(Youtube won't let me upload the video to my personal account - here is the link: https://youtu.be/0MKMRKPlZ5o)
Back in high school, I was a part of a really tight-knit friend group. We became close by participating in a lot of the same activities - choir, band, youth group, AP classes (yes, most of us were nerds) - so we wound up spending a ridiculous amount of time together. But while I was involved in all of the above, there was one extracurricular that I simply could not do: track and field. Now, when I say I couldn’t do it, I don’t mean that I was cut from the team - there were no tryouts; everybody was welcome - and I don’t mean that I couldn’t bring myself to do it, like it was against my principles or something. No, I literally could not do it - I couldn’t hack it on the team.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
There are a lot of idioms in American English that involve ears. There’s “I’m all ears,” which means “I’m listening closely,” “play it by ear,” which means “we’ll figure it out as we go,” “music to my ears,” which means you’ve received good news, and “my ears are burning,” which means you feel like someone’s talking about you, just to name a few. But what does it mean to say that someone has “itching ears”?
The reason I ask is because 2 Timothy uses this unfamiliar idiom in today’s reading. It doesn’t come across in the CEB, unfortunately, but it’s preserved in other translations, including the RSV: in chapter 4, verse 3, it says “The time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but, having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings.” I’m guessing that, since the CEB strives to be understandable to the average modern English speaker, the translators decided to avoid potential confusion by excluding this ancient idiom. Which was probably the right call - but at the cost of this delightful image. (Incidentally, this is why you should ALWAYS compare translations when you’re studying Scripture!)
Even though the idiom of “itching ears” isn’t immediately recognizable to us, we do have some similar ones in American English. We talk about “itching to do something” or “scratching that itch” all the time. We understand what it means to have an “itchy trigger finger”. And of course, there’s the famous “Seven Year Itch”. All of these familiar idioms express a certain restlessness or yearning to the point of distraction, a desire that demands to be satisfied before you can focus on anything else - just like the experience of a physical itch that you can’t scratch.[1] So by extension (and context clues) we can surmise that the “itchy ears” described in 2 Timothy are referring to an irresistible urge to hear or be told something specific.
Have you ever had itchy ears? I think we probably all have at one time or another. Maybe you accomplished something you’ve worked hard on for a long time, and your ears itched for praise and affirmation. Maybe you applied to a bunch of jobs, and your ears itched for a response offering you an interview. Maybe you heard some news that outraged you, and your ears itched for someone who shares your outrage. Think about how strong the urge to scratch that itch was in each of these cases. It’s more than just a want; it’s a craving, a hunger, almost a need. We’ve all been there.
Sometimes, like with the job applications, it’s completely out of your control to relieve that itch. But other times, it’s relatively easy to find someone willing to metaphorically scratch your ears for you. All you have to do is surround yourself with the right people. Want someone to celebrate your achievement? Tell your closest friends about it. Want someone to affirm and agree with your outrage? Join a social media group or club of like-minded people. Have you ever done something like that to relieve your itching ears? I have. I don’t necessarily think it’s something we should feel guilty about. After all, itchy ears can be incredibly distracting; why SHOULDN’T we do what we can to make sure they get scratched?
Recognizing, then, that this is a very human response, we ought to be able to muster up some empathy for the people referred to in 2 Timothy 4:3. Scripture doesn’t tell us specifically what their ears are itching for; we just know there’s something they desperately want to hear that those offering “sound teachings” aren’t willing to tell them. We could certainly take a guess - there are all sorts of things Jesus taught that people wish he hadn’t: loving your enemy;[2] selling your possessions to give to the poor; [3] feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, and caring for the sick;[4] addressing your own sins rather than condemning others’[5] - I could go on. It’s not surprising that, upon hearing some of these teachings, some ears began to itch for a message that’s less challenging, one that’s more indulgent. After all, we already admitted that we’ve all been there.
