July 2007
Text: Selected
verses from Nehemiah
Preached on 7/22/07
Ground Breaking Service
David Endriss
HAVING A MIND TO WORK
Introduction
These last couples of weeks have been a real “eye opener”.
Many of you have worked long hard, hot and humid hours to
vacate the building next door to get ready for its
demolition. Although there were a lot of important and
necessary items we wanted to salvage, do you realize how
much junk there also was? Now take that amount and multiply
it: but not by just one or two more buildings, but make it
an entire town! And not just 40 years of collecting, but
about 150! Back in about 582 BC Jerusalem was destroyed by
the Babylonians. But Nehemiah doesn’t show up on the scene
for about another century and a half. We all know that it
doesn’t take long for garbage to collect. Nehemiah had 150
years of debris and rubbish to remove. But Nehemiah, by the
grace of God, was up for the job.
Nehemiah - A Man of Prayer
When Nehemiah first heard about the problem of Jerusalem’s
broken down walls he was about 800 miles away, serving as
cup bearer to the king in the land of the Babylonians. Being
cup bearer was a combination of being both a butler and
food-taster. His first response to this news was one of
prayer - and it was an attitude that Nehemiah retained
throughout his life. When a crisis occurred, and there were
many, his first response was always of prayer.
Over the years as we have prepared for the step of a new
facility, we have bathed this process in prayer. As a
congregation, as a session, as individuals, we have sought
God’s leading and direction for how to proceed. This is more
than just asking God to rubber-stamp something that we want
to do. This is a concerted effort to discover and to follow
God’s will for this group of believers that worships on the
corner of Howard and First.
Nehemiah - A Man of Action
But Nehemiah was more than just a man of prayer. He was also
a man of action. Once we have determined what it is that God
wants us to do, then the questions are not: “How can we
afford it?” or, “Who is going to do it?” or “Do we have the
resources to make it happen?” These may be important
questions, but they are not the most important. If we
believe we know God’s will, then the first question is
simply, “are we going to obey it?”
Nehemiah obeyed. The obstacles were many and they were
large. He was far away, it would take a lot of money and a
lot of man power and there would be many people who were
going to object to the task of rebuilding Jerusalem. Some of
those people would be enemies outside of the city; others
would be from among their own ranks!
No building project is without obstacles. The challenges we
have faced (and will face) are not that different from
Nehemiah’s. It will take a lot of money, a lot of people
working hard, and yes, there will be those who will object.
But in the midst of these struggles we cannot lose focus of
what God has called us to do. If we do, we shall surely
become discouraged and give up.
Nehemiah - An Organized Man
Perhaps one of Nehemiah’s greatest strengths was his ability
to draw together a diverse group of individuals and to get
them all excited about rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. In
chapter 3 of this book is a list of names of those who
worked on the wall and a list of places where they worked.
There are approximately 81 names and 50 places mentioned! If
you struggle through these often hard to pronounce names
though, you can learn a little bit about who is laboring on
this immense project. There were merchants, priests, nobles
and craftsmen. There were goldsmiths and perfumers. There
were families working together: fathers, mothers, sons and
daughters all working side by side.
Over the last few years I have watched as some very
organized people have invested their time and considerable
gifts to allow us to move forward with our building project.
They too are a diverse group. There have been men and women,
the elderly and the young, the employed and the retired.
They have worked as individuals and as teams. There have
been clans, friends, and families working together. There
have been demolition crews, painting crews, construction
crews, plumbing crews, and electrical crews and a marvelous
crew that has often fed these other crews. Together they
have worked to renovate the annex. Then there are those who
have helped to organize the fund drive for the building. And
then there have been the many who have worked long hours
listening to you and each other as they design the new
facility.
This amalgam of people and groups reminds me of those
individuals who worked side by side helping to rebuild the
walls of Jerusalem. They were a varied group, but they were
united in their vision of what God had called them to do. We
have all heard and probably have spoken this cliché at least
once or twice: “Many hands make light work.” This was
certainly true both in Jerusalem and it has been true here
also.
