The God Who Comes Alongside

February 20, 2000

East Wareham United Methodist Church (#7 in this church)

Isaiah 41:10

Two lessons for the price of one this morning: Mark 2:1 - 12 tells of a paraplegic man who was carried by four healthy men to meet Jesus, who forgave his sins, and healed him on the spot. Isaiah 43: 18 - 25 tells of a God who says God loves us and wants to do a new thing for us, and it comes out of a portion of Isaiah that is very precious indeed, especially to me.

FIRST, THE MAN CARRIED BY FOUR.

In his book, The Return of the Prodigal, Henri Nouwen takes that story apart, looks at it from the perspective of every person in the story. You remember, there was a loving Father, an elderly brother, and the younger brother who wasted a great portion of his wealth and life, but was welcomed when he came home. Then Henri Nouwen seems to imply, at least he did to me, that at one time or another Christians take each of the roles in that great story. We all are the Prodigal in some ways until we come to ourselves and come home to Father. Perhaps whether we like it or not sometimes we are the selfish elder brother who stands back and wonders if the Father has lost his mind to welcome such a sinner back home. And Nouwen even says sometimes we have the privilege of speaking for the Father, bringing love and welcome to wanderers.

Well, I wonder if we could take that same technique and apply it (very briefly) to this story of the paraplegic carried by four others to Jesus. I don't know about you, but there are times when I have felt weak and helpless. I have been that helpless man. And then I have felt someone or something carrying me, lifting me. Maybe it was a phone call. Maybe it was a word from someone at church that was more than just the perfunctory "How are you?" There have been times when our family has gone through the deep waters. Then it has been a humbling thing, but a marvelous thing to realize the church was there for us. I wasn't Mr Strong Man, the Pastor– I was just a father hurting, who appreciated being carried.

Then, too, there have been times when I have been privileged to be a part of a team that brought someone to Jesus. In fact I don't think I ever brought someone to Jesus all on my own. It is always a cooperative effort, a function of the true church, when people are brought to Jesus. So do you want to be a part of that kind of team? So do I!

Maybe sometimes we are like the scribes that looked on. "What is going on!!??," they asked. It is always a challenge to see any kind of new thing, any kind of change. I don't like change, usually. Change for the sake of change is usually wrong. But life is full of changes. God is always doing something new and fresh.

Maybe we are the home owner who looked up to see his ceiling coming apart and people lowering a pallet or stretcher right into his living room. His hospitality was certainly stretched that day! But people are more important than things!

Sometimes, believe it or not, we are even called on to be Jesus, as in the story! This is never something we take on ourselves, or something we earn or deserve. But is we let Jesus live in us, and seek to walk with him, He will shine out through our lives.

Many years ago there was a social work student at the college where I was pastor named Cindy Knox. When she graduated she began working in Boston. Often Cindy saw things that shocked her; things she never knew existed. One day Cindy was involved a particularly case. People had been mistreated. I remember her telling about it later in a prayer meeting. She said that she got almost angry with God that He let such a thing happen. She cried out in her heart, "Where are You, God! Where are You in this house!??"

And then she said she was shocked as she could almost HEAR the immediate answer to her prayer: "I'm in YOU, Cindy! I'm in YOU!"

The story speaks about cooperation, and even compromise; it speaks of confidence in bringing our loved ones to Jesus– and it tells us Jesus won't disappoint.

Which brings me to the other lesson, the Isaiah passage:

A GOD WHO COMES ALONGSIDE

Isaiah 43 reminds us that God want to love us, to bring us to new planes of trust. God comes alongside those who go through difficult places.

I remember when I was a young, teenager Christian. I used to try to "run to" God. I wanted to feel blessed. I thought the feeling was the thing. Then, when I felt, I asked. And frankly it was pretty "thin soup."

Well, I still am trying to run to God– but then I stop and realize God is HERE. I need to open up to Him, not try to get Him to come around to my ideas. I still ask, but now it is "Please let me know YOUR will!"

I have NOT "arrived." I know Jesus. But as a dear and godly friend of mine once said (Reuben Welch) "I know Jesus– but sometimes I think I hardly know Him at all!" I get scared again. I look at life's problems and I FEEL overwhelmed. Then I see this passage in Isaiah saying, "I was waiting for you to call Me! I am waiting! I am willing! I will be with you! I am with you!"

And I remember times past when I have been overwhelmed, defeated– and have cried out. Nothing! But NOT nothing! I have been heard in those cries!

And often I remember a story, a thing that really happened to me a long time ago that has sort of become a Parable for me to remember. It is the story of the Hayford Street Gang.

(How many times have I told this one?!!!) . When I was about ready to go into the fourth grade my parents moved into a little house on Magnolia St in Lansing, Michigan. I loved that little house. I had great friends on the street there. I did just fine in the Allen St school a half mile or so away. But one thing could make life miserable. The Hayford Street Gang. So— we Magnolia kids made it a point to walk to school and back again together every day. Safety in numbers, you know. But one day I had to stay after school . . . and they parted just like the Red Sea did for Moses and I walked right through with my big friend.

We have a big Friend like that. We can call on him ourselves. We can team up in prayer with each other to bring our needy friends to Him. We can invite Him to live in us.

PRAYER: WE WANT TO WALK WITH YOU

LET Your Word be our food and drink this morning, O Lord. More than just stories, and more than wishful thinking, we want to know you, and walk with you, and stay so close to you that you can go with us through the good times and the tough times. We want you to live in us so that we can bring others to you, and they will see you and know that you love them, too. In Jesus' name we ask. Amen