Month: April 2025

Confusion, Understanding, Belonging

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Confusion, Understanding, Belonging

(Easter Sunday)

April 20, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 24:1-12 Acts 10:34-43 I Corinthians 15:19-26

You are likely aware that SpaceX, the company whose Falcon9 spacecraft is currently contracted to carry our astronauts to and from the International Space Station, is also regularly launching satellites into orbit. Most of these are for their own constellation of Starlink satellites that provide internet coverage anywhere in the world, but they also launch satellites for the Department of Defense, foreign nations, and anyone else who can afford their services. Because SpaceX alone has been launching more rockets than any other nation on the planet, they also launch at night more often than anyone else. And the night launches, particularly those that travel north up the east coast of the United States, as well as a few from Vandenburg Air Force base in California, have been witnessed by many who live in the large population centers on both coasts.

As a model rocket hobbyist and space geek with a science background, what I find interesting is the number of people who, despite almost 20 years of launches, remain unaware of the SpaceX nighttime light shows. Depending on weather conditions, the light from rocket exhaust, especially as the first stage burns out and the second stage ignites, as well as when the first stage reignites and flies back to land in Florida, can be unusual, amazing, spectacular, and a little confusing. It doesn’t seem to matter that this has been going on for fifteen years or twenty years, with every night launch, there are people who see these light shows for the first time and many of them are terribly confused. Some of them flood 911 operators with calls about strange lights in the sky and worries about alien invasion, and others post pictures on the internet asking anyone and everyone what it is that they saw. And some of those folks, even when they hear a rational and accurate explanation, refuse to believe the truth, believe wild conspiracy theories, and remain confused.

All of that comes to mind as we read the story of Easter morning. Something amazing and wonderful has happened, the women receive an angelic explanation, carry that truth to the disciples, the disciples see the evidence for themselves, refuse to believe the truth, and remain confused. We find this story in Luke 24:1-12:

24:1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

When the women discover that Jesus’ body is not in the tomb in which they had buried him less than 36 hours earlier, as one might expect, they are confused. But as they are trying to figure out what happened, two angels appear and explain it to them and, when they do, the women remember that Jesus had told them that he would be crucified and be raised on the third day. So, for the women, the process was straightforward. They saw something that they did not understand, they were confused, the answer was explained, and they remembered what Jesus had told them. But this was big news that they couldn’t keep to themselves, so they returned to where the disciples were staying and explained what had happened and what they had heard.

But the men refused to believe what they were told. And so at least two of them, Peter and John, ran to the tomb to see for themselves, found the tomb empty just as the women had told them, and Peter went away and was still confused. For Peter, and maybe for John, they saw something that they didn’t understand, they were confused, the answer was explained, but they refused to believe it. As I mentioned in my message last Sunday evening, the disciples do eventually understand, but not until they meet the risen Jesus at least twice. The men hear the truth, just as the women had, but even though Jesus told them in advance that this was going to happen, they refuse to accept it out of pure stubbornness and remain confused as a result.

But, once they do meet the risen Jesus twice, and they do understand, they go out into the world with the same passion and stubbornness with which they previously resisted the truth. Despite previously fearing that the religious leaders of Israel would arrest them, or even torture and crucify them, the disciples go out in public, even into the temple courts, and preach the message of Jesus to anyone who will listen. In Acts 10:34-43 we hear Peter preaching:

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Finally, after Jesus’ teaching, and the events occurring just as Jesus had taught, and after the women had told them what happened Easter morning, and after they had heard of Jesus’ appearing on the walk to Emmaus, and after two appearances of Jesus himself, Peter finally gets it and begins his preaching by saying “I now realize the truth.’ And then “We are witnesses.” His stubbornness caused him to take longer, but Peter eventually understood the truth, realized what had happened, began to see the whole picture of what God had been doing all along, and finally understood Jesus’ message and the mission to which he had been called going forward.

But Peter isn’t the only one whom God called to do his work. In I Corinthians 15:19-26, Paul explains that God’s work, mission, and ministry belongs to all of us when he says that our faith in Jesus Christ isn’t just something that makes our mortal lives better for a few dozen years:

19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Paul says that while Jesus was raised from the dead, he was just the first of us to do so. Just as it was the sin of Adam that caused humanity to sin, be convicted, and sentenced to death, it is through Jesus’ death and resurrection that all of us who belong to him are rescued from death and made alive again. The day will come, Paul says, that Jesus will put all of God’s enemies under his feet, he will overcome all the obstacles in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and last of all, death itself will be defeated. Once that happens, then God will be everything to everyone just as he intended.

