Sermon: Exodus 1:8-2:10, Matt. 16:13-20 Build upon Rock

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

Sermon: Exodus 1:8-2:10, Matt. 16:13-20 Build upon Rock

August 24, 2008

“Who am I?” This is a question we all ask. We want to know our own identity. We need to know who we are, why we are here, and what our purpose is. Our identity is tied to the names given to us by our parents, the educational degrees we have earned, the work we do, and the families we have. But since we are all children of God our identity ultimately comes from our creator. Today we will be exploring the issue of who we are by looking at the naming of two important biblical characters, Moses and Peter. But first will you pray with me?

Holy Spirit be with us as we read and interpret the Holy Scripture that has been preserved for us by the church for two thousand years. Help us to understand not only the original meaning of the verses we read but what you are saying to us through them today. And may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight our rock and our redeemer. Amen.

Exodus 1:8 - 2:10 ⁸ Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. ⁹ He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and more powerful than we. ¹⁰ Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land." ¹¹ Therefore they set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pithom and Rameses, for Pharaoh. ¹² But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. ¹³ The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, ¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them. ¹⁵ The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ¹⁶ "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she shall live." ¹⁷ But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. ¹⁸ So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?" ¹⁹ The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." ²⁰ So God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. ²¹ And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. ²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live." 1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman. ² The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months. ³ When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. ⁴ His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him. ⁵ The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it. ⁶ When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' children," she said. ⁷ Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" ⁸ Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the child's mother. ⁹ Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed it. ¹⁰ When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."

When Moses was born his identity was already established. The Egyptians saw him as part of a despised minority of foreigners that had grown too large and had to be stamped out; this put Moses life in jeopardy as soon as he was born. His mother saw him as a beloved son who had to be saved from death. To Pharaoh’s daughter he was seen as a gift of a beautiful baby whom she gave the name common to Egyptian royalty, Moses. And his own people, when they heard the name “Moses” thought of the Hebrew word “mashea” and remembered that Moses was one of their own, the one pulled from the water. From God’s perspective Moses was the one who would lead the Hebrew people out of slavery, through the waters of the Red Sea, and eventually to the Promised Land. So it was God who really named him Moses, mashea, because he was to be the one who would pull the Hebrews out of the water to safety and freedom.

Today our names are given to us by our mothers and fathers. This ability to name was given to us by God at creation when Adam gave names to the creatures God had created. I have studied my own genealogy and discovered that in the eighteenth century my ancestors were named after family members; then in the nineteenth century biblical names were used; and in the twentieth century we went back to family names so my middle name, Thomas, is my grandmother’s maiden name.

We all have names from our parents but our name is not the same thing as our identity. In Washington DC most people are identified by the work they do and where they are from. Where you work is important because Washington is a place of power and where you work indicates your proximity to that power. Where you are from is important because almost everyone in Washington is from someplace else. So in casual conversations the first things we always ask is “Where do you work?” and “Where are you from?”

I have found that Koreans approach identity in a very different way. They often seem surprised when I ask them where they work or which city in Korea they come from. For Koreans identity is determined by title and age. One’s title and age determines the respect that someone in owed. For example I am a “moxa”, or pastor. Because the title “moxa” is considered very prestigious in Korean culture the respect suffix “nim” is usually attached so I am called respectfully “moxanim”. When addressing each other Koreans use titles rather than names. The second aspect of Korean identity is age. The older you are the more respect you receive. So in casual conversations you will be asked how old you are. Although determining one’s age is vitally important in Korean culture you can see how offensive that would be in American culture. Just ask the typical American woman how old she is and see what happens.

I am still trying to figure out how people are identified in California culture. In casual conversations here people rarely ask what you do or where you are from. And we never ask for title and age. From what I can detect identity in California seems to be tied to cell phone numbers and email addresses.

Of course God gives us our real identity. We are Christians, followers of Jesus Christ the Son of God. And this brings us to Peter.

Matthew 16:13-20 ¹³ Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" ¹⁴ And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." ¹⁵ He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" ¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." ¹⁷ And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. ¹⁸ And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." ²⁰ Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

Just before beginning his journey to Jerusalem and the cross Jesus took his disciples to the northern part of Galilee near Lebanon and Mt. Hermon. They went to a new city built by the Tetrarch Philip and dedicated to the Emperor Tiberius. Notice these important people are identified by their titles.