Nehemiah - A “Handy” Man
In chapter two of Nehemiah there is this wonderful verse:
Nehemiah told the people, “that the hand of my God had been
gracious upon me and also the words that the king had spoken
to me. Then the people said, “Let us start building!” So
they committed themselves to the common good.” A more
literal translation of the last phrase is that they put
their hands to the good work. Nehemiah felt the hand of God
upon him and through his work, the hands of others became
busy. Perhaps Nehemiah truly was the original “handyman”.
When the hand of God rests upon someone, it doesn’t take
long before our hands become busy. When we have truly caught
the vision of what God is calling us to do, then the most
natural of all responses is to move forward and begin doing
it!
Nehemiah - The Troubleshooter
Throughout this building project that Nehemiah was
coordinating he struggled with opposition from several
powerful individuals who lived near Jerusalem and did not
want to see their influence challenged by a resurgent
Jerusalem. They threatened, cajoled, manipulated, maligned,
and tried to intimidate the workers into giving up. Along
with being a man of prayer and action, Nehemiah also served
as something of a cheerleader - encouraging the people not
to quit and organizing them in such a way so that they could
defend themselves if necessary.
Now, I am not anticipating that we will have to arm those
who are working on our building to protect themselves in
case they are attacked by jealous Baptists or Methodists.
(Incidentally, I have received nothing but excited responses
by our friends for what we are doing.) Nevertheless, there
will be times when we will need some cheerleaders among us
who can encourage us and revive us when our spirits are
down. Is that a role that you think you can play? If so,
look for times when you can support and lift up those around
you.
Conclusion
As the work on the walls progressed they managed to complete
the entire circuit of the city wall to half its height. This
was possible, says Nehemiah, because the people had a mind
to work. (4:6) They were committed to the cause. If they had
only been partially committed, they would have ended up with
a city wall that would have had major holes in it. (Not much
good!)
For years I drove by an overpass in California that was only
half done. It gracefully reached into the sky and half way
through its path it abruptly came to a halt. It looked like
a launching pad for Evel Knievel. Somewhere along the line,
someone had failed to commit themselves fully to this
project.
Today is certainly not the first step in the ministry of
this church. Nor is it the last. But it is an important
step. Later, we will be processing outside to commemorate
what we will start here. As a people of prayer, as a people
of action, as a people with a mind to work let us work hand
in hand with God and each other to fulfill what God has
called us to do!
Texts: Luke 6:12-16
Galatians 1:11-24
Preached on 7/15/07
David Endriss
THE LESSER KNOWN DISCIPLES
Simon the Zealot
Introduction
On a dark, moonless night, a silent figure dashes in and out
of doorways, careful not to be seen. He moves with purpose,
always forward, to his objective. The guard, standing watch
never knew what hit him. One moment all was silent, then a
quick and silent struggle and then the secretive figure who
committed the crime disappears into the night. The Romans
shall find the next morning that they will be minus one
guard.
This was the kind of person Simon was. Depending on which
side of the political fence you were on, he was either a
freedom fighter or an outlaw. Simon belonged to that
political party known as the Zealots. Formally begun around
6 AD these people took a revolutionary approach to the
occupying Romans. Josephus, the early Jewish historian
described them as a people who “clung to their liberty with
great tenacity and will acknowledge no one but God as their
king and Lord.” Because of this they totally refused to
accept Caesar as ruling over them and considered all who
either openly or passively approved of Roman rule to be
traitors.
Many of these zealots conducted a guerilla-like warfare with
the Romans and their collaborators by hiding in the hills
during the day and sneaking out to kill at night. Their
name, zealots, came from their deep commitment to their
cause, a cause for which they were ready to die for. Their
deep dedication is reflected in another organization whose
leader wrote: “We will not accept into our membership anyone
who has reservations whatsoever. We will not accept into our
membership anyone unless he is an active, disciplined,
working member in one of organizations.” The author of this
statement was Vladimir Lenin. This was the kind of
dedication that these 1st century rebels had. It was the
zealots who were the key instigators of the rebellion that
eventually destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD.