But our mission is found in the part where it said that Jesus was the firstfruits, the first to be raised from the dead, and everyone else whom God would raise from the dead would be those who belong to Jesus. As we live this life on earth, we know that everyone will die, but only those who follow Jesus will be raised from death to life again. Our mission is not only to make that group of people as large as possible, but to work to include our family, friends, coworkers, classmates, the people around us, and as many others as we possibly can. Once we choose to follow Jesus, our mission is to bring as many others with us as we are able. Remember, part of our resurrection is redemption, so all of us, even the people we don’t like, are going to be made into the perfect version of us that God intended. So, there aren’t any excuses for keeping news of God’s invitation to ourselves.

The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus may well be the most extraordinary event in all of history. If Peter and the disciples who walked with Jesus for three years were confused, anyone of us can be forgiven for occasionally struggling with the story and its meaning. But, like Peter, the disciples, and even Paul, once we understand what happened and what it means, then we also begin to understand how the resurrection is God’s invitation to belonging. God has invited us all to become a part of his eternal family, and our mission on earth is to share that invitation with everyone that we meet.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Unexpected Rescue

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Unexpected Rescue

(Palm Sunday)

Evening Community Worship

First Christian Church

April 13, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 23:32-43

I gave up watching the television news many years ago, though I am still an avid reader of the news through other sources. As such, while I am online, I sometimes watch a fair number of short YouTube videos that pop-up into my news feed. Among these, I have seen quite a few stories about unexpected rescues of one form or another. This week I saw a fisherman in New Zealand who, while he was out in his kayak, came upon two teenagers who had been out fishing, had trouble with their gear, somehow gotten a hole in their own kayak, and possibly lost one of their paddles as well. He loaned them a knife to cut away their fouled gear and took them under tow until he came upon a fisherman with a motorboat that could more easily assist them. These young men could have been in a lot of trouble if the first man had not come along when he did.

But this isn’t the only story like that on the internet. I have also seen stories of fishing charters in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico who rescued a dog that had gotten swept off his own boat and had been swimming, out of sight of land, for at least two days. I have also seen fishermen who rescued a stray kitten swimming in the bayou in Louisiana, or even wild animals that had no business being as far from shore as they were. In these cases, both humans and animals could very easily have lost their lives if the right person had not come along at just the right moment.

And it was those sorts of stories that came to mind as I read the scripture for this evening that is found in Luke 23:32-43. In this story, we find Jesus and two other men, hanging on three crosses, one on either side of him. All of them have been arrested by the appropriate authorities, all of them have had at least one trial, been convicted, and sentenced to death. But the conversations that we hear in this passage can teach us many things if we think carefully about them. As we join the story, we hear this:

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.

39 One of the criminals who hung there, hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

While this is not the main point of tonight’s message, the first thing that I noticed about this story was that it immediately describes the men on either side of Jesus as criminals. Even though all three men have been arrested by the legal authorities (at least once), tried and convicted in court, and sentenced, the other two men are labeled as criminals, but Jesus is not.

Isn’t that curious?

Of course, Jesus is the hero of our story, and we believe that his arrest, trial, and conviction were all unfair and unjust, and so while we are willing to take Luke’s version of the story at face value and believe that the other men were criminals, we don’t think that Jesus was. In any case, we should perhaps consider the difference in the way that we describe Jesus and these two men when we think about our own judicial system and perhaps even the current rush to deport people who have been labeled as criminals but whose trials, if there were any, may have been unjust and unfair. Are we as willing to give modern persons in our judicial system the same grace that we give to Jesus as we read the story of the crucifixion? Again, this isn’t really the focus of my message, but it seems like something that we should think about.

The next things that I noticed in this passage, and this certainly is the focus of tonight’s message, is that three times Luke tells us that others press Jesus to save himself. First, people in the crowd watching the crucifixion say that if Jesus is really the Messiah, and since Jesus saved others, that he should now miraculously save himself. The second time it is the soldiers and the third time it is one of the criminals openly mocks Jesus and tells him to save himself and the two of them as well.

And that is where we begin to find the story of the unexpected rescue because, immediately after one of the two men hurls out insults in this way, the other comes to Jesus’ defense saying that while they are being punished justly for the things that they had actually done, Jesus had done nothing wrong. Having said that, the same man asks Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom.

It is here that we find the first unexpected and surprising thing, and that is that despite having the obvious understanding that all three of them were going to die before the sun set that evening, this man still has some expectation that Jesus would still come into his kingdom. That means that this man who was so easily labeled as a criminal has some understanding that Jesus’ kingdom lies beyond the boundaries of life and death. And that depth of understanding is something that Jesus had tried, unsuccessfully, to explain to those had come to hear him preach in the countryside, repeatedly to his disciples, and even to Pilate. It isn’t until well after the resurrection, and at least two meetings with the risen Jesus, that the disciples begin to understand what this thief grasps as he hangs on the cross.

