January 3. 2009
Isaiah 60:1-6; Matthew 2:1-12; Eph. 3:1-12
Happy New Year!
In the church year, we always start off the New Year by celebrating what is traditionally known as Epiphany Sunday.
Epiphany literally means to “shine upon” or to “give light”.
So on Epiphany Sunday we look at what it means for us to “share the light of Christ with others”. We are not to keep “the light of Christ to ourselves” but we are let it shine for the world to see.
Matthew, in his gospel, tells the story of the Magi because he wants us to know that Jesus is for all people and all nations.
Now, the story of the Magi is one of the most familiar stories in the bible that even non-Christians know. The problem is that the popular version of this story strays pretty far from Matthew’s gospel.
The popular version of this story says the magi are kings and that there were three of them. It also assumes that the magi arrive on the scene immediately after Jesus’ birth.
It’s a wonderful story and it has provided much inspiration for art and music and poetry over the years.
However, Matthew tells a very different version of this story. The magi are not kings but most likely astrologers. We tend to think there were only three magi because three gifts were given to Jesus but Matthew doesn’t say anything about 3 Magi and most likely there was a group traveling together.
And since they had to travel hundreds of miles they did not meet Jesus in a stable but in Joseph and Mary’s house between one and two years after his birth.
However, the main point of this story – whoever the magi were and wherever they came from – is that they were foreigners coming to worship Jesus. And not only were they foreigners but they were of a different religion.
Matthew is telling the story of the birth of Jesus for new Christians. Matthew’s community was primarily from Jewish background and they were very comfortable with the idea that this new life in Christ was only for them.
But Matthew shocks his readers right from the first verse of his Gospel by recounting the genealogy of Jesus.
In those days, a genealogy was traced only through male lineage. But Matthew breaks from tradition and includes four women in his list of ancestors of Jesus.
And these were not just any women! These were women whose lives bore the scars of prostitution, incest, adultery, and murder.
And furthermore, they were all foreigners. Tamar was an Aramean, Rahab was a Canaanite, Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba was a Hittite.
Matthew wants to proclaim from the beginning of his Gospel that God’s grace covers all sins and is for all people of every nationality and race.
So Jesus’ genealogy and the story of the Magi are meant to show that Jesus has a universal appeal and that he is born as a savior for the whole world.
Matthew and the other apostles shared the good news of Jesus with Samaritans, Jews, with an Ethiopian, with Cornelius (a God fearing Gentile), and with very sophisticated Gentiles in Athens.
The early church was convinced that Jesus was the way to God and the one who provides fullness of life.
Over the centuries, the Christian Church has continually affirmed that Jesus of Nazareth is, as John’s gospel says, “the way, the truth, and the life”. (John 14:6).
Now, one of the questions a statement like this about Jesus raises in our pluralistic society is – isn’t that view of Jesus a bit narrow-minded? Isn’t it a bit arrogant to claim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life? How do we know that Jesus is the way for all people?
Norman Kraus, a Mennonite theologian and mission worker wrote in his book “God Our Savior” that the crucial question of our day for mission is how to view other religions.
He goes on to say “the problem for today is not atheism, but polytheism. It is not a problem of whether God exists, but which is the true God”.
The reality is that our world today continues to present us with a smorgasbord of gods to choose from. It is a world with a variety of religions and worldviews and practices.
Unless you are completely isolated, I am sure you encounter on a daily basis people with different religious views than your own.
The ease of travel, the instant access to worldwide news, and the coming of people from other lands and places make us aware that Christianity is only one of many faith traditions.
An important question for Christians, then, is how do we relate to these other worldviews and religions?
And an even more complicating factor for us is that within Christianity itself we have different views of Jesus. Sometimes within Christianity it seems like we worship very different gods.
So, we must constantly discern, not only among the many religions, but also within Christianity itself what is really of God and what isn’t.
This morning, I want to talk about what it means for us to share the light we have in Christ with other people and particularly with people of other religions.
I want to give several ways the Christian Church has tried to work at relating to other religions and then I want to offer an alternative perspective.
For a moment, I want you to think, on a continuum, about the ways Christians view sharing our faith with people of other religions.
- On one end of this continuum is the view that all religions are basically the same.
This view holds that all religions are seen as leading to one God and that Christianity is just one of many ways.
It is the belief that we just call different manifestations of God by different names – sort of the “different strokes for different folks” mentality.
One positive aspect of this belief has led to finding common ground among some religions and to a deeper respect for all religions. It has opened the door for dialogue at a much deeper level.