While they were traveling Jesus was talking to his disciples and asking them questions. One question was about identity. “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” All educated Hebrews would know about the Son of Man. The prophet Daniel predicted that a human being would come directly from heaven to rule the earth with power given by God. Their expectation was that this person would come to lead God’s people from slavery to Rome to the promised land of the Kingdom of Heaven. Some were even speculating that this person had already arrived on earth. Could it be that Elijah, Jeremiah, or another of the prophets was about to return to earth from heaven? Could a great leader and prophet like John the Baptist be resurrected from the dead to rule God’s kingdom on earth? And as Jesus’ miracles became well known some were beginning to think that he might be the Son of Man.

Another question from Jesus to the disciples was: “Who do you say that I am”. This is a question we are still asking. Who is Jesus? Some say that Jesus was a good teacher of morality. Others say that Jesus was a prophet. And still others say that Jesus was an historical figure of minor importance in the first century. But for Christians the answer to this question defines who we are and gives us our identity. So lets look at the identity of the first Christian, Simon Peter.

Simon was given the Aramaic name Cephas by his parents. English speakers pronounce it Simon. Simon was a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee as his father and grandfather had been. His identity was tied to his family and their work for generations. Changing identities in this culture was nearly impossible. You were expected to do what your father did and your son was expected to follow you. Your identity was tied to your family. But when Simon left his fishing nets to follow Jesus he left behind his identity and took on a new one as a disciple of Jesus. And now Jesus was asking him to identity who Jesus himself was. Simon identified Jesus as the anointed one, the messiah, the Christ, and as the Son of the living God. With this confession Simon identified himself as a Christian, one who believes that this Jesus of Nazareth was truly the long expected messiah and God’s own son. Whenever Jesus hears this confession from the lips of his people he knows that we are his followers and have assembled into his church. And that is why we confess each Sunday that we believe in Jesus Christ our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost.

When Simon made this confession Jesus knew that Simon now had a new identity as a Christian. So Jesus gave Simon a new name symbolizing his new identity. Jesus called him Peter or “Petros” which sounds to Greek speakers a lot like “petras” which means “rock”. Simon became Peter the rock upon which Jesus Christ would build his church.

Church history tells us that Simon Peter became the Bishop of Rome, and in that role he collected and preserved the writings which one day would become the New Testament. Peter and the bishops, priests, pastors and teachers who would follow would preserve these writings as authentic presentations of orthodox faith in Jesus Christ, protecting them from heretical teachings. It is upon this rock, the Word of God, that the church of Jesus Christ is built. This rock, the Word of God, will never be shaken in an earthquake; it will support the church forever.

As Christians we are identified as people who stand on the solid foundation of the Word of God. The Word of God contains the keys that unlock the Kingdom of Heaven. That is why it is so important to be in church every Sunday to hear the Word of God read, preached and taught. As we hear faithful preaching and teaching it enters our hearts changing us into disciples of Jesus Christ and unlocking the gates of heaven which lead to eternal life. So who are we? We are Christians who confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and the Son of the living God. Our identity is built on the solid foundation of the Word of God which though faithful preaching and teaching unlocks for us the promise of eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lord Jesus Christ, we confess that you are the Christ, the Son of God. We thank you for blessing us with the church that has preserved the Word of God for two millennia. Open us to receive this Word into our lives though the preaching and teaching of this church today. And give us the new name “Christian”, as those who follow you. Amen.

Sermon Gen 43:26-34, Matt 15:21-28 Strangers at the Table

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Gen 43:26-34, Matt 15:21-28 Strangers at the Table

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

August 17, 2008

Last Sunday I had the privilege of vacationing at the home of the Reverend Nancy Moore at Lake Arrowhead while she was preaching here in Eagle Rock. Nancy has a beautiful home in the woods where we saw blue jays, squirrels, and even a coyote. It was a very relaxing time for Grace and me and Grace’s sister’s family who joined us. Last Sunday I prepared breakfast with French toast, bacon, orange juice and coffee, and we used knives, forks and spoons. My sister in law prepared a Korean lunch of things I can’t pronounce and we used chopsticks. For several years now I have had one foot in one culture and another foot in another culture. And most of the distinctions between those cultures center on what my mother would call table manners. We are going to look at table manners from a biblical perspective this morning. But first will you pray with me?