Simon - The Committed One
We know precious little about this disciple other than what
Luke shares with us. “Simon, who was called the Zealot”. But
from this little piece of information we can build some of
his character. Simon was a man who believed in a cause. He
not only believed in it, he followed it passionately, and
preached it jealously. The word zealous stems from the
Hebrew word for jealous. Simon was extremely jealous for his
cause. For him, being committed to a cause meant giving
105%. He knew he was right and burned with a desire to let
everyone else know, one way or another. Simon’s motto was,
“I can afford to be dogmatic...I’m right!”
He was a fanatic. Simon had zeal, but it was mis-directed.
Socrates’ young friend Crito was trying to encourage the
aged philosopher to flee for his life. Socrates replied,
“Dear Crito, your zeal is invaluable, if a right one; but if
wrong the greater the zeal the greater the danger.” Thomas a
Kempis put it this way, “We are sometimes moved by passion
and suppose it to be zeal.” Simon had a great passion, but
it was pointed in the wrong direction. In his blood burned
the fire of a cause, but it was not the cause of Jesus
Christ. For us, this is a challenge to prayerfully examine
our own lives. Simon thought what he was doing was the right
thing. Are we certain of the causes that we are living for?
Once again, we can turn to the life of Paul and see some
parallels. Now here was man who was zealous! He was
convinced that he was doing God’s work by persecuting these
crazy Christians! In fact, he was so zealous that he went
out of his way to eradicate this new sect, even to travel to
Damascus with extradition papers to persecute known
Christians. Paul sincerely believed in his cause. Sincere
yes, but sincerely wrong! For years Paul burned zealously in
his efforts to do for God. But it was his effort and his
plan, not God’s. Later, he discovered that true zeal rests
not in doing for God but allowing God to work through him.
He then shares with the Galatians that his ministry and his
words were not given to him by anyone, nor did he come up
with it on his own. Rather it came from God.
Why Pick Simon?
So Jesus selected a fire-brand, a political activist, a
flaming radical to be one of his disciples. Can’t Jesus do
anything right? Earlier he had selected Matthew as a
disciple. Matthew, the tax collector. Well, nobody likes tax
collectors. To have one a as disciple would be a stupid
maneuver. Now Jesus is choosing a political rebel. Won’t
that give Jesus’ ministry some strong political overtones
that could get him into some serious trouble? People may
begin to view his ministry as one that is against the Roman
government. That’s a sure fire way to cut short a movement -
just oppose the Romans.
I believe Jesus had a least two reasons for selecting Simon
to be one of his twelve disciples. First, he wanted to show
the power of his love to reconcile opposites. Simon was now
a disciple along with Matthew. Before becoming a disciple,
Simon would have thought it completely just and proper to
assassinate Matthew as one of those Roman collaborators. But
now, united by Christ’s love and by the power of the gospel,
both these men have found that they can live together.
God has made each one of us different. Our personalities,
characteristics and talents are unique. What could be more
boring than a roomful of Davids! But because we are
different there will necessarily be times of conflict and
tension. But the beautiful thing about the body of Christ is
that we still remain a family. That classic line, “you can
choose your friends by you are stuck with family” is very
true for the church.
Just imagine the friends of both Matthew and Simon being
amazed that these two can even look at each other! And yet
here they both are sitting at the feet of one Jesus of
Nazareth. Such is the love that unites us all together.
Those outside the church should be able to see within the
church individuals who they think should be at each other’s
throats but are instead helping and caring for one another.
The second reason that Jesus selected Simon was for the
sanctification of enthusiasm. Enthusiasm and energy are good
if they are directed properly. There are several people in
this congregation who are fire-starters, in the good sense.
They have a deep vision of what God wants in this church and
they don’t mind lighting a few fires under people to get
things started. We need that. It was John Wesley who said,
“Get on fire for God and people will come to see you burn.”
We need Simons in our congregation who are on fire, so that
we too can catch their spark.
To be zealous for the cause of Christ means to fight with
enthusiasm for those things that Jesus fought against during
his ministry. Billy Sunday, the great evangelist and
reformer was known for his strong and vigorous attacks on
sin. “I’m against sin,” he said. “I’ll kick it as long as
I’ve got a foot, and I’ll fight it as long as I’ve got a
fist. I’ll but it as long as I’ve got a head. I’ll bite it
as long as I’ve got a tooth. When I’m old, and fistless, and
footless and toothless, I’ll gum it till I go home to Glory
and it goes home to perdition!”