At the same time, this zeal to be so inclusive and see God everywhere and in everything often reduces God to nothing. A god that is so generic – with no voice, no face, and no features – can never engage us and struggle with us.
Also, those working in the field of comparative religions have discovered that while there are some commonalities – there are many differences and not all religions view God in the same way.
In trying to lump all religions together – the richness of anyone tradition is depreciated.
Also, the belief that all religions are the same was supposed to eliminate the superiority of any one religion. The reality, though, is that in looking at all religions – the monotheistic ones were constantly seen as better than the more tribal or polytheistic religions.
- At the other end of the continuum is the view that Christianity is far superior to all other religions and some even view these other religions as of the devil and need to be eliminated.
One of the many problems with this view is that it has led Christians over the years to use any and every tactic possible to make people become Christian.
This view has justified crusades, imperialism, colonialism, and slavery as Christian expansion.
These, of course, are two views at opposite ends of a continuum and there are many variations of these two views in between.
I want to suggest this morning that we move beyond these two extreme views. We need to move beyond the old “inclusive/exclusive” debate. We need to move beyond the old “liberal/conservative” debate.
No amount of “conservative exclusivity” will scare people into the church.
And no amount of “liberal inclusivity” will transform people’s hearts and lives.
What I find most helpful and what I want to advocate for today is a view I call a – “confessional view”.
A “confessional view” is a view which acknowledges that God was in Jesus reconciling each one of us and the world to God.
It is the confession that, in Jesus,
God reveals to us what God is like,
what God’s intentions for human history are,
how God is at work in our world,
and what God expects of us.
It is the conviction that Jesus Christ is the unique and normative revelation of God for all humanity.
It is the belief that what we learn of God through Jesus is final in the sense that we do not expect a revision that would change our understanding of God’s character or purpose for the world.
Since Jesus has revealed to us what God is like – we believe that God will continue to act in accord with the revelation that we know in Jesus.
The difference of this view from the others is that it is come to by a confession of faith. It cannot be forced on anyone. Our task is simply to give witness to what God has done in Christ through his birth, life, death, and resurrection.
A confessional view of Christ does not mean that God has not been revealed in other ways.
As Christians, we believe that all human beings have an awareness of God through what is called “general revelation”.
Paul, in Romans 1:20 writes – “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities have been clearly seen”.
Paul makes it clear that whether through reason, conscience, intuition, nature, history, or the Holy Spirit’s wrestling with the world – human beings have some correct awareness of God.
Because human beings are created in God’s image and we live in a God-created world we can expect to find awareness of God in other religions.
So because of some “general revelation” Christians can affirm that there is goodness, beauty, and truth in other religions.
As Christians, we should rejoice in the light of God’s truth wherever it is found and not try to limit the light.
If God is truth, then wherever truth is found, we don’t have to be afraid of it.
However, to affirm the general revelation of God in our world and in every religion does not take away from the unique redemptive revelation of God in Jesus.
In fact, the special revelation of God in Jesus is no new word about God.
In the gospel of John, chapter 1, the Apostle John says “the word” or “logos” is Jesus. This “logos” or word – John claims, “was with God from the beginning of creation”.
In other words, the Apostle John says Jesus is the self-disclosure of what God has always been like. Jesus uncovers the inner meaning and purpose of God already in creation.
So, if Jesus uncovers the inner meaning and purpose of God in creation, then how do we who confess Jesus as Lord relate to other people who don’t believe in Jesus as savior of the world?
- I want to suggest first of all that a “confessional view” needs to begin with repentance.
A “confessional view” begins with repentance because there is no question that throughout church history Christianity has acted in very arrogant and oppressive ways.
All we have to do is look at the crusades, the holocaust, or how Native Americans were treated when this nation was founded.
Much evil has been committed in the name of Christ.
We need to acknowledge that Christianity has not even come close to a full understanding and perfect response to God’s self-disclosure in Jesus.
Faithfulness to Christ always requires us to hear about our sins and to repent of them.
Given our sinfulness and our human tendency to distort the gospel – we must always share our faith in Christ with others humbly.
The message we have to share with others is always one of gift. What we have is what we have received. We didn’t earn God’s gift of grace and we can’t reproduce it in others or force it on them.
Today, many Christians are burdened with guilt for all the ways the message of Jesus has been distorted. Many have strong reservations about sharing their faith with others because of the evil that has been done in the name of Christ.
A “confessional view” doesn’t cover up the evil that has been done, but acknowledges it and repents of it.
When I say we need to begin with repentance that does not mean we need to quit sharing our faith with others.