“O God, who is the hope of all the ends of the earth, the God of the spirits of all flesh: We beseech Thee to hear our humble intercession for all kindred and races of humanity that thou wilt turn all hearts unto Thyself. Remove from our minds hatred, prejudice, and contempt for those who are not of our own race or color, class or creed; that, departing from everything that estranges and divides, we may by Thee be brought into unity of spirit, in the bond of peace. Let the words of our mouth, and the meditation of our heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.”[1]

Genesis 43:26-34 ²⁶ When Joseph came home, they brought him the present that they had carried into the house, and bowed to the ground before him. ²⁷ He inquired about their welfare, and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" ²⁸ They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and did obeisance. ²⁹ Then he looked up and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother, of whom you spoke to me? God be gracious to you, my son!" ³⁰ With that, Joseph hurried out, because he was overcome with affection for his brother, and he was about to weep. So he went into a private room and wept there. ³¹ Then he washed his face and came out; and controlling himself he said, "Serve the meal." ³² They served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians could not eat with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. ³³ When they were seated before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth, the men looked at one another in amazement. ³⁴ Portions were taken to them from Joseph's table, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. So they drank and were merry with him.

Joseph had become very successful. After his brothers sold him into slavery and then told his father, Jacob, that he was dead, Joseph, with God’s help became a famous dream interpreter and correctly predicted the seven years of plenty and the seven year of famine which Egypt and the surrounding countries were then experiencing. Joseph wisely, had the Egyptians store up extra food during the years of plenty so that there would be enough in the years of famine. Jacob and his family experienced this famine and his sons were sent to Egypt for food. There they were recognized by Joseph who had already forgiven his brothers for what they had done to him because he knew that God had used their evil actions for good. So when his eleven brothers arrived Joseph honored them with a great feast.

Eating together is how we celebrate important times in our lives. I can remember the great feasts my mother would prepare on holidays and when the grand parents visited, roast beef, turkey, or meat loaf with the all the trimmings. I can remember pot luck dinners when families would gather in church to sample dishes from each other; my mother’s scalloped potatoes were always in demand. A couple of years ago I invited my family and friends from back east to enjoy of wedding feast of Korean food, as my multicultural life got started.

Once I was eating in a Thai restaurant with a mixed group of Americans and Koreans. Although Thais do not use chopsticks some were provide for the benefit of the Koreans who do. The waitress bought out plates of food which were served American style; they were passed from person to person who scooped out what they wanted on their own individual plates. We then ate from our own plates refilling them as desired. Near the end of the dinner I saw a singe shrimp sitting on a serving dish across the table. So using chopsticks I reach across the table, grabbed the shrimp, and ate it. Immediately I was scolded by an American women sitting across from me who yelled “Jeff, what are you doing?” I explained that in Korean culture food is placed in shared bowls all over the table and you use chopsticks to eat whatever you want directly from the shared bowls; these is no need for a plate. A Korean man sitting next to her was amused that an American man was getting into the same kind of trouble that he experienced as a new immigrant. These are the kinds of multicultural experiences I have had in the three and a half years that I have known Grace.

In Genesis we see how the Egyptians handled multicultural experiences at dinner; they were avoided. No Egyptian would ever eat at the same table as a Hebrew. So the Egyptians ate at a table by themselves. The Hebrew ate at a table by themselves. And Joseph who had one foot in each culture ate all by himself. The rule was that strangers were not welcome at the table. And this brings us to an unusual and somewhat disturbing story about strangers at the table in the gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 15:21-28 ²¹ Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon." ²³ But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." ²⁴ He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me." ²⁶ He answered, "It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." ²⁷ She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table." ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed instantly.

Many of us are disturbed by the words of Jesus. Why, we ask would Jesus not talk to the Canaanite women who came to Jesus to heal her daughter? Why would Jesus call her a “dog”. This does not square with our picture of a loving Jesus who welcomes everyone to the table.

To understand this passage we must first understand Jesus’ teaching style. Jesus was a rabbi or teacher and had way a teaching that was unusual and showed his authority. Matthew often condensed stories about Jesus’ teaching so much that some information about the way is lost. But I think that we can piece enough of this story together to see what Jesus is really trying to say.

Jesus usually began teaching by referring to the Law of Moses. Here the Law of Moses clearly states that a Hebrew man should not speak with a Canaanite woman. The reason was simple, according to Moses when the people of God entered into the Promised Land the Hebrew men were not to marry Canaanite women because those women would take their children not to God’s tabernacle but to pagan shrines. To prevent this, Hebrew men were told to marry good Hebrew women. This Mosaic Law was what Jesus was referring to when he refused to speak with the Canaanite woman.

