Haggai is another one of those Minor
Prophets whom we think to ourselves, “there’s a book in the Bible named
Haggai?” The short answer is yes and the
fact that you don’t know anything about him is due to the fact that his
presence in the scriptures is limited to the four visions contained in this
book and a historical reference to Haggai in the book of Ezra. What is spoken of these is also a portion of
what we are about to hear in these verses: the rebuilding of the temple after
those who were sent into exile have begun to return.
However, even though this process has
begun, it only is causing the people to become all the more exasperated. You see, they look at what has been
reestablished and it is nothing compared to the glory that once existed. It also doesn’t help that there is a drought
and that the crops they have been able to plant have been struck down by
disease. All that, and there is the
perpetual reminder that those who have returned are anything but free: they are
still under foreign military power. The
people are depressed. The people are
afraid.
Even though our worlds are extremely
different, we understand the emotionality faced by the Israelites. We know what it feels like to feel burdened
and afraid of what is going to come next.
The unemployment rate is just one manmade barometer that reminds us of
this truth. We get where they were at
emotionally.
The question is, will we hear the
answer that rings out in a clear and unambiguous fashion? Will we heed the call to fear not? The scripture reads this way.
Haggai 2:1-9
2 In the second year of King Darius, 1 in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing?
4 Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear.
6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.
Our second passage continues the call to trust in the Lord. It is a refrain that is repeated time after time in our scriptures. One story to the next; one letter to the next, people are called to put down the shackles of fear and instead carry forth the light of the Lord. Those who first heard this letter were worried that the second coming had begun and that they were going to be passed by because they weren’t following the Way the way that they should. They are really afraid.
What the author says to them is that not only do they have nothing to be afraid about, but that that they should trust in God to the point of going out into the world of which they are a part and declare the truth that Jesus, the Son of God, had live, died, and was raised for all our sakes.
Fear is an emotion that can grip us in a whole lot of different ways from causing us to shut down to acting out in ways that make no sense at all. But what we hear from God is that regardless of what the landscape may hold, we need to trust: trust in Him, trust in His guidance, trust in His care.
So, do you? The scripture reads this way.
II Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
2
As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to
him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be quickly shaken in
mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us,
to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 Let no one
deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes
first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction. 4
He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of
worship, so that he takes his seat in the
13 But we must
always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord,
because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification
by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For this purpose
he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain
the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers and
sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us,
either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word.
Every year, right around this time, a
wave of fear begins to make its way to the shores of my life and makes me look
in the mirror and try and figure out how it could be possible. This has been going on for the last seven
years actually and each year the fear that has ensued has only increased. It’s gotten to the point that Jen actually
likes to bring it up to see just how much I may squirm at any particular
moment. It’s not that she doesn’t love
me, I know that she does, but I’m sure that from her perspective, what she is
watching is an absolute hoot (yes, I said ‘hoot’, and I don’t mean like the
owl). Because the fear that swells up
has nothing to do with anything being wrong.
It’s not like I get sick when the leaves fall down, or that some bill
has come due and I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to pay it. It’s none of that.
No, the reason that I am gripped with
fear is because of a celebration: the birthday of Mandy. Now many Dads may be thinking, “I don’t have
a clue what to buy for my daughter’s birthday either.” I twitch about that, but what causes me fear
is just how old my daughter is getting.
When we became a family, Mandy was 14 years old. I was okay being the dad of a 14 year
old. I didn’t have a clue of what I was
doing, but I was okay with that. A
little afraid, but standing firm.
A few years later she turned 16 and
as I was sitting in the passenger seat next to her as she was learning how to
drive, I started asking the question, “how is it that I could have a 16
year-old as a child?” That, and how do I
make sure that she doesn’t hit that car up there that’s turning left. The fear began to increase.