The second unexpected and surprising thing is Jesus’ answer, “today you will be with me in paradise.”  Not only did this thief understand something about Jesus that few, if anyone else really did, Jesus accepts his request and tells him that his rescue has already been accomplished and he will stand with Jesus in paradise before the day is over. Just like the dog in the Gulf of Mexico, this man was certain to die before sunset, but suddenly, unexpectedly, his life was saved, he was pulled from the water and taken to a new home. Moreover, it is notable that the man on the cross did nothing else. Despite the attempts by any number of denominations and countless theologians to explain how it is that we can live with Jesus in paradise, this man does almost none of the things that are usually listed. He isn’t baptized, he doesn’t make any particular speech declaring his love, trust, or faith in Jesus, he doesn’t proclaim Jesus, or his love or faith in Jesus, in public or even to any of his friends in private. Jesus’ rescue of the thief on the cross breaks nearly every rule written by every denomination of what each of us must do to receive eternal life and live in paradise with Jesus.

Now, to be clear, I agree with many theologians who point out that just because there is an exception to a rule, doesn’t necessarily mean that the exception becomes, or defines, the rule. Just because the thief on the cross did nothing doesn’t mean that everyone else is accepted by God by doing nothing. Even so, we are struck by this story in which this man is unexpectedly rescued simply because he was in the right place, at the right time, and with the right attitude, even if it is extraordinarily odd that the right place, in this case, was hanging on a cross.

But, even if the exception doesn’t become the rule, there are still some things that we can, and should, take away from Luke’s story. First, no matter what you have done, no matter how many people have written you off, no matter how many times that you have been accused and even convicted, you are never so far from God that you cannot be rescued. Second, no matter how late it is, no matter how old you are, no matter how much that you have done, no matter how far that you have wandered from God, no matter how many times that you have turned your back on God, on the church, on your pastor, on your family, or anything else, it is never too late to return to God. God always stands ready to love you and accept you back into his family no matter what you have done or how long that you have done it.

Luke describes these men as criminals, and we often just refer to them collectively as the thieves on the cross, but I am not certain that we really know which crimes for which they may have been convicted. They may have been thieves, but they might also have been cutthroats, rapists, tax evaders, rebels, murderers, or any number of other things. The point is, once this man came to Jesus and, with sincerity, asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom, God stood ready to forgive him, accept him, and welcome him into paradise.

What about you?

God loves you.

It’s never too late to change the direction of your life. You can never be too far from God.

You can never be too bad, or too sinful, or too anything that God won’t welcome you back to his family.

All that you need to do to change the direction of your life and gain your invitation into paradise, is to come to Jesus and ask.

All the rest, as theologically important as they might be, are just details.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Testing the Status Quo

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Testing the Status Quo

(Palm Sunday)

April 13, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Luke 19:28-40

Are you familiar with the word, status quo? It’s used in English, although it is one of those terms that came into our language unchanged from its original Latin. Status quo simply means “the way that things are.” Referring to the status quo often refers to how the politics of power and bureaucracy exist and function in our world. This term can be used to describe everything from the World Bank to the United Nations, the government of the United States, or even the way that chores are divided in our homes. It can be difficult to fight the status quo to reorganize our household chore chart if everyone has done the same thing for a long time. But using this language of changing the status quo might also be a part of the conversation when we remember that the United States Constitution does not enshrine a two-party system, and we are free to elect people from as many parties as we wish. There are no rules against dividing power differently than we currently do, as it relates to the number of political parties that we have, but any sort of change would require a major upheaval of the status quo. And you can be sure that those people who currently benefit from the current system, the current status quo, would fight tooth and nail to preserve things the way that they are.

What does any of that have to do with our remembrance of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on what we now celebrate as Palm Sunday? If we’re honest, it has everything to do with it, and understanding the status quo is almost required if we are to understand what is happening in the story of Luke 19:28-40 where we read this:

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.”

32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?”

34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.”

35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road.

37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”

39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!”