Jesus took the life of this one Simon the Zealot and turned
it around. Simon had seen in Jesus a kingdom bigger and more
wonderful than he had ever dreamed. What Jesus talked about
was not simply freedom for the Jews, but freedom for all
people! Not only justice for Israel but for everyone! Simon
not only heard the truth in this message but saw the power
of Christ’s life and miracles. And finally, Simon saw within
Jesus a zeal that was pure. Jesus was deeply committed to
following his father’s will, even to the cross. Simon was to
turn a corner in his life. No longer was he to be Simon the
political activist but Simon an energetic and enthusiastic
follower of Christ. Simon was to lay down his physical sword
and pick up the sword of truth. He exchanged his dagger for
the cross of Christ.
But What of Those Who are Zeal-less?
But for some people the question is not of mis-guided zeal,
but of any zeal. It is not a matter of whether they are
burning for a cause, either good or bad. The fact is, any
fire that they once had, has now gone out. Only apathy
remains. Just as mis-guided zeal can be dangerous because it
burns indiscriminately, no zeal is dangerous because it can
be cold and heartless.
When he was a child, Theodore Roosevelt used to stay home
from church because he was afraid of what he had once read
from Psalm 69. “The zeal of thy house has consumed me.” He
was afraid of coming to church for fear of being eaten up by
“zeal”, whatever that was! When relating this in later
years, he dryly commented that the church was now safe for
small children since most of the “zeal” had disappeared from
the scene. Our zeal for God’s house and God’s work should
consume us. We should burn brightly with God’s great love
because it was God who first loved us.
But perhaps for you the fire has gone out of your life. If
it has, find a Simon in the congregation and allow their
fire to burn into your soul. Their flame will help to ignite
yours.
Conclusion
The church desperately needs Simons. The church needs
disciples who care little about the world’s estimation of
them and everything about the cause of Christ. Through the
Holy Spirit they provide the fire, the enthusiasm for much
of the work that is done. They are not necessarily leaders,
frequently they are not even up-front types of people. These
are hard working, high energy, enthusiastic individuals
whose very lives are contagious.
Tradition has it that it was Simon who took the gospel of
Jesus Christ to Armenia where he was probably crucified. We
don’t know much about Simon, who was called a Zealot, but I
am convinced that having met the living Christ, Simon became
a bright light in the cause of Christ. You too can meet the
living Christ and discover for yourself a cause that goes
beyond your wildest imagination and which can take all the
energy and enthusiasm that you have. Become a zealot for the
cause of Christ.
Text: John
1:43-51
Genesis 28:10-17
Preached on 7/08/07
David Endriss
THE LESSER KNOWN DISCIPLES - PART II
Nathanael. Without Guile
Introduction
Nazareth! Are you sure Philip? I know Nazareth. Remember, I
live only a few miles to the north of that town, in Cana.
I’ve been there and believe me, it isn’t much to talk about.
Nazareth is nothing but a little dirty town, of no
significance. There is nothing there but a bunch of
swindlers and merchants! The Messiah from Nazareth! That is
totally ridiculous!
That was Nathanael’s first response to Philip’s news that he
had met the one mentioned by Moses and the prophets.
Nathanael, the disciple whom Jesus said was without guile,
was prejudice. Sometime in his life, Nathanael had drawn
some presuppositions about Nazareth and the people who lived
there and concluded that nothing good could possibly come
from that little town. Not only was there nothing good in
this back-water village, but to have the Messiah, the
greatest king of all time to come from there was a major
contradiction!
Nathanael was prejudice. But not only do people do this,
entire nations react this way. The Japanese phrase for
foreigners means “stinking of foreign hair.” What is called
the French Pox in England is the English pox in France. In
Hungary and Austria, the cockroach is known as a “Swabian,”
in Poland as a “Prussian” and in Germany as a “Frenchman”.
