Ready or Not... A Sermon

Galatians 6:14-16
Luke 10:1-11

We in the modern church do not speak much of circumcision. And this is fine with me. With the exception of Jewish people, this topic is best discussed with one’s pediatrician rather than one’s pastor. We may acknowledge that this subject bears some importance to the Old Testament and Paul seems to want to bring it up a lot, but by and large this subject, from our religious viewpoint, is a religious concern of a by-gone era.

But this avoidance does come at a cost. For while it is true that circumcision itself is not relevant to gentile Christians such as us, Paul is making an important point that should not be lost, tossed out like the proverbial baby with the bathwater. Paul is speaking of a matter of great importance to the early church. The issue is whether non-Jews need to go through a process of becoming Jews on the way to becoming Christians. Paul says no. If you are a Jew, as he was, then good for you. If you are not, then welcome aboard. The only thing that matters to Paul is the New Creation in Jesus Christ, realized in the cross of Christ, a reality equally accessible to the Jew and the non-Jew.

So the question for us hip, modern Christians is this: what is our circumcision? In other words, what are those things we cling to as essential prerequisites for participation in the Christian faith? We might be surprised when we stop to think about it, how many things we consider the essential “first things first”. Just as those early Jewish Christians believed that conforming to the Jewish law was a prerequisite for being a “Christian”, so we, too, have our gauntlets established.

As you know one of my favorite examples in town is the church that has the handy card in the pews which tell visitors the seven things they have to believe before they can become members or take communion. We are well familiar with the Roman Catholic understanding that only Roman Catholics may partake of the Eucharist. There is a church in town on the way to Cody Go Carts whose sign proclaims the following: Fundamental, Independent, and KJV ONLY!

In the Christian bookstore you can buy evangelical tracts to hand out to people. One of them tells the story of an Army chaplain who worked hard to help those in his charge, including those who didn’t believe in Jesus. When he died he went to the pearly gates only to be told by whomever was standing guard that he didn’t get in because he did not worship Jesus as the only way to salvation. As I understood the message, it makes no difference how much compassion you show people, especially people who are religiously different, if you do not drive home Jesus you don’t get in.

Now I can’t speak for you, wouldn’t dream of it, but I have a hard time with believing in a God who, at the end of the day, is as petty and vindictive as we are. But I digress. The point is this: It seems we all have those things we find essential prerequisites on the way to “being saved”. For many Christians, before you can be one of us, you have to BE one of us.

But what is the biblical witness? What does scripture say? Well, to be a bit more focused, what do this morning’s texts say? Since we have already started with Paul we will stay with him. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is, with the possible exception of Romans, the most succinct statement of his theology. And whereas Romans is drawn out a bit, more of a reasoned argument, Galatians is a fiery retort full of anger. Paul apparently wrote it himself, at least the conclusion, literally, as he mentions what large letters he makes when he writes with his own hand. At issue here is whether the church—or series of churches—to which Paul has brought the Gospel will continue in the Gospel Paul preached. Or shall they, from Paul’s perspective, be “led astray”. Paul’s Gospel is inclusive. Gentile or Jew, male or female, slave nor free—all are one in Christ Jesus. For Paul, God has intervened in human history decisively in Jesus Christ. This “once and for all” event changes everything. No longer does the law hold humanity in captivity. The law has been condensed into a new reality in Christ—it is by God’s grace that we are saved through faith in the one who makes salvation possible. What is left is a life of thankful praise. After depositing this gospel of grace, Paul moved on. Not long after, it appears, other evangelists came through with a slightly different message. Not so fast, they said: Jesus, yes, but the law as well. And these evangelists compelled potential Gentile Christians to first accept the requirements of the law, circumcision—the sign of the covenant with Abraham—being the outward sign.

Well, when Paul finds out he flips out, and this letter is his response. Paul ends his letter with a glorious observation that is worth every bit of time we take meditating on it. Neither circumcision or uncircumcision is anything. The New Creation is everything. Or, as the Greek text reads: Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision—New Creation!