But after two millennia the laws of Moses had been perverted. A once sensible law that encouraged men to ensure that their children would worship Yahweh had been twisted into a rational for racist hatred against the Canaanites. It was this racism that Jesus referred to when he said when he said that sharing food with a Canaanite was like giving it to the dogs. This was a mean spirited perversion of the Mosaic Law which Jesus had come to condemn. Jesus was not going to tolerate racist attitudes against anyone and would not allow the Law of Moses to be twisted for that purpose.

Jesus then speaking from the position of authority as the Son of God told his followers that no longer would race, ethnicity, nationality, or language, be used in deciding who would gather at his table. Everyone who places their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ is welcome to share in his fellowship. That is why the experiment we are trying here are Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church is so important. We live in a society where monoethnic churches are the norm, Caucasians go to Caucasian churches, Koreans go to Korean churches, African Americans go to African American churches, the wealthy gather in wealthy churches, and the poor gather in poor churches. But here we are building a multicultural church where everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, or economic level is welcome into our fellowship. Our only requirement is that you have faith in Jesus Christ.

Let me tell you a story that happened this week. A homeless man living on the streets of Eagle Rock has been attending our evening services. I thought I recognized him somehow but I didn’t know when or where. This past Thursday as Grace and I were walking to church for morning prayers we saw him sitting in front of our cross on Eagle Rock Blvd. So we invited him into prayers. After the prayer service we all went over to Burger King for breakfast. It was there that Joseph, the man we met, pulled out a sketch pad and showed us some drawings. That is when I remembered when and where I had met him before. Ten years ago I participated in a ministry serving lunch to homeless men in Washington DC at the Church of the Pilgrims. Joseph was coming for lunch each Sunday and I remember looking at his beautiful drawings. He eventually got a job and we didn’t see him for lunch anymore. But I have thought about him all these years. Last month he took a bus from Washington DC and now attends our church. Joseph is welcomed here at Christ’s table.

I believe that a church that welcomes into its doors people from all ethnic groups and economic levels will be richly blessed by God. A church the welcomes everyone even the poorest, even the most despised, is a church that will be blessed with new members and increased giving. God is just waiting for the church of Jesus Christ to wake up and realize that its separate ways must end and all must come together around one table. When the people of all nations, ethnic groups, and economic classes come together around the Lord’s Table then truly the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.

I urge you to come to our Sunday evening worship. There you will see what it means to welcome everyone to the table. There you will meet young Koreans trying to learn English and American ways. You will also meet the desperately poor who live on the streets and depend of the hospitality of churches to survive. You will meet all types of people whose faith brings them to worship in this sanctuary and who are then fed at our Lord’s tables in Montgomery Hall. At dinner no one is excluded or called a “dog”. Rather, everyone with faith in Jesus Christ is welcome. As you eat dinner with us you will experience the Kingdom of Heaven.

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us; unto Him be glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”

---

[1] Adapted from the Book of Common Worship 1946.

Sermon Mt. 14:13-21, Gen. 32:22-31 Wrestling With God

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon Mt. 14:13-21, Gen. 32:22-31 Wrestling With God

Eagle Rock Presbyterian Church

August 3, 2008

Every now I then I can’t sleep. I toss and turn in bed with my mind racing ahead thinking about some matter or another which keeps me up all night. We all experience this inability to sleep at one time or another. It usually happens at important transitions in our lives. In today’s scripture lessons both Jesus and his ancestor Jacob experienced sleepless nights when they were confronting enormous issues. Today we will see that during these times of distress both came closer to God.

Father in heaven our minds are often troubled. We grieve the loss of family and friends. We fear what the future has in store for us. We ask that you be with us though whatever may happen in our lives. And we place all of our hope on a glorious future with you, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, amen.

Matthew 14:13-21 - 13 Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

Jesus just heard some really bad news. His friend, cousin, and ministry partner, John the Baptist was dead, brutally murdered by the Tetrarch himself, Herod Antipas. John had been in one of Herod’s prisons because he had dared to criticize the king for his adulterous relationship with his brother’s wife, Herodias. John would have been executed a long time ago, but the king was fearful of what might happen if he killed someone the people considered to be a prophet. So John stayed in Herod’s prison until Herod’s birthday. At the birthday celebration Herodias’ daughter danced beautifully and the king offered to give her anything she wanted. Her mother urged her to request John’s head on a platter, and it was immediately done.

When Jesus heard this story he wanted to be alone. He got into a boat and went off to a deserted place to be by himself, think and grieve. We don’t know how long he was there, but it could have been a long sleepless night when Jesus wrestled with God over this injustice done to John.