She turned 18, then graduated from
high school and went on to college and the storm only increased. On November 10th, Mandy turns 21
and at this point I have no idea how it could be possible that I have a
daughter that old because it was a couple of minutes ago that she was finishing
up middle school. It’s at that point, as
the wave of fear has caused me to start shaking my head, that Jen reminds me,
“who knows, in another three or four years, and you might be a grandpa.” It’s at that point that I go into the
figurative fetal position because not only do I not see the possibility of me
being old enough to have a 21 year old daughter, I sure don’t see me being old
enough to be a grandfather in three or four years. Thirteen or fourteen years? Sure, at that point I’ll take my shot, but I just
jumped into the deep end of parenting pond seven years ago. I’m still trying to figure that out! I’m not ready to be a grandparent! (Did you see the wave of fear come over
me? Did you?!)
I hope that you are able to realize
that this story is told in jest …at least slightly. But the reality is that fear can show up in
all sorts of ways. I jokingly place
myself in that vein as I watch the kids grow older. But what about when a job is lost, or even
the expected pay raise withheld? In
those days, fears of what is on the financial horizon begin to rise.
What about when you head to the
doctor and they give you or a loved one a medical diagnosis that puts all of
those plans for the coming years on at least temporary hold? In those days, the fears of this stage of
life begin to become a reality as opposed to something that you speak of in the
abstract.
How many of us have had a deadline
looming and the need to get that particular project done has sent us into such
a tailspin that no one wants to be around us anymore? In those days, the fear of failure lean upon
us in such a way that we end up falling short in a whole lot of other ways.
How many of us have carry an
emotional burden that is so great that we are afraid to share it with even our
closest friends because we’re concerned that they might not be able to look at
us the same. In those days, the fear of
the unknown becoming known cause so many of us to wear a mask that we feel will
be far more acceptable to the world, rather than dealing with the issue because
we may feel pushed to the edges of the society we have constructed.
Fear shows up in so many ways. This morning these fears have been spoken to
us through the actions of people who were depressed and ashamed, afraid that
what they were doing might not mean a lick in the long run; to people who were
afraid that they weren’t living the right way and that God would pass them
by. Fear shows up in so many ways.
And what we hear from God time after
time after time is that these fears that grip us, these fears that control us,
these fears that direct or redirect too many portions of our lives, these fears
should never become our guiding principles.
If they do, they all that we profess with our lips in regards to our
faith is nothing more then empty rhetoric.
Let it be more than that! Let your faith become the foundation upon
which you are able to stand, not just in the days that are easy but especially
in those days that are ridiculously difficult to get through. If we want to move to a place where the fear
doesn’t overwhelm us, then we need to move to a place where we place our
reliance on the Divine.
Look at the scripture from Haggai:
these are people who have every reason to be fearful. They are trying to rebuild after all that
they had known was taken away from them and what they see as they are
rebuilding is anything but the memory that they hold. Their land is still controlled by foreigners,
their culture is in a shambles and the very house where they felt that God
resided was still a heap of rubble. You
want to be afraid for what is to come in the days that are before you? That’s a rather good recipe.
And yet, even in that morass, God
declares through Haggai, “do not fear”.
I know that I’ve only been here a short time,
but in that short time several of you have felt comfortable enough to open the
door to your lives so that God might be able to be there, even in some small
way, through my presence. I know that
there things that would cause most people to just shut down because of how
fearful the events on the horizon have become.
I also know that for every person who speaks about their fears there are
another four or five who are still lingering in the shadows afraid to speak
about what is leaning upon them.
For all of you, whether you have begun to
speak of those fears or are still holding on to them, do not fear, but trust in
God. Trust in God, not because there
will correspondingly be no more fears, but instead because God will grant us
all that we need to move into the days that will come, whatever they may be.
Remember, the God whom we worship cares for
us so much that he sent His own son to die, so that we might have the
opportunity to live. He loves us that
much. If we are willing and able to have
faith in that, then shouldn’t we be able to lean upon God through one another
in all of those things that cause us distress?
Have no fear. Trust in God.
After
Sermon Prayer
God, with the brokenness of life such as it
is, there are many a day when fear seems to be only option left to us. Sometimes the fear seems completely rational;
other times, anything but. But God, we
know that fear is not the only response left.
We know that in You, we have the opportunity to receive that which we
need to allow us to move into the days that are to come, whatever they may
hold. In the choice of polarities, lead
us to choose faith over fear so that Your light might be able to shine and Your
will might be done. Lord, hear our
prayer and let it be so. Amen.