Repentance does not mean abandonment, but renewal. Repentance should lead us to more appropriate action, not inaction.
We need to start by confessing that we don’t know everything about Jesus. No one has a monopoly on Jesus. Even Mennonites don’t.
We don’t possess Christ. Our confession is that Jesus possesses us. Our witness to others is that Christ lives in us. Our witness to Christ should encourage others in their discovery of God and of Christ in them.
So we begin with our own spiritual renewal through repentance.
- Secondly, we need to relate to people of other religions with gentleness and respect.
Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:15-16 – “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect”.
Peter says here that we are to engage people of other faiths with gentleness and respect.
I believe we can witness to Jesus and still honor the beliefs of others. Our task is to give witness to what God has done in our life through Christ.
Leslie Newbegin says, “Christians are on the witness stand, not on the judgment seat”.
Some people quickly condemn those who don’t follow Christ. Others are quick to acquit them, giving them uncertain assurance. Both actions are judgment, which is not ours to give.
Our task is to bear witness to the hope that we have in Christ and not judge the other person.
As we lift up Christ in our life, we must trust the Holy Spirit to draw all people to Christ.
So, secondly, as we share our faith and hope in Christ with others we must do it with gentleness and respect.
- Thirdly, I believe we must recognize that God is already at work in people’s lives before we come on the scene.
I said earlier that as Christians we can affirm, through general revelation, that God is at work in all people and religions.
To affirm that means we must look for common ground with other religions and our task is to build bridges and to discover how God is at work in people’s lives.
If we want to build bridges with others then we need to know the beliefs and practices of other religions as well as they do. We will need to invest time, not only in learning their customs and practices, but in becoming sensitive in discerning how God is already working there.
If we are not willing to take time to see how God is already at work, then our words about Christ will be empty and fall on deaf ears.
We must also be careful to not look down on others for what they believe.
There is no place in Christianity for ridicule, prejudice, or stereotyping.
One common temptation Christians have is to compare the “worst” in other religions with the “best” in our own faith. If we compare world religions, we need to compare the ideals of one with the ideals of another.
We know that in Christianity we often fall short of our ideals and beliefs and so do other religions.
To recognize God at work in all people and religions, however, does not invalidate our need to witness. Instead, it calls forth our witness.
As people express their religious questions, yearnings, anxieties, and ideas – these can all be ways for us to connect with them.
Whenever and wherever we share the hope of Christ in us with others we can be sure that God is already there at work preparing people for the gospel.
So the third thing is to realize that God goes before us and prepares people to hear the good news of Jesus.
- And then lastly this morning, I believe we need to see witnessing as “sharing news” rather than seeing it as a competition for “ideas” or as a “contest to be won”.
Now, there is certainly a place to debate our ideas and to argue for our viewpoints. I think the truths of Christianity can be debated alongside any other religion.
The reality, though, is that when we primarily debate “ideas” – our “ideas” can easily become dogma divorced from the person of Jesus.
Witnessing is more about sharing how God is at work in our life and inviting people to consider Jesus. In sharing our faith we must always emphasize the person of Jesus.
When we emphasize the hope we have in Christ, then the message becomes less threatening and more real to people.
Our motivation for sharing with others the hope we have in Christ must always be God’s love for us and God’s love for all people.
God, in reaching out to us through Jesus was motivated by love, and that is what motivates us in sharing the good news of Jesus with others.
If we have experienced God’s gracious love and forgiveness in Jesus, then we don’t have to be reticent in sharing that hope with others. If it is good news for us, it can be good news for others too.
There is a story in Luke 15:8-10 about a woman who was looking for a lost coin. She searched high and low for the coin and would not give up until she found it.
When she finally found the coin, she could not contain her joy, so she called in all her neighbors to celebrate and rejoice with her.
I am suggesting this morning that God is like this loving and caring woman. God does not give up on us.
In the same way, when we experience the love God has for us, we want to let others know of our joy and invite them to share in it with us.
Witnessing is always “like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”.
So, we gladly share the hope within us, not out of obligation or duty, but out of love. It is a great joy to see others find bread and fullness of life in Christ.
For me, this is what it means to have a “confessional faith”. Evangelism doesn’t have to be a dirty word or done in a disrespectful way.
This morning, like the magi, let us be ready to search long and hard for Jesus.
And, then, let us not be content to keep this good news to ourselves, but let us be ready and willing to share it with others as they ask us for the hope that is within us.
May we always be ready and willing to share with others the reason for the hope that we have in Jesus with gentleness and respect. – Prayer.