Sermon Sept 28

Well, from what I hear, it’s that time of year again. The air is about to get crisper, the sun is going down earlier, the birds are beginning to fly south. Everywhere, eager students have settled into their desks and teachers have prepared for what has become a yearly right of passage…the start of school? NO, not the start of school, I’m talking about something that makes students groan more than the ring of the bell on the first day. Something that causes teachers more stress than a class full of crying kindergarteners. I’m talking about ISTEP. Yes, every September, our 3-8th graders and 10th graders settle into their desks, grab their #2 pencils and demonstrate their knowledge. Now, I’m not getting into the politics of the test—whether this is the best way to find out where students stand on science, math, English and other skills. But, I think we can all agree that these tests make for a long week at our local schools, am I right? I know I never liked taking tests myself. From elementary school (we had the Iowa Basics) to grad school Greek & Hebrew exams, I would study, and worry, and do many of the things our ISTEP students are doing. The problem was, I just didn’t have the answer key! Right? Does anyone else out there feel they would have done a lot better on tests if they just had the answer key? Many students think they’re done with tests once they finish school…but sadly, I’m here to tell you the testing continues. Our lives are FILLED with tests, and some are even longer and more challenging than the ISTEP.
In our first reading today, we see Moses has been put to the test. Actually, the entire people of God are being tested. In chapters before Exodus 17, the people of Israel have been rescued from slavery, they sang a song of praise to God, they’ve receive manna from heaven to nourish their bodies…and now they need water. How quickly they forget how God provided for them in the past as they accuse Moses of taking them into the desert to die, and Moses is afraid he’s going to be stoned! But, it’s a STONE that provides for Moses, and water sprang forth, and God provided for His people. A rock, a firm foundation, will provide for those who thirst in the desert. God could have simply told the people of Israel that He would provide, but they would not believe. It is a test of faith.
In the Gospel, Jesus is being tested and questioned by the elders of the church. They ask “by what authority are you doing these things?” But Jesus, He KNOWS this is a difficult test, because there is no right answer. The elders are putting Jesus in a no win situation—if he answers “from God” it would be considered blasphemous, and they would not believe. He can’t say “from man” because it would not be true. So Jesus puts the leaders to the test, and asks about the baptism of John…did it come from heaven, or from men? Jesus is asking them “what is the source of the healing waters?” What ROCK will provide for those who thirst in this desert?
The doubts of Israel & of the elders aren’t examples of God testing His people…we’re testing ourselves, aren’t we? Israel and the elders run into problems with the test because of doubt and fear—real human emotions that keep us from believing God is with us. God isn’t the one placing road blocks for His people in the desert, God doesn’t cause doubt in the hearts of the elders. It’s the pain of living in our broken, sin-filled world that causes us to lose our way. But, these passages are a gift…when you read them, you receive your ANSWER KEY for the test. Do you know what they answer key says? That God will give us water. That we receive forgiveness and renewal from a Rock that is not from this world, but from another. The Bible is FILLED with examples of people being tested due to their own doubts, due to the brokenness of this world. No one is spared—we know Jesus receives the ultimate test, as he suffers and dies for our sins on the cross. All of our failures are removed, we are made whole through this sacrifice.
So, now we have to ask, now that we have the answer key, what do we do with it? Because we know that each of us will continue to be tested by our own doubts, and by the doubts of others. We need to cling to the rock—Jesus. We all know that this answer key has sustained us, and provided for us in the past, but we see others who are in need of the rock—we need to share our rock with others.
HTLC held its first confirmation class of the year last Sunday. The youth were asked to think about their personal beliefs, who supports them as they come to understand what they believe, and how they will use the gifts God has given each of them to spread the message of hope and love to others. This isn’t just a challenge for our young people, it is a challenge for all of us. We know from the depths of our hearts that we have the answer, that we have an eternal hope in God, who will sustain us through any test. What are we going to do with it? Knowing God will never fail us, does this change our individual, day to day activities? Knowing we are a community of believers, does this change how we spread the Gospel, and show the world God’s love? Because no matter what we do, there are going to be more tests in our personal lives, in our families and in our life as a community. No matter how we answer that question, we can have the assurance that our Rock, the one who holds the answers to all of our fears and worries, is with us. No test, no trial and no sin can separate us from the love of God because Jesus’ death and resurrection has provided us with THE ANSWER. We have passed the test.