What an easy trap to fall into! To see one person and draw
conclusions about all others based upon that one episode. We
all tend to do it, usually with no ill-will. Texans are
boisterous and self-confident. Alaskans live in igloos with
pet polar bears, Californians own surf-boards, hot-tubs and
eat yogurt or tofu, Minnesotans are all Swedish-Lutherans
who eat lutifisk. . . and like it! And Iowans?, well, you
get the idea.
Nathanael could not see how a “Messiah” from Nazareth could
possibly amount to anything. Apparently, Nathanael and
Philip were friends. In all four gospels, the two are
closely linked together. If Philip, a close friend, was
convinced that this person is the Messiah, at least it
deserves checking out. There was a measure of honest
skepticism in Nathanael. His own intellectual and moral
integrity compelled him to pursue this further. Were his
suspicions about Nazareth correct? Philip responded to
Nathanael’s doubt by saying, “Come and See!” Nathanael went
to find this Nazarene. To discover the truth.
Nathanael, Without Guile
While still at a distance, Jesus saw Nathanael coming and
gave one of the most provocative compliments found in
Scripture: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no
guile!” Guile is defined in the dictionary as deceitful,
cunning or duplicitous. Jesus is not saying that Nathanael
is perfect, but rather in this man there is no hypocrisy. In
this sense, Nathanael is quite different from the Pharisees
that Jesus was to run into throughout his ministry, Time and
time again Jesus confronted them not so much because their
theology was wrong but because their lives did not reflect a
life centered on God. The Pharisees did not truly practice
what they preached. But in Nathanael his life reflected his
true beliefs. There was a transparency to this man. He had
no facades to hide behind. His life was not a lie.
In the story of Nathanael’s calling by Jesus, there is a
strong connection to the Old Testament character of Jacob.
Jacob is Nathanael’s Old Testament counter-part. Do you
remember the story of Jacob? He was one of the twin sons of
Isaac, his brother being Esau. Jacob deceived his father and
stole the family blessing that should have gone to Esau.
When the plot is discovered Isaac tells Esau, “Your brother
came with guile, and he has taken away your blessing.” Jacob
was deceitful and cunning but he too learned his lesson.
Some time later, it was Jacob who wrestled with an angel of
God. At the end of the wrestling match the angel changed
Jacob’s name to Israel which means “one who wrestles with
God.”
Nathanael, an Israelite indeed!” Here is a man who will
wrestle with God. A man who will struggle for truth, who
will fight to understand, and will do battle in order to
come to grips with a knowledge of God. I believe our Lord
truly respects someone who approaches him with that kind of
integrity. Nathanael means business when it comes to his
relationship with God and the integrity of that
relationship. He is ready and willing to fight for that kind
of honesty.
Nathanael had his problems but he certainly is not just a
passive observer. He has no desire to “play religion” like
the Pharisees. A personal relationship to God is not a 9 to
5 job for him but a totally absorbing passion. For him,
discipleship is all or nothing.
Nathanael, the Scholar
Jesus’ compliment had put Nathanael off-stride. I suspect
Nathanael was anticipating an intellectual or theological
discussion. Instead Jesus struck right at the heart of
Nathanael. This was not what he expected! Half stuttering he
stammers
out, “How, how do you know me?’
Perhaps with a smile on his face, Jesus says to him, “Before
Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw
you.” Philip had found Nathanael sitting under a fig tree.
It is here that we learn something else about this disciple.
In several places in Hebrew literature, under the shade of a
fig tree was a regular place for scribes and scholars to
study Scripture. Was Nathanael studying Scripture when
Philip found him? There is one other tantalizing piece of
evidence. In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, Nathanael is known by
another name, Bartholomew, which means son of Tolmai. It has
been recorded that the Tolmai family were highly regarded as
students of Scripture. Was Nathanael a part of this family?
Some have suggested that Nathanael was a kind of
absent-minded professor. The kind of man that would look
right past you when you asked him a question because his
mind was on other matters. He might have been a visionary.
At any rate, Nathanael was one who meditated, prayed and
studied Scripture. Someone has said what we need are less
cars that can go 100 miles an hour and more rocking chairs.
More places to meditate. Or in the time and place of
Nathanael, more fig trees! In a world and society that is
always on the move, we need to slow down, stop, and meditate
on God’s gifts to us.