We have to keep reminding ourselves that we aren’t immune from this temptation, because it’s so easy to feel contempt and anger for this sort of person, someone who rejects the true gospel in favor of a message that demands less of them. Not only does their choice seem selfish and foolish, but their itching ears often wind up causing serious harm to others. A person who seeks out a teacher who’ll affirm all of the hurtful - and even hateful - things that they already believe seems worthy of absolute condemnation. It’s easy to despise them and want them to reap every bit of what they’ve sown.
But we can’t let our own itching ears distract us from the very same teachings that they so carelessly reject. We, too, must love our enemies. We, too, must address our own sins before condemning others. We, too, must care for the hungry and sick - even if they’re hungry and sick as a direct result of their own choices. We still have to abide by the commandments we’ve been given, even when our anger and pain threatens to consume us, because that’s what it means to give your life to Christ.
So how on earth do we do that?
Well…it’s not easy. But in addition to giving us the “itchy ears” metaphor, 2 Timothy also offers some words of encouragement about how to remain faithful to the gospel message when we’d rather make exceptions to it. The writer knows that being a Christian is difficult, not only because of physical trials like the ones Paul endured, but because of the sort of people - leaders and followers alike - who arise in opposition to everything that Jesus stands for. So he offers Timothy four pieces of advice that are still relevant for Christians today.
First, he enjoins Timothy to “Continue with the things you have learned and found convincing.” You’ve been well-taught for a long time. You know the truth. Trust in that knowledge, even when your ears begin to itch for a more vindictive message. Remain firmly grounded in Scripture and committed to the Good News that has shaped you.
Second: “Preach the word, whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” The moment we start to pick and choose the times that our lives reflect God’s Word is the moment that a different message gains a foothold. Don’t wait for the right audience or the right words or the right situation or the right mood. Don’t give anyone’s ears even the slightest opportunity to start itching. The Good News is sufficient unto itself, always. Just share it.
Third: “Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction.” We know that the gospel requires a lot of us. Its message is not always easy to hear or receive. Part of preaching the word necessarily involves confrontation and correction, which certainly won’t endear you to the person listening. But that doesn’t mean that we should mitigate the gospels’ demands or try to soften its edges to make it more palatable. So when we confront and correct, we must do it with patience (the Greek actually specifies “COMPLETE patience”) and with the mindset of a teacher rather than a disciplinarian. That simple shift goes a long way towards preventing itchy ears.
And finally, the fourth piece of advice: “Keep control of yourself in all circumstances.” Perhaps the most difficult instruction of the four - but possibly the most important. How easy it is to let our frustration or anger rule us! How easy to give in to the itch to listen to our own base instincts that call for retribution and rage instead of empathy and mercy. How easy to surrender to the very same temptation that we’re trying to convince others to resist! We cannot be preachers of the word and bringers of the kindom if we’re asking others to do something that we can’t even do ourselves. We have to make the intentional choice to follow Christ’s commandments in even the hardest moments if we’re to have any hope of convincing others to do the same.
Together, these four reminders - ground yourself in the gospel, preach the word at all times, confront and correct with patience, and practice self-control - help to prevent itchy ears from becoming a stumbling block. Don’t get me wrong; they won’t stop anyone’s ears from itching completely - there will always be other voices eager to say what we want to hear to lure us away from the truth. And there will always be a part of us that longs to scratch that itch, because we’re human. But we're already “equipped to do everything that is good.” We can resist the urge. We HAVE to resist, for the sake of those who can’t.
We have all the tools that we need. All that’s left to do is to follow our commission, given in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ: preach the gospel, in all ways and at all times. Do it with patience and self-control. Do it, knowing that it’s true in a way that no other message could ever be. If you’re able to do this faithfully, even when your own ears are itching for permission to give up, then you can rest assured that the message WILL be heard. Remember: your job isn’t to stop people’s ears from itching - it’s to share the balm that you’ve found in Jesus. God can take it from there. Amen.