40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

One of the first things that you notice is the emphasis on trust. Jesus sends two of his disciples ahead into the village of Bethpage, tells them what they will find, what to do, and what to say if anyone questions them. We’ve read it so many times that it is familiar and comfortable to us, but if we read it as if it were happening the first time, it is incredibly weird. Jesus hasn’t been to this place, as far as anyone knows, and yet he knows everything about it. But, despite the strangeness of it all, the disciples choose to trust Jesus and do what he asks of them. Once they get there, and they find the colt just as Jesus had said, as expected the owners of the colt ask them what they’re doing, and they say what Jesus told them to say, “The Lord needs it.” Oddly enough, the owners accept this as an explanation and we find that the owners of the colt, who had no advance warning or explanation that this was going to happen, simply choose to trust that this weirdness is okay and let the disciples take the colt for Jesus to use. Thus, from the very beginning of this story, we are led to understand that the entire story, regardless of where it goes next, is a story about trust.

And so, let’s look at where it goes next.

As Jesus, riding the colt, begins the descent down the Mount of Olives, which is the last bit before starting up the road into the city of Jerusalem, and from which the Temple and it outer courts were not only plainly visible but would have completely dominated the view, and it is here that the people begin to shout praises to Jesus. The problem, however, is that the praises that are being shouted are the praises of a king and a conqueror and not that of a wandering rabbi and teacher. As such, some Pharisees confront Jesus and demand that he quiet his disciples and stop saying those things.

But the whole reason that the Pharisees wanted Jesus’ disciples to stop shouting was because they wanted to protect the status quo. The status quo, in this case, was that the Romans controlled the government of Israel while sharing a small portion of their power with the ruling elites of Israel, most notably many of the Sadducees, and also allowing a mostly free practice of the Jewish religion which was overseen by the Pharisees. If Jesus were to be accepted as the king, or as much of anything more than a wandering rabbi and teacher, then the Romans would be unhappy, they might change the status quo, and the Sadducees and Pharisees might not have the power, authority, and freedom that they currently had. And so, the Pharisees were intent upon doing everything that they could to maintain the status quo and keep hold of the power that they had in the existing system.

But Jesus replies to them that if the people kept quiet, then the stones themselves would cry out. Looking deeper, what Jesus tells them, is that it is more important that God be obeyed than for the status quo to remain the same. And that, my friends, is a question that we must constantly be asking ourselves, even in the twenty first century.

How often do we do the things that we do simply because that is what is expected, or how we’ve always done it, or because it’s traditional, or because our political leaders say that this is how things should be done? Maintaining the status quo and satisfying our political leaders, or church leaders, or the school board, or even our laws and our law enforcement officers should not be our primary objective. Instead, our first, foremost, and overarching goal should be to obey God.

As I noted a few moments ago, the story that we just read began with a story about trust, indicating that the entire story would be something that we should connect to that theme. And so, as we think about the status quo, we should think about our trust in God. Should we trust God, or our political party? God or our favorite politician? Should we trust God or the status quo?

If our local schools or libraries enact policies that are contrary to the teachings of God, we are called to stand against them. If our government acts unjustly we are called to oppose it. If our political party, or our favorite politician acts unjustly or acts in other ways that do not follow God, then we are obligated to stand in opposition or to violate those laws as an act of justice. We cannot support authority, tradition, or the status quo if doing so causes us to take a position in opposition to God.

If Jesus and the disciples trust God so much that they were prepared to disobey the law, tradition, and church leaders in defiance of an unjust and ungodly status quo, how can we do any less?

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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Forward from Worthless

PastorPartridge Sermon

Forward from Worthless

April 06, 2025*

By Pastor John Partridge

Isaiah 43:16-21  John 12:1-8           Philippians 3:4b-14

Have you ever had a time when everything went wrong. Maybe you got laid off, or fired, or maybe it was a health problem, or bankruptcy, or any one of a few hundred other situations where you just felt like things couldn’t get any worse and you felt like the world thought you were worthless. One form of conventional wisdom is that when you find rock bottom, the only direction that you can go is up, but the more cynical conventional wisdom is that no matter how bad things are, they can always get worse. And so naturally, a worthwhile question arises, “When I find myself at the bottom, where should I go next?”

As we begin this morning, we read the words of the prophet Isaiah who, at the time, was writing to the people of Israel who had been carried off into captivity in Babylon. Their nation had been defeated, their cities destroyed, their Temple and their worship had been demolished, and many of the people, especially anyone who had any nobility, royal blood, or even demonstrated leadership skills, had been carried off into slavery. The only people left in Israel were peasant farmers and shepherds that Babylon needed to generate tax money.

It isn’t hard to imagine that the people were, at this point, highly discouraged, without hope, and struggling with a feeling of utter worthlessness. And so, it is at this moment that God, through his servant Isaiah, send this message to his people in Isaiah 43:16-21:

16 This is what the Lord says— he who made a way through the sea,
    a path through the mighty waters,
17 who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.
20 The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21     the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.

