“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”           2011

Isaiah 61:1-3        John 5:2-9

 

Isaiah 61:1-3

1The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

 

John 5:2-9

2Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. 3In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 6When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” 8Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” 9At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a Sabbath.

 

A few days ago, I showed someone my album of pictures

           that I took in Ghana during one of my seminary courses.

 

Seeing the pictures again brought back a flood of good memories,

            in particular, my friendship with Nelson,         

                                    a student at the seminary in Accra

                                                who shared his dormitory room with me.

 

He was a deeply committed Christian leader, a wonderful host,

            and eager to teach me all about African life and culture.

                          We were both set to graduate that same year,

                                    so we had lots of things in common to talk about.

 

When I returned home,

            we exchanged letter regularly, and our friendship deepened.

 

As young pastors just getting started in ministry,

            we had much to write about and share in our correspondence.

                        But as life and ministry got busier and more demanding,

                                and with time, we exchanged fewer and fewer letters.

 

Looking at pictures of us together this week, I realized à

            how long it’s been           since I last wrote or heard from Nelson,

                        and that I don’t even know where he is serving now.

 

     I am sorry that we lost contact,

            and that through inattention, our friendship has faded.

But we do that sometimes.  We get distracted and busy,

            and don’t always honor and attend to our relationships.

 

A friendship will fade if it’s not nurtured and cared for;

            in fact, that can happen

                   even with our faith, our spiritual journey with God.

 

For faith to remain alive & vibrant, like any other relationship

            it takes time, effort and commitment;  and requires more than

                        just going through the motions and rituals of religion.

 

The Christmas season can get very emotional and sentimental,

            as we may be flooded with memories of family and friends,

                        past events and special times shared with loved ones .

 

There are probably people that you were once very close to,

            but whose friendship has faded a bit or slipped away ----

                        -- how many names on your list to send Christmas cards

                                    are there mostly because they sent you a card last year?

That’s probably a last remnant of the relationship   you once had.

 

Unfortunately,

        that same gradual process of fading with time and distraction

                        can also apply to our relationship and our walk with God.

 

Consider the joy that flowed and the excitement you felt

            when you first became a Christian and faith was new,

                 or on a retreat or mission experienced since then.

            What were some of the high points of your spiritual journey,

                        and do you remember how you felt at that moment?

 

The text of Isaiah 61 is really a remarkable description

            of the hope and joy of God’s truth and promises,

                        and what it means for Jesus to be a part of our lives ---

vs. 1-2a

            The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.

 

The fact that I just read that amazing passage out-loud,

            and we are not all dancing and screaming with joy,

                                    suggests that probably some of our initial fervor,

                                       some of our joy and excitement

                                                 may have slipped and faded a bit with time.

 

Of course we cannot, and probably should not

            always run at that highest level of emotional fervor …

                        … but honestly,  is joyful gratitude and soul’s delight

                              a normal part of your faith and Christian living?,

    and are you entirely satisfied that your relationship with God;

         is really à        all that it could be – that you want it to be?

 

In Jerusalem, it is just a short walk

            from where the Temple once stood to some ancient pools

                        where the story in John 5 probably occurred.  vs. 1~

            “Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. 

 

According to legend, when angel would stir the water of the pool,

            the first one in the water would be cured of any ailment.

                        So the sick would gather and wait for the water to stir.

 

In those days, it was commonly assumed that illness or suffering

        were a sign of God’s displeasure, judgment against their sin,

                            so, those who were injured and in need,

                                    were cut-off from the support of family & friendsà

       à who feared interfering with God’s judgment and punishment.

 

When Jesus came to the pool-area that day,

            he  noticed a man lying there,  who had been waiting 38 years…

vs. 6

            When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him,   “Do you want to be made well?”

           

In the original Greek, the word translated, “made well”,

            refers to more than just good health or lack of disease.

The word is more broad and comprehensive than just physical body,

                but refers to overall wellness and wholeness,  

                        which includes  relationships with family and friends,

                              connection within a supportive and caring community. 

 

When Jesus asks, “Do you want to be made well?”,

            he is really asking about more than just the man’s health…

                                    “Is it well with your soul, and what do you need?”

Notice that the man doesn’t ask Jesus to heal or cure his body. 

vs. 7

            The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.”

 

His complaint is that he’s on his own with no one to care for him.

            He’s sick and alone, dying and can’t do anything about it.

 

The question Jesus asks, “Do you want to be made well?”,

          is an especially pertinent question for this time of year.

 

That question is not really about our physical health,

            but is our joy,

                        are our relationships, our faith and walk with God,

                                    is the way I live my life,    all that it could be?

 

The question is, how am I relating and living

                   within the circumstances and situations of my life,

                             and is joy a part of my life-experience these days?

 

There are oftentimes important life-issues and concerns

            that we can ignore, silence or deny most of the year,

                        but that intrude our consciousness this time of year …

                              … so is there any joy, and how is it with your soul?

 

Our hymnbooks, our radios, the malls and concert halls

            are filled with wonderful and sentimental Christmas music

                        that can evoke strong feelings and memories.

 

Many of them retell the amazing events of Bethlehem,

            of angels, mangers, stars, shepherds and the Holy family,

                        and we sing about grace, compassion and the love of God,

                                    and how that changes everything about our lives.

 

But as I thought about our texts today, and this season of Advent,

            another old hymn kept coming to mind,

                        one that many of us learned as small children,

                                    “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”,  and maybe,

                  … that’s the message of Christmas we most need to hear.

 

I certainly am not suggesting that

            we wallow in guilt or regret over a past that we can’t change,

                        but rather, whatever our situation in life,

                                    wherever we are in our relationship with God,

                                         the coming of Jesus is an invitation to come home,

                                              -- an invitation to come home with a friend.

 

You may recall, in 1976, during our American Bicentennial,

            British Airways ran a particularly memorable ad on TV.

Actor Robert Morley, with his very strong British accent,

            while waving a small American flag in front of Parliament,

               said something important , “All is forgiven, come on home.”

 

Our relationship with God, our friendship and journey of faith

            even if it’s been neglected, or has faded,

                or had been hopelessly broken or damaged, can be restored;

                        for Jesus came to proclaim the Good News,

                              offering hope to the brokenhearted and disappointed,

                                                liberty and release to captives and prisoners,

                                                            joy and comfort to us all.

 

We do indeed have a friend in Jesus,

            for that is why he came, died and was resurrected,

                 and promises to come again, bringing us into his Kingdom.

 

If you are feeling stuck, rejected, abandoned or isolated,

            or not sure about where God is in your life, or in your future,

                        maybe it’s time to talk about it

                                    with the Lord who created you and loves you,

                                        and asks you,  “Do you want to be made well?”

 

“What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!

               What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!

                              O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,

                                             all because we do not carry  everything to God in prayer.”

(Joseph M. Scriven, 1820-1886)