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[1] I once asked what would happen if you just ignored an itch without scratching it, and I was told that it would eventually go away. To date, I have not yet found the resolve or strength of character to test this theory.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #457, “How Happy Are the Saints of God”
Hymn GTG #475, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”
When I was growing up, my church had a weekly evening program for kids and youth, as many churches do. I don’t remember a whole lot about it, but I *do* remember how confusing I found the program’s name - “Logos”. At that point, I had zero knowledge of ancient Greek or Johannine theology, so my child-brain fished around in my existing frame of reference for a way to make sense out of this unfamiliar word. Without putting too much thought into it and based on absolutely nothing aside from phonetics, I found myself somehow associating this weekly gathering with the interlocking bricks that have defined countless childhoods - Legos.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
My friends, I approached the reading for this week wanting to say something nuanced and clever, wanting to offer a subtle commentary that would unfold for you slowly as the week progressed. I wanted to be gentle about this passage’s revelations so that they could grow on you without causing too much discomfort. I wanted to, I really did. But I can’t. Because this passage isn’t nuanced, subtle, or gentle in any way. It’s uncompromisingly clear in its message: wealth and faithfulness are fundamentally incompatible.
Before anyone gets the wrong idea, hear me when I say that this statement isn’t political - it’s biblical.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #846, “Fight the Good Fight”
Hymn GTG #716, “God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending”
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #12, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
While there are many stories about Jesus’ life that have been passed down to us - both canonical and extracanonical - the Christmas story has a special place in our collective hearts. Part of it, I’m sure, has to do with the fact that we associate it closely with “the most wonderful time of the year”. But I think another part of the reason that we love this story so much is because it makes it clear that our Messiah is special. Long before he heals the sick or walks on water, Jesus' conception through the Holy Spirit, the shepherds, the star, all clearly tell us that we’ve hitched our wagon to the right savior. The Christmas story tells us that OUR messiah is someone that the world has never seen before and will never see again.
As we near the end of our sermon series about “disputing with God”, we’ve been given this text, Mark’s version of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. It’s pretty clear why this passage wound up in the series: I can’t think of a more intriguing sermon topic than “God arguing with Godself”. I’m sure we’ve all wondered at some point how a prayer from one person of the Trinity to another would work - is it like talking to yourself? Or is it more like a “multiple personality” situation? How can something be both not what Jesus wants, and also what God does want at the same time? There are a lot of fascinating directions that this sort of sermon could take. But as I wrestled with which of these questions I should tackle this week, I found an entirely different one distracting me: why are the disciples reacting SO differently from Jesus in this passage?
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #451, “Open My Eyes, That I May See”
Hymn GTG #220, “Go to Dark Gethsemane” [vv. 1, 2, & 4]
Hymn GTG #343, “Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life” [vv. 1-3, 6]
This weekend (this whole year, really) our country has been celebrating 250 years of independence from British rule - the “birthday” of the United States. But even as we display our sense of national pride with waving flags, parades, and red, white, and blue EVERYTHING, many of us hold our sense of patriotism alongside complicated feelings. It’s not that we don’t love our country; it’s that we recognize a deep and painful divide between ourselves and our fellow compatriots. The wound is deep. Our seemingly insurmountable differences make us question whether we’ll be able to be “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” ever again.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #620, “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”
In one of his commentaries, John Calvin calls the psalms, “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul,” because he believed that there was no human emotion that can’t be found within this collection of poetry. And he’s right: themes range the gamut from ecstatic joy to sorrowful remorse to righteous anger. In fact, many of the psalms incorporate several emotions all together at once: lament, repentance, thanksgiving, and praise all in one convenient package.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
This second half of the book of Jonah may not be a proper dispute with God, as there’s not much direct back and forth between Jonah and God, but there’s certainly a struggle of wills on display here. Many people in Scripture push back when God calls them to prophecy or leadership, but Jonah elevates resistance to an art form. At first, he attempts to literally run away from God’s instructions, which famously lands him inside the belly of an enormous fish. Only then, after God delivers Jonah from his predicament by way of fish vomit, does Jonah begrudgingly make his way to Nineveh to proclaim the message that God had given him.
