“God is Looking for Us”
Hosea 5:15-6:6
Matthew 9:9-13
I went to a conference the week before last: the festival of homiletics in Minneapolis MN. The conference gathered in two beautiful, huge churches in the middle of downtown. Wonderful sanctuaries. Central Lutheran was built in the gothic style; cross shaped sanctuary, soaring high ceilings, beautiful stained glass, huge impressive organ. The other sanctuary, Westminster Presbyterian was a little smaller, but just as gorgeous, filled with rich, dark wood. Just fabulous. These sanctuaries were designed to usher you into the presence of God, and they were effective. There were more than 2000 preachers in this conference, so there was plenty of hot air in that place, but really, we were just a bunch of believers seeking to be refreshed, to hear God's word, and to be in God's presence. The conference gave me a chance to do some reflection, and to be challenged. As I walked around downtown during the free time and as I spent time in my hotel room, as I worshipped, I began to reflect more and more on the simple question of what God wants. In my reflections I was led to this text that we hear this morning.
In these words, Hosea gives us a glimpse into the very heart of God. In the face of Israel's unfaithfulness and fickleness, God despairs at Israel's fleeting repentance. When the times are dark, Israel comes crying back to the Lord, “Help us, God! Come, let's return to the Lord. Let's go back to church! Let's perform all the right rituals. Let's write checks. That will do the trick! God will help us!”
In response, God stands with hands on hips, speaking like a parent who walks into a child's room that still hasn't been cleaned up yet, “What am I going to do with you, Ephraim?” Only the stakes are much higher than a clean room. What is at stake is Israel's life, its soul.
In the midst of all the turmoil, in the face of Israel's capricious seeking of the Lord, we get a glimpse deep into the heart of God. “I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” The term “steadfast love” is a rich term in Hebrew that has no English equivalent. It is a profound, lasting, even stubborn love. It is persistent mercy. It is a term of relationship.1
God is not looking for ritual. God is not looking for right doctrine. God is not looking for us to write checks (Yes, you heard me right!). God is not looking for us to do good works. God is looking for relationship. These things are important (religious practice, good theology, and good works), but they don't earn us a relationship with God. They are, instead, born out of relationship with God and neighbor. this is precisely what God wants: relationship. Then, through a living relationship, God wishes to nurture us so that we can be the people God created us to be; worshipping fervently, thinking and believing faithfully, giving generously, gratefully, and humbly. God simply wants to be with us.
In our text from the gospel, Jesus calls Matthew the tax collector to follow him. In one verse, we witness a radical life change. The tax collector, the roman collaborator, the traitor and exploiter of his own people, the one Jesus was supposed to stay away from, even hate, this one becomes a disciple.
That very same evening, Jesus reclined around the dinner table with many tax collectors and sinners. Tax collectors and sinners, like Matthew, are the one's you're not supposed to hang out with. They are losers, unbelievers-dirty, impure, spiritual zeros. If you turn on the TV, the preacher you see with the largest church in the country will tell you to stay away from such types because they drag you down; but there's Jesus, eating their food, drinking their wine, listening to their stories, laughing with them, enjoying their company. It's a dinner party, and Jesus gives them his friendship. He is just being with them.
Then the religious crowd shows up, and the warm temperature of the dinner party goes straight down. As the conversation becomes muted-as a couple awkward, uncomfortable glances are exchanged-the ones who are so comfortable deciding what is right and what is wrong approach Jesus' disciples (though I would gather they stayed away from the newest one, Matthew) and they ask, “Why on earth does Jesus eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
In response, Jesus tells them to go home and open their Bibles: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." He is quoting our text from Hosea.2 God wants relationship, Jesus is telling them. Jesus came because he is looking for relationship with all God's children, including tax collectors, and sinners, and Pharisees, and us.
God simply wants to be with us. God wants to walk with us in the garden and on the hiking trail. God wants to rejoice with us when we get a new job, or have a baby, or graduate. God wants to laugh with us when we sit around the dinner table eating lasagna and swapping stories of what we did during the day. God wants to dialogue with us and guide us when we are sitting in the classroom struggling with the Pythagorean Theorem, the globalization of our economy, and the threat of climate change. God wants to stand right here with us as we confirm the promises made at our baptism. God wants to lift our spirits with song and prayer in this place.
God wants to touch the screen with us when we are voting. God wants to stand with us when protest injustice, cry out with us against the practice of torture, and march with us for peace. God wants to pick us up when we fall on the playground and skin our knee. God wants to pull up a chair right next to us when we are sitting in the doctor's office agonizing over a tough medical decision. God wants show us new directions when doors we expected to be open are suddenly closed. God wants to put an arm around us as we grieve the loss of a loved one, or struggle with our own mortality.
God wants, above all else, a living and loving relationship with us. For this we were created: blessed, loving, steadfast, joyful relationship with God and neighbor.3 God will do just about anything to offer us that relationship. God is looking for us.
If our natural tendency (burdened by the brokenness of sin) is to go our own way, if we so often walk away from the relationship that we were created to enjoy, it is counterbalanced by God's faithful invitation to us. “Come,” says Jesus. Follow the one who forgives, redeems, and renews. It doesn't matter who we are. God is ever and always looking for us.
Perhaps you have heard the story of a company president, who one day needed to call one of his employees at home about an urgent problem with the main computer. He dialed the man's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whispered, "Hello?"
"Is your daddy there?" asked the company president. "Yes," whispered the small voice.
"May I speak with him?" To the president's great surprise, the whispered voice answered, "No."
So the boss went to option two. "Well, is your mother there?" "Yes."
"May I speak with HER?" Back came the hushed voice, "No."
"Well," said the flustered boss, "is there anyone there besides YOU?" "Yes," whispered the child.
"Who?" "A policeman."
Wondering what the police would be doing at his employee's house, the boss said, "Well, may I please speak to the policeman?" "No," answered the child, still whispering. "He's busy."
"Busy doing WHAT?" "Talking to daddy and mommy...and the fireman."
Now the boss was really concerned. Policeman? Fireman? And now, over the phone connection, he could hear a loud noise in the background. "What's that noise I hear?" The little child was silent for a moment, but then came a whispered, "It's a hello-copter."
"A helicopter?" the boss gasped. "Why is there a helicopter?" "It's unloading the soldiers so they can search."
"My God!" exclaimed the boss, now extremely worried. "What in the world is going on there? What are they all searching for?" There was another long pause on the other end of the line.
Then came the child's whispered giggle, "They're looking...for ME!"
And so, dear friends, is God.
God is looking for your neighbor. God is looking for each and every child-no matter how broken or wounded-no matter how estranged-no matter how rebellious-no matter how anti-God-no matter how seemingly hopeless-no matter how surrounded by the walls the world builds-no matter how holy, pure, and self-righteous. God is looking for me and you.
Oh how blessed, Oh how eye opening, how empowering, how transforming it is, each time we respond, “Lord, here I am.”
June 8, 2008
Rev. Paul Heins
First Presbyterian Church
Logan, Utah