If we sweep sin under the rug it goes unchecked and it lives on. When it is confronted it loses its power over us.

Noah faced death through the flood waters and he came out on the other side. And yet sin persisted. Jesus came and offered us freedom from sin. Not that we would be super-people but that we could lean on him for strength and restoration.

We go through the waters of baptism. And yet we continue on through this life and we face trials and temptations, sin and failure. But when we share in his death and resurrection we have the source of eternal life living in us. We drink from the living waters and we will never be thirsty again.

The love and forgiveness of Christ is the only answer to the world’s brokenness.

God has called us to trust in Him and come together as one family.

If you spend time worrying about the brokenness of others and determining whether God loves them then I’m afraid you may have missed the good news that Jesus came to bring.

When you recognize your own brokenness and you submit yourself to God and quit holding others to some arbitrary standard then you are getting close.

We have to be intentional. Just as each day of the calendar can bring to mind the good and the bad of history, so to in each of us there is the potential for good and bad.  Be intentional about the good and let the family of God strengthen you.

When, out of thankfulness and trust in God for the life given to you, you lift the burden of another and allow them to help you with yours, then you’ve got it!

So how is it with you today? Can you offer the love and forgiveness that Jesus has offered you?