Nathanael, the Disciple
“Before Philip called you, . . . I saw you.” Jesus saw
Nathanael and had already called him to be a disciple even
before Philip began his first attempt at witnessing. Jesus
knew what Nathanael was like. God knows what we are like,
and has called us. What a joy it is to know that God has
seen us and has called each of us, personally.
I know how personally flattering it was to me when a
professor at seminary recommended my name to take another
class that could only be taken by students who had received
a personal endorsement by the teacher. But to be called
specifically by God! That is something on a different order
all together! That Jesus has called David. I have received a
personal invitation by God to get to know God better!
Nathanael was totally floored by this revelation. He too
couldn’t imagine such a personal relationship with God. “You
saw me under the fig tree? But you were, and I, . , but how,
Rabbi, you are the Son of God? You are the King of Israel!”
Nathanael is convinced and confesses his new found
relationship with God. Rabbi? This title made it very clear
that Jesus was the master and Nathanael was the student or
disciple. Now it was Jesus’ turn to be surprised! “Because I
said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe?
You shall see greater things than these.” Nathanael was to
be even more amazed in the days and months to come but he
was determined to get in at the beginning. He was not one to
ride the fence of indecision. His honest skepticism was
answered and his personal integrity guided him into his next
decision: a personal and on-going discipleship with Jesus of
Nazareth.
Conclusion
Our Lord’s final remark in this passage is addressed not
only to Nathanael, but to all of his disciples, including
you and I. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven
opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon
the Son of Man.” Once again we are turned back into the
pages of the Old Testament and into the life of Jacob. It
makes me wonder if Nathanael was perhaps reading about the
story of Jacob under his fig tree. Earlier we read the story
of Jacob’s vision of a ladder from heaven with angels upon
it. While in Genesis the story indicates that angels were
ascending and descending upon a ladder, there is no ladder
in Jesus’ version. The angels are ascending and descending
not upon a ladder but upon the Son of Man. Jesus is the
ladder between heaven and earth! Right from the very
beginning Jesus begins to share his purpose and goal: that
through him alone can a true relationship with God be found.
In order to ascend into heaven and come before God, we must
use the ladder of Jesus Christ.
Tradition is not clear about Nathanael’s later life. Some
believe that he traveled to northern Turkey and Iraq,
perhaps even to India to share the gospel. If that is so,
then this visionary, truth seeker overcame his prejudices
through a life-transforming relationship with his Rabbi,
Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Are you a hard-nosed truth seeker? Do you call the shots
like you see them? Do you have strong beliefs but at the
same time you are also open-minded? You could be a
Nathanael. Know this: there is a place for you as a disciple
of Jesus of Nazareth. There is a place for you in the family
of God.
Text: John
6:1-14
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Preached on 7/1/07
David Endriss
The Lesser Known Disciples of Christ: Part I
PHILIP, THE CAUTIOUS
Introduction
Today is the first in a short series of sermons on the
lesser known disciples of Christ. The 12 disciples of Jesus.
How many of them can you name? Well, lets see: There’s of
course Peter, James and John, those are easy. Then there is
Andrew, Peter’s brother. Judas Iscariot, we remember him out
of notoriety. Doubting Thomas. There’s Matthew, he wrote the
gospel. (Mark and Luke? no, they were not a part of the
original 12. Hmmmm it get’s a little tougher now, Who are
those other guys? It’s kind of like trying to remember all
the names of the 7 dwarfs in Snow White. You can get some,
but not all of them.
When Jesus chose his 12 disciples he selected a dozen
individuals, each unique, with different qualities,
charac-teristics, and personalities. Together, their lives
represent quite a rag-tag lot; fishermen, patriots,
collaborators with the Romans, those even tempered and
methodical, those ready to call down hell-fire and damnation
at the slightest provocation. It was this group of people
that Jesus chose to give birth to the church and who turned
the world upside down through the Holy Spirit. But these men
were not any different from us. They goofed and blew it more
times that they would wish to recall. But it is precisely
that which makes them so real.