God says, Remember who I am. I am the one who made a path for Israel to walk across the sea and defeat the army of a superpower at the same time. I know that things are terrible, but let’s forget how things used to be and look forward to something new. Just as I led your nation through forty years in the wilderness and led you into the Promised Land, I am making a path for you through the desert today. If captivity feels like being lost in the desert, then I want you to know that I am the one who will bring you water, food, and protection from the wild animals. I am the God who cares for his people, I have a plan for you, and I am, even now, making a path for you into the future. In this way, despite their feelings of worthlessness, God was declaring Israel’s value.

But there is another kind of worthlessness that we should consider this morning but to understand that we must begin with a story about someone who believed that they were worth more than the people around them. We find that story in John 12:1-8, where we hear the story about Jesus’ betrayal at the hands of Judas Iscariot as it is contrasted with the selflessness of Lazarus’ sister Mary.

12:1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pintof pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold, and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

The story begins with Mary pouring out a bottle of perfume that cost the equivalent of a year’s wages just so that she could honor Jesus. Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were not wealthy. This was an extravagant gift that they certainly could not afford. That bottle of perfume was, quite likely, a part of Mary’s retirement saving’s plan or other long-term investment rather than trusting her money to the bankers, moneylenders, or the priests at the temple. But she poured it all out on Jesus’ feet as a demonstration of trust, loyalty, and honor.

In contrast, John shows us the reaction of Judas to Mary’s gift. Judas immediately complains that if Mary was going to give Jesus such an expensive gift, then they should have sold it rather than pouring it out so that they could use the money to help the poor. But John editorially tells us that Judas really didn’t care about the poor, Judas only cared about himself. If they had sold the perfume, then Judas, as the club treasurer, could have embezzled a bunch of it without anyone noticing.

As we look at these two characters, we see that while Mary was selfless, giving, trusting, and honorable, Judas was disingenuous, selfish, and self-centered. Even from a superficial reading of this story, it is obvious that Mary is the person that is supposed to be the hero, and whom we are supposed to admire, and after whom we are to model our lives. But even so, as we look at our culture, both in the first century and today, the people that our culture admires have more in common with Judas than Mary.

Paul addresses this cultural flaw in his letter to the church in Philippi and explains that while he once followed the self-centered path modeled by Judas and admired by his culture, he has found a different path in Jesus Christ. In Philippians 3:4b-14 Paul says:

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith inChrist—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul says that if anyone had a self-absorbed, narcissistic reason to be confident in who they were and in what they had accomplished, it would have been him. He was, and had done, everything that a good Jew aspired to do be and to do. He was born into the right family, had the right pedigree, went to the right schools, had the right teachers and the right training, was associated with the right people, had the right resume, was known for his enthusiasm and passion, was found to be faultless in understanding and in obeying the law in every aspect, and was even a Roman citizen.

And yet, no matter what things he had and his record of accomplishments, once he met Jesus on the road to Damascus and had chosen to follow him, Paul considered everything else to be a stinking pile of garbage. He understood that a resume of righteousness built on what “I” have done, the family from which “I” came, and who “I” am because of how I have studied, understood, and obeyed the law, was utterly and entirely worthless. Paul realized and understood that, in Christ, the “I,” “me,” “my,” of everything in my life became worthless except as it leads us to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection and in our participation in his suffering so that we can receive the gift of resurrection from him.

Once he recognized how following Jesus changed his life, and once he understood how following Jesus made his narcissism, self-confidence, and self-reliance worthless, only then did Paul begin a new life in which he could move forward toward the goal for which God had called him through Jesus Christ. As humans, the more that we crow about who we are and the things that we have done, the less that we are useful and valuable to God. It is only when we realize the worthlessness of our pride, selfishness, and narcissism that we can move forward towards our calling in Jesus Christ.

It is said that addicts cannot accept help and begin to heal until they find themselves at rock bottom and this has much in common with our journey in faith as we follow Jesus Christ. We cannot begin to move forward towards the life to which God has called us, until we understand the worthlessness of trying to do it ourselves. How we were born, who we know, and what we have accomplished mean nothing. Our righteousness and value to God comes from Christ alone. And, until we understand that, we cannot begin to move forward.

May we, like Paul, understand that we need to surrender our resume if we want to gain our resurrection in Christ.

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*You have been reading a message presented at Christ United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page.  Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Christ UMC in Alliance, Ohio.  Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you.  Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Christ United Methodist Church, 470 East Broadway Street, Alliance, Ohio 44601.  These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership.  You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at secretary@CUMCAlliance.org.  These messages can also be found online at https://pastorpartridge.com .  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.comThe “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

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