Our sermon series on disputing with God continues this morning with a second story about Moses. Last week, thanks to Moses pushing the boundaries of God’s permissiveness after the golden calf incident, we were able to learn more about God's nature and what it means for us. This week, Moses’ apparently argumentative nature and inability to let things go will teach us more about the relationship between God and God’s people. So let’s jump right in.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
For the next seven weeks, we’re going to be digging into some scriptural examples of people disputing with God. From Abraham to Moses to David to Jonah to an unnamed Canaanite woman to Jesus himself, it turns out that we come from a long line of believers who were willing to question and even criticize God. Sometimes, these skeptics are swiftly put in their place (the book of Job comes to mind), but more often, the Lord just…lets it happen. On some occasions, God actually engages in the debate, and there are even times when God winds up changing God’s mind because of it. Plenty of modern Church leaders would be horrified at the thought of questioning religious authority, but the fact is that there’s a whole lot of scriptural precedent for it. So let’s see what we can learn from the complaints of our forebears.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #439, “O My Soul, Bless Your Redeemer” (vv. 1, 4-6)
Do any of you remember the “Be Like Mike” commercial for Gatorade from back in the ‘90s? Even though I was only about five when it came out, I can still remember it. The ad took video clips from some of Michael Jordan’s most impressive moments on the court and cut them together with clips of regular kids and teens playing basketball outside (presumably they were trying to emulate the pro ball player). The footage was accompanied by children’s voices singing about their dreams of being “like Mike.” And just in case the song and video didn’t communicate the commercial’s message clearly enough, the spot ends with the words, “Be like Mike. Drink Gatorade” in big, bold letters over a black background.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Anyone who’s ever read the epistles in any depth can tell you that Paul’s theology is firmly rooted in agape. As you may or may not recall, “agape” is the Greek word for active, unconditional, and sacrificial love, the type of love that seeks the well-being of others without expecting anything in return. It’s the kind of love that God has for humanity and that Jesus exhorts us to practice towards one another. It most famously shows up in chapter 13 of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians - “Now faith, hope, and love remain - these three things - and the greatest of these is love” - but between the noun, verb, and adjective forms of the word, agape is mentioned as many as 136 times throughout the epistles. Paul clearly considers it foundational to the gospel’s message.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #366, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
Hymn GTG #693, “Though I May Speak”
Hymn GTG #546, “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”
Have any of you ever done door-to-door sales before? I never have, but I imagine it’s a pretty tough job. I mean, I know that as the person on the other side of the door, I almost always start out skeptical and annoyed when someone shows up at my house to sell me something. Before I even open the door, I have to convince the worst guard dogs ever to stop barking so that I can hear what the person is trying to sell me. But even after overcoming that initial hurdle, there are always plenty more. Maybe it’s an inconvenient time, maybe their product isn’t something I’m particularly interested in, maybe I’m wary of being scammed, maybe I’m just not in the mood to talk to anyone at all. More often than not, a door-to-door salesperson who finds themself on my front porch starts out at a distinct disadvantage.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #409, “God Is Here!”
Hymn GTG #317, “In Christ There Is No East or West”
This story about Paul and Silas in prison is a strange one. It reads more like Christian gossip to me than Church history, with each claim more outrageous than the last: “Did you hear that Paul got arrested for driving a spirit out of a slave-girl?” “Well, *I* heard that he converted all of his fellow prisoners *and* the prison guard!” “Oh yeah? Well, *I* heard that God sent an earthquake so big that it knocked all the doors of the jail off their hinges and even loosened the prisoners’ chains!”