During these next few weeks we are going to look at some of
these lesser known disciples. Today is Philip, the Cautious
One. Later, we shall study Nathaniel who is sometimes named
Bartholomew whom Jesus called an Israelite without guile,
there is Matthew the tax-collector, and Simon a political
Zealot. We will look at these lesser known followers of
Christ and discover that they too have made a significant
contribution to the Church of Christ.
Philip - The Bread Test
If Peter was impetuous, Philip preferred to be slow and
precise. Peter was spontaneous, Philip was reserved and
calculating. Peter was constantly in the forefront; Philip
was usually in the background. Perhaps the only thing that
these two men shared in common was that they came from the
same neighborhood: Bethsaida, near Galilee. We learn most
about Philip from the fourth gospel where John shares four
different interactions between Jesus and this methodical
disciple.
It is to Philip that Jesus turned and asked, “How are we to
buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Philip quickly
pulled out his pocket calculator. Took the pencil which was
invariably behind his ear, scanned the crowds, and
estimated, Hmmmmm, say about 5,000 people, multiplied by the
going price of bread, probably cheaper since we are buying
by the bulk. “Lord, there is no way we can feed these
people! It would cost almost a year’s salary to feed this
mob just a little bit!”
Philip had neglected one very important factor in his
calculations: he had left out the power of God. His
analytical mind had not allowed room for another
possibility. If Philip couldn’t see it, feel it, count it,
and understand it, then it couldn’t happen. Philip had his
calculator but needed to remember that it was solar powered.
He had forgotten about the Son. His analytical mind, a
valued asset, had nevertheless cast a shadow over his
computations.
Cautious Philip had done his math wrong. He had counted the
crowd, he had counted the cash, but he had not counted on
Christ. He looked at the people, he looked at the money, but
he didn’t look to Jesus. If Jesus had accepted Philip’s
solution many people would have lost out on not just a meal,
but on Christ in their lives, If we live day to day in our
lives without acknowledging the power of God we are like
Philip. We will be unable to recognize God in our midst nor
will we be able to rejoice over the miraculous things that
God does, But Jesus had a different solution in mind. With
the bread and the fish he fed 5,000 people. Instead of going
home empty, the people were full, in fact their lives were
over-flowing because there were 12 baskets left after the
supper.
Philip - The “Who am I” Test
Philip was unable to recognize God. Even after three years,
even after all the miracles and teachings. Towards the end
of Jesus’ ministry he was in the Upper Room with his
disciples. There he talked in detail about his relationship
with God. And after all this Philip turns to Jesus, “Lord,
show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied.”
At one time or another many of you have probably been
teachers. Either in the public schools, or Sunday School, or
some other setting, even if its just at home with your
children. Have you ever had that one student that just seems
to refuse to learn one lesson? It’s not that they are not
trying; it’s just that they don’t understand. As a child in
elementary school I remember one error that I continued to
make. The teacher must have corrected me a dozen times. I
had this strange habit of not dropping down to the next line
to finish my sentence when writing. Instead you would have
to turn the page over and read the end of the sentence on
the back. It’s not that I wasn’t doing my homework. But my
papers indicated that I just didn’t understand. I’m sure you
can think of a student or child like that. As a teacher or a
parent you let out a great sigh because you truly do care.
And so you try once again. I can almost hear Jesus’ sigh in
response to Philip’s request to see the Father: “Have I been
with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who
has seen me has seen the Father.”
What did Jesus see in this man in the first place? Although
he is cautious and calculating he seems slow in learning.
Couldn’t Jesus have selected someone as a disciple who was
little quicker in understanding? Perhaps Jesus should have
chosen the Galilean equivalent of a gifted child?
Philip - The Visitor Test
According to the fourth gospel, Philip was the third
disciple selected by Jesus after Peter and Andrew. After
that we are told that Philip then went and found Nathaniel.
(We shall talk about him next week.) And when he found him
listen to how he describes Jesus: “We have found him of whom
Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Here is a very precise, very
careful description of Jesus. Not too daring but
nevertheless accurate. Certainly it is nothing like Peter’s
later confession when he seems to almost blurt out “You are
the Christ, the son of the living God!”