The New Creation. This is the foundation of Paul’s theology. Whatever went wrong with Adam in the Garden of Eden, whatever went wrong which made the law and all of its baggage necessary, whatever twists and turns human affairs have taken, sinking deeper and deeper into sin, all of that is erased with a sweep of God’s cosmic hand. Paul preaches Christ and him crucified and raised, God’s “New Creation” in which sin is forgiven and overcome, death is overcome, all human division is overcome. What remains in this “New Creation” is unity, brother and sisterhood, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. As Paul sardonically points out, against these there is no law.

But more than this, the point to take away from his words is this: All of it is of God’s choosing and God’s doing. This seems so simple to say but so hard to truly accept. We don’t get a say in this. It’s done. That is why Paul is so upset with these Galatians. Jesus has taken away any and all of the human rules for religion. Think of it this way. This is the season for bad weather. We have storms from time to time. When a severe thunderstorm is heading our way, the weather people let us know. They issue a warning and we, if we are wise, heed that warning and take precautions. Are we at liberty to say, “thank you for the note about the storm, but we prefer sunshine thank you.” No. The storm is coming. We cannot change that. All we can do is adjust ourselves to that impending reality.

And so it is for Paul and the New Creation. We do not get to decide whether we want a New Creation or not. We do not get to select from a buffet of religious choices which parts suit us and which parts do not. God has redeemed creation in Jesus Christ and we, as part of that creation, are caught up in redemption. Paul says we have to grasp that redemption, which is faith, and live a grateful life in the ways he describes. Now surely many people believe themselves to be redeemed and, in one sense, they are. But do they act like Paul would have them act—with love, joy, peace, etc. Or do they act as the Jewish Christians act—with rules and regulations and condemnations and threats

In our Gospel story Jesus sends teams out to proclaim the good news. Jesus gives them particular instructions. If you come to a town and they receive you, good. Tell them the Kingdom of God has come near to them. If you go to a town that does not receive you, bad. Tell them the Kingdom of God has come near them.

Do you notice what these two experiences have in common? Not the reception, to be sure. Some towns were happy to see them and others not. What was common to both events was the message. The message is the same to those who are receptive and to those who are not—the Kingdom of God has come near.

Imagine you go to visit other lands with a message—your message is that a heavy rainfall is coming. The first land you visit is locked in a severe drought. How will you message be received? With joy, one supposes. As the answer to prayer. Now you visit a land in which the grass is green and the plants are plentiful and the residents do nothing but play golf every day. You bring your message of heavy rainfall. How will they feel about it? They will be disappointed, as the reality you predict will mess up their plans, their way of life.

It is not a perfect illustration, but it is meant to help us think about the ways in which one message may be heard differently by different people in different situations. In Jesus’ day, those who were, for the most part, excluded from the benefits of society welcomed Jesus’ words. Those who largely benefited from the status quo were not as keen. Good news is not always Good news for everyone.

But it should be. The Kingdom of God and its righteousness is a pearl of great price, a treasure hidden in the field. The Kingdom of God is a mustard seed that grows into a giant bush and a seed that takes root in fertile ground. But more than anything, the Kingdom of God is the Kingdom of GOD. And, as such, like our thunderstorm, has come whether we like it or not. Like Paul’s New Creation, the Kingdom of God is a new and triumphant reality that has arrived by God’s will alone and we cannot live in any other reality because there is no other reality. That is not to say we cannot try to live in another reality. We can, and often do, attempt to impose our Kingdoms onto the Kingdom of God. But this is folly, the evangelists agree, and in Jesus Christ—his life, death, resurrection—we see God’s intention for our lives together and God’s promised fulfillment of things at the end of history.

So back to our original question. What, for us, is circumcision? Or, what would Paul say to us today, using the language and examples from our time? That is for each of us to answer, but here are a few ideas….
Neither the KJV nor the NRSV is anything, but the New Creation is everything.
Neither your politics nor my politics is anything, but the New Creation is everything.
Neither your creed nor my creed is anything, but the New Creation is everything.

Or, just simply—The New Creation is everything. The Kingdom of God has come near. Ready or not….