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #234, “Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
Hymn GTG #653, “Give Thanks to God Who Hears Our Cries” [v 1-3]
You may have noticed some yellow papers taped to the pews as you sat down this morning. If you’ve joined us for worship at any point over the past few weeks, you probably recognize them: they’re the names of marginalized groups that have been hanging on our walls since Ash Wednesday. These are not groups that *I* have decided are marginalized; they’re ones that you as a community have lifted up. These are the people that we tend to forget, disregard, and push away so that we don’t have to practice empathy or confront the ways that our society has failed them. These names have been on the walls throughout Lent to remind us how again and again - especially in Luke’s gospel - Jesus demonstrates compassion and solidarity with the very people that society would prefer to stay “out of sight, out of mind.” But they’re in our pews this morning because today, something is different. Something has changed. They are no longer out of sight and mind because today, the angels tell us, Jesus is not here.
Today’s passage isn’t one that we encounter very often in the context of worship. It’s not in the Revised Common Lectionary at all, and even here in the Narrative Lectionary, it’s usually lumped together with the healing of a different, paralyzed man - a much better-known miracle that IS in the Revised Common Lectionary and usually gets all the attention. In fact, I had a lot of trouble finding ANY sources or commentaries that could provide insight into this story from the end of John 4. Which I think is unfair: why should this man and his son be neglected and forgotten? Sure, as a royal official, he was a Gentile at best and an instrument of Roman oppression at worst - either way, certainly not a member of Jesus’ community - but he was facing one of the most universal, human experiences there is: fear for the life of a loved one.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #797, “We Cannot Measure How You Heal”
Hymn GTG #769, “For Everyone Born” [vv. 1-3, 5]
Hymn GTG #761, “Called as Partners in Christ’s Service”
I’ve been to the Emergency Department exactly once in my life. It was about 12 years ago. I woke up with a slight twinge in my side, which slowly worsened throughout the day, until I figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to ignore it any longer. By the time urgent care sent me to the hospital, it had developed into full-blown, excruciating abdominal pain. I had to sit in the waiting room with this pain for far longer than I would have liked, but the hospital staff eventually got me set up in a room and immediately hooked me up to an IV as they began to run tests.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #479, “Ho, All Who Thirst”
Hymn GTG #503, “Lord, We Have Come at Your Own Invitation”
Most people are familiar with this passage for one of two reasons: either this strange conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus about being “born again,” or the fact that it contains John 3:16, one of the most frequently quoted verses in the Bible. These two tiny portions of scripture are the basis of some of today’s most popular theology - theology that separates believers from non-believers, that defines “who’s in” and “who’s out”’. Many Christians understand these verses to mean that there are certain very narrowly defined rituals, experiences, or beliefs one must have in order to be a “real” Christian - rituals like baptism, experiences like being “born again,” or belief in Jesus the way the church authorities define it. And in a way, it makes sense that so many people gravitate towards these interpretations: the boundaries of Christianity aren’t very clearly defined in scripture, so these simple “checkboxes” in John 3 allow them to feel confident in their belonging.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
*Neither our livestream OR recording were working this week, so there's no video or audio. Hopefully they'll both be up and running for next week.*
I have to tell you, I had an entirely different sermon planned for today. But as I was making notes and studying the scripture, I heard the news out of Minneapolis. Before I started writing, I saw the video. And I became angry. Angry that this sort of extrajudicial execution has become acceptable to our society, yes, but even more so angry at the people justifying and defending it and demanding that I ignore the evidence that I’ve seen with my own eyes. And this anger has been sitting as a pit in my stomach since Wednesday. As you can imagine, these are not ideal sermon writing conditions.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
Hymns
Hymn GTG #42, “Your Faithfulness, O Lord, Is Sure”
Hymn GTG #250, “In the Bulb There Is a Flower”
Hymn GTG #542, “God Be with You Till We Meet Again”
We’re all familiar with the saying, “It’s not the destination that matters; it’s the journey,” right? It’s a reminder to slow down, to notice what’s going on around you as you work towards an objective. It insists that there’s value in the experiences you have along the way to your goal. It’s a good lesson, but unfortunately, not one that our culture values much. In a society that measures success by what you’ve managed to accomplish - education, homeownership, skill mastery, financial security - we’re collectively very much not interested in the journey it takes to get there. The journey is just a necessary evil standing in the way of personal achievement.
*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*
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