Nathaniel shows disbelief that anything good could possible
come from Nazareth. Philip, who knows very little about who
Jesus really is, responds to Nathaniel with three very
simple words: “Come and see!”. “Come”, It is one of the most
beautiful of words found in Scripture. It is an excellent
study to find all those times in the Bible when God says to
us Come. That is the only message that Christians have to
share to those around us: “Come and see!”
There was a small country church which was in serious need
of some pluming work, The pastor called the plumber, who
said he would be there in a couple of days to fix the leak.
After a week of waiting the pastor sent a note to the
plumber on the church letterhead. It consisted of only a
Bible verse and the pastor’s signature. That verse was John
1:46. The plumber, understandably curious found his Bible
and looked up the verse. It was Philip’s advice to
Nathaniel, “Come and See!”. After still another week of
inactivity, the pastor sent one more letter. This time the
verse was Luke 7:20. Again, the plumber got out his Bible.
It was John the Baptist’s question to Jesus: ‘Are you the
one, or shall we look for another?” The leak was fixed the
next day.
In another story from the gospel of John we discover that
some Greeks wanted to see Jesus. Uncertain of how they would
be received, they came to Philip first seeking permission to
talk with the Master. Perhaps they started with Philip
because his name is Greek and he came from a somewhat
cosmopolitan town. Perhaps Philip would allow them a decent
hearing and they would get permission to see Jesus. At any
rate, it seems that Philip was indecisive. Its all right to
bring Nathaniel to Jesus, he is a Jew, but these are Greeks.
Should they see Jesus? Philip’s analytical mind went to
work. He was unsure of his choices. Finally, as any
uncertain methodical person might do: he made a decision; he
opted for a second opinion. He took them to Andrew. For
Andrew it was no problem. Come on, Philip. Remember this is
Jesus. He has talked to a Samaritan woman, a Syro-Phonecian
woman, and also a Roman centurion, I am certain Jesus would
meet with these Greeks, Philip may be cautious and slow but
he realized he didn’t have all the answers and went for
help.
At my ordination service, 20 years ago, the pastor who gave
the message shared a phrase that to me is the task of every
Christian: All I want to be is a nobody, telling everybody,
about somebody, who can save anybody.
In John’s version of the calling of the disciples, it is
only Philip that Jesus specifically calls. Jesus selected
Philip to be a disciple because he saw in this cautious man
a strong desire to know God. Jesus chose Philip because he
knew that there will be many people in the church that won’t
identify with some of the other disciples. But Philip, here
is a man for those who tend to be precise and who need facts
to make a decision. Philip believed in the scientific
method. Don’t take things on face value. Look at them, study
them, ask questions. Only then believe. Philip asked
questions and Jesus on several occasions tested this
disciple. Interestingly enough, he failed his tests: the
Bread test, the Greek test, and he failed to understand
Jesus’ unique relationship to God. But even with these
failures: Philip was one of Jesus’ disciples.
Conclusion
My father was a Philip. And he was married to a Peter.
Together, they made a wonderful couple. They balanced each
other and kept each other in proper perspective. Without my
Mom, Dad would probably have been something of a
“stick-in-the-mud”. My mother kept him moving, stirred his
imagination and fired his spirit. My Dad, on the other hand,
kept her in the real world. Without the Philip in this
relationship, my mother would probably have tried to
establish a missionary out-post on Mars. My father would
reply, “That’s a good idea, dear. Let’s discuss it. Where do
you plan to get the money? How are you going to get from
here to there? What’s NASA going to say about this?”
The church of Jesus Christ needs Peters to keep it going, to
provide the fuel and enthusiasm. But the church must also
have Philips to keep the Peters from simply running but not
going anywhere. You can find Philips throughout the life of
the church: Sunday School teachers, elders, administrators
and organizers. Philips often prefer to be in the
background. They would hate to have to stand before a crowd.
The Philips of this world are pragmatists. They want to see
in order to believe. Everything must be tested before
accepted. Although Philip on several occasions showed his
ignorance, he also showed a deep thirst for knowledge. He
wanted to understand, he wanted to know, He asked questions,
and Jesus answered them. Without disciples like Philip, the
church of Jesus Christ would be missing a significant aspect
and quality of its life. Thank God for Philip. Thank God for
those of you who are Philips in this congregation.