Jacob also spent a sleepless night worrying about meeting his brother, Esau. As a youth Jacob had been a schemer and a cheater often at the expense of Esau. But now Jacob had two wives, twelve children, great wealth and the only thing he still needed to do was to repent and ask Esau for forgiveness. But when he heard that Esau was coming with 400 men he divided his caravan into two parts and sent them into the hills. Jacob spent the night alone. During that night Jacob couldn’t sleep. He wrestled with God over his past sin. He wrestled with God over his fears of tomorrow. He wrestled with God over God’s promise that his descendant would form a great nation which like dust would cover the whole world. He wrestled with God over a damaged hip and the chronic pain that would plague him the rest of his life. He wrestled with God the entire night never giving in to sleep. And years later when people remember the night when Jacob wrestled with God, he and all of his descendants were called Israel, which in Hebrew means, “the ones who strove with God.”

We have all spent sleepless nights worrying about tomorrow. Maybe we have lost a loved one. Maybe the doctor gave us a bad prognosis. Maybe we didn’t get the job we wanted. Maybe our business is not doing well. Maybe we can’t pay the rent or the mortgage this month. Maybe we are hungry and need something to eat. Maybe we found out that someone we love does not love us. Maybe we have done something wrong and fear the punishment we deserve. Maybe we suffer from chronic pain.

Whatever it is we toss and turn and cannot get to sleep. We stare at the clock and watch the minutes go by. We walk into the kitchen and remember something about warm milk. We turn on the television or the radio. For some of us we take a sleeping pill, open a bottle of vodka, smoke a joint, or shoot narcotics into our veins. We do whatever we have to do to lessen the pain and get a little rest.

King David had a long sleepless night and wrote down the prayer he spoke that night to God: Psalm 17:1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. ² From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right. ³ If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress. ⁴ As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. ⁵ My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. ⁶ I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words. ⁷ Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. ⁸ Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

After saying this prayer David received God peace and was able to rest. He knew that God would be with him no matter what. David said, Psalm 17:15 ¹⁵ As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

Jacob and Jesus both feared tomorrow. What would Esau do the Jacob? What would Herod do to Jesus? Each of us has our own Herods and Esaus that plague us in the night. But the promise of scripture is that God will be there to take care of our tomorrows. When you can’t sleep at night just put your faith in God, and give all your fears to God. Trust that God will guide you through the pain you are experiencing and the difficulty ahead.

When Esau arrived and saw Jacob he ran to him, embraced and kissed his brother. Even though Jacob had been a schemer and had cheated Esau so many times Esau still loved and missed his brother. Esau has long since forgiven Jacob and looked forward to the day when Jacob would return. This is how God sees us. God grieves that we have been away for so long and longs for the day we will return. God is waiting to embrace us if we just turn back and accept her love. So whatever you have done, whomever you have cheated, whatever schemes you have hatched return to God and say that you are sorry and our faithful God will forgive you just as Esau forgave Jacob.

After Jesus’ long night of grieving the death of John the Baptist he was greeted by a crowd of people wishing to console him. Jesus realized that they too had spent sleepless nights grieving over the loss of John. Jesus with great compassion in his heart healed the sick and comforted the grieving. And when evening came and they were all exhausted he refused to send them out alone to find food for themselves. Rather Jesus fed them with the bread of heaven. Once we experience God’s forgiveness in our lives we rejoice and express our gratitude by helping others. Like Jesus we can express our thanks to God by sharing food with those who need it. This is happening at our Sunday evening services as food prepared by this church feeds people who are hungry. And it will happen in a few moments as we gather around this table to eat the bread provided for us by Jesus. Jesus is providing us this bread and wine because he knows that we have spent many sleepless nights worrying about tomorrow. He wants us to experience God’s forgiving grace for ourselves. And so as you eat this bread and drink this wine remember that you are forgiven by God and that God will protect you, guide you, and provide for you in all your tomorrows.

So the next time you can’t get to sleep and toss and turn all night remember that whatever it is that you are ashamed of God is ready to forgive you and welcome you home. Remember that whatever it is that you fear God will be there to sustain you with the bread of life. Say a prayer of thanks, and get some sleep.

Lord Jesus, whenever we can’t sleep remind us that in you all the bad things we have done are forgiven and washed away. Remind us that you are waiting to welcome us into your arms when we return. Remind us that God will provide for us when we awake into a fearful future. And bless us so that we can bless others by being your instruments of forgiveness and provision. We pray all of this in your strong name, amen.