Sermon: Keep Looking for the Angels John 1:43-51

Keep Looking for the Angels

John 1:43-51

43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Tommorow across our nation people will gather to remember the life and ministry of Dr. King. As a denomination, thousands of our congregations will be observing race relations Sunday today. Presbyterians were very active in the Civil Rights Movement. My mentor in seminary led a busload of seminarians to work in Selma. This is part of heritage that we remember as a nation remembers Dr. King’s dream. We have made huge strides but the dream is still not fully realized. As Christ’s disciples, we continue to dream and seek out the angels. These angels of love and forgiveness lead us in the difficult but necessary work of reconciliation among God’s children.
We are a people who have struggled to keep our practices in line with our principles. Our forefathers fought to lift the yoke of colonial oppression, but the rights of native Americans, Africans and women were not on their radar. I am not shaming or bashing America. I want to see her light shine bright on the hill.
When the Mayflower set sail from Holland they had a vision of this new promised land where followers of Calvin could shape a new order. That first winter was brutal. Half of the pilgrims perished. It was the native Americans who were angels that came to their aid and gave them food. When the ground thawed the Native Americans coached the pilgrims on the native plants that would thrive in this new land. Let’s keep looking for the angels that God sends us today.
Like Thanksgiving, tomorrow is a day when we remember where we came from and discern where we are going. We have a painful history but we also have an awesome story of growing into a more just society. The Hebrew prophets and Jesus’ life and ministry have been the conscience of our nation. When we find ourselves off track we look to this book for guidance. We are kept honest by the eternal truth the Holy Spirit shines in our hearts and minds.
In our gospel lesson we see some of Jesus’ first followers joining his ranks. Even the Son of Man, had to face some prejudice. Nathaniel is credulous. He asks with derision, “ Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Use your imagination, if you were a minority in America, how do you think this passage would come across to you? Do you think some folks find comfort knowing that Jesus too faced prejudice in his public ministry? Jesus faced a tough crowd and his poor, rural roots defied many of his peoples expectations.
In our second reading, Jesus has to show his power and insight to convince Nathaniel that he is the promised one sent by God. So what if Jesus does not exactly come from the area where some of the prophecies predicted. God is God, and we are mere mortals. If God chooses to adjust the game plan, we are mere water boys on the sidelines. You will see in Matthew’s nativity how careful he is to line up Jesus’ childhood with the historical sites associated with the promised messiah. We can see some of these differing concerns that each gospel writer has. What is critical for Matthew, is not an issue for John. So when it exactly did Nathaniel see the angels descending and ascending upon the son of Man? Was this at the transfiguration? Did this take place in the upper room when Jesus returned to them after the empty tomb?
Ever since the Temple was destroyed in 70AD, the holy of holies is no longer a building. The church of Jesus Christ is made up of the hearts and hands who gather in the name of Jesus. The church is present wherever two or three are gathered. John Calvin wrote in his institutes that each of us are temples of the Holy Spirit. We carry the light and salt within us wherever we go. Every place is sacred where two or more have together proclaim the Gospel of our Lord.
Whenever we are about the ministry of peace and reconciliation the angels of heaven come to attend us. Yes, this world has a cruel history, but for every painful chapter there has been a gathering of faith disciples who carry the Holy Spirit within them. Someone once said, that we help set the thermostat of our society. When things get cold and frozen, God sets a fire in us to dethaw the frigid hearts that refuse to extend the love of Christ.
I am not a life long Presbyterian. I grew up Nazarene in the north-west suburbs. As I have mentioned before, I struggled in this church. I felt our perspective was to narrow. The social gospel emphasis on peace and reconciliation was ridiculed. They only wanted to focus on winning people souls and disregarded any of the social ills plague the least among us. I could no longer be part of a fellowship that allowed racism and prejudice to go unchecked.
After I left the U of M, I went to New York to work in a private psychiatric hospital. I attended worship with one of the physicians who happened to be a Presbyterian. I like to joke that it was predestined that I became Presbyterian. The very first Presbyterian sermon I heard, the pastor used an illustration of serving as Freedom Rider in Selma. I knew then, that I found a home where my hunger for peace and reconciliation could be fed.
We are not mere social activists. In today’s officer's class, we will study the PC(USA) list of the Great Ends of the Church. One of the key points is the promotion of social righteousness. As people of faith, we must not shy away from our calling to be prophetic voices. It’s not always comfortable, but we must stoke a holy dissatisfaction for this gap between the conditions of our world, and the New Jerusalem we are called to help create through the Holy Spirit.
God’s angels are ascending and descending with every social movement that works to preserve the rights and dignity of God’s children. In every chapter of history, we can find a remnant that walked their own Via Dela Rosa to be faithful to Christ’s calling. We need to prepare ourselves for what the world throws at us when we shine the light of Christ through our lives.
Even when we are unpopular and hated for being faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we walk on. Dr. King knew for a long time that the path he was walking could lead to his own Calvary. The night before that tragic day in Memphis, Dr King assured the congregation. “I’m not worried I have seen the promised land. My eyes I have seen the glory of the coming of Lord.” In Dr. King’s dream do you think these angels were coming and going to tend to the people who would carry the mantel for him after he was gone? Dr. King gave his life so our nation could be transformed into the dream that has become our dream as a nation.
Now I understand that not many of us have the courage of a Dr King or Ganhdi. We won’t be called to lay down our lives for our friends. Nonetheless, every follow of Christ is called to extend sacrificial love to others. Yes, we are brother’s keeper. This is a key part of growth in spiritual maturity. To get out ourselves, and pour our lives into something that is bigger than any one of us.
Without the Angels above and beside us, we lose perspective on what God has placed us here to do. When we feel that hunger in our bones. When a chill goes down our spine, and we feel a heart connection with one of God’s children on the other side of a social divide, an angel has visited us. When we sense the Holy Spirit moving in us and through others, let’s be awake to the dream that is working become a reality.
Our nation is preparing for remarkable chapter in our history. May Dr. King’s dream continue to unfold as a fuller reality. There is still a lot of work to be done. God never promised this would be easy. Keep looking for the Angels who will come to help carry this yoke we carry. We may grow tired and weary but God’s eternal Spirit will come again to sustain us.
Tomorrow may our hearts and minds be renewed with hope and a renewed resolve to love all of God’s children. We don’t see a race, gender or a class of people. Whether we are from Nazareth, West Africa, Norway or Sweden, we are all part of God’s family. May God’s Spirit clear anything from us that keeps us from seeing the wonder and beauty of God’s creation in all peoples.