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Putting Teeth Into Faith

Putting Teeth Into Faith

February 4, 2007

Text: Galatians 2:11-16 

Gal 2:11-16 

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? 

15 "You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law."

Holy Bible, New Living Translation ®, copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved. 
 

Listen to this prayer:  

God, I trust in you…I lay myself in your hands…Allow me to glorify you in every possible way…Purify my heart and clean it from all earthly matters...”

  —Ken Howard, “Despite our best intentions ...” July 7, 2002, St. Nicholas Episcopal Church Web Site, saintnicks.com. 

Now, who do you think wrote and prayed this prayer? 

A Sunday School teacher? A monk or nun? A priest or pastor? A Sunday morning worshipper? One of our confirmation youth? 

It sounds like something that came from any of these people, but it didn’t.

This prayer was written by Mohammad Atta…the lead hijacker behind the 9/11 tragedy. It was found in the diary-like notes he left behind. 

Reading this prayer, and then discovering it was from this terrorist, was like having ice water thrown in my face. 

“God, I trust in you,” he prays—then he drives the first plane into one of the twin towers. 

“I lay myself in your hands,” he prays—then begins a day that will result in thousands of men, women, and children dying. 

“Allow me to glorify you in every possible way,” he prays—then starts a chain of events that ultimately leads to interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, resulting in 10’s of thousands of more innocent lives being taken. 

Mohammed Atta is a tragic example of something that’s plagued religion from the beginning—whether that religion is Islam, or Christianity, or Judaism, or whatever. The problem is this:  

IT IS SO EASY TO DISCONNECT WHAT WE SAY “IN HERE” FROM WHAT WE DO “OUT THERE.” There’s often a disconnect between what we say we believe in, and how we let forces “out there” shape our actions. And in the worst case, as in Atta’s, hate and prejudice can use religion to insanely justify horrific deeds. 

I think every one of us here knows what it feels like to disconnect between what we say “in here”, and what we do “out there”. 

      “Out there…”

      …In your office, when you get so caught up with the bottom line that  you shave off the sharp point of your ethics and values, so you can get  the edge over your competition, or your office rival. 

The disconnect between what we say “in here” and do “out there…” 

      …In your club, when you take offense at what someone said or did.  You fight back with words and actions, defending your honor [at least]  or getting even [at best].

The disconnect between what we say in here, and do “out there”… 

      …In your living room, when you come home from a long day at work,  or a long day at school. Someone says something you take the wrong  way, and you lash out at the very people who love you, and whom you  love. 

It is so very easy to disconnect the “in here” from the “out there.” We do it without thinking. 

But who said being a Christian was easy? 

If we’re serious about growing our souls, we have to be intentional about connecting the two. We have to put “teeth” into our faith. That means staring starkly, sternly at the specifics of daily living. That means asking, “How does my faith in Jesus Christ change what I’ll say or do in this situation?” If you’re not willing to ask yourself this question “out there,” then why are you “in here”? 

I don’t know about you, but for me, this is the toughest thing to do as a Christian—making sure that when I sing “Amazing Grace” in here, I live amazing grace out there. I fail to do that more often than I care to admit. Maybe you do, too.  

But you know what? Maybe those failures aren’t all that bad. Because if we have the courage to look at those times we’ve failed, we’ll learn. We’ll discover the “soft spots” in our souls. 

Those times you discover you’ve said or done something in spite of your faith are the “gotcha” times in your life. They’re painful—but they’re the best way toughen up, spiritually. They show where you need some “soul work.” 

Today’s scripture tells of a “gotcha” time for Peter. 

He was in church, talking and eating dinner with the Gentile Christians. But then the influential Jewish Christians enter the room—the ones who think the Gentile Christians are “second class” Christians. Peter quickly gets up, leaves the Gentiles, and joins the Jewish Christians—that way he wouldn’t be criticized by them or lose their support. 

And Paul—you know, old quiet, soft-spoken Paul, said to Peter, in front of everybody, “Look what you’re doing! You’re saying that you believe the Gospel in which all are equal, but you’re not acting like it. You’re acting like a hypocrite! There’s a disconnect between what you say you believe, and what you just did!” 

Peter must have gone, “Ouch!” 

The “gotcha” times.  

In the early 1900’s, a Bishop Potter, wanting to go to Europe, bought a ticket on an ocean liner. When he boarded the ship, he found that he was to share his cabin with another passenger. 

After seeing his accommodations, he went to the purser’s desk (a purser is a ship’s officer who safeguards the passengers’ possessions). Bishop Potter asked if he could leave his valuables in the ship’s safe. He explained that he had met the man with whom he was sharing the cabin. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that the man might not be very trustworthy.

The purser accepted the valuables. “It’s all right, bishop, I’ll take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his with me for the same reason!” 

Ouch!

The “gotcha” times. 

There was a man who was dead set against his church receiving a woman pastor. He voted against her acceptance, telling all that it would be the downfall of the church. He lost. The woman became his pastor. He soon discovered how wrong he’d been. And he painfully confessed to another church member, “If I was wrong about her, I was probably wrong about a lot of other stuff.” 

Ouch!

The “gotcha” times. 

What has been a gotcha time for you?  

When you got that promotion, then wondered if it was worth it, by what you’d sacrificed of your soul? 

Ouch! 

When you lashed out at your son or daughter, or mom or dad, and saw the hurt of your words on their face? 

Ouch! 

When you told that off-color joke—maybe about someone’s sexual orientation or ethnic background—then felt embarrassed that you’d said it? 

Ouch! 

When you went along with your friends in bad-mouthing another person, then felt guilty for not having the courage to intervene? 

Ouch! 

When you indulged in something extravagant, chasing the gospel of “bigger, better, best,” and then saw an appeal to help children starving in Africa or dying of AIDS? 

Ouch! 

What was your latest “Gotcha”? Whatever it was, it should hurt. And it was supposed to. A gotcha is God’s way of pricking that boil on your soul, letting the poison run out, so healing and wholeness may begin. 

The way to prepare for communion this morning is to remember that gotcha. Remember it in detail, remember how you felt, and bring that to the Lord’s table, that you might find healing. 

You know the mistake in Mohammed Atta’s prayer? He wasn’t brave enough to pray in specifics. But you are brave enough, as you come forward today. 

GOD, I TRUST IN YOU as I struggle with my feelings with my enemies. 

I LAY MYSELF IN YOUR HANDS as I struggle with what the right thing to do is. 

ALLOW ME TO GLORIFY YOU in my living room, or classroom, or office. 

PURIFY MY HEART, even this morning, as I accept your healing gifts of bread and cup—as I accept your forgiveness. 

Gal 2:11-16 

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish Christians followed Peter's hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, "Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions? 

15 "You and I are Jews by birth, not 'sinners' like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law."