( 2 Corinthians 14-18 ) - [ Deutsch ]
We all know the saying "laughter is healthy", or "laughter is the best medicine". According to scientific studies, this is indeed the case. Laughter is an expression of joy and not only improves the mood and reduces stress, but also improves blood circulation, protects against heart attacks and strokes and even burns calories. Most people like to laugh. So it's worth considering - if laughing is so healthy, how healthy would cheering be?
Jubilate! Rejoice. That is the Sunday we celebrate today. To rejoice means "to express your joy about something loudly or tumultuously". I believe that we rejoice far too little in our lives. I can only remember one time in the last 12 months where we have shown our joy to this extent - when our Springbok national team won the Rugby World Cup. - Do you remember? The jubilation was almost uncontainable. Our nation was finally a rainbow nation again. There were no inhibitions, there were no cultural, political or religious boundaries there were strangers hugging and cheering and just all-round happiness. The jubilation was crowned with gratitude - not just for the victory, but for the peaceful unity that could be felt everywhere, even if only for a short time. Joy, gratitude, rejoicing!
On Sunday Jubilate we want to rejoice. We want to give jubilant expression to our joy and gratitude. Jubilate is the Sunday of new creation, the boundless joy of Christ's resurrection and the hope of the promised new heaven and new earth. New life and rejoicing to the glory of God are the themes.
I realise that not everyone will or can be joyfully excited and grateful today. Of course we all have our day-to-day worries, some bigger, some smaller, but for everyone their worries are a reality that cannot simply be dismissed or wished away. But it's worth trying to consciously celebrate a new beginning with Jesus for one day, this Sunday, without any gloomy thoughts at the back of the mind. HE should have my full attention today. With HIM I lay down my burdens today and with HIM I celebrate this new beginning today.
We have already heard this theme in the weekly verse: "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold new things have come." We also heard about the vine and the branches in the Gospel text. The new life grows from the vine, the branches grow out. Jesus is the vine, we are the branches - through him we have new life.
And now we also hear it in today's sermon text. It is found in the 2nd letter to the Corinthians, chapter 4, verses 14-18.
14 We know that God ,who raised the Lord Jesus to life, will also raise us up with Jesus and take us, together with you, into his presence. 15 All this is for your sake; and as God’s grace reaches more and more people, they will offer to the glory of God more prayers of thanksgiving. 16 For this reason we never become discouraged. Even though our physical being is gradually decaying, yet our spiritual being is renewed day after day.17 And this small and temporary trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble.18 For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts for ever.
The new beginning through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the linchpin of all Christian proclamation. Jesus Christ is our way, our hope, our goal. He gives us the possibility of an eternal life with him that is not yet visible to us. If we believe in Jesus Christ, we will be raised with him on the last day. Our afflictions and sorrows in this world are temporal, but his glory is eternal - no burdens, no limits, no, just eternal love by grace. From our giver of grace, Jesus!
The only question is, do I know this Jesus and do I really believe in what he promises me? Does he come first in my life or are the worries and burdens always one size bigger? How often do I not stand in front of or in the middle of this pile of rubble called life and try to deal with the problems on my own? For myself, I have to answer this question with "very often". Time and again I realise that, despite good performance, despite commendable success, despite all the energy I put into life, I am simply tired, exhausted and hopeless because all my life energy is used up and because nothing can be found externally to give my mind and body strength.
Is it just me, or do you also feel this physical, mental and spiritual tiredness? Do you also realise that you often try to glue together the pieces in the pile of rubble in your own strength in order to regain an intact world? Is quiet time with Jesus sometimes at the bottom of your far too long to-do list and everything else is more important? In any case, I am often far too far away from this source of strength that is offered and given to me. I need little cheat sheets that remind me again and again that Jesus is my source of strength and that he offers me his unconditional help, love and grace.
Some may ask - why do I, as a professing Christian, have to be told this again and again? I believe that I need this certainty repeatedly because I am human, because in my weakness I allow my life to fall apart at the seams, because work pressure and responsibility for the well-being of others overshadow my own health, my own salvation and sometimes even my own happiness. Even the most faithful Christian sometimes finds himself in this predicament. Even the most convinced follower of Jesus sometimes reaches the limits of his faith. It is good that Saint Paul reminds us of the core of our Christian faith - the resurrection and eternal glory through Jesus Christ.
It is worth putting your trust in God and walking the path with him. Yes, it is worth taking the risk on a new beginning, regardless of whether it is an easy or often painful path of faith. Why? Because the goal is clear and distinct, because a glory awaits us that outshines everything. Despite worries, disappointments and defeats, despite some dashed hopes, God's glory shines directly into our everyday lives. And that is exactly where we are on Jubilate Sunday - to become more aware of the divine glory in our everyday lives and to be grateful for it - because through these little things we see we already have a small piece of the invisible eternity.
If life with Jesus really is as rewarding as Saint Paul makes it out to be, shouldn't I use all my energy to get to know and trust this Jesus better? How wonderful it would be to take more time for Jesus instead of constantly being under pressure to work. How rewarding would it be to consciously look around and recognise God in his wonderful creation, to praise him and thank him - indeed to rejoice in what he does for us? Shouldn't I spread my arms out and receive God with rejoicing and cry out God, I need this new beginning - help me to make it. Help me to open my eyes, ears and heart and make sure that I actually put you, God, first in my life.
I think we need a Sunday like Jubilate Sunday, when God speaks to us and tells us to STOP. Put it in reverse gear. Come to your senses and realise that I am the God of you all. If your relationship with me is right, you will also get your life back on track. Then you will also realise that I, your God, am at work in your visible existence on a large and small scale - and you will realise that you have infinite reason to give thanks and to rejoice.
If I consciously think about what I could gratefully rejoice about, there would certainly be a lot. The key word here is conscious! Realise how great God has made your life. Realise how richly you have been blessed.
I don't know about you, but I always need little tips and tools in my life to help me remember things. In fact, there is a wonderful daily reflection exercise that you could do on one hand. Unfortunately, I can't say that I came up with it myself, no; a psychologist from Portland in the USA developed this method. But we can practise it right now:
Look at your hand. Each finger represents visualising something specific and being grateful for it:
- The little finger: I am grateful for... this little thing that I experienced or saw today,
an unexpected smile from my colleague, a bright sunny morning even though rain was forecast, an apple hidden in my handbag that satisfied my ravenous appetite on the way home.
- The ring finger: I am grateful for... this time with the people I love. A belated birthday party, a happy community gathering, a coffee with my girlfriend or a beer with a friend I haven't seen for a long time.
- The middle finger: I am grateful for... that moment when I made someone happy. Giving someone a seat on the overcrowded Gautrain, surprising someone with a cappuccino at work, putting a little note in my children's lunch box saying "I'm thinking of you especially today"
- The index finger: I am grateful for... this particularly beautiful thing in my neighbourhood. The green trees, manicured lawns and colourful flower beds in our street, clean beaches and soft sand under the feet on holiday, endless expanses and varied landscapes in our beautiful country.
- The thumb: I am grateful for... this one thing I am proud of. I haven't eaten sugar for a week, I've beaten my cancer, I've done my best to make sure my children get a good education.
Do you realise how good it feels to realise that there is so much to be grateful for right here at our fingertips. Small steps in this new beginning can create new space for joy and rejoicing because I know that all good things come from God. And even if things don't always go well, I can still know that Jesus is with me and won't leave me alone.
What would it be like if we all consciously renewed something in our live, to consciously experiencing a new beginning with Jesus? Maybe just for a week instead of using our mobile phones, we could easily get 2.5 hours of Bible study a day in our pockets. Or getting up early on Saturdays and doing the shopping for the week at the Boeremark - without plastic packaging. Or getting up earlier for a week and cycling to work instead of travelling by car to do something good for the environment. Or perhaps take a purposeful daily walk - and rejoice with the birds at God's wonderful creation and omnipotence. Who knows, then your worries will become smaller and your rejoicing greater.
Let us not become weary, writes the apostle Paul. Rather, let us trust that God's glory renews and guides us in the proclamation. Even if the outward appearance becomes sluggish and decays, the inner core, renewed by God's power, remains full of courage and energy.
It is time, dear congregation that we dare to set out instead of just talking about it - socially and ecclesiastically, privately and personally.
Jubilate deo, omnis terra, servite domino inlaetitia - Rejoice earth and heaven, sing to him, the entire world, our God, serve gladly, rejoice in the Lord
And the peace of the Lord, which is greater than all we can imagine, beware our